Organizational Change and Learning at Allied Distillers

PurposeThe paper aims to trace the challenges that multinational companies (MNCs) face as they grow out of their national borders into foreign countries and how they attempt to transfer human resource management (HRM) policies and practices across their subsidiaries for a best-fit HRM model.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the dilemma theory (involving two opposing values which doing one without the other creates a disadvantage but both cannot be done together) as the main analytical tool and reviews scholarly literature on MNCs’ HRM transfers for the assessment of the transfer challenges.FindingsIt is found that MNCs face a dilemma as to how to find best-fit between home-country HRM requirements and host-country demands. In the face of this dilemma, MNCs attempt to build synergy between home-country requirements and host-country demands for a best-fit HRM that is beneficial to both the parent company and their foreign subsidiaries. Despite the best-fit HRM practices to diffuse the tension, parent company has greater influence in the final synergy product which is the trade-off between home-country HRM label and host-country contextual demands, thereby advancing the dominant HRM option of the dilemma.Practical implicationsMNCs should be aware of the possible challenges as they internationalise and should equally be aware that though they may build a synergy (a blend of workable headquarters and subsidiary HRM), the final product will continue to favour headquarters’ HRM policies and practices.Originality/valueThe paper generates theoretical implications into the issues and challenges that arise with HRM transfers within multinational firms by examining how the dilemma theory sheds light on the transfer process and challenges from the dominant-contextual tension till the fight for best-fit HRM. It also contributes to the development of cycle of cross-border HRM dilemma, cross-border HRM transfer framework and Synergy-Dominant theory.

Although a number of studies have recognized the relationship between Human Resource Management (HRM) policies and organisational performance, the mechanisms through which HRM policies lead to organisational performance remain still unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pathways leading from HRM policies to organisational performance by using structural equation modelling. Specifically, this analytical tool has been used to test a research framework that is constituted by a set of causal relationships between organisational and other contingencies, business strategies, HRM policies, HRM outcomes, and organisational performance. Employing data from organisations operating in the Greek manufacturing sector, results indicate that the impact of HRM policies on organisational performance is mediated through the HRM outputs of skills, attitudes and behaviour, and moderated by business strategies, organisational context and other contingencies. Thus, the paper not only supports that HRM policies have a positive impact on organisational performance but also explains the mechanisms through which HRM policies improve organisational performance.

Afirm's corporate culture and human resource management (HRM) policies have an important impact upon the success of that organization's supply chain management strategy. A model that examines the relationship between organizational culture, HRM policies, and the firm's transaction/relationship orientation toward its employees and the impact of these factors on its choice of supply chain partners is presented. The paper then discusses four different HRM/logistics strategies a firm can implement and examines the degree of cultural fit that is likely to develop in each of these four strategies. Finally, managers are provided with a list of questions that allow an assessment of the fit between the firm's human resource and logistics management strategies.

Radical changes faced by human society in the second half of the twentieth century had their repercussions on enterprises, imposing a new business philosophy of organizational behaviour and action as an imperative for success. The strategic approach in change management and human resource (HR) management has taken the place of the dominant management paradigm. It emphasizes the importance of the active attitude of the enterprises towards changes, which implies the processes of anticipating, initiating, creating, and introducing new changes in the daily business life of the enterprises. The organizational changes represent constant challenges for HR managers, too. Acceptance and active participation in changes significantly affects the business success of the enterprises and society as a whole. In addition to a positive attitude towards change, employees feel and show a negative attitude in the form of resistance to the organizational change. Therefore, managers face a very serious problem on a daily basis, how to overcome various resistances to changes in employees. The basic assumption that is made when implementing the process of change management and HR management in modern enterprises is that the human resources of the enterprises are the most important intangible business resources which have strategic importance for achieving competitive advantages. Based on this knowledge, the paper analyses the process of change management and the relationship to change. The attitude towards change is analysed both from the perspective of the enterprises, HR managers, and from the perspective of employees. For that purpose, relevant theoretical material was used, as well as adequate scientifically based methodology in the form of methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, comparative and historical methods. Based on the conducted research, it can be concluded that HR managers play a key role in managing organizational change and overcoming various employee resistances to change. That is the reason why they must be able to recognize and understand the basic tendencies of change and potential resistance of employees in order to generate and mobilize the available potentials for initiating and realizing future changes.

