Successful Human Resource Management Research Articles

How to measure employees’ interests so as to be a more socially-responsible employer: A proposal of a new scale and its validation

Research background: Many authors emphasize that successful human resource management (HRM) practices align with employees’ needs associated with the construct of employees’ interests. In particular, the importance of considering employees’ interests is emphasized in the process of shaping the architecture of Socially Responsible Human Resource Management (SR-HRM) systems. Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to contribute to understanding employees’ interests by designing and validating a measure to recognize these interests. Methods: Through the use of literature sources and expert opinions, the authors developed a list of employee interests. Empirical data collected via the survey method in Poland was used to statistically verify the measurement scale. In particular, exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modelling were applied. Findings & value added: This article shows that it is important to create a comprehensive list of interests, as well as validate the research tool used. The newly developed scale has 22 items and five dimensions: support and development at the level of the enterprise, employee participation, support and development at the departmental level, employment security, working conditions and remuneration. It may be used in a variety of companies, as well as in complex research models, and developed further taking into consideration the context of other countries.

Not a single path to success: alternative HRM configurations for well-performing small and medium-sized hotels

PurposePrevious literature has identified human resources as a key source of competitive advantage in organizations of all sizes. However, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face difficulty in comprehensively implementing all recommended Human Resource Management (HRM) functions. In this study, we shed light on the field of HRM in SMEs by focusing on the context of Greek Small and Medium-sized Hotels (SMHs), which represent a dominant private sector employer across the country.Design/methodology/approachUsing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and 34 in-depth interviews with SMHs' owners/managers, we explore the HRM conditions leading to high levels of performance, while taking into consideration the influence of internal key determinants.FindingsWe uncover three alternative successful HRM strategies that maximize business performance, namely the Compensation-based performers, the HRM developers and the HRM investors. Each strategy fits discreet organizational characteristics related to company size, ownership type and organizational structure.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge this is among the first empirical studies that examine different and equifinal performance-enhancing configurations of HRM practices in SMHs.

Longitudinal effects of high-performance work practices on job performance via person–job fit

PurposeThis present three-wave longitudinal study aims to elucidate underlying mechanism in high-performance work practices (HPWPs) and job performance relationship by examining the role of person–job as a potential mediator.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 357 faculty members of universities in Punjab (India) using a well-structured questionnaire for four consecutive months. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM software.FindingsThis study results substantiated HPWPs have a direct favorable impact on the person–job fit because their extensive engagement policies, such as employee empowerment and rewards, help employees to perceive their jobs as being a good fit. Furthermore, these practices fulfil employment expectations for employees, resulting in job fit and boosting the employee’s performance; highlighting person–job fit as potential mediator.Research limitations/implicationsGrounding on the person–environment congruence theory, this study shed light on the relationship between HPWPs and job performance via person–job fit in the Indian higher education sector. This develops a unique management philosophy and strategies for long-term sustainable growth of organizations to give proper concrete evidence for the significance of human resource management (HRM).Practical implicationsThis study findings persuade HR professionals in higher education institutions to actively engage in reconsidering and implementing their current HPWPs efficaciously to ensure that the employees are well-suited to their roles, i.e. increased person–job fit and perform at a higher level. Furthermore, considering the favorable impact of HPWPs on job fit and performance, it is pertinent to extensively use these practices in organizations all over the world especially across developing nations as a successful HRM solution.Originality/valueThis longitudinal study provides first-hand information on person–job fit intervening as a mediator in HPWPs and job performance relationship thereby contributing to the current corpus of HPWPs work. This fills the gap in HPWPs and job performance literature by identifying a novel concept of person–job fit that is mostly unexplored in developing countries like India.

