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Purpose: This study aims to better understand how to interact with the five generations that currently make up our workforce. Design/methodology/approach: The author bases her article on 8+ years of HR experience and research. Findings: The five generations are more similar than we think. They want many of the same things, but they want them in different ways. Communication is the biggest difference between the groups. Originality/value: The paper will better enable readers to engage workers from multiple generations in their own organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to describe the role of HR in people-related transformation. Design/methodology/approach: Bringing together multiple databases, and the experience of a major consulting firm, this study finds that HR only occasionally is tasked to lead these important changes despite HR's functional expertise in workforce management and change management. Findings: The paper explores why HR is often asked to play a secondary rather than primary role in these transformative initiatives, what improvements would help set HR up for a more consistently critical role in transformations and how HR organization structure and resourcing changes may be additionally productive. Originality/value: The paper provides an original and valuable insight into the practical challenges HR faces as it seeks to create greater value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to contribute to the field of Human Resource Management (HRM) by providing a critical review of existing scholarly research and a thematic analysis of the workforce nationalization domain in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. To strengthen the literature on this topic, it seeks to identify key gaps and areas for further exploration. Design/methodology/approach: A two-step systematic research methodology (qualitative and quantitative) and a thematic analysis of empirical and theoretical studies were used in this study. The quantitative review was conducted using a predesigned coding framework. Findings: The study identified and discussed four perspectives of workforce nationalization in the GCC countries. These were (1) the conceptualization of workforce nationalization; (2) the role of institutional policies in achieving it; (3) the practices and outcomes of nationalization efforts and (4) the impact of gender and women in the nationalization process. Research limitations/implications: This study has several limitations, which the authors have addressed by proposing several future research avenues. For example, the reviewed studies are skewed toward certain countries (e.g. UAE and Saudi Arabia), which limits the generalizability of their findings. Practical implications: A more comprehensive definition of nationalization, development of qualitative and quantitative measures to enhance HRM practices and outcomes, and the identification of alternative approaches to improve the employment of locals are emphasized as needs. Additionally, revised measures and mechanisms to rectify negative perceptions about entitlement and the revision of policies to integrate females in the national labor force are suggested. Originality/value: Workforce nationalization initiatives in the GCC region offer a unique and rich research phenomenon replete with managerial, organizational, economic and political dilemmas. The investigation of this phenomenon would profoundly enlighten employers, policymakers and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study seeks to explore the demand side of the labour market influenced by the digital revolution. It aims at identifying the new composition of skills and their value as implicitly manifested by employers when they look for the new labour force. The authors analyse the returns to computing skills based on text mining techniques applied to the job advertisements. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology is based on the hedonic pricing model with the Heckman correction to overcome the sample selection bias. The empirical part is based on a large data set that includes more than 9m online vacancies on one of the biggest job boards in Russia from 2006 to 2018. Findings: Empirical evidence for both negative and positive returns to computing skills and their monetary values is found. Importantly, the authors also have found both complementary and substitutional effects within and between non-domain (basic) and domain (advanced) subgroups of computing skills. Originality/value: Apart from the empirical evidence on the value of professional computing skills and their interrelations, this study provides the important methodological contribution on applying the hedonic procedure and text mining to the field of human resource management and labour market research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Employee attitudes are changing: it is time to embrace Gigification. Sure enough, employees feel empowered and re-energized to set their own path in life, professionally and personally, but the idea that just offering "flexibility" on where employees work will fix things, is a knee jerk reaction, and does not reflect the nuance of what is really happening. The idea that a job is no longer for life, was seen as a negative turn of phrase, to today's it is a positive and a way of life to embrace, that means they can take the "gigs" they want, that meet their needs, and move on when it suits them. Design/methodology/approach: For employers that want to attract the best talent, a rethink is needed addressing the needs of employees, communication, management style, benefits and the digital employee experience, from onboarding to exit. Findings: This byline will pull in data from Firstup's latest employee survey of 23,105 workers from across the UK, USA and Europe, and suggest a number of areas that companies can start to look at to embrace gamification, including changes to company culture, using technology to create personal experiences, upskilling the soft skills and new forms of internal communication. Originality/value: The author offers unique insight based on her extensive experience in this space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to identify health workforce challenges at Iranian hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: This was a conventional content analysis study conducted in 2020. The population consisted of the managers (heads of hospitals, managers and matrons) and staff (nurses, physicians, etc.) of eligible hospitals. The participants were selected using purposive sampling, and data saturation was achieved after 28 interviews. The data were analyzed in MAXQDA10. Findings: In total, 28 interviews were conducted with 10 women and 18 men. The challenges of hospital human resources were categorized into five main themes and 15 sub-themes. The main themes were the shortage of human resources, burnout, the need to acquire new knowledge and skills, the employees' health and safety and the reward system. Originality/value: Identification of challenges faced by human resources is the first step toward preventing human force shortage and psychological problems in the personnel. Implementing the recommendations of the present study would assist the proper management of hospitals' human resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention methods training given by distance learning technique on the state anxiety level of the workers of a company serving in the communication sector. Design/methodology/approach: The sample of this experimental and cross-sectional study consisted of 52 people working in the communication sector. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the state anxiety inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, variance analysis, Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U and Tukey's test. Findings: While the state anxiety scores of the workers working in the communication sector were 47.94 ± 4.90 before the training, they were found to be 43.98 ± 5.20 after the training. Research limitations/implications: As in every study, this study has some limitations. Although a homogeneous sample is tried to be formed since it only covers this group, it should be considered that there is a limitation in terms of generalizability. In addition, the fact that the knowledge score is not measured and the relationship between the knowledge score and the anxiety score is not evaluated should be considered as a limitation. Finally, it is also a limitation that the questionnaire form, which includes measurement tools, is applied online. It is thought that measuring errors can be minimized if questionnaires are applied face to face. Practical implications: The results of the study showed that the training given to the workers in the communication sector contributed positively to the reduction of anxiety levels. It is important to provide training and support to those with high anxiety levels. After providing effective protection for nurses/midwives under pandemic conditions and preventing their uncertainties, they can contribute to the reduction of anxiety levels by providing training to individuals who serve the society. It is recommended to plan health trainings for the anxiety of other sector workers serving the society and to focus on these groups. Thus, the effective protection of individuals and their service quality will increase and their anxiety may decrease. Originality/value: Informative support from nurses/midwives can make it easier to control anxiety arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are important in order to draw attention to the anxiety of other sector workers serving