Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore the level of consideration given to unlearning during human resource development interventions and to identify the methods being used to reinforce training and development. Design/methodology/approach -A self-administered questionnaire was given to a convenience sample of employers in regional Queensland and the Northern Territory, Australia. Analysis of responses using descriptive statistics was conducted to identify whether approaches differed in relation to unlearning and reinforcement between large and small organisations, and between those with high labour turnover and those with low labour turnover. Findings -Results reveal that larger organisations give far more consideration to unlearning than smaller organisations. Those organisations with high labour turnover focus less on unlearning that those with a more stable workforce. Coaching and performance feedback were reported as the most commonly used method of reinforcement of learning and unlearning. Research limitations/implications -Low response rates mean that results are not statistically generalisable. Owing to the regional location of respondents there may be differences in findings in large metropolitan centres. Practical implications -Reinforces to practitioners the need to consider unlearning, and also indicates a need for further research in this area. From a managerial perspective the results show that managers need to employ a range of tools and techniques to ensure unlearning can occur. Originality/value -This paper reports on a study examining unlearning; and begins to address the lack of empirical research on this important concept.

This article reports the outcomes of a survey of British employers that requested information on the qualifications sought when recruiting employees, and on training and development offered subsequently to employees. Responses revealed that few employers actively sought vocational awards in potential employees. The only occupational category for which more employers specified a vocational award than an academic award was service workers. A substantial number of organisations specified no minimum entry level of qualification, even for higher-status occupations. Those organisations that did specify a minimum qualification level for recruits were significantly more likely to report that they trained their employees.

This article reviews models of causation for RSI. Emphasis is now being placed on a psychosocial explanation of causation. It is suggested that Australian managers have difficulty addressing the RSI problem at a psychosocial level. Two reasons are put foward to account for this perceived difficulty. Both are related to basic management education. A direct result of this lack of basic management education has been the growth of mechanistic and adversarial HRM practices that are best demonstrated by the mismatch between the exposed emotions of many Australian managers and the emphasis placed on ergonomic principles in the prevention of RSI.

This article presents the outcomes of an exploratory study into the factors that influences individuals' choice of different types of qualification at stages throughout their employment history. The survey of individuals in Australia and Britiain sought information on individuals' training and educationdecisions between school and employment; after gaining employment; and of their future intentions for further study. There were few differences between Australians and British respondents at the school-leaver stage, but once in work differences emerged between the two countries. Few differences were observed between males and females. Comparison of those opting into academic and vocational programmes indicated that those who choose academic programmes are motivated by a cluster of mainly internal factors while those opting for the vocational route were more likely to have been influenced by their manager and the possibility of funding. Implications for the marketing of qualifications are discussed.

This paper reports on the outcomes of a replication study of a survey of British employers that requested information on the qualifications sought when recruiting employees and on subsequent training and development. While the British survey was interested in the uptake and use of the British National Vocational Qualifications, the study reported in this article is primarily focused on the uptake and use of the Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications by North Australian employers. This study was prompted by the skills shortages and recruitment difficulties being experienced by organizations throughout rural and regional Australia. Previous studies have found that vocational qualifications were not valued by UK employers and few employers were encouraging employees to undertake vocational awards. If this is also the case in Australia, it may in part explain problems in recruiting skilled workers. This research clearly demonstrates that employees in regional and rural Australia are seeking to improve their knowledge and skills through vocational training and higher education qualifications. Also, employers are providing access to training and are supporting managerial and professional employees to gain higher educational qualifications. When recruiting all types of worker other than unskilled labourers, the majority of organizations prefer to recruit workers with qualifications. In rural and regional centres, however, a more196