Projects

Working with ERAWATCH and for the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS), IES provided an analysis of researcher mobility across the European Union (EU). This project built on previous work using national Labour Force Surveys (LFS) to build up a picture of patterns of mobility.

We tested a model developed by IES to explore the elements of human capability, for the Sector Skills Development Agency. The model is supported by a range of indicators that have emerged from the literature on human capital measurement and high performance working practices. The pilot stage of this project was to reduce the current 40 indicators to around 15-20. These were then tested in a larger scale study of around 2,000 companies, and the human capability indicators tested against business performance data to see if we could identify a link. Simultaneously, we engaged some organisations in in-company work to look at the internal relationships between human capital investment and unit performance.

Following on from work for the CIPD on HR careers (published in April 2006 as Managing HR careers: emerging trends and issues), IES engaged in looking at what the future holds for HR. Following a review of relevant research, and interviews with informants from academia and organisational life, IES prepared an interim report for publication at the October 2006 CIPD conference. The report looks in particular at the impact of new structural forms by process modernisation and role change on the function, and its implications for skills and careers. The research moved on to case studies and to a survey of practitioners.