the society and the importance of informative roles of nurses. In order to reduce the anxiety levels of workers in different sectors, it is recommended to conduct more supportive training activities and to draw attention to the workers serving the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explores employer perspectives regarding barriers to and responsibility for the workforce integration of skilled immigrants. Specifically, this study assesses employer perceptions of how influential various barriers are to the integration of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) in the workplace, uncovers employer perceptions of SIEs competence levels, identifies employer perceptions regarding multiple stakeholders' levels of responsibility for SIEs integration and explores impactful means to overcome these barriers. Design/methodology/approach: Given Canada's dependence on SIEs for labour force growth, an online survey was conducted with hiring managers of 99 firms in a mid-sized city in Ontario, Canada. Findings: The results demonstrate that employers shift the onus of responsibility for SIEs integration to other stakeholders (namely, the immigrant or government agencies), require documentation to evaluate human capital attainment of SIEs and may be systemically discriminating against SIEs. Research limitations/implications: The results indicate a need for documented evidence to validate foreign education and skills previously acquired by SIEs. They advance research by providing a comparative assessment of barriers from the employer's point of view. Practical implications: The findings support the notion that employers should strategically partner with specialized private or government agencies to help with efforts to attract and evaluate SIEs. Originality/value: Given that employers are key decision-makers regarding employment outcomes, this study investigates the underexplored role and perspective of employers in integrating SIEs. Additionally, this study provides both a holistic and a relative assessment of the barriers to and responsibility for SIEs integration, exploring the impact of each factor on employer decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing upon the intellectual capital-based view theory, this study explored the relationship between green intellectual capital (IC) and environmental performance (EP) with the intervening effect of green human resource management (GHRM). Design/methodology/approach: Cross-sectional data were collected from 187 human resource directors/managers working in manufacturing firms of Pakistan. A partial least squares approach was applied to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings: The results showed a mediating effect of GHRM on the relationship between green human capital and the organizational EP. Also two dimensions of green IC (green human capital, green relational capital) were also found positively related to the EP of the firm. Practical implications: Policymakers should devote their attention to the preservation and enhancement of their employees' knowledge as green human capital is possessed by the employees. Furthermore, managers must exchange information with key stakeholders to better understand and resolve their environmental concerns. Organizational leaders must also ensure the implementation of GHRM policies that, in turn, improve the EP with the aid of green IC. Originality/value: The current research contributes to the literature by defining green IC as an antecedent and GHRM as an intervening variable for EP. In addition, this study underlines the significance of GHC as a valuable intangible asset for the achievement of environmental sustainability. It also illustrates the importance of GRC, which creates an exchange partnership with the stakeholders to promote corporate environmentalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how organisations can remove the barriers that they are currently coming up against to increase their workforce collaboration. Playing a key role in workforce transformation, HR faces pressures to remove the barriers that stand in the way of effective collaboration and decision-making; and Andrew Watson explores in this piece the ways in which organisations can empower employees to take a more collaborative approach to work. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on Andrew's extensive experience in HR, this is a thought led opinion piece. Findings: The findings of the paper show that to empower employees to foster greater collaboration, organisations require a broader cultural shift in organisation. Although there are new challenges such as hybrid working models and siloed departments, Andrew's paper reveals that to become a more collaborative workplace, employees need a platform that will allow them to come together and cultivate openness and transparency. Technology has the power to break down the communication barriers that stand in the way of effective ideas and knowledge sharing strategies. It can also help teams make incremental improvements quickly without having to wait for multiple approvals. Originality/value: Drawing on Andrew's extensive experience in HR to share insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Green human resource management (GHRM) is an arising issue for the tannery industry in the context of developing economies. As the tannery industry can be seen as one of the highest polluting industries on earth, it becomes imperative for the industry to implement GHRM practices for greening the workforce. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to focus on antecedents that will support the implementation of GHRM practices in the tannery industry supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, an expanded literature review was organized to establish antecedents for implementing GHRM practices. The total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) technique is employed to explore interactions among the identified antecedents. Furthermore, Matriced Impact Croises Multiplication Applique analysis was conducted for determining the driving-dependence power of each antecedent. Findings: The results revealed that "green selection facility," "green recruiting facility," "green organizational culture," "green purchasing," "green strategy towards ES," "regulatory forces towards ES" and "top management commitment towards greening the workforce" are the key antecedents for the exercise of GHRM practices in the tannery industry. Practical implications: The proposed model might support decision makers to understand the interactions among the antecedents of GHRM practices. This model will help managers to understand the impact of one antecedent on another prior to the implementation of GHRM practices in the tannery industry. Originality/value: In this study, the author(s) propose a new version of the interpretive structural modeling approach (ISM), named the TISM technique, for determining the contextual interactions between GHRM initiative antecedents that are very new in the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide a viewpoint on the characteristics and ingredients of what constitutes an agile team using the lens of progress made toward goals (with three sub-categories) and execution/a bias for action (with three sub-categories). Also, highlight the similarity of constructs between two different yet related concepts of employee engagement and agile workforce and how they can be a force multiplier for companies if leveraged right. Design/methodology/approach: This study undertook literature review of key papers in the areas of building agile teams, its benefits and success stories largely popularized by the technology companies in the software development lifecycle and core constructs of employee engagement. The authors then build a framework of what constitutes an agile team, while briefly explaining the nine archetypes that emerge from the 3 × 3 matrix. Findings: Employee engagement and agile teams, although different yet related concepts, have very similar underlying constructs. Companies can take advantage of the symbiotic and mutually reinforcing relationship between these two constructs to "futureproof" their business in these turbulent times. Adopting an agile mind-set to team development – experimentation, incremental, iterative progress, nimble and flexible to pivot as per changes in environment – has proven to be successful for many iconic companies. A 3 × 3 matrix plotted against progress toward goals and a bias for action (with three sub-categories each) has given nine team archetypes, with agile team occupying the aspirational, north-east corner of the matrix. Originality/value: This paper provides insights into this important concept of building agile teams and offers a strategy model to be leveraged to build an agile mind-set in companies. HR managers now have a strategic framework to understand the characteristics and ingredients of agile team and understand the similarity of constructs between employee engagement and agile workforce. They can audit where their teams are at present and work on a clear road map to move them into agile mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Being successful in a rapidly changing world of work depends upon having very clear insights into the nature of the workforce from top leadership to lowest employee levels. Understanding generational similarities and differences provides a good starting point, as it provides the basis for examining the diversity of generational perspectives and needs and insight and instruction to open the thinking about the diverse population of employees. The purpose of this paper is to explore ways to bridge the five generations