Islamic Human Resource Management in Gulf Countries: A Literature Review

This paper explores the nature and substance of Islamic management practices in Arab countries. It also examines the impact of globalisation on multinational (MNC) companies operating in Islamic countries. Understanding Islamic management principles helps build a more suitable model of best practice management in Arab and Islamic countries. The study argues that reverse management skills delivery by MNC managers is crucial to successful human resource management in host countries. It adds to the comparatively limited literature on Islamic management by presenting issues critical to advancing Western Islamic management systems. It concludes that the incompatibility between global integration and local obligations is a key reason for the lack of progress in most Arab and Islamic countries.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER SELECTION BASED ON FUZZY AND INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY NUMBERS FOR LOGISTICS COMPANIES

Qualified managers are needed for the systematic functioning of logistics management applications. In logistics companies, the human resources manager takes part in determining the amount of personnel needed, supplying personnel, and creating personnel task forms. For successful human resources management, a qualified human resources manager should be selected. In the literature, it is seen that the manager selection problem is handled with multi criteria decision making (MCDM) methods. The aim of this research is to determine the problem criteria of human resources manager selection for logistics companies and to apply them with hybrid MCDM methods. With the in-depth literature review, ten criteria were determined for the logistics company human resources manager selection problem. The intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging (IFWA) method was used to weight the criteria. The fuzzy multi attribute ideal-real comparative analysis (F-MAIRCA) method was applied for the ranking of the four candidate managers. The application was made on a logistics company operating in Turkey. Research methods are based on fuzzy and intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. As a result of the study, the most important criterion in the selection of logistics human resources manager was determined as the experience criterion. Among the four candidates, the first candidate was seen as the best manager candidate. Suggestions have been developed for logistics companies, human resources manager candidates and researchers based on the research outputs. In addition, with this research, the IFWA and F-MAIRCA hybrid method has been brought to the literature.

The Measure of the System of Preparing and Employing Human Resources for People with Disabilities "A Comparative Study between the United Arab Emirates / Jordan / Egypt"

The study aims to activate the system of preparing and employing human resources with disabilities in Jordan, Egypt, and the UAE, to achieve several goals: Identify the most important rights of persons with disabilities under the aforementioned United Nations Convention, presents and discusses the most important problems of diversity management in administrative organizations, especially public ones, study and analysis of the legal and regulatory frameworks for the employment of persons with disabilities in the three comparable countries. The method adopted a content analysis that is consistent with the research method and the comparative method in Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt. The results of the study concluded: There is a link between poverty and disability, and this requires taking care of people with needs to enhance the ability of societies to sustain themselves, diversity of options enhances the successful management of human resources for persons with disabilities, and the senior management and human resources management requires the inclusion of persons with disabilities within the institutions through training and qualifying them to carry out the functions assigned to them and to reach fruitful results. The study recommended spreading awareness and societal culture calling for changing the negative perception of the disabled, providing suitable job opportunities for people with disabilities, overcoming the obstacles surrounding them in the various fields of work, and adopting an integrative strategy to manage diversity in state institutions to ensure the achievement of difference and diversity in human resources.

Bab Al Qasr Hotel & Residence: sustaining business while housing COVID-19 patients

Learning outcomes This case study aims to yield the following learning outcomes: understand the key performance indicators of successful human resource management (HRM) in the hospitality and tourism sector, especially during pandemics; identify the various concepts and strategies of HRM and recruitment over a short period; conceptualize the types of HRM practices such as safety and health, recruitment and promotion and rewards when facing pandemic conditions as well as the handling of hotel staff in strained times; evaluate the crisis management solutions used by human resources to lower the employee turnover rate; and develop a crisis management plan from a human resource standpoint in a pandemic situation. Case overview/synopsis A five-star hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bab Al Qasr Hotel & Residence (BAQHotel) opened in October 2016. In April 2020, the hotel began accepting patients with COVID-19 in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi’s Healthcare Company (SEHA), as a support to the UAE Government, through Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCTAD), to meet the local needs and sustain business during these unforeseen circumstances, which heavily impacted the whole World. Samer Majari, the Human Resource Director of BAQ hotel was responsible for recruiting and supervising delegates, while ensuring the comfort of hotel staff, arranging for their transportation, catering, safety and well-being. To combat the high staff turnover, including COVID-19-positive staff, Majari reviewed the existing staff model; divided the staff into two groups for providing services to both sides of the hotel; arranged for separate accommodations, food and transportation; and retained the existing resources and recruited new workers. This study aims to provide management solutions that concern hiring of staff from the existing UAE market and highlights ways of creating a lower staff turnover rate through incentives and compensations, while also managing staff by motivating them and also safeguarding them against COVID-19. Complexity academic level This case study intends to provide a context for creative solutions to human resource challenges facing organizations during a pandemic. It also involves swift responses to crises faced by HR managers and the immediate solutions required. Therefore, this case study can be used in undergraduate level courses for students pursuing a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in HRM, hospitality management, crisis management or international business studies. Moreover, this case study can be used for corporate training and to help hospitality industry staff, mid-level human resource managers and organizational development practitioners to better understand crisis management in their hotels. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human Resource Management

