Work transformation and the HR ecosystem dynamics: A longitudinal case study of HRM disruption in the era of the 4th industrial revolution

Disruption in human resource management (HRM) practices necessitates processes of mutual adjustment within the organization that seeks to address these changes properly, overcome tensions, and fit strategic needs. In our single longitudinal case study of a new HRM practice development concerning blue-collar worker talent management, we examine how HR professionals and managers interact and develop new HRM practices as a response to disruptive work transformation. Considering these interactions from the perspective of HR ecosystem alignment dynamics, we find that both managers and HR professionals engaged in fruitful collaboration processes along three differentiated steps to provide value for the whole organization. We propose a grounded theorizing of HR ecosystem alignment that is based on the progression of successive convergent and divergent phases and introducing collaborative spaces of work.     

Variability in HRM implementation among line managers and its effect on performance: a 2-1-2 mediational multilevel approach

Over the last few decades, a substantial body of research has examined the relationship between human resource management (HRM) and performance. However, little attention has been given to the implementation of HRM, although an HR policy can be implemented in various ways within an organization. In addressing recent calls in the literature to examine this issue more closely, we study the role of line managers in implementing HRM and the influence of employees' perceptions of HRM. In a multilevel study of 315 employees and 41 line managers drawn from various work-units of a Dutch municipality, we tested whether HR practices, as implemented by line managers, affect employees' perceptions of HRM and whether these perceptions in turn relate to perceived unit performance. The analysis shows that implemented HR practices differed between work-units. More specifically, our study shows that these differences can be explained by a line manager's leadership style. Moreover, our findings indicate that employees' perceptions of the HR practices implemented mediate the relationship between the HR practices implemented by line managers and perceived unit performance. These findings contribute to our understanding of how HRM affects performance.     

Comparing and explaining HR department effectiveness assessments: evidence from line managers and trade union representatives

We compare and explain effectiveness assessments of two HR stakeholders: line managers and trade union representatives. We examine whether they have the same preferences regarding the roles the HR department has to fulfil (Ulrich 1997). Next, we test which strong HRM system characteristics (Bowen and Ostroff 2004) are decisive in determining the perceived effectiveness of the HR department in the preferential roles. With these analyses we examine whether the HR roles and strong HRM system characteristics are equally important to different stakeholders. Results show that the perceived effectiveness of the HR department in its operational roles is decisive in trade union representatives' general HR effectiveness assessment. For line managers, process-oriented roles are crucial. Next, if the HR department scores high on strong HRM system characteristics, it is perceived as more effective in its HR roles. Yet, the importance of specific HRM system characteristics depends on the role and stakeholder.     

In the eyes of the beholder: the HRM capabilities of the HR function as perceived by managers and professionals

This study investigated factors influencing line managers' and professionals' perceptions of the HRM capabilities of the HR function. Using a sample of 913 managers and professionals in subsidiaries of 11 Nordic multinational corporations, we tested the extent to which features of the unit's HRM system, attitudes of the unit's general manager and characteristics of the HR manager helped explain the perceived HRM capabilities. The analysis revealed that perceived HRM practice visibility and HRM inducements (the link between individual performance and HRM‐related benefits) were strong predictors of individual perceptions of the HR function's HRM capabilities. The use of e‐HRM and the most senior manager's attitudes towards the unit's HRM practices were also significantly related to perceived HRM capabilities.     

Human resources roles: ideal versus practiced: a cross-country comparison among organizations in Asia

Human capital and its associated principles of talent management are sound platforms on which to leverage a company's fundamental resources to attain corporate goals. Unfortunately, the importance of human resource management (HRM) within organizations is often overlooked. The fundamental problem observed by many researchers in the HRM field is the discrepancy between what are considered ideal HRM roles and what is actually practiced by HRM managers. To understand the current human resource (HR) philosophy and the specific roles practiced by HR professionals among Asian companies, a survey was conducted with 377 HR managers in four Asian countries – India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Our research has shown and, hence, reiterated the sense that there are considerable differences between the current HR functions as practiced and the ideal HR functions, as indicated by the survey respondents. In addition, the survey results have identified significant differences among countries, especially in areas such as strategic practices and the roles of HR managers. Differences between practice and ideal in HR administration are also observed at different levels of management. It was also observed that differences among countries exist depending on the type of organization, the size of the organization, and whether the HR managers work for HR departments or for other functional departments.     

