Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Human Resources Management Practices (HRMP)'

The role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in stimulating economy, promoting employment and enhancing social stability is increasingly recognised, especially in developing countries. Given SMEs' considerable contribution, it is necessary to facilitate their healthy growth. Human resource management (HRM) is highlighted for SMEs as 'people' are the key factors in determining the future of these organisations. Given that the existing HRM literature is largely centred upon western contexts and large-sized enterprises, the main aim of this research is to develop an understanding of how HRM practices function in privately-owned SMEs in the mainland of China by exploring the current situation regarding the adoption of HRM practices, the influential factors in shaping HRM practices, and how HRM practices impact on employee outcomes. A conceptual framework is constructed by drawing on concepts found within existent HRM frameworks and theories. The resulting research framework sheds light on the connections among three types of influential factors, five groups of HRM practices by function, and two HR outcomes at the individual level in the chosen context. This research adopts a mixed methodology approach to answering the set of research questions emerging from the literature review. The data were collected by 227 valid self-completed questionnaires (Cronbach's alpha=0.923) and 48 semi-structured interviews in 24 privately-owned SMEs located in Jiangsu and Shaanxi provinces in China. The research findings reveal a number of similarities and differences in HRM practices in the SME sector in China. More importantly, they suggest that SMEs have tended to adopt increasingly formal HRM practices over time though informalities remain in some aspects, providing a positive indication that SMEs are moving forward in formalising the practices. The findings also reveal that different HRM practices exist in different locations in China, suggesting distinct HRM patterns might exist across or even within provinces in China. The findings further reveal that institutional factors force SMEs to improve the practices in order to better cope with the emerging problems and conflicts embedded in the labour market and the changes in legislation. Given the market orientation of SMEs and the younger generations' characteristics, the impacts of cultural values of respect for hierarchy and seniority appear to have become increasingly weakened in the sector. The examination of relationship between HRM practices and HR outcomes demonstrates that all five groups of HRM practices are predictors for affective commitment, normative commitment and turnover intention, among which training and development and reward management practices have the strongest predictive power. It is noted that continuance commitment is not found applicable to the Chinese sample, indicating the partial transferability of the western three-component model of organisational commitment into the Chinese context. Therefore, theoretically, the findings extend the knowledge in the field of HRM in SMEs by developing the framework of determinants-HRM practices-outcomes and revealing the causality of HRM practices-employee outcomes in the SME sector in China. Practically, the findings are likely to be helpful to SME owners and practitioners in formulating effective HRM policies and practices to achieve desirable outcomes. The findings in relation to the impacts of institutional factors offer a potential contribution to national policy development for the purpose of assisting the growth of SMEs.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kentucky, 2007.<br>Title from document title page (viewed on June 12, 2007). Document formatted into pages; contains: viii, 222 p. : ill. Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-219).

yes<br>The academic literature widely acknowledges changes and variation in the practices of small firms but only a small amount of empirical work has explored the processes through which HRM practices undergo change. Research has tended, instead, to examine the presence and effectiveness of HRM in small firms and has often viewed this in terms of a deficit model relating such practices to an understanding of HRM derived from larger firms. This chapter focuses on the recruitment and selection and staff payment practices in use in three small services firms to explore the everyday, ongoing detail of their HRM processes and practices. Identifying the different processes through which recruitment and selection and staff payment practices changed in the participant firms provides a base for discussing persistent forms of informality and the lack of stability that reflects the everyday realities of the firms, not only in contrast to their formalized policies but in engagement with them. This chapter advances understanding of selected HRM practices in small services firms after periods of formalization and adoption of HRM policies and practices. The chapter also discusses how developing knowledge of small firms’ HRM practices in this way has implications for researchers and practitioners.

HRM practices have predominantly been seen as means put in place by top management to achieve certain ends. This thesis argues that approaching the HRM phenomenon in this way is limiting because it establishes a divide in HRM activities between those aspects that conform to top management intentions, contribute to consistency of HRM practices, and produce desired effects; and those that are not part of top management design, are a source of variability in HRM practices, and are at best irrelevant, at worst detrimental to the efficacy of HRM practices. Variability in HRM practices within organisations has become an important focus for debate in the strategic human resource management (SHRM) literature. This thesis argues that an alternative view of HRM is required for the field to move forward. Practice perspectives in organisation and management studies provide the basis for an alternative approach to studying HRM. Actor-network theory is particularly well suited for examining patterns of repetitive activity across time and space, and thus constitutes a useful framework for understanding consistency and variability in HRM practices. This thesis presents empirical research that applies actor-network theory to provide a ‘flat’ description of HRM activities in a large UK-based fashion retailer. Through an innovative research design that uses participant narratives of HRM episodes (n=112), HRM activity in the company is characterised as distributed, emergent and patterned. It is distributed in the sense that employment outcomes were produced through assemblies of heterogeneous –human and nonhuman– elements. It is emergent in the sense that the set of associations that were made in order to produce an employment outcome was not predictable, nor was the outcome itself. Both were the result of the associations that became stabilised during the flow of activity. Finally HRM activities were patterned through the standardising actions of central actors and their associated artefacts. In particular members of the HR department found ways to retrieve information from the field, transform it into standards, and deploy these standards back to the field in order to produce repetitive patterns. This alternative view of HRM implies a novel understanding of the nature of HRM practices, the role of variability and consistency, and the ways in which the effects of HRM may be produced. Such understanding acknowledges that effects of HRM are produced as much through variability as through consistency, and that these must not be understood as opposite, mutually exclusive features of HRM systems. The implications for research and practice are wide-ranging. This thesis strongly advocates a case study research programme that provides rich descriptions of HRM activities in diverse settings, as the best way to advance the field and produce practitioner relevant knowledge and advice. Practitioners are advised to pay attention to the processes through which HRM outcomes are produced in their organisation, and to the means by which they themselves deploy their agency to create patterns in those processes.

This thesis describes and analyses diversity management and its best practices (with the focus on nationalities and cultures). The central question in this research is: 'what are the essential elements of diversity management to effectively manage diversity within organizations?' Via desk- and field research (interviews and questionnaires) information is obtained to answer this question and other sub questions of the thesis. Nowadays, organizations have to adapt themselves to a rapidly changing environment, both internal and external. Companies have to deal with a continuously evolving labor- and sales market, which is the result of various factors, including the changing demographic composition and globalization. Organizations cannot longer ignore diversity and should take it into account, to ensure that the company will not face any future problems related to recruiting, efficiency, innovation, growth, et cetera. Based on the conducted research, it became clear that implementing diversity management consists out of several stages, namely: 1. Establish diversity council and appoint diversity contact officer who together bear the main diversity responsibilities; 2. Previous diversity initiatives should be visualized; 3. Organizational data must be collected; 4. Diversity strategy and priority areas must be set up (inclusive organizational culture, management support and awareness & commitment); 5. Establish diversity policy (allowance of country-by-country deviations) and 6. Define diversity tools (recruitment, training, mentoring & coaching, career development, linkage diversity & performance, benefits/other factors and partnering with external bodies). During these different stages, it is important to communicate with all employees, since this will create support, awareness and commitment to diversity. After the process has been completed, it is important to monitor and evaluate the diversity vision, policy and tools. Main conclusions that can be drawn from the research are the following: 1. Diversity brings more advantages than disadvantages; 2. Management team diversity is of great importance; 3. Inclusive organizational culture is essential; 4. Diversity management must be integrated and 5. Attractiveness of diversity management should be promoted. In addition, the conducted research made clear that companies should spend more time and energy to diversity management and they should really focus on their 'ability to execute', since this will bring many advantages and will avoid future problems.

