Kathy Monks

Irish women accountants and career progression: A research note

Abstract This article presents the findings of research into the career progression of Irish Chartered Accountants which compares the career progress of men and women and examines the obstacles to progression encountered by women. The research indicates that women face obstacles that are not encountered by their male counterparts and that career progression is frequently made at substantial cost to their personal lives.

Global or local HRM in the multinational company: the Irish experience

This article considers the extent to which multinational enterprises adopt a global or local approach in their management of human resources. The analysis is based on the findings of research in nine subsidiaries of multinationals operating in Ireland. The study revealed that the majority of multinationals adopted a local approach, with headquarters involvement in many cases limited to monitoring the financial implications of human resource decisions. It appears that the transfer of human resource management practices can be a two-way process and that some subsidiaries manipulate human resource policies in order to maintain their competitive position within the corporation. The findings also suggest that the integration of human resource issues in strategic decision making may need to be considered as a local, rather than a corporate level, activity.

Drama as an opportunity for learning and development

This article evaluates the role of drama in management education and development programmes. The drama workshops utilise the methodology developed by Augusto Boal and focus on the issue of empowerment. Participants are engaged in the dramatic process through a series of exercises and role plays. The workshops have been incorporated into three very different programmes: a masters in human resource strategies, a management certificate and a management development programme for women academics. The impact on each of these programmes is described and evaluated and the outcomes of this type of learning experience for management education and development programmes are discussed.

Employee‐centred management in a call centre

Purpose – This paper presents the findings of research undertaken in a customer contact centre in Ireland in which a series of measures were introduced to implement employee‐centred work practices. The paper examines the processes by which the measures were undertaken and considers the changes to performance that were attributed to the involvement initiatives.Design/methodology/approach – An action research approach was utilised in studying the problem and a variety of measures were utilised to identify alterations in employee perceptions and employee performance over the period of the introduction of the changes.Findings – The results of the interventions within the call centre indicated improvements in employee perceptions of their work situation as measured by the dimensions of the survey instrument. In addition, performance also improved during this time. However, while the thrust behind the change initiatives was one of involvement, at the same time decisions about which issues were open to an involv...

The devolution of HRM to middle managers in the Irish health service

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of organisational restructuring on the devolution of HRM to middle managers in the Irish health service.Design/methodology/approach – The study involved interviews with a cross‐section of 48 HR and line managers in one area of the Irish health service.Findings – Decision making by both HR and middle managers was adversely affected by the increased layers of bureaucracy that had resulted from the restructuring process. HR managers were devolving HR activities but were still retaining control of information systems and this was both slowing down middle management decision making and leading to the creation of new databases by the managers themselves. HR managers were emerging as regulators of HR activities.Research limitations/implications – The study was conducted in only one area of the Irish health service and with a limited number of respondents.Originality/value – The study examines the way in which organisational context impacts on the devolutio...

Knowledge work: gender-blind or gender-biased?

Knowledge-intensive firms (KIFs) have been the subject of growing interest from researchers. However, investigations into the comparative experiences of men and women in KIFs remain sparse, and little is known about women’s participation in the processes of innovation and knowledge exchange and combination that are core features of KIFs. The article reports on the findings of a study in the UK and Ireland involving 498 male and female knowledge workers in KIFs. Despite equal levels of qualification and experience, women are more likely to be in lower status and less secure jobs. They also predominantly occupy roles featuring less variety and autonomy than men and, despite comparable levels of knowledge exchange and combination, are less likely to be in a position to translate this into the innovative work behaviours necessary for career advancement. The findings suggest that women’s experiences of and participation in knowledge processes within KIFs differ fundamentally from men’s.

HRM in international firms: Evidence from Ireland

Indicates that international human resource management (IHRM) is becoming increasingly important in a growing number of Irish international companies, which, while large in national terms, are medium‐sized when compared withother European and North American multinational firms. The findings of the research suggest that the development of comprehensive IHRM policies and practices may enable smaller firms to be more proactive in their approach to internationalisation and to have a greater choice over the types of markets and countries they enter.

Integrating Personal Development and Career Planning: The Outcomes for First Year Undergraduate Learning.

This article describes the way in which colleagues from the Business faculty, the Careers Service and the Library at Dublin City University collaborated to design and deliver an integrated approach to personal development planning (PDP) with the aim of motivating first year undergraduate students to take greater responsibility for their own learning, development and career planning. The article describes the approach adopted in the introduction of the PDP module and the measures used to evaluate its outcomes. There are indications from the research that undertaking PDP benefits students in several ways. In particular, it appears to impact on student retention by clarifying career goals and increasing motivation towards the chosen degree programme.

Communications enhancement: A process dividend for the organization and the HRM Department?

Quality has become a key issue for organisations seeking competitive advantage and coping with ever changing market demands. Evidence suggests that the human resource implications of such initiatives are frequently underestimated and neglected Powell, 1995). The present study surveyed 133 Irish organisations implementing Quality Initiatives (QIs), focusing particularly on the impact of these initiatives on internal communication processes and the role played by the human resource (HR) function in these changes. Results indicate the overall success of the QIs in enhancing internal communication processes, but highlight two issues: the surprising absence of HR function involvement in the deliverance of these communication enhancements and the perception by most respondents that while the stated tangible QI objectives have been achieved, there is still some distance to be travelled to fulfil employee expectations on the more intangible communication based needs. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the changing face of the HR function and the long term success of QIs.

Careers in Personnel Management

Considers the career profiles of 103 personnel specialists from research carried out in Ireland, in 1989/1990. The study examined education and training, career progression, reasons for working in personnel, membership of the Institute of Personnel Management and the differences in male and female careers. The research indicated that career progress in personnel management is more rapid if the individual is male and in possession of a postgraduate degree. The initial choice of organization may be critical to the type of career experienced. Some personnel specialists will find themselves confined to the resolution of industrial relations disputes or the provision of an administrative support system. For others a career in personnel will offer the opportunity of involvement in a wide range of activities and initiatives. The research indicated that there may be little movement between these two career paths.