Managing Talent (eBook)

Billy Adamsen is Assistant Professor at the Zealand Institute of Business & Technology, Denmark. He has published several books and papers on a variety of subjects including management, sport and talent management, cognition and media, politics and media, the psychology of language, and the effect of new media. In addition to his academic experience, he has worked as a manager and director in both national and international companies within the business and sports industries, as well as having been an advisor for the Danish Prime Minister and Minister for Economics & Business Affairs. Billy's latest book, Demystifying Talent Management: A Critical Approach to the Realities of Talent Management, was published by Palgrave in 2016. Stephen Swailes is Professor of Human Resource Management at the University of Huddersfield, UK. Following a career in research and technology organisations, he switched to university life and has published numerous articles and book chapters on organisational commitment, vocational training and education, and team performance, prior to his current interests in understanding differential performance at work.

Acknowledgements 6
Contents 7
Notes on Contributors 9
List of Figures 12
List of Tables 13
Introduction 14
1: Talent Management: Gestation, Birth, and Innovation Diffusion 22
Historical Overview 23
Creation 27
A Meme’s Progress: The Diffusion of the Talent Meme 28
The Popularity of the Talent Meme 31
Conclusions 36
References 36
2: The Semantic Emptiness of Talent and the Accidental Ontology of Talent Management 42
The Actual and Possible World of Talent 44
The Emptiness of Talent and Its Accidental Ontology 45
The Actual Implications of Talent Management’s Accidental Ontology 47
The Practical Implications of using the Empty signifier ‘Talent’ 49
Conclusion 52
References 53
3: Paralysing Rebellion: Figurations, Celebrity, and Power in Elite Talent Management 55
Power in Human Resource Development 56
Figurational Sociology: From Court to Contemporary Organizations 60
Figurations and Talent Management 64
Concluding Thoughts 68
References 69
4: The Meaning of Competence, Commitment, and Contribution in Talent Definition 72
Introduction 73
The Role of Talent Definition in Talent Management 75
Context Matters in Talent Definition 78
What Is Competence? 80
Transferable or Not: The Importance of Context 82
Potential: For What and Why Should Organizations Bother? 83
Learning Agility as a Component in Potential 86
Defining Talent 87
Conclusions 89
References 91
5: Subjective Bias in Talent Identification 94
Introduction 94
Talent 96
Talent Identification 97
The Challenges of Talent Identification in M& A
Talent Evaluation 99
Power, Politics, and Bias 101
HR Due Diligence as a Mechanism in the Identification Process 104
Re-engineer HR Due Diligence 105
HR Information Systems and the Role of Decision Support Systems 106
Conclusions and Recommendations 107
References 108
6: Talent Management in Egalitarian Cultures: Scandinavian Managers in Singapore 116
Introduction 116
Method 118
Research Settings 119
Theoretical Basis 120
Talent Selection 123
Talent Development 125
Empirical Analysis 128
Conclusions 133
References 136
7: Frontline Managers: A Re-examination of Their Role in Talent Management 141
Frontline Management and Talent Management 144
Research Methods 146
Identification of Themes 148
About the Study 149
Findings: Three Themes That Distinguish Frontline Managers 151
Frontline Managers Are Close to Employees: Both in Professional Terms and as Managers 151
Frontline Managers Between Two Knowledge Regimes 153
Establishment of Professional Communities? 154
Discussion 156
Conclusions 160
References 162
8: Talent on the Frontline: Role Stress and Customer Professionalism in the Banking Industry 167
Introduction 167
Theoretical Input 171
Empirical Basis 174
Findings 176
Performance-Oriented Talent 177
Analytical Talent 179
Interpersonal Talent 183
Intrapersonal Talent 187
Potential-Oriented Talent 190
Discussion 191
Conclusion 193
Appendix: Participating Interviewees 196
References 198
9: Why Do Organisations Run Talent Programmes? Insights from UK Organisations 205
Introduction 205
Talent Management 207
Defining Talent Management 207
Approaches to Talent Management 208
Theoretical Perspectives 209
Workforce Differentiation 209
Human Capital Theory 211
Institutional Theory 211
Research Methods 213
Case Study Settings and Their Talent Programmes 215
CareCo 215
ParcelCo 216
HotelCo 217
TechCo 217
Results and Discussion 218
Rationales for Talent Management 218
Developing Human Capital 220
Pressure from Institutional Environment 221
Underpinning Talent Management Philosophy in the Case Organisations 223
Conclusions 225
References 226
Correction to: Managing Talent 232
Index 233