HRM Studies Research Articles

A comparative study of HR practices in Britain and India

This paper traces the major developments in the field of human resource management briefly and then highlights the need for more cross-national HRM studies. The results from two parallel surveys of matched Indian and British organizations are presented. The main aim of the surveys was to examine a wide range of HRM policies and practices in a cross-national comparative context. The surveys were run in six industries in the manufacturing sector. The study controlled for a number of variables such as size of the organization, product, industry sector and personnel participation. Influence of a number of contingent variables (such as age, size, nature and life-cycle stage of the organization, presence of unions and human resource strategies) on HRM policies and practices is analysed. The study finds significant differences in recruitment, compensation, training and development and employee communication practices between India and Britain.

The Underpinnings of ‘Bureaucratic’ Control Systems: HRM in European Multinationals

This paper explores the relationship between the operation of management control systems and the mobilization of power resources in multinational companies. It argues that formal ‘bureaucratic’ controls depend for their effective operation on informal systems and the power relations they embody. In particular, bureaucratic control systems rely inherently on the deployment of ‘social’ control mechanisms relating to the creation of common value systems, understandings, and expectations about the ‘rules of the game’ among corporate actors. The argument is illustrated by material from case studies of HRM in British and German multinationals.

Human resource management on the line?

The prospects for devolving HR activities to the line are examined in this article. Evidence drawn from a wider study of HRM in practice suggests that, while line manager involvement is possible, their practices tend to be inconsistent in implementation and uneven in quality. A number of constraints on line management practice were identified. First, there is limited reinforcement of practice through institutional forces. Secondly, the short‐term nature of managerial activity means that a greater priority is placed on the achievement of the numbers rather than the achievement of numbers through people. Finally, downsizing and delayering place tremendous pressures on the time which line managers could allow for people matters generally. These findings challenge much of the rhetoric associated with the idea of giving HRM back to the line by arguing that the quality of line management practice may distort the overall impact of HR policies.

Building the Theory of Comparative Hrm

The study of comparative HRM is needed to complement and condition the field of international HRM. But the task of building a theory of comparative HRM is not a simple one. This article argues that the goal of such theory should be to account for differences in workforce capability and labour productivity across nations. Suggesting what ought to be explained, however, is much easier than providing credible explanations. the article argues that it is important to identify dominant models of HRM in each country, recognising that there is significant variation both within and between nations. Management in firms plays a critical role in shaping models of labour management but analysis must also take account of the impact of other actors such as the state and labour.

Characterization and structural study of the DNA-binding protein HRm from [formula omitted

The protein HRm, a DNA-binding HU-like protein isolated from Rhizobium meliloti , is a single polypeptide chain (M r 9 300) of 90 residues. Protein HRm exhibits lower affinity for double stranded DNA than E. coli protein HU. The sequence of the first 54 amino acid residues was established by automated Edman degradation of the protein. Many substitutions were observed by comparison with amino acid sequences of HU-like proteins from other bacteria. However a sequence of 7 residues is almost invariable and may be important in the function of the protein.