Strategic Human Resource Practices Research Articles

Breadth of external knowledge sourcing and product innovation: The moderating role of strategic human resource practices

Prior research has argued that external knowledge sourcing can be supported by effective strategic human resource (HR) practices. However, whether and how the adoption of new organizational mechanisms in group settings influences the relationship between external search strategies and innovation performance represents an unanswered question. Therefore, the present paper aims to explore the relationship between the breadth of external knowledge sourcing (i.e., external search breadth) and product innovation by unveiling the moderating effects of strategic HR practices, as represented by the implementation of heterogeneous work groups and brainstorming sessions. On the basis of data from the Italian Innovation Survey, our results reveal that external search breadth is curvilinearly (inverted U) related to product innovation, and its negative effects occur later in the presence of heterogeneous work groups and brainstorming sessions.

Strategic Human Resource Practices that Influence Management of Transition in Government Departments in Kenya

Strategic Human Resource Practices that Influence Management of Transition in Government Departments in Kenya

Work-life Balance a Strategic Human Resource Policies and Practices followed by Indian Organizations

<em><span>The study examines the innovative work-life balance policies and practices implemented by various Indian Companies. As with the increase of women workforce, dual earner families and increase in nuclear families have generated the need for the employees to balance their work and personal life. Further to provide better quality of life and to retain their talented employees companies are providing various Work Life programmes. The present paper has made an effort to reveal the present status of work-life balance programs and benefits offered by various well reputed Indian organizations and its prospect and future challenges. The study is based on the extent of literature review, empirical study and secondary data. It was found that many organizations have started taking initiative to overcome work-life conflicts. Practices like flexi-time, parental leaves, childcare assistance and counseling etc. have improved and these supports enhance the performance and behavior of an employee towards their organization. This holistic view of this paper will contribute to the work-life balance literature and discuss the implication for future research. </span></em>

IMPACT OF STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (A CASE STUDY OF SAFARICOM)

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of strategic human resource practices on performance of Safaricom Ltd Methodology: The study adopted a cases study research design. Stratified random sampling technique was applied to select the managers from various departments in order to best inform the study results. A questionnaire was the preferred data collection instrument due to its convenience and confidential nature. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Specifically, means, mode and median were the preferred descriptive statistics. The findings were presented in bar charts and graphs.Results: Findings indicated that that the human resource factors, personal factors and firm level factors contributed to the vertical and horizontal firm between strategic human resource management and competitive strategy. Consequently, it was concluded that Strategic Human management impacted on the superior performance of Safaricom Ltd.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Since the study established the presence of horizontal fit among human resource function factors, the researcher recommended that Safaricom should continue to align its human recruitment policy with its motivation policy, compensation policy and training policy. For instance, Safaricom should continue recruiting highly qualified individuals, compensate the individuals highly, motivate the individuals highly and train them effectively. In addition, the Safaricom management should allow the HR function to operate flexibly such that the department is able to exercise all the available options relevant to carrying out human resource activities. Furthermore, the investment budget towards Safaricom HR function should be increased so as to enhance the strategic fit and the consequent superior organization performance. The study further recommended a causal study on the statistical relationship between investment in HR function and the performance of Safaricom using the balanced score card concept advocated by Kaplan and Norton

The direct and indirect effects of core and peripheral social capital on organizational performance

Research summary: In this paper we adopt a core‐periphery approach to specify the direct and indirect effects of social capital on organizational performance. We suggest that social capital deriving from stable task relationships between organizational members has a direct positive effect on organizational performance. Said effect depends, in both strength and functional form, on whether actors involved in stable dyads are located at the core or at the periphery of the organization. We also argue that core and peripheral social capital affect performance indirectly by moderating the organization's ability to leverage its human capital to improve performance. Results from a 48‐year study of the National Basketball Association support our arguments and bear important implications for strategic human resource practices and organizational performance in competitive settings.Managerial summary: Stable work relationships among employees generate trust, more efficient work routines, common understanding and thus higher organizational performance. These benefits depend on the location of such stable relationships in the organization. Relational stability among core organizational members has an immediate, strong impact on performance, an effect that plateaus as stability grows. Stable relationships between core and peripheral members have instead a weaker, yet linear effect on performance. The location of stable relationships is also critical to leverage the talent of core employees, whose contribution to performance is stronger when relational stability is high in the organizational core, yet hindered by stable relations between core and periphery. Such findings provide relevant implications for strategic human resource management, in particular for choices regarding team composition and managing stars. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The mediating effect of strategic human resource practices on knowledge management and firm performance

