PUBLISHED BOOKS

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Person-Organisation Fit: Value Congruence in Attraction and Selection Decisions (LAP Publishing)

This book contains an account of a series of studies that comprised my Ph.D. thesis. It is almost a word-for-word copy of my manuscript. The only changes are a few phrases to make it suitable for a book. Also, I have removed the appendices (except the first two, which I have included in the text) and done some minor tidying-up.

The subject of my thesis was Schneider’s Attraction–Selection–Attrition cycle (ASA; Schneider, 1987). This is one of the most influential models in organisational behaviour in general and person–organisation (PO) fit in particular. The main idea is that because of the phenomenon of ‘similarity leads to attraction’ during the phases of application, selection and employment, organisations attract, select, and retain similar types of people thereby creating homogeneity in the type of people employed by the organisation. He predicts that over time this homogeneity is dysfunctional for organisations, as they become increasingly ingrown and resistant to change.

In reviewing the literature, I found that there had been relatively few studies of Schneider’s attraction and selection propositions (i.e. that organisations attract and select people similar to those already employed) and none had that looked at whether values were part of this similarity. So that is what I looked at. The first part of this book contains my literature review. These chapters position Schneider’s ASA cycle within the wider PO fit literature and review the studies that have considered features of the cycle. The second part of the book explains a series of pilot studies that I had to undertake in order to develop a method for assessing value congruence in organisations. The main study, which is reported in the third part of this book, is a direct test of Schneider’s attraction and selection propositions.

Since the acceptance of my thesis, the field of person-organisation fit has moved on to different ground with much attention devoted to methodological and conceptual issues. As a result, some of my findings and subsequent conjectures have not been followed-up. These include the finding that people leaving university make career (or vocational) choices, rather than organisational choices and that value congruence only had a very small influence in selection decisions and only when there is face-to-face contact between applicant and selector. My conjectures include the idea that the ASA framework is more likely to be supported in internal recruitment rather than when people apply from other organisations and that people need to have made career choices before organisational choices would become apparent. My hope is that by publishing this book now, I shall re-ignite interest in these ideas and prompt studies of these conjectures.

I should also note that if I were conducting this study today, I would adopt a similar design with a ‘control group’, but I would analyse the data differently. Instead of using difference scores, I would try to find a way of using polynomial regression and surface response graphs with this data. In publishing these studies, I have decided not to make changes to the analysis. I fear that if I start making changes, I will have to change everything and that would defeat the object of this publication.

BUY IT HERE WITH FREE SHIPPING: https://www.morebooks.de/store/gb/book/person-organisation-fit/isbn/978-3-8383-3729-6    

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Discovering Leadership

Billsberry, J. (2009; Ed.) Discovering Leadership. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN: 0-230-57584-6 (hbk) 978-0-230-57584-4 (pbk)

The book has been designed to support a first course in leadership and comprises 24 articles covering eight key leadership topics: Defining Leadership, Effective Leadership, Leadership: Image or Substance?, Exploring Followership, Leadership Gestation, Inspiring Others, Gender Issues and Ethical Issues. I was very fortunate that I had a completely free hand to choose whatever papers I wanted regardless of permissions costs. Hence, the book contains seminal articles by Keith Grint, John Kotter, James Kouzes and Barry Posner, Daniel Goleman, David Boje, Barbara Kellerman, Henry Mintzberg, Gareth Morgan, Joanne Ciulla and many other eminent people as well. One noteworthy quality of the book is that it takes a broadly social constructionist approach to leadership and the articles have been edited to aid digestion.

Professor Keith Grint, Cranfield University, kindly supplied the following recommendation which has been added to the back cover: 'This aptly named collection provides an excellent introduction to the contemporary world of leadership studies. For once we have a volume that challenges the solid ship of taken-for-granted heroes and creates a melting map of contested accounts. A great addition to the literature.'

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Experiencing Recruitment and Selection

Billsberry, J. (2007) Experiencing Recruitment and Selection. Chichester: Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-05731-1 (ppc) 978-0-470-05730-8 (pbk).

- Review in the Journal of Occupational Psychology, Employment and Disability (2008, 10 (1), 67-69).

This was a project I had been working on for many years. I gathered together people's stories of their recruitment and selection experiences – from both sides of the encounter: Over 250 stories in total. In September 2007, I authored a book in which fifty-one of these appear, with accompanying commentary, in a book entitled, Experiencing Recruitment and Selection, that was published by Wiley. It can be bought from all good booksellers now! The blurb on the back cover reads thus:

Experiencing Recruitment and Selection offers readers a unique insight into these life-changing event and gives a voice to both applicants and recruiters. Using real-life stories, this book explores applicants' and selectors' experiences of the recruitment and selection process. There are insights into:

  • > differences between internal and external applicants
  • > perceptions of fairness
  • > how internal applicants are influenced by the failure to be appointed
  • > how recruiters select for 'fit'
  • > the reasons why people apply for jobs
  • > the influence of market forces on selection decisions

Each chapter focuses on a key topic in recruitment and selection and features at least three related stories. The stories are interwoven with analyses that demonstrate the key lessons for practitioners and students. Each chapter concludes with a series of provocative questions and a guide to further reading.

