Human Resource Management (HRM), as a sub-discipline of management science, is in its infancy. HRM practices are often Utopian in expectation and fail to incorporate a realistic view of existing knowledge bases in the psychological, social, and biological sciences. The HRM discipline relies upon theoretical approaches (eg theories of motivation, satisfaction, and performance) which are: (1) almost invariably linear in conceptualisation and depend largely upon correlational evidence, (2) frequently validated within nonrepresentative contexts that are overly constrained by researchers and (3) overly simplistic in that the constraints and patterns imposed by our biological, psychological and social systems are frequently ignored or assumed to constitute random error within the models. This frequently translates into HRM practices which map reasonably well onto theory yet fall short of yielding expected outcomes. The theories do not match the realities observed. We point to nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory as a way of conceptualising how common HRM practices may translate into observable outcomes. Such an approach will force managers to pull back from simple reliance on linear predictions and realise that truly effective HRM practices should be sensitive to the unique, complex and less systematically predictable patterns of human behaviour.

This paper explains how organisational myths and stories are vehicles of communication management (Kaye 1993; 1994). Contemporary scholars (eg Brown 1992; Boje 1991b) have argued that stories and myths are not only important communicative tools for learning within organisations but also powerful media for bringing about changes in people and in the culture of their workplace. People-associated changes include ways in which professional relationships and interpersonal communication are affected. In turn, the effects of mythologising and storytelling on organisational behaviour and communication are likely to have further-reaching consequences in shaping the culture of human systems.

Myth-making in organisations involves the identification of heroic and legendary archetypes. Such archetypes often serve as exemplars or role models for people-in-systems. The telling of stories involving heroic role models can have a marked influence on the shaping of communication between managers and their staff. Often the exploits of heroes become embellished through repeated oral versions. Stories gradually acquire a mythical quality or status. Significantly, the incorporation of stories into an organisation's culture will depend a lot on the credibility of the storyteller. When managers are perceived to have high credibility, they have a powerful means of helping those they supervise to learn, to achieve professional goals, and thus to contribute to the strategic growth of their organisations.

In this paper, myth-making and storytelling are considered to be specialised facets of communicative competence and analysed in terms of the Adult Communication Management Model (Kaye 1993; 1994). Attention is given to the effect of myth-making and storytelling on the covert ‘shadow-side’ culture of human systems. It is argued that the understanding and management of shadow-side communication is an integral component of effective organisational behaviour and survival. It is also proposed that such understanding and the ability to manage shadow-side communication is closely related to managers' awareness of prevailing myths and stories within their organisations. Finally, it is argued that managers who are skilled storytellers have the opportunity to help their staff develop communication abilities in a workplace conducive to learning.

Although most managers and researchers believe planning is beneficial for organizations, many research studies have failed to prove these benefits are significant. Methodological problems have certainly detracted from researchers' abilities to show a planning-performance linkage.

The article deals with definitional issues about planning and five planning modes. Contingency propositions are developed to link the planning modes with several strategic and contextual situations. For example, it is argued that, while (1) prospector-type strategies are best implemented with externally oriented planning systems like longer-range planning or strategic planning, (2) defender-type strategies are better with internal orientations, like comprehensive planning or implementation-oriented planning. In addition to strategy, other contingency variables examined are user sector, purchase frequency and the stage of product life cycle in which the planning is undertaken.

Planning has adherents as well as detractors among managers and academics. Both sides of the debate can be seen in Mintzberg's (1994a & 1994b) recent publications on the “rise and fall” and “fall and rise” of strategic planning. Many have pointed to planning's benefits to organisations (eg Ansoff, 1977; Bryson, 1988; Langley, 1988). Yet research studies have failed to prove that these benefits are significant (eg Fredrickson & Mitchell, 1984; Fulmer & Rue, 1974; Grinyer & Norburn, 1975; Powell, 1992; Robinson & Pearce, 1983; Pearce, Freeman, & Robinson, 1987). Pearce, et al. (1987) noted a lack of attention to contextual influences; inconsistencies in operationalisation of planning; measurement validity problems; ignoring implementation factors, time frames, and size effects as the methodological problems in this area of research that may have affected researchers' chances of finding the expected link. Rhyne (1986: 423) also argued that some ambiguous findings were attributable to “the manner in which planning was actually carried out, rather than to planning itself”.

Another possible weakness in the “planning” research is that it has not discriminated between modes or approaches to planning. The assumption seems to have been that “more planning is better,” or that longer-term, strategic planning should work in all or most contexts (Bryson, 1988; Eadie, 1983; James, 1984). The present article questions this view and suggests that less sophisticated planning may be better suited to some contexts and more elaborate approaches to others. Robinson and Pearce (1983) support such an approach, suggesting that less formalised planning may be preferable in certain situations.