This research compares Chinese HRM with Western HRM, particularly in the areas of development of HR information systems (HRIS) and HR measurement systems and their relation to HR’s involvement as a strategic partner in firms. The research uses a 3-stage model of HRIS (workforce profiling, business insight, and strategic driver) based on studies of Irmer and Ellerby (2005) and Boudreau and Ramstad (2003) to compare the relative stages of development of Chinese and Western HRM. The quantitative aspect of the study comprises a survey of senior HR practitioners from 171 Chinese firms whose data is compared with data from Irmer and Ellerby’s study of Australian and U.S. HRM (2005) and Lawler et al’s series of studies of U.S firms (1995, 1998, 2001, 2004). The main results of the comparison are that Chinese HRM generally lags behind Western HRM. In particular, Chinese HR professionals allocate less time to strategic activities and their roles are less strategic than those of Western HR professionals. The HR measurement systems of Chinese firms are more limited in function, and the HR information systems of Chinese companies are less automated and integrated. However there is also evidence of a “two speed” HR system in China with a small proportion of firms having highly sophisticated HR systems but with a much larger proportion of Chinese firms than in the West having only the most basic HR information systems. This ‘two speed” system is in part attributable to a split between the relatively advanced HR systems of large State Owned Enterprises and the basic systems that predominate in smaller, growing Local Private firms. The survey study is complemented by a series of interviews with a number of senior Chinese HR practitioners who provide richer insights into their experiences and the challenges they face in contemporary Chinese firms.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore how knowledge gained during taught Masters in Human Resource Management (MSc HRM) programmes was transferred into working organisations, whether knowledge gained from academic study could be transferred if individuals were motivated to transfer and if organisations had a culture that was receptive to transfer. The term knowledge transfer was defined as sharing of information between one individual and another individual or group. This study looked at the perceived value of Human Resource (HR) knowledge within organisational contexts, with a focus on how knowledge flowed and what facilitated or blocked that flow. A ‘two-tailed’ case study approach was taken using a social construction methodology and was applied across three University Centres, utilising students studying on MSc HRM programmes and their respective work organisations, plus Operational Managers within the same geographical boundaries. Data was gathered using qualitative methods and analysed thematically. A key finding of this study was that knowledge gained from MSc HRM programmes is valued within organisational contexts. HR professionals effectively transferred knowledge into their organisational functions and amongst workplace communities and via wider networks, in a homogenous manner. However, the study also found that transfer of knowledge across work boundaries, via heterogeneous workplace communities, was less effective. Individual willingness to transfer knowledge was found, but issues linked to organisational culture such as politics, power and structure was found to influence the extent of knowledge transfer activities. It was evident that in order for knowledge transfer to be effective an organisational culture based on mutual support and understanding was required. If an organisation had a culture focused on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that reinforce knowledge transfer across team boundaries then heterogeneous workplace communities emerged. Organisations that deliberately focused on knowledge transfer evidenced a greater ability to transfer knowledge across organisational functions; this strategy was beneficial to organisational growth. This study concluded that building on workplace communities and managing a deliberate introduction of heterogeneous workplace communities enabled MSc HRM acquired-knowledge to be transferred cross organisationally. Although this study focused on the transfer of knowledge from MSc HRM programmes the concept behind using workplace communities to transfer and build knowledge could potentially be transferable to other disciplines. Two further areas of research were identified: firstly, action research within University Centres to ascertain the benefit of cross-discipline teaching, secondly, analysis of an organisation with a heterogeneous community design.

Le transfert transnational et l’implémentation des pratiques de GRH dans les multinationales est un phénomène stratégique car il a une influence directe sur la compétitivité de ces multinationales et leurs performances. Malgré son importance et après trois décennies de recherche, la littérature est encore fragmentée et incomplète surtout lorsqu'il s'agit d'étudier le transfert et l’implémentation à différents niveaux. Cette thèse de doctorat propose une étude à plusieurs niveaux afin de comprendre comment et dans quelle mesure les pratiques de GRH sont transférées et implémentées dans les multinationales. Les données sont collectées par des méthodes qualitatives diverses. Le niveau individuel est examiné en utilisant l’approche micro-politique pour détecter comment le pouvoir, utilisé par les principaux acteurs du siège et des filiales, peut avoir un impact sur le transfert. Le niveau macro est analysé en adoptant la perspective néo-institutionnelle pour explorer l'impact des mécanismes isomorphes institutionnels sur l'encastrement de la sélection du personnel dans le contexte local au Liban. Le niveau organisationnel est examiné en utilisant la perspective des logiques institutionnelles pour étudier les raisons et la manière dont les filiales des multinationales occidentales, au Liban, réagissent aux logiques concurrentielles du marché et de la communauté en ce qui concerne les pratiques de sélection du personnel. Les résultats confirment qu'une approche multi-niveaux permet de dévoiler la complexité du transfert et l’implémentation des pratiques de GRH et de contribuer à construire un cadre holistique à plusieurs niveaux sur un phénomène complexe de grande importance<br>The cross-national transfer and implementation of HRM practices in MNCs is a strategic phenomenon since it has a direct influence on MNCs’ competitiveness and their performance while providing them with sustainable competitive advantages. Despite the business importance of this phenomenon and after three decades of research, the literature is still fragmented and incomplete especially when it comes to studying the transfer and implementation on several levels. This doctoral thesis aims at proposing a multilevel perspective while covering different levels of analysis on the transfer and implementation of HRM practices in MNCs in order to understand how and to what extent HRM practices are cross-nationally transferred and implemented in MNCs. Data are collected through multiple qualitative methods. Individual level is examined by using the micro-political approach to detect how power used by HQ’s and subsidiaries’ key players can impact the transfer. Macro level is analyzed by adopting the neo-institutional perspective to explore the impact of institutional isomorphic mechanisms on the embeddedness of personnel selection in the local country context in Lebanon. Organizational level is examined by using the institutional logics to investigate the reasons behind and the way subsidiaries of Western MNCs, in Lebanon, respond to competing market and community logics when it comes to personnel selection practices. The results confirm that a multilevel perspective enables to unveil the complexity of transfer and implementation of HRM practices and contribute to building a holistic and multilevel framework on a complex phenomenon of high importance

A gestão de pessoas é fator sine qua non no mundo corporativo, o qual se encontra em constante mutação. A justificativa deste estudo de caso considera ainda que é demandado às organizações perspicácia de maneira a se despirem de antigas fórmulas de sucesso e se reinventarem na busca da sobrevivência e, quiçá, do almejado crescimento. Cativar clientes, reduzir custos, manter elevados padrões de qualidade, produtividade e segurança se tornaram condições básicas para a continuidade dos negócios e não mais considerados suficientes como diferenciais competitivos. Neste contexto, a presente dissertação objetiva a identificação de práticas de Gestão de Pessoas que podem alavancar melhorias de qualidade. Inicialmente é realizada uma revisão sistemática através da qual são arroladas 10 práticas de Gestão de Pessoas que podem influenciar a Gestão da Qualidade. A seguir, essas práticas são classificadas em conformidade com o critério de excelência Valorização das Pessoas, da Fundação Nacional da Qualidade (FNQ). Por fim, as práticas são comparadas com as existentes em uma empresa fabricante de produtos para conservação de temperatura e é elaborado um diagnóstico de oportunidades, em função das lacunas (gaps) evidenciadas. Os resultados mostraram que das 10 práticas examinadas nenhuma é integralmente aplicada na empresa, 7 são aplicadas parcialmente e 3 não são adotadas. Espera-se que estes conhecimentos possam municiar a empresa em análise na operacionalização de ações que permitam transpor os seus desafios, os quais podem impactar em sua continuidade.<br>People Management is sine qua non factor in the corporate world, which finds itself in constant mutation. The justification for this case study considers that it is required of the organizations, a high level of perception in a sense of getting rid of old success recipes and reinventing themselves in a quest for survival, and hopefully, the sought for growth. Captivating clients, reducing costs, keeping high quality standards, productivity and security, become basic conditions for continuity of business and are no longer considered sufficient as competitive differentials. Given this context, the present essay aims at identifying practices of People Management that can leverage improvements in quality. Initially, a systematic review is performed, through which the practices of People Management are aligned, and which can influence quality management. Next, these practices are classified in conformity with the excellence concepts of Fundação Nacional da Qualidade (FNQ). Finally, the practices are compared to the existing ones in an enterprise of products to conserve the temperature and an opportunity diagnosis is elaborated. The results showed that of the 10 practices examined none are fully implemented in the company, 7 are partially applied and 3 are not adopted. It is hoped that this knowledge may equip the company in question, based on the noticed gaps, in a way of supporting the company being analyzed in the operating of actions, that allow transposing of its challenges, of which can impact in its continuity.

Syftet med studien var att kartlägga vilka förutsättningar boendestödjare i Värmland och Dalsland har att hantera sina arbetsuppgifter utifrån kompetens och evidens. Vi använde oss av en kvantitativ metod och gruppenkäter för att kunna göra denna kartläggning. Studien riktade sig till enhetschefer inom socialpsykiatrin samt dess personal som jobbar inom boendestöd mot brukare med egen bostad. Två enkäter gjordes varav den ena riktades mot enhetscheferna och den andra mot personal. Totalt tillfrågades 23 kommuner att delta i studien och av de svarade 17 kommuner på enkäterna vilket ger en svarsfrekvens på 74 %. Svarsfrekvensen bland boendestödjarna var 63 %. Studien ger en överblick hur verksamheterna inom boendestöd i Värmland och Dalsland arbetar med kompetens och evidens. Studiens resultat visade att majoriteten av personal inom boendestöd i Värmland och Dalsland hade den utbildning som fanns att tillgå för att jobba inom socialpsykiatrin, vilket är vård- och omsorgsutbildning. För att få reda på hur det ser ut med kompetensutveckling i kommunerna slogs tre frågor samman och bildade ett index. De flesta kommuner i studien hade kompetensutvecklingsplaner och studien visade ingen skillnad mellan stora och små kommuner. Personalen hade en positiv attityd till hur genomförandeplaner används. När det gäller att arbeta med ny forskning bör det enligt studiens resultat ske en förändring då det var få som hade en positiv attityd till hur ny forskning tas in i arbetet.<br>The purpose of the study was to identify preconditions for housing support within competence and evidence- based work in Värmland and Dalsland. We used a quantitative method with questionnaires. The study was directed to unit managers in social psychiatry and its staff working in housing support for clients in their own homes. Two questionnaires were maid, one which was directed to unit managers and the other towards staff. A total of 23 municipalities were asked to participate in the study and of the 17 municipalities that responded to the questionnaire giving a response rate of 74%. The response among using support was 63%. The study provides an overview how competence and evidence- based work are used of housing support in Värmland and Dalsland. The results of the study show that the majority of staff in housing support in Värmland and Dalsland has the education that is available to work in social psychiatry, which is health and social care education. Most municipalities in the study has development plans, and there is no difference between large and small municipalities. The test gave a positive result showing a high reliability value. The staff had a positive attitude towards the execution plans used in work. When it comes to working with new research a change should take place according to the result of the study because the attitude was not positive how new research are used in work.

