Human Resource Development Professionals Research Articles

Factors affecting E-HRM practices in Greek shipping management companies: the role of organizational culture, cultural intelligence, and innovation

HRM is forced to adapt and reinvent its practices towards more innovative and creative frameworks and models, due to the impetus technological developments in the modern business environment. The same applies to the elements of the organizational culture and corporate structure, which are decisive for the success of such initiatives. To undergo the shift to digital transformation, there is a need for human resource development professionals to invest in advanced competencies and capabilities. The scope of this paper is to examine the concept of digital innovation and HRM digitalization in the shipping industry and their relationship with corporate culture, intelligence, and leadership. Data were collected via a survey conducted in Greek shipping companies, and personal interviews with maritime professionals. Findings show that organizational culture and cultural intelligence are significant factors for digital innovation. Digital culture and digital leadership are proving to be important components in achieving this, whereas organizational cultural intelligence has a major impact on e-HRM. The present research contributes at both academic and policy level. In the former case is assists in bridging the gap in the maritime literature by examining digital innovation and e-HRM practices in the shipping industry along with the required skills for their development or enhancement. In the latter case the paper assists in the documentation of challenges maritime companies face in relation to digitalization practices and how policy makers can assist in their adoption.

Breaking the Mold: HRD and Social Entrepreneurship – A Recipe for Progress

Social entrepreneurship practices integrate aspects from the private, public, and non-profit sectors into a cohesive practice. This paper advocates for the integration of human resource development (HRD) research and practices into social entrepreneurship initiatives to drive progress and build effective organizations committed to positive social change and value creation. By exploring HRD insights on ethical organizational strategies, initiatives for workforce development, and their impact on employee engagement and attitudes, we contend that HRD professionals can significantly contribute to the success of social entrepreneurship.

Creating Societal Impact Through Learner Empowerment

An increased interest in social entrepreneurship at the organizational level has a broad impact on human resource development (HRD) professionals. Organizations with an enhanced social consciousness may employ HRD training to create awareness of social issues and facilitate social movement learning. At present, HRD literature lacks guidance on fostering social responsibility among employees. This study, utilizing Q Methodology, examines the efforts of faculty members to change the perceptions of social issues held by learners enrolled in a “business as force for good” course at their university. The findings of this study have implications for faculty members and HRD professionals tasked with improving the social consciousness of their workforce.

Towards evidence-based human resource development for South African local government

Background: The effective management of human resources is crucial for the sustainability of municipalities. However, as evidenced by poor service delivery, municipalities are not measuring human resource development. There is no known assessment tool or system to measure the performance of human resource development in South African municipalities.Aim: This study investigated the human resource development challenges experienced in municipalities and recommends, among other things, an evidence-based assessment tool that will improve human resource development implementation.Setting: Participants included line managers, human resource development professionals, employees, and councillors from randomly sampled local, district and metropolitan municipalities in South Africa.Method: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires from 111 respondents. Qualitative data were collected from respondents given an opportunity to elaborate on their responses to statements in the questionnaire.Results: The results of the study show that municipalities are not effectively implementing human resource development, which compromises service delivery and municipal performance. They also suggest that municipalities are not effectively implementing the adopted Integrated Municipal Framework for Human Resource Development.Conclusion: The study concludes that there is an urgent need for local government to prioritise the management of human resource development. An evidence-based assessment tool will ensure that human resource development governance gaps are addressed in municipalities.Contribution: This study adds to the debate on the management of human resource development in South African local government by providing a context-specific analysis of implementing and managing human resource development and by recommending improvement strategies.

Mentoring Programs: Characteristics Within HRD and Higher Education Contexts

Problem Mentorship directly and indirectly impacts an organization. Therefore, human resource development and higher education professionals often become responsible for mentoring program design, implementation, and assessment. Solution Mentoring literature for HRD and higher education contexts describes the complexity and benefits for individuals and organizations. Workplace themes associated with HRD are present in higher education mentoring ecosystems. This practitioner contribution reviews relevant mentoring research and evidence-based practices, prior to a descriptive and thematic analysis of current mentoring program design frameworks, two rooted in HRD and two associated with higher education. An aspirational goal for higher education professionals engaging in applied HRD efforts and HRD academic programs and their participants to span the institutional silos and learn more about each other. Stakeholders Mentorship practitioners and scholars, regardless of workplace affinity, will be able to easily identify actionable ways to incorporate evidence-based practices and recommendations into their mentoring ecosystem, program, and organization.