‘Herding cats’? Challenges to effective HRM in Jordanian higher education institutions

ABSTRACT Studies debating the applicability of conventional human resource management to higher education institutions relating to particular characteristics of academic staff members and their roles have not considered Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan. This research explores challenges to incorporating effective human resource management in Jordanian higher education institutions based on in-depth interviews with 21 academics with experience working in public and private universities in Jordan. Five major challenges were identified: (1) the lack of a comprehensive evaluation system for academics; (2) the negligence of the significant role human resources departments may play; the nature and characteristics of academic institutions themselves; (3) the underdevelopment of human resource management practice in Jordan; (4) the ethos of academic staff members; and (5) the role of wasta (a local variant of nepotism) in influencing various human resource-related decisions. This paper provides unique insights on the successful management of human resources in academic institutions locally, regionally, and possibly internationally, giving due consideration to contextual factors (e.g. national culture) that affect operations. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are presented at the end of the paper.

THE ROLE OF EMOTIONS IN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Business environment increasingly grows complex where human resources become the only sustainable source of competitive advantage for any management, be it top executive or middle sector management. When speaking about personnel management, we chiefly speak about human resources, who are not devoid of emotions. The task of a professional manager is to foster a healthy working atmosphere. Communication here comes to the forefront, which is mainly being treated as a process largely based on the mental world of the speakers, where emotions have a great output and as communication largely relies on the interpretive power of the speaking partners; hence, good and proficient managers ought to give a strong emphasis and attention to the management of emotions, and we all should have to appreciate the irreplaceable role of emotions in interpersonal relations at workplace as well. This actually has a great impact not only on the relations between the manager and employee, but also on the whole team of the managed group and eventually the whole company. The present paper looks for efficient ways for healthy and successful human resources management, by means of providing illustrative examples, case studies and a detailed analysis of them all in all to put a light on the gaps in current management perception.

A review of the human resource management dilemma for SMEs: case of central Uganda 

The increasing interest in human resource practices is driven by the hypothesis that employees and their management are critical to the success of an organization. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to several countries’ economies in terms of gross domestic product, employment fraction and exports. Human resource management (HRM) on the other hand plays a pivotal role in the growth and survival of SMEs if systematically understood and implemented in these businesses. As such, this paper aims to analyze factors that affect successful HRM and implementation in small and medium enterprises. Our findings demonstrate that SMEs need to make an effort to close the gap between demand and supply of labor for them to be able to compete with larger firms in the market. We conclude that the factors that affect human resource management are mainly due to the internal organization of these businesses and if HRM is properly implemented, it almost guarantees sustainability and competitive advantage of small firms. An “employee retention model” was formulated which can be used by SMEs to guide the retention of employees hence reducing staff turnover.

