| The programme's objective is to understand how present-day's environmental dynamics affect the ways in which professional services' organizations select, develop, and maintain heterogeneous human resources. How, with an increasing diversity of the work force, to combine the need for permanent learning with both the `no nonsense' criterion of delivering results in an efficient way, and with the `value' motive of committing employees to customer- involvement and long-term innovation? Work place learning is studied as the result of personal drivers, situational opportunities, and the social context. Emphasis is on the relative weight of personal versus situational determinants, and on long-term dynamics of job performance. Examples of research questions are which behaviours are effective during which career stages, and which factors (e.g. learning opportunity or learning style) determine which learning outcome (e.g. skill mastery or work satisfaction) will be realized. The diversity question refers to which personnel activities contribute to the establishment and management of heterogeneous contracts in a heterogeneous work force. Psychological and economic theories are used to understand management of demographic diversity, obstacles to for instance women's and ethnic minorities' promotion to management, and effects and management of team diversity. Research projects include gender differences in leadership behaviour and consulting styles, and success factors of company interventions aimed at immigrant groups in order to become a successful member of the workforce. |
