HRM in dynamic environments: Exploitative, exploratory, and ambidextrous HR architectures

Abstract

The current economic crisis has brought to the fore the need for firms to deal with ambiguity and complexity. Hence, firms need a specific balance between exploration and exploitation in order to keep pace with varying and changing environmental conditions. Hitherto, there is limited research that has examined the nexus of HR architectures, ambidexterity, and environmental dynamics. In this conceptual paper we ask: How do HR architectures serve as a means of balancing exploitative and exploratory learning in different dynamic environments? We explain how exploratory, exploitative, and ambidextrous HR architectures with their embedded HRM systems and practices enable organizations to meet different environmental requirements. Thus, firms in which heterogeneous demands for flexibility and for innovation co-exist need to develop internally differentiated HR architectures. In particular we elucidate how critical the organization's ability is to connect different HRM systems to create an ambidextrous HR architecture for finding an appropriate balance between exploration and exploitation.

Thriving in the New Normal: The HR Microfoundations of Capabilities for Business Model Innovation. An Integrated Literature Review

“…This study has shown how microfoundations may be acquired, developed, diffused and embedded throughout an organisation. This contributes to strategic HR theory as we propose a bespoke HR architecture for BMI, as we demonstrate that BMI is largely about developing people, in a purposeful manner (Hansen et al, 2017). However, the emergence of the gig economy in the New Normal in recent years, which generally reflects the substantive role of more temporary and seasonal employment and a more transient workforce, challenges the hegemony of a development system-centric BMI HR architecture.…”

The human resource architecture model: A twenty-year review and future research directions

“…This suggests that researchers are more Beatty et al, 2003Bayo-Moriones et al, 2013Gelens et al, 2013Nieves & Quintana, 2018Lepak & Snell, 2002 Gonz alez & Verano-Tacorante, 2004De Vos & Dries, 2013McDonnell et al, 2016Schmidt, Pohler, et al, 2018Purcell et al, 2004Kulkarni & Ramamoorthy, 2005Kang et al, 2007Bryant & Allen, 2009Zhou et al, 2012 2. Individual Quadrant of the HR Architecture 2.1 Q1: for HC with High Uniqueness and High Value 9 1 0 1 2 L opez-Cabrales et al, Nijs et al, 2014Chuang et al, 2016Lepak et al, 2007Boon & Kalshoven, 2014Tlaiss et al, 2017Nesheim et al, 2007 Way et al, 2015Hansen et al, 2019…”

“…Following this, they proposed corresponding employment modes organizations should adopt. Similarly, Hansen et al (2019) considered the role of environmental dynamics and proposed specific HR architectures that enabled organizational exploration, exploitation, and ambidexterity in high velocity, moderately dynamic and heterogeneous environments, respectively.…”

“…Researchers applied these propositions to explain how internal and external employees contributed to firm performance (e.g. Hansen et al, 2019;Way et al, 2015). For example, Koch et al (2013) empirically found that the use of flexible employment schemes composed of both part-time and full-time employees significantly affected an establishment's post-entry growth.…”

The Effect of the Application of Multimedia on Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurial Competitiveness

“…Both benefi ted entrepreneurial innovation and entrepreneurial competitiveness. Hansen et al (2019) mentioned that organizational vision and strategy were the most important part in the promotion of organizational performance in an industry. Innovation education stressed the most on the establishment of vision and strategies to cultivate innovation ability in order to acquire the entrepreneurial competitiveness in the industry by constant R&D of innovation products.…”