Picture shows (L-R): Professors Patrick Flood (DCU), Tom Keenoy (Leicester), Jaap Paauwe (Tilburg) and David Guest (Kings College, London)

Academics from around the world congregated at Kingston University's Dorich House on 28-29th April for the 2008 British Academy of Management Human Resource Management Special Interest Group Conference, organised by Katie Truss, Head of Department of Leadership, HRM and Organisation.

The conference focused on the theme, 'Challenges of Researching HRM'. Keynote addresses were given by four internationally-renowned experts in the field: Professors David Guest, King's College London; Jaap Paauwe, Tilburg University, Netherlands; Patrick Flood, Dublin City University; and Tom Keenoy, Leicester University.

The differing perspectives of the four keynote speakers provoked some stimulating debate and set the scene for a wide range of other presentations and contributions, including a paper from Enda Hannon, also of the Department of Leadership, HRM and Organisation at Kingston, based on his doctoral research comparing the UK and Irish dairy industries. Professor Kathy Monks, Dr Edel Conway and Professor Patrick Flood at DCU are collaborating with Professor Kathy Truss and Dr Hannon on a major ESRC/IRCHSS study of Knowledge Intensive Firms in Ireland and the UK.