With its practical, easy-to-use format, Experiencing Recruitment and Selection is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students in organisational psychology, organisational behaviour, management studies and HRM, as well as personnel or HR managers and occupational psychologists.

 

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Strategic Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice

Salaman, J.G., Storey, J. and Billsberry, J. (2005; Eds.) Strategic Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. London: Sage. ISBN 1-4129-1900-2 (hbk) 1-4129-1901-0 (pbk)

From the dust cover:

This book is an excellent resource for students of human resource management. It draws on the seminal works of some of the most insightful pioneers on the subject of strategic HRM. The text is organised into four parts, each with an introduction to guide readers through the chapters and enhance their understanding of the key elements of strategic HRM.

Students will be encouraged to consider core issues and difficult questions, such as:

  • > How should employees respond to the missionary zeal of their employers?
  • > How can we explain the increasing influence of gangmasters?
  • > What are the effects of management training on the identities of managers?
  • > To what extent has our model of strategic HRM been transformed from an idealistic model of commitment to an exploitative one?

While recognising the legitimacy and importance of management perspectives, this book moves beyond the perspective of the policy-setter to capture the experience of workers on the receiving end of strategic initiatives.

Strategic Human Resource Management has been designed to meet the needs of course teaching at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is an invaluable text that will help define the complex agenda of human resource management, strategy and organisations for students, It is the prescribed MBA Course Reader for the Managing Human Resources Module at The Open University.

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Finding and Keeping the Right People

Billsberry, J. (2000) Finding and Keeping the Right People. 2nd (revised) edition. London: Prentice Hall. UK ISBN 0 273 61698 6 This book has been published in five other languages: Mandarin (中华工商联合出版社, 2002 ISBN 7-80100-827-8), French (Réussir ses recrutements (et savoir les conserver), 2000, Paris: Editions Village Mondial, Pearson Education, Les Echos. ISBN 2-84211-109-5), Russian (КАК ПОДОБРАТЬ И СОХРАНИТЬ НУЖНЙ ПЕРСОНАЛ, 2002, Баланс-Аудит. ISBN 966-8216-00-8), Malay (Mencari dan Mengekalkan Pekerja Terbaik, 2002, Pearson Malaysia) and Spanish.

Billsberry, J. (1996) Finding and Keeping the Right People. London: Pitman Professional Publishing. ISBN 0 273 61698 6

Cringe-worthy material from the dust cover of the second edition:

The decision to recruit someone is not just a big financial decision, it is also one that will determine the future of the organisation. Years of experience can guide you to the right decision but you don't have time for that. So much depends on getting it right now. Finding the best person for your organisation. Someone who fits your company culture. Someone to grow with the business and to be a part of its future. You can learn by mistakes or you can read this book. Instant experience. You decide.

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The Effective Manager: Perspectives and Illustrations

Billsberry, J. (1996; Ed.) The Effective Manager: Perspectives and Illustrations. London: Sage. English version. UK ISBN: 0 7619 5110-5 (hbk) 0 7619 5111-3 (pbk). This book has been translated and published in six other languages: Russian (ЗФФЕКТИВНБІЙ МЕНЕДЖЕР), Czech (Efektivní správce: Perspektivy a ilustrace), Slovak (Efektívny manažér: Perspektívy a príklady), Bulgarian, Romanian (Management competitiv: Perspective şi exemplificări), and Hungarian (Hatékony menedzser: Távlatok és illusztrációk).

- Review in the International Journal of Training and Development (1999, 3 (1), 74-80).

From the dust cover:

A comprehensive, up-to-date compendium of key articles, this lively and thought-provoking reader is an ideal introduction to management and organisational behaviour. It brings together some of the most interesting and accessible pieces written on the art and science of management, deliberately counterposing them to highlight alternative perspectives in a world where there are seldom'single right answers' to complex problems.

The focus of the book is on the ideas and theories that a manager can use to become more effective. Six sections explore important aspects of the manager's job:

  • > management, leadership and conflict
  • > motivation and stress at work
  • > organisational culture
  • > decision-making and teams
  • > staff development
  • > diversity in organisations

In each section the reader will find articles which reflect major ideas or debates within the area, including those that challenge traditional views and ways of doing things. Does money motivate? Are teams useful? Does organisational culture exist? What role does sexuality play in the workplace? These are some of the questions asked. Throughout, the book underlines the need for managers to take into account the different contexts of time and culture in which they act.

The Effective Manager will be an invaluable resource for both students and professionals in general management, organisational behaviour, work psychology and human resource management.