The workforce adjustment strategies used by workplaces in Britain during the Great Recession

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-126
Author(s):  
John Sutherland
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Adjustment Strategies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a human resource management perspective of the workforce adjustment strategies implemented at workplaces in Britain in response to the Great Recession. Design/methodology/approach The analysis uses an ordered probit and a series of binomial probits to examine a micro data set from the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study. Findings Not all workplaces were affected equally by the recession. Not all workplaces chose to implement workforce adjustment strategies consequential of the recession, although the probability of a workplace taking no action decreased the greater the adverse effect of the recession on the workplace. Most workplaces used a combination of workforce adjustment strategies. Workplaces implemented strategies more compatible with labour hoarding than labour shedding, i.e., cutting/freezing wages and halting recruitment to fill vacant posts rather than making employees redundant. Research limitations/implications What was examined was the incidence of the workforce adjustment strategies, not the number of employees affected by the implementation of a strategy. Further, what was examined were outcomes. What is not known are the processes by which these outcomes were arrived at. Originality/value This paper concurs with the findings of previous economic studies that workplaces hoarded labour, cut hours and lowered pay. In so doing, however, it provides a more detailed and more informed human resource management perspective of these adjustment strategies.

The politicization of senior civil service in Korea: a human resource management perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 412-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Kil Lee
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Leadership Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Prior Literature

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the politicization of senior civil service (SCS) in Korea from a human resource perspective. To be specific, it is to explore how much the SCS has been politicized after its inception in 2006 and to discover what has strengthened it.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs the human resource management perspective with five stages, selection, rotation, education, promotion and compensation, which are related with different weights to four causes of politicization: political desire to control, leadership change, public demands and political interest.FindingsThis paper argues that politicization of SCS in Korea has gradually increased during the last 10 years. It also found that, while selection and promotion is strongly politicized, education and compensation is weakly politicized.Originality/valueThis paper mainly draws increasing politicization after it was introduced. Little prior literature has explored the politicization of SCS in human resource management processes and its causes for Korea.

Kulula.com, South Africa – a case study

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Chux Gervase Iwu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
South African ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
African National Congress ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World

Subject area Human resource management; primarily employment law impacting on employment relations. Study level/applicability Second year (or 200 level) students up to post graduate programmes in Business Management, Human Resources Management and Law. Case overview The world is still fascinated by South Africas transition to democracy; what with stories of massacre (Sharpeville, etc.) of those who dared challenge white supremacy and the battle for prominence between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party. Since gaining independence, South Africa has attracted investors from far and wide. Now and again, one hears news stories that report about forms of disgruntlement from whites and blacks, respectively. In some quarters, you may hear stories suggesting the white community has not completely gotten over their resentment of black leadership. In some other quarters, you are likely to hear the blacks insist that the South African land space belongs to them and as a result they should be in charge of the distribution of wealth, one must understand that much of the wealth of the South African land still resides with the Whites. In what is considered as a fair attempt to integrate all the citizens of the republic, the new government of Nelson Mandela came up with a constitution that is hailed as perhaps the best in the world. Carved out of the United Nations Human Rights Charter, it proposes a free society that recognizes all its inhabitants regardless of colour. Within the world of work, the constitution identifies seven very important statutes that not only give effect to and sustain the republics membership of the International Labour Organisation, but also help to realize and regulate the fundamental rights of workers and employers. Main learning objective Test students understanding of the legal statutes that pertain to employment relations and human resource management in South Africa. Expected learning outcomes Understand the legislation affecting management and staff. Understand and apply the principles of recruitment and selection of staff. Identify and apply the options open to managers in staff training and development. Identify and apply the appropriate performance management systems. Understand and apply the strategic human resource planning process. Supplementary materials Teaching note.

scholarly journals Innovative human resource management: measurement, determinants and outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-302
Author(s):  
Ferry Koster ◽  
Luc Benda
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Organizational Size ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Innovations

Purpose External factors such as global competition and new technologies, require organizations to be innovative. Such organizational innovations also ask for innovative human resource management (HRM). However, in the current literature, it is not completely clear what innovative HRM means, as it is conceptualized in different ways. This study aims to provide clarity about innovative HRM by suggesting a new measurement scale; formulating hypotheses about some core determinants of innovative HRM; and investigating how innovative HRM relates to organizational innovation. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 719 Dutch organizations it was possible to investigate the properties of the inventory and examining several determinants of innovative HRM and how it relates to organizational innovation. Findings The innovative HRM scale is internally consistent and differs from other HRM indicators. It is explained by external developments, organizational size and stability of the organization. Finally, innovative HRM is a predictor of organizational innovation. Originality/value The measure that was developed in this paper is new to the literature. Innovative HRM has not been measured in a similar way to date. Besides that, the innovative HRM Survey is a novel data set.

