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This thesis was scanned from the print manuscript for digital preservation and is copyright the author. Researchers can access this thesis by asking their local university, institution or public library to make a request on their behalf. Monash staff and postgraduate students can use the link in the References field.

Firms are faced with a number of strategic choices. One of the key decisions is whether required components or services are best developed internally or purchased from the market. This ‘make or buy decision’ (Miles and Snow, 1984) has been used to evaluate the relative efficiency of internal and external production, and more recently to consider whether the firm should train and develop its staff or gain the required skills from the external labour market. When firms decide to buy in the required skills they are faced with a further choice: to gain the required skills directly from the external labour market or to outsource that activity to market-based agents.

In recent years, there has been, particularly among human resource management practitioners, a view that important inter-generational differences exist among workers and that these differences provide challenges to managers in effectively managing their workforce. While such views have been challenged, academic research into inter-generational differences and its effects has been limited. Our paper seeks to fill this vacuum by addressing the question as to whether there are differences between generations in their orientations and attitudes to work. This paper explores the differences in job satisfaction, organizational commitment and the willingness to quit of two groups of workers; the Baby Boomers and Generation X. Using a large-scale survey of employees of a large public sector research organization, we find that the Boomers do have higher job satisfaction and a lower willingness to quit than their Generation X colleagues. We also find that there are some important differences in the antecedents of these variables between the two groups. This paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings for management practice and theory. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

China has undergone extensive reform of its business system in its rapid transition to a market economy. In this process, the success of enterprises has depended heavily on changing structural conditions, such as the transformation of ownership and market competition, on the ability of management to adapt to new labour and product markets, and on new ways of getting workers to commit to the enterprises' goals. This study explores enterprise success by modelling organizational performance as a function of intangible management practices, either directly or through their effects on employee satisfaction, all within the context of transition. The findings of the research demonstrate that employee satisfaction is influenced by some forms of intangible management; that enterprise success is conditioned by employee satisfaction, by some measures of transition and by a range of intangible management practices. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Industrial relations research has traditionally viewed trade unions as the primary mechanism for employee voice. With the decline in unionism in many advanced industrial economies over the past two decades, new direct non-union voice mechanisms have been introduced by employers. This focus on the mechanisms for employee voice, however, fails to take account of employees' perceptions of voice. We suggested that employee perceptions of voice vary between the different levels of an organisation and proposed that trade union membership will be more likely to enhance individual employee perceptions of voice at the wider organisational level. Contrary to our expectations, our analysis of 2,949 employees of a public sector scientific research organisation found that union membership had a significant negative impact on employee voice at the organisational level. The article concluded by offering possible explanations for this unexpected finding and the implications for theory, management and future research.

This article argues that there is a trend towards enterprise unionism in a number of countries. The authors begin by defining enterprise unionism and developing a framework of analysis in terms of activities, governance, and resources. Utilizing this framework, six countries – Japan, US, France, Germany, UK and Australia – are examined. The trend towards enterprise unionism is best seen in terms of collective bargaining and joint consultation. The authors then consider various explanations for this tendency, including unions and their members, the state, and employers in their market context. This is followed by a discussion of the implications, which may be drawn, and the research gaps, which need to be filled.

Employee reactions to the performance appraisal (PA) process have been identified as a potentially important influence on employee acceptance of the performance appraisal process. One such reaction is the perceived fairness of the performance appraisal experience. Previous studies have tended to focus on single aspects of the PA process that impact on PA fairness. In this paper, we combine findings from previous research on PA fairness into a single model and then investigate their impact using data from 2377 public sector employees. We find that participation in PA, attitudes towards the supervisor, and knowledge of the performance appraisal process are all positively and significantly associated with employee perceptions of performance appraisal fairness.

Economic growth during the second half of the twentieth century was not accompanied by an improvement in the position of women in the Japanese labour market. The peripheral position occupied by women was due, in large part, to the substantial barriers created by the internal labour market with its employment practices such as ‘lifetime’ employment, seniority promotion, and on-the-job training. In the past decade, the use of such practices has declined and the corresponding erosion of the internal labour market, coupled with a predicted skill shortage, was seen as an opportunity for women to gain a degree of equality in the workplace. Yet, the changes to the structure of the internal labour market have not been able to overcome the discriminatory work practices are that are embedded in the way work is organized. It is this contest that is explored and analysed in this paper.

