European Learning Automotive Network
The project focused on needs resulting from technological and organisational changes in the European automotive industry, in the context of tough global competition from American, Japanese and Korean counterparts. Four priority topics were identified as in need of joint work and reflection: knowledge management; e-learning; coaching; and industry-university interfaces.

Working groups were set up to look into each of these topics, to exchange information on current strategies, initiatives and practices in the partner companies and organisations. Each group, involving different ELAN 2 partners, were responsible for organising three workshops and producing a report on their topic.

Click here for more information

Final report
[click to open in pdf format / file size: 364 KB]

Managing Tomorrow’s Worker
Research into the management practices and competences required for managing a more mobile and flexible workforce.

This project, carried out by Henley Business School’s Centre for Business in the Digital Economy, worked on the assumption that information work will continue to become more mobile and managers will need to develop the processes and competences to accommodate this. It tested the hypothesis that managers of flexible workers manage in a different way than traditionally and they therefore have a different competence profile.

Data gathered through a combination of interviews and questionnaires provided an interesting insight into how managers should respond to the acknowledged increase in mobile and flexible working, particularly through the development of existing skills and a move to a more outputs orientated management approach.

Click here for more details about the findings and a PDF version of the report.

New report "Corporate e-Learning: Delivering business benefits"
by David Birchall and Damian Woolfall, sponsored by the Henley Learning Partnership.

"This report makes an important contribution to our understanding of how new technologies can be leveraged to support the acquisition and sharing of skills, knowledge and expertise, enabling organisations to compete more effectively in an increasingly demanding business environment" Dr Richard Straub, Director of Learning Solutions, IBM.

Case studies from Dixons Stores Group, IBM, Danfoss, Volkswagen and SA Armstrong, included in the report provide interesting insights into how these companies are tackling some of the issues raised in the report. The common theme running through each case is the strength of commitment from senior executives to the development of human capital particularly through e-learning. Also, these companies demonstrate that technology is purely an enabler and good practice design is based on its appropriate use. Cost-effective solutions are possible without heavy investment in elaborate presentation. E-learning in its narrowest form, based on the conversion of computer-based training, has been found to have limited application but ICT is recognised as having considerable potential for transforming T&D. The more advanced cases offer a mix of learning modes including computer-mediated communications for peer-to-peer interaction and face-to-face events.

Published by Grist Limited at £495 plus vat. Contact andrewrogerson@gristonline.com for further details. Click here for the full report

New book just out: Globalising Human Resource Management
For those of you working in or with an interest in the Human Resource Management field - you might be interested in a new book just out by Chris Brewster, Professor of International Human Resource Management at the College. Globalising Human Resource Management serves to establish the agenda for global HR as seen through the eyes of HR professionals themselves. Globalising Human Resource Management costs £60.00. Buy the book here: http://www.brunner-routledge.co.uk/

An investigation of the effects of corporate branding in the pharmaceutical industry on customer behaviour and loyalty
Abstract: The aim of the dissertation is to study the effects of corporate branding of pharmaceutical companies on customer behaviour and loyalty, to identify the brand attributes that the customers (general practitioners) perceive to be most important, and to what degree these have an impact on their prescribing behaviour and loyalty.

This dissertation evaluates the hypothesis that:

Corporate branding and a favourable corporate image have a positive impact on customer behaviour and loyalty especially when product differentiation is difficult. A literature review of the corporate branding concept included: definition of the branding concept, product versus corporate branding, corporate brand image/reputation and loyalty, and its application in the pharmaceutical industry. A qualitative research was conducted using in depth, semi structured interviews with twenty randomly selected general practitioners in Denmark. Data was analysed by using a content analysis approach and grouped according to opinions in order to enable valid comparisons and to seek out any relevant patterns. The effects of corporate branding on the respondents perception of company images, and on prescribing behaviour and loyalty were explored and the overall results were compared with the literature findings.

It was concluded that corporate branding of pharmaceutical companies in its current form does not have the desired impact on customer behaviour and loyalty and thus the hypothesis was disproved. Companies have not been successful in creating a brand relationship in customers™ minds that links favourable corporate perceptions to products and vice versa. It is recommended that companies establish a clearly defined image and a strong positioning and that the corporation and the key attributes that drive a strong and favourable image are closely aligned with the products they market.

Dorthe Lehrskov-Schmidt - Click here for the full report

Assessing the Value of Corporate-Sponsored Management Development Programmes to the Sponsoring Company: What's the Research Evidence?
Abstract: This paper will conduct a short literature review in order to examine the research evidence for sponsored management development programmes creating value for the sponsoring company. To do so it will survey the current approaches, methods and controversies present within the research field on this issue. It begins by positing two major types of research on this issue, normative and descriptive, before focusing the review more carefully through identification with one particular key stakeholder, the sponsoring company, and then by examining the complexities that different units of analysis in research have brought to the field. It concludes that there is no cut-and-dried 'proof' of the value-creation effect of any particular programme which is then transferable across all programmes, industries and contexts, but that the surrounding circumstantial evidence, with both a broader and a narrower focus, shows a highly positive relationship between management development programmes and value-add for sponsoring companies. Click here for the full report.

Det Uforløste Potentiale
Stigende konkurrence og vidensintensitet stiller nye krav til danske virksomheder. Hvis virksomhederne skal vinde i konkurrencen skal offentlige ledere og erhvervslivets ledere være mere beredte på at tænke strategisk og udvikle de menneskelige ressourcer.

Derfor har Mandag Morgen, Ingeniørforeningen i Danmark (IDA), Danmarks Jurist og Økonom Forbund (DJØF), Personalestyrelsen og Henley Business School gennemført en undersøgelse, der sætter fokus på de udfordringer, som dagens ledere står overfor. For første gang er der i Danmark gennemført en større systematisk undersøgelse, som fokuserer på ledelsesudfordringerne for højtuddannede ledere. Højtuddannede ledere er særligt vigtige og interessante, fordi de typisk er placeret på højt niveau i videnstunge offentlige og private virksomheder -altså i de virksomheder, som skal danne grundlaget for morgendagens vidensøkonomi.

Motivet for undersøgelsen er et ønske om, at danske virksomheder og danske højtuddannede ledere får et bedre grundlag for at udvikle deres lederskab, og en begrundet tro på at god ledelse skaber motiverede medarbejdere og dermed bedre resultater. Undersøgelsen identificerer og beskriver de væsentligste udfordringer for medarbejdermotivation og medarbejderudvikling. Hertil kommer en række best practice eksempler på, hvordan man konkret arbejder med at overvinde udfordringerne i forskellige virksomheder. Undersøgelsen er udarbejdet af senioranalytiker Morten Fisker med bistand fra centerchef Tine Lange samt sekretariatschef for Kompetencerådet, Bent Gringer.

Med ønsket om at fremme god ledelse. Få hele rapporten her