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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of high-performance human resource management practices (HPHRMPs) on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and the influences of national culture (NC) and organisational culture (OC) on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachUsing a self-administered survey, data were collected from a sample of 420 public sector employees. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsThe findings of this study offer new insights into the ability to improve OCB through greater consideration of NC and OC in the design of HPHRMP. The results indicated that NC fully mediates the relationship between HPHRMP and OCB, whilst OC has a partial mediating influence.Research limitations/implicationsHPHRMP includes a wide variety of functional areas; however, this study has only examined three (reward management, performance appraisal and promotion practices) and contributes to understanding the importance of institutional theory in HRM.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the need for HR professionals to ensure that they consider the impact of cultural differences (national and organisational) on how these HR practices will be perceived by employees.Originality/valueThe present study seeks to extend research into the link between cultural context and HPHRMP and posits that culture plays a crucial role in this relationship.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of employee assistance programs (EAP) as a form of perceived organisational support (POS) to address workplace bullying (WB), from the perspective of employees who have been the victims of bullying. Design/methodology/approach Using an on-line survey, data were collected from 397 employees across a range of positions and industry sectors in Australia, who indicated they had been subjected to bullying. Findings The results of the study indicate that WB is rife, and although anti-bullying policies were in existence participants felt that these were mere tokenism. The level of POS and use of EAPs were considered to be inadequate and, interestingly, in some cases offered more support to the bully than the victim. Research limitations/implications With the increased rate of WB, organisations are seeking different ways to address this. This study highlights that the ability of EAPs to provide support to employees in these circumstances appears to be limited. The findings suggest that if management wish to use EAPs to support employees in cases of WB, they must invest more in them. Originality/value This study seeks to extend research into the management of WB through EAPs and POS and posits that there is a high level of dissatisfaction with management’s response and support with regard to bullying incidents.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of skills shortages, namely, skills scarcity and skills deficiencies among managers, and its relationship with organizational characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The study used a quantitative approach and data were collected from 243 managers working in China. Multivariate analysis of variance and box plots were employed for data analysis. Findings The results revealed that organizational characteristics were found to have a significant positive impact on managers’ skill levels, and hard-to-fill vacancies caused by skills shortages were found in all types of organizations. Existing and deficient skills were also identified as affecting all organizations. Practical implications The results suggest that organizations would benefit from the adoption of a system supporting internal retention, training and development and external recruitment to close the skills gaps. Originality/value This is an empirical study that provides an insight into the skills shortages from a multi-organizational context. It highlights the effects of organizational characteristics in relation to skills shortages and provides a foundation to support the skills needed in the context of national and global organizations.

Drawing from institutional theory, this study explored work–life balance (WLB) practices in Australian small and medium enterprises. Data were obtained from a sample of 219 managers. The authors identified organizational characteristics associated with the adoption of 4 groups of WLB practices using a causal model. Of the 3 models tested, the final model supported a conceptual framework that included 4 domains: flexible work options, leave programs, support benefits, and care arrangements. The findings suggested that organizational characteristics—namely, industry type and location—affected WLB practices. Implications for theory and practice are discussed along with avenues for future research.