This chapter summarizes how the term ‘talent’ gradually became incorporated into mainstream think... more This chapter summarizes how the term ‘talent’ gradually became incorporated into mainstream thinking about business operations in the twentieth century leading up to the ‘birth’ of a new management meme: talent management. Socio-economic conditions prevailing at the time of the birth are summarized. Using ideas from memetics, the chapter focuses on explaining why the talent meme has been so effective (and infective). Five features of the meme are identified that explain why it has found so many hosts. These are similarities with other, related, memes; the lack of a competing meme; ambiguity in what talent and talent management mean; the appeal of celebrity in times of attention deficits; and the promise of power and status to those behind talent programmes.
This article uses Sen’s Capability Approach primarily to conceptualise an evaluative framework fo... more This article uses Sen’s Capability Approach primarily to conceptualise an evaluative framework for organizational talent management strategies but also to suggest a more human basis for identifying and recognising talent. Challenges presented by the Capability Approach to organizations in relation to workforce development are elaborated and are used to frame the development of a set of principles and questions that corporate leaders and human resource practitioners can use to evaluate proposed or existing talent programmes from a practical and ethical standpoint. The article provides an early contribution to the social and ethical evaluation of talent programmes and provides a basis for new theorizing in the field.
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2020
PurposeThis article addresses three concerns about the operationalization and possible effects of... more PurposeThis article addresses three concerns about the operationalization and possible effects of exclusive talent management; the core assumptions that underpin and shape talent practices, the problem of fair talent identification and potentially adverse employee reactions.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper that integrates empirical research on talent and talent management with ideas from business ethics.FindingsOrganizations should not simply assume that they meet the underlying assumptions of talent management. Where the assumptions can reasonably be shown to be valid, then a framework based on a set of principles is suggested to guide organizational approaches towards responsible talent management.Practical implicationsThe article provides talent practitioners with a set of principles, or at least some substantive suggestions, to be considered in the design of socially responsible talent management programmes and in programme evaluation.Social implicationsThe ...
Employee Relations: The International Journal, 2020
PurposeGuided by institutional theory, this empirical paper examines variations in the adoption o... more PurposeGuided by institutional theory, this empirical paper examines variations in the adoption of HRM practices among SMEs in three different business sectors (services, manufacturing and trade).Design/methodology/approachData from 300 owners/managers representing three business sectors were collected through a survey method.FindingsThe results suggest that service SMEs use more formal HRM practices than manufacturing and trade SMEs. Manufacturing SMEs are more formal than trade firms. Results are not affected by firm age.Research limitations/implicationsSocial desirability bias may have influenced respondents into portraying a positive image of the organization by inflating HRM sophistication. A further limitation is that the performance of the firms was not measured. As such, it is not possible to judge whether greater HRM formality correlated with improved organizational performance.Practical implicationsThis study shows how the business sector shapes HRM practices in Pakistani ...
This chapter considers definitions of talent management (TM) as exclusive and inclusive and contr... more This chapter considers definitions of talent management (TM) as exclusive and inclusive and contrasts TM with HRM. Theoretical underpinnings of TM are summarised using ideas from SHRM, institutional theory and celebrity society. Biasing factors in talent identification are considered including interpersonal relationships and gender. Authors take a more critical approach to TM to bring out a 'dark side' in contrast to conventional managerialist depictions
Using the concept of memes as cultural transmitters and replicators, this article explores the or... more Using the concept of memes as cultural transmitters and replicators, this article explores the origins of a talent meme and the subsequent evolution of talent management (TM). The sociogenesis of TM is traced through historic developments in management thinking. The rise of individualism in the late 20th century created the conditions for the birth of TM, and the proliferation of the meme since birth is analyzed. The meme reproduces through its psychological appeal and the logic of itself, and the article uses an established approach to reveal cultural rather than rational explanations for TM. Five reasons for the attractiveness, survival, and replication of the talent meme in business organizations are identified. They are salience with business conditions, lack of a competing meme, ambiguity, complexity reduction, and enhanced control over a powerful group. Understanding more about the psychological attractors attached to the talent meme forms part of an expanded research agenda.
This paper takes a fresh and radical look at organisational talent management strategies. It offe... more This paper takes a fresh and radical look at organisational talent management strategies. It offers a critique of some of the prevalent assumptions underpinning certain talent management practices, in particular those fuelled by the narratives of scarcity and metaphors of war. We argue that talent management programmes based on these assumptions ignore important social and ethical dimensions, to the detriment of both organizations and individuals. We offer instead a set of principles proceeding from and informed by Sen’s Capability Approach. Based on the idea of freedoms not resources, the Approach circumvents discourses of scarcity and restores vital social and ethical considerations to ideas about talent management. We also emphasise its versatility and sensitivity to the particular circumstances of individual organisations such that corporate leaders and human resource practitioners might use the principles for a number of practical purposes.
Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 2016
Purpose – Healthy employee relations are important for individual well-being and are likely to co... more Purpose – Healthy employee relations are important for individual well-being and are likely to contribute towards job satisfaction and other positive work outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of worker relations and proposes a new three-component model of worker relations which embraces the relationships that employees have with their co-workers, supervisor and the organisation. Design/methodology/approach – A 20-item inventory was tested using data collected in a local authority (n=157) and led to the retention of nine items which were embodied in a scale for further evaluation. A second study using data using obtained in an emergency call management service (n=85) were used to further evaluate the factor structure of the scale and assess its predictive validity. A third study (n=70) provided further information on the measure. Findings – The new nine-item measure is a viable instrument with adequate reliability for assessing three levels of worker relat...
Purpose – Despite a large literature on talent management there is very little research on the co... more Purpose – Despite a large literature on talent management there is very little research on the comparative attitudes of employees in talent pools with those not in talent pools. This is an important omission as employee reactions should influence how effective talent programmes are and how they can be designed and evaluated. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to explore the work-related attitudes of employees who are members and non-members of talent pools. Design/methodology/approach – Matched samples of employees working in a single public sector, scientific organization were surveyed using a standard survey and open questioning to elicit and compare the voices of included and excluded employees. Findings – Employees in talent pools were more positive about their future prospects than employees outside talent pools who reported feelings of lower support from the organization, stronger feelings of unfairness and had lower expectations of the organization’s interest in them....
Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester, November ... more Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester, November 1999. Awarded 1999. This thesis presents an exploratory study into the nature of organisational commitment among professional employees. This thesis argues that the classic definition of commitment (Mowday, Porter and Steers, 1982) has been superseded by a reshaped psychological contract that affects the employment relationship in post-industrial society. Following exploratory, qualitative research organisational commitment was conceptualised as a multi-dimensional construct involving the congruence of individual and organisational goals, effort directed at goal achievement and innovation in the work place. A Behavioural Commitment Scale was developed and construct validity was examined through a cross sectional, quantitative survey of 329 pharmaceutical chemists, 166 public sector accountants and 138 private sector accountants. Social exchange theory is used to contextualise a study of ...
This study employed classic grounded theory methodology to produce a theory of fluctuating suppor... more This study employed classic grounded theory methodology to produce a theory of fluctuating support networks in the knowledge workplace. Data consisted of field notes and transcripts from interviews and focus group sessions with participants representative of a range of professional fields under the general rubric of knowledge work. Through the basic social structural process of fluctuating support networks, knowledge workers self-organise to overcome the dehumanising impact of a rapidly changing workplace context. The core variable of the theory is the basic social psychological process of rehumanising, characterised by authenticity, depth and meaning, recognition and respect, safety and healing and kindred sharing. Rehumanising gives meaning to work while sustaining energy and commitment. Fluctuating support network relationships offer members validation and subtle support. Members pursue shared interests and passions. Activities are characterised by challenge, experimentation, cre...
Purpose This paper aims to summarise a new model of authentic leadership derived from research wi... more Purpose This paper aims to summarise a new model of authentic leadership derived from research with senior leaders in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The model was developed and tested using three independent samples: 140 business leaders, 54 senior military officers with 390 independent raters and 303 business leaders. Findings A 15-item, self-report, three-component measure of authentic leadership was obtained from testing across samples. The three components measure an individual’s capacity for self-awareness, self-regulation and ethical behaviour. Originality/value The paper contributes to the authentic leadership literature through the creation of a short authentic leadership scale that could be used in leadership research and which simplifies and unifies previous conceptualisations of authentic leadership. The three-pillar model offers guidance to HR practitioners looking to design leadership development interventions.
PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to understanding of strategy development by reporting a deta... more PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to understanding of strategy development by reporting a detailed case study of one pharmaceutical company over an 11‐year period using a framework for classifying strategic actions developed from a broader study of strategic behaviour in the industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilises a longitudinal text analysis using published documentary sources to explore the strategic actions and grand strategies realised by Bioglan during 1992‐2002.FindingsThe findings develop concepts from the economics, ecology and strategy literature in order to highlight that, rather than strategy research focusing on “with whom and how do firms compete?” the emphasis should be on “with whom and how do firms co‐evolve?”Research limitations/implicationsThe paper only explored the realised strategies of one firm during an 11‐year period using only published documentary sources.Originality/valuePrevious research does not appear to have explored the evolution and co‐evolution of a firm's strategic actions prior to its death, a gap that this paper aims to help to fill.