Higher education leadership, quality of worklife and turnover intention among Lebanese academics in COVID-19: a moderated mediation model

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the human resource development (HRD) implications of perceived higher education (HEd) leadership effectiveness on academics’ quality of worklife (QWL) in the context of COVID-19. Drawing on conservation of resource theory, this study explains the mediating role of resource adequacy (RA); then this study investigates the moderating role of COVID-19-related risk perception (CRP) on the relationship between university leadership (UL) and both academics’ turnover intention (TI) and academics’ QWL.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a quantitative research exploiting the pandemic experiences and perceptions survey, PEPS, to collect data from 300 academic staff in private and public HEd institutions in Lebanon. The analyses include the test of the mediating effect of RA as well as the moderated mediation effect of CRP through regressions, PROCESS and bootstrapping.FindingsThe findings suggest that by enhancing RA, effective UL positively influences the QWL and mitigate the TI in Lebanese HEd. Furthermore, this study found that CRP weakens the direct relationship of UL on RA and the indirect effect of UL on the QWL and TI via RA such that the relationships are weakened when COVID-19 risk perception was high rather than low.Practical implicationsThe results imply that HEd HRD professionals could think of effective human resource interventions of how to maintain good working environment where academics are facilitated to acquire high level of resources which lead to improving their QWL and mitigating the negative outcome (TIs).Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has been made to investigate the moderated mediation model of the “pandemic experience and leadership perceptions” (PEPS) in the HEd sector in Lebanon, addressing academics’ experiences in business schools. This study is unique because it was conducted during the utmost pandemic outbreak (mid academic year 2021) collecting data in real time. This research contributes to the HRD literature by showing empirical evidence of the relationships in the context of Lebanese HEd institutions.

Social distancing and workplace relationships in South Korea: exploring changes in negative and positive affective exchanges at work before and during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Many organisations introduced social distancing to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since social distancing is designed to reduce personal interactions, it can impact workplace relationships. This paper explores how and when social distancing influences workplace relationships. Drawing on the affect theory of social exchange and the social cognition literature, we argue that when employees have more negative affective relationships with their co-workers (before COVID-19), social distancing helps improve such negative affective relationships (during COVID-19), especially when the co-worker is warm and competent. We collected data on relationships that individual employees in South Korea have with their co-workers before and during COVID-19. Our hierarchical linear modelling results show that social distancing indeed reduces the negative affective relationships that employees have with their co-workers when those co-workers are viewed as warm and competent. Conversely, social distancing does not hurt employees’ positive affective relationships. These findings suggest that contrary to view that social distancing and remote work causes misunderstanding and conflict, social distancing helps to improve employees’ workplace relationships. We therefore draw implications for human resource development professionals in facilitating high-quality relationships in remote settings.

Multi‐level effects of human resource bundles on the performance of aging employees

AbstractPreviously, scholars have studied the need for implementing different human resource (HR) configurations that foster aging employees' outcomes, but there is a lack of evidence at the group level. Using the framework of Social Exchange Theory, coupled with the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation theory, we examine associations between bundles of HR practices, age (measured both as calendar age and proportion of an aging workforce), and performance, at both the individual and group levels. First, the outcomes of our multi‐level analysis show that bundles of maintenance‐enhancing HR practices are positively related to performance at both levels, whereas bundles of growth‐enhancing HR practices associate with performance only at the group level. Second, age relates positively to performance, both at the individual and group levels. At the group level, there is an inverted U‐shaped relationship between the proportion of an aging workforce and group performance, such that a group's performance benefits from the participation of older employees up to a maximum proportion of 56%. Finally, age negatively moderates the association between growth‐enhancing HR bundles and performance at both the individual and group levels. Results highlight the value of older employees for working organizations, and the importance of adopting HR practices that consider maintenance and growth‐related needs across the life‐span, while also providing useful theoretical and practical implications for Human Resource Development scholars and professionals.

