Organizational Challenges that May Prompt Changes in Human Resource Management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the indigenous concept of suzhi at individual and organizational levels, and identify its dimensions for human resource management (HRM) research and practice in China. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a comprehensive review of suzhi literature, Chinese cultural and historical literature, as well as Western mainstream HRM research, a multidimensional suzhi framework is conceptualized. Findings – As an indigenous expression, suzhi can be and has been adopted for Chinese HRM research and practice. As a multidimensional construct, one’s cognitive suzhi is jointly determined by corresponding moral suzhi, wenhua (knowledge-based) suzhi and zhuanye (professional) suzhi. Cognitive suzhi, in turn, determines one’s behavioral suzhi that drives employees to enhance organizational performance, and this relationship is moderated by psychological suzhi. Research limitations/implications – The proposed framework provides new insight for Chinese indigenous management research, particularly in developing suzhi measurement for different dimensions. It also informs HRM practices in recruiting, selection, performance analysis and employee career development. Originality/value – The complexity of suzhi dimensions from an organizational HRM perspective is analyzed. The resulting suzhi framework offers new insight for HRM research and practices in China.

Self-report questionnaires are the predominant method used in human resource management (HRM) research to assess employees’ work-related psychological constructs (e.g., processes, states, and attributes). However, this method is associated with significant shortcomings, including the introduction of self-serving bias and common method variance when used exclusively. In this chapter, the authors challenge the assumption that individuals themselves are the only accurate source of the self-focused information collected in HRM research. Instead, the authors propose that other-ratings – ratings of a target individual that are provided by a workplace observer, such as a coworker, supervisor, or subordinate – can accurately assess commonly measured work-related psychological constructs. The authors begin by explaining the advantages of other-ratings for HRM research and practice, reviewing the history of other-ratings and how they emerged in the personality and person-perception literature, and outlining how they have been used in HRM research to date. Then, the authors build upon Funder’s (1995) realistic accuracy model to develop a theoretical argument detailing why workplace others should be able to accurately judge how another employee thinks and feels about work. Next, the authors highlight existing evidence in the literature on the accuracy of other-ratings and present the results of a preliminary meta-analysis on the ability of other-ratings to predict self-ratings of work-related psychological constructs. Finally, the authors discuss potential moderators of other-rating accuracy and reflect on a number of practical considerations for researchers looking to use other-ratings in their own work. The authors intend for this chapter to meaningfully contribute to the larger conversation on HRM research methods. Other-ratings are a simple, yet powerful, addition to the methodological toolkit of HRM researchers that can increase flexibility in research design and improve the overall quality of research.

Citation (2010), "Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management", Liao, H., Martocchio, J.J. and Joshi, A. (Ed.) Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management (Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, Vol. 29), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley, p. ii. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0742-7301(2010)0000029011 Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited Book Chapters Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management Research in personnel and human resources management Copyright page List of Contributors Workplace safety: a multilevel, interdisciplinary perspective Executive pay and firm performance: methodological considerations and future directions A time-based perspective on emotion regulation in emotional-labor performance Insights from vocational and career developmental theories: their potential contributions for advancing the understanding of employee turnover How did you figure that out? Employee learning during socialization Comparing apples and oranges: toward a typology for assessing e-learning effectiveness About the authors

