The Good,the Bad and the Ugly: Employment Relations In New Non-Union Workplaces1

David Guest, who is Professor of Occupational Psychology at Birkbeck College, and Kim Hoque, who is Research Officer in the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics and Political Science, draw on a postal survey of nearly 350 new establishments to consider their propensity to unionise, to adopt practices associated with HRM, and to deliver a number of performance outcomes. Key findings are that not only were there examples of the ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’ so far as practice generally was concerned, but also that those establishments which used HRM practices extensively tended to report better results in terms of a number of both employee relations and performance outcomes.     

The one best way? ‘Scientific’ research on HRM and the threat to critical scholarship

HRM scholarship is increasingly dominated by ‘scientific’ research characterised by a positivist methodology, complex statistical techniques, correlational theorising and incremental advances in knowledge. While this approach has long been prominent in HRM research, what is new is the almost total dominance of this kind of research, which has largely crowded out alternative approaches, particularly those that are overtly critical in orientation. A variety of institutional factors has contributed to this shift in HRM scholarship, and these place significant obstacles in front of those who seek to reclaim space for critical voices. There is, however, room for greater methodological pluralism, and researchers, academic institutions and journals have roles to play in promoting viable alternatives.     

Don't know,don't care: An exploration of evidence based knowledge and practice in human resource management

Over the past two decades the integrity (alignment of words and deeds) of the Human Resource Management (HRM) profession has been questioned by scholars who have identified a gap between the rhetoric of ‘people are our most important asset’ and the reality of ‘impersonal economic rationalism’. In a more recent, and as yet unconnected, stream of research there has been concern about a research-practice gap in HRM. This article draws on both streams of research to explain why HRM Does not implement evidence based practice. It focuses on research indicating that HRM practitioners are not incentivized to learn about evidence based practice and develops theory proposing that their satisfaction with the status quo reflects a value proposition based on utilitarian instrumentalism. Further to this, it is proposed that management's focus on the short-term drives and obfuscates current approaches. It concludes that neither academia nor HRM practitioners are incentivized to change current practice with negative consequences for employees, organizations, and HRM practitioners. Arguments are supported and illustrated with High Performance Work Practices and solutions are proposed to implement evidence based practice.     

Human Resource Management: the Views of Personnel Directors1

John Gennard and James Kelly, who are Professor and Senior Lecturer respectively in the Department of Human Resource Management at the University of Strathclyde, use data from semi-structured interviews with a number of personnel directors to consider whether, in their view, there is a new HRM paradigm and, if so, whether there is revolution/discontinuity or evolution/continuity with personnel management. They suggest that the contrast between the majority of those interviewed, who considered there to be no difference between HRM and personnel management, and a significant minority, who did, could largely be explained in terms of the extent to which the function was well established and/or needed to signal to other key actors that a new ‘order’ was necessary.     

Procedures and Consistency Versus Flexibility and Commitment In Employee Relations: A Comment On Storey

Jon Clark, who is Professor of Industrial Relations at Southampton University, comments on one of the most important issues raised in John Storey's Developments in the Management of Human Resources: the contrast between the ‘procedure and consistency’ of the IR/ personnel tradition and the ‘business need, flexibility and commitment’ of the HRM tradition. In particular, he queries whether HRM can be successful without a firm basis in ‘procedure and consistency’.     

The duality of algorithmic management: Toward a research agenda on HRM algorithms,autonomy and value creation

