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This paper aims to investigate talent management (TM) practices of independent fine dining restaurant (FDR) organizations and explores why employee retention rates in FDRs are higher than other restaurants. This research adds to the TM literature by surfacing attitudes and influences that lead to employee retention.

The present study collects data using McCracken’s (1988) long interview method to provide insights into value similarities and differences between employees and independent restaurant managers. Fourteen interviews at two independent FDRs inform the results. This study employs a grounded theory approach.

Study results show that people take pride in working for the restaurants and the culture within the restaurant inspires a higher level of self-esteem. This independent, family-owned environment helps employees and managers achieve higher work performance and satisfy overall lifestyle needs. Respondents report their employment helps them to do things that bring out the best in them and allows them to accomplish other things that they want in life. The study also suggests that a shared value system between employees and managers creates a more stable workforce and longer tenure.

The current study examines only two independent family-owned FDRs, so generalization is limited. The current study uses grounded theory to expand on research in the TM literature.

If owners and managers of FDR focus on addressing employees’ higher-order motivational needs, they have a better chance of retaining employees. Losing productive employees has high direct and indirect costs, and the restaurant industry is plagued with high turnover. Independent restaurants also need to evaluate their new employee orientations because unstructured training contributes to an environment of uncertainty. Developing a positive culture in an FDR is possible with a focused, family-oriented business. This work culture takes time to develop. Recruiting and selection methods to ensure a fit with the culture and values are a cost-effective method to ensure the continuation of this culture. The consistent values between employees and managers in this study demonstrate that hiring for personal values and not necessarily for skills already developed helps with positive TM in FDR.

The current study extends the knowledge in TM, ecological systems theory and motivational needs-based theory through detailed interviews and value analyses. Long interviews and triangulation of the data surface conscious and nonconscious memories from both employees and managers specifically relating to employee retention factors in FDR.

We live in a world of constant change. Sustaining careers for those who practise the profession of managing facilities is therefore increasingly becoming a challenge. In addressing the issues, we all think that we are rethinking what we do, but with so many other day‐to‐day pressures, do we really give it our best shot? This paper provides a practical tool kit in the form of series of common‐sense steps which will enable practitioners at any stage of their careers, to focus on what they have achieved. It addresses the review of skills and competencies that they have accumulated and where such skill sets can be put to use elsewhere. It also looks at the direction being taken during their career and what training may be necessary to enhance future career choices. The paper also considers the support gained from professional bodies and other networking organisations and the contribution that individuals make in return. It concludes with an examination of the consequences of inaction and the steps necessary to move forward. While the paper presents the co‐authors’ views of what the future may hold and is based on professional experience in this field, the predictions are only those of the authors.

In today's globally competitive environment, customers only want to pay for value‐added activity. They are not willing to pay for inefficiencies, such as those incurred through extra motion, or time spent searching for data, information, or tools. Although these wastes may be transparent to customers, they usually manifest themselves in the company's market share and bottom line. The purpose of this paper is to describe how the visual workplace helps increase efficiency by eliminating non‐value added activities. The visual workplace improves performance by providing information, enabling workers through self‐direction and empowerment to quickly make decisions without requiring oversight. While its practice in the office environment is increasing, it is still not as consistently practiced as it is in the manufacturing environment.

Utilizing benchmarking, a case study approach and analysis was conducted.

Visual workplace practices are very common in manufacturing environments. While the practices and usefulness are just as useful in business process environments, there is found to be a reluctance to fully embrace the practices.

The application of visual work practices requires business leaders to create, utilize, and support visual communication tools to manage their business. Its usage can be effectively applied to business processes to eliminate inefficiencies and decrease lost time.

The usefulness of visual workplace practices, once embraced by business leaders, will increase business performance by increasing efficiency and reducing waste.

Examines the concept of institutional (university) image from a cultural studies approach and from a quantitative perspective. Building on these and other research findings, posits that multiple changing images exist within each individual and that these images are affected by certain factors. Examines university image from an external stakeholder perspective, based on a telephone survey study of respondents from across the university’s home state. The results confirm multi‐image conceptualization of the university setting and, importantly, examine the factors – personal, environmental, and organizational – that give rise to the multiple image concept. Complementing much corporate image research that views image(s) as primarily controlled by the organization, these findings suggest that corporate image, considered also as a receiver‐oriented and audience‐specific construct, can vary as a function of other, external, determining factors but that organizational factors are, nevertheless, very influential factors for one’s decision making about image.

