"Foucault's Aestheticism" asks to what extent critique as Foucault conceives it can be read as a form of style. Starting from Foucault's description of "aestheticism" as "self-transformation," Lamb argues that accounts of Foucauldian critique have often sought to establish Foucault's position as one of affirmation or opposition without carefully setting out the terms by which his practice and relation to the self shift with respect to the institutions, disciplines, and practices that form his objects of study. By focusing on Foucault's (...) description of modernity as an ethos against the reception of his history of classical ethics, the essay concludes not only that an impersonal style often functions crucially in Foucault's critical practice but also that no account of his style can afford to ignore the changed understanding of style at which Foucault ultimately arrives, an understanding in which style constitutes less the final expression of an authorial position than a provisional practice of self-modification. (shrink)

This paper reports on the findings of the first stage of a research project that experiments with the use of laddering technique in an attempt to enhance understanding of the influence of values in the behaviour of HRM professionals. Laddering has been chosen because it allows flexible, systematic investigation of aspects of ethics and people management which have hitherto been difficult to clarify. It also provides the opportunity to undertake both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data obtained. The research (...) design incorporates two phases – a questionnaire and a laddering interview; it involves a sample of respondents drawn from HRM practitioners participating in the CIPD Professional Qualification Scheme. In comparing the results obtained from each phase of the research, it is clear that the laddering interviews have enabled more detailed information to be elicited and more specific goals to be identified. The authors believe that laddering can provide valuable additional insight into ethical practice, behaviour and goals. (shrink)

This paper reports on the findings of the first stage of a research project that experiments with the use of laddering technique in an attempt to enhance understanding of the influence of values in the behaviour of HRM professionals. Laddering has been chosen because it allows flexible, systematic investigation of aspects of ethics and people management which have hitherto been difficult to clarify. It also provides the opportunity to undertake both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data obtained. The research (...) design incorporates two phases – a questionnaire and a laddering interview; it involves a sample of respondents drawn from HRM practitioners participating in the CIPD Professional Qualification Scheme. In comparing the results obtained from each phase of the research, it is clear that the laddering interviews have enabled more detailed information to be elicited and more specific goals to be identified. The authors believe that laddering can provide valuable additional insight into ethical practice, behaviour and goals. (shrink)