There is a well established literature on the antecedents of organizational commitment, though the relative importance of these antecedents to particular groups of workers remains unclear. Relying on a general set of antecedents for all workers may result in the application of inappropriate HRM policies and practices. Our focus is on knowledge workers as they have been identified as important to organizational success.The literature is, however, divided on what constitutes knowledge work so we develop and apply a measure that focuses on what these workers do.We then use this measure to examine attitudinal and behavioural commitment. We find, using responses from 1969 employees, knowledge workers have higher attitudinal commitment and lower intention to quit than routine-task workers. Further, the antecedents of commitment for knowledge workers and routine-task workers differ in many important respects, creating challenges for organizational decision makers.

There have been many changes occurring in Asian business and management over the past two decades. One such change has been the role and position of women, both in the workforce and in management. Asian economies have experienced rapid growth in recent years, which may have had some effect on women's career opportunities in management. This contribution adopts a holistic approach to examine whether women in these Asian countries have experienced a greater acceptance of their participation in management or whether significant barriers remain.

The economies of Asia have undergone a significant transformation over the past five decades as they moved from being primarily agrarian societies to more modern industrial states. What have these changes meant for women and, in particular, their position and progress in management? This contribution brings together the findings of the eight case studies presented in this collection. Using an explanatory model that incorporates individual, organizational and societal level analysis, women were found to be under-represented in management and faced considerable barriers in gaining management positions. Organizational factors underpinned many of these barriers but a range of cultural attributes contributed to this discrimination. Legislative changes were seen as one avenue to improve women's careers as were women's increased education levels, the changing approaches to human resource management, and a growing awareness of the inefficiencies and sub-optimal levels of organizational performance created by gend...

Performance appraisals are traditionally seen as tools that can promote employee productivity. This article examines whether performance appraisals stimulate employee efforts beyond levels that employees regard as manageable, as measured by feelings of work overload. Using data from 2,399 employees, the study finds that participation in setting performance objectives, difficult objectives, and higher performance ratings are associated with increased levels of work overload. Trust in the supervisor was associated with lower levels of work overload. These findings suggest that some of the features associated with a well-designed appraisal system may generate adverse outcomes for employees and, subsequently, for their organizations.

There has been much discussion regarding the possible decline and weakening of national systems of human resource management (HRM). Yet, culture and institutions are often cited as the major stumbling blocks to this outcome. Such constraints may dissipate in the analysis, particularly if ‘regional clusters’ are considered where geographic and cultural closeness and ‘openness’ to similar economic pressures exist. In such cases, it might be postulated that convergence in HRM will occur. We argue that China, Japan and South Korea represent such a cluster. This article examines these countries, to see if a degree of convergence is taking place and if it is towards an identifiable ‘Asian’ model of HRM. A model of change is presented that distinguishes between levels of occurrence and acceptance. Details of the development and practice of HRM in each country are then set out. The article ends with a discussion and implications section and a brief conclusion.

Export growth has been a major contributor to the economic development of China. Underpinning this growth was the development of special economic zones, the reform of SOEs, and the adoption of new models of human resource management. Few empirical studies, however, have been conducted to explore the effects of human resource management on the export performance of Chinese firms. This was the purpose of this study. Based on a survey of 96 SOEs in four special economic zones, the research found that human resource management had a substantial impact on enterprise performance as measured by export growth and the percentage of export sales. The article concludes by suggesting avenues for future research. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Performance appraisal systems are a popular tool within organisations to enhance employee commitment and productivity. This paper examines the consequences of three aspects of a performance appraisal system (distributive justice, procedural justice and the performance rating) on the level of emotional exhaustion reported by employees in a large public sector research organisation.

Japanese enterprises are undergoing change as they confront the new competitive pressures created by globalization and the economic restructuring of the 1990s. This paper examines the nature and extent of the changes to human resource management in four Japanese multinational firms. The research found that all companies are undergoing change, although only one could be considered to be in a period of transformation. The research also showed that lifetime employment and seniority-based wages and promotion were under considerable pressure. The final configuration of HRM is difficult to predict but it is likely that a more performance-based system of compensation and promotion is the most likely outcome.

