It pays to be nice to people

Investigates the business benefits achievable through the process of recognition for investors in people (IIP). The policy context of IIP is examined. The possitbility of links between human resource initiatives such as IIP and business performance raises questions about a wider range of HR issues and their value. The potential benefits are explored through interviews with a variety of organisations which have achieved recognition. Two measurement frames are used, employee and organisational performance, allowing a wide range of measures to be examined. The study finds that motives for recognition are varied, leading to a widespread failure to identify the benefits which are in fact gained. Suggests that a wide range of benefits derive from the IIP process and that organisations which change substantially to achieve recognition would gain substantially greater benefits.