Procedural justice and identification with the acquirer: the moderating effects of job continuity,organisational identity strength and organisational similarity

This study examined factors influencing whether acquired employees identify with their acquirer and the complex role that the different types of continuity play in moderating relationships between procedural justice and post‐acquisition identification. Data were obtained (n = 156) from a three‐country sample of employees working for a recently acquired multinational. Multiple regressions showed that expected job continuity moderated the relationship between acquirer procedural justice and post‐acquisition identification. Analysis examined combinations of two organisational identity‐related continuity forms (organisational similarity and acquirer organisational identity); results showed complex interactional effects of organisational similarity and acquirer organisational identity on the relationship between justice and identification with the acquirer.     

Knowledge and performance in an emerging telecommunication industry: The moderating role of organisational orientation

The ability of existing research to guide managerial decision making along a broad range of strategic orientations with which knowledge must be acquired, created, and utilised to improve organisational performance still remains an unfilled gap in the literature. Consequently, by adopting a wide range of organisational orientations that inherent knowledge‐based resources in the organisation can be applied, this paper examined the moderating effect of organisational orientation on the relationship between organisational knowledge and performance of telecommunication firms. Data were gathered using quantitative research approach. This involved the use of structured questionnaire from 230 managers and other administrative and technical employees of firms in the Global System for Mobile Communication submarket of Nigeria's telecommunications industry. The statistical analysis was subject to hierarchical multiple regression.     

Age‐related differences in the relations between individualised HRM and organisational performance: a large‐scale employer survey

The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between individualised HRM practices and several measures of organisational performance, including the moderating role of employee age in these relationships. A large‐scale representative study among 4,591 organisations in the Netherlands showed support for the relationships between individualised HR practices with organisational performance. Employee age moderated the relationships between the use of individualised practices and sickness absence and turnover, such that organisations with a high percentage of older workers benefited from work schedule practices, and organisations with high percentage of younger workers benefited from development practices.     

Shaping the organisational context for corporate entrepreneurship and performance in Iran: the interplay between social context and performance management

Abstract

Prior research highlighted the importance of an organisational context stimulating autonomous behaviour when trying to increase levels of corporate entrepreneurship. From a social exchange perspective, we argue that firms in developing countries need to complement such supportive practices with performance-oriented practices. Our findings indicate that Iranian firms with an organisational context characterised by an interaction of social context and performance management have more engagement in corporate entrepreneurship, and that corporate entrepreneurship mediated the relationship between the organisational context and firm performance. This provides a better understanding of the way firms in developing economies can shape their organisational context to promote corporate entrepreneurship in order to achieve better firm performance.     

A cross‐cultural examination of the relationships among human resource management practices and organisational commitment: an institutional collectivism perspective

Previous research has shown that human resource management (HRM) practices vary across cultures. However, little research has empirically compared the effects of various HRM practices on firm‐level or individual‐level outcome variables across cultures. Drawing upon psychological contract theory and the literature on cultural values, the present study examined the effects of three organisational‐level HRM practices on individual organisational commitment in a survey of 2424 individuals in 120 organisations located in four countries and three industries. Based upon the GLOBE study, we classified the four countries into two groups – high versus low institutional collectivism. The results of our hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analyses found significant differences in the effects of organisational‐level HRM on individual organisational commitment across cultures for two of the three HRM practices included in our model: training and teamwork. We also found partial support for differences across cultures for the effects of the third HRM practice: employee involvement in decision making. Overall, our results support the utility of theoretical and empirical models that address multiple levels of analyses to better understand the mechanisms through which the HRM‐performance link takes place across national cultures.     