that work in today's workforce. Design/methodology/approach: Human resources has an especially important role to play in employee policy development and implementation, employee relations, performance evaluation, career progression and a wide range of other equally important and complex situations. Findings: While it is important to understand these broad generations, it is critical to engage with the individuals within your organization to better understand their perspectives, what matters most to them and where they see the greatest challenges and opportunities to bridge across generations. This paper explores approaches to take in bridging these generations. Originality/value: This paper will offer readers valuable insight into managing a multi-generational workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the US unemployment rate at 50-year lows and the increased use of automation expected to force organizations to replace or retrain over 25 per cent of their workforce, enterprises need new ways to re-skill employees to prepare for future needs. Design/methodology/approach: The authors spoke with HR leaders of different enterprises to see how they will adapt to the future of work with the combination of automation in the workplace. After gaining insights from multiple sources, they were able to come to some conclusions on how the future of work is shaping up to be. Findings: After gaining insights, they were able to find that companies that seek to combine the best of human ingenuity, empathy and change resilience with the prudent use of automation and re-skilling will be leading the workforce of the future. Originality/value: This paper from ISG was created to give insights into Strategic HR Review from real customers and research conducted. This paper gives valuable insights on how enterprises are actually re-skilling employees to adapt to the rise of automation and IT skills gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements of effective policies and processes to inform future health professional regulation reforms and practice in the Emirates. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on qualitative exploratory methodology. Methods of data collection and analysis included document analysis of the relevant literature, newspapers (as featured on their online websites), policy documents and official statistics. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including employers in the health and higher education sectors in Ras Al Khaimah, human resources managers, regulators and public health professionals and scholars. Findings: This paper brings to light the issues of maldistribution of the medical workforce, Emiritisation and examines implications for more effective medical workforce governance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Originality/value: First, the study provides policy recommendations for medical workforce governance in the context of UAE. Next, empirical studies on health workforce governance in the Middle East's Gulf Cooperation Council are lacking and primarily focus on the international mobility of expatriates. The study addresses the lack of empirical studies on this topic in the UAE. Third, the UAE is a fertile ground for research on medical workforce governance and, more broadly, the mobility of health professionals due to its economic diversification strategy and thriving medical tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The industry-wide adoption of a novel practice is often considered to be an institutional change. Although research on institutionalization has been accumulating, how and why embedded actors in the field become motivated to embrace change that remains sidelined. Viewing the introduction of a new human resource management practice, the recruitment of non-compulsory certified manpower, which is still in its infancy in the service sector of Taiwan, as a new institution, the purpose of this paper is to identify the distinct motives behind firms’ hiring decisions, and examine the extent to which such hiring decisions are contingent on institutional conditions and firm attributes.Design/methodology/approach The data used to test the hypotheses were drawn from a survey on service firms in Taiwan in the second half of 2011. Hypotheses were examined through moderated hierarchical regression analyses in a sample of 254 Taiwanese service firms across major sectors.Findings Integrating the resource dependency and social contagion views, the study contends that resource scarcity drives, or legitimacy enables, service firms to deviate from traditional hiring patterns and instead adopt new preferences toward certified manpower. The study not only shows that social factors should be incorporated into the diffusion of a new HR recruitment practice in the service sector, which is traditionally based upon economic considerations, but also sheds light on the context-dependent nature of the process of institutional innovation.Originality/value This study is an attempt not only to test a dual-theoretical model on the extent to which a service firm’s new hiring pattern is influenced by two distinct types of motivation, but also to evidence how an institutional innovation, in terms of the regime of service manpower certification, takes root and spreads in the field. The managerially discretional account of the resource dependence theory needs to be reconciled with social contagion theory, which highlights the influence of collective actions and so provides a better understanding of the diffusion of new HR recruitment practices in the service industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to research the impact of one of HRM activities, employees’ development, on the level of organizational innovative performances. HR development techniques that organizations use in order to develop employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities and their impact on the perceived level of organizational innovativeness was set in the focus of research, with the intent of determining which development techniques influence organizational innovative performance.Design/methodology/approach The research is based on the data from CRANET project, which has been largely used in exploring the relation between HRM activities and other variables of organizational behavior and performances. Data for this study were collected from a sample of 1,384 organizations from 8 CEE countries (Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Serbia) for the period 2015–2016. The correlation was used to explore the relations between variables. Ordinal logistic regression was used in order to explore the relations between the employees’ development techniques, training importance and training effectiveness and the level of organizational innovativeness.Findings The regression model showed that there are a statistically significant relations between the effectiveness of training expressed by systematic evaluation of training practice, and the methods of employees’ training (use of projects to stimulate learning, on-the-job training, development centers, use of international work assignments and mentoring) with the level of innovation. The importance of training practice expressed by the ratio of the annual training budget in the total payroll costs did not show statistically significant relations with the level of innovation. Also, systematic estimation of the need for training of personnel has not shown statistically significant relations with the innovation rate of the organization.Research limitations/implications The data are derived from single source respondents, and response rates between countries do vary. At the country level, every effort is made to represent the structure of the economy in the country and at the point in which the data are being collected.Practical implications Training and international working assignments have a direct positive relation with the level of organizational performances, while teamwork and coaching and mentoring have not shown the same. Organizations and their HR managers should pay special attention to planning and implementation of HR development programs – coaching, mentoring and teamwork – in order to create space for organizational innovation enhancement.Originality/value Previous literature seeking to clarify the role of HRM and fostering organizational innovation has made its evident contribution based on theoretical papers. In order to improve the current situation in which empirical evidence is very rare, research on the significance of the employee development program and its impact on the organizational innovative performances is based on quantitative indicators of the conducted research. The relation of HRM and innovative performances in the CEE region was studied in only a few studies. In the previous period, this region has often been omitted in the field of HRM research. Therefore, an additional novelty can be derived from a research sample compiled from the CEE region countries in the conducted research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly outsourcing human resource (HR) activities to outside labour market intermediaries. In this paper, the focus is on a specific type of labour market intermediary, the HR intermediary (HRI). The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss SME outsourcing of HR services to membership-based HRIs, and potential problems and benefits that may arise in this process.Design/methodology/approach The empirical foundation comprises case studies of three Swedish HRIs and 12 of their SME clients. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a document study.Findings The findings show that social aspects such as trust, shared values, communication and commitment are crucial characteristics of the cooperation between HRIs and SMEs. These social aspects are a result of the owner/membership structure, and a distinguishing feature of the studied HRIs in comparison to other types of labour market intermediaries.Research limitations/implications The results of the study underline the need for increased research related to the intermediary concept and its meanings in different contexts. There is also a need for more empirical research on HRIs, e.g. comparisons between different types of HRIs, and studies of the emergence of virtual intermediaries. Future studies should focus on the role of LMIs and HRIs in regional development processes.Practical implications Companies that interact with HRIs should reflect on the different pros and cons that this cooperation may result in, both in the short term and in the longer term.Originality/value The study provides an enhanced understanding regarding the relations between SMEs and HRIs, based on the two broad types of SMEs (with low/high internal HR skills) and two types of HRIs (with short/long-term orientation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework associating globalization, workforce diversity, and deviance and suggest micro-macro HRM strategies to overcome challenges associated with the workforce diversity and workplace deviance.Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of literature of past 25 years was carried out with the key word “globalization, workforce diversity, and deviance” from several electronic databases.Findings Findings propose micro-macro HRM strategies to be adopted by HR practitioners in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) organizations to manage workforce diversity and deviance in the age of globalization.Research limitations/implications The challenges due to workforce diversity may get worse because ASEAN is more incongruent in terms of phases of economic, social, cultural, and political advancement. Therefore, proposed model can be tested and compared in different ASEAN organizations.Originality/value There is a dearth of literature associating globalization, workforce diversity, and deviance. This paper bridges this gap by proposing a conceptual framework in the ASEAN context and suggests micro-macro HRM strategies to be adopted by HRM practitioners to overcome associated challenges with workforce diversity and deviance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer HR leaders ideas and solutions for connecting their increasingly divided workforces through technology and automation.Design/methodology/approach The paper examines major changes occurring in the workplace and how a digital workplace can solve those challenges, divided into several points.Findings The dynamics of work are changing, but the way we connect our workers has not kept pace. As a result, various factors of the changing workplace, from widening generational employee gaps to lower retention rates, present serious challenges to employee productivity and engagement. The digital workplace is the antidote. It improves productivity by unifying employees’ favorite tools in a single, user-friendly space. Digital workplace platforms have emerged as a mission-critical tool to band people, technologies, processes and information together. And when everyone’s in it together, everyone.Originality/value HR leaders are flooded with technology solutions. This paper offers insight into the benefits of a digital workplace so they can make an informed decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The construction industry is dynamic and often unregulated due to its complex, project-based nature. This makes the task of implementing human resource management (HRM) functions more difficult than in other economic sectors. This is particularly the case for developing countries which rely on a migrant, casual, and transient workforce. Despite offering flexibility, a transient workforce can lead to unpredictable rates of absenteeism and unsatisfactory productivity. This paper links HRM practices in the construction industry of the developing world to rates of absenteeism across three segments of the construction workforce – foremen, skilled workers, and unskilled workers. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach A survey targeting 60 construction sites in Beirut, Lebanon form the basis of the analysis. Within each site, measures of absenteeism for foremen, skilled, and unskilled workers were solicited along with other data on HRM onsite.Findings The results suggest a regression model for worker absenteeism based on tenure of work as well as the absenteeism of workers at the next hierarchical level onsite.Originality/value This study is among the first to show a link between the mechanisms by which construction workers are employed (contract-based foremen vs daily/weekly labourers – both skilled and unskilled) and the rate of absenteeism seen onsite. Given the role of absenteeism in construction productivity, having a good understanding of the underlying causes of absenteeism is critical to the design of mitigating policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we argue that work should be recognized as “commons." We call for a new approach to how managers define their role and responsibility regarding the problem of work flexibility and of its societal implications. We argue that, in the global and digitized economy, it is in the best interest of all the company's stakeholders that managers choose combinations of work arrangements and human resource policies considering the externalities of these decisions. Managers' responsibility spans to the costs and risks that the broader social system of organizational stakeholders will bear because of their decisions. When labor market institutions are “thin," it is management's responsibility to contribute structuring and shaping them, so that the interests of workers, independent of the work arrangements, are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Applied research shows higher wages are associated with lower mobility at the establishment level. A usual interpretation is that high pay decreases labour turnover. The purpose of this paper is to test if such relationship holds for every type of worker in every type of firm. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on a linked employer-employee panel dataset covering the French private sector from 2002 to 2005. The authors compute establishment wage effects and use them as explanatory variables in labour mobility equations (for churning rate and quit rate). Using spline regression models enables to investigate for potential non-linearities. Findings – The authors show that the relationship between churning rate and wage is non-linear and has the shape of an inverted J: the relation is negative and intense for establishments with low wage effect, weaker for average paying establishments and even becomes positive for very high-paying ones. This is true whatever the skill group of workers. It is also true for large establishments while the relationship is still negative but linear for small ones. The relationship between wages and quit rates has a strikingly similar pattern. This suggests that the link between churning and establishment wage effect is strongly related to quit decisions. Practical implications – A possible interpretation of our results is that paying higher wages may be an effective stabilizing tool especially for employers in small establishments and when starting wages are relatively low. Originality/value – The paper is the first to decompose the relationship between wage and mobility. It shows the relationship differs across establishment size and is not linear. The paper also shows quits play a role in this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Optimising workforce resources has become increasingly complex, particularly for large enterprises and those operating in multiple locations or countries. To be successful, human resource (HR) and the organisation’s line managers need to be strategic and nimble – able to quickly and decisively respond to any number of complex factors at a moment’s notice. These factors include internal considerations, such as employee qualifications and availability, as well as external dynamics, such as supply chain changes and expanding labour compliance regulations. Failure to respond quickly can prevent organisations from being able to reach optimal productivity and performance goals. Design/methodology/approach – Organisations seeking to achieve complete visibility should look first to the three pillars of an effective workforce management strategy – demand, utilisation and measurement – to better understand how they can be optimised to increase agility, improve customer service and reduce labour costs. Findings – Organisations that incorporate all three of these pillars – demand, utilisation and measurement – into their ongoing workforce management strategy will see the greatest impact in terms of increasing productivity and efficiency, as well as identifying new best practices that can be applied across the enterprise. Investing in solutions and practices that support workforce optimisation can also deliver greater agility, improved customer service and lower total costs. Originality/value – The ability to manage change effectively, whether it stems from external or internal factors, is critical to creating a sustainable, resilient organisation. Particularly because your workforce is likely the greatest asset and contributor to your overall success, equipping HR and managers with the right tools and data to increase effectiveness is essential to helping your organisation meet customer expectations, respond to change quickly and effectively and drive measurable gains in business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the association between a motivated and prepared workforce and environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach – Self-administered surveys were used to collect data for the study from 300 organisations operating in Australia. