Our intent is to balance our attention on current academic knowledge and practice with discussion of emerging areas for HRM by ensuring that:

• All chapters have been updated and revised, to provide the latest research information and up-to-date examples.
• Contributing authors are active researchers, internationally recognised for their expertise in their respective areas.
• Current and emerging trends and issues that have significant implications for HRM are highlighted throughout the book. These include offshore work, drug testing, workplace bullying, new forms of work and organisation, ethical concerns for HR managers, and the measurement of HR activities.

1 Human Resource Management in Australia

Includes coverage of theoretical perspectives to provide students with a more comprehensive knowledge base for HRM. This chapter introduces and explains the five challenges that face many HR managers.

2 Strategic Human Resource Management

Provides expanded coverage of strategic HRM and incorporates material addressing strategic linkages for the topics covered in each chapter. In this way, strategic HRM is introduced early and integrated throughout the book.

3 The Legal Context for Human Resource Management

Written by a law academic to address the important legal issues relevant to the Australian HR environment.

4 Occupational Health and Safety

Written to address suggestions by academics that we devote a chapter to this important topic. We have included substantial coverage of OHS concerns such as safety culture, the OHS implications of the ageing workforce, and OHS issues for small businesses. These discussions have been placed within a strategic framework for OHS management.

5 Industrial Relations

Thoroughly updated by two of Australia’s leading industrial relations academics who discuss changes in Australian industrial relations, such as the emergence of workplace bargaining, changes to dispute resolution processes, and the changing nature of employment relationships.

6 Analysis and Design of Work

Gives a comprehensive discussion of organisational structures and approaches to job design. Recognising that the work context and types of jobs performed have changed dramatically in recent years, we discuss various employment modes used by firms today, such as call centres.

7 Human Resource Planning and Human Resource Information Systems

Addresses the increasing importance of information technology. We provide substantial discussion of human resource information systems and issues relating to information technology.

8 Recruitment and Selection

Thoroughly revised to include, for example, more coverage of Internet recruitment.

9 Managing Diversity and Work-Life Balance

Focuses on the management of workforce diversity and work–life balance, recognising the importance of these areas in the Australian and Asia–Pacific context.

10 Performance Management

Provides discussion of the challenges facing the development and implementation of initiatives designed to manage diversity. Also describes the key features of work–life balance programs and identifies ways in which the costs and benefits of these programs can be determined.

11 Learning and Development

Written by Australia’s leading scholar on training and development, this chapter provides a strong focus on employee learning, often cited as a key knowledge area required for HR professionals. The chapter also discusses how training can help companies gain a competitive advantage.

12 Employee Development and Career Management

Focuses on current trends in formal education, design of successful mentoring and coaching programs, and what companies are doing for management development, including succession planning and helping dysfunctional managers.

13 Managing Compensation

Includes discussion of significant issues such as communication in compensation management, new developments in the design of pay structures, and the controversy over executives’ pay.

14 Performance Related Pay

Presents theoretical bases that explain the dynamics of performancerelated pay, identifies types of performance-related pay programs, and discusses the major factors in the development and management of reward strategies.

15 Ethics and Human Resource Management

Includes an explanation of basic ethical theories and principles relevant to HRM, discusses rights and responsibilities in the employment relationship, and identifies challenges to the ethicality of HRM.

16 International Human Resource Management

Includes an analysis of international HRM issues, extending into the strategic arena, beyond the expatriate focus taken in most HRM texts.

17 Managing Employee Turnover and Retention

Gives expanded coverage of managing employee turnover and retention, and includes discussion of important HRM issues such as workplace bullying and employee assistance programs.

18 Evaluating and Improving the Human Resource Function

Explores methods of evaluating and improving the HR function using the most recent research and trends in HR metrics. Discusses concerns related to HRM, such as corporate governance and measuring corporate sustainability, providing a context for measurement.