It's a small world:managing human resources in small businesses

Bacon, Nicolas; Ackers, Peter; Storey, John; Coates, David

doi:10.1080/09585199600000119

Cited by 180 publications

(197 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Some small firms are quicker than others to adopt modern HR practices (Bacon et al 1996;Harney and Dundon 2006). The decision to implement modern practices, such as an entire HPWP system, is driven to a certain extent by normative considerations relating to beliefs surrounding the practices (Paauwe and Boselie 2005).…”

Section: Innovative Hr Visionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High performance work practices in small firms: a resource-poverty and strategic decision-making perspective

2012

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High performance work practices (HPWPs) are human resource management practices aimed at stimulating employee and organisational performance. The application of HPWPs is not widespread in small organisations. We examine whether the implementation of coherent bundles of HPWPs (aimed at employee ability, employee motivation or at the opportunity to perform) depends on the scarcity of resources, as reflected in the size of the company, and on strategic decision-making in small firms related to the owner's expertise and attitudes. In our research, a total of 211 employees from 45 small organisations were asked to rate the presence of HPWPs in their organisation. These averaged perceptions were linked to information provided by the owner-managers on the size of their firm and their own expertise and attitudes. The findings support that smaller but coherent bundles of HPWPs can be found in small organisations and that the implementation of these bundles depends on available resources, strategic decision-making and the combination of the two. These findings highlight the need to integrate the notions of resource poverty and strategic decision-making to understand the uptake of bundles of HPWPs within small firms.Keywords High performance work system Á Entrepreneurial orientation Á Small firms Á Human resource management Á Resource poverty Á Strategic decision making Á Best-practice awareness Á Innovative HR vision

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Section: Innovative Hr Visionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High performance work practices in small firms: a resource-poverty and strategic decision-making perspective

2012

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“…This is problematic given the opportunities for the respondent (particularly if it is the firm owner) to over report the extent and complexity of policy. Such 'over claiming' has been exposed in work by Bacon et al (1996) through the use of triangulation, and also in a qualitative study comparing employer and employee experiences of regulatory compliance by Marlow (2002). In this particular study, we explored the presence, recognition, and consistent and appropriate use of dedicated written policies and procedures within key areas of the employment relationship.…”

Section: Researching Informality and Formalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Informality and Formality in Medium‐sized Companies: Contestation and Synchronization

Marlow

Taylor

Thompson

2010

British J of Management

137

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Accounts of managerial practice in small and medium-sized firms frequently draw upon notions of formality and informality. In this paper, we explore the relationship between these concepts through an analysis of managerial approaches to employment relations practice in six growing, medium-sized organizations. Drawing on recent conceptual work on informality and formality, we argue that the use of the terms in previous analyses tends to neglect the co-dependency of both the concepts and managerial approaches to the employment relationship. We present an alternative conceptualization of formalization and informalization processes that emphasizes synchronization through interactional practices. Through this analysis, we suggest that debate in this area can be reframed through thinking of informality and formality as a dualism rather than a dichotomy, and challenge the notion that small firms must, should or inevitably do move from informality to formality. From this, we construct an inclusive model of formality and informality that better reflects practice and enables further analytical development.

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“…However, while HPWPs are not completely absent within small businesses (Bacon, Ackers, Storey and Coates 1996;Forth, Bewley and Bryson 2006), it is generally accepted that their uptake is somewhat limited (Dundon and Wilkinson 2003;Wilkinson 1999). There may, therefore, be considerable value in seeking to identify the factors that are associated with the The extant literature suggests that the approach small businesses take to HRM (and hence the likelihood that they will introduce HPWPs) will be contingent on a range of factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The adoption of high performance work practices in small businesses: the influence of markets, business characteristics and HR expertise

Ning

Bacon

Hoque

2013

The International Journal of Human Resource Management

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This paper explores the extent to which the adoption of High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) in UK small businesses with fewer than 50 employees is associated with the nature of the market in which the business operates, its business characteristics and its access to HR expertise. Drawing on data from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey, the analysis suggests that, where market-related factors are concerned, the uptake of HPWPs is higher in small businesses that require a highly-skilled workforce but is unrelated to either the degree of market competition or the presence of large dominant customers. In terms of access to HR expertise, the analysis finds greater use of HPWPs in small businesses that have contact with external sources of HR advice via membership of business advisory networks or Investors in People (IiP) recognition. However, uptake is unrelated to the presence of personnel/HR specialists. Overall, the findings suggest that rather than depicting employment practices in small businesses as the inevitable consequence of market circumstances, encouraging greater small business involvement with business advisory networks and IiP may have the potential to increase the adoption of HPWPs in the sector.

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It's a small world:managing human resources in small businesses

Cited by 180 publications

References 3 publications

High performance work practices in small firms: a resource-poverty and strategic decision-making perspective

High performance work practices in small firms: a resource-poverty and strategic decision-making perspective

Informality and Formality in Medium‐sized Companies: Contestation and Synchronization

The adoption of high performance work practices in small businesses: the influence of markets, business characteristics and HR expertise

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