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the robustness of the various measurement models, and structural equation modelling was used to test the two propositions for this study. Findings – The results identify significant associations between affective commitment, employee performance process and training and enhanced environmental performance, which is mediated through the value-creating processes, work practices, process improvement and innovation process. Also, there is a set of sequential associations between work practices and process improvement and well as process improvement and innovation process. Practical implications – The study has identified specific management practices that enhance environmental performance. The findings add to the body of knowledge because previous studies focused on general conceptual rather than actual management practices. The implications for practice are that organisations should enhance organisational affective commitment to their environmental strategy, tailor employee performance processes and provide regular, specific training to employees to improve processes that lead to better environmental performance. Originality/value – Results, mentioned in findings above, provide some specificity to associations that had been illustrated and explained previously in an abstract or conceptual framework. A framework of identified associations provides a basis for future research and for practical application to assist with organisational environmental performance as part of a corporate sustainability strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify and characterize different work value patterns empirically. Furthermore, it is analyzed how these patterns are distributed in different countries and how they change in the course of time. Design/methodology/approach - Latent class analysis as an advanced clustering procedure was applied. The empirical analysis is based on data from the International Social Survey Program from three time periods (1989, 1997 and 2005), covering five countries (USA, Great Britain, West Germany, Norway and Hungary). Findings - The analysis reveals four distinct work value patterns among employees: "moderate demanders", "high demanders", "post modern demanders" and "income and security demanders." The affiliation to these patterns depends on gender, generational membership, education, occupation and nationality. The historical analysis reveals considerable variety in cross-national developments. Practical implications - The work value patterns identified have implications for recruitment, employee motivation and international HRM strategies. Management needs to be aware of work value patterns in the workforce in order to avoid mismatches and their negative consequences. If mismatch is unavoidable, the paper highlights the need to proactively manage mismatches between work value patterns and workplace situation. Originality/value - The authors argue that different work values are not independent of each other. Instead, they seem to have systematic interrelations and exist in specific patterns. Accordingly different segments within the labor force can be characterized by specific combinations of work values. This is highly relevant because it could help to customize HR instruments and incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to outline the first stage of an innovative developmental study addressing the educational and emotional needs of dementia care home staff using arts-based materials. Design/methodology/approach -- The arts workshop was developed using a mixed methods approach. This included ethnographic observation within a dementia care home, in-depth interviews with senior care home managers, a thematic analysis of focus groups and the development of a comic. At all stages, the multi-disciplinary project team collaborated closely with the care home staff. A comprehensive literature review of the policy, practice and academic background to dementia workforce education provided a contextual framework for the study. Perspectives from the medical humanities informed the project. Findings -- Despite the high prevalence of people living with dementia in care homes, there is a lack of appropriate training for the workforce that provides their care. This study found that an arts-based workshop offering an interactive mode of education was an effective way to engage this workforce. The workshop empowered participants to recognise their skills and focus on person-centred care; reflecting current recommendations for dementia care. Research limitations/implications -- The workshop was delivered in a single dementia care home and therefore findings may not be generalisable. In addition, the management did not take a direct part in the delivery of the workshop and therefore their views are not included in this study. Practical implications -- The arts-based approach can offer a means of engaging the dementia care workforce in education linked to their experience of caring. Originality/value -- The paper identifies the gap in relevant education for the dementia care workforce and outlines one possible way of addressing this gap using the arts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- This paper aims to study the key success factors (KSFs) that determine the direction and context of a new university, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (SDU), to formulate strategic human capital management (SHCM) for the university, and also to recommend a proposal for the human resources (HR) structure and systems that supports SHCM for a new university. Design/methodology/approach -- This study used mixed methods. There were four steps, including documentary research to develop a draft of SHCM prototype, in-depth interview and knowledge-sharing technique with 17 key informants to develop the underlying final SHCM prototype, collecting the quantitative data from a questionnaire to develop a prototype of SHCM, and validation and confirmation of the suitability and feasibility of SHCM for a new university by using a focus group and knowledge-sharing technique with 14 HR experts and re-confirm for practical implementation with SDU's executive team. Findings -- The four KSFs were university positioning, talent capability, harmonization, and transformation. The SHCM formulation was categorized into two sections: components including strategy on thinking and planning, implementation and measurement; and procedures including HR policy committee, strategic and operational HR management. The HR proposal for implementation was emerging. Originality/value -- The tacit knowledge in SHCM, including human capital-centric driving for KSFs and innovative HR in university transformation comprising of the strategic and operational levels, was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the dimensions of boredom-coping in the workplace and develop a linear equation capable of predicting a single individual's boredom-coping capacity. Design/methodology/approach – The research employs a mixed-methods approach and triangulates the identification of themes through, consultation with five industry experts, 23 individual interviews and 169 survey respondents. Findings – A linear composite that explains 41.4 percent of the variance in boredom-coping (r=0.66, p<0.001) was developed. The model was derived from four constructs identified from primary qualitative data. These were, personality traits (i.e. conscientiousness, openness, work ethic, and extraversion), attitude to challenge, trainable abilities (i.e. practical intelligence, foresight ability, and situational awareness), and group potency. Research limitations/implications – These findings provide research implications for the study of boredom-coping at work. Common-method artifacts are a potential limitation of the conclusions drawn. However, the mixed-methods approach, independent samples at each stage, and multiple data collection sites and times, supports the integrity of the findings discussed. Practical implications – The practical implications of this research includes providing strategies for human resource decisions associated with recruitment, selection, and front-line training interventions. The model indicates training may be targeted at different areas of the equation with markedly different impact and return depending on the timed nature of interventions. Originality/value – The findings support the development of approaches that may help to create a more engaged, productive, and well-adjusted workforce. The translation of the findings to the “bottom-line” is also significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to unexplore the area of information and communication technology (ICT) use in organizations related to the assumed productivity gains by the use of ICTs. On the one hand, the paper focus on the losses of labor time that are caused by malfunctioning hardware or non-functional software, and on the other hand, the paper focus on the labor time losses that are caused by a lack of skills to maximize ICT. Design/methodology/approach – To estimate these losses, the paper conducted a large-scale survey among the Dutch workforce. The respondents were presented scenarios, and then they were asked to assess the loss of labor time. Findings – When working with ICTs, malfunctioning ICT and ICT skill insufficiencies lead to a loss in labor time of 7.5 percent. The losses increase with decreasing educational attainment level. Age does not contribute to the total average losses. Workers highly underestimate the effects of ICT-related training. The role of co-workers is more significant than the formally organized means by the organization. Originality/value – Due to ICT's significance among the labor force, investigating the reported losses is an important step to further improve the use of ICTs in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bridge the theory of organisational identity and the practice of HR management. