The last 15 years have seen a large fall in the number of older workers remaining in jobs in Europe and the USA. Much of the drop has been because of early retirement. Governments have encouraged early retirement programmes as a way of creating jobs for younger workers ‐ although this has...

Have you ever considered the mental processes which a diligent employee goes through before asking for a pay rise, a promotion or extra responsibilities? Examines workplace issues from the employee’s point of view.

Can creativity be analysed, replicated, taught and managed? This article argues that it can.

When your core competences can be quickly replicated by copycat corporations, what competitive advantage have you got left? Explains that it is probably the knowledge of key managers, their ability to access and assess information, and their ability to innovate and think creatively.

At one time or another, every successful executive has observed or been part of a group that was dedicated to solving an impossible problem or defeating an unbeatable foe. Such groups are usually vital, absorbing, full of debate and laughter ‐ and very hard work. They are almost never...

Short‐term contracts, redundancies and unemployment insurance hardly sound like features of a socialist society. But all are becoming more common in the People’s Republic of China. Explains why.

Making remarks about the physical attributes of women waitresses is a normal part of evening business entertainment to many Japanese executives. And it is not unheard of for them to complain about a female colleague’s looks. How do western female managers working in Japan cope with this...

Most commentators examine the role of women in the workplace from an Anglo‐Saxon perspective. Demonstrates that things are not all that different in southern European Roman Catholic Italy.

In the Anglo‐Saxon world, “to manage” often means “to make do” or “to get by ”, rather than “to be in charge of” or “to exercise control over”. This is commonly seen in the management of training and development, which too often takes the form of a piecemeal response to...

US business will spend more than $30 billion on training this year. But will organizations get value for money? Argues that the criteria against which training effectiveness is measured should be changed to reflect the changing demands made on the training function.