Employer behavior (Arbeitgeberverhalten) plays an essential role when it comes to understanding Human Resource Management (HRM). However, rather few studies actually seem to take concrete behavior of organizations as employers into account. Instead, German textbooks and journals are replete with examples of good in HRM. We argue that, as a result, there is a growing discrepancy between HRM in research/teaching and practice, which unquestionably is a problematic development in an applied science like HRM. Based on our analysis of five leading German textbooks on HRM and five volumes of German Journal of Research in Human Resource Management (2005-2009), we highlight current gaps in academic discussion and we derive some theses concerning current state of discussion. Finally, we discuss our findings and highlight some avenues for further research in our field. Key words: HRM, employer behavior, textbook analysis, bad practice (JEL: M12, M14) 1. Introduction Human Resource Management (HRM) is an important academic discipline, which is institutionalized at most business schools around world. Journals dealing with HRM rank at high positions in VHB JourQual-Ranking and have considerably high Impact- factor s. Research on HRM ranges from identifying best practices in separate domains such as recruiting, trainings, incentives and appraisal to examining impact of creating firm- specific and idiosyncratic bundles of interdependent HR practices in a certain HRM-system on creating competitive advantage (for a current overview, see Reichel & Mayrhofer, 2009). However, identification of optimal bundles of HR practices and question for consistency in employer behavior seems to be an important issue only for researchers from Great Britain or US (cf. e.g. Baron & Kreps, 1999). Although it is obvious that employer behavior C'Arbeitgeberverhalten) needs to be taken into account when it comes to understanding Human Resource Management, few studies from German researchers explicitly address question, which behavior entrepreneurs and enterprises actually show in their role as employers. Instead, German textbooks and journals are replete with examples of good in HRM (cf. results of our analysis in third section of this paper). Bad practices, which ultimately lead to a deterioration of working conditions for a large number of employees and which employers regularly use in order to preserve flexibility or to maximize profit, are frequently neglected in research; even though such practices often are heavily discussed in media. As a result, there seems to be a growing discrepancy between HRM in research/ teaching and practice. In a special forum in Academy of Management Journal on the separate worlds of academics and practitioners in human resource management, Rynes et al. (2007, p. 987) argued that, the gap between science and practice is so pervasive that some have despaired of its ever being narrowed. Unquestionably, this is a problematic development in an applied science like Human Resource Management. In this paper, we take a look at role of employer behavior in research and teaching in Germany and Austria. Based on our analysis of five leading German textbooks on Human Resource Management and five volumes of German Journal of Research in Human Resource Management C' Zeitschrift fur Personalforschun?y ZfP) (2005-2009), we highlight current gaps in academic discussion. The results of our illustrative analysis show, that even though research on employer behavior is essential to understand HRM, it is a widely neglected issue. The paper is structured as follows: In next section, we define notion of employer behavior and we discuss recent developments in employer behavior, which occurred during last years and decades. Subsequently, we examine how scholars approach employer behavior in research and teaching. …

In this annual editorial for The International Journal of Human Resource Management, we project a vision of a sustainable ecosystem of human resource management (HRM) research by reflecting on key trends of HRM research and provide suggestions for future research efforts for the HRM research community. We outline the evolution and development of six areas of HRM research that are highly relevant to the policy and practice in the current global political-economic context. These research pursuits are shifting from firm-oriented and technology-oriented to becoming more employee-oriented and society-oriented. We extend these lines of enquiry with suggestions of what future research can examine to keep pace with practice and to offer policy and practical recommendations. We argue that different sub-fields of HRM research can complement, reinforce and interact with each other to enable us to build a robust and expanding research programme, intellectually and practically, to reflect the world of work and to demonstrate the relevance of our research to society with scientific rigour.

This bibliometric analysis explores the profound influence of academic research on Human Resource Management (HRM) strategy, employee performance, and global organizational success. Leveraging a comprehensive dataset from reputable academic databases, the study employs bibliometric techniques to analyze patterns of publication, citation, collaboration, and keyword trends within the HRM research domain. The findings reveal a multifaceted landscape of HRM scholarship. Co-authorship network analysis identifies prolific authors and research clusters, highlighting the collaborative nature of HRM research. Citation analysis uncovers highly influential publications, showcasing the impact of seminal works on HRM theory and practice. Keyword analysis unveils emerging research themes, reflecting the field's responsiveness to evolving challenges and trends. Notably, the analysis underscores the significance of evidence-based HRM practices and the global context in which HRM operates. It recognizes the role of academic research in shaping HRM strategies that enhance employee performance and contribute to global organizational success. This study provides valuable insights for HRM practitioners, researchers, and organizational leaders by offering a comprehensive overview of the evolving HRM landscape. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration, the influence of seminal works, and the dynamic nature of HRM research. Understanding these dynamics is pivotal for advancing HRM scholarship and driving organizational excellence in a globalized world.

