Dr Karen Vollum-Dix

This Handbook presents the contemporary landscape of the profession and discipline of HRD, offering both an orientation to the profession and an analytic examination of HRD as a field of study and research.

Pioneering Radical Action for Women's Empowerment Karen Vollum-Dix. or high profile colleague notices someone 'lower ranking'. In some organisations the culture is such that promotions are more likely for those who say yes, and refusing ...

Purpose: This paper explores the potential role of Spiral Dynamics in the development of sustainable value-based organisations (VBO). Methodology: This paper is based on desk based literature review and is a working paper which contributes towards ongoing doctoral research. Findings: Spiral Dynamics enables an understanding of the dynamic development of human values, and the relationship between these values and external conditions. Insight is gained to the complexity of leading people in organisations and the challenges of creating an organisation which is driven by values that are aligned with those of the employees and other stakeholders as well as sensitive to the longer term needs of the planet. The paper explores the concepts of values and cultural alignment as well as organisational viability (including profitability) and sustainability (leaving the planet undamaged for future generations). Research limitations: Although a significant number of sources have been identified, more research is required to explore the relationship between the key themes of this work. Practical implications: The value of the work will be in the eventual practical application to organisations to improve their viability in a sustainable context. Originality: The concepts explored in this paper are all in the public domain, however, no work has been found to date which connects the various concepts in the way this research is proposing, and therefore the originality is in the connecting of the themes. Keywords: Values-based; values-driven; sustainability; Spiral Dynamics; viability; Dr Clare Graves.

This paper explores the definition and nature of integrity through an analysis of the variation in individuals’ perception and experience of integrity using phenomenography as a research approach. Both the research and the literature show variation in definition and perception of integrity; there is no single, agreed definition. Integrity is both personal and relational, and it requires a dynamic balance between consistently thinking, feeling, and behaving within personal moral boundaries, as well as within legal and moral societal boundaries. Intent and motives are an important part of integrity, and the only way that we can know the motives of others, and they know ours is through effective dialogue. Integrity is a core value, with moral content; it is about what is right and wrong. The research has implications for organisations which count integrity as a value, since it must be defined by them in a way that can be understood and consistently demonstrated at an individual and collective level.

With a special focus on education and underrepresented geographical locations, this book is an inclusive collection of theories, discourses, art, identities, and practices related to this discipline.

Purpose This paper explored the workplace culture in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the Leeds City Region. The paper looked at perceived leadership expectations vs self-assessment of leadership characteristics and mindsets, as well as workplace culture respective to hierarchy and organisational supportiveness of SMEs as workplaces. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was deployed, consisting of a survey with SMEs and 14 interviews with women working in SMEs. Since the survey yielded a low response, results were analysed summatively, and a cross-tabulation was used to provide insight into data and inform future research. Survey questions were then used to inform the interview questionnaire to explore findings in depth. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. The research was informed by studies conducted on women in mass communication industries, Bourdieu’s habitus theory and industry research on alpha organisational cultures. Findings Findings revealed that self-assessments of leadership characteristics and mindsets lean towards those typically perceived as feminine, whereas assessments of which characteristics are needed to become a leader lean towards those typically perceived as masculine. However, at the same time, the workplace culture was assessed positively, and women reported a lack of hierarchy and a positive and friendly atmosphere in SME workplaces. Practical implications Women reported more positive perceptions of the workplace culture than those found in other studies conducted generally or on larger corporations, thus opening questions about whether things are different in SMEs and better for women. Issues with leadership characteristics and mindsets are present in SMEs, but they do not seem to affect women’s career progression or satisfaction with employment. Organisations that are not SMEs should consider these findings to develop more inclusive policies to foster a positive perception of their workplace culture. Originality/value The authors analysed the workplace culture in SMEs using Bourdieu’s habitus, previous research in mass communication industries and industry research on alpha culture and applied it to study the workplace culture and leadership in the context of SMEs, thus extending research in sociology and communication to study SMEs. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to do so.

The world of work is evolving and the COVID- 19 pandemic has accelerated this change. AI&ML is here to stay, and HR professionals must be able to compete in this increasingly technology-dependent workplace where new skills and roles are gaining prominence. In this research we explore how technology is changing the way organisations operate and the effect this is having on employees and the challenges and opportunities that HR face. This chapter is based on key themes that emerged from 3 case studies derived from semi-structured interviews with senior HR practitioners and gives an oversight of current experience and perceptions of the future use of technology from these professionals. The chapter also informs potential knowledge and skills development for delivery to HR practitioners.

This paper analyses women’s views and perceptions of networking and the changes in networking practice since the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on a largely unexplored area of women in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), using a case study from the Leeds City Region, England, UK. An online questionnaire was disseminated to 65 participants (51 women and 14 men), and interviews with 14 women working in SMEs were conducted. A three-tier thematic analysis was used to analyze each dataset individually, and then a joint thematic analysis was conducted. The findings show that networking is mainly assessed negatively and as something that affects work-life balance, causes communication issues, and is largely difficult and not particularly useful. In the post-pandemic era, a lot of networking is done online, with the rise of the LinkedIn network, mentioned in a positive context, raising the question of whether LinkedIn networking could solve issues with harassment and work-life balance.

This paper analyses women’s views and perceptions of networking and the changes in networking practice since the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on a largely unexplored area of women in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), using a case study from the Leeds City Region, England, UK. An online questionnaire was disseminated to 65 participants (51 women and 14 men), and interviews with 14 women working in SMEs were conducted. A three-tier thematic analysis was used to analyze each dataset individually, and then a joint thematic analysis was conducted. The findings show that networking is mainly assessed negatively and as something that affects work-life balance, causes communication issues, and is largely difficult and not particularly useful. In the post-pandemic era, a lot of networking is done online, with the rise of the LinkedIn network, mentioned in a positive context, raising the question of whether LinkedIn networking could solve issues with harassment and work-life balance.

The main research questions for this study were: • Has the position of women in SMEs been of interest in research? • What is the role of women working in SMEs? • Is scholarship on women in SMEs locally specific to certain areas of the world or is it international? If international, are there cultural differences between regions respective of the role of women in SMEs? SMEs: a large focus of economic policies, investment and development. What is the position of women? Can SMEs advance or reduce already existent gains in women’s rights?

Research continually shows that women face barriers and exclusions, however, the existing research seems to be mainly concentrated on organisations generally or corporations. This report analyses available research on women and SMEs in a period from 2000-2021. The analysis focuses on research published in women and gender journals. Thematic analysis has been conducted on 106 identified articles divided into two decades, 2000-2009 and 2010-2021. Findings show that barriers is the main theme that runs through existing research with women reporting societal, cultural and institutional barriers, as well as lack of confidence, a different approach to working and/or running businesses, masculinities and the lack of training and skills. The existing research is largely international and these themes run through the whole corpus of analysed research showing a global issue of women in SMEs, particularly women entrepreneurs.