The perceived importance of HR duties to Danish line managers

Today, HR scholars widely acknowledge that realising HRM requires the involvement of all managers and that the personal motivation of line managers plays an important role in their successful involvement. Yet, previous research has neglected to study how line managers rate the importance of particular HR duties and how the importance assigned to HR duties varies across managers. Based on a survey of 1,500 Danish managers, we find that ‘motivating others’ is considered the most important HR duty whereas ‘team building’, ‘handling conflicts’ and ‘coaching’ are considered the least important HR duties. Female top managers in the public sector exhibit the greatest interest in HR whereas men at lower managerial levels in the private sector give lowest priority to HR work. We conclude with possible explanations for the observed differences in a Danish context and beyond and provide suggestions for facilitating managerial involvement in HRM. In doing so we are well aware that the Scandinavian model of HRM in general and the Danish implementation in particular may represent a unique frame for the results.     

A chameleon function? HRM in the ‘90s

This article examines the changing role of the HR function in large corporations in the 1990s. It draws on data collected from a multi-sector case study research project – the Leading Edge Forum Consortium. Activities are analysed along three dimensions: access to strategic decision making, shift of responsibilities to the line, and the function's perceived contribution to business performance. It concludes that devolution to the line remains problematic, and that access to strategic decision making is still contingent on the personal influencing skills of senior HR managers or directors. Nevertheless the recognition of the strategic importance of HRM as a contributor to business performance has risen.     

Divergence in HR Functional Roles in Local Government

Abstract

In spite of a growing body of research on the position and role of HRM and the HR function in organizations, local government HRM has not received the attention it deserves. This article contributes to research on the role of the HR function by deploying a discursive perspective on how HR managers construct their function's role in the context of Finnish local government. Five discourses are located in the talk of HR managers, which show emerging discursive tensions and contradictions in the roles of the HR function in local government.     

An exploration of the HRM values of Chinese managers working in Western multinational enterprises in China: implications for HR practice

This paper qualitatively explores the nature of human resource management (HRM) values of local Chinese managers working in Western-based multinational enterprises in China and also considers how these values are associated with preferences for HR practices. The study involves the use of repertory grid interviews with 36 local Chinese managers. The study shows that interviewees reflected a high level of assimilation and internalization of many Western HRM values. Interviewees also retained many traditional Chinese values, thus highlighting the role of institutional and cultural forces on HRM. However, among these local managers, there was clear decline in some traditional Chinese values, such as ‘harmony’ and ‘virtue’. A further interesting finding was the co-existence of paradoxical values of collectivism and individualism among the managers. Analyses of repertory grid data and interview comments also highlight that preferences for HR practices is associated with these underlying HRM values.     

The evolving Portuguese model of HRM

In Europe, despite the process of European integration and the globalization of world markets, considerable differences can still be detected in the way organizations manage people and the role played by the HR function. But, while there has been considerable debate over the introduction of HRM in countries like the UK, less attention has been paid to countries like Portugal where the role of HRM remains under-researched. This paper reports the findings of a project aiming to make sense of the concept of HRM in Portugal. Results from a survey of companies found an extensive use of the HRM label among Portuguese organizations. The function seems to have gained some influence at the top and reached some degree of strategic integration, but there is an apparent reluctance to devolve HR responsibilities to line managers. The HR function appears to be playing the specialist role as a means of overcoming the credibility gap. Based on the findings of the current and previous research, an attempt is made to outline a Portuguese HRM model.     

