Scholars have noted the relative lack of research on the contribution of effective staffing practices to organizational level measures of performance (Schmitt & Schneider, 1983). We collected survey data from the heads of the HRM departments of 201 organizations regarding the extent of use of five staffing practices supported by the academic literature. We also investigated whether organizations that used more of these practices had higher levels of profitability and sales growth than organizations that used fewer of them. We found a significant positive relationship between organizations’use of the five staffing practices and both annual profit and profit growth across all industries. However, the strength of the relationship between the use of the staffing practices and organizational performance was found to vary by industry type. We also found that the extent of use of the staffing practices was related to both industry type and organizational size. Our study provides some initial data on the possible positive impact of these staffing practices on organizational level outcomes.

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Professional salespeople are often placed in situations where role conflict and ambiguity are prevalent. They are generally expected to sell a firm's products and services to generate immediate profits, while simultaneously building customer satisfaction and promoting lifetime customers and the long-term economic viability of the firm. The concept of customer-oriented selling illustrates the conflict, as salespeople are required to forgo immediate benefits in lieu of longterm rewards. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships existing between customer-oriented selling, emotional intelligence, and organizational commitment. The results indicate that a salesperson's customer orientation level is significantly related to emotional intelligence. Implications of the findings indicate that managers should consider using emotional intelligence as a selection and human-resource development tool, as improvements in emotional intelligence are correlated with greater levels of customer orientation.

The purpose of this study was to identify the reasons why some organizations do not employ certain HRM practices that could increase levels of employee performance and organizational profitability. The focus was on the staffing area (recruitment and selection) of HRM.1 Specifically, this study looked at five staffing practices that the academic research literature has found can significantly increase employee performance levels. Descriptions of these practices, and references supporting their impact on employee performance, are provided in Exhibit 1.

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