Dans l'économie mondiale actuelle l'innovation est largement reconnue comme l'un des processus clés qui peuvent permettre le développement d'organisations. Cette thèse concentre l'attention sur le comportement innovateur des employés (IWB) et ses liens avec la perception de la gestion des ressources humaines (HRM). Plus précisément, les modèles de recherche explorent deux pratiques de HRM correspondant à l'apprentissage individuel et collectif et la participation à la prise de décision (PDM). Le choix de mettre l'accent sur deux pratiques est en lien avec les efforts des chercheurs dédiés à la perspective contingente. Par conséquent, l'expérimentation de plusieurs variables médiatrices a permis une meilleure compréhension de la relation entre les processus examinés. Cette thèse est également orientée à comprendre les facteurs psychosociaux mentionnés dans un contexte organisationnel assez inexplorés correspondant aux petites et moyennes entreprises. La première recherche explore la relation entre la perception des pratiques de HRM de l'apprentissage individuel et collectif, l'IWB et le rôle médiateur des normes et le climat propice à l'innovation. La seconde étude suppose que la perception de la pratique décisionnelle, conjointement avec le leadership participatif, est liée à l'IWB ; la relation indirecte est testée à travers le rôle de médiateur du climat psychologique pour l'innovation et le soutien de ses collègues. Ces résultats aident les chercheurs à diriger de nouveaux efforts dans la recherche sur le HRM. En plus, ils soutiennent l'optimisation des ressources investies dans l'innovation à travers la promotion de l'apprentissage et la PDM<br>In the globalized economies the innovation is widely recognized as one of the key processes that can allow the development of organizations. This thesis focuses the attention on the Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) and its links with the perception of Human Resources Management (HRM). More specifically, the research models explore two HRM practices corresponding to individual and team learning and the participation to decision-making (PDM). The choice to emphasize only two practices is in line with scholars’ efforts dedicated to contingent perspective. Therefore, the experimentation of multiple mediating variables has allowed the better understanding of the relationship among the examined processes. This thesis is also oriented to understand the mentioned psychosocial factors in a quite unexplored organizational contexts corresponding to the small and medium enterprises. The first research explores the relationship among the perception of individual and team learning HRM practices, IWB and the mediating role of norms and supportive climate for innovation. The second study assumes that the perception of decision-making practice, conjointly with participative leadership, is related to IWB; moreover also the indirect relationship is tested through the mediating role of psychological climate for innovation and co-workers’ support. These findings help scholars to direct new endeavors in HRM research. Moreover they support managers to optimize resources invested in innovation through the promotion of learning and PDM

Aim: With the tendency of globalization, the field of the human resource management (HRM) in multinational companies (MNC) becomes a heated topic. Being interested in this field, we choose Bank of China (BOC) to investigate what factors influence the process of transfer and adaptation of HRM practices for a Chinese bank in a cross cultural environment. Method: This work has been adopted qualitative method as the primary data by interviewed six respondents of managers and employees from BOC in China and Sweden by means of the face-to-face interview, e-mail, Skype and the online instant messaging software (QQ). Extant literature, books and online resources are the secondary data. Result &amp; Conclusions: The result reveals that when transferring and adapting the HRM practices in a foreign country, MNCs are influenced by national and company level factors. At the national level, national culture and laws and regulations in the targeted country are the primary aspects while corporate culture of the targeted company and the strategic goals of the branches are the main factors at the company level. Suggestions for future research: This study only focuses on four main factors affecting the process of transfer and adaption of HRM process, which may not contain all factors. Besides, it is based on a case study with qualitative data, thus the research areas can be expanded to a broader domain and the research methods can be used in both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Last but not least, staffing performance can be a very interesting field to be investigated. Contribution of the thesis: We contribute with a model based on four factors to identify the process of transfer and adaptation of HRM practices in a MNC. We also make a unique contribution to empirical study of the process of HRM practices of a Chinese bank entering to Sweden. Finally, this model can be utilized as a tool of other MNCs when implementing HRM practices from the home country to the host country.

Human Resource Management (HRM) is a critically important function that contributes to organizational performance (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004; Leroy, Anseel, Gardner, & Sels, 2015). Its presence in an organization is influenced by the organization’s leadership style/s (Vermeeren, Kuipers, & Steijn, 2014). In the Middle East, the notion of leadership has often been associated with an authoritarian – or directive - style of control (Dorfman, Javidan, Hanges, Dastmalchian, & House, 2012; House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman, & Gupta, 2004). But there has been limited empirical research to establish this notion of leadership. Research on HRM in the developing countries of the Middle East are few and far between, especially in politically unstable environments like Palestine (Budhwar & Mellahi, 2016). This thesis seeks to address this gap in the literature by exploring the way in which HRM practices in organizations operating in Palestine reflect different leadership styles in different employment sectors. Palestine is the focus of this research because Palestine and the Middle East region more broadly are an important part of the global economic system in the sense that they are home to large multinational organizations particularly in the production and export of crude oil and liquid natural gas (Fesharaki & Isaak, 2016; OPEC, 2018). Additionally, researchers have for years been urging more studies to investigate HRM practices in the Middle East, due not only to the importance of this region, but also to the interesting idiosyncrasies of its sociocultural environment. Furthermore, this study seeks to understand whether authoritarian leadership is indeed the dominant style of leadership in the sampled organizations – and, if so, what it looks like in practice. In this thesis, I conducted studies focussing on HRM practices in two types of Palestinian organizations: For-Profit (Private); and Not-For-Profit (NFP) organizations. I compared the relationships between the practices and leadership styles in these organizations in order to investigate sectoral differences between them. Moreover, I explored the ways in which their employees perceive the Humane Resources (HR) practices of their organizations (and whether employees’ perspectives align with the perspectives of their managers). The findings of my empirical research, in this project, show that HRM practices at Palestinian Private organizations are mostly influenced by a functional style of leadership with some elements of transformational leadership. In contrast to expectations based on earlier literature on this topic (e.g., House et. Al., 2004), there is little evidence that authoritarian leadership dominates HRM practices in these organizations. I hypothesise that this largely because the sampled organizations are significantly influenced by Western HRM practices. After all, my sampled organizations are large and operate in the formal labor market (cf. small businesses such as street venders). In NFP organizations, HRM practices are more also influenced by functional leadership (again, contrary to the expectation that authoritarian leadership plays a dominant role). But, unlike in Private organizations, elements of transformational leadership play a much smaller role. Moreover, some directive-leadership style of management was observed – and seems to be more evident in these NFP compared to Private organizations. The (lesser) influence of transformational leadership style on NFP organizations’ HRM functions could have originated from cross-cultural exchange with Western aid organizations which o ten participate in conducting development projects with NFPs in Palestine. These include USAID and UNDP among others: organizations that are likely to abide by Western best-practice standards in their dealings with personnel. A factor that adds to the complexity in my analysis is the fact that the relationships between HRM practices and leadership styles are often perceived differently between employees and managers. Employees tend to have a more cynical view of HRM, whereas managers perceive HRM practices as benign if not benevolent in nature. In this thesis, I contribute to the fields theoretical understanding of the models of HRM that managers use in Palestine in both Private and NFP organizations and propose a framework for understanding these in relation to the leadership in the organizations. My practical contribution is to provide a better insight to the HRM practices in Palestine and the factors that drive these in both Private and NFP organizations. Limitations of my research and potential future directions for this study are discussed.<br>Thesis (PhD Doctorate)<br>Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)<br>Dept Empl Rel & Human Resource<br>Griffith Business School<br>Full Text