Organizational behavior scholars have long recognized the importance of a variety of emotion-related phenomena in everyday work life. Indeed, after three decades, the span of research on emotions in the workplace encompasses a wide variety of affective variables such as emotional climate, emotional labor, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect, empathy, and more recently, specific emotions. Emotions operate in complex ways across multiple levels of analysis (i.e., within-person, between-person, interpersonal, group, and organizational) to exert influence on work behavior and outcomes, but their linkages to human resource management (HRM) policies and practices have not always been explicit or well understood. This chapter offers a review and integration of the bourgeoning research on discrete positive and negative emotions, offering insights about why these emotions are relevant to HRM policies and practices. We review some of the dominant theories that have emerged out of functionalist perspectives on emotions, connecting these to a strategic HRM framework. We then define and describe four discrete positive and negative emotions (fear, pride, guilt, and interest) highlighting how they relate to five HRM practices: (1) selection, (2) training/learning, (3) performance management, (4) incentives/rewards, and (5) employee voice. Following this, we discuss the emotion perception and regulation implications of these and other discrete emotions for leaders and HRM managers. We conclude with some challenges associated with understanding discrete emotions in organizations as well as some opportunities and future directions for improving our appreciation and understanding of the role of discrete emotional experiences in HRM.

This paper documents how PRC-based Japanese affiliates can align their human resource management (HRM) policies and practices with their business strategies based on in-depth interview surveys of the five leading Japanese manufacturers in China. In particular, using a multiple-informant research design to interview both top and human resource managers in each site, the study has attempted to clarify the strategic fit between the business strategies pursued and HRM practices adopted in China. Our interviews with top management for each affiliate revealed three types of business strategies that the PRC-based affiliates adopt to gain competitiveness in the Chinese market. Separate interviews with HR managers further clarified that affiliates' HRM efforts are aligned with the strategy each affiliate is pursuing. The findings are used to suggest several hypothesized relationships between the particular strategies pursued and the HRM practices adopted in China. Furthermore, this study has provided some important insights as to how the choice of affiliate-level business strategies in China affects the ‘hybridization’ processes of the HRM policies and practices used in the cross-national business environment.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to empirically examine the extent to which the Japanese‐style human resource management (HRM) model is being transferred to subsidiaries, given the contextual characteristics of the Malaysian environment.Design/methodology/approachThe transferability of Japanese‐style HRM is examined through an analysis of the policies and practices of 69 Japanese subsidiaries and focuses on the following specific areas of HRM: employment policies and practices, remuneration systems and career development policies and practices; and management strategies and workplace industrial relations practices.FindingsOverall, the findings suggest that the key elements associated with the Japanese‐style HRM as described in most of the literature are either present to a very limited degree or completely absent. It seems clear that the transfer of the distinctive Japanese‐style HRM, and especially the “four pillars” is not a priority of management. To a certain extent, most companies seem uncomfortable with the characteristics of the local labor. However, the HRM policies and practices in the companies surveyed are not simply the result of the limitation of the local environment and resources; rather they are “opportunist” management strategies which, by taking account of these contextual limits, seek to control the subsidiaries' operations.Originality/valueBy confirming many of the findings of research on the HRM policies and practices of Japanese subsidiaries, especially in other developing countries and, to a certain extent, some developed countries, this study demonstrated that while “technical” elements (the hardware) of the Japanese model are readily being transferred, most of the HRM elements (the software) are adapted in significant, and not always subtle ways. Thus, the issue of the transfer of Japanese‐style HRM abroad in general and in Malaysia particularly is not so much a question of whether the Japanese want to transfer their distinctive policies and practices as of whether they need, or indeed are able, to do so. The findings of this study also demonstrate that what most Japanese subsidiaries achieve is a system of labor control – this is the essential purpose of the HRM practices under considerations: to make the production methods work and enable the company to make and sustain profit – and indeed what the Japanese have achieved and secured in Malaysia is a highly effective system of control (given local conditions).

