The practice of discipline: evaluating the roles and relationship between managers and HR professionals

The roles played by managers in exercising workplace discipline have been of long‐standing academic interest. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the way that the distinctive functions of operational managers and HR practitioners may interact and shape the nature and outcomes of disciplinary procedures and processes. This article examines this through a series of organisational case studies. It suggests that dimensions of control between operational managers and HR practitioners are fundamental to understanding the nature of workplace discipline. Furthermore, it argues that this relationship is crucial in determining the prospects for a shift towards greater flexibility in the management of discipline, as called for by Gibbons and reinforced by the Employment Act 2008. Therefore, findings suggest that questions of managerial preparedness to embrace this new agenda must also consider the role played by HR practitioners in embedding a culture of formality.     

Sense‐giving in health care: the relationship between the HR roles of line managers and employee commitment

In this article, we examine line manager prioritisation of HR roles and the consequences for employee commitment in a health‐care setting. Our analysis is based on a quantitative, multi‐actor study (509 employees and 67 line managers) in four Dutch hospitals. Using sense‐giving as a theoretical lens, we demonstrate that, in addition to the effects of high commitment HRM, prioritising the Employee Champion role alone and the Employee Champion and Strategic Partner roles in combination is associated with higher employee commitment. We argue that through performing roles that are evocative of deep‐seated values, such as excellent patient care and concern for others, line managers can have a positive effect on staff attitudes. In a sector often beleaguered by staff turnover, exhaustion and burnout, we offer an important, empirically based framework that has the potential to improve employee commitment and, from there, enhance performance.     

All managers are HR (human resources) managers

Employee frustration and turnover may be partly due to management's reliance on the HR staff. HR professionals should share their expertise with other managers, so they can effectively deal with some of their own staff problems. Find out how to help your organization's managers improve communications with their staff and, ultimately, improve the bottom line.     

An analysis of the relationship between HR professionals' competencies and firms' performance in Malaysia

This study examines the competencies of human resource professionals in the manufacturing companies of Malaysia. The competencies that are examined in this study are business knowledge, strategic contribution, HR delivery, personal credibility, HR technology and internal consultation. All these competencies will be tested whether or not they are significantly related to a firms' performance. The sample employed here consists of HR professionals from Malaysian manufacturing companies in the southernmost state of Malaysia, Johor.A total of 89 firms responded to the survey exercise. This study uses quantitative methods such as spearmen ρ correlation and multiple regression analysis to test the variables. The finding shows that the top nine ranking HR competency factors are from the domain of personal credibility and HR delivery. The respondents' self-rated competency shows that personal communication, legal compliance, effective relationship and performance management rank above all other factors. Competencies such as strategic contribution, business knowledge, HR technology and internal consultation have significant correlation with firms' performance. Furthermore, it is found that out of all HR competencies, the highest contributions to a firm's performance are strategic contribution and internal consultation.     

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.     

Exploring the mechanisms of the relationship between website characteristics and organizational attraction

With the development and application of Internet technology, the Internet has become a critical tool for employee recruitment. The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether the characteristics of corporate websites would predict job seekers' perceptions of person–organization fit and person–job fit, which in turn would predict the seekers' attraction to the organization. Data were collected from 353 job seekers through a bulletin board system and websites of job-related forums. The results indicate that the website content (i.e. organizational culture, compensation, and job preview) and website stylistic features (i.e. aesthetics and navigational usability) had differential effects on job seekers' fit perceptions, which in turn affected organizational attraction. Directions for future research and practical implications are also discussed in this paper.     

Moving toward stakeholder-based HRM: a perspective of Italian HR managers

HR practices that look beyond focusing mainly on shareholders' interests to include a wider group of stakeholders are likely to result in a more effective HR system. This work examines Italian HR managers' perspectives of stakeholders and their perceived salience, based on data collected from 30 HR managers from the highest capitalization companies in the Milan Stock Exchange. The Mitchell, Agle and Wood model of stakeholder salience is applied to classify the stakeholders of the HR system into four clusters: definitive, dependent, discretionary and non-stakeholders. The results are discussed with reference to the body of knowledge on strategic HRM, putting forward specific managerial implications and proposing avenues for further research.     

