Employee reactions to human resource management and performance in a developing country

Abstract

Purpose -This paper seeks to examine employee reactions to human resource management (HRM) and performance. It placed employees on a centre stage in analysing HRM to provide theoretical insights. Design/methodology/approach -To explore the theme, a survey of 252 employees drawn from eight organisations was conducted. Furthermore, on-site interviews were carried out with managers, thereby contributing to the generalisability of the findings. Findings -The findings from the study indicate a positive attitude of employees to HRM practices, such as promotion from within, staffing, equal employment opportunity, quality of training, reasonable compensation and paid vacation and sick days. Moreover, the evidence also shows that productivity has been increasing while employee turnover, absenteeism, and grievances are low. However, the evidence also reveals that training was not integrated in a planned way to employee career development.Research limitations/implications -The present study adds to a growing literature that helps the understanding of HRM policies and practices in a developing country context. Future research would benefit from additional research in this area in other geographical settings to better understand the generalisability of the findings reported. Originality/value -In contrast with previous research, which has predominantly been conducted from a managerial perspective, this article deals with employee perceptions. This emphasises the importance of exploring employee reactions towards HRM practices, policies and other aspects of firm life.

Human resource management in local governments

“…En la actualidad existe una importante corriente en la literatura preocupada por demostrar el impacto de la gestión de recursos humanos sobre los resultados organizativos (Russell et al, 1985;Huselid, 1995;Delaney y Huselid, 1996;Delery y Doty, 1996;Huselid et al, 1997;Ichniowski y Shaw, 1999;Zheng et al, 2006;Ghebregiorgis y Karsten, 2007). Asimismo, las empresas muestran un creciente interés por sus trabajadores y por las prácticas relacionadas con su gestión.…”

“…Desde la década de los noventa el análisis de cómo las prácticas de recursos humanos influyen en los resultados de la empresa se ha convertido en un importante campo de estudio (Russell et al, 1985;Delaney y Huselid, 1996;Ichniowski et al, 1997;Ichniowski y Shaw, 1999;Ghebregiorgis y Karsten, 2007). Un creciente número de trabajos señalan que el uso de una serie de prácticas, entre las que se encuentran procesos rigurosos de reclutamiento y selección de trabajadores, formación, evaluación del rendimiento y gestión de la retribución, pueden mejorar los conocimientos y las habilidades de los empleados e incrementar su satisfacción, lo que permitirá retener a los mejores en la empresa y, en definitiva, optimizar los resultados organizativos (Huselid, 1995;Delery y Doty, 1996;Huselid et al, 1997;Zheng et al, 2006).…”

The Eritrean HRD Project (1998-2005): A critical assessment of its high rate of brain drain

“…This is particularly true in the case of Eritrea in that HR capacity is essential, yet very scarce (in this country). In turn, this has adversely affected the success of many policies, programs and projects (Ghebregiorgis and Karsten, 2007;MOE, 2003;UNDP, 2002).…”

“…Lack of HRD has impeded in no small way the effectiveness of public servants (UOA, 1997). To reverse the situation, the government has been engaged in a number of HRD-related activities (Ghebregiorgis and Karsten, 2007;MOE, 2003;UNDP, 2002). One of the most important actions taken was that of launching the Eritrean HRD Project (EHRDP) (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005), which is the focus of this study.…”

Human Resources (HR) as a Strategic Business Partner: Value Creation and Risk Reduction Capacity

“…Finally, according to Peterson (2005) and Chandler and McEvoy (2000), training, goal setting and "sociotechnical systems design" can also have significant positive effects on labor turnover, productivity, and cost minimization. There is much evidence within the literature, showing the positive relationship between training and lower labor turnover and high employees' retention rate (Ghebregiorgis & Karsten, 2007;Gelade & Ivery, 2003;Paul & Anantharaman, 2003;Vandenberg et al, 1999). Employees' further development can result to increased levels of satisfaction, commitment and sense of belonging; eventually, employees tend to stay with the organization and to contribute to organization's competitiveness (Acton & Golden, 2003).…”