Publisher's Synopsis
Ever wondered how valid is it to study the theory and practice of human resource management in Malta through and from a foreign textbook? Ever tried to come to grips with the main issues facing HR managers in Malta today? This book is the first to seek to map the (actual) practice of people management in Malta. It considers the actual implementation of the human resource function in Malta today. Case material seeks to represent the diverse totality of the Maltese workplace: generally and nationally, on one hand; and specifically, in relation to a distinct enterprise or enterprises, on the other; in terms of type of ownership: (public, quasi-public, foreign owned private, locally owned private, the small family business, the worker cooperative, the worker-owned or managed firms); in terms of economic activity: (banking, hospitality, ship-repair, manufacturing, retail, public administration); The book's eighteen papers are grouped into two general sections. They are penned by eighteen different authors (of whom five women), all of whom except one are Maltese.;Most are either long established trainers, practitioners or HR specialists in public or private industry; or else graduates or academics with exceptionally good research papers which have been edited specifically for this publication. The first section of the book takes a macro view of people management issues. Here the discussion deliberately steers away from specific firms, opting instead to consider the broad picture: the nature of the small family business (Ray Cassar); the culture of local management as analysed from practice (Rupert Mifsud); life-long learning orientations and the role of social partners (Alan Camilleri); and the impact of Europeanisation on local social policy (Godfrey Baldacchino). The second section is in turn divided into two parts. The first is dedicated to the public sector, that which by itself remains responsible for over a third of local employment. Seasoned 'insiders' give us critical and well-documented glimpses of the Maltese public sector's practice in relation to recruitment and selection (Charles Polidano) and performance and discipline (Anne Marie Thake).;The bulk of the papers - three sets of four papers each - revolve around HR considerations garnered from specific firms in private industry. We start with considerations of performance, review and reward, based on papers on performance management practice (David Parnis); staff appraisal schemes (Louis Naudi); diversity management (Antoinette Caruana) and a critical consideration of the response of workers to such management-driven philosophies and techniques (Victor Aquilina). Next are papers exploring the issues of training and development: the rationale and practice of multi-skilling (Philip Zammit); programmes meant for the socially excluded (Joe Cutajar); drama as training tool (Pauline Attard) and the training and development function amongst worker cooperatives (Silvio De Bono). Final quartet looks at the thorny issue of management-labour relations and the complex dynamics which may arise when a people management approach comes across an ingrained trade union culture (Joseph Montebello); with diverse experiences of worker participation and employee involvement (Edward L. Zammit) or of worker shareholding in a manufacturing concern (Rose Marie Azzopardi).;Finally, aware and watchful of the impact of globalisation, we consider the consequences of having local work practices engaging with a multinational corporate philosophy (Christine Davies). Appendix includes the names and contact features of HR-oriented organisations based and operating in Malta; plus a handy subject and author index.
