Current people management activities in world-class organizations

Many authors and practitioners now acknowledge that effective people management and development is one of the primary keys to achieving improvements in organizational performance. However, it is not always apparent just what activities constitute 'effective people management'. This paper draws on the findings of a research project to describe some of the main people management activities that are currently being undertaken in the sample of world-class organizations, many of which are quality award-winning companies. It is argued that the organizations involved in the research invest in and value people through certain core activities, which include effective communication and teamwork, planned training and development, strategic alignment of human resource management policies, empowerment of employees and review and continuous improvement. Throughout, links are made between the activities and relevant management literature. The research findings should not only promote the spread of good practice in terms of people management, but also demonstrate the value, to business, of theory when it is put into practice.