National skill-creation systems and career paths for service workers: hotels in the United States,Germany and the United Kingdom

Creating sufficient opportunities for individuals to develop their capabilities and earn a living wage is one of the central challenges facing all countries. However, some types of vocational education and training (VET) institutions may be more effective than others in promoting the development of career-enhancing ‘transferable’ skills. In order to investigate the links between national skill-creation systems and individual career paths, this study focuses on three countries with very different VET systems: the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. The comparison is based on closely matched samples of three- and four-star hotels. The results suggest that individual career development and outcomes, such as wages and turnover rates, are strongly influenced by the interplay of three key elements – the breadth, relevance to employment and degree of standardization – of national initial VET systems. Our analysis identifies strengths and weaknesses of the different systems and key lessons for improvement.     

The HR quadriad: a framework for the analysis of HRM in project-based organizations

This paper introduces the idea of the ‘HR quadriad’ as a framework for the analysis of HRM as a collective, configurational, and complementary system of roles and practices. The framework highlights the interplay between HR specialists, line managers, project managers, and project workers in the implementation of HR practices. On the basis of a multiple case study comprising six project-based organizations, two organizational factors are singled out as important for the design of the HR quadriad: (1) the nature of project work as either intra-functional or inter-functional, and (2) project participation as either focused or fragmented. The paper gives empirical support to recent research on HRM favoring the synergic integration of the elements of HRM systems designed in a way that acknowledges internal coherence and organizational conditions.     

The gap between research and practice: a replication study on the HR professionals' beliefs about effective human resource practices

In 2002 Rynes, Colbert and Brown asked human resource (HR) professionals to what extent they agreed with various HR research findings. Responses from 959 American participants showed that there are large discrepancies between research findings and practitioners' beliefs about effective human resource practices. The current research is a replication of the Rynes et al. study among 626 Dutch HR professionals. The results show remarkable similarities with the American study: there are large discrepancies between research findings and practitioners' beliefs in some content areas, especially recruitment and selection. Dutch practitioners are somewhat more likely to agree with research findings when there education level is higher, when they read HRM professional journals more frequently and when they have a positive attitude towards the applicability and usefulness of academic research.     

Floating markets in Thailand: same,same, but different

In the last 60 years floating markets in Thailand, traditionally serving as central places for trade and exchange of agricultural products, have disappeared, were displaced or reappeared as tourism destinations. By making use of insights from actor-network theory, this study shows how floating markets in Thailand reorganize people, canals, boats, homes, fruits, vegetables and souvenirs in certain and multiple ways. Our comparison of five floating markets (Damnernsaduak, Thaka, Amphawa, Bang Namphueng and Pattaya) illustrates that floating markets in Thailand differ in terms of actors, buyers and vendors, products and objects, time and space. They sustained over time because they were able to adapt to new circumstances.     

EU-Regulierung von Bitcoin und anderen virtuellen Währungen: erste Schritte

Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are becoming increasingly important. They are not money but are being used by a growing group of people as a means of payment and investment. Central banks and regulatory authorities have identified risks and see a need for regulation. Regulation areas with a high priority in the EU concern consumer protection, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). The EU institutions are currently revamping the AML Directive in order to include virtual currencies for the first time. An international coordination on the regulation of virtual currencies is on the agenda of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G20 countries.     

Employee perceptions of HR practices: A critical review and future directions

Abstract

Scholars are directing more attention to employee perceptions of human resources (HR) practices and have explored issues such as whether and how employees’ idiosyncratic or collective perceptions of HR practices shape employee outcomes. To further this area of research, we seek to determine what authors mean when they refer to “employee perceptions of HR practices”. We review 105 articles from leading human resource management journals and find that employee perceptions of HR practices is not a monolithic concept. Rather, following previous scholars, we identify three distinct components of employee perceptions of HR practices: the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’. We critically summarize extant literature on these three components of employee HR perception and propose future research directions, including enriching the theoretical foundations of HR communication, embracing cross-national contexts, and enhancing practical relevance.