Simon Barrow – författare

Levels of 'employer brand awareness' are rising fast across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, as leading companies realise that skilled, motivated employees are as vital to their commercial success as profitable customers and apply the principles of branding to their own organization. Starting with a review of the pressures which have generated current interest in employer branding, this definitive book goes on to look at the historical roots of brand management and the practical steps necessary to achieve employer brand management success - including the business case, research, positioning, implementation, management and measurement. Case studies of big-name employer brand stories include Tesco, Wal-Mart, British Airways and Prêt a Manger.

Communication is the key to organisational success and nowhere is this truism more apparent than in the influence of internal communication during a transformational process as dramatic as a merger or acquisition. During the complex process of bringing the two sets of employees together, continuous effort is crucial for keeping in touch with how people feel; communicating information clearly across both bidder and target; and beginning the process of creating a new culture for the merged company. Communication is vital, but information on what to do when and how to overcome, or at least minimise, the practical problems inherent in trying to communicate at a time when there is often little news, and when so much must remain confidential is essential. Employee Communication During Mergers and Acquisitions provides a blueprint for your internal communication during a merger or acquisition, it contains checklists, examples and tables to help busy communication and integration teams by providing them with practical guidance and examples of what they should consider. The authors start with the genesis of your strategy and the statutory framework before the partner company has been identified, then move on to each of the stages of negotiation, merger announcement, pre-merger preparation, and in the critical first 100 days, following the merger. The book includes chapters exploring the process of developing the employer brand for the new entity as well as of measuring and building on the success of your strategy and is illustrated throughout by a range of case studies.

Communication is the key to organisational success and nowhere is this truism more apparent than in the influence of internal communication during a transformational process as dramatic as a merger or acquisition. During the complex process of bringing the two sets of employees together, continuous effort is crucial for keeping in touch with how people feel; communicating information clearly across both bidder and target; and beginning the process of creating a new culture for the merged company. Communication is vital, but information on what to do when and how to overcome, or at least minimise, the practical problems inherent in trying to communicate at a time when there is often little news, and when so much must remain confidential is essential. Employee Communication During Mergers and Acquisitions provides a blueprint for your internal communication during a merger or acquisition, it contains checklists, examples and tables to help busy communication and integration teams by providing them with practical guidance and examples of what they should consider. The authors start with the genesis of your strategy and the statutory framework before the partner company has been identified, then move on to each of the stages of negotiation, merger announcement, pre-merger preparation, and in the critical first 100 days, following the merger. The book includes chapters exploring the process of developing the employer brand for the new entity as well as of measuring and building on the success of your strategy and is illustrated throughout by a range of case studies.

Yes are widely recognised as pioneers of progressive rock through their defining work in the 1970s, including classic records such as Fragile and Close to the Edge. The band then went on to completely re-invent themselves in the 1980s. They achieved huge commercial success with the album 90125 and global hit 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'. But there has been little acknowledgement of their achievements in the ten years that followed, paving the way for three more decades in an extraordinary 50 plus-year-long career.Examining six more albums, the arrival of multi-instrumentalist Billy Sherwood, successful tours, solo and film projects, a move into the digital age, and consolidation of a worldwide fanbase, Yes in the 1990s adds a fresh twist to the story of this revered band. Simon Barrow followed Yes closely in the '90s, seeing them dozens of times on both sides of the Atlantic. He charts an underestimated era of development in the Yes sound, encompassing multiple personnel changes. Bookended by notable tours for Union and The Ladder, the '90s is a tale of Yes-intransition, as the search for new musical horizons sees their influence mutate across everything from art pop to global fusion.

­­­As the battle of words over the future of Scotland as a democracy, nation and society continues, A Better Nation: The Challenges of Scottish Independence aims to go beyond the superficial divisions and media noise in order to address matters of real substance. Drawing on a range of original thinkers from a wide range of backgrounds, it tackles key issues about money, culture, equality, energy, borders, jobs, Europe and other ‘big questions’ head on.A Better Nation illustrates the high stakes in this debate, as well as the opportunities it affords. Outlining political approaches which are respectful of different views, doubts and ambiguities, it asks what kind of society we want to create and how we want to govern ourselves. The nature of the British state and Scottish democracy, the need to tackle inequalities, the challenges of centre-left politics, the climate emergency and the pressing need for a wellbeing economy are put at the heart of the discussion about independence.Contributors include:Ciaran Martin, Roz Foyer, Paul Mason, Gavin Esler, Joyce McMillan, John Curtice, Dani Garavelli, David Clark, Tanja Bueltmann, Malcolm Chalmers, Kirsty Hughes, John Kay, Lisa Clark, Colin Kidd, Hannah Graham, Paul Sweeney and many others.

Is there an ‘after the virus’, or is covid-19 and a world of future pandemics simply something we will have to live with for an indefinite period of time? In all honesty, no one knows the answer to that, which is why it is so destabilising.The covid pandemic poses huge challenges for Scotland – but also a unique opportunity to rethink who we are as a country, wherewe are heading, and how to restructure our economy, culture, politics and relationships in addressing the deep disparities the virus has exposed. Bringing together the unique voices of some of our best creative writers, poets and commentators, this book makes a significant contribution to rethinking our future. It explores what ‘after the virus’ could look like, and how it might be possible. Here are the hopeful voices we need for a time of both uncertainty and exploration.