The article builds on Hofer's (1975) “contingency theory of business strategy,” as well as on Hambrick and Lei's (1985) “prioritization of contingency variables.” From a theoretical standpoint, a contingency approach is particularly well suited to strategy-related research (Galbraith & Kazanjian, 1986; Hofer, 1975) and this approach could hold the solution to an understanding of the elusive planning-performance link. Although past planning research has failed to provide conclusive evidence that a given planning system helps performance in all situations, certain planning systems may work well in some contexts but not in others.

This article begins with a brief discussion of planning and some definitions of different planning modes. A number of contingency propositions are then developed to link these planning modes with variables that are of interest to contemporary management researchers and practitioners.

Business in New Zealand is increasingly global in nature. Additionally, the domestic workforce reflects a unique blend of cultural groups. These factors highlight the need for managers to understand the cross-cultural nature of their task. In this article we review the research on cross-cultural management that has been conducted in New Zealand. Findings in seven topic areas of management (job satisfaction, motivation and performance, absenteeism and turnover, leadership, communication, group behaviour and employee adaptation) are discussed. We then identify areas that might benefit most from research attention.

This research was supported in part by the Carnegie Bosch Institute for Applied Studies in International Management. The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful comments of Kerr Inkson and John Deeks on earlier versions of this manuscript

The increasingly multicultural nature of the business environment has become widely recognised as a management issue (Adler and Ghadar 1990). New Zealand is neither a large target market (population under 3.5 million) nor is it the headquarters of a large number of multinational corporations. However, because of its geography, it is dependent on international business for its quality of life. Additionally, its unique domestic cultural environment provides a dramatic back drop for cross-cultural management. These two dimensions make cross-cultural management a particularly salient issue in New Zealand.

Our study examines the nature of Australian business leadership. Various extant concepts of leadership are reviewed in terms of current trends in Australian business leadership. Some of these concepts are used in the development of the Corporate Leadership Descriptor (CLD), and its sub-scales, namely the Leadership Operations Scale (LOS), Leadership Attributes Scale (LAS), and Job Outcomes Scale (JOS). Data were collected over a three year period from a variety of executive samples. Major findings indicate that key leadership functions focus on direction setting, team building, problem solving, and change agent responsibilities. Recommendations for further research and application of the CLD are provided.

This paper addresses some of the limitations of the current approach to the conception, adoption and installation of working arrangements. It has been argued that emphasis on bottom line, shortermism and control can result in short term benefits. This partly explains the continuous reorganization of the workplace in some companies. The paper underscores the need for organizations to articulate a “purpose” for working arrangements. It is argued that there are two dimensions of the purpose of novel working arrangement: (a) providing appropriate “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” reward for internal stakeholders and (b) achieving organizational objectives (eg meeting customer expectations). The paper proposes a framework for adopting and installing a working arrangement which is based on auditing the work system.

Emanating from some of the major business failures of the 1980s has been a growing disquiet at the absence of a concern for ethics in the business community. A possible cause for the apparent immorality of actions taken by some businesses is the absence of ethics from the training programs provided to business managers and professionals. It may be that whilst some practices of the 1980s were those of immoral persons, the wider and underlying problem is one of amoral behaviour. That is, our business system operates without an ethical base, and this occurs, in part, because business ethics is excluded from the curricula of the institutions responsible for the training and further education of business managers and professionals.

The successful introduction of business ethics into the curricula requires a sufficient body of academics who believe that the learning of business ethics is both necessary and possible. Research data shows that few Australian universities have a formal program in business ethics. This paper reports an exploratory examination of the attitudes of business academics toward the need for inclusion of ethics in the business curriculum. The response to the survey suggests that while there is, as yet, no centre of concentrated will and ability to set the process of curricula change in motion, there is widespread interest and recognition of the need. Several constraints are identified, including the instrumentalist ethos of our institutions.

Organizational restructuring in Western economies has proceeded along different trajectories during the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s. Traditional theories of organizational restructuring have inherent limitations associated with a ‘growth bias’. Various new concepts have been put forward, both prescriptively in order to shape organizational change, and analytically in order to capture the nature of those changes. By contrast, these concepts are premised on organizational workforce reduction. This article considers four widely diffused concepts of organisational restructuring - downsizing, delayering, lean production and re-engineering - and argues that the trajectories of change require a broader understanding than has been provided by existing concepts. Towards this end, an integrated model is put forward.