Accuracy and effectiveness in appraisal outcomes: the influence of self‐efficacy,personal factors and organisational variables

Two studies tested relationships of personal factors and organisational context variables with rating accuracy and perceived effectiveness of appraisals, and the role of self‐efficacy as a mediator of the relationships between the two sets of variables. Study 1 was a controlled experiment in which nurse supervisors appraised a video stimulus of a nurse's performance. Study 2 was a field study in which nurses and their supervisors each independently completed an assessment of their annual appraisal review, following the meeting. A ten‐item scale for performance appraiser self‐efficacy (PASE) was developed and tested for measurement properties on a large sample of nurses that included those who participated in either Study 1 or Study 2. The PASE scale was found to have high reliability and reasonable predictive validity. PASE predicted rating accuracy, appraiser and appraisee perceptions of effectiveness, and appraiser‐appraisee agreement on the effectiveness of an actual appraisal, after controlling for the effects of personal factors and organisational context. The main contextual influences were accountability, importance and management concern but the effects varied for self‐efficacy and different appraisal outcomes. The main predictor of self‐efficacy was the amount of training received by appraisers across the multiple sub‐tasks of appraisal.     

Green human resource management and the enablers of green organisational culture: Enhancing a firm's environmental performance for sustainable development

Scholars have shown that green human resource management (GHRM) practices enhance a firm's environmental performance. However, existing studies fail to explain how GHRM initiatives can enable a green organisational culture or how such a culture affects the environmental performance and sustainable development of the firm. This paper examines the relationship between GHRM practices, the enablers of green organisational culture, and a firm's environmental performance. We conduct a large‐scale survey of 204 employees at Chinese manufacturing firms. Our findings suggest that proenvironmental HRM practices including hiring, training, appraisal, and incentivisation support the development of the enablers of green organisational culture. We suggest the key enablers of green organisational culture include leadership emphasis, message credibility, peer involvement, and employee empowerment. Our paper contributes to HRM theory in terms of originality and utility of research by explaining that the enablers of green organisational culture positively mediate the relationship between GHRM practices and environmental performance. Managers are provided with a detailed understanding of the GHRM practices needed to enable an organisational culture of environmentally aware employees. Finally, we address potential implications of this work for teaching green organisational culture to future generations of responsible managers.     

Flexible work arrangements,national culture,organisational characteristics,and organisational outcomes: A study across 21 countries

Using a contingency perspective, we investigated two complementary topics: (a) the influence of the GLOBE national cultural values and key organisational variables on employee use of flexible work arrangements (FWAs), and (b) the contribution of the level of congruence between cultural values and FWA use on absenteeism and turnover. The results, based on Cranfield Network on Comparative Human Resource Management—a large data set across multiple countries—supported the hypothesised effects of the cultural values on employee use of FWAs and the moderating effects of these cultural values on FWA use and organisational outcomes. Specifically, we found that national cultural values and organisational characteristics were related to outcomes via FWA use; and employees' use of FWAs had the overall effect of reducing absenteeism and turnover, but this effect was weakened when the FWAs were not consistent with cultural values. Theoretically, our results add to our knowledge and understanding of the effects of FWA use on absenteeism and turnover under different degrees of “fit” with cultural context. From a practical perspective, our results suggest that organisations should consider national cultural characteristics before implementing FWAs. A misfit between national culture and FWAs would potentially reduce employee use of FWAs and increase the likelihood of absenteeism and turnover.     

The outcomes of works councils: the role of trust,justice and industrial relations climate

This article investigates trust and organisational justice as antecedents of works council (WC) effectiveness perceptions and the moderating role of industrial relations climate on this relationship. A 2‐year longitudinal study of WC participants in two UK organisations (a housing association and a professional services firm) was undertaken. Results show positive significant relationships between both trust and organisational justice, and WC outcomes of WC performance, WC usefulness and outcome satisfaction. Industrial relations climate is found to moderate the relationship between justice and WC performance, WC usefulness, and outcome satisfaction.     

Strategic HRM and organisational learning in the Chinese private sector during second-pioneering

This study examines the relationship between strategic human resource management (HRM) and organisational learning in Chinese private firms during the second-pioneering stage, which involves a process of transition from ‘opportunism’ to ‘capability building’. It specifically examines how this relationship is influenced by environmental uncertainty and guanxi dependence. Using data from a face-to-face survey of 107 Chinese private firms, the findings show that strategic HRM has a positive effect on all four dimensions of organisational learning: knowledge acquisition, knowledge distribution, knowledge interpretation and organisational memory. In addition, task environmental uncertainty positively moderates the relationship between strategic HRM and organisational learning. However, the moderating effects of institutional environmental uncertainty and guanxi dependence on this relationship are not significant. These results highlight the importance of strategic HRM for organisational learning in uncertain task environments to promote organisational transition.     