The thesis investigates the performance measurement and management (PMM) practices in manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with particular attention paid to human resource management (HRM). The literature widely describes HRM as one of the most significant factors contributing to the successful outcome of PMM practices. In fact, “what we measure and how we use these measures appear to have an impact on the engagement of people and, ultimately, performance” (Bititci 2015). An efficient and effective performance measurement and management requires a high consideration of the relationship with the human resource management. However, although the link between PMM and HRM is recognized as essential to the effective design and implementation of holistic PMM practices, no scholars or practitioners have developed a holistic view that takes a dual approach, equally based on both the PMM and HRM literature. Using a systematic literature review the thesis investigates these two sets of literature and identifies three main specific research gaps, which include the need for understanding of performance measurement and management practices highlighted in both the PMM and HRM literature, the relevance of these practices in manufacturing SMEs and their evolutionary paths. In order to contribute to these research gaps, the overall aim of this thesis is to improve current knowledge concerning PMM and HRM. Firstly, the thesis investigates the relationship between both the PMM and HRM literature to identify the main PMM practices and how these practices evolve in the literature. Then, a deep empirical study analyses these practices in leading companies paying particular attention to small and medium enterprises. The thesis is organized into five main phases. Firstly, it provides a preliminary understanding of the relationship between both the PMM and HRM literature through a quantitative review (Chapter 4). It determinates the main publications’ trends, the structure and the evolution of the link between the PMM and HRM literature. In particular, the first phase identifies a growing relevance of PMM and HRM studies. In the last 10 years, the number of papers has increased by 220%, the volume of citations has grown by 540% and numerous new countries have entered into the PMM and HRM research scenario. Secondly, the thesis identifies the main PMM practices emerging studying the intersection of PMM and HRM literature by a qualitative literature review (Chapter 4). It also shows the evolutionary path of PMM practices, the definition of a conceptual framework based on measurement and management practices, and the significant increase of studies on PMM practices in the last 10 years. Thirdly, the thesis investigates a leading small and medium enterprise by a longitudinal case study (Chapter 5). Through the conceptual framework previously identified, it shows that the company has progressively increased the maturity of its PMM practices following almost the same evolutionary path as that of the investigated literature. Moreover, the firm shows relevant growth in informal performance sharing, often based on the use of innovative technology. Fourthly, it investigates three leading SMEs, which have advanced performance measurement and management practices (Chapter 6). Once again, it shows a relevant increase in the adoption of the PMM practices previously identified in the both the PMM and HRM literature. In this way, the main academic contributions include the identification of a conceptual framework useful to investigate PMM practices and the evolutionary path of these practices. In turn, this study supplies a contribution to practitioners in the definition of innovative performance measurement and management practices useful to small and medium enterprises.<br>La tesi studia le pratiche di Performance Measurement and Management (PMM) dando particolare attenzione al collegamento tra le pratiche di PMM e la Human Resource Management (HRM). La letteratura descrive la HRM come uno dei fattori più significativi che contribuisce al successo delle pratiche di PMM. Infatti, queste pratiche agiscono sul coinvolgimento delle dipendenti e, successivamente, sulle prestazioni organizzative. Così, una efficiente ed efficace misurazione e gestione delle prestazioni richiede un'attenta considerazione della gestione delle risorse umane (Bititci 2015). Tuttavia, sebbene il collegamento tra PMM e HRM è riconosciuto essenziale per un efficace design e implementazione delle pratiche di performance measurement and management, la letteratura sul tema non ha ancora sviluppato un approccio olistico basato su entrambe le discipline. La tesi analizza gli studi proposti dai due filoni di ricerca adottando un approccio sistematico qualitativo e quantitativo. Grazie a tale revisione della letteratura, vengono identificati i principali “research gaps”: la mancanza di un framework con le principali pratiche di PMM emergenti dal collegamento tra i due filoni di studio caratterizzanti PMM e HRM e l’assenza dei trend evolutivi di queste pratiche nelle Piccole e Medie Imprese (PMI) manifatturiere. Al fine di contribuire ai “research gaps” sopraindicati, la tesi studia la relazione tra le letterature di PMM e HRM identificando un framework con le principali pratiche di PMM. Successivamente, un’approfondita analisi empirica analizza le pratiche emerse dalla letteratura in un gruppo significativo di PMI innovative. Lo scopo delle tesi, quindi, è di migliorare la conoscenza riguardante il collegamento tra la Performance Measurement and Management e la gestione delle risorse umane nelle pratiche di misurazione e gestione delle prestazioni. La tesi è organizzata in 5 fasi. La prima fase fornisce una preliminare comprensione della relazione tra le due discipline attraverso un’analisi quantitativa della letteratura (Capitolo 4). Essa analizza il trend delle pubblicazioni scientifiche, la struttura e l’evoluzione del collegamento tra le letterature della PMM e della HRM. I risultati della prima fase mostrano una relazione sempre più importante. Infatti, negli ultimi 10 anni questa letteratura ha visto crescere il numero di articoli (+220%), le citazioni (+540%) e i paesi interessati all’argomento. La seconda fase identifica le principali pratiche di performance measurement and management presenti nell’intersezione tra le due letterature attraverso una revisione qualitativa (Capitolo 4). Essa mette luce un nuovo “conceptual framework” basato sulle pratiche di PMM emerse dalla revisione delle due letterature. Inoltre, questa fase identifica l’evoluzione di queste pratiche all’interno della letteratura analizzata. La terza fase analizza una piccola e media impresa innovativa attraverso uno caso studio longitudinale (Capitolo 5). I risultati di questa analisi mostrano che l’azienda ha progressivamente aumentato l’uso delle pratiche di PMM identificate durante la revisione della letteratura. Inoltre, l’azienda mostra una gestione delle prestazioni basata su una condivisione informale degli indicatori di prestazione, supportata dall’uso di nuove tecnologie. La quarta fase studia tre PMI con avanzate pratiche di PMM (Capitolo 6). Come il precedente caso studio, le aziende mostrano un incremento rilevante dell’adozione delle pratiche di PMM evidenziate dalla revisione della letteratura. Concludendo, il principale contributo accademico è l’identificazione di un “conceptual framework” utile ad identificare l’evoluzione delle pratiche di performance measurement and management. Il principale contributo alle aziende è la definizione di innovative pratiche di misurazione e gestione delle prestazioni utili a piccole e medie imprese.

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research study assessed records management practices in the Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA), with the focus being on human resources records. Human resources records management practices were assessed in four key performance areas, namely: policy and regulatory framework, storage requirements, integrity of paper-based and electronic records, and efficiency and effectiveness of the registry system. The assessment tool, as prescribed in the Best Practice Model for Keeping and Managing Paper-Based Employee Records, was used. Research findings showed that LDA's performance in terms of records management practices do not comply with the set policies and regulatory framework and that the storage conditions are insecure. Research findings were evaluated and possible strategies for improving the management of human resources records are recommended. The adoption of awareness campaigns for staff, a coordinated training programme as well as the provision of support of top management, are some of the strategies recommended.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie navorsingstudie is rekords van bestuurpraktyke in die Limpopo Departement van Landbou (LDL) geassesseer, met die fokus op menslikehulpbronrekords. Die menslikehulpbronrekords is geassesseer op grond van vier kernprestasie-areas, naamlik die beleids- en regulatoriese raamwerk, bergingsvereistes, integriteit van papiergebaseerde en elektroniese rekords, en doeltreffendheid en effektiwiteit van die registerstelsel. Die assesseringstelsel soos voorgeskryf deur die Best Practice Model for Keeping and Managing Paper-Based Employee Records is gebruik. Navorsingsbevindings het getoon dat die LDL se prestasie ten opsigte van rekordbestuurpraktyke nie voldoen aan beleide nie en dat ‟n regulatoriese raamwerk en veilige bergingstoestande nie bestaan nie. Navorsingsbevindings is geëvalueer en moontlike strategieë om die bestuur van menslikehulpbronrekords te verbeter, is aanbeveel. Die ingebruikneming van bewusmakingsveldtogte vir personeel, 'n gekoördineerde opleidingsprogrm en ook die verskaffing van steun deur topbestuur is van die strategieë wat aanbeveel word.

This study provides a comprehensive look at the current state of best practices in performance appraisal systems in the public and private sector. From this, the main objective for this research paper is to investigate the reasons why INGOs are not currently able to properly implement a ‘best practices’ based performance appraisal system. Furthermore, this paper will provide both future research questions, as well as practitioner based recommendations. In addition, it will examine the need for higher levels of accountability in INGOs through appropriate performance appraisal systems.

