Non-Work Antecedents of the HR Process: Towards a Multi-Level Model

Abstract

Human resource (HR) process research relies on attributions theories to examine the way HRM within organisations is received and understood by employees (i.e., HR system strength), and how employees interpret the motivations behind the implementation of specific HR practices (i.e., HR attributions). Previous research has mainly focused on the importance of the HR process in the relationship between HR practices and outcomes. However, non-work factors have only just begun to be recognised as important in understanding the differences that occurs across employees’ perceptions of HR strength and HR attributions within the same organisation. To explore this emerging body of research, 19 studies are reviewed that investigate non-work antecedents of the HR process. In doing so, we apply Kelley and Michela’s (1980) tripartite model (information, beliefs, and motivation) as an organising framework to non-work factors, and further categorise and explore the influence of these factors on the HR process among three levels: individual, family/upbringing, and country, as well as cross- and multi-level effects. We conclude the article with several research directions that act as a platform of future scholarship. This review has implications for the effective management of employees from different backgrounds and the way HR is communicated within organisations.