Managing People

Abstract

It is common to find all large organisations, in both the public and private sectors, suggesting their most important asset to be the people who work for the organization. Typical is the claim made by a metropolitan district: ‘Employees are the councils most vital resource in delivering quality. ‘Our Vision for Kirklees’ explains that they must have recognition and reward for good performance and real opportunities to develop. Another priority for the year ahead is to ensure that employees at all levels have the opportunity to contribute their experience to the improvement of the services’ (Kirklees Metropolitan Council, 1991, p. 1) Similarly, amongst Scottish Regional Councils, a recent annual report from Lothian Region claims that: ‘the council recognises that the delivery of high quality, cost effective services depends on its workforce — its biggest asset — and is committed to using its staffing resources as effectively and efficiently as possible’ (Lothian Regional Council, 1992, p. 12).