The purpose of this research is to provide a better understanding of the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and innovation. This research responds to calls in the literature on HRM and innovation to consider a wider number of HRM practices that have previously been neglected and are likely to produce a positive impact on innovation awareness and commitment (Shipton et al., 2006; Zhao et al., 2012). Therefore, the research is concerned with a wide number of HRM practices and their impact on innovation awareness and commitment. The underpinning rationale is that while previous studies have revealed that HRM practices can be significant for innovation, these studies are not inclusive, and the research is still scant and in its early stages as there has been a lack of consideration of a comprehensive range of HRM practices (Shipton et al., 2006). In simple terms, previous studies have looked at the relationship between HRM practices and innovation based on a limited number of practices and at the macro or inter-organisational level. Therefore, the fundamental contribution of this thesis is the shift in perspective. While previous research has looked at a limited number of HRM practices that largely appear to be borrowed from high-performance work systems (HPWs), this thesis considers a wider range of practices that can impact on innovation at the intra-organisational level – more specifically, to study employees’ perceptions of HRM practices that may promote innovation awareness and commitment. Innovation awareness and commitment refers to the extent to which the organisation is engaged in innovation. Degree of innovativeness and the open innovation approach are studied in this research, to determine whether HRM practices can impact on radical or incremental open innovation. Additionally, departmental differences are considered in this thesis: that is whether employees in different departments have different perceptions of the extent to which HRM practices promote innovation’. To this end, the data set was obtained from two research phases. A quantitative survey was distributed to 280 employees in a Jordanian telecommunications company. Findings from the first phase of the research indicated a number of new HRM practices that were not recognised by previous studies. This research found a positive impact of HRM practices in promoting innovation, as perceived by employees. HPWs, HRM hygiene factors, motivation and communication were perceived by employees to promote innovation in their organisation. The results show that the relationship between HRM practices and innovation is perceived by employees to promote the origins of innovation, specifically open innovation and radical innovation. No support was found for expectations and sharing information to promote innovation. Phase two of the research consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted with senior managers and employees in the same company that participated in phase one. In phase two of the research, the interviews provided better insights and explanations of the results and findings from the survey questionnaire. The results from phase two confirmed the findings from the statistical analysis, and a distinctive finding was the differences between managers’ and employees’ perceptions of HRM practices. Employees identified or perceived practices that are related to their performance and that enable them to develop their levels of motivation and commitment. Managers identified practices that work in the favour of the organisation, with less focus on employee needs. This was clear when comparing which practices and indications were mentioned by managers and employees. It is worth mentioning here that, given the relatively close conceptualisation in the literature that innovation is a form of organisational performance, this thesis does not intend to rebrand ‘performance’ as ‘innovation’ per se. This is especially in this research as it seeks to understand the relationship between HRM practices and innovation by looking at employees’ perceptions of HRM practices that may promote innovation and cause their company to be perceived as an innovative workplace. This research is probably the first attempt to study the role of a comprehensive list of HRM practices in influencing innovation by considering employees’ perceptions of HRM practices that may promote innovation. Moreover, the intra-organisational level was considered, along with departments, degree of innovativeness (radical-incremental innovation) and types of innovation approach (open vs closed).

Igor Baluch, Inovation of the human resource management system, Department of information technology at the Faculty of informatics a statistics at the University of economics in Prague, head of the dioploma work doc. Ing. Norbert Žid, CSc., Prague 2011, 77 pages The diploma work brings and systematize the latest knowledge at the field of human resource management and it`s support by information technology. Focus of this work is addressed to the most suitable solution of a human resource information system in the VUB Bank, inc. Great attention is paid to the individual phases of the implementation of HRIS: HR strategy, company analysis, selection and implementation of appropriate solutions. The possible structu-re of the RFP is suggested for potential suppliers of solutions.

Qatar in the Arabian Gulf is one of many states worldwide trying to improve governance. In 2008, Qatar introduced various ‘human resources management (HRM) practices to improve management of employees. However, there is a growing belief that importing undiluted systems based on other cultures may potentially erode local Arab culture significantly and harmfully. The research project aimed to evaluate if Government Ministries in Qatar can use principally Western HRM theory and practice to manage employees successfully while still allowing them to preserve and strengthen Arab and Islamic values and identity. Some months into the project which commenced in 2006, the State initiated further major reforms and introduced new Ministers and top executive teams in each of 13 newly created Ministries. This created much additional noise in the data making it difficult to separate the effects of wider reforms from those caused by new HRM practices. Given the difficulties of using more conventional statistical analysis techniques, research then adopted a Mixed-Methods Exploratory Sequential Research Design the research completed extensive and detailed research into HRM systems in place in each Ministry. It also collected data and information about perceptions of executives about HR reforms, leadership and management style and other salient factors. The research reached eleven important findings. Among these, the findings showed the people management systems bore much closer resemblance to classic personnel management system. This negated any likely benefits of introducing HRM. The findings also found considerable differences between the national culture of Qatar and that of the West, from where the State drew many of its new ideas for reform. Adoption of such culturally dissimilar systems had the potential to offset efforts to preserve the Gulf’s highly distinctive culture. The work also make practical recommendations with which reform efforts could be improved, though not at the expense of local culture. The thesis completes with recommendations for further research.

This dissertation presents the findings of an empirical study of the effectiveness of knowledge management practices in an environment of principal-agent and market testing conditions in the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) during the period 2001-2005. Using a grounded theory research approach and a longitudinal case study, the ADO's workforce planning community of practice is the focus of the study. The research is conducted in the context of the knowledge-based view of the firm, which holds that organisational effectiveness and thus sustained competitiveness is dependant on the continual creation, application and protection of new and unique knowledge. Pertinent knowledge management theories are reviewed and reframed in terms of loose coupling concepts, which are then used to describe the variety of knowledge creating relationships and opportunities for workforce planning that become apparent during the course of field research studies. The impact of market testing, as a precursor to outsourcing, on the creation of new knowledge in workforce planning is examined progressively during field studies. The role of leadership in maintaining effective workforce knowledge management practices emerges as the primary category in the loose coupling analysis process. The paper suggests that in order to sustain competitive advantage in workforce planning that is conducted in a commercial support or market testing environment, trust-based leadership and the use of appropriate knowledge management practices are necessary. The dissertation has important implications for research and practice. Specifically, the loose coupling framework provides a focus for literature reviews in future research of knowledge management and, in terms of professional practice, the framework is developed into an aide-m??moire that can be used to enhance knowledge management practices to meet workforce planning objectives. The aide-m??moire potentially has wider application as a tool to assess the effectiveness of knowledge management within the organisation as well as informing the selection of remedial knowledge management practices. Limitations of the paper are acknowledged and recommendations are made for further research.

Tourism and hospitality play a crucial role in the growth of the Thai economy and hoteliers need to consider how to retain their talented employees. The major output of tourism and hospitality is service and this is most critically driven by the human capital of the organisation and supported by human resource practices. This study examined workforce expectations and experiences of work relationships, job security, WLB, pay and remuneration, PM systems, career promotion, training and development and challenging job roles in luxury five-star hotels in Thailand. It employs a multi-method research design using a pragmatic lens, mixed methods and sequential explanatory design through a survey of 578 respondents, followed by 62 semi-structured interviews, the study shows that national chain hotels are more willing and better able to adapt their HR practices initiatives to local conditions when compared to local and international chain hotels. Thai hotel employees emphasise harmonious social relations and a physical closeness to be taken care of by their supervisors and management team like family members. They are increasingly aware of the need for bundles of HR practices and managers therefore need to understand their workforce and the need to incorporate more flexibility in their working practices as part of a brandconsistent system. Finally, managers need to consider the relational psychological contract of the workforce and understand workforce commitment and how this relates to the broader strategy of the organisation.

Ce travail de recherche s’intéresse aux nouvelles formes de gouvernance partenariales et non pas seulement actionnariales induites par les démarches de Responsabilité Sociale des Entreprises (RSE). Ces formes de gouvernance interrogent notamment le management des ressources humaines et les pratiques de participation mises en œuvre à l’égard des salariés. En effet, c'est à travers une participation individuelle directe ou indirecte, par l'intermédiaire des instances représentatives du personnel que les salariés peuvent faire entendre leurs revendications et exprimer leurs besoins et attentes au sein de l'entreprise. Les pratiques de participation contribueraient ainsi à la mise en œuvre d’un comportement socialement responsable tout comme la RSE contribuerait à un management responsable en prenant en considération les parties-prenantes de l’organisation. Par conséquent, la question est de savoir si les entreprises actives en matière de RSE, et notamment dans son volet social, mettent en œuvre des pratiques concrètes en faveur de leurs salariés dans le souci de leurs intérêts à travers des formes de participation et d’expression. Autrement dit, il s’agit de mettre en lumière le lien entre les pratiques de participation et la RSE. Le travail s’appuie sur une enquête réalisée au sein de PME luxembourgeoises. Des modèles de régression logistique montrent que la RSE dans le domaine social serait positivement associée au recours à des pratiques de GRH participatives par les PME. En revanche, le lien entre les pratiques de négociation avec les délégués du personnel et les pratiques de RSE semble moins étroit. Si la RSE ne favorise pas la négociation, elle semble néanmoins favoriser la consultation des délégués du personnel. Aussi, l’engagement RSE des PME associé à des pratiques de GRH participatives, n’indique pas que ces pratiques se substituent à la participation représentative. Ces travaux mettent plutôt en exergue une complémentarité des modes de participation et d’expression dans le cadre de la RSE<br>This research work focuses on new forms of partnership governance and not just shareholder governance driven by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approaches. These forms of governance notably question the management of human resources and the participation practices implemented with regard to employees. Indeed, it is through direct or indirect individual participation, through employee representatives, that employees can make their demands heard and express their needs and expectations within the company. Participation practices would thus contribute to the implementation of socially responsible behavior just as CSR would contribute to responsible management by taking into account the stakeholders.Therefore, the question is whether companies engaged in CSR, and particularly in its social aspect, implement concrete practices in favor of their employees through different forms of participation. In other words, it is about highlighting the link between participation practices and CSR.The work is based on a survey conducted in Luxembourg SMEs. Logistic regression models show that CSR in the social domain is positively associated with the use of participatory HRM practices by SMEs. On the other hand, the link between bargaining practices with employee representatives and CSR practices seems less close. While CSR does not promote negotiation, it nevertheless seems to favor the consultation of employee representatives. Also, the CSR commitment of SMEs associated with participatory HRM practices, does not indicate that these practices replace representative participation. This work highlights rather the complementarity of different participation and expression practices as part of CSR activity

