Range Of Human Resource Practices Research Articles

Similarity, Isomorphism or Duality? Recent Survey Evidence on the Human Resource Management Policies of Multinational Corporations

There is considerable debate as to the determinants of the human resource policies of human resource management: do they reflect national institutional or cultural realities, emerging common global practices, parent country effects or the dual effects of transnational and national realities? We use an extensive international database to explore these differences, assessing variations in a range of human resource practices. We find new evidence of national differences in the manner in which indigenous firms manage their people, but also evidence of a similarity in practice amongst multinational corporations. In other words, multinational corporations tend to manage their human resources in ways that are distinct from those of their host country; at the same time, country of origin effects seem relatively weak. Whilst there is some evidence of common global practices, sufficient diversity in practice persists to suggest that duality theories may provide the most appropriate explanation.

The reality of flexible work systems in Britain

Recent literature on human resource systems is predominantly focused on their links with performance. In contrast, this study steps back from this vogue and addresses the conceptualization and measurement of human resource systems and examines the nature of the collective use of human resource practices in Britain. Drawing on Bailey's (1993) three dimensions of ‘high performance work systems’, this paper uses data from Britain's Workplace Employee Relations Survey of 1998 on a full range of human resource practices to examine whether a managerial orientation underlies the triad, and any association that may exist between them and total quality management (TQM). Managerial orientations are unveiled via latent variable analyses and similarities in the adoption of human resource practices are addressed via cluster analyses. The results suggest the presence of managerial orientations that are centred on high involvement and are either integrated or associated with TQM. Although clusters suggest some similarity in the use of Bailey's motivational practices, this reflects neither managerial orientations nor high involvement management.

Nonprofits and the Job Retention of Former Welfare Clients

Legislation has shifted power and authority for welfare policies and programs to the states, with few federal guidelines. However, the intent was clearly to move people from welfare to work. Nonprofit organizations have played a major role in providing jobs for this population, along with the public and for-profit sectors. A critical issue is what nonprofits and other employers, through their human resource (HR) practices, can do to enhance the job retention of former welfare clients. The authors conducted a large-scale empirical study that examined effects of a broad range of HR practices associated with the retention of welfare clients in the nonprofit, for-profit, and public sectors. Results indicate that job retention is higher in the nonprofit sector compared to the others, and that this retention may be a result of HR practices that emphasize investment in and commitment to employees. Implications for public policy are also presented.

Exploring human resource management practices in small and medium sized enterprises

This paper reports on empirical work recently conducted about the use and effectiveness of HRM practices in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). A telephone survey was conducted with 100 senior managers of SMEs to ascertain their use of a range of human resource practices and the extent to which they had found those practices successful in aiding the achievement of company objectives. Additionally in‐depth interviews were conducted with senior managers from a further 22 SMEs. Findings suggest that there is considerable diversity amongst SMEs in relation to their use of HR practices. A model is provided that identifies the key criteria that underlie the adoption of HRM practices, and the implications of the model are discussed.