Conditional factors for training activities in Chinese, Indian and Mexican subsidiaries of German companies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the qualification measures of 12 German multi-national companies (MNCs), all of which are present in China, India and Mexico. In particular, the transfer of dual initial training practices and further training measures are investigated. It examines the impact consistent training strategies across national borders have emerged in German companies or local arrangements have developed despite identical internal influencing factors.Design/methodology/approachBecause of its design, the focus is on the external factors that influence the companies’ training measures. However, an exploratory approach was followed. To pursue the research question face-to-face expert interviews were conducted with 46 training managers in 12 active companies in all 3 countries. The interviews were completely transcribed and evaluated using qualitative methods.FindingsThe analysis shows that it is not internal company factors but country-specific contextual factors that influence training measures and that companies cannot act in the same way worldwide.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on 12 MNC and only analyses the blue-collar area. Therefore, it would have to be evaluated whether a similar analysis would result from a survey of other companies in different sectors or whether the differences in terms of training and further training measures would then be even greater.Practical implicationsThe study supports the internationalization strategies of MNC by providing first-hand empirical results concerning recruitment and training of blue colour workers on an intermediate skill level. It gives evidence on the need of national adaptation in the process of transferring training cultures from countries of origin into the host countries. More attention must, therefore, be paid to external factors when developing and implementing training measures.Social implicationsThe economic development in many countries includes an expansion of foreign investments. MNC provides employment and income for workers and their families. However, successful foreign investments also include sustainable recruitment and training strategies of the local workforce. The results of the study support policymakers to guide and support foreign companies to develop successful Human Resource Management strategies in the host countries.Originality/valueThis paper is original because due to the research design the internal factors are kept largely constant and the external influencing factors are singularly focused in detail. Therefore, this procedure makes it possible to investigate whether consistency training strategies across national borders have emerged in German companies or local arrangements have developed despite identical internal influencing factors.

Human Resources Practices in Effective Corporate Governance Approach

Corporate governance is a concept that emphasizes sustainable growth and stability in order to successfully transfer businesses to future generations. It also allows businesses to be well managed under a professional, transparent, fair and accountable management approach. Corporate governance is closely related to the human resources practices carried out by the businesses and the institutionalization levels of the businesses. The lack of any initiative on human resources practices in enterprises or the lack of these practices constitutes the biggest obstacle to the institutionalization of businesses. The study created for this purpose is structured to examine the impact of human resources practices on corporate governance understanding. The study sample was prepared in a business in the food and beverage industry with 66 branches operating in Turkey. Qualitative research method based on the interview, document review and observation techniques was applied. According to the findings, successful human resource management practices were found to be closely related to the levels of corporate governance and institutionalization. It was determined that the deficiencies in human resources practices on the researched business prevented the formation of institutionalization and then prevented the corporate governance understanding.

Steering the volunteering – Data Envelopment Analysis of volunteers’ retention efficiency in civil society units

Civil society is positioned somewhere in the area between business, government, and private sector. As civil society organizations are not profit-oriented, they are often relying on the engagement of volunteers, i.e., workers who are not paid for their effort. Successful management of human resources in organizations that depends on volunteers’ work can prove even harder than managing employees’ work in business entities. Many factors influence someone’s work effort, productivity, and devotion far beyond technical conditions, so it is impossible to separate someone’s work from the rest of his/her personality traits. In civil society organizations, attracting, motivating, and keeping volunteers willing to conduct needed tasks and actively participate in the organization’s activities might be quite challenging. For this paper, a survey was conducted among 42 organizations of civil society units (CSUs) that use the help of volunteers to fulfill their activities. To analyze relative efficiency of the civil society units, appropriate input and output variables were selected, and analysis was conducted with non-parametric DEA method. It was decided to take 4 inputs and 2 outputs in the analysis. The obtained results show that 69% of 42 CSUs are relatively efficient, 31% relatively inefficient, and 26.19% below the average. The results of the analysis enabled the identification of efficient and inefficient units. The reference set was calculated for each inefficient unit to determine which inputs cause better performance output. The calculated projections can be useful to CSU’s managers and serve as a benchmark for detecting the source of inefficiency within their humanitarian organizations. They can also serve as guidelines for improving inputs and thus achieving higher levels of outputs, i.e., duration of volunteering and the number of volunteers. AcknowledgmentThis paper is financially supported through project ZP UNIRI 10/17 by the University of Rijeka.