Organizational and human resource management (HRM) scholars have shown an increasing interest in examining how macro-level institutions influence individuals’ behaviour, frequently adopting an institutional logics perspective. This approach encourages a holistic perspective, highlighting the multiplicity of logics within organizations. However, HRM studies that adopt an institutional logics approach often focus on just two logics (profession and HRM), downplaying other logics that influence individuals, and not fully assessing how a HRM logic plays out in organizations. Based on 54 interviews with Pakistani banking employees, we find that their perceptions of HRM effectiveness only partially explain their turnover intentions. Several logics (HRM, traditional leadership, corporation, professional, family, and religious logics) and their associated values are in play at work, and help to explain how HRM influences employees’ intentions to quit. Consequently, we contend that the HRM literature that applies an institutional logics approach downplays the multiplicity of institutional logics embedded within local contexts, and overlooks how various institutional logics and their constituent values shape individuals’ behaviour. Thus, this article highlights the importance of contextualizing HRM policies, ways for HRM research to fully benefit from the institutional logics approach, and the role of values in shaping employees’ responses to enacted HRM policies.

The article is concerned with the topical issue of personnel provision for the development of amalgamated hromadas (AHs) in Ukraine. The article is aimed at scientific substantiation of the relationship between problems of human resource management and personnel policy of territorial communities in the context of decentralization of Ukraine. The article identifies and describes the most common problems of human resource management and personnel policy of amalgamated hromadas in the context of the decentralization reform in Ukraine: lack of a system for managing professional development, training and advanced training of the AH population; negative image of employees of local self-government bodies in Ukrainian society; lack of opportunity to realize one’s own professional competence and abilities; crisis of demographic reproduction and migration processes. Among the problems of personnel policy the authors identified the following: insufficient number of qualified specialists; lack of an optimal system of staffing; violation of democratic principles of openness, publicity and justice in the resolution of personnel issues; occurrence of corruption at different levels of government; irrational use of human resources; low prestige of work along with low wages. The cognitive relationship of problems in the field of personnel provision for the development of territorial communities is substantiated. The expediency of taking into account the problems of human resources use and personnel policy management as the main component of the socioeconomic development of amalgamated hromadas is specified. The relationship between human resource management problems and the efficiency of the personnel policy of territorial communities is proved. The authors substantiate expediency of directing the State policy of regional development towards: providing the territory with highly qualified human resources; development of intellectual capital of territorial communities; establishing constructive cooperation between educational institutions, research institutions, and enterprises of territorial communities; stimulating the development of social partnership in the context of decentralization.

Abstract. The process of globalization has significantly transformed the labor market and modern practices of Human Resource Management (HRM). These changes are multifaceted, encompassing both positive developments and serious systemic challenges. On the one hand, globalization has stimulated the growth of innovative sectors, enhanced international cooperation, facilitated knowledge exchange, and increased labor mobility. As a result, the competitive environment has intensified, compelling organizations to adopt more flexible, technologically advanced, and human-centered HR strategies. On the other hand, globalization has exposed a range of difficulties within existing systems, particularly in small, developing, and transition economies such as Georgia. The labor market increasingly faces skill mismatches, where the qualifications, competencies, and practical experience of the workforce do not align with the real demands of available positions. In addition, labor migration has emerged as a significant concern, leading to a shortage of qualified professionals in the local market. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of globalization on HRM policies and practices, focusing on critical aspects such as the transformation of recruitment processes, the introduction of new training and development models, alignment of compensation systems with international standards, enhancement of internal communication, cultural adaptation, and the evolution of modern leadership styles. The study is based on interviews with HR managers working in Georgian organizations, which allows for an in-depth exploration of local labor market challenges and trends from a first-hand professional perspective. The findings indicate that globalization not only increases opportunities for building a diverse workforce but also imposes substantial strategic responsibilities on organizations. In the modern HR environment, issues such as managing cultural diversity, shortages of digital competencies, labor mobility regulations, the need for technological integration, and growing pressure on employees’ working conditions are becoming more pronounced. Consequently, organizations must reconsider the strategic function of HRM in order to create sustainable, competitive, and innovative work environments. The results further emphasize that addressing the challenges associated with globalization requires coordinated efforts between the education system, the private sector, and the state. Such cooperation is essential for reducing skill mismatches, integrating vocational education, and optimizing the structural dynamics of the labor market. Therefore, effective management of these challenges in Georgia depends on the development of progressive HRM policies and the targeted strengthening of human capital. Keywords: Globalization, Human Resource Management, Management, Global Strategy, Organizational Change. JEL classification: E24

