Human Resources And The Firm In International Perspective

‘Both [volumes] will no doubt be of more than marginal interest to both teachers and students of management, even some practising HR managers, a number of whom are possibly readers of this journal. They will be, for example, ready-at-hand for the tutor when assembling reading material for the HRM section of an MBA course.’
– Malcolm Warner, Journal of General Management

‘The volumes in this International Library of Critical Writings in Business History series are useful additions to any college or university library but are essential for libraries with incomplete collections of the major human resources journals.’
– Business Library Review

‘Fitzgerald and Rowley are to be congratulated for their skill in assembling such a carefully balanced and well-structured collection. . . . Previous volumes in this series have been praised for their value as student texts, providing ready access to a range of key readings.’
– Tony Adams, Business History

‘The two volumes are useful resources for higher level courses in business history, the history of industrial relations, and trade union history.’
– Chris Wrigley, The Economic Journal

A key element in the development and competitiveness of businesses rest on the management and enhancement of ‘human resource’. Although it is a subject very much in vogue, the organisation of human resources is too rarely grounded in the relevant historical and comparative contexts which shape their practice. Furthermore, there is a need to counter the over-simplistic ‘one best way’ views and management exhortation so common to this topic, and historical comparisons offer insight into the nature, scale and long-term impact of trends, whilst uncovering the complex interaction of differing circumstance and ‘optimum practice’.

This important new two volume set presents key reading in paternalism and industrial welfare; employee relations and the professionalisation of management; Taylorism and flexibility: technological change and the division of labour; industrial training and skills; and labour and politics are covered in a theoretically informed and critical fashion.

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