Supervisors’ roles for newcomer adjustment: review of supervisors’ impact on newcomer organizational socialization outcomes

PurposeThis study aims to explore and classify the fragmentary findings of previous studies and improve understanding of the overall roles of supervisors in newcomer organizational socialization (NOS) and their relationships to NOS outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study chiefly involves undertaking a literature review, with an emphasis on the perspective of human resource development (HRD). A structured literature review was conducted to identify and select articles through the Web of Science database.FindingsFive important roles of supervisors during NOS – supporting training transfer, providing information, clarifying newcomers’ roles, facilitating sensemaking and providing feedback – were revealed from an examination of extant work. These roles markedly influence five different components of newcomers’ adjustment: task mastery, role clarification, organizational knowledge, social identification and social integration.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the concept of NOS used in this paper did not include all meanings of organizational socialization, the findings proposed key areas that require further study to enhance the understanding of supervisors’ roles for NOS.Practical implicationsThe literature review suggests key efforts that supervisors should pursue to enhance the efficacy of newcomers’ adjustment. HRD professionals can use this information to design supervisor training programs aimed at enhancing supervisors’ knowledge and skills for successful NOS.Originality/valueStudies have reported that supervisors markedly impact NOS and ultimately a newcomer’s success or failure. Relatively little work, however, has investigated how supervisors’ roles in the NOS process can enhance newcomers’ successful NOS outcomes.

Addressing impediments to HR analytics adoption: guide to HRD professionals

ABSTRACT In the competitive world, organisations are facing many pressures that demand organisational excellence. This requires evidence-based decision-making associated with employees and businesses in a cost-effective manner, which is possible through HR Analytics (HRA). The use of HRA is transforming the HR landscape. Emerging new technologies require Human Resource Development (HRD) teams to respond to the changing needs so that organisations can survive and thrive in the intense competitive era. Based on the level of analytics maturity, organisations expect the HR team to have advanced beginner to expert knowledge of analytics skills and tools. Reskilling and upskilling employees with new technologies and skills have become imperative for HRD teams. While buying or stealing an employee from outside the organisation may be helpful in extreme conditions, building and borrowing employees from inside, seem much more helpful for the long-term benefits. The HR function in many organisations has been slow to adopt this HR analytics innovation. This paper sheds light on the reasons for the slow adoption of HR Analytics and provides inputs to HR development professionals of early majority and late majority adopting organisations in terms of how to overcome the challenges and gear up for effective HR Analytics adoption and implementation.

Exploring Diversity Management to Avoid Social Washing and Pinkwashing: Using Bibliometric Analysis to Shape Future Research Directions

Abstract Objectives The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been a significant focus of environmental, social and governance sustainability research. Diversity management is one of the challenges faced by corporate governance in achieving SDG 4, 5, 8, and 10. However, rapid demographic changes in the global workforce create significant challenges for human resource development professionals when focusing on diversity management. This paper aims to define the different perspectives of diversity management to avoid sustainability distortions such as social washing and pinkwashing, which promote the perception that policies or products of a given company are socially responsible. Methodology The analysis of the existing literature can provide the information necessary to answer the research questions using rigorous scientific research methods. In the present study bibliometric analysis was used to enable a thorough and reliable analysis of knowledge on the topic and the identification of future progress. Bibliometric analysis was used to investigate the final pool of 126 peer-reviewed articles. Findings Contributions include advancing the understanding of diversity management, highlighting the dominance of communication bias, and strengthening the connection between social sustainability and the individual by identifying social exchange theory as a tool for explaining the ongoing changes in corporate governance. Value added The paper aims to answer research questions related to the journals relevant to the study of diversity management, the geographical structure of the research flow on diversity management, and the possible implications for future research on this topic. Recommendations In light of the clusters identified, it is recommended that forthcoming researchers explore the fitting theories that can be used to elucidate the phenomenon of diversity management. In addition, interdisciplinary research can facilitate a deeper understanding of issues concerning identity and gender, thereby enhancing the knowledge of diversity among managers. The paper recommends that future studies emphasize the differences in diversity management between national and multinational companies expanding the knowledge by conducting multiple case studies.

