It is often said that people are every organisation’s most important asset. This is perfectly true, but people are not like other assets. As well as being valuable in their own right – in terms of performance, skills and creativity – it is individual employees who bind every other aspect of working life together.

‘The People Factor – engage your employees for business success?

a. What does this statement actually mean to you and fellow members of your group?

b. What exactly is meant by ‘individual employees binding every other aspect of working life together’?

c. To what extent do departmental members of staff in your own university appear to be valued as an important asset?

d. Why is it that although the importance of people as the most important asset is often preached by organisations, this rarely seems to be the reality?

e. How does this activity relate to your study of organisational behaviour?