Letter to Lecturer

Dear Lecturer

Thank you for adopting Human Resource Management: Theory and practice. This third edition incorporates changes we have made teaching our own courses – particularly the use of Internet resources – and the comments and criticisms from the 14 anonymous users and non-users of the second edition, and five more who looked in detail at the manuscript for this book.

If you are not familiar with previous editions of the book, the Preface provides a complete explanation of our approach to teaching HRM and the structure and content of the text. 

This third edition has been thoroughly updated including new material on: the contemporary context of HRM; new post-Fordism topics within work organization, such as flexibility, postbureacratic work design and the move towards knowledge work; performance in the public sector – New Managerialism, Best Value; a new discussion on e-HR; testing and assessment centres; the growth of workplace learning including knowledge management and e-learning; new material on skills; indirect employee participation and partnership strategies; and new legislation. Reflecting the growing emphasis on delivery value in business, this edition features a new chapter (Chapter 13) on Evaluating Human Resource Management. For a more detailed description of changes in this edition, see New to the third edition of the Preface.

More than ever, Human Resource Management: Theory and practice, Third Edition now not only teaches students but it also elicits their responses. Reflective questions, study tips and discussion questions prompt students to consider key concepts and implications. In addition, the student website for the text offers skill development exercises and other web resources which encourage students to discover more about HRM on their own.

This new edition includes a variety of supporting materials to help you prepare and present the material in the textbook. The web site at www.palgrave.com/business/brattonandgold offers downloadable teaching supplements including:

• Lecturer notes, teaching tips and lecture enhancement ideas
• PowerPoint lecture slides for each chapter
• Skill development exercises.

We would welcome any feedback on these new features or any suggestions on how we can improve the next edition. Please contact us via our email addresses.

Best wishes

John Bratton 
Jeffrey Gold

Letter to Student 

Dear Student

Thank you for buying Human Resource Management: Theory and practice. This third edition of our best-selling textbook has been written in response to feedback from students and lecturers around the world so you can be confident it has been designed with your needs in mind. Whatever level you are studying at, it provides an accessible but critical introduction to human resource management that will equip you with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the latest relevant theories, practices and functional activities of the subject. 

The text is structured in four parts which are described in detail in the Preface. Each chapter follows a similar structure in order to help you navigate easily through the text. At the beginning of each chapter we offer quotes from academics or practitioners to show the direct relevance of the chapter topic. The chapter outline and chapter objectives which follow summarize the key concepts that will be covered and the knowledge you will gain. 

The main text introduces you to the major concepts and issues before offering critical comment and discussing alternative perspectives. Reflective questions encourage you to think critically about key issues and consider broader consequences than we can cover in the space available. HRM in practice examples illustrate current developments or practices in HRM so you can see the application of theory in the real world. We have included study tips to help you formulate questions about the subject and HRM web links to help you research topics further and appreciate the application of human resource practices in the contemporary workplace. 

At the end of each chapter you will find a summary of the chapter content and a list of key concepts. These can be used alongside the chapter outlines and chapter objectives to ensure you have understood the key issues. If you need to recap on any topics, page references are provided to enable you to find the relevant section. There is also a comprehensive glossary at the back of the book. We provide details of further reading sources to enable you to explore the subject further and case studies to highlight the challenges of applying HRM theory in practice.

Finally, the practising human resource management assignments offer you the opportunity to develop the key skills needed for professional success.

The companion website to this text can be accessed at www.palgrave.com/business/brattonandgold and provides extensive web links to further resources to help you research the topic, summary lecture notes to accompany each chapter, skill development exercises to improve your professional competencies and a searchable online glossary to check on definitions of key terms. You can also gain access to a guide to enhancing your study skills. 

We hope our hands-on approach to learning helps you to make maximum use of the textbook and be successful in your human resource management course and future career. We would welcome any feedback on the text and any suggestions on how we can improve the next edition; please contact us via our email addresses on the companion website. 

Good luck with your studies

John Bratton 
Jeffrey Gold