Previous empirical evidence has suggested that knowledge management and human resource practices can interact in order to improve firm performance. Based on this idea, the purpose of this study is to propose and test an integrative model that examines strategic human resource practices as a catalytic mechanism influencing the effectiveness of knowledge management. Our findings confirm that knowledge management strategies positively influence firm performance through certain high work performance practices – selective staffing, intensive training, active participation, comprehensive performance appraisal, and performance-based compensation – highlighting the mediating role of human resource management in this relationship and the need to align human resource practices with organizational strategies.

Examining Organizational Innovation and Knowledge Management Capacity The Central Role of Strategic Human Resources Practices (SHRPs)

This study was an effort to test the effects of strategic human resources practices over organizational innovation (exploration and exploitation) and knowledge management capacity of firms (knowledge sharing and knowledge application). Data were gathered across industries operating in Turkey (N = 109). Results from regression analyses emphasized that only certain practices in strategic human resources had predictive power of organizational innovation. Moreover, a similar pattern was observed between the strategic human resources practices and knowledge management capacity of firms. Overall, our findings spoke to the importance of compensation, training and performance appraisal systems as predictors of our dependent variables. Discussions, further suggestions and limitations are provided at the end.

Knowledge Management Implementation, Strategic Human Resource Practices and Organizational Performance Mediated by Strategic Planning

This study purpose is to determine the direct effect of strategic HR practices and knowledge management on organization performance, and to examine whether the strategic planning is a mediating variable. This study is conducted at Mandiri Islamic Bank in Malang, East Java. This is explanatory research type, with questionnaire as a tool for data collection. Analysis unit is employee of Independent Islamic banks in Malang. Data is analyzed by path analysis using SPSS. Analysis results showed that knowledge management affect on strategic planning, while strategic HR practices has no effect. Strategic HR practices directly affect on organization performance. Strategic planning mediates the affect of knowledge management on organizational performance. Knowledge management has indirect effect on organizational performance. It is necessary for good planning strategy. Using innovation, opinions sharing, employee’s involvement in decision making process will create better strategic planning, which in turn will affect on organizational performance. Strategic HR practices affect on organization performance because HR become vital resource for companies. Without HR role, automatically organizational performance can not be maximized. Islamic banking leader need to socialize to employees how to apply knowledge management rightly. High SOP allows a leader to motivate and affect subordinates by exchanging rewards with specific performance.

Human resource involvement in developing intellectual capital

This study examined the extent of a strategic approach to human resource (HR) management in small and medium professional service firms, and if it is used to develop intellectual capital (IC). Data were collected from 165 Australian professional service firms. Path analysis showed that HR involvement and the adoption of a collective set of strategic HR practices contributed positively to IC levels (particularly human, social and organizational capital). IC acts as a mediator between HR practices and firm performance. HR practices alone did not increase the performance of the firms studied. The findings are unique in the context of studies on small- and medium-sized professional service firms in that a holistic approach to assessing both HR practices and all IC components was taken rather than examining the individual construct relationships. In the context studied, HR influence is critical to increasing IC.

Strategic human resource practice implementation: The critical role of line management

The implementation of effective human resource (HR) practices typically rests with line managers. This paper uses social context theory to propose that line manager HR implementation is influenced by organizational culture, climate, and political considerations. Subsequently, HR implementation is anticipated to drive employee outcomes. This model's implications and future research directions also are discussed.