HR practices and affective organisational commitment: (when) does HR differentiation pay off?

We argue that differentiating HR practices across employees leads employees to compare their situation with colleagues to assess the favourability of HR practice outcomes (e.g. money). These perceptions can be negative (i.e. feeling set back), neutral (i.e. feeling treated the same) or positive (i.e. feeling advantaged). Data from 13,639 Belgian employees showed that perceived favourability of HR practice outcomes is positively associated with affective organisational commitment, but the relationship is attenuated at positive levels. Thus, differentiation may be a double‐edged sword as the losses among employees feeling set back may temper, neutralise or even outweigh the benefits among those feeling advantaged. The relationships found were especially salient for work practices (e.g. autonomy) compared with economic practices (e.g. bonuses). Developmental practices were found to be least suited for differentiation across employees. No evidence of a moderating role of employees’ preference for equality (vs. differentiation) was found.     

The HR department's role in organisational performance

Research into how HR contributes to organisational performance is plentiful yet plagued by challenges. Alongside the ‘black box’ issue between HRM and performance, the time‐lag effect and the range of performance indicators applied, the role of the HR department in this relationship is critical although often ignored. A longitudinal case study is presented here that focuses particularly on this issue, and shows a complex picture of improving HR department importance alongside high‐level financial performance, but declining employee commitment and morale. The article suggests that the tensions between the rhetoric of HRM strategy, the grim reality of the employee experience and a lack of focus on human capital meant the outstanding financial performance was not sustainable in the longer term. The inherent conflict in serving both management and employees in process‐and peopleorientated roles is highlighted.     

Employee turnover and operational performance: the moderating effect of group‐oriented organisational culture

This study investigates the relationship between overall employee turnover and operational performance and whether organisational culture is a moderator. Using a sample of 114 outpatient centres from a health‐care system, we found a strong negative relationship between employee turnover and operational performance. Additionally, we found that organisations with a relatively stronger group‐oriented organisational culture did not experience lower operational performance in the presence of high turnover. These findings contribute to the literature on the relationship between turnover and performance. Organisations with persistent high levels of turnover may want to consider developing and adopting practices that are consistent with a group‐oriented organisational culture.     

Age diversity management and organisational outcomes: The role of diversity perspectives

Several macro‐level and meso‐level factors have led to unprecedented proportions of aged employees in organisations, resulting in higher levels of age diversity. Little is known about which age diversity practices and programmes are effective in which types of organisations for which outcomes. Derived from social exchange theory, this paper proposes and tests positive relationships between age diversity practices and organisational outcomes and work‐life programmes and organisational outcomes. Derived from contingency theory, it also proposes and tests for a moderating effect of diversity perspective (fairness and discrimination vs. synergy) on the two main relationships. Data were collected from 248 medium to large‐sized for‐profit organisations. The results partially support both main effect hypotheses and one moderating effect hypothesis. The findings suggest different organisational outcomes for age diversity practices and work‐life programmes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Predicting pro‐change behaviour: the role of perceived organisational justice and organisational identification

This study sets out to determine some of the key factors that foster employees’ behavioural support for change management interventions. Specifically, we examine the relationships between organisational justice, organisational identification and employees’ pro‐change behaviour by analysing questionnaire‐based survey data from 137 market research employees. Full structural equation modelling results indicate that out of the four main organisational justice types, only interpersonal justice perceptions play a significant role in predicting pro‐change behaviour after controlling for same source bias effects. In particular, the relationship between interpersonal justice and pro‐change behaviour is partially mediated by organisational identification. The results additionally indicate that age is positively associated with pro‐change behaviour and tenure with organisational identification. The study as such indicates that while perceptions of fair treatment based on respectful and courteous interactions are important in encouraging employees’ behavioural engagement in change management interventions, key in this process is the role that they play in encouraging identification with the employing organisation.     