Although extant post-acquisition literature has mainly focused on the integration of stand-alone firms, many acquisitions involve select units that were divested from former parents. Scholars have therefore recently called for moving beyond the dominant dyadic acquirer–target view of the acquisition process to a triadic view that considers the roles of, and interactions between, divestors, targets, and acquirers in the acquisition process. The authors set out to build an extended process view of such triadic relations based on a five-year longitudinal case study of one entrepreneurial company, acquiring two divested units from large multinational companies. The case sheds light on how divestors and acquirers together shape synergy realization efforts and identity-building by targets, causing dramatic shifts in perceptions of success throughout the acquisition process. The authors hope the case offers greater understanding, and triggers more research, into mingled integration and disintegration processes. The authors also highlight three impediments that can shape post-acquisition choices and discontinuous processes when acquiring divested units.

Westland plc recently announced the formation of a wholly‐owned subsidiary company, Westland Inc. to represent Westland Group activities in the United States, Central America and the Caribbean. The company will be headquartered in the Washington DC area and will be responsible for expanding existing markets and customer support activities for the various divisions, the development of new business opportunities, and the administration of all Westland personnel in the area.

The purpose of this paper is to examine qualitative issues involved in conducting research at the base of the pyramid (BOP). The paper reports on the differences between anticipated issues and the actual issues encountered in the conduct of research at the BOP in Zimbabwe.

Qualitative data collection methods comprising in‐depth one to one consumer interviews, focus groups, ethnographic observations and case studies were used to conduct the research.

Findings from the analysis are based on multiple experiences from multiple sites and these suggest that the main themes established from previous studies on cross‐cultural research are also prevalent at the BOP. However, the findings reveal a number of challenges specific to the BOP and suggest that the BOP is not one homogenous market.

The sample used for consumer interviews is small, and confining the focus to the food and personal hygiene sector may limit generalization of findings to a broader population.

The study provides insight on potential procedures and strategies to deal with the challenges of undertaking research at the BOP.

The study provides insight on how social networks can be used as a mechanism for facilitating research and overcoming a number of challenges faced by researchers at the BOP.

Research into the BOP is a relatively new area of study in the field of international business. This expands knowledge in the area of challenges faced by researchers conducting research at the BOP by providing both new insights and advancement of previous research by employing empirical qualitative mixed research methods to study consumers and firms since the two have a dyadic relationship.

This paper aims to provide an overview of current suicide prevention across the UK criminal justice system (CJS). It considers shortcomings in current provision and how improvements could be made by drawing on international practice. Recommendations for practice going forward and suggestions for future research are made based on the literature.

This paper provides an overview of suicide prevention research to date. Relevant literature was identified through a basic journal article search, including terms such as “probation”, “criminal justice system”, “suicide”, “suicide prevention”, “UK” and “suicide theory”.

This paper highlights opportunities to improve practice based on the current evidence base, making several recommendations and suggestions for practice, including improving multi-agency cooperation through clearer distribution of responsibilities, simplifying data sharing and investing in trauma-focussed suicide training for staff.

This paper considers how research and psychological theory has informed suicide prevention practice in the UK. Limitations and challenges in applying theory to practice are explored, in the context of research with frontline staff who use such policies. This review proposes potential improvements to suicide prevention implementation to reduce suicide across the wider CJS.

This article represents an overview of the existing literature as well as possible future ideas for policy. It is therefore a piece that represents the viewpoint of all involved authors.

Chronic exposure to occupational stress may lead to depressive symptoms in police officers. The association between police stress and depressive symptoms and the potential influences of coping and hardiness were evaluated. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Stress level was assessed in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress Study (2004–2009) with the Spielberger Police Stress Survey. The frequency and severity of events at work were used to calculate stress indices for the past year. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms during the past week. Linear regression was used to evaluate the association between the stress indices and depressive symptom scores. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, smoking status and alcohol intake, and stratified by median values for coping (passive, active and support seeking) and hardiness (control, commitment and challenge) to assess effect modification.

Among the 388 officers (73.2 percent men), a significant positive association was observed between total stress and the CES-D score (β=1.98 (SE=0.36); p<0.001). Lower CES-D scores were observed for officers who reported lower passive coping (β=0.94 (SE=0.45); p=0.038) and higher active coping (β=1.41 (SE=0.44); p=0.002), compared with their counterparts. Officers higher in hardiness had lower CES-D scores, particularly for commitment (β=0.86 (SE=0.35); p=0.016) and control (β=1.58 (SE=0.34); p<0.001).

Results indicate that high active coping and hardiness modify the effect of work stress in law enforcement, acting to reduce depressive symptoms.