Relationship between Strategic Human Resource Management Practices and Organizational Innovation with Respect to the Role of Organizational Learning

Innovation is a critical enabler for firms to create value and sustain competitive advantage in the increasingly complex and rapidly changing environment. Firms with greater innovativeness will be more successful in responding to changing environments and in developing new capabilities that allow them to achieve better performance. Innovation initiatives tend to depend heavily on employees' knowledge, expertise, and commitment as key inputs in the value creation process. Knowledge and competencies of human resource are as valuable assets for firms . Human resource practices are the primary means by which firms can influence and shape the skills, attitudes, and behavior of individuals to do their work and achieve organizational goals . This study empirically examines the impact of strategic human resource practices and organizational learning on organizational innovation in Iran Petrochemical industry. This study used questionnaire for collecting data and uses Structural Equations Model (SEM) which consists of Confirm Factor Analysis and Path Analysis based on Partial Least Square (PLS). The results indicate that strategic human resource practices are positively related to innovation performance and organizational learning positively helps to organizational innovation performance.

The role of strategic HR practices in organisational effectiveness: an empirical investigation in the country of Jordan

This study responds to the call of researchers, and is conducted in a non-western context in the country of Jordan. The study contributes to our understanding of human resource (HR) practices' impact on organisational effectiveness. The empirical analysis is based on theoretical prepositions that motivated employees through good HR practices stay longer and contribute positively to the overall financial performance of organisations. Rigorous statistical testing of the data on the population of financial firms shows that careful recruitment and selection, training and internal career opportunities have a positive impact on reducing employee turnover. Training, in particular, is found to have a strong positive impact on financial performance measured by return on assets and return on equity. Furthermore, the findings provide strong support for the direct approach in strategic HR management–performance research that a group of best HR practices will continuously and directly generate superior performance. Despite such compelling arguments, however, we did not find evidence to support the notion that a bundle of HR practices impact better on financial performance than individual HR practices. It is possible that the optimal configuration may not only be contingent on national context, but could be due to the sector and the specific characteristics of the firm.

English

  The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices and intellectual capital (IC) in Isfahan state universities. A multiple correlational survey design with a stratified random sampling (n = 492) was utilized. The SHRM practices questionnaire based on Chen and Hung's study (2009), first tested locally through a pilot study and then IC questionnaire adopted from Torres (2006) were administered. On the whole study sample the questionnaires' face and content validity confirmed by experts and their reliability were estimated 0.95 and 0.93 respectively through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. SHRM practices and IC components mean scores were lower than mean criteria. Statistically significant multiple relationships were found between SHRM practices and IC. Beta coefficients among SHRM practices and IC components were significant and regression model was also significant.   Key words: Strategic human resources practices, intellectual capital, human capital, structural capital, relational capital.

Strategic Human Resource Practice: A Functional Framework and Causal Model of Leadership Behavior, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Job Performance

Research objectives were to determine a functional framework and to synthesize a causal model of leadership behavior, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance of sugar company employees in Thailand. The study reported the responses of 591 operational employees from 24 sugar companies operating in different parts of Thailand. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics using SPSS (version 11.5) and path analysis using LISREL (version 8). Research findings indicated that dimensions of leadership behavior, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment have mediated positive effect on job performance. Organizational commitment positively mediates the relationships between leadership behavior and job performance and between job satisfaction and job performance. Furthermore, leadership behavior is positively correlated with job satisfaction.

Strategic Human Resource Practice: A Systematic Framework and Causal Model of Learning Orientation, Quality of Leader-Member Exchange, Goal Orientation, and Workgroup Performance

Research objectives were to determine a systematic framework and to blend a causal model of learning orientation, quality of leader-member exchange, goal orientation, and workgroup performance of pharmaceutical company employees in Thailand. The study reported the responses of 583 operational employees from 39 pharmaceutical companies operating in different parts of Thailand. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics using SPSS (version 11.5) and path analysis using LISREL (version 8). Research findings indicated that dimensions of learning orientation, quality of leader-member exchange, and goal orientation have mediated positive effect on workgroup performance. Goal orientation positively mediates the relationships between learning orientation and workgroup performance and between quality of leader-member exchange and workgroup performance. Furthermore, learning orientation is positively correlated with the quality of leader-member exchange.

