Framing people at work

Professor Jane Bryson discusses how taking different perspectives on people at work can transform the field of human resource management.

Autonomous skilled individual or compliant cog in a machine?

Two themes have dominated Professor Bryson’s career and research agenda in relation to people at work. One has been a concern with how to facilitate the development of others. The other theme has been the importance of taking different perspectives when considering people at work.

This inaugural lecture explores these themes and their power to transform the field of human resource management. Professor Bryson shares insights from research with employers, managers, and workers. She discusses why one employer thought that “if you have an HR manager, you get HR problems”, and why 'skill' looks different if seen through the eyes of an economist, a psychologist, a sociologist, or a political scientist.


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