Missing Variables in Theories of Strategic Human Resource Management: Time, Cause, and Individuals

Wright, Patrick M.; Haggerty, John J.

doi:10.5771/0935-9915-2005-2-164

Cited by 129 publications

(133 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The findings therefore support recent studies in which the relationship between strategy, HRM, and firm performance was found to be causally ambiguous (Rozhan, 1996;Wright, Gardner, Moynihan, & Allen, 2005). On this basis, as Wright & Haggerty (2004) assert, understanding the direction of the relationship between strategy, HRM and firm performance emerged as important in our study.…”

Section: Russ-eft and Preskillsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Studies in three key areas have examined only individual measures of assignment success and failure rather than the costs and benefits associated with expatriate ROI: (1) expatriates' premature return from an assignment (Takeuchi, Yun, & Tesluk, 2002); (2) labour turnover rates from repatriation (Suutari & Brewster, 2003); and (3) expatriate job performance (Caliguiri & Day, 2000). Although informative, this research stream has largely ignored a HR systems approach to the costs and benefits of international assignments, in terms of the collective impact of a range of possible variables that may influence expatriate behaviour and, in turn, broader firm performance (Ostroff, 2000;Wright & Haggerty, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do global firms measure expatriate return on investment? An empirical examination of measures, barriers and variables influencing global staffing practices

McNulty

Cieri

Hutchings

2009

The International Journal of Human Resource Management

103

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Many managers in global firms regard the ability to obtain a return on investment (ROI) from expatriates as important, given the substantial costs associated with global staffing practices, particularly international assignments, and the risks and uncertainties of deploying key talent. This research examines how expatriate ROI is measured for longterm assignments in 51 global firms, across 18 industries, and with headquarters in North America, UK, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific. Our findings suggest that firms do not have formal procedures in place to measure expatriate ROI and instead rely heavily on informal practices that are seldom aligned to a global strategy. Cultural, operational, and strategic barriers to measuring ROI also exist. In addition, we are challenged to consider whether measuring expatriate ROI is actually a goal for managers in global firms, given the evidence which suggests that for some firms having expatriates is often a cost of doing business for which a formal measure may be unnecessary. An alternative view suggests that if international assignments are considered a necessary cost of doing business for global firms, how expatriates are managed in terms of the HR practices that support their activities and how the outcomes of those activities impact broader firm performance may be far more important concerns. Based on evidence that the nature of expatriation is rapidly changing, we conclude that expatriate ROI remains a challenging and complex process that managers in global firms are currently not well-equipped to address. The findings have important implications for the planning and management of international assignments.

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Section: Russ-eft and Preskillsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do global firms measure expatriate return on investment? An empirical examination of measures, barriers and variables influencing global staffing practices

McNulty

Cieri

Hutchings

2009

The International Journal of Human Resource Management

103

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“…First, when people are aware of the opportunity to use flexibility HRM, as well as when they actually use it, it might take some time for people to grasp the benefits of availability and use (Wright & Haggerty, 2005). Previous research has shown that when HR practices are implemented, it is expected that this process takes about somewhat less than a year to elicit effects (Ford et al, 2014;Wright & Haggerty, 2005). Given that the HR practices were already implemented in the organizations, it was deemed appropriate to use shorter time lags.…”

Section: Participants and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

From flexibility human resource management to employee engagement and perceived job performance across the lifespan: A multisample study