A Lack of Commitment: An Event History Analysis of Strategic Human Resource Practices

Strategic human resource management (SHRM) systems represent a substantial commitment on the part of an organization, a fundamental choice about how work will be organized. The performance benefits of SHRM practices have been well established (Boselie, Dietz and Boon, 2005, Combs, Liu, Hall and Ketchen, 2006), but little is known of how organizations use SHRM practices over time. This study takes advantage of a large-scale longitudinal study of management practices among Canadian firms to provide insight into the use of SHRM practices over time and the role of managers in maintaining them. Using event history analysis, I determined a ‘hazard’ function that shows very high rates of SHRM practice abandonment. More than half of respondents abandoned a bundle of high-involvement work practices in less than 4 years. Cox regression analyses indicate that organizational support in the form of explicit people strategies and provision of HR expertise lower the hazard rate, but manager training had no significant effect. This finding of high rates of abandonment raises problematic questions for both the study and practice of Human Resources.

Strategic HR Integration and Proactive Communication during M&A: A Study of Indian Bank Mergers

Research in the past has documented the use of strategic human resources (HR) integration and proactive communication as best practices in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to deliver the expected synergy out of a combination (merger or acquisition). The failure of majority of M&A deals has been attributed to improper handling of HR issues and lack of a thorough understanding of the merger/acquisition context by the acquiring management. This study was initiated to understand how proactive communication and strategic integration of HR issues improves the chances of deal success. Based on data collected through field interviews with managers of two bank mergers in India, it was concluded that strategic employee communication, appropriate changes in the performance management system and a compensation structure with cutting edge strategic HR practices paved the way for successful integration and merger success in one of the cases studied.

Impact of Strategic Human Resource Practice on Corporate Performance in Selected Nigerian Banks

Bu calisma Nijerya bankacilik sektorunde, stratejik insan kaynaklari uygulamalari ile kurumsal performans arasinda iliski olup olmadigini incelemektedir. Buna dayanarak calismanin amaclari soyledir: (i) stratejik insan kaynaklari uygulamasinin kurumsal performansi arttirip arttirmadigini ortaya koymak; (ii) stratejik insan kaynaklari uygulamasi ile finansal performans arasindaki iliskinin derecesini arastirmak. Bu amaclar dogrultusunda gelistirilen arastirma sorulari ise sunlardir: (i)Stratejik insan kaynaklari uygulamasi kurumsal performansi arttirir mi? (ii) Stratejik insan kaynaklari uygulamasi ile finansal performans arasindaki iliskinin niteligi nedir? Birincil kaynaktan toplanan verilerin analiz edilerek sunuldugu calismada iki hipotez gelistirilmis ve test edilmistir. Anket yolu ile toplanan veriler frekans tablolari ve yuzdeler ile sunulmus, veri analizi SPSS paket program ile gerceklestirilmistir. Calismada sonuc olarak bir orgutte stratejik insan kaynaklari uygulamalari ile kurumsal performans arasinda pozitif bir iliski oldugu saptanmistir

Greening Human Resources

How have environmental initiatives and “going green” permeated the human resources realm? This article, through a nationwide survey, examines the extent to which cities have incorporated environmentally friendly human resource practices. Results reveal that income, education, environmental awareness and presence of preexisting successful environmental programs have an impact on technical and strategic human resource practices in U.S. cities. This article discusses the implications for public administration.

Impact of the strategic human resource management on organizational performance: evidence from Turkey

The strategic importance of human resources (HR) and their contribution to the organizational performance are receiving increasing recognition worldwide. In this study, we examined strategic human resource management (SHRM) and HR practices in Turkey to assess the impact of these practices on financial/market performance, operational performance, job satisfaction, and turnover. Empirical results from a sample of Turkey's Top 500 firms-2007 demonstrate that SHRM and selection/development practices have direct and positive effects on financial/market performance and operational performance. However, only selection/development practices are found to have a positive effect on turnover.