[EN] This doctoral thesis analyses human resources management evolution in organizations. That is, changes introduced throughout people management. The key objective is to analyze how organizations evolve and change over time by means of human capital. Recent years have demonstrated that levels of adjustment and change required by organizations in order to adapt to a changing environment, are increasingly high. One of the main drivers behind this organizational change, is the introduction of new programs and tools that help organizations to improve their business performance. This work is focused on the identification and analysis of such programs in the field of human resources management. In particular: what sort of HRM practices are implemented, in what sort of organization, at which point in time, and finally, in which order. Although there are numerous studies to date analyzing HRM practices, none of them introduce methodologies that consider order or time factor within the management process of HR. This is the reason why 'path dependence' and 'cladistics' approaches are introduced in this doctoral thesis. 'Path dependence' approach shows how certain management decision taken at a certain point of time, influence future decisions. This makes it all the more essential to press ahead with analysis of where we come from and which path we have followed before being designed the future strategy of the organization. According to this approach, throughout this doctoral thesis, cladistics is used as methodology for analyzing organizations from a different perspective of people management compared to the habitual viewpoints. Cladistics is a methodology that can be used in the decision-making process; moreover, it allows identifying the expected result of implementing certain bundles of HRM practices, taking also into account HRM practices already implemented. It considers therefore, also prior organization history. This methodology, for the analysis and classification, has been commonly used in the field of biology for many years. Throughout this doctoral thesis, the transference of this methodology to HRM is shown. Biologist use Cladistics in order to build evolutionary maps termed as cladograms. Cladograms are graphic representations of animal species evolution. This methodology has already been used in fields other than biology, such as linguistics or astronomy among others. In management, it has not yet been developed sufficiently; in particular, the most relevant examples in this field are in operations management area. The purpose of this work is to extrapolate the basics of Cladistics to HRM field. In doing so, HRM practices have been analyzed, such as personnel selection, rewards systems, appraisal systems, training, etc¿ The bundle of HRM practices that certain organization has been implemented at certain point of time will determine what kind of organization is. Thus, a evolutionary map is built. It can be use as a benchmarking tool in order to analyze what sort of HRM practices has been implemented by competitors, haw far they have gone, and in what sort of organization have become. In this work, a simple example of evolution in time of Spanish manufacturing companies is shown. The organization growth in size (number of employees) has been considered as evolutionary factor. This is due to the fact that, as number of employees increase, HRM programs have to be different. Furthermore, a preliminary application of Cladistics is offered in hospitality sector.<br>[ES] La presente tesis estudia la evolución del sistema de gestión de recursos humanos en las organizaciones. Es decir, cambios introducidos a través de la gestión de personas. El objetivo principal de la tesis es analizar cómo las empresas van evolucionando y cambiando en el tiempo a través del capital humano. En los últimos años se ha demostrado que los niveles de adaptación y cambio que requieren las organizaciones para adaptarse a su entorno cambiante, son cada vez más elevados. Uno de los motores que facilitan este cambio organizacional, es la introducción de nuevos programas de gestión y herramientas que ayuden a las organizaciones a mejorar sus resultados empresariales. Este trabajo se centra en la identificación y análisis de estos programas en el ámbito de la gestión de RRHH. En particular: qué prácticas de RRHH se implementan, en qué tipo de empresas, en qué momento y, por último, en qué orden. Aunque ya existen numerosos estudios que analizan las prácticas de RRHH, hasta el momento, no existen herramientas que introduzcan el factor orden o tiempo en este proceso gestión de RRHH. Ésta es la causa por en esta tesis se utilizan los enfoques de 'path dependence' y 'cladistics'. El concepto de 'Path dependence', muestra cómo las decisiones de gestión que son tomadas en un momento determinado, influyen en las decisiones futuras. Este hecho hace que, antes de diseñar la estrategia a seguir en el futuro, se haya de analizar de dónde venimos y que camino se ha seguido para llegar hasta aquí. Bajo este enfoque, a lo largo de esta tesis, se utiliza la cladística como metodología de análisis de las organizaciones desde una perspectiva de gestión de personas diferente a las habituales en este ámbito. La Cladistica es una metodología que puede ser empleada como herramienta de toma de decisiones, y que permite identificar qué resultado se obtendría tras implantar un conjunto determinado de prácticas de gestión de RRHH, en función de las que ya se han implantado previamente (y por tanto de la historia previa de la organización). Esta metodología de análisis y clasificación ha sido comúnmente empleada en el ámbito de la biología y a lo largo de la presente tesis, se muestra cómo puede transferirse a la gestión de RRHH. Los biólogos, emplean la Cladística para la construcción de mapas evolutivos denominados cladogramas. Éstos son representaciones gráficas de la evolución de las especies animales. Si bien esta metodología se ha empleado ya en otros ámbitos diferentes a la biología, tales como la lingüística o la astronomía entre otros; en el área de management se ha desarrollado poco aún estando enmarcados los ejemplos más relevantes en el área de la gestión de operaciones. En este trabajo se extrapolan los conceptos básicos de la Cladistica al área de la gestión de recursos humanos. Para ello se estudian las prácticas de recursos humanos, tales como la selección de personal, sistemas de retribución, sistemas de evaluación, formación, etc¿ El tipo de prácticas de RRHH que ha seguido una determinada organización a lo largo del tiempo, es lo que determinará a qué tipo de organización pertenecen. Así, se construye un mapa evolutivo que puede emplearse como herramienta de benchmarking para ver qué practicas han implementado otros, dónde han llegado con ello y en qué tipo de organización se han convertido. En esta tesis se muestra un ejemplo sencillo de evolución en el tiempo de empresas en el sector manufacturero español, considerando como factor evolutivo el crecimiento en tamaño de organización (número de empleados). Entendiendo que, a medida que se incrementa el número de empleados, los programas de gestión de personas han de ser diferentes. Así mismo, se presenta una aplicación preliminar de la Cladistica al sector hospitality.<br>[CAT] Aquesta tesi estudia l'evolució del sistema de gestió de recursos humans a les organitzacions. És a dir, els canvis realitzats a través de la gestió de persones. L'objectiu principal de la tesi és analitzar com les empreses estan evolucionant i canviant en el temps a través de la capital humà. En els darrers anys s'ha demostrat que els nivells d'adaptació i canvi que requereixen les organitzacions a adaptar-se al seu entorn canviant, són cada cop més elevats. Un dels motors que facilita aquest canvi organitzacional és la introducció de nous programes de gestió i ferramentes que ajuden les organitzacions a millorar els seus resultats de negoci. Aquest treball es centra en la identificació i anàlisi d'aquests programes en l'àmbit de gestió de recursos humans. En particular: quines pràctiques RRHH estan implementades, a quin tipus d'empreses, quan i, finalment, en quin ordre. Encara que hi ha nombrosos estudis que analitzen les pràctiques RRHH, fins ara, no hi ha cap ferramenta que introdueixen el factor ordre o temps en aquest procés de gestió de recursos humans. Aquesta és la raó per la cual s'utilitzen en aquesta tesi els enfocaments de "dependència del camí' i 'cladística'. El concepte de "Path dependence", mostra com les decisions de gestió que es prenen en un moment donat, influencien les decisions futures. Això significa que, abans de dissenyar l'estratègia a seguir en el futur, cal analitzar d'on venim així com el camí que s'ha seguit per arribar fins ací. Davall este enfocament, al llarg d'esta tesi, s'utilitza la cladística com a metodologia d'anàlisi de les organitzacions des d'una perspectiva de gestió de persones diferent de les habituals en este àmbit. La Cladistica és una metodologia que pot ser empleada com a ferramenta de presa de decisions, i que permet identificar què resultat s'obtindria després d'implantar un conjunt determinat de pràctiques de gestió de RRHH, en funció de què ja s'han implantat prèviament (i per tant de la història prèvia de l'organització). Esta metodologia d'anàlisi i classificació ha sigut comunament empleada en l'àmbit de la biologia i al llarg de la present tesi, es mostra com pot transferir-se a la gestió de RRHH. Els biòlegs, usen la Cladística per a la construcció de mapes evolutius denominats cladogramas. Aquests són representacions gràfiques de l'evolució d'spècies animals. Si bé esta metodologia s'ha utilitzat ja en altres àmbits diferents de la biologia, com ara la lingüística o l'astronomia entre altres; en l'àrea de management s'ha desenvolupat poc encara, estant emmarcats els exemples més rellevants en l'àrea de la gestió d'operacions. En aquest treball s'extrapolen els conceptes bàsics de la Cladistica a l'àrea de la gestió de recursos humans. Per a això s'estudien les pràctiques de recursos humans, com ara la selecció de personal, sistemes de retribució, sistemes d'avaluació, formació, etc... Les pràctiques de recursos humans que ha seguit una organització particular al llarg del temps, és el que determinarà a quin tipus d'organització pertanyen. Així, es construïx un mapa evolutiu que es pot utilitzar com a ferramenta de benchmarking per a veure què practiques ha implementat la competnecia, a on han arribat amb això, i en quin tipus d'organització s'han convertit. A aquesta tesi es mostra un exemple senzill d'evolució en el temps d'empreses en el sector manufacturer espanyol, considerant com a factor evolutiu el creixement en grandària de l'organització (nombre d'empleats) . Entenent que, a mesura que s'incrementa el nombre d'empleats, els programes de gestió de persones han de ser diferents. Així mateix, es presenta una aplicació preliminar de la Cladistica al sector hospitality.<br>Perelló Marín, MR. (2015). Study of evolution in human resources management programs in organizations. Application of "Path Dependence" and "Cladistics" [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/54110<br>TESIS