Human Capital Factors Affecting Human Resource (HR) Managers' Commitment to HR and the Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Value on HR

Human resource (HR) managers’ commitment to their occupation (HR) leads to the proper delivery and implementation of HR practices and, therefore, is deemed as a critical factor for the success of HR practices. Based on sociocognitive, human capital, and signaling theories, this study examines: (a) HR managers’ own and their chief HR officer's (CHRO) HR‐specific human capital as antecedents of their commitment to HR, and (b) the mediating mechanism through which the CHRO’s HR‐specific human capital positively influences HR managers’ commitment to HR. Based on 146 HR managers from 146 organizations in South Korea, the findings of the current study suggest that HR managers with higher levels of HR‐specific human capital and those working with CHROs with higher levels of HR‐specific human capital tend to have higher levels of commitment to HR. In addition, CHROs with higher levels of HR‐specific human capital positively influence HR managers’ commitment to HR by signaling to them that HR and its function are valued and cared about by their organizations. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed along with study limitations and further research directions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

‘Intended’ and ‘implemented’ HRM: the missing linchpin in strategic human resource management research

We argue that inconclusive findings in the SHRM literature regarding the relationship between HRM systems and organizational performance may result primarily from methodological weaknesses and a failure of researchers to distinguish between HR practices intended by the organizations and those actually implemented. Rather than relying upon a single respondent per organization as is the norm, we contrast reports of both managers and non-managers from inside and outside HR departments to highlight differences between intended and implemented HRM. The findings, arrived at with the help of 195 interviews, 508 questionnaire responses and several company documents, support our expectation: implemented HRM may be substantially different from intended HRM; consistent implementation increases employee satisfaction with HRM, which is positively related to organizational performance. The current study thus highlights new factors that require attention in developing HR–performance analyses and also suggests that a mere imitation of HRM in the hopes of improving organizational performance creates no value. It is crucial that HR departments and managers remain committed and supportive to the development of effective HRM systems by focusing upon actual ‘implementation’ within their organizations.     

The HR quadriad: a framework for the analysis of HRM in project-based organizations

This paper introduces the idea of the ‘HR quadriad’ as a framework for the analysis of HRM as a collective, configurational, and complementary system of roles and practices. The framework highlights the interplay between HR specialists, line managers, project managers, and project workers in the implementation of HR practices. On the basis of a multiple case study comprising six project-based organizations, two organizational factors are singled out as important for the design of the HR quadriad: (1) the nature of project work as either intra-functional or inter-functional, and (2) project participation as either focused or fragmented. The paper gives empirical support to recent research on HRM favoring the synergic integration of the elements of HRM systems designed in a way that acknowledges internal coherence and organizational conditions.     

Establishing HR Professionals’ Influence and Credibility: Lessons from the Capital Markets and Investment Banking Sector

Through two separate studies involving 47 interviews inside 22 institutions in the capital markets and investment banking sector, we explore the levels of influence and sources of credibility for senior HR professionals, and examine the challenges they face in establishing credibility. We compare these findings against previous research, which has identified several determinants of HR’s influence and credibility. Our findings confirm that HR’s modest influence is contingent on the predispositions and convictions of key stakeholders, notably the CEO, but also depends on the decision being taken. We find that the basis for senior HR professionals’ credibility is more individual than institutional, and that HR professionals and senior business managers differ in the priorities they assign to credibility determinants. Finally, the studies illuminate an enduring inherent tension for HR in establishing credibility, between servicing their internal clients’ needs and retaining a level of independence. We reflect upon the transient nature of HR credibility in this sector and others. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

HRM implementation by multiple HRM actors: a social exchange perspective

Abstract

In this study, we understand HRM implementation as a social process that depends on the social exchange relationships between line managers and both HRM professionals and employees. As such, we offer a fresh approach to understanding HRM implementation by concentrating on the social exchange among HRM actors. We do so by investigating to what extent these exchange relationships influence HRM implementation, as reflected in employees’ perceptions of the presence of HRM practices and their affective commitment. We collected multilevel data from two sources (line managers and employees) and in two phases in a Dutch engineering firm, and obtained fully matched manager – employee information from 75 employees and 20 line managers. Our results show that employees perceive a larger number of HRM practices when they have a good relationship with their line managers and when their line managers are motivated to implement HRM practices. Line managers, in turn, reciprocate perceived support from the HRM department with greater motivation to implement these practices. We conclude that because HRM actors engage in social interactions, HRM practices will be implemented at the organizational level because employees perceive the presence of HRM practices and then reciprocate this with affective commitment.     