This study proposes the ‘duality of algorithmic management’ as a conceptual lens to unravel the complex relationship between human resource management (HRM) algorithms, job autonomy and the value to workers who are subject to algorithmic management. Against tendencies to present algorithmic management as having predetermined, undesired consequences (e.g. restriction of job autonomy, poor financial compensation and deteriorating working conditions), our ‘duality of algorithmic management’ perspective offers two amendments to the dominant thinking on HRM algorithms and their outcomes to workers. First, we showcase how algorithmic management simultaneously restrains and enables autonomy and value to workers – with the latter referring to both use (i.e. non-monetary benefits) and exchange value (i.e. monetary benefits) that workers derive from working (under algorithmic management). In doing so, we make the case that the desired consequences of HRM algorithms to workers co-exist alongside the undesired consequences that the literature has mostly reported on. Second, we argue that algorithmic management is shaped by, as much as it shaping, the autonomy and value to workers. We do so by highlighting the ‘recursivity’ of algorithmic management that occurs when software designers and/or self-learning algorithms reinforce or limit worker acts for (re)gaining job autonomy and/or creating value out of HRM algorithms. We conclude this paper with the presentation of avenues for future research into the duality of algorithmic management, which sets the stage for a future line of inquiry into the complex interrelationships among HRM algorithms, job autonomy and value.     

PLANNING FOR PERSONNEL?-HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RECONSIDERED*

This article provides an in-depth case study of a UK mutual life insurance company with the pseudonym Pensco. The case is presented partly to illustrate some theoretical and empirical weaknesses within the managerialist literatures on human resource management (HRM), and in those academic critiques which perceive it to be all ‘hype’and no substance. Our concern is not with the questin of whether Pensco ‘fits’an HRM model, but with examining changes in management practice, their effects on the nature of management control and the growth of self-discipline throughout the company's hierarchy. Focusing on two management techniques regarding the development of ‘team’spirit among company employees, we see these changes as coinciding with the emergence of a language, if not directly the practice, of HRM which has come to pervade management in this and other contemporary organizations.     

Human resource management and firm performance in Europe through the lens of business systems: best fit,best practice or both?

This study uses the lens of Business Systems theory to explore the importance of geographic context on the link between human resource management and organizational performance. Basing the analysis on ‘HRM bundles of competitive advantage’, drawing evidence from a large-scale survey of European private sector businesses, and using multiple methodologies, we find three distinct geographic regions and 21 ‘HRM bundles of competitive advantage’. Of those bundles 10 were significantly related to performance in one or more regions. The results raise issues about the universal applicability of HRM-performance research and have implications for the standardization of HRM policies and practices within internationally operating organizations.     

‘Change or hold: reexamining HRM to meet new challenges and demands’: the future of people at work: a reflection on diverging human resource management policies and practices in Dutch organizations

As a consequence of continual change pressures on everyday organizations, a gradual but noticeable shift is taking place in the way managers and employees view the employment relationship. Expectation patterns between both parties are starting to diverge into what seems to be new forms of managing people, based on different assumptions regarding their importance in the (knowledge based) economy. Traditional differences in employment expectations between superiors and their subordinates, between higher and lesser educated and between intrinsically and extrinsically motivated employees, are currently making place for differences between younger and older knowledge workers and for diversity and professionalism. In this article, HRM is contrasted against two emerging approaches towards the management of people, which are currently subsets of HRM, but gaining momentum as potential replacements for HRM. First, we identify ‘Transaction-based Management of People (TM)’ in which the employment relationship mirrors that of a financially driven exchange relationship, similar to transaction economics. We refer to the second approach as ‘Professional-based Management of People (PM)’ in which the nature of the employment relationship reflects the recognition of people in organizations as ‘true’ professionals who know best what constitutes superior business performance. These approaches have been empirically examined by means of a representative survey among Dutch directors and managers.     

Towards an Asian model of human resource management? A comparative analysis of China,Japan and South Korea

There has been much discussion regarding the possible decline and weakening of national systems of human resource management (HRM). Yet, culture and institutions are often cited as the major stumbling blocks to this outcome. Such constraints may dissipate in the analysis, particularly if ‘regional clusters’ are considered where geographic and cultural closeness and ‘openness’ to similar economic pressures exist. In such cases, it might be postulated that convergence in HRM will occur. We argue that China, Japan and South Korea represent such a cluster. This article examines these countries, to see if a degree of convergence is taking place and if it is towards an identifiable ‘Asian’ model of HRM. A model of change is presented that distinguishes between levels of occurrence and acceptance. Details of the development and practice of HRM in each country are then set out. The article ends with a discussion and implications section and a brief conclusion.     

