Co-written by a lecturer and a practitioner, Banfield & Kay provide academic and practical insights that convey the reality of HRM. Designed specifically for students taking their first introductory module in human resource management, this textbook combines the academic and practitioner perspectives to produce a balanced introduction to the subject. This approach explores how HRM is actually practised and experienced in the workplace, which overcomes the idealistic and partial insights of many textbooks. By taking a truly holistic approach to the subject, this text avoids the presentation of HRM as a separate management function, and instead presents HR processes and challenges as an integral part of any business. The conversational writing style adopted by the authors is ideal for students, and has been highly praised for engaging the reader. The book is divided into 4 parts: The Foundations of HRM (Chapters 1- 3) is followed by Operational Challenges (Chapters 4-8).Key HRM Processes are then examined (Chapters 9-12) before the final part presents three real-life case study chapters (Chapters 12- 15), drawing on the topics covered earlier in the text such as planning, recruitment, selection, redundancy, learning, and training. Within each chapter, care has been taken to encourage students to think critically about the issues. A huge number of real life examples and case studies are included throughout, presenting the reader with opportunities to understand the theory in practice, and bringing the topics to life. A wide range of boxed learning features and a user-friendly writing style ensures the content is fully understood and encourages students to actively engage with the issues raised. The second edition features a new chapter on strategic human resource management. The authors have also undertaken interviews with practitioners from a range of organizations. These range from large public- and private-sector organizations such as Nottingham Trent University and Calor Gas to smaller companies including International Information Systems in Bahrain.These have been written up into a new 'Practitioner Insight' feature in every chapter, providing a reflection on practice from twelve different individuals. In addition a 'Research Insight' feature has been introduced, summarising key papers at relevant points within the chapter and encouraging students to extend their reading by following up these references. Online Resource Centre For lecturers: - Test Bank - PowerPoint Lecture Slides - Seminar Activities - Answers to Case Study Questions - Discussion Questions and Suggested Answers - Essay Questions and Suggested Answers - Detailed guide to using case study chapters in teaching (NEW) For students: 1. Additional Case Study Material - the story continued. 2. Multiple Choice Questions with feedback 3. Web links 4. Chapter on health and safety 5. Extension material on key topics (NEW)