The big bang: the birth of human resource management in New Zealand hotel sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-115
Author(s):  
David Dunlop Williamson ◽  
Erling Rasmussen
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Historical Study ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hotel Sector

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a narrative history of the birth of human resource management in the New Zealand hotel sector. This historical development is analysed through the influence of changes in the national economic and employment relations context, the demise of national corporatist structures and individual and enterprise level agency. Thereby, the paper provides a new explanatory framework for the origins of human resource management in hotels and also presents this unique birth of human resource management as a microcosm of the wider social, political and economic “big bang” that fundamentally changed the course of employment relations in New Zealand during the 1980s and 1990s. Design/methodology/approach The data for this paper were gathered as part of a larger historical study of employment relations in the New Zealand hotel sector from 1955 to 2000. The sources for the study included semi-structured interviews and archival research, which were interpreted using manual thematic analysis. Findings The paper presents an original explanation of the birth of human resource management in New Zealand hotels by drawing on historical changes in national frameworks, corporatist approaches and individual agency, and thereby, it illustrates the uniqueness and intensity associated with the implementation of human resource management in New Zealand hotels. Originality/value This paper makes a significant contribution to the scant literature on the historical origins of human resource management. It also explains the historical and contextual embeddedness of various employment relations approaches in New Zealand hotels.

Trouble on the shop floor

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Barney Jordaan ◽  
Gawie Cillié
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Permanent Employees

Supplementary materials The case is supported with a teaching note, discussion questions and suggested responses to those as well as verbatim transcripts from interviews conducted with managers and others for purposes of a research project after the strike had ended. Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: students will be able to critique the approach to collective bargaining of both the company and the union in the case and suggest alternative approaches; identify the steps the company could take to both deal with the aftermath of the strike and develop preventive measures for the future; and advise the company on a series of questions it needs advice on. Case overview/synopsis A violent strike erupted after failed wage negotiations. It laid bare deep divisions between African and non-African employees and between permanent employees and those appointed as temporary employees only. It also revealed the mindsets of people on both sides of the conflict, as well as several errors made by management in the manner in which they viewed the role of the union and failed to build strong relations with employees on the shop floor. Complexity academic level The case is suitable for students at honours or masters level in conflict studies, dispute resolution, employment relations, human resource management and negotiation. Subject code CSS 6: Human resource management.

The effect of high-involvement human resource management practices on supply chain integration

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 716-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baofeng Huo ◽  
Zhaojun Han ◽  
Haozhe Chen ◽  
Xiande Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
High Involvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hrm Practices

Purpose – Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the purpose of this paper is to combine concepts from human resource management (HRM) and supply chain management (SCM) fields and explore the effects of high-involvement HRM practices on supply chain integration (SCI). Design/methodology/approach – Using empirical survey data collected from ten countries, the authors examine the specific effects of three dimensions of high-involvement HRM practices – employee skills, incentives and participation – on three types of SCI – internal integration, supplier and customer integration. The authors use structural equation modeling and the maximum-likelihood estimation method to test the proposed relationships. Findings – The results confirm the overall relevancy of HRM to SCI. However, several proposed links are not supported by the data collected. Originality/value – This study makes both theoretical and managerial contributions by empirically examining the interface between HRM and SCI. More specifically, it examines the effects of different high-involvement HRM practices on different types of SCI. The findings will not only help researchers to better understand the interface, but will also guide managers in adjusting HRM practices to achieve desired operational goals.

Battling COVID-19 with human resource management bundling

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arosha S. Adikaram ◽  
N.P.G.S.I. Naotunna ◽  
H.P.R. Priyankara
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Employee Motivation ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hrm Practices

PurposeThis paper aims to present an empirically driven crisis management framework of complementary human resource management (HRM) bundles that can be utilized in simultaneously managing the health crisis, financial crisis and disruptions to business operations through lockdown and other government restrictions propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe framework is developed employing qualitative methodology, drawing from the successful HRM practices adopted by 26 Sri Lankan companies in battling the many crises of COVID-19 and using the soft HRM approach as the theoretical basis.FindingsThe findings report a framework that consists of three key HRM bundles (health and safety bundle, cost-saving bundle and employee motivation and engagement bundle) entailing an array of inter-related, internally consistent, complementary and mutually reinforcing HRM practices and HRM activities. These HRM bundles and the HRM practices as well as the HRM activities therein, indicate how a softer approach to managing employees can be used during a crisis.Practical implicationsThe framework will inform the HRPs of the HRM bundles, HRM practices and HRM activities that can be used to manage the multiple crises created by COVID-19 and other similar pandemics.Originality/valueThe study contributes to and expands the knowledge of HRM in crisis management generally and HRM in a global pandemic more specifically.