Managing people across hospital networks in the UK: multiple employers and the shaping of HRM

Building on the insights from a growing number of studies on the HRM implications of inter-organisational relations, this article investigates the HR issues in two case studies of ‘best practice’, long-term collaborative working. It identifies three common challenges for HRM: (a) how to build employee commitment and identity to the partnership without putting at risk the employing organisation's goals; (b) how to establish attractive career pathways in a partnership context requiring some degree of sharing of skill standards and coordination of training provision; and (c) how to sustain partnerships in a changing policy and organisational context. The data point to inherent problems in managing employment when there is more than one employing organisation exercising influence. Differences in organisational goals and HRM approaches in hospital networks are an obstacle to long-term integration – especially in public–private arrangements where integration of goals and HRM is more difficult.     

Is Ulrich's model useful in understanding HR practitioners' roles in non-western developing countries? An exploratory investigation across private and public sector organizations in the Sultanate Kingdom of Oman

This study set out to explore whether Ulrich's model is useful in understanding HR roles in non-western developing countries such as Oman. The study surveyed a random sample of 780 HR practitioners, line managers and employees from public and private sector organizations. In addition 12 HR practitioners and managers were interviewed to supplement the data collected from the survey. The findings indicate that HR practitioners in Oman perform all the roles. However, ‘strategic partner’ is the least performed role. The findings also indicate that HR practitioners in the private sector are more likely to perform all the five roles to a greater extent than their counterparts in the public sector. We also found partial support for our proposition that HR practitioners in the public sector would play more ‘operational’ roles (e.g. employee advocate or functional expert) than ‘strategic’ roles (i.e. strategic partner or HR leader). The study revealed that Ulrich's model is robust enough to help in the understanding of HR roles in a non-western, developing country context. The findings are discussed within the context of institutional and cultural frameworks. The paper argues for more research to improve the understanding of how socio-economic and cultural factors influence HR roles and how they are performed.     

企业人力资源管理有效性研究

本文通过分析企业中人力资源经理和直线经理对人力资源管理实践的相关问题的认知评价,研究了中国本土企业的人力资源管理实践有效性的问题。研究数据表明,目前企业中直线经理和人力资源经理对于人力资源管理各功能的重要性认知相同,但在人力资源管理对于企业内部客户服务的有效性的认知和评价标准存在显著差异。本研究的意义在于帮助企业从人力资源管理职能的角度,加强人力资源管理系统与企业战略目标实现的匹配,为改善企业业绩的“捆绑性”的实践提供实证依据。     

Lost in translation: exploring the link between HRM and performance in healthcare

Using data collected in 2004 from 132 Victorian (Australia) public healthcare providers, comprising metropolitan and regional hospital networks, rural hospitals and community health centres, we investigated the perceptions of HRM from the experiences of chief executive officers, HR directors and other senior managers. We found some evidence that managers in healthcare organisations reported different perceptions of strategic HRM and a limited focus on collection and linking of HR performance data with organisational performance management processes. Using multiple moderator regression and multivariate analysis of variance, significant differences were found in perceptions of strategic HRM and HR priorities between chief executive officers, HR directors and other senior managers in the large organisations. This suggested that the strategic human management paradigm is ‘lost in translation’, particularly in large organisations, and consequently opportunities to understand and develop the link between people management practices and improved organisational outcomes may be missed. There is some support for the relationship between strategic HRM and improved organisational outcomes. Implications of these findings are drawn for managerial practice.