A theory of the firm's demand for HRM practices

Empirical data are presented that reveal a large variation in the pattern of HRM practice adoption across firms. The paper then develops an economics-based theory that explains this pattern. The model broadens the HRM concept; models the linkage between HRM practices and firm performance (the ‘black box’); generates an HRM input demand function and demand curve; formalizes the concept of strategic HRM; suggests a new empirical tool for HRM research; generates new hypotheses and insights on the nature of the HRM–firm performance relationship; suggests that existing theories of the HRM–firm performance relationship are seriously mis-specified; and posits that on theoretical grounds the effect of more HRM on firm performance in long-run competitive equilibrium is not positive but zero.     

Absence management of migrant agency workers in the food manufacturing sector

Temporary workers in low-skilled roles often experience ‘hard’ HRM practices, for example the use of the Bradford Factor to monitor absence, rather than using incentives to reward attendance. However, this peripheral workforce has become increasingly diverse in the UK since the A8 European Union expansion, which has seen over a million migrants from central and eastern Europe register to work in the UK. Importantly, there is also heterogeneity within this group of workers, for example between those who intend to migrate for a short period of time then return, and those who are more settled and wish to develop a career. By considering the particular case of absence management, this paper examines how these different groups of migrants respond to HRM practices. The key contribution of the paper is to examine how different groups of migrants experience these practices, rather than simply comparing migrant and native workers as two homogeneous groups. The paper presents data from the food manufacturing sector in the UK. In total, 88 semi-structured interviews were conducted with operations managers, HR managers, union convenors and workers on permanent, temporary and agency contracts. In addition, data from informal interviews and observation at five companies are presented.     

Understanding continuity in public sector HRM through neo‐institutional theory: why national collective bargaining has survived in English local government

Most HRM research over recent decades has concentrated on ‘change’, charting ever more fragmented, individualised and unitarist employment relationships. This is equally true of public sector HRM, where the emphasis has been on neo‐liberalism and marketisation. However, in many countries and sectors, collective, pluralist approaches to HRM and industrial relations have proved remarkably resilient. This article uses Neo‐Institutional theory to explain the ‘continuity’ of one such HRM system: national collective bargaining in English local government (1979–2007). We argue that this survives because it manages the political and managerial processes that link central government and central–local relations and acts as a conduit between institutional stakeholders to deliver services to the public. By understanding the ‘passive consensus’ that holds the collectivist HRM system together, we can anticipate the forces that might pull it apart.     

Barbarians at the gate: a critical appraisal of the influence of economics on the field and practice of HRM

This article considers the influence of economics on the field and practice of HRM. Modern innovations, such as transaction cost economics and personnel economics, have enabled mainstream economists to encamp on the terrain of HRM and neighbouring fields. The article will contend that these perspectives incorporate certain ‘myths’ about key HRM issues and will argue against their transplantation into the study of HRM. The claim made by some critics that the language and assumptions of economics contribute to ‘bad HRM’ practices in the real world will also be critically assessed. It will be argued that modern economic theories of HRM reflect reality rather more than they create it, and that their support for a narrow and regressive form of HRM is, to some extent, in keeping with the actual reality of many organisations in which unequal power and conflict remain ever‐present (if sometimes under the surface).     

‘Internal Marketing’ As an Approach to Human Resource Management: A New Perspective Or A Metaphor Too Far?

Colin Hales, who is a Lecturer in Management Studies at the University of Surrey, reviews the different meanings of the term ‘internal marketing’ and develops a critique of its application to the management of human resources. He argues that, while the concept has certain merits, it also has significant limitations. As a re-statement of normative HRM, it merely re-labels a questionable concept, while as a concept in its own right, it is ambiguous and highly rhetorical. As a metaphor, it seriously distorts the process of HRM and, as a broad approach and set of techniques, it is essentially manipulative, spuriously ‘scientific’ and riven with contradictions.     

