Looking ahead to the next issue

Citation

(2002), "Looking ahead to the next issue", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 26 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeit.2002.00326faa.001

Looking ahead to the next issue

Looking ahead to the next issue

The next issue of the Journal of European Industrial Training (Vol. 26 No. 7, 2002) will feature the following articles:

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  "SMEs and electronic commerce: a departure from the traditional prioritisation of training?" The strong presence of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is a key feature of the Irish economy. The sector is considered to be a crucial factor in the nation's competitive development, particularly in recognition of its contribution to economic renewal which is primarily witnessed through employment generation, innovation and wealth creation. It has been identified that the organisational implementation of new technologies and electronic commerce in particular can aid SMEs in coping with their operational environment and can provide numerous organisational opportunities. However, current literature maintains that SMEs are not proficient in their exploitation of electronic commerce and are weak in their provision of training thereof. The factors influencing this phenomenon are explored in this paper.

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  "Best practices of ICT workforce management – a comparative research initiative in Finland". This paper describes a project which investigates the human resource management practices that are being used in managing information professionals in ICT companies or ICT departments. The effectiveness of the practices is evaluated from individual and management perspectives. It is assumed that the nature of the contract between the IS professional and the organisation influences the effectiveness of different practices. Thus, the notion of "best practice" is seen as context dependent. The authors intend that practitioners might use the results of their study to compare their own practices with those that were found to be effective in the nine case organisations. For researchers, the results will provide hypotheses about the relationship between HRM practices and job satisfaction of the IS professionals.

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  "Changes in training, performance management and communication issues among Greek firms in the 1990s: intercountry and intracountry comparisons". Based on evidence from the Cranet survey this paper examines the progress in the practice of HRM in Greek organisations comparing results from 1992 to those of the 1999 survey round, focusing on various core functions such as training and development, performance management and employee communications. It also compares these developments to the overall European scene. Results show more improvement in training and performance management and less in employee communications. From examination of survey results, it is obvious that Greece follows the EU trends towards an improved more strategic role of HRM. However, statistical analysis of data from the comparative survey across European countries indicates a slower pace in improvements and some differences, which Greek companies will have to overcome. In this effort, training and development appears to be the most critical factor.

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  "Developments in the market for client-based management education". This article explores the growing popularity and importance of client-based management education. The paper argues that an increasing number of UK organisations are seeking to develop partnerships with business schools to deliver and accredit their management development initiatives. The paper describes a number of innovative developments in client-based management education using case illustrations drawing upon the experience of Nottingham Business School's Corporate Business Unit. The article concludes by providing guidance to organisations seeking to develop partnerships with higher education institutions.

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  "Developing export management competencies and skills among undergraduate business students". "Live" client-sponsored projects have been recognised as a useful pedagogic technique in management education. They enable students to apply theoretical concepts in practice and allow them to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies required for future business careers. This paper describes how this learning approach has been used with a cohort of final year undergraduate students to improve their export management skills and to enhance the learning experience. It evaluates the outcomes from the perspectives of students, the "client" firms and the government support agencies.