Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management

 

Special Issue on: “Human Resource Development/Management in Lean Production”

Guest Editors: Professor David Preece, University of Teesside, UK and Professor Robert Jones, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia

Extensive literatures have built up over the years relating to a) Human Resource Management/Development (HRM/D), b) Lean Production (LP). In both cases, these literatures can be provisionally disaggregated into writings which take a strong normative orientation, writings which are primarily concerned with theory development, and work which is concerned to report empirical findings within a given theoretical framework (in some cases this may lead to suggestions for theory development).

Some work, of course, has addressed both HRM/D and LP, that is to say has explored/discussed some aspect of HRM/D in a LP context, but usually the examination of HRM/D here is derivative, in the sense that the primary focus is upon such matters as shop floor working practices, management organisation in LP, team working in LP, surveillance and control in LP regimes, etc, etc. Here, HRM/D is not the primary interest of the writer/researcher, but, rather, is discussed in so far as there are 'HRM/D' implications emerging from and/or forming part of the aforementioned areas of interest, such that, for example, it is necessary to look at training and development provision/implications, whether HRM/D specialists have been involved and if so in what sort of way and with what results.

This Special Issue foregrounds both LP and HRM/D. We are seeking papers which fall into one or other of the latter two 'camps' outlined above, that is those which advance theory in the HRM/D and LP area, or, and especially, those which are theoretically-informed (and may contribute to theory development) and are empirically-based-in other words, present some new data relating to some aspect of HRM/D practice/organisation in LP environments. We believe that it is important that up-to-date knowledge and understanding of such practices and/or organisation is consolidated into a vehicle such as a Special Issue, given the widespread adoption of various forms of LP practice throughout the world, the pervasive HRM/D implications-and, possibly, precursors, of such practice and the relative lack of reliable, focused research in this area.

Subject Coverage
We invite papers covering the following areas, with a particular emphasis upon theoretically-informed empirical papers using qualitative approaches. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to:

• Theory/critique of LP via HRD framework(s)-existent or as developed
• Theory/critique of LP via HRM framework(s)-existent or as developed
• HRM and/or HRD practices, structures (and possibly policies) in LP organisations in a given company/plant/country or across countries
• What/who is shaping HRD/M in LP plants/organisations?
• Implications of HRD/M practices in LP for the HRM and HRD literatures
• HRD/M practices in LP organisations: implications for organisational learning
• HRD/M practices in LP organisations and employee flexibility
• HRD/M practices, LP organisations and innovatory activity at the shop floor/office level
• HRD/M, LP and employee-management relations
• Recruitment and selection of employees into LP plants
• Technology/technical change, HRM/D and LP

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere

All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page

Important Dates

Manuscripts due: 25 June, 2007

Notification: 20 August, 2007

Final manuscript due: 30 October, 2007