A SPOTLIGHT REVIEW ON THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AS A CATALYST TO LEVERAGE ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

ABSTRACT There has been a rising interest over the past decade regarding the effect of Knowledge Management (KM) on the performance of organizations. In developed countries, knowledge has been perceived as a valuable factor of production, but unfortunately the significance of KM is still not generally highlighted in developing countries as Egypt. This exploratory qualitative study intends to shed the light on the crucial role of human resource management (HRM) for successfully embedding and promoting the KM initiative; through setting a good base for the proper selection, motivation and development of HR, adding to setting the supportive organizational culture and organizational structure. The study also highlights the opportunities of KM adding to the challenges that may delay its effective implementation. The study aims to rationalize the effect of successful HRM on KM as an illustration of excellence that can provide a solid base for directing the role of HRM to set the initiative of KM for improving the overall performance of organizations. Keywords Human Resource Management, Knowledge Management, Organizational Learning, Knowledge Building, Organizational Performance

Peculiarities of staff motivation at small food industry enterprises

A leading force in successful Human Resource Management is a sound motivation system that can significantly improve the efficiency of employees and companies. However, there are significant differences in the motivation of the small business staff. The article aims to identify the peculiarities of this type of motivation and develop recommendations for their practical application. More specifically, motivation process in small food businesses is identified as a subject of research. Using the methods of theoretical and statistical analysis, the article also focuses on the behavioral approach and pays special attention to individual aspirations, performance, engagement and all those vital moments that shape motivation as a psychological process. Besides, the article has described the impact of socio-economic factors on work activity, set the basic principles for small business staff motivation, outlined the prevailing financial and moral incentives and substantiated the main components of an effective motivational system for small enterprises. Most elements of this system can be applied to any small company, not only the food industry.

Successful Human Resources Management Factors in International Mergers and Acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have received a great deal of attention in academic literature but the role of human resources management in M&A success is still understudied. Of the three stages identified in a merger and acquisition process (planning, integration and implementation), most research focuses on the planning and integration stages. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyse the main factors that determine the success of HR management in the implementation stage of an international M&A operation: consolidate leadership; human resource provision and evaluation; structure, strategy and culture evaluation; and control of the merger and acquisition process. With this objective, we developed a case study of a multinational company that operates in the mechanical engineering sector. The results illustrate the main factors, human resource practices, and human resources management and behaviour outcomes undertaken by a multinational company during the M&A implementation stage. The case study allows researchers to learn from professionals and business leaders and presents a roadmap that can be considered to manage HR in the M&A process.

Explaining Effective HRM Implementation: A Middle Versus First-Line Management Perspective

In this article, we explore one of the key underlying mechanisms that mediates the human resource management (HRM)–performance link, namely, the (effective) HRM implementation by line managers. In particular, the purpose of our study is to compare middle and first-line managers’ experiences of their human resource (HR) role and the factors explaining effective HRM implementation at each managerial level. By employing survey data of two Belgian federal government organizations, we examine the effect of a number of organizational, individual and interpersonal factors on the effectiveness of line managers in HRM implementation. Results indicate that both middle and first-line managers’ HRM implementation effectiveness is related to organizational support, autonomous motivation, and coworker support. For the group of first-line managers, specifically, age and local office position are important in the execution of their HR tasks. For the group of middle managers, however, personnel red tape, length of service, and supervisory experience contribute to their HRM implementation effectiveness. As a result, an organization’s HR department can create the internal organizational conditions necessary to facilitate successful HRM implementation by the line. At the same time, it is worth adapting the approach according to the different managerial levels.