This thesis investigates the public sector in Latvia and the research question is “what is the nature of transition of Human Resource Management ideologies and paradigms against the backdrop of larger scale dynamic development in Latvia?” The interest within this research is that of the contextual paradigmatic view of Human Resource Management (HRM) (Brewster et al., 2010; Brewster, 1999; Moreley, 2004) exploring the contextual factors, or surrounding antecedents of HRM (Brewster, et al., 2010). The research is a case study of the public sector within the State of Latvia for what became a journey through the complex history of this country revealing a state with a varied and dramatic past which has been subject to various invasions, occupations and subjected to the control and command society of the Soviet Union for a considerable number of years. The journey from Soviet control of the politically motivated ‘cadre’ system into independence has provided a rich source of research exploring how human resource management (HRM) has developed within the public sector. This was investigated as a case study since it is a ‘constant’ in relation to changes and a good indicator of attitudes to management from a national perspective. As well as past ‘models’ or attitudes to HRM from a Soviet perspective, various models of HRM have been explored and discussed, particularly in relation to the universalistic nature of Westernised typologies. The concept of a European model has been considered and discussed with consideration of various ‘clusters’ of practices which take into account cultural aspects, in particular national culture, as an important element within the study. Overarching this is the growing interest in convergence or divergence of HRM as the Central Eastern European states have developed post-independence (Brewster, 2004). The mixed methods approach used is firmly place within the qualitative field or phenomenological approach and explores aspects such as behaviour, perspectives, experiences and feelings (Atkinson et al., 2001; Marshall and Rossman, 2006). The research utilises grounded theory building (Glaser and Straus, 1967; Charmaz, 2014; Bryant and Charmaz, 2007; Strauss and Corbin, 1997; Glaser, 2002)) combining multiple data collection methods taking a pragmatic approach to research. The level of analysis explores the macro, meso and micro level environments of the Latvian public sector. The macro-level concerns interactions between state and society from a broad perspective, fundamentally this is the level where decision-making takes place, the meso-level explores individual ‘behaviours’ embedded in every day social practices shaped or constrained by material and infrastructural contexts and the micro-level of individual behaviour and action). Exploratory research has considered historical accounts along with what was sparse research within the area. A Soviet perspective was considered for the period immediately preceding independence. Elite interviews were carried out followed by a survey questionnaire. The opportunity to enter the organisation and undertake observations was thwarted by a change of government and therefore ‘access’ afforded to the researcher. The findings are integrated throughout this work as is the nature of grounded theory building, and given the paucity of research has become part of a wider social study of a system finding its identity through difficult times. The results and analysis takes into account not only elite interviews and the survey questionnaire but also background historical research. The result is a fertile breeding ground for investigation which offers many avenues for further research. Various questions for future research are raised within the thesis and remain an interest of the researcher to take forward.

Human resource accounting is a concept that was created to deal with the problem of the measurement of the value of human capital. This concept can be very influential for many different human resource practices. This concept is of the utmost importance as it deals with one of the biggest problems within the sectors of accounting and human resources, the constant seeking of an acceptable way of acknowledging human capital in the financial statements as an asset and not as an expense. The skills and knowledge that people can bring into a company are vital for its prosperity and yet no realized. Hereby identifying the similarities and differences in the decision-making factors of HR managers between traditional accounting and human resources accounting (HRA) focused organizations, we want to examine the perceptions of managers who work under both types of organizations. Therefore, the research question we have formulated is the following: What are the similarities and differences between the decision-making processes of HR managers of Traditional accounting and Human Resource Accounting focused organizations? The field of HRA is not new. It is approximately 70 years old, but progress in it has stopped for a while now. The problem besides that is that it is not accepted by international accounting principles. However, nowadays more and more companies try to find a way to allow them to use HRA. In this paper, we have managed to interview HR managers that are currently working under HRA or traditional accounting practices. We selected HR practices in which HRA can have a strong influence so that we can understand and examine how it influences the decision-making process of the managers. The choice of Patterson´s model was based on the fact that it contains four HR practices (recruitment and selection, training and development, retention and turnover, and performance management), in which HRA has a strong influence. Overall, our findings showed us that when it comes to recruitment &amp; selection, and retention &amp; turnover there are more differences between HRA-focused and traditional accounting-focused organizations than in the practices of training &amp; development and performance management. The main difference in recruitment and selection is that HRA-focused organizations make decisions based on measuring the total cost and value of their resources; in training and development the main difference is that HRA-focused organizations calculate the cost of learning by HRA; in retention and turnover, the main difference is that HRA focused organizations can calculate and forecast all cost have already spent and need to spend for replacement an employee, and finally in the performance management the main difference is that HRA focused organizations take into serious consideration the job level of their employees in contrast to traditional accounting focused ones. This offered us the chance to develop a suggested framework. It is based on Patterson’s model but also includes our findings. Finally, we believe that this paper has the possibility to contribute in many different ways. For example, it can be used as a manual from HR managers in order to help them see and understand the differences and similarities between HRA and traditional accounting and extensively manage to focus on the important factors for each respective practice. Moreover, the findings could contribute to the general evolution of HRA, as this paper is one of the few that have approached the HRA concept via qualitative research.

My thesis contributes to research on the consequences of labour market institutions for employment using an original Greek dataset I have constructed, the TERS. This survey gives a representative sample of micro-enterprises as well as small and medium enterprises. I investigate whether firms use temporary (and family) employment as "escape" routes from mandated wage floors (corporate collective wage agreements) and working conditions floors (employment protection legislation (EPL) monitored by the Labour Inspectorate). My basic hypothesis is thus that temporary and family work are forms of insurance for the poorer firms which cannot cope with EPL coupled with wage floors. I find significant wage floor effects, in particular, where firms have many workers at the minimum (or below it - in the case of "grey" market firms), they are more likely to employ temporary workers. The implication is that where firms have many workers on the minimum they are likely to worry about the possibility of a rise in the minimum, and hence will employ on a more temporary basis. Wage floors thus matter. I also find significant EPL effects. In particular, firms whose managers believe that temps have low EPL are more likely to employ temps, ceteris paribus. My result thus shows that an advantage of employing temps is quite simply their low EPL. My findings for family worker employment are similarly confirmatory. Workplaces in the "grey" category, paying low wages probably below nationally agreed rates, are much more likely to employ a high percentage of family workers, other things equal-they are easy to layoff, and less likely to complain about low wages. The policy implication of my research is therefore that Greece's wages and working conditions floors indeed appear both to promote precarious temporary employment, and also small-scale family business, which is not the way to grow and prosper.

In recent years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rapidly developed into a dynamic global economy with the influx of foreign ideas and practices, facilitated by the development of the Internet and associated technologies. As with many organisations worldwide, staff retention problems affect organisational productivity and performance. Managers face the challenge of having to address retention problems in the context of increasing competition in the global marketplace. It is against this background that this research will look into employee retention problems within the socio‐economic context of the UAE. This study brings into focus the extent to which human resource management (HRM) practices and organisational culture in the UAE affect employee retention in public organisations. The purpose of this study was to identify HR practices and other factors such as job satisfaction, organisational commitments and leadership practice that affect employee retention in the UAE with emphasis on public organisations, in a comparative study of Sharjah and Dubai. To accomplish this task, both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed. The research questions were answered through two research phases involving four distinct research tools. The first phase involved a survey of Sharjah’s and Dubai’s governmental organisations, and provided specific information about employees in these organisations. Of 300 targeted respondents, 154 completed the survey questionnaire, a 51.33% response rate. In the second phase, in‐depth interviews with fifty former employees, also from Sharjah, were conducted; in the third, semi‐structured interviews with 7 HR professionals, also in Sharjah, were utilised; and the fourth research method used focus groups. The research used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data gathering and analysis.

