September 11, 2009

Ms. Shana Gass, MSLSReference Librariansgass@towson.edu

MNGT 483 – Prof. Y. Ji Human Resources Research

This presentation highlights some of the key sources for your term project.

Click the screenshots to try sites/databases.

For additional sources, see the Research Guide:

• http://pages.towson.edu/sgass/courses > MNGT > 483> Researching HR Management & Strategy

Where are they now? ( & why?)

• 1971 – SWA starts flying• 1994 – Fortune cover story, Is Herb Kelleher

America’s best CEO?• 1998 – Nuts published• 2000 – Hidden Value published• 2009 -- ???

A Great Place to Work?

Q: Where can I find out more about my company & its HR Strategy over the last decade?

A: Try the library databases for news and analysis of your company over this time period.

Cook Library Web Site: http://cooklibrary.towson.edu …and Subject Gateways:http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/managementhttp://cooklibrary.towson.edu/humanresources

Note: “Quick Search” for Articles searches only in general -- not business – databases. You’ll need more info for this project!

Get into the Databases from Off-Campus!

• Click Towson University• Log in with 14-digit number from front of

TU OneCard + last name

Q: What’s going on with my company now? (news, stock performance, # of employees, etc.)

A: Try Factiva Build-a-Report

Factiva* – Build a Report & More

*Available from the Management Subject Gateway.

Q: Where can I find information about my company’s overall strategy?

Strategy Source: Annual Report/10K*

For Strategy – look for “Letter to Shareholders” section. Management Discussion & Analysis

*for public companies only

Strategy from the Horse’s Mouth: Finding Interviews in Library Databases• In Factiva:

– Select Company– Select: Subject > Content Type > Interview– To narrow further: Type a keyword in the Free text box

• In Business Source Complete [on Mngt & HR Gateways]:– Use Advanced Search– Type company name in one box (you may select field: CO

Company Entity)– Type interview* in another box

[the * lets you find interview, interviews, interviewing, etc.]

– To narrow, add terms in additional boxes

More Research Challenges

• Corporate web site is not an intranet• HR “behind the scenes”• Search term vs. concept

Example: horizontal alignment“Get” the concepts, use your imagination, and be ready to read! Not all concepts make good search words.

• “Lay” term vs. subject assigned by databaseExample: Layoff vs. Employees – Dismissal of

• Euphemisms / jargonAgain, think of all the different ways to say “layoffs”Develop “synonym power” and be flexible in your searching!

Industry Interlude

• Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage database - Industry Surveys (includes an archive back to ~1998)

• ValueLine Investment Surveys database• Industry Association web pages– Example: Air Transport Association

What Do You Want to Know?• What, where, when?

Newspapers, news magazines, newswires; trade publications reporting on an industry

• How should I…? Practitioner (“professional”) publications (often categorized with trade publications)

• Why? What would happen if…?Scholarly AKA Academic AKA Peer-Reviewed JournalsAll of these kinds of publications can be found in the library databases. (Individual databases may vary in the mix of publications.)

Background on HR Topics: Sage Reference Online*

Articles in Sage Reference Online include useful lists of “further reading” – often scholarly -- to deepen your understanding of the topics.

* Available on MNGT & HR Subject Gateways

Chasing Down Citations on “Further Reading” & Other Bibliographies - I

Cascio, W. F. (2002). Responsible restructuring: Creative and profitable alternatives to layoffs. (2002). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler and the Society for Human Resource Management.

• This is a book. (Note place of publication info.)Search for title in Books + (catalog search) on library web site.

Chasing Down Citations - II

Leana, C. R., Feldman, D. C., and Tan, G. Y. (1998). Predictors of coping behavior after a lay-off. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19(1), 85–97.

• This is a journal article. Note volume/issue info.• First, search for the title of the journal in the

Journal List on the library web site. Check the date coverage. If available online, click link & drill down/search to find article.

Finding Articles: RDS Business Suite*

• Articles from: Business magazines, newspapers, trade publications, statistics (in TableBase section)

• Business & Management Practices section great for articles on how company operates, including their HR practice!

* Available from MNGT Subject Gateway

RDS: Steps to Search Business & Management Practices

• Click Advanced Search• Uncheck other databases, leaving Business &

Management Practices checked• Select Department: Human Resources• Type company name, and/or select industry• Search• Enjoy HR-specific articles on your

company/industry!

Finding Articles: Business Source Complete

• What You’ll find in BSC:– Newspaper articles

(Wall Street Journal – citations only. To access complete articles, click FindIt button)

– Trade publication articles– Scholarly articles– Company Profiles & SWOTs– Industry Profiles

Finding Articles: Business Source Complete*

* Available from MNGT & HR Subject Gateways

BSC Tips

• Try a simple search, then narrow by document type, subject, on the left side

• Don’t simply string search words together:– Connect essential concepts with the word and– Connect synonyms with or

• Keep an eye out for the subjects that tag an article – useful to plug in to your search as appropriate

• Try Advanced Search for more precision & power!

Sample Advanced Search in BSC

Finding a SWOT in BSC

#1: Searched for a company

#2: Then Narrow to SWOT Analyses

Click box, then PDF icon to see a sample SWOT!

Cross-Searching Multiple Databases

• Choose databases link in EBSCO databases• Some useful non-biz databases in EBSCO:– ERIC– PsychINFO– SocINDEX– Communication & Mass Media Complete

• Off Campus Access link from library web site (Research Port) also has cross-searching capability – worth a try.

Finding Articles: Emerald*

• Electronic journals from publisher Emerald, all in full text

• Rich source of scholarly articles

• Be sure to choose “My subscribed content” before searching* Available from HR Subject Gateway

See a Sample Search in Emerald

http://screencast.com/t/hWdfRVDkNc

Questions?

Shana GassReference Librarian for ManagementCook Library, Towson Universitysgass@towson.edu / 410-704-2395

Thanks and good luck!