The topic of “Occupational Health and Safety” has been focused on as a main function of Human Resource Management. Occupational safety and health covers a wide range of activities and functions. This research paper looks at what health and safety refers to, why research should be conducted into it, and how it is helpful for organizations and employees, and for the human resource management as a whole. It is followed by a discussion on Occupational Safety and Health with emphasis on several sub-topics, which are elaborated upon. Light will be shed on various OSH issues, and how Human Resource Management deals with them. Besides, legal requirements for health and safety rules will be looked into, with a focus on proposed solutions to the mentioned issues. A comparison of safety measures in the global context will be compared with safety measures in the local context, to understand how different organizations handle safety. There are several recommendations for business practice as well as their implications. What is more, there are suggestions for future business research, especially in the area of Human Resource Management. Keywords - Organizational Behavior, Occupational Health and Safety Human Research Management, descriptive design, United Arab Emirates

Purpose – The aim of this special issue of Chinese Management Studies (CMS) focuses attention on a central activity of Chinese organisations – managing people. The aim is to support efforts to move beyond human resource management (HRM) research in China as a subset of international or comparative HRM research and promote indigenous approaches to research in China. Design/methodology/approach – Review and reflection. Findings – The research presented in the eight articles that constitute this special issue not only use sample data from China but also explore the mechanisms of different variables in the special Chinese condition, situation and context, resulting in meaningful results on a practical level. As such, they provide valuable contributions to theory construction in HRM and organisational behaviour, not just for China but for organisations around the world. Research limitations/implications – Developing an indigenous understanding of Chinese HRM has a long way to go. The findings here provide a contribution to the growing foundation on which to base further efforts. They will not only help build knowledge about complex organisation dynamics in Chinese businesses but also enrich the overall management knowledge base, not just Chinese organisations. Originality/value – Provides valuable contributions to theory construction in HRM and organisational behaviour, not just for China but for organisations around the world.

Budd, Pohler, and Huang's (Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society 2022) proposed a theory of (mis)matched frames of reference to explain how managers’ and employees’ frames of reference regarding employment relationships may influence the use of human resource (HR) practices and help to explain the HR outcomes and conflicts observed in practice. We concur with Budd et al. that frames of reference provide a valuable and unique approach to studying employment relations and HR systems but have not received much attention. Therefore, we aim to extend their theory of (mis)matched frames of reference to strategic human resource management (HRM) research. We begin this commentary with a summary of their theoretical framework. We then introduce the background of strategic HRM and propose opportunities of applying frames of reference to advance strategic HRM research. Moreover, we discuss challenges of and considerations for using their framework in strategic HRM research.

Purpose This essay aims to present three critical challenges in the Chinese human resource management (HRM) research related to research originality.

Simulations and analyses based on meta‐analytic matrices are fairly common in human resource management and organizational behavior research, particularly in staffing research. Unfortunately, the meta‐analytic values estimates for validity and group differences (i.e., ρ and δ, respectively) used in such matrices often vary in the extent to which they are affected by artifacts and how accurately the values capture the underlying constructs and the appropriate population. We investigate how such concerns might influence conclusions concerning key issues such as prediction of job performance and adverse impact of selection procedures, as well as noting wider applications of these issues. We also start the process of building a better matrix upon which to base many such simulations and analyses in staffing research. Finally, we offer guidelines to help researchers/practitioners better model human resources processes, and we suggest ways that researchers in a variety of areas can better assemble meta‐analytic matrices.