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper starts from the fundamental questions about employees' defining-self in workplaces. Specifically, this paper examines the organisational identity by adopting a process model of sensemaking which assumes a dynamic cycle between the sensebreaking and sensegiving activities. Based on this, this paper develops and provides a practical framework for HR practitioners and a theoretical implication for academic researchers. Findings – The author introduces the concept of identity gaps, a relatively under researched area in the social identity literature and HR management. Then, three types of identity gaps are identified: individual-individual gaps, organisational-organisational gaps, and individual-organisational gaps. Based on this categorization, this paper shows the matching HR practices for each type one by one. Originality/value – Today's practices of HR seem to underestimate the importance of employees' activities of defining self-identities even though academic research on employees' identity is flourishing. By providing clear and structured framework for managing employee's identity, this paper can bridge the theory of identity and the practice in HR management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify the different research strands concerning studies related to human resource management (HRM) and ageing employees. More specifically, the paper analyses how age and gender are understood and conceptualized in these studies. Design/methodology/approach – An integrative literature review concerning ageing employees and HRM with special reference to gender is the approach taken in this paper. Findings – Recent studies relating to HRM and ageing employees were categorized and analysed. The paper concludes that there is a need for a more holistic understanding of the concept of age in studies related to ageing employees and HRM and also argues that the intersection of age and gender is under-researched in the field of HRM. Practical implications – Based on literature review the paper outlined directions for how gender-neutral age management studies may be extended. A pluralist understanding of age and gender would help to understand the different needs and expectations that ageing employees may have in terms of HR practices and policies. Institutional practices and legislation can promote equality, but organizational contexts, both internal and external, should be scanned in order to recognize possible ageist or age-blind practices. Ageing women in particular have the burden of being recognized in terms of chronological stereotyped changes that might damage their work and career. Originality/value – Research on ageing employees and HRM with special reference to gender is limited and therefore an integrative literature review is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Research on work status differences has yielded inconsistent results and is not relevant for today's workforce, economic circumstances, or the changing nature of work. Inconsistencies may be due to substantial heterogeneity, rather than homogeneity, within each group (part-time (PT) and full-time (FT)). Thus, researchers created a PT worker typology based on demographics and personal life roles. Systematic differences in attitudes and behaviors across derived groups of PT workers were found. The purpose of the current study is to test the applicability of this PT worker typology on FT workers and to extend the typology's foundational theory, partial inclusion theory (PIT). Design/methodology/approach – The current study employs cluster analysis on three diverse samples (n=3,747) to establish a basis for the generalizability of the FT typology. Findings – Strong support was found for a similar, but distinct, FT employee typology. Attitudinal and behavioral differences were also found among the various FT groups which were similar to the differences found among the PT groups. Research limitations/implications – The current study has implications both for the application of PIT as well management and human resources. Targeted wellness and retention programs can be designed for various groups of FT employees, including scheduling flexibility and benefit plans. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to examine the heterogeneity of the FT workforce, understanding that FT workers also have substantial life roles outside of work that likely affect their involvement and attitudes at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the legal issues that HR professionals may face when seconding talent internationally for work assignments and offer advice on how to overcome the challenges involved. Design/methodology/approach - Best practices are outlined to help avoid legal issues when seconding talent to other countries. The guidance offered is based on private practice experience of almost 15 years in employment and global mobility issues and studies of case law and jurisprudence with regard to global mobility. Findings - Seconding employees abroad can be a complex and confusing process. Assumptions should be avoided and care taken to investigate the legal and tax implications in each country. A global mobility strategy should be put in place to ensure proper procedures are applied. Originality/value - The best practice provided in this paper will be useful to HR professionals with employees working across the globe, as it takes a global view of talent mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to review the intervention of the European Social Fund (ESF) as an instrument of human resource development (HRD) policies in the European labor market. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses an economic background, and reviews the official documents produced by the ESF during its history to try to define its economic impact. Findings – The paper concludes that the ESF was mainly a force of absorption of funds, which were sent from the European Union (EU) budget to certain regions. Research limitations/implications – The absorption logic has the implication that it is doubtful that the ESF completely pursued its aims, because the urge to absorb money somehow overshadowed the need to use it efficiently. Originality/value – This is the first time the ESF action has been reviewed in one single paper from an economic point-of-view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to derive a measure for the performance of human resource shared service providers (HR SSPs) and then to develop a theoretical framework that conceptualises their performance. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper starts from the HR shared services argument and integrates this with the knowledge-based view of the firm and the concept of intellectual capital. Findings – The authors recommend measuring HR SSP performance as HR value, referring to the ratio between use value and exchange value, that together reflect both transactional and transformational HR value. They argue that transactional HR value directly flows from the organisational capital in HR SSPs, whereas human and social capitals enable them to leverage their organisational capital for HR value creation. The authors argue that the human capital of HR SSPs has a direct effect on transformational HR value creation, while their social and organisational capitals positively moderate this relationship. Originality/value – The suggested measure paves the way for operationalising and measuring the performance of HR shared services providers. This paper offers testable propositions for the relationships between intellectual capital and the performance of HR shared service providers. These contributions could assist future research to move beyond the descriptive nature that characterises the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- NHS reforms in England led to the establishment of Local Education and Training Board (LETBs) to ensure the future supply of staff. LETBs have an important role in addressing health and social care integration. This paper aims to stimulate debate, ideas and opportunities to improve integrated worldorce planning, practice and policy. Design/methodology/approach -- This is a thought leadership article which presents a distillation of key policy and strategy, drawing out implications for policy makers and workforce planners at a strategic level. Findings The paper describes and critically appraises the role of LETBs in supporting integration between health and social care. The key messages include: ensure social care and public health representation on the board, track education and training decisions against commissioning priorities, focus on outcomes and transition points, build health-related skills in social care, support providers and use performance measures of integration. Practical implications -- LETBs need to demonstrate an open and transparent approach to workforce education and planning. All partners need to engage including social care and public health service commissioners and providers. Originality/value -- There