This dissertation provides a journey into the world of beliefs and values of Saudi Arabia’s organisations, people and society at large, and how these influence and shape HRM practices and the employment relationship in the country. Designed as a single country case study, the dissertation uses a multi-case research design where two large companies operating in Saudi Arabia (an indigenous and a foreign multinational corporation) are explored and compared through methodological triangulation in data collection methods (interviews, surveys and focus group). The main findings identify that institutional pressures (regulatory and normative) are strong catalysts facilitating the impact of Islamic teachings on the workplace in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The regulative forces represent the organisations’ rules, regulatory constraints (forced by regulatory bodies) and penalties for violations. They are a result of the KSA’s legal system and its political culture. The normative forces identify values and social behavioural norms which define how things should be done within the organisation. They are a result of the wider Saudi culture. Apart from its contribution to knowledge of the HRM practices of Saudi Arabia at micro- and meta- level, the dissertation also provides an analysis at two additional levels. it contributes firstly to the growing knowledge on the influence of Islamic beliefs in the workplace, and secondly, to the enlargement of theory on the subject of religion and its impact in the workplace. Moreover, the dissertation makes a contribution to the literature on HRM practices and approaches in Saudi Arabia. This extends to other countries of the Arab Gulf, holding strong potential to become a source of knowledge and reference for foreign organisations which operate and wish to operate in that region.

In his thesis the impact of utilising formal and informal HRM policies and practices in managing work and family conflict in Bhutanese small and medium enterprises is examined through two studies. In study 1 employers and employees are interviewed to explore the current formal and informal HRM policies and practices that help employees to manage the balance between work and family demands. In study 2 an online survey is used to examine the link between employees’ utilisation of formal and informal HRM policies and practices and the conflict between work and family matters. The findings from Study 1 shows informal flexible working hours are important and study 2 findings indicate that using these informal HR practice significantly helps reduce conflict between work and family demands. The research extends our understanding of work and life balance and the HRM literature through unpacking the relationship between informal HRM practices in the context of an emerging economy.

This study examines and aims to disclose the current policies and practices of Training and Development (T&D) within Kuwaiti government and private/joint-venture organisations. The literature review indicates that although much attention has been devoted in studying Training and Development practices, a very few focus on T&D related factors on organisation performance in developing countries. The literature also indicates the need for considering these factors in order to have a better T&D effectiveness, and hence organisation overall performance. In this study the Training for Impact model was adopted and tested within Kuwaiti context in terms of training needs assessment and evaluation and follow-up. This research uses data collected from 100 organisations in Kuwait. 50 of these were government and 50 private /joint venture listed in Kuwait Stock Exchange. Therefore, all managers (100 training personnel) who are in charge of T&D function/programmes, were samples of the respondents of the present study. The main data collection methods adopted by this study were interviews (semi-structured) and "drop-in and pick-up" self-completion questionnaires. The data were quantitatively analysed and triangulation of quantitative findings was carried out in order to find out the difference between the two sectors in Kuwait in terms of T&D practices and related factors. To establish a causal connection between related factors and identified dimensions (T&D effectiveness, organisational rating, and satisfaction with evaluation process), a multiple regression technique was employed. The major findings of this study are noted below: Results indicate that the majority of the investigated organisations do not have a formal T&D system. T&D programmes are still carried out on a piecemeal basis rather than a systematic long-term policy. Findings which were common among the majority of the approached organisations were absence of a systematic organisational training needs analysis, use of conventional training methods, lack of effective procedures for T&D evaluation. The study explores the training personnel's way of thinking towards their T&D function and to the proposed T&D dimensions framework (integrated HRD strategy, top and line management commitment, a supportive formal system, T&D mechanism, organisational culture, and training budget). The findings indicate that most of the training personnel perceived these dimensions as providing motivation, commitment and support to their T&D function. Six main factors were found to influence T&D practices in government and private/joint venture organisations. These factors are: top management commitment, mutual support between organisational philosophy and T&D activities, line management support T&D involvement in organisation strategy, T&D policies and plans, and T&D effects on employees self-development. The study also identifies T&D effects on organisation performance in Kuwaiti organisations in terms of eliminating problems; increasing commitment and motivation; fulfilling individual needs and personal objectives, improving interpersonal and interdepartmental relations, improving quality of goods and services; and leading to effective utilisation and investment in human resources. In addition the study establishes a causal connection of T&D related factors with performance dimensions, organisation rating, and satisfaction of T&D evaluation. The author recommends that for the T&D function to be treated as seriously as other organisational functions, then Kuwaiti training personnel, as well as top and line management, need to be more willing to play proactive and strategic organisational roles in T&D activities.

<p>This exploratory study seeks to critically explore human resources development with regard to the career needs and stages of the Namibian Police (NAMPOL). Documents were perused on the issue of the current human resources development and its relevancy to the training and development within the Namibian Police. Questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of NAMPOL officials from different departments of the police. Interviews were also conducted with selected officials on training and development of personnel. Recommendations are given as a model for improving the Namibian Police human resources development system as an effective training and capacity building system for members of the police force to perform their tasks effectively.</p>

Small business enterprises (SBEs) are significant contributors to business growth and employment in the United States, but despite governmental support, the failure rate of SBEs is high. Some small business leaders lack the critical management skills to detect or discover when underperformance in revenue-generation is due to gaps in organizational knowledge or business practices associated with managing knowledge assets. Guided by the knowledge-based view of the firm, the purpose of this multiple case study was to address that gap by exploring the skills needed by leaders to understand how deficiencies in their knowledge management practices contribute to underperformance. Semistructured interview data were collected from a sample of 10 small business leaders in the northeast and west. Data from publicly available documentation consisting of sales brochures, press releases, and participant company websites were also collected. Data analysis entailed using keyword frequency comparisons, coding techniques, and cluster analysis. The key themes indicate that the participants' document management practices and misaligned core business practices impeded value creation. The recommended change in business practices for small business leaders is to formalize social engagement with customers, use document management tools, and adopt process management techniques. The implications for social change include mitigating the harmful effects of business failure on society associated with job loss, stress-related disabilities, and reduced charitable donations to groups serving disadvantaged citizens. The beneficiaries of this research include small business leaders, business practitioners, and policy makers.

The study of career paths within organizations is an issue that has received strong attention in the theoretical literature of organizational economics and management1. From the empirical point of view, however, research in this topic is scarcer and less comprehensive. The gap has been caused to a large extent by the unavailability of data tracking worker's career moves in employee-level surveys and by the lack of information about career management policies in firm-level data. This thesis contributes to fill such hole. It investigates how workers' careers and their behavior as managers depend on the characteristics of the firms where they work and their own personal characteristics, with a strong emphasis in the role of human capital. The research is carried out using micro data at both worker and firm level, available only in relatively recent data sets.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>The interaction between accumulation of human capital and workers' employment horizons has been frequently recognized as a key issue in explaining why some firms maintain long-term relationships with their employees while others remain closer to what it could be considered spot-market labor contracting. There are nonetheless important factors that have been usually absent in the literature of organizations. This is the case of internal firm structures that may improve or discourage the interactions between different hierarchical levels, affecting eventually to the costs of job change involved in promotions. Both human capital and organization-relational aspects of career paths are objects of study of this thesis. First, it is analyzed how the characteristics of employers and the markets where they work affect the general or firm-specific nature of employees' human capital and, therefore, to the type of employment relationship held. Second, it is investigated how differences in employees' personal characteristics affect their career horizons, the management of their human capital and the type of career moves done. Finally, the effects of these factors on career path outcomes are examined, in terms of leadership behavioral differences among those arriving at managerial levels. A particular attention is paid the important differences between the careers of men and women that are also found in their managerial style.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Overall, the research presented here sheds light on what career management schemes adapt better to different product and labor market circumstances. It opens as well a number of challenges for the study of human resources management and shows that population-wide surveys can be very useful tools to carry out empirical investigations in this area, usually dominated by narrower and less representative surveys.

Asia’s growth in prominence over the last decade is a phenomenon that has seen some governments and international financial institutions defining the twenty-first century as the Asian Century, in which Asia will be the focus of economic growth (Kohli, Sharma & Sood, 2011). The wealth in the major economies of Asia will see an increase in a dominant middle-income group, with strong spending power not only in terms of lifestyle domestically, but also internationally. This group’s quest for the finer things in life will transform the hospitality industry in countries such as Singapore and Macau: both are international metropolises with numerous five-star hotels and resorts. The subsequent expansion in the hospitality industry in these countries has resulted in a tight labour market whereby the respective governments introduced national policies with varying impact on the labour market. This research will investigate how these national policies are translated into Human Resources (HR) policies by HR managers; what the influencing factors in the translation process are; and the difference between the HR policies between Singapore and Macau. Before 2002, the then Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau (STDM) (now Sociedade de Jogos de Macau) was the only organisation in Macau with a casino within its hotel. This changed when the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government liberalised the hospitality and gaming industry to enable the entry of other operators into the market, in the form of Integrated Resorts and Hotels (IR&H) with both gaming and non-gaming facilities. In 2005 Singapore passed legislation that allowed for the establishment of IR&H that encompass Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) and a theme park. The relationship between the national employment policy, the constantly changing labour landscape and the political environment that impacts on the national regulatory policies requires HR personnel to keep abreast of the regulatory changes that could be translated into the HR practices of the IR&H. It is these various and varying factors as they relate to Macau and Singapore that will be examined in this study. The aim of this research, therefore, is to examine and compare the national employment policies of Macau and Singapore to determine how organisations translate these policies into their HR practice.