Human resource management in China revisited: introduction

This introduction attempts to provide an overview of the Special Issue of the IJHRM on ‘Human Resource Management in China Revisited’. It deals first with the economic background of the recent changes in the PRC from 1978 to the present day, exploring the change from a command economy to a more market-led one, as well as the demise of ‘iron rice bowl’ policy dominated by a model to Soviet-inspired personnel management in favour of one gradually being characterized by possibly Japanese-/Western-influenced human resource management (HRM), albeit with ‘Chinese characteristics’. It then introduces the main debates in the field before summing up, at some length, the empirical contributions based on ‘state of the art’ field research contained in the papers submitted. Last, it deals with the comparative setting of the contributions on China vis-à-vis the national HRM systems of Japan and South Korea.     

Strategic human resource management (SHRM) in Europe after 1992

Comparative studies of Women’s labour market position usually focus on patterns of gender segregation, considered to be the foundation of gender discrimination. Few studies trace the link between gender segregation and gender pay differences in a comparative context, and even fewer seek to identify links between payment structures and practices and the extent and form of gender pay inequality. Yet although the degree and form of gender segregation clearly vary between countries, there is even more likelihood that differences in pay structures and practices will result in differences in gender outcomes. This study explores the gender pay implications of payment structures and payment systems in three European countries, the UK, Italy and Germany. Payment systems are found to be embedded within country-specific employment systems and result in different levels and forms of gender pay equality. They also present different obstacles to the closure of the gender earnings gap. Moreover, the trends within the general wage determination system rather than specific gender pay equity policies are found to have most impact on women’s relative pay position.     

Division of labour—Simon revisited: A comment

This paper is a comment on an earlier work by Artle, Humes Jr. and Varaiya published in this Journal. Its purpose is to show that some of the conclusions about labour migration that are drawn by Simon, Baumol and Artle et al., can be made within a rather simple equilibrium model. Further it is shown that these conclusions may not hold if wage rigidities are present which prevent equalization of wages between sectors.     

Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field

This review takes an evolutionary and chronological perspective on the development of strategic human resource management (SHRM) literature. We divide this body of work into seven themes that reflect the directions and trends researchers have taken over approximately thirty years of research. During this time the field took shape, developed rich conceptual foundations, and matured into a domain that has substantial influence on research activities in HR and related management disciplines. We trace how the field has evolved to its current state, articulate many of the major findings and contributions, and discuss how we believe it will evolve in the future. This approach contributes to the field of SHRM by synthesizing work in this domain and by highlighting areas of research focus that have received perhaps enough attention, as well as areas of research focus that, while promising, have remained largely unexamined.     

Blue skies and black boxes: The promise (and practice) of grounded theory in human resource management research

We provide an overview of the grounded theory approach, a methodology with significant (and largely untapped) potential for human resources (HR) research. Grounded theory is an abductive, data-driven, theory-building approach that can serve as a conceptual link between inductive and deductive research approaches. We begin by explaining the grounded theory approach in detail and outlining two versions of the method that have been used in high-impact management publications—the Gioia approach and the Tabula Geminus (twin slate) approach. We then provide an overview of the similarities and differences between grounded theory and other inductive and/or qualitative methodologies, namely, ethnography, discourse analysis, rhetorical analysis, and content analysis. Following this discussion, we offer a step-by-step guide to using grounded theory in human resources research, illustrating these principles with data and processes from extant research. Finally, we conclude by discussing best practices for achieving rigor with the grounded theory approach.     

Human resource management practice in China: A future perspective

In response to cultural and economic changes, human resource practitioners can potentially play a role of balancing tensions in the organization. A future perspective of new roles and structures for HRM is considered in the Chinese context. Possible directions for research are outlined.     

Introduction: globalizing international human resource management

In this Introduction, we have sought to explain the rationales in putting together a ‘Special Issue’ on Globalizing International Human Resource Management (IHRM). These include, first, coverage of as wide a range of regional and national cultures as possible; second, presentation of as wide a set as perspectives as possible; and last, discussion of how these may shape both theory and practice in the field.     

The dialectics of human resource management in Cuba

Dialectical theory is applied to the examination of how institutional and organizational level changes are leading to a new human resource management (HRM) paradigm in Cuba. The paper starts with a general overview of economy and enterprise in Cuba, which serves to expose the nature of the pressures and contradictions facing managers and organizations in this country. Based on a focus group study, an analysis of the process of change in the HRM paradigm as perceived by a sample of Cuban managers is presented. The emerging dialectical paradigm is to a great extent influenced by the institutional context, namely by the control of the state. The state's role in the protection of the communist principles, combined with the need to open the economy to the logic of the market, is constituting a singular case in the world of management in general and of HRM in particular: that of a communist country with an increasingly market-based economy, where the socialist cadre is simultaneously becoming a market-oriented HR manager.     

Introduction: human resource management in Africa

This article introduces the special issue that seeks to spur the debate on the challenges of managing people in organizations in Africa. The debate on HRM in Africa has proceeded with tentative steps and now clearly needs to be located firmly within the international management context. It is not the purpose of this special issue to discover or develop an over-arching model of HRM. That has been attempted elsewhere. Our purpose is to bring together the various threads that characterize the on-going debate and hopefully move towards a more specific research agenda which captures the complexity of managing on the African continent. Some of these threads include the formulation of new perspectives on HR research, finding common ground with diverse disciplines and tackling enduring problems like ethnicity and discrimination.     

Emerging issues in theory and research on electronic human resource management (eHRM)

In the past several decades, technology has had a dramatic impact on human resource management (HR) processes and practices. For example, technology, especially the World Wide Web, has helped modify many HR processes including human resource planning, recruitment, selection, performance management, work flow, and compensation. These new systems have enabled HR professionals to provide better service to all of their stakeholders (e.g., applicants, employees, managers), and reduced the administrative burden in the field. Despite the widespread use of these systems, there has been a surprising dearth of theory and research on the topic. As a result, the purpose of this special issue is to (a) advance theory and research on human resource management systems (HRMS) and electronic human resource management (eHRM), (b) offer new directions for research on the topic, and (c) enhance the effectiveness of these systems in organizations. As a result, this article reviews the evolution of HRMS and eHRM, provides a brief overview of the existing literature, and introduces the articles in the special issue.     

Strategic agility and human resource management

This paper serves as an introduction to this special issue on strategic agility and human resource management. The paper starts with a summary review of the current state of the strategic agility literature followed by introduction of the five articles in the special issue. The paper also highlights the implications of the findings for academics and practitioners.