Resilience and the (micro-)dynamics of organizational ambidexterity: implications for strategic HRM

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, resilience has emerged as a seminal and important topic linked to calls for adaptability, well-being and organizational performance. Extant strategic human resource management (HRM) literature and practices have developed many insights into resilience. However, overall, they have a propensity to conceptualise resilience as being associated with ‘macro-’ and ‘extreme’ situations. This paper complements the prevailing perspective by developing a micro-focus on resilience through the conceptual framework of organizational ambidexterity surfacing under-examined individual resilience in connection with HRM practices. Methodologically, the paper adopts a qualitative approach presenting data from two illustrative contexts: an ‘everyday’ quasi-governmental institution and a prima facie ‘extreme’ pan-international military organization. Using template analysis, a number of valuable themes and similarities are identified. The findings and discussion underline the managerial challenges in handling organizational ambidextrous dynamics and tensions surrounding resilience, positive and sceptical approaches in relation to individual and organizational stances towards HRM practices. As such, the results point at value in HRM managers and practices recontextualising and appreciating ‘extremes’ and resilience more as an everyday (rather than exceptional) phenomenon wherein myriad micro-moments are highly significant in constructing and influencing macro-contexts. This also implies a need to see cynical resistance as normative rather than automatically negatively.     

The ‘country-of-origin effect’ in employee turnover intention: evidence from China

The increasing presence of foreign direct investment in China has boosted the competition for talent among different multinational corporations (MNCs) from diverse national backgrounds. This article investigates the differences in the human resource management (HRM) approaches adopted by the US, European, and Japanese MNC subsidiaries operating in China and explores the relationships between employees' perceptions toward the HRM approaches and turnover intention. Significant differences in the HRM approaches and employees' level of turnover intention were found, indicating a ‘country-of-origin effect’ in HRM approaches that subsequently influences employees' attitudes. In addition, this article produces evidence suggesting that the perception of HRM characteristics predicts employees' intentions to quit. Implications for HRM convergence or divergence debate are discussed.     

The RBV theory foundation of strategic HRM: critical flaws,problems for research and practice,and an alternative economics paradigm

The resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm is a guiding paradigm for strategic HRM research. This article explores the RBV–strategic HRM intersection, identifies and critiques RBV weaknesses and problem areas, develops new implications for RBV–strategic HRM theory and empirical work, and develops an alternative economics‐based decision model for making HRM choices. The article focuses on four RBV–strategic HRM dimensions: HRM performance and the ‘no rules for riches’ proposition; alternative definitions of value and competitive advantage and implications for strategic HRM's dependent variable; neglect of marginal decision rules and consequent misprediction of optimal HRM adoption; and the impact on employee relations of RBV‐guided rent‐capture practices. Numerous implications for theory and practice are developed; also suggested is a new paradigm approach for strategic HRM theory.     

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.     

Actions speak louder than words: how employees mind the implementation gap

Abstract

Integral to employees’ working lives are the HR policies and more importantly, the practices that follow those and their implementation, which employees experience directly. To date, research on HR implementation considers how HRM is ‘done to’ employees by management and therefore ignores the agency of individuals to shape how HRM is ‘done to them’. Taking the perspective of employees, in a qualitative study of female lawyers, this paper examines employees’ roles in shaping HR implementation, addressing a lack of understanding about the role of ‘others’ in the process. Drawing on the concept of social power, the article focuses on the implementation of agile working practices within UK-based law firms. It finds that despite lacking legitimate position power to influence processes, employees draw on a variety of other power sources (e.g. referent, information, coercive) and tactics (e.g. leveraging membership of professional networks) in order to influence their working environment with respect to HR policy and practice, particularly in response to perceived implementation gaps. The current study underlines that employees may be integral to bridging the gap between policy and practice and therefore to ensuring the link between HRM and organisational performance. It also proposes that behavioural responses to HR practices should be considered in future theorising of the HRM-performance relationship.