Because of climate change, global warming and depletion of natural non-renewal resources the business world has become in a growing need for activities that can preserve natural environment from hazardous effects, especially that customers became more aware about the importance of environmental conservation.In the management field, it is widely known that no plan can be done effectively without human resource awareness.Hence, all activities that aim at achieving environmental goals should include transforming employees into green.This research aims at shedding light on human resource managers' awareness of green HRM practices, besides, focusing on human resource management "HRM" green practices in five star hotels.A questionnaire was directed to 28 five star hotel human resource managers in Sharm-Elshiekh.The obtained data was analyzed statistically by "SPSS" 17.The research revealed that although hotels human resource managers are aware of green HRM they are not fully deploying green HRM practices at their departments.The research recommends involving green practices into human resource management policies in order to transform hotels employees to green.

Human Resource Management in Russian Manufacturing Subsidiaries of Multinational Corporations

Using empirical data from interviews among leading hotels in Slovakia, this paper sets out to explore recent developments in human resource management (HRM) policies and practices and labour relations in an emerging Central European economy. The main areas explored are the HRM function, employee resourcing, employee development, employee relations and emerging HRM issues. The paper establishes that there has been a move away from the traditional rigid socialist type of personnel management, but it has not been fully replaced by HRM practices. The emergent 'model' is a hybrid of the traditional Western personnel management and basic HRM activities, alongside which some legacies of the socialist personnel function still exist.

The challenges for health professionals working in remote regions are diverse, particularly where voluntary turnover is high. This study examined the influence of management practices on workforce sustainability in remote regions of northern Australia using human resource management (HRM) policy choices. In this study, 24 semi‐structured interviews withHRmanagers, health professionals and health managers revealed that the impact ofHRMpolicy choices on remote workforce sustainability is significantly influenced by management practices. The emergent themes depict work environments where ineffective management practices for recruitment, remuneration, resourcing and relationships have profound consequences. Despite these contextual challenges, examples emerged where effective management practices created stability and improved retention. Hence, the findings suggest that sustainable remote health workforces are achievable where localised management practices improve equity, where employee–manager relationships are fostered, and where there is equitable access to resources and professional development.

This case study highlights how various human resources management (HRM) policies and practices at ENTI, a Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO), can be deconstructed as depersonalized forms of 'workplace bullying' which exert a totalitarian form of control and domination over employees. It further examines how external sociopolitical forces at the macro level can be held responsible for management's autocratic regimes, where employees are closely monitored and psychologically controlled. In pursuit of explaining the complex dynamics of employee relations, workplace bullying, and HRM, the case utilizes an interpretative inquiry based on critical theoretical lens of Foucault's disciplinary power frameworks. HRM in rhetoric is a management responsibility which is primarily concerned with employees, their welfare, growth, and development. However, this case reveals the complete opposite, in the form of startling, critical insights from an under researched sector, that of the (NGOs) which have been historically envisaged as altruistic organizations and ideal workplaces.