A strategic approach to workforce analytics: Integrating science and agility

Workforce analytics is a major emerging trend in human resource management. Yet, despite the enthusiasm, there exists a misunderstanding of how organizations can successfully use workforce analytics to achieve important organizational outcomes. This article proposes ways to overcome this execution dilemma and achieve organizational success with workforce analytics through the integration of agile development with scientific research. We use a number of company examples to outline five key parts of an agile workforce analytics process: (1) prioritizing issues, (2) integrating deductive and inductive approaches, (3) preparing and validating data, (4) applying multiple methods in concert to support decisions, and (5) transforming insight into action to improve business outcomes.     

The war for talent: human capital challenges for professional service firms

Abstract

Professional service firms face particular human capital challenges. This study reflects on the distinctive characteristics of professional service firms through the concepts of knowledge intensity, low capital intensity and professionalized workforce. Based on in-depth interviews with 21 partners of Australian law firms, we provide empirical evidence on the war for talent challenges faced by professional service firms and in particular, law firms. The findings point to talent management challenges including reputation building and maintenance, employee autonomy, knowledge acquisition, revenue and profitability through internationalization, managing knowledge across borders, managing employee mobility, talent acquisition and retention, talent engagement, performance management and developing leadership capability. These challenges are important issues to be considered by professional service firms as they attempt to compete more effectively in global business contexts.     

The intermediating role of big data analytics capability between responsive and proactive market orientations and firm performance in the retail industry

Big data analytics capability (BDAC) is the key resource for competitive advantage in the drastically changing market. Although some studies have investigated the impacts on firm performance, there is limited understanding of how firms enhance their BDAC. This study draws on organisational culture and investigates the effects of responsive and proactive market orientations on BDAC and firm performance. The results show that both responsive and proactive market orientations increase BDAC. Further, BDAC fully mediates the relationship between these two market orientations and firm performance. Our findings suggest that BDAC researchers should focus on market orientations that enhance BDAC.     

The law and ethics of big data analytics: A new role for international human rights in the search for global standards

The Economist recently declared that digital information has overtaken oil as the world’s most valuable commodity. Big data technology is inherently global and borderless, yet little international consensus exists over what standards should govern its use. One source of global standards benefitting from considerable international consensus might be used to fill the gap: international human rights law. This article considers the extent to which international human rights law operates as a legal or ethical constraint on global commercial use of big data technologies. By providing clear baseline standards that apply worldwide, human rights can help shape cultural norms—implemented as ethical practices and global policies and procedures—about what businesses should do with their information technologies. In this way, human rights could play a broad and important role in shaping business thinking about the proper handling of this increasingly valuable commodity in the modern global society.     

Strategic human resource practices and innovation performance — The mediating role of knowledge management capacity

This study examines the role of knowledge management capacity in the relationship between strategic human resource practices and innovation performance from the knowledge-based view. This study uses regression analysis to test the hypotheses in a sample of 146 firms. The results indicate that strategic human resource practices are positively related to knowledge management capacity which, in turn, has a positive effect on innovation performance. The findings provide evidence that knowledge management capacity plays a mediating role between strategic human resource practices and innovation performance. Finally, this study discusses managerial implications and highlights future research directions.     

The search for skills: Knowledge stars and innovation in the hiring process

The effective utilization of knowledge has become an important part of how firms gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. However, the recruitment, search, and selection processes used to obtain workers who would develop and deploy that knowledge have not materially changed for many years, with human resources (HR) frequently automating legacy procedures. We believe that the hiring processes for exceptional knowledge workers, whom we call knowledge stars, must adapt to the current business environment. Using the framework of architectural innovation, we propose that HR’s recruitment of knowledge stars should begin before specific jobs are announced, should be done in partnership with line managers, and should be done in coordination with implementation of other workplace innovations such as the development of communities of practice and participative management. We conclude by discussing how changes in the search processes for knowledge stars fit in context with some other ongoing challenges for HR personnel.     