is a substantial body of literature on integration, although much less is devoted to examining workforce. This article will be of particular interest to LETB leaders, those responsible for reviewing and assessing the performance of LETBs as well as social care leaders and worldorce planners. In addition the article will be of interest to those supporting integrated workforce planning and development across the UK and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the major critical success factors involved in knowledge acquisition from an aging oil and gas workforce by outsourced service providers and find the outcome. In addition, the authors are also interested in finding out the outcome for the client and the service provider by following these critical success factors.Design/methodology/approach – The authors shortlisted two outsourced firms for studying, primarily because they deliver lots of service support work to oil and gas firms. For the exploratory nature of this case study, a structured, open-ended interview was conducted. Through face-to-face interviews with 12 senior managers, primary data were collected. Upon content analysis of data collected, the framework was evaluated.Findings – The results of this study indicate that both client and service providers can benefit by following major critical success factors for knowledge acquisition. From the open-ended interview with the two companies, it can be concluded that the service providers are able to grow their technical and domain capability through knowledge acquisition from ageing workforce and reduce the cost to client.Research limitations/implications – The study has been restricted to two service providers, with majority of operations carried out of India, focusing only on US/UK-based oil & gas firms. Implication on theory is, by following these critical success factors, it is likely to be easier to acquire the knowledge from an aging oil and gas workforce.Practical implications – The service provider firms can build their knowledge capability, reducing the cost to both client and service provider. Further study with more service providers at the global level may help in pooling larger data. The primary contribution of the paper is in introducing the critical success factors with various associated activities that drive knowledge acquisition from an aging workforce.Originality/value – The primary contribution of the paper is in introducing the critical success factors with various associated activities that drive knowledge acquisition from an aged workforce in the oil and gas industries. Second contribution is in highlighting the role of these critical success factors in gaining various benefits to client as well as to service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Workforce diversity is considered one of the main challenges for human resource management in modern organizations. Despite its strategic importance, the majority of models in this field implicitly consider workforce as a generic and homogeneous category, and do not take into account cultural differences among employees. The aim of this paper is to present a systematic review of the literature on diversity among employees in strategic human resource management (SHRM). The objective of this conceptual analysis is to identify limitations in previous research and unresolved issues that could drive future research in this field. Design/methodology/approach – To develop this conceptual analysis, the paper reviews previous literature on SHRM, drawing on the distinction between the universalistic, contingent and configurational perspectives. Each of these approaches is explored, looking for the way in which they have treated workforce diversity and cross-culturality. Findings – The paper concludes that managing a heterogeneous workforce requires a holistic transformation of human resource strategies. Nevertheless, efforts to define cross-cultural and diversity-oriented models still remain undeveloped. Limitations of previous research in the diversity-SHRM field are indentified in the paper. Research limitations/implications – Drawing on the limitations of the treatment given to diversity in SHRM research, the paper identifies four research questions that still need to be addressed: deeper analysis of the concept of diversity, introduction of psychological processes mediating the diversity-performance relationship, development of diversity oriented SHRM typologies and redefinition of performance indicators to measure the effects of diversity. Originality/value – This paper proposes a theoretical model to illustrate present state of the art and future research lines in the fields of diversity, cross-cultural management and SHRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to highlight the least effective and most effective methods for evaluating job candidates. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the lessons learned by the industrial psychologists of PSP Metrics, Inc, throughout the 65 years the company has been assisting businesses in improving the quality and productivity of their human capital. Findings – Traditional selection criteria such as education, experience and job knowledge are not the most likely predictors of candidate success. Multiple meetings with candidates, behavioral interviewing and psychometric profiling are more successful methods of selection. Originality/value – The information gives HR professionals practical advice on how to improve the quality of their selection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The paper aims to establish the position that discrete work tasks, rather than entire jobs, are the most useful level of analysis of age differences in work motivation. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 189 workers (aged 18-65 years) from production and office jobs in the building industry completed a survey on personal and job resources, overall and task-specific motivation, and job satisfaction. Findings - Age was positively associated with motivation for generativity-related, but not growth-related tasks. Personal and job resources were positively and differentially related to task-specific motivation. Research limitations/implications - Building on the notion of age-specific constellations of high and low-motivation tasks, the findings inspire research into age-related changes in work motivation. The authors studied only two task types; a more comprehensive task set will in future studies yield deeper insights into motivational regulation. Working with other industry sectors will enhance generalisability. Practical implications - The results contribute to a theory-based, empirically grounded platform to assess age-related changes in work motivation, and to derive age-differentiated motivational interventions. Social implications - Supporting older workers' motivation in light of the demand for longer individual work lives is becoming an important agenda for employers and policy makers. This research contributes to developing tools for such motivation support. Originality/value - The paper enhances the conceptual clarity of work motivation research by distinguishing global and task-specific levels of motivation. The conceptualisation differentiates job design approaches by considering age-related changes at multiple levels instead of focusing on major age effects only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to outline the nature of workplace bullying and its implications for employees and the organization, and strategies to handle such unwanted behavior.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on work carried out by the authors over the past two years, plus the HR literature.Findings – The paper argues that if workplace bullying is not managed well, then it will have serious negative implications on workers and the overall performance of the organization, thus a happy, healthy and engaged workforce will not be achievable. Strategies relating to education and training, leadership, sound processes and overall support for victims are ways in which undesirable acts in the organization could be managed.Practical implications – The paper draws attention to the important issue of workplace bullying and its effects on workers and the organization, and mentions the significance of managing it.Social implications – The paper explains how the management of any organization can be improved to generate a better working environment.Originality/value – The paper presents the arguments in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The focus of this paper is to consider the findings of a survey, which aims to identify the types of training that acute mental health staff could access, in relation to workforce development and substance misuse issues in acute mental health care. Design/methodology/approach – An electronic survey was developed and distributed using work email lists to all clinicians who worked in acute mental health services across a region in England. Not all NHS organisations agreed to participate. Findings – A total of 89 clinicians responded to the survey, some failed to indicate their consent, therefore the results of the 77 that did are presented. The main finding was that most acute care staff had only accessed mandatory training such as risk assessment. Many staff had not been trained in the use of psychosocial approaches. Drug and alcohol specific activities were performed on the whole only "sometimes". Research limitations/implications – It was not possible to determine the total number of potentially eligible staff who were sent the survey, therefore, response rates cannot be calculated. It is possible that the findings may not be generalisable to other