This chapter summarizes how the term ‘talent’ gradually became incorporated into mainstream think... more This chapter summarizes how the term ‘talent’ gradually became incorporated into mainstream thinking about business operations in the twentieth century leading up to the ‘birth’ of a new management meme: talent management. Socio-economic conditions prevailing at the time of the birth are summarized. Using ideas from memetics, the chapter focuses on explaining why the talent meme has been so effective (and infective). Five features of the meme are identified that explain why it has found so many hosts. These are similarities with other, related, memes; the lack of a competing meme; ambiguity in what talent and talent management mean; the appeal of celebrity in times of attention deficits; and the promise of power and status to those behind talent programmes.
This article uses Sen’s Capability Approach primarily to conceptualise an evaluative framework fo... more This article uses Sen’s Capability Approach primarily to conceptualise an evaluative framework for organizational talent management strategies but also to suggest a more human basis for identifying and recognising talent. Challenges presented by the Capability Approach to organizations in relation to workforce development are elaborated and are used to frame the development of a set of principles and questions that corporate leaders and human resource practitioners can use to evaluate proposed or existing talent programmes from a practical and ethical standpoint. The article provides an early contribution to the social and ethical evaluation of talent programmes and provides a basis for new theorizing in the field.
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2020
PurposeThis article addresses three concerns about the operationalization and possible effects of... more PurposeThis article addresses three concerns about the operationalization and possible effects of exclusive talent management; the core assumptions that underpin and shape talent practices, the problem of fair talent identification and potentially adverse employee reactions.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper that integrates empirical research on talent and talent management with ideas from business ethics.FindingsOrganizations should not simply assume that they meet the underlying assumptions of talent management. Where the assumptions can reasonably be shown to be valid, then a framework based on a set of principles is suggested to guide organizational approaches towards responsible talent management.Practical implicationsThe article provides talent practitioners with a set of principles, or at least some substantive suggestions, to be considered in the design of socially responsible talent management programmes and in programme evaluation.Social implicationsThe ...
Employee Relations: The International Journal, 2020
PurposeGuided by institutional theory, this empirical paper examines variations in the adoption o... more PurposeGuided by institutional theory, this empirical paper examines variations in the adoption of HRM practices among SMEs in three different business sectors (services, manufacturing and trade).Design/methodology/approachData from 300 owners/managers representing three business sectors were collected through a survey method.FindingsThe results suggest that service SMEs use more formal HRM practices than manufacturing and trade SMEs. Manufacturing SMEs are more formal than trade firms. Results are not affected by firm age.Research limitations/implicationsSocial desirability bias may have influenced respondents into portraying a positive image of the organization by inflating HRM sophistication. A further limitation is that the performance of the firms was not measured. As such, it is not possible to judge whether greater HRM formality correlated with improved organizational performance.Practical implicationsThis study shows how the business sector shapes HRM practices in Pakistani ...
This chapter considers definitions of talent management (TM) as exclusive and inclusive and contr... more This chapter considers definitions of talent management (TM) as exclusive and inclusive and contrasts TM with HRM. Theoretical underpinnings of TM are summarised using ideas from SHRM, institutional theory and celebrity society. Biasing factors in talent identification are considered including interpersonal relationships and gender. Authors take a more critical approach to TM to bring out a 'dark side' in contrast to conventional managerialist depictions
Using the concept of memes as cultural transmitters and replicators, this article explores the or... more Using the concept of memes as cultural transmitters and replicators, this article explores the origins of a talent meme and the subsequent evolution of talent management (TM). The sociogenesis of TM is traced through historic developments in management thinking. The rise of individualism in the late 20th century created the conditions for the birth of TM, and the proliferation of the meme since birth is analyzed. The meme reproduces through its psychological appeal and the logic of itself, and the article uses an established approach to reveal cultural rather than rational explanations for TM. Five reasons for the attractiveness, survival, and replication of the talent meme in business organizations are identified. They are salience with business conditions, lack of a competing meme, ambiguity, complexity reduction, and enhanced control over a powerful group. Understanding more about the psychological attractors attached to the talent meme forms part of an expanded research agenda.
This paper takes a fresh and radical look at organisational talent management strategies. It offe... more This paper takes a fresh and radical look at organisational talent management strategies. It offers a critique of some of the prevalent assumptions underpinning certain talent management practices, in particular those fuelled by the narratives of scarcity and metaphors of war. We argue that talent management programmes based on these assumptions ignore important social and ethical dimensions, to the detriment of both organizations and individuals. We offer instead a set of principles proceeding from and informed by Sen’s Capability Approach. Based on the idea of freedoms not resources, the Approach circumvents discourses of scarcity and restores vital social and ethical considerations to ideas about talent management. We also emphasise its versatility and sensitivity to the particular circumstances of individual organisations such that corporate leaders and human resource practitioners might use the principles for a number of practical purposes.
Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 2016
Purpose – Healthy employee relations are important for individual well-being and are likely to co... more Purpose – Healthy employee relations are important for individual well-being and are likely to contribute towards job satisfaction and other positive work outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of worker relations and proposes a new three-component model of worker relations which embraces the relationships that employees have with their co-workers, supervisor and the organisation. Design/methodology/approach – A 20-item inventory was tested using data collected in a local authority (n=157) and led to the retention of nine items which were embodied in a scale for further evaluation. A second study using data using obtained in an emergency call management service (n=85) were used to further evaluate the factor structure of the scale and assess its predictive validity. A third study (n=70) provided further information on the measure. Findings – The new nine-item measure is a viable instrument with adequate reliability for assessing three levels of worker relat...
Purpose – Despite a large literature on talent management there is very little research on the co... more Purpose – Despite a large literature on talent management there is very little research on the comparative attitudes of employees in talent pools with those not in talent pools. This is an important omission as employee reactions should influence how effective talent programmes are and how they can be designed and evaluated. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to explore the work-related attitudes of employees who are members and non-members of talent pools. Design/methodology/approach – Matched samples of employees working in a single public sector, scientific organization were surveyed using a standard survey and open questioning to elicit and compare the voices of included and excluded employees. Findings – Employees in talent pools were more positive about their future prospects than employees outside talent pools who reported feelings of lower support from the organization, stronger feelings of unfairness and had lower expectations of the organization’s interest in them....
Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester, November ... more Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester, November 1999. Awarded 1999. This thesis presents an exploratory study into the nature of organisational commitment among professional employees. This thesis argues that the classic definition of commitment (Mowday, Porter and Steers, 1982) has been superseded by a reshaped psychological contract that affects the employment relationship in post-industrial society. Following exploratory, qualitative research organisational commitment was conceptualised as a multi-dimensional construct involving the congruence of individual and organisational goals, effort directed at goal achievement and innovation in the work place. A Behavioural Commitment Scale was developed and construct validity was examined through a cross sectional, quantitative survey of 329 pharmaceutical chemists, 166 public sector accountants and 138 private sector accountants. Social exchange theory is used to contextualise a study of ...
This study employed classic grounded theory methodology to produce a theory of fluctuating suppor... more This study employed classic grounded theory methodology to produce a theory of fluctuating support networks in the knowledge workplace. Data consisted of field notes and transcripts from interviews and focus group sessions with participants representative of a range of professional fields under the general rubric of knowledge work. Through the basic social structural process of fluctuating support networks, knowledge workers self-organise to overcome the dehumanising impact of a rapidly changing workplace context. The core variable of the theory is the basic social psychological process of rehumanising, characterised by authenticity, depth and meaning, recognition and respect, safety and healing and kindred sharing. Rehumanising gives meaning to work while sustaining energy and commitment. Fluctuating support network relationships offer members validation and subtle support. Members pursue shared interests and passions. Activities are characterised by challenge, experimentation, cre...
Purpose This paper aims to summarise a new model of authentic leadership derived from research wi... more Purpose This paper aims to summarise a new model of authentic leadership derived from research with senior leaders in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The model was developed and tested using three independent samples: 140 business leaders, 54 senior military officers with 390 independent raters and 303 business leaders. Findings A 15-item, self-report, three-component measure of authentic leadership was obtained from testing across samples. The three components measure an individual’s capacity for self-awareness, self-regulation and ethical behaviour. Originality/value The paper contributes to the authentic leadership literature through the creation of a short authentic leadership scale that could be used in leadership research and which simplifies and unifies previous conceptualisations of authentic leadership. The three-pillar model offers guidance to HR practitioners looking to design leadership development interventions.
PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to understanding of strategy development by reporting a deta... more PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to understanding of strategy development by reporting a detailed case study of one pharmaceutical company over an 11‐year period using a framework for classifying strategic actions developed from a broader study of strategic behaviour in the industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilises a longitudinal text analysis using published documentary sources to explore the strategic actions and grand strategies realised by Bioglan during 1992‐2002.FindingsThe findings develop concepts from the economics, ecology and strategy literature in order to highlight that, rather than strategy research focusing on “with whom and how do firms compete?” the emphasis should be on “with whom and how do firms co‐evolve?”Research limitations/implicationsThe paper only explored the realised strategies of one firm during an 11‐year period using only published documentary sources.Originality/valuePrevious research does not appear to have explored the evolution and co‐evolution of a firm's strategic actions prior to its death, a gap that this paper aims to help to fill.
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