China has undergone substantial restructuring at both the macroeconomic and the enterprise level, and its admission into the World Trade Organization in 2001 provided further impetus to the reform process. Global competition and a reconsideration of national human resource policies have underpinned much of this reform and have led to an emerging external labor market. Little research, however, has been undertaken on this labor market and its impact on human resource development. This study examines human resource development choices to recruit externally or train internally. This “buy or make” decision is explored in businesses in Beijing and Shanghai, cities that represent the more developed regions of China and provide an indication of future trends. The article concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the research and suggestions for future research.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of low quality performance appraisals (PA) on three human resource management outcomes (job satisfaction, organisational commitment and intention to quit).Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 2,336 public sector employees clusters of PA experiences (low, mixed and high) were identified. Regression analysis was then employed to examine the relationship between low quality PA experiences and job satisfaction, organisational commitment and intention to quit.FindingsEmployees with low quality PA experiences (relative to those with mixed and high quality PA experiences) were more likely to be dissatisfied with their job, be less committed to the organisation and more likely to be contemplating leaving the organisation.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were collected in a large public sector research organisation where the results of the appraisal were linked to pay increments. Further research is needed to determine the applicability of the results to private sector employees.Practical implicationsThe quality of the PA experience varies and a low quality experience results in lower job satisfaction and organisational commitment and higher quit intentions. The challenge for human resource (HR) practitioners is to decide whether the allocation of additional resources to ensure that all employees have a uniformly high quality PA experience is a worthwhile investment.Originality/valueResearch has tended to focus on the relationship between a single feature of a PA process and HR outcomes. Organisations need to acknowledge the importance of the overall PA experience when evaluating its consequences for HRM outcomes.

In 1986, the government of Vietnam commenced the move from a centrally planned system to a market-oriented economy with a multisectoral economic structure and a multiownership system. This process, known as Doi Moi, has had a major effect on the economic and social fabric of Vietnam. Although the body of research on this topic has grown, few studies have explored the effect of these economic changes on the internal operations of enterprises. In particular, little is known about the relationship between these new forms of ownership and how enterprises structure their human resource management. This article seeks to explore this relationship through detailed case studies of 32 enterprises covering the range of ownership types. The findings reveal a diversity of human resource management practices, but certain practices are now more prevalent in particular types of enterprises; human resource management remains the overall exception. The article concludes by considering the theoretical and practical implications of these results for economies undergoing transition

Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Tripartite consultation has become widely established in China and is often referred to as “collective bargaining” by the Government and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. This article reviews its development and structure, and examines its role in dispute settlement, labour regulation and collective bargaining. China's tripartite consultation system is found to differ from that advocated by the ILO due to its lack of neutrality and independent workers’ representation, poor legal enforcement of consultation outcomes, and restricted responsibilities. Notwithstanding these major deficiencies, the authors conclude, such tripartite consultation is a first step towards more genuine collective bargaining.

The success of the Japanese company has often been attributed to a range of management practices and enterprise unionism. These claims, however, have been based on research that was conducted during periods of high economic growth where a major objective of the company was increasing market share. This article extends this research by assessing the impact of these factors on the financial performance of Japanese companies over the period 1991–2001, a period of economic decline and change. The findings of the research challenge the conventional view of the value of Japanese management practices and enterprise unions, and illustrate the need to consider these practices within a wider economic context.

In an earlier study we reported that human resource management (HRM) in Japan was best characterized by continuity with some changes to assessment and pay practices. It is now over five years since we mapped out the changes taking place in Japanese HRM. This contribution reviews some of the changes over this period and considers the future directions of HRM. The essay commences with a discussion of the important contextual factors and issues underpinning HRM including employer proposals for reform. The next section then explores changes taking place in employment, remuneration and evaluation. This is supplemented by a more general assessment of the key changes occurring in Japanese HRM. The essay concludes with a discussion on why such changes are occurring, whether the changes constitute a convergence towards the Western model and the implications for HRM and theory development.