A conceptual framework for understanding the learning processes integral to the development of responsible management practice

PurposeThis paper aims to examines responsible management (RM) practice and the learning processes that underpin its development. It presents a conceptual framework to highlight the relationship between the learning experience of the individual and their capacity to develop responsible practice.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper synthesises knowledge from studies of how managers learn for ethical and responsible practice. A scoping review of peer-reviewed academic papers was conducted using key search terms that included “responsible management learning” (RML), “ethics”, “Human Resource Development (HRD)”, “responsible management (RM)”, “responsible leadership (RL)” and “work-based learning”. Analysis resulted in development of a conceptual framework of RML processes.FindingsThe review of studies concerned with how individuals learn to manage “responsibly” identified a range of learning processes that are necessary for the development of responsible practice. These learning processes are presented in a conceptual model that offers insights for the design of HRD interventions. Learning for responsible practice is presented as occurring in learning spaces where the learner/manager experiences a combination of learning processes. These are found to include situated, social and experiential learning that is “transformative”, potentially “troublesome” and “reflexive” such that learners develop responsible values and practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to the field of management development by focussing on the intersection between what is known about how individuals learn for ethical and responsible practice and the implications for work-based learning pedagogies. The paper will be of interest to HRD professionals tasked with fostering a responsible and ethical culture within organisations.Practical implicationsFor HRD practitioners, this paper highlights the importance of work-based learning intervention design. What is suggested is that not all HRD interventions are likely to provide the learning conditions required for the development of “responsible practice”. A review of research into RML points to the need for interventions that offer a deep, personal, situated and transformative learning experience. There are organisational implications that arise from the type of learning found to develop responsible practice. For example, facilitating managers skills and awareness of how they learn such as: developing reflective practices and supporting developmental/collaborative networks that examine existing workplace practices. HRD professionals will need to recognise the need to support individual's learning for responsible practice given that it may entail questioning existing practice, and confronting troublesome knowledge, such as recognising where areas of irresponsibility exist. This may have implications for wider HR practices such as line management support, reward and performance management.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the field of management development by focussing on the intersection between what is known about how individuals learn for ethical and responsible practice and the implications for work-based learning pedagogies. The paper will be of interest to HRD professionals tasked with fostering a responsible and ethical culture within organisations.

Unpacking generation Y’s engagement using employee experience as the lens: an integrative literature review

ABSTRACT With the ageing workforce and the impending retirement of Baby Boomers, there is an urgent need for human resource development (HRD) professionals to not only retain but also actively engage Generation Y. They will soon become the major segment of the global workforce dominating the 21st century. Notwithstanding, it has been challenging to keep this generational cohort actively engaged and it remains unclear what is driving higher levels of engagement with Gen Y. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to explore various antecedents of employee engagement identified in the literature for this generational cohort. This review spans two decades (2000–2021) of research and presents a conceptual model that highlights antecedents at three employee experience levels across findings from 82 studies. The proposed model could serve as a general blueprint for future research in HRD theory and practice.

Why do employees welcome or refuse shared leadership?: A qualitative exploration through force‐field analysis

AbstractWe explored the perceptions of individuals in teams (both leaders and members) regarding shared leadership in the South Korean business context, seeking a nuanced and unique understanding of shared leadership. We examined how shared leadership in team‐based structures develops and functions. Informed by the driving and restraining forces framework, we elucidate factors that facilitate and that impede shared leadership practice and implementation. The analysis uses semi‐structured interviews with seven teams that each consist of one team leader and two team members. Findings include the four essential elements of shared leadership and the identification of the driving and restraining forces for why employees and managers welcome or refuse to accept shared leadership. We present strategies for human resource development (HRD) professionals seeking to cultivate shared leadership in the South Korean context. We also discuss the study's limitations and potential directions of inquiry for future researchers.