Bal

Lange

2014

J Occupat & Organ Psyc

186

173

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This study investigated the effects of flexibility HRM on employee outcomes over time, as well as the role of age in these relations. Based on work adjustment theory and AMO-theory, it was predicted that availability and use of flexibility HRM would be positively related to employee engagement, as well as higher job performance. Moreover, we postulated different hypotheses regarding the role of employee age. While generation theory predicts that younger generations would react more strongly to flexibility HRM in relation to engagement, SOC-theory of aging predicts that older workers respond more strongly in relation to job performance. A longitudinal study among US employees and a study among employees in 11 countries across the world showed that engagement mediated the relationships between availability of flexibility HRM and job performance. Moreover, we found partial support for the moderating role of age in the relations of flexibility HRM with the outcomes: flexibility HRM was important for younger workers to enhance engagement, while for older workers it enhanced their job performance. The study shows that the effectiveness of flexibility HRM depends upon employee age and the type of outcome involved, and consequently theory on flexibility at work should take the age of employees into account.Practitioners Points:1. Flexibility HRM can be used by organizations to enhance younger workers' engagement, while it can be used for older workers to enhance their job performance. 2. It is important for organizations to not only offer flexibility to their employees, but also to make sure that employees take advantage of these HR practices. 3. Flexibility HRM is important across the world, because it enables people across the world to balance demands from work as well as from private life.Keywords: Flexibility HRM, Engagement, Older Workers, Employee Age, SOC-Theory; Generation Differences 3 Many countries across the world face rapid demographic changes, such as the aging of the workforce, and the entrance of a new generation of employees, the so-called Generation Y (Twenge, Campbell, Hoffman, & Lance, 2010; United Nations, 2009). The baby boom generation (born between 1946 and 1965) is becoming older and birth rates have decreased, resulting in a workforce that will increasingly be composed of older workers and fewer younger workers.Therefore, organizations have to invest more effort in being attractive employers for younger as well as for older workers. It has been proposed that key to the retention of ageing workers is offering workplace flexibility (Hill et al., 2008). However, theory of workplace flexibility has not yet incorporated a lifespan perspective in the effects of flexibility, and therefore, the current study aims to bridge this theoretical and empirical gap in the literature.Workplace flexibility has traditionally been conceptualized as HR practices that help employees combine work and nonwork responsibilities, and in particular childcare (Allen, Johnson, Kiburz, & Shockley, 2013;Leslie, Manch...

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“…Hereby, the perceived HRM practices and employee reactions are two individual level variables that are central to causal pathways and core to the "black box" opening. Referring to Wright and Haggerty (2005) considerable variance at individual level can occur due to two reasons: variation in the actual HR practices and variation in the schemas individuals employ in perceiving and interpreting HRM related information.…”

Section: Boxall and Purcell (2008) Model This Model Is Based On Wrigmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Resource Management and Performance: From Practices Towards Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Savanevičienė¹,

Stankevičiūtė²

2012

Globalization - Education and Management Agendas

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Virtually all authors have implicitly or explicitly treated the "black box" as a linear causal process consisting of one or more smaller boxes, however the number of boxes in the "black box" and the content of each box differ in each model. Due to various approaches the mechanism by which HRM practices are translated into competitive success is complicated and not well understood till now, however some general trends could be highlighted.Purpose -Theoretically to discuss the causal pathway by identifying mediating variables in HRM and performance link.Paper object is the content of the "black box".Research method. The paper is built on the analysis and synthesis of scientific literature on HRM and performance link. HRM and performance linkAcknowledging the relevance of all types of resources to contribute to excellent performance, researchers emphasize that in the context of globalization human resources are vital to achieve success in the most effective and efficient ways [28]. It is generally accepted that "people are the key assets in the new world market and that all other assets are nothing more than commodities that can be purchased at market prices, because only the human asset has potential to learn, grow, and contribute" [29]. However, there is a continual debate as to what in particular provides value to the organization -human resources or their management [30]: 1) some authors maintain that sustained competitive advantage lies in the human resources and not in HRM practices per se, as the latter are well known; 2) other authors, though, highlight that competitive advantage is created through HRM practises and not human resources, as it does not suffice to hire best people in order to gain the competition; 3) third group of authors suggests a unifying approach to the critical role of both human resources and HRM in the enhancement of sustaining of competitive advantage.

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Missing Variables in Theories of Strategic Human Resource Management: Time, Cause, and Individuals

Cited by 129 publications

References 28 publications

Do global firms measure expatriate return on investment? An empirical examination of measures, barriers and variables influencing global staffing practices

Do global firms measure expatriate return on investment? An empirical examination of measures, barriers and variables influencing global staffing practices

From flexibility human resource management to employee engagement and perceived job performance across the lifespan: A multisample study

Human Resource Management and Performance: From Practices Towards Sustainable Competitive Advantage

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