The market within: A marketing approach to creating and developing high-value employment relationships

In the battle for high-value talent, managers need to think like marketers, creating job offerings and employment relationships that provide mutual value for firms and their employees. This article provides a 3-stage framework for the application of marketing techniques to the recruitment and retention of high-value employees. In the first stage, the 4Ps of the marketing mix are used to create compelling job offerings that attract high-value employees. In the second stage, firms use relationship marketing concepts to build long-lasting employment relationships that create mutual value for the firm and its employees. The third stage involves the outcomes of high-value employment relationships, which include greater employee commitment and satisfaction, which then lead to greater employee advocacy of the firm and lower levels of employee turnover. The ultimate proposed outcomes of this approach are increased performance and stability of the firm.     

The contribution of human capital to a holistic response to climate change: learning from and for the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

Abstract

The Mekong Delta has been identified by the International Panel on Climate Change as one of the three most vulnerable areas in the world as sea levels rise due to climate change. The Vietnam Government has implemented a range of policies to assist migration in order to address these environmental problems. While much research has focused on the environmental causes of, and responses to, climate change there has been less research on the impact of environmentally motivated responses to climate change on labour force and human capital factors. This paper examines the experience of the Vietnam Government in encouraging internal migration from vulnerable agricultural areas to urban industrial cities, to explore the human capital effects of these environmentally motivated response to climate change. The paper first presents the environmental argument for migration in response to climate change, together with examples of what the Vietnam Government has done to encourage migration from the rural (originating) areas to other rural resettlement and city (receiving) areas. It then uses data collected as part of recent study into the impact of government encouragement for internal migration to explore the labour force and human capital impacts in both the originating region and receiving areas. The findings suggest that while there are social and economic advantages there are challenges, including ensuring that job opportunities are available, migrants and appropriate skills, and that labour contracts provide for job security and healthy and safe working result in improved living conditions. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a more integrated approach that acknowledges and addresses associated human capital (skills upgrading) and business development needs and integrates these with environmentally-motivated policies.     

Facing complexity,crisis, and risk: Opportunities and challenges in international human resource management

International human resource management (IHRM) as a field of practice involves heightened levels of complexity compared to domestic HRM based on the multitude of contexts in which multinational firms operate. As complexity increases, so do levels of risk and the chance the firm must deal with crisis situations. Based on articles presented at the 3rd Global Conference on IHRM, this special issue focuses on how IHRM can contribute to organization success when faced with extreme operating conditions. This editorial provides a backdrop to the articles by describing the challenging economic, political, and social environments impacting organizations, exploring conditions from the recent past and current day such as the global financial crisis, trends toward political nationalism, aging populations, and growing immigrant workforces. The focus lies on exploring how HRM can respond to such challenging external contexts to continue to contribute added value to the firm.     

Change in Asia: a review of management theory and research related to human resources

Many competing hypotheses have been advanced to account for human resource management (HRM) change. The present review examines the theoretical development and empirical study in HRM change in Asia in the early twenty-first century (2000–2006). Three research themes common to HRM change are discussed: (1) change context is about the issues of forces facilitating or hindering HRM change; (2) change process includes pace, sequence and magnitude of HRM change progress; and (3) change direction is about resultant change outcome. Comparisons of HRM change are made within Asian economies as well as between Asia and other regions. It is concluded that the interplay among different perspectives can produce a wide variety of more complex understanding of change context while a longitudinal approach can add value to explain dynamic process and resultant direction.     

Signaling for more money: The roles of founders' human capital and investor prominence in resource acquisition across different stages of firm development

We use signaling theory to explain how new ventures effectively signal future prospects to acquire external resources. Based on a sample of 235 new ventures drawn from a unique dataset combining multiple sources, we examine the signals of founders' human capital (i.e., education, industry experience, and founding experience) and investor prominence and their influence on the amount of external funding received across two stages of venture funding. We find that founders' founding experience and education have the greatest effects for acquiring first-round financing, but in later stages, only the signaling effect from education remains. Furthermore, we find important interactions between founders' human capital and investor prominence in the second round of funding. By utilizing lagged funding information, we show that different types of signals have a dynamic and temporal impact on new ventures' resource acquisition, including the persistence of some signals and the temporariness of others.