Must It Be Lonely at the Top? Developing Leader Well-Being in Organizations

The Problem Human resource development (HRD) scholars and practitioners have given considerable attention to the topic of employee well-being; however, scholarship on the well-being of leaders in organizations is fragmented and comparatively understudied. The Solution We conducted an integrative literature review of empirical research on factors that influence leader well-being to synthesize research across various disciplines and generate novel insights that could benefit HRD scholars and practitioners. The findings of this review revealed factors that influence leader well-being at five levels: intra-individual, individual, dyadic/group, organizational, and environmental. We mapped these factors onto a model with mediating mechanisms (i.e., constructive or destructive leader behaviors) and outcomes of leader well-being. Outcomes included short- and long-term psychological, physical, and social outcomes in the domains of work and life in general. The Stakeholders This article contains implications for leaders in organizations as well as HR and HRD professionals interested in cultivating leader well-being.

Innovative approaches to HRD: researchers suggest innovative HRD methods in order to counter dominant narratives and create more inclusive organizations

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsResearchers in the US identified a number of innovative qualitative approaches to human resource development (HRD). Their suggestions were motivated by the relatively few innovative approaches used in the existing research. They are intended to be used by HRD professionals as tools to identify organizational needs, address complex social issues and evaluate outcomes.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Examining the mediating role of team growth mindset on the relationship of individual mindsets and shared leadership

PurposeAs a cornerstone of team performance, learning depends on each member’s mindset. Drawing on implicit theories of intelligence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among individual members’ mindsets and shared leadership (SL) behaviors in design teams and the mediation role of team growth mindset (TGM) on that relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyzed survey results based on individuals who participated in an international design competition. To test the hypothesized model, the data was analyzed by using SEM using Mplus 7.FindingsThe results indicated that an individual growth mindset (IGM; but not an individual-fixed mindset) has significant and positive direct effects on a team growth mindset and SL behaviors. In addition, a TGM mediates the relationship between an IGM and SL.Originality/valueThe research discusses several theoretical and practical implications for human resource development professionals and scholars to improve understanding of a TGM and its influence on individual mindsets and SL behaviors.

Meaningful group culture: development of a multidimensional measure using multilevel assessment

PurposeThere is a growing array of literature that supports various implications of positive organizational psychology on workplace outcomes such as the positive work cultures. However, lack of appropriate measuring instruments is halting the progress in this field. Laid down in this article are the conceptual and empirical perspective regarding a positive group culture, i.e. meaningful group culture (MGC) and elaboration of what MGC is and how to measure it. For this study, the MGC is defined as a culture of humane orientation and explained through five dimensions: ideology infused, caring for employees, pro diversity, helping and employee-centric organization identification. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachTo further elucidate, development and validation of the MGC instrument was carried out in three phases. In the very first phase, content and face validity was assessed by experts. Following it, the second phase construct validity was undertaken through exploratory factor analysis of the results from the use of the instrument on a sample of 540 professionals. To end with, in the third phase, multilevel confirmatory analysis was conducted on an organizational sample of 397 individuals and 106 groups.FindingsThe results of the Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MCFA) provided further evidence of confirmation that the extraction of five factors was appropriate, and reliability analysis showed the MGC to be both valid and reliable. Consequently, the applications of the tool to Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals are suggested.Research limitations/implicationsTo broaden the coverage and enhance generalizability, the study focused on multi-sector convenient based sample.Practical implicationsHRD professionals can use it as a diagnostic tool for deeper exploration into systematic and organizational issues. The use of it can provide a window for addressing the developmental needs within the organizations.Originality/valueThis study is possibly one of the first to develop a psychometrically valid scale to measure higher order measure of a work group culture through multilevel assessment of the model.

Human resource development professionals and scholars should engage in discourse about our worldviews

Human resource development professionals and scholars should engage in discourse about our worldviews

Developing Women’s Authenticity in Leadership

In this exploratory case study, we examined women’s lived experience as leaders and their participation in an in-person leadership development program. More specifically, we studied how women perceived an in-person leadership development program through a lens of authentic leadership. Our method for gathering information included individual interviews, field observation, and archival data. The interviews focused on particular episodes and stories of the participants’ leadership experiences in their professional life and learning experiences through the leadership development program. The findings from this study indicated the importance of self-awareness of leader identity and increased confidence, building their authentically balanced approach, and creating a social network through collective learning. This paper concludes with future research and practical implications for women leaders, senior human resource development professionals, and senior managers who design and develop women leadership training programs.