Employee engagement has become a central concept in Human Resource Management (HRM) research due to its role in enhancing employee performance and organizational sustainability. This study employed a content analysis approach to review research trends related to employee engagement, particularly those examining work-life balance and leadership perspectives. A total of 50 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2025 were analyzed based on research design, antecedent variables, organizational context, theoretical frameworks, and methodological approaches. The findings indicate a significant increase in employee engagement research in recent years, with quantitative cross-sectional designs dominating the literature. Work-life balance and servant leadership emerged as the most frequently examined antecedents of employee engagement, while employee performance remained the primary outcome variable. Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) Theory was identified as the dominant theoretical framework. Based on the findings, this study proposes methodological and contextual recommendations for future employee engagement research.

It is perhaps easier to explain what theory is not rather than what it is. Theory is not facts or data. Nor is theory a hypothesis, or a case study. It is not a literature review. A theory is a set of general principles or ideas that are meant to explain how something works, and is independent of what it intends to explain. The purpose of a theory (or set of theories) is to help explain what causes something to occur, or to inform us of the likely consequences of a phenomenon. In so doing, theories can be more or less abstract, and be pitched at different levels – explaining society, processes, relations, behaviour and perceptions. For practitioners, theories can enhance understanding and inform decision-making. For researchers, theories shape the framing of their data, and are often presented as an essential part of any well-designed research project. Reflecting this, Hambrick (2007: 1346) argues that theory is essential for a field to flourish and advance. Indeed, many management journals require scholars to make a ‘theoretical contribution’ to get published, prompting something of an obsession with a theory-driven approach in management-related areas. Thus, while recognizing the value and importance of theory, we offer a cautionary note. Specifically, we suggest that it may be fruitful for a field to support initial consideration of phenomena-driven trends or patterns before becoming fixated on having a theoretical explanation. For example, that smoking can cause harm and ill health in humans does not need a theory to prove its validity (Hambrick, 2007). Reflecting this, in disciplines such as sociology, economics and finance there has been less of an ‘essential need’ to publish with some new theoretical development in mind. Instead, ideas, logics, concepts, premises are given due attention and the notion of exploring data is seen as valid and valuable in deciding if certain issues or phenomena are in themselves evident or emergent. Where this is the case, theory can then help to understand and explain such issues. Theory is therefore a crucial lens on the world, one that provides value in addressing both evident and emergent issues. Notwithstanding that empirics and theory both contribute value and vibrancy to a field, our focus here is on the role of theory, and some of the specific theories used in employment relations (ER) and human resource management (HRM) research.

This provocation challenges the use of generational categories as a valid and useful basis for the development of human resource management (HRM) research and practice. We present two provocations. First, that a focus solely on year of birth as a driver of attitudes, values and behaviours is wholly inadequate. Second, we go beyond existing empirical challenges to argue that any approach to the study of generations that focuses solely on generational categories should be abandoned. We consider the theoretical basis for generations, together with specific examples from empirical studies to show how the current reliance on largely unsubstantiated categories leaves even longitudinal studies unable to make an effective contribution to this field. We draw on cross‐disciplinary insights to consider the implications for academic research and for HRM practice, showing how the current approach limits the usefulness of findings and suggesting a potential way forward.

PurposeTo communicate the development and results of strategic human resource management (HRM) research to the audit research community in order to stimulate audit research specific to HRM audits.Design/methodology/approachPrior research that served as impetus for this paper is discussed. The findings of other studies are presented to make a case for the business impact of strategic human resource management practices.FindingsStudies on the competitive environment of firms, theoretical development in HRM, empirical work on the link between HRM practice and firm performance, and emerging models based on intellectual capital, suggest that there are compelling reasons for internal audit to devote substantial resources to the evaluation of strategic risk in HRM audits.Research limitations/implicationsThe literature is still developing. The literature presented here is not an exhaustive list and does not include all findings, but rather what we perceive to be the most important findings.Practical implicationsBoth “high performance work systems” and “strategic fit” should guide internal audit in planning, designing audit programs, and executing strategic audits of human resources consistent with the risk management paradigm.Originality/valueThis paper bridges a gap between the human resource management literature and the internal auditing literature.