Malta and its human resources : management and development perspectives

Abstract

It is never too easy to write up (yet) another book on the topic of Human Resource Management (HRM) and expect to make a significant readership impact, especially when there is so much literature around. A cursory look at Google Scholar lists around six million record hits on the topic. The Web of Science lists approximately 24,000 sources, excluding conference proceedings, over a period of 24 years. That is indeed a massive literature database. Also varied are the topics discussed and linked to HRM, which makes it even more cumbersome to write about; but also renders it such a widely varied and exciting subject. Armstrong and Taylor (2014), for example, list a number of important topics that are organised in eight sections in their landmark book; these represent perspectives emergent from the disciplines of psychology, geopolitics, macro-economics, ethics, education, industrial relations, strategy and policy. This makes it difficult for anyone to claim a tight grip or monopoly on the topic and confirms that HRM is multi-disciplinary in nature. (From the Editorial)