The role of change agent as mediator in the relationship between HR competencies and organizational performance

Human resource (HR) practitioners, as change agents, are responsible for easing the impact of changes in their organization and to protect employees against the side effects of these inevitable changes. Sometimes, the change helps to produce a significant increase in performance and the company can boost sales and production without additional cost. Several vital competencies that are reviewed in this paper include business knowledge culture management, effective relationship and human resource development skills. Based on the findings of this study, not all competencies are related to the role of change agent. HR practitioners who are unable to function as change agents will inevitably create a barrier against their becoming a well-integrated strategic partner. Therefore, the role of change agent also mediates the relationship between certain HR competencies and organizational performance.     

Causes of employee theft and strategies that HR managers can use for prevention

Business losses due to employee theft are estimated to approach $200 billion annually. Why do employees steal? Experts propose many reasons for employee theft, but provide few prevention strategies for human resource managers. In this article, the authors explore the various causes of employee theft, from employee personality characteristics, to the social environment, to flaws in the organization's control system. From this analysis, guidelines for theft prevention strategies are offered. Since strategies may involve top‐down control or trust‐building experiences for employees and managers, HR managers are encouraged to implement those strategies that fit their organization. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Exploring the relationship between price and quality for the case of hand-rolled cigars

We consider whether either overall quality ratings, or hedonic equations including multiple sensory and objective characteristics, can explain price variance among hand-rolled cigars. Overall ratings have little relationship to price, but hedonic equations are relatively effective at explaining cigar price, and also at explaining cigar ratings. Perversely, the explanatory power of the hedonic price equation declines over time, although the size of the premium for Cuban cigars remains relatively constant. We consider alternative explanations for the rising residual, including the possibility that it is indicative of significant nonfunctional utility related to consumption of this product.     

Top managers in the digital age: Exploring the role and practices of top managers in firms' digital transformation

This study explores the role and facilitating actions of top managers in response to the digital transformation. Building on 27 in-depth interviews with top managers and close associates from large German firms, we find that top managers respond to the digital transformation by engaging in three key actions: understanding digitalization, setting the formal context for digitalization, and leading change. Moreover, findings emphasize that top management team support is essential in firms' digital transformation. Overall, this study contributes novel insights about the consequences of top managers for firms and establishes an initial foundation for investigating top managers in the digital age.     

HR managers’ talent philosophies: prevalence and relationships with perceived talent management practices

Abstract

HR managers have different beliefs about the nature, value, and instrumentality of talent—referred to as ‘talent philosophies’. In line with cognitive psychology, we reason that talent philosophies are similar to mental models that influence how HR managers interpret and use talent management (TM) practices within their organizations. In this article, we explore the prevalence of four different talent philosophies (exclusive/stable; exclusive/developable; inclusive/stable; inclusive/developable) in a sample of 321?HR managers. We then explore how talent philosophies relate to organizational context (i.e. size, ownership form, multinational orientation) as well as to HR managers’ perceptions of their organization’s TM practices. Cluster analysis corroborated the presence of the four talent philosophies in our dataset. All four talent philosophies were represented almost equally often in the overall dataset. Organizational size was found to be related to talent philosophies, such that HR managers who worked in smaller organizations were more likely to hold an inclusive talent philosophy. We also found support for the relationship between talent philosophies and perceptions of the exclusiveness or inclusiveness of the organization’s definition of talent, and its degree of workforce differentiation. Contrary to expectations, results did not support a link between talent philosophies and perceived talent identification criteria.     

Exploring the relationship between freedom from corruption and business governance in the Oceania region

This paper empirically investigates the relationship between Freedom from Corruption Index and business governance in the Oceania region by using the Pearson’s correlation coefficients, ordinary least square regression model and ordinary least square regression based decomposition analysis. This paper found that all eleven business governance indicators are positively correlated to Freedom from Corruption Index. Eight business governance indicators; namely, (1) trading across borders, (2) enforcing contracts, (3) resolving contracts, (4) ease of doing business, (5) registering property, (6) getting credit, (7) paying taxes and (8) starting a business significantly influences Freedom from Corruption Index. One standard deviation increase in eleven business governance indicators is associated with about 3.47 % point increase in Freedom from Corruption Index. All eleven business governance indicators contribute between 20 and 40 % differences in freedom from corruption in the Oceania region. All eleven business governance indicators contribute between 5.17 and 10.88 % to freedom from corruption in the Oceania region.     