HR,perceived organisational support and organisational identification: an analysis after organisational formation

Academic research has rarely investigated the role that people management plays in encouraging employees to identify with their employing organisation. This article reports on a study investigating the role that employee perceptions of the HR environment plays in encouraging organisational identification and the importance of perceived organisational support in this relationship. Two research surveys are discussed, one carried out shortly after the formation of the new organisation within the UK National Health Service, and one is a replication study undertaken 13 months later. The results show that key HR‐related factors predict organisational identification; this effect is both direct and indirect through perceptions of organisational support. The findings also demonstrate that, as the organisation matures, there are some interesting changes in which aspects of the HR environment predict identification and perceptions of organisational support.     

Strategic integration of HRM and firm performance in a changing environment in China: the impact of organisational effectiveness as a mediator

In the context of dramatic changes in China, this paper investigates the role of organisational effectiveness as a mediator in the relationship between the strategic integration of human resource management (HRM) and firm financial performance. Our study is based on the survey responses of 618 managers in state-owned and private (domestic and foreign-invested) enterprises in China. While most studies of the linkage between HRM practices and firm performance in China have measured firm financial performance or used an ad hoc combination of financial and non-financial indicators, we argue for a distinction to be made between non-financial organisational effectiveness and financial performance. As hypothesised, controlling for sector (state-owned vs. private), we find positive relationships between perceived changing business environment and strategic integration of HRM, and between strategic integration of HRM and organisational effectiveness. Our research adds an important conceptual link by showing that organisational effectiveness plays an important role as a mediator in the HRM and firm financial performance relationship and reinforces the importance of the organisational and environmental context for HRM.     

Training and organisational innovations in a local industrial system: empirical evidence from Emilia‐Romagna1

The article studies the driving forces of firm training using a survey‐based dataset of manufacturing firms in the Emilia‐Romagna region, Northern Italy. The data are derived from the responses to a structured questionnaire administered in 2002 to the management of a representative sample of firms with more than 50 employees in the highly industrialised province of Reggio Emilia. Firms’ training choices are analysed using a theoretical/conceptual framework based on the notion of complementarity among productive factors. Training is provided as long as it favours the establishment of complementary relationships among the skills it develops and other inputs. The main factors associated with training include structural characteristics, HRM practices, workforce features, labour management and performance of the firm. Training activities emerge as being positively associated with organisational practices that affect the whole firm: workforce skill level, firm size, firm productivity and labour flexibility. The role of HRM practices in driving training is brought into question. These are key issues for the current debate on the development of local systems in the European and Italian context. The high and joint relevance of structural variables and labour demand‐related factors shows that regional industrial policies must support labour policies within an integrated policy effort aimed at increasing potential firm productivity.     

The strength of human resource practices and transformational leadership: impact on organisational performance

The Human resource (HR) strength concept (Bowen, D., and Ostroff, C. 2004, ‘Understanding HRM-Firm Performance Linkages: The Role of the “Strength” of the HRM System,’ Academy of Management Review, 29, 2, 203–221) reflects the capacity of an HR system to transmit messages characterised by high distinctiveness, consistency and consensus. HR systems are therefore affecting perceptions and interpretations of organisational realities, such as climate and culture. Furthermore, Bowen and Ostroff (2004) suggest that organisational climate mediates the relationship between HR strength and performance. The leadership literature advocates that leaders are people who are able to create a social context in which employees are guided towards a shared interpretation, understanding and perception of the organisational climate (Yukl, G.A. 1989, Leadership in Organizations, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall). In summary, both HR strength and leadership are two environment dimensions shaping and moulding employees' perceptions and interpretations. The current study explores the relationships between HR strength, leadership, organisational climate and performance. 323 questionnaires were used to gather information from a company in the industrial sector. The results show a positive relationship between the variables; however, mediating effects of climate were only observed between leadership and performance.     

Group incentives and financial performance: the moderating role of innovation

Using a nationally representative and multisource data set, this study examines the mediating role of organisational commitment in the relationship between group incentives and financial performance. The study also investigates the moderating role of innovation in these relationships. The results demonstrate that organisational commitment partially mediates the relationship between group incentives and financial performance. The findings of this study support the hypotheses that the relationships of group incentives with organisational commitment and financial performance are stronger in more innovative companies than in less innovative companies. The results provide implications on how group incentives affect financial performance and which organisations in particular should provide their employees with group incentive practices.