Human Resource Management

A team of anthropologists and social scientists have taken a close look at more than 200 countries to document the myriad ways in which culture -- every bit as much as geographic borders -- defines and separates the nations of the world. Using a standard entry format for easy comparison, each country's shared values, behaviors and cultural variations are surveyed -- from foods and rituals to pastimes and arts. Lavishly illustrated with more than 1,000 photographs and more than 200 maps.

As organizations operate across countries and continents there is an increasing demand for the development of an HR function designed to deliver global support. This requires rethinking the structure of HR, how it is managed and how it operates. However, adopting a fully global model is not the right answer for all organizations. HR has a key role in determining the business strategy in terms of the required scale of operations (i.e. local/regional/global), and in delivering the business transformation required to realize that strategy once it has been agreed. As a result, HR must be both able and prepared to transform itself to support the new business model. Going Global outlines of the types of activity and capability needed to establish an HR function able to supporting business operations at a regional or global level. It focuses on two areas, the decision to go global and the activities needed to deliver a global HR function. This latter section targets three areas: designing the right service; building a cohesive team; and delivering HR talent. The authors point out some of the key decisions you will need to take, together with advice on your overall approach, and some of the lessons learned by other organizations along the way. About The Gower HR Transformation Series: The Human Resources function faces a continuing challenge to its role and purpose, in many organizations it has suffered from serious under-representation at strategic, board level. Yet, faced with the challenges of globalism, the need to innovate, manage knowledge, attract and retain the very best employees, organizations need an HR function that can lead from the front. The process of transforming the function is complex and rarely linear. It involves understanding and adapting to the needs of your offices in the various countries, cultures and markets within which you operate. All of which involves a highly complex and, often painful, process of change. The Gower HR Transformation Series will help; it uses a blend of conceptual frameworks, practical advice and global case study examples to cover each of the main elements of the HR transformation process. The books in the series follow a standard format to make them easy to read and reference. Together, the titles create a definitive guide from one of the leading specialist HR transformation consultancies; an organization that has been involved in HR transformation for clients as diverse as Bombardier Transportation, Marks & Spencer, Barnardo's, Oxfam, Schroders, UnitedHealth Group, Nestlé, BP, HM Prison Service, Transport for London and Vodafone.

Foreign Relations in Federal Countries addresses questions such as: What constitutional powers do the federal governments and constituent states have to conduct foreign affairs? To what degree are relations between orders of government regularized by formal agreement or informal practice? What roles do constituent governments have in negotiation and implementation of international treaties? The volume offers a comparative perspective on the conduct of foreign relations in twelve federal countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.

Though industrialized countries are usually the ones indicted when environmental pollution is discussed, over the few last years the rate of emissions in developing countries has increased by a startling amount. The fallout from this increase is evidenced by the struggle of cities like Beijing to improve their air quality. Yet there also exist developing countries such as Thailand that have managed to limit their emissions to more tolerable levels, raising the question: why are some developing countries more willing or able to take care of their environment than others? In this volume, Gabriele Spilker proposes two factors for the differences in developing countries' environmental performance: integration into the international system and domestic political institutions. Focusing on developing countries generally but also closely examining important global powers such as China and India, Spilker employs a rigorous quantitative analysis to demonstrate the importance of considering various aspects of the international system, in order to draw more comprehensive conclusions about how globalization affects environmental performance.　She asserts that democratic political institutions can shield developing countries from the negative consequences of either trade or foreign direct investment. But at the same time, developing countries, by avoiding demanding commitments, are more likely to use environmental treaties as a cover than as a real plan of action. Adding a new dimension to the existing body of research on environmental quality and commitment, Spilker convincingly demonstrates how international and domestic political factors interact to shape developing countries' ability and willingness to care for their natural environment.