Powiązania kultury organizacyjnej i zarządzania zasobami ludzkimi w szpitalach publicznych

Organizational culture (OC), along with organizational structure or strategy, is one of the most crucial determinants of successful human resource management practices implementation. The factor’s importance increases in unique organizations such as public hospitals. In the literature, the aspect of organizational culture in hospitals is widely discussed. However, at the same time researchers rarely focus on the inf luence of OC on human resource management practices. Due to the fact, the paper’s objective is to detect relationships between organizational culture and human resource management practices. In order to fulfil the objective, in the first part of the paper the authors discuss theoretical aspects of OC and HRM in public hospitals. In the second part, they analyze the relationship between these two categories. Additionally, a research was conducted in the years 2014/2015 in Poland on the sample of 468 respondents employed in 8 public hospitals. Its results confirm that there is a correlation between different types of organizational culture and particular human resource management practices such as recruitment of employees who are open to change and development and ready to share knowledge and reward staff for innovativeness. The findings can be regarded as reasonable premises for management in the organizations and a further research area.

COACHING CORE COMPETENCIES AS THE KEY SOFT SKILL FOR SUCCESSFUL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

This paper aims at considering the well-known triad of What? How? Why? somewhat anew by suggesting looking at transformational leadership for successful human resources management through the lens of coaching core competencies as the key soft skill. Arising as the strategic approach to the effective management of people, well-thought human resources management that rests on a leadership model definitely enables management of a company or organization to move ahead of the curve and gain a firm foothold in the job market. The transformational leadership model fits the framework of the research and links to the contrastive line between management and leadership.It is emphasized that management processes focus on (i) maintaining and (ii) improving performance at work, on the one hand, and on the other, unlike management, the transformational leadership model focuses on the benefits of visionary thinking and bringing about change. Following the goal in the subject matter associated with successful HR management, the Golden Circle of What? How? Why?introduced by Simon Sinek finds its way in the description analysis. The Why? sectionopens the idea for successful HR managementto move further to What?section and is accompanied with How? section in the end. The final part of the findings embodies 11 current core competencies of coaching, which illustrate how the ways of implementing the soft skills in workplace may increase HR performance, enhance seamless communication among employees and management, drive change and welcome innovation.The four objectives for successful HR management: (i) drive change within a company or organization, (ii) encourage and motivate people for personal and corporate growth and development, (iii) employ innovation including modern technologies, and (iv) lead by example, correspond to the four cornerstones in the framework for successful company or organization management via transformational leadership. They are: (i) create an inspire vision of the future for the company’s (organization’s) employees, (ii) motivate the staff to live by and deliver the vision, (iii) manage delivery of the vision, (iv) attract and retain high-class professionals and young talents, build up strong and competitive teams, create and grow ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with the employees. The toolkit of ways, techniques and approaches may derive from the current core competencies in coaching that can be groupedsimilarly to the ICF ones as follows: (i) foundation, (ii) co-creating the relationship, (iii) communicating effectively, and (iv) cultivating learning and growth.

Investment and collaboration: the Indian model for “best” HRM practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine human resource management (HRM) practices of the top 25 companies identified as “best” in India in 2011. This paper provides insights into HRM practices of a leading country in Asia that is playing a very important role in the global economy. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper will use for its research analysis the business reports of the Outlook Business Magazine and AON Hewitt. AON Hewitt is a global human resource consulting company and is an established authority in identifying “best” companies in India since 2004. A qualitative content analysis was done of the business report to identify predominant themes. Findings The analysis identified how the “best” 25 Indian companies offer progressive HRM practices that required careful investment and collaboration. This research showcases seven specific HRM themes that include elaborate staffing, investment in learning, work–life balance, egalitarian practices, developmental performance culture, generous benefits and engagement initiatives. Practical implications This paper provides preliminary guidelines for global practitioners who may be interested in doing business in India. It also provides a model of “best” HRM practices adopted by 25 companies that could help other organizations identify successful HRM practices in India. Among the 25 companies, 16 are Indian companies and 9 are subsidiaries of multinationals. Originality/value This paper outlines HRM “best” practices of organizations in an emerging Asian economy that has not been addressed before. This paper hopes to bridge this paucity in the extant literature by showcasing the “best” HRM practices from 25 “best” companies in India. It also provides an Indian model of “best” HRM practices that can be tested by other scholars for future studies.