Job involvement and performance among middle managers in Sri Lanka

This paper examines performance evaluation outcomes for middle managers in the garment sector in Sri Lanka and seeks to explain variations in levels of job involvement and perceptions of organizational support. Some 155 middle managers across three firms were segregated into high- and low-performing groups. High-performing managers tended to have higher perceptions of organizational support, resulting in a social exchange relationship with their employer, and expressed higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intentions. Managers assessed as low performers experienced more negative perceptions of organizational support, lower job satisfaction and an economic exchange relationship with their employer. Significantly, for both high and low performers these outcomes were moderated by job involvement. These findings highlight the need for organizations to pay careful attention to the factors influencing job involvement and perceived organizational support. The paper concludes with a discussion on the practical implications of the findings for human resource managers.     

HRM implementation by line managers: explaining the discrepancy in HR-line perceptions of HR devolution

Previous studies already established the idea of a partnership in which HR professionals and line managers share an organisation’s HRM responsibility. Yet, this relationship is often plagued by conflicts and other obstacles. As such, a perceptual discrepancy is likely to exist between both parties on the degree of HR devolution, which may eventually lead to bad performance. Using survey data, we empirically analyse which factors may explain a perceptual discrepancy between HR professionals and line managers on the latter group’s role in HRM. Results show that the HR-line discrepancy on the degree of HR devolution is rooted in differences in perception on several other factors, including organisational support, (personnel) red tape, the line’s individual capacity and age. Overall, though, it is a matter of understanding both HR’s expectations and the line’s experiences in all aspects of their partnership.     

The trend toward accountability: What does it mean for HR managers?

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the accountability trend and what this trend means for HR managers. We begin by defining performance measurement and its relationship to performance management and evaluation. We then discuss the legislative incentives behind federal performance measurement, such as the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), that are designed to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of taxpayer funded programs and how these initiatives affect HR programs. Following this, we review the implications for HR professionals and the fundamental concepts of performance measurement, including common performance measurement methodologies. Finally, we conclude by highlighting the challenges of implementing a performance management system, as well as lessons learned from agencies who have implemented performance measurement or management systems in the past.     

The role of HR managers in international mergers and acquisitions: a multiple case study

The article departs from the existing research treatment of expatriation as an individual-level phenomenon, and looks at the expatriation of work teams. We examine the performance management of expatriate teams brought in from 17 independent organizations to work on a new-product development project. We find that the teams faced diverse stakeholder expectations and that these stakeholders' expectations were a source of tension for the teams. The teams responded by adopting performance management strategies that tended to prioritize their respective home organizations' expectations. We discuss the vulnerability of contextual performance and the relative insignificance of national cultural differences in this expatriation context. We propose practical considerations and an agenda for further international human resource management (IHRM) research on expatriate teams.     

Exploring the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment: an instrumental variable approach

Abstract

The possible role of job satisfaction (JS) on organizational commitment (OC) has been a very important and hotly debated topic among experts. However, existing studies have yielded mixed results potentially due to utilization of small datasets, different methodological designs, estimation techniques that do not control for potential endogeneity between the variables, or a combination of these issues. Using a large matched employer-employee data-set from Britain (WERS2011), we find that increases in employees’ JS positively influence OC. We also show that this relationship holds when an instrumental variable framework (IV ordered probit/IV probit) is adopted to take into account the potential endogeneity of JS. However, throughout the analysis, the IV estimates are smaller in magnitude in comparison to where JS is considered as an exogenous variable. Moreover, utilising a two-stage probit least square (2SPLS) estimator, we support our previous findings i.e. increased JS is likely to lead to enhanced OC, but we also show that greater OC leads to higher levels of JS suggesting that JS and OC are likely to be reciprocally related. Overall, the IV estimates confirm the importance of addressing the endogeneity issue in the analysis of the relationship between JS and OC.     

Exploring the relationship between HRM and firm performance: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Existing literature on human resource management (HRM) practices and firm performance suggests that there is a positive association between the two variables. Most of the studies, however, are based on cross-sectional datasets and only few of them use panel or longitudinal datasets, which better allow the researchers to deal with problems of endogeneity. This paper draws on meta-analysis techniques to estimate the effect size of the relationship between high performance work practices (HPWPs) and firm performance measures based on the available longitudinal studies. We also examine whether the effect is greater for a combination of HPWPs than for individual HPWPs, and for operational performance than for financial performance. The results from statistical aggregation of eight longitudinal HRM-performance studies demonstrate an overall reported correlation of 0.287. Additionally we find that a set of integrated, mutually reinforcing HPWPs has a stronger impact on firm performance than do HRM practices individually and that, this effect is statistically invariant between operational performance and financial performance.