services. There may be bias in those who choose to respond to an electronic email, in terms of those who had access to a computer or who were more IT literate. In addition, the survey did not specifically set out to examine substance misuse issues as its main focus. Practical implications – Acute care staff work with service users with increasingly complex needs. Creative and cost effective ways of facilitating access to training and support must be found as a priority to ensure that staff have the competencies to identify and manage substance users effectively in acute mental health settings. Originality/value – The findings reinforce previous studies highlighting the deficit in access to psychosocial interventions training for acute care staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to further critique diversity management initiatives, underpinned by a “business case/best practice” rationale, drawing on a wider investigation into changing recruitment practices aimed at increasing the gender diversity within information technology, electronics and computing (ITEC) organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the premise that human resource management practices are an essential lever in a diversity management approach this paper revisits organizational accounts of recruitment initiatives adopted, but presented through a more critical lens than in the initial investigation. These accounts were gathered from interviews with human resources (HR) and hiring managers in 18 organizations (12 private, and six public, sector). Findings – These refer to two specific recruitment initiatives introduced with the assumption that these would enable organizations to build a more gender diverse workforce: revisiting job requirements to make them more appealing/accessible to women and the adoption of competency frameworks, assumed to be “gender neutral”. Practical implications – In providing further insights into the limitations of diversity “business case/best practice” change, supported by accounts of organizational practices drawn from a specific industry sector, it is hoped that this will provide a reflective lens for those in positions to influence policies aimed at addressing issues of gender inequality. Originality/value – Drawing on the concept of “ideological cover” this paper offers an alternative theoretical lens from which to critique the underpinning rationale and assumptions held about recruitment practices, thus questioning organizational claims that these are “gender neutral”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – As organizations operate in an increasingly borderless world where work is performed across various cultures, geographies and time zones, modern strategies and approaches for effective, global leadership are a necessity. The aim of this paper is to explore how leaders can successfully address the challenges of global leadership in order to improve business performance and take advantage of new business opportunities. Design/methodology/approach – IBM's recently published Global Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) study – to which more than 700 HR executives and workforce strategists across 61 countries contributed – reveals that organizations continue to struggle to resolve a number of critical leadership challenges. Findings – The authors explore the key levers that leaders need to apply in order to maximize workforce performance and capitalize on collective intelligence. Analysis of our study shows that many organizations will need to work very differently from how they operate today, engaging much more seamlessly across a wide range of geographic, functional, and generational boundaries. Originality/value – The following article summarizes the findings from IBM's recent CHRO study, highlights its implications for modern leadership and presents selected case studies to illustrate how the theory can be put into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to identify how human resource (HR) professionals can best approach the measurement of human capital. This is an evolving area and those organizations held up as exemplars are constantly reviewing their approach and measures and striving for better understanding of people contribution. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on experience and research from within the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in the UK since 2000 and up to 2011, as well as external research sources. Findings - The paper finds that there is no one way to carry out human capital measurement as it is context-specific. However, there are certain people management measures that when applied would provide managers with useful insights in most organizations. More important than specific measures is that the processes around measurement are accurate and trustworthy. Practical implications - All forms of capital must be evaluated and analyzed in context to understand how people drive business performance. Human capital only adds value if it can be successfully converted into goods and services that will make a profit. Originality/value - The paper examines people management measures which provide managers with useful insight in most organizations. However, it concludes that it is more important that the processes around measurement should be accurate and trustworthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to suggest that analytics are most useful where they support and enable strategic decisions about people management and the business. Design/methodology/approach - The paper explores how organizations can best make the link between strategy and the analytics they choose. Findings - The best way to link analytics and strategy is through a human capital scorecard. This scorecard should be based on a strategy map like the original balanced business scorecard, which links inputs, human resource (HR) activities and human capital outputs together and also shows how these are linked to HR's impacts in the business. Practical implications - Organizations are advised to think strategically about the sorts of analytics they can develop in order to drive decision making about people and the potential impact of people on business performance. In many cases, they will find that developing a strategy map that identifies objectives for the people management strategy, followed by a scorecard identifying measures for these strategies, and then analytics to add value to the chosen measures, will be the best approach to HR measurement and analysis. Originality/value - Other authors have suggested forms of HR scorecard but these have not been based on a strategy map. This limits their usefulness and, in particular, does not enable analytics to be developed that link to strategic needs within a business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive Summary. Although small businesses employ about half the American workforce and represent 99 percent of all U.S. firms, small firm human resource management is under-studied and therefore commonly misunderstood. Further, HR textbooks pay little attention to the distinctiveness and ubiquity of this topic. This paper develops a repeated-uses template for entrepreneurs, practitioners and scholars, out of a conceptual model of strategic HR management. The template serves to identify and organize tactical stages of HR responsibilities that are tied to firms' workforce expansion and strategic considerations that recur in phases as new businesses develop and mature. The Right WorkForce model and its related template are employable periodically as small firms grow into larger ones. Respectively, they offer a framework for strategic HR theory development and a process for forward-looking identification of HR issues in support of operations and strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between high-involvement human resource management practices and organizational performance in the Sultanate of Oman, an Arabian Gulf country. Design/methodology/approach -- Companies listed in the Muscat Securities Market in the Sultanate of Oman were surveyed. The final sample consisted of 87 companies. Survey responses were subjected to statistical analysis. Financial measures of organizational performance were also used in the analysis for a subset of the sample for which these data were available. Findings -- Results of the statistical analysis indicated that, after controlling for size, type of firm (publicly traded or closely held) and average industry price-earnings ratio, high involvement human resource management practices were positively related to subjective organizational performance and an objective measure of performance, ratio of market value to book value. Research limitations/implications -- Research limitations include measuring high-involvement HRM practices and subjective organizational performance from the same source, assuming that HRM practices are uniform across organizational levels and using a composite measure of high-involvement HRM practices. Future research should address these limitations. Practical implications -- The results of the study suggest that organizations in the Arabian Gulf can enhance their performance by implementing high-involvement HRM practices in spite of the unique national culture and special features of the labour market in the region. Originality/value -- To the best of one's knowledge, this is the first study of high-involvement HRM practices and organizational performance in the Arabian Gulf using both subjective and objective measures of organizational performance. Unlike other studies on HRM in Oman, this study was based on data collected from private-sector organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]