PurposeThis research approaches human resource management (HRM) as a service and aims to develop and test a process for improving perceived HRM service quality.Design/methodology/approachA three-step process was developed by incorporating concepts and tools from service design approach. Based on the literature, it was hypothesized that applying this process could improve perception of HRM service quality, perceived HRM service value, level of leader–member exchanges along with perceived organizational support, role clarity and role ambiguity. A case study was conducted and these variables were measured and compared, before and after testing the process for a test group and a control group within an organization.FindingsThe main findings suggest the effectiveness of the presented process in improving the perceived HRM service quality and social exchanges (in terms of perceived organizational support and leader–member exchanges), while reducing role conflict and role ambiguity in employees and supervisors.Practical implicationsIn a general sense, the obtained result implies that leveraging holistic and collaborative service design tools and concepts in (re)designing internal services, such as HRM, could improve perception of quality in organizational services, which in turn may lead to several important benefits for organizations, particularly in terms of HRM as per the context of this study.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates development of an employee-centered method by borrowing from service design concepts and tools, to improve the perception of HRM service quality.

Purpose This paper aims to explore professional product designers’ views on creative design and to compare their viewpoints with the related academic literature on product marketing. Design/methodology/approach To find the designers’ views on creative design, face-to-face in-depth interviews based on repertory grid analysis and semi-structured questions were conducted with 32 professional and award-wining product designers who mostly design for international producers. Findings Although marketing scholars often approach design as a noun – something that can be viewed and analysed as a bundle of attributes, dimensions or characteristics – professional designers view design differently. To them, design is a verb, a problem-solving process through which they meet the challenges consumers have with products. Comparing professional product designers’ views on design creativity with the main topics in the product marketing literature places scholars’ dispositionalism against designers’ situationalism; it also enables marketing scholars to improve their viewpoints on product design and to bring practical problem-solving and design thinking into their research. This also increases mutual understanding between marketers and designers. Research limitations/implications This research enhances the knowledge of marketing scholars, marketers and designers about each other’s perspectives on product design creativity, which will improve their mutual understanding and the business-to-business relationship between marketers and designers. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first study that has attempted to discover product designers’ opinions on the main topics in the related academic literature.

PurposeWhile studies have established the important role of change agents throughout organizational change programs and emphasized the change agents’ impact on outcomes of change efforts, it could be argued that the decision-making procedure for the selection of change agents may also influence the success of organizational change programs in several ways. This research aims to explore and compare the potential influence of a traditional change agent selection procedure with a more systematic and objective approach.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study has been conducted, before and after testing a group decision support system for the selection of change agents in an organization that was on the verge of a major rebranding.FindingsThe main findings suggest the importance of objectivity, transparency and attention to competency in the selection procedure for the role, while providing evidence for using a systematic participative decision-support process for the selection of change agents, leading to several desirable organizational outcomes, including improvements in perception of objectivity, trust, transparency, fairness and competency related to the selection process.Originality/valueDrawing from the previous studies and the presented findings, this study offers evidence on the importance of paying attention to the selection procedure for the change agent role as it could potentially have an influence on the employees across organizations and, consequently, the success of change programs.

Purpose Supervisors play an important role in the implementation of organizational policies and practices. This study aims to examine the role of supervisors as both recipients and main implementers of organizational change by investigating how supervisors’ relationship with organization would affect their attitude toward change (ATC) and how employees–supervisor relationship, as perceived by employees, would influence their reaction to change. Design/methodology/approach The influence of participation, perceived organizational support (POS) and mutual expectation clarity (MEC) on supervisors’ ATC was examined, along with the influence of leader–member exchange, perception of supervisor’s expressed ATC and also supervisors’ organizational status on employees’ ATC. Two studies were conducted in a chain hospital in India. Findings The findings suggest that supervisors’ ATC improved by higher participation, POS and MEC. Also, while employees’ change attitude was predicted by how they perceived their supervisors’ status, expressed reaction toward change and perception of employee–supervisor relationship, for employees who either perceived highly negative change attitude of their supervisors or believed that their supervisors had low organizational status, the employee–supervisor relationship had almost no effect on improving employees’ attitude. Originality/value Considering that supervisors often tend to engage in professional relationships with their subordinate employees, little is investigated on how, through the lens of relationships, supervisors may affect employees’ ATC. This paper attempts to make a difference by conducting two connected studies in a chain hospital to examine how supervisors – as recipients and implementers of organizational policies and practices – could influence employees’ ATC. The findings suggest managerial implications that could inform practitioners toward improvement of employee buy-ins for change programs.

With the growing interest in sustainability, its incorporation in business management, and its inevitable intersection with the management of human resources, some scholars and practitioners have highlighted the potential benefits of successful implementation of sustainable human resource management as a source of competitive advantage. While this may denote a corporation’s capacity to respond to a wider range of needs and requirements beyond economic targets, researchers draw on different theories to point out the possible adverse consequences of adopting such multiple bottom-line approaches for employees. This study builds on ideas from previous research, particularly the works of Bush (2018), Bowen and Ostroff (2004) to 1) examine if the perceived degree of emphasis on a triple-bottom-line (TBL) approach is related to role ambiguity and role conflict; 2) investigate if the elements of human resource management system strength are related to role conflict and role ambiguity and, if these elements can moderate the relationship between the perceived degree of emphasis on TBL approach, role ambiguity, and role conflict. While the findings support the link between taking a TBL approach and role ambiguity and role conflict, it offers evidence that a strong human resource management system may reduce the role ambiguity and role conflict resulting from taking such approaches. Managerial implications and future research directions conclude this research