Can you grow your supply chain without skills? The role of human resource management for better supply chain management in Latin America

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Stefano Patrucco ◽  
Liliana Rivera ◽  
Christopher Mejía-Argueta ◽  
Yossi Sheffi
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type

PurposeIn line with the knowledge-based view of organizations, this paper aims to analyze how supply chain (SC) employees contribute to the creation of competitive advantage through knowledge acquisition and utilization activities. The authors consider SC employees' skills and competencies, their external network of relationships, their job satisfaction and company investments in training and test how they relate to SC-level outcomes (i.e. SC growth).Design/methodology/approachThe authors design a research model including the aforementioned variables, and the authors apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to survey data collected from 246 SC professionals in Latin America. The authors also use multi-group analysis to evaluate how the relationships between these variables change with different levels of company investment in training.FindingsThe results show that a broad professional network of relationships contributes to increasing the skills and competencies of SC professionals, which, in turn, impact job satisfaction and SC performance. This reinforces the value of investing in skilled human talent, who can contribute to knowledge acquisition, utilization, and, ultimately, to SC competitiveness. Companies that invest more in training to develop their SC employees benefit from stronger SC outcomes.Originality/valueThis study contributes to broadening the understanding of the impact of human resource management (HRM) on supply chain management (SCM). One of the added original foci of this research is the emphasis on developing countries where these HRM-to-SCM performance relationships have not been studied before.

Student leadership programme: igniting the young minds

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Mihir Ajgaonkar
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Career Guidance ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
The Other ◽  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Content Type

Learning outcomes This case will help students to understand the following: Develop a basic understanding of competency building processes. Learn about the mentoring process and its application in leadership development. Develop awareness about the methodology for assessment of the effectiveness of training. Case overview/synopsis Dr A. R. K. Pillai founded the Indian Leprosy Foundation in 1970 in response to the national call by late Mrs Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India, to the public-spirited people to take up leprosy eradication. It collaborated with international agencies to reduce leprosy drastically in India from four million, in 1982 to around a hundred thousand cases in 2006. In 2006, the Indian Leprosy Foundation was renamed as Indian Development Foundation (IDF) as the trustees decided to expand the work of IDF in the areas of health, children’s education and women’s empowerment. Dr Narayan Iyer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IDF initiated a leadership development intervention called the Students’ leadership programme (SLP) for children in the age group of 12 to 14, from the urban poor households in 2014. It was a structured mentoring programme spanning over three months in collaboration with the schools. It aimed at incubating skills in the areas of leadership, teamwork, personality, behavioural traits and provided career guidance. It had a humble beginning in 2014 with a coverage of 50 students. Initially, IDF welcomed executives from the corporate sector as mentors. As there was a need to rapidly expand the scope of SLP to the other cities of India, IDF tied up with the graduate colleges and invited the students to be the mentors. The other objective behind this move was to create social awareness among the students from more affluent strata of society. IDF was able to dramatically increase the participation of the students through SLP by approximately up to 100,000 by 2020. However, rapid progress threw up multiple challenges. The teachers complained about the non-availability of the students for regular classes to teach the syllabus as the students were busy with SLP. The schools forced IDF to shorten the duration of SLP to two months. Also, many undergraduate mentors were unable to coach the participants due to lack of maturity and found wanting to strike a rapport with them. There was a shortage of corporate executives who volunteered for the mentoring, due to work pressures. Dr Narayan, CEO & National Coordinator and Ms Mallika Ramchandran, the project head of SLP at IDF, were worried about the desired impact of SLP on the participants and its sustainability due to these challenges. So, with the support of Dr Narayan, she initiated a detailed survey to assess the ground-level impact of SLP. The objective was to get clarity about what was working for SLP and what aspects needed to improve, to make the programme more effective. Overall feedback from the survey was very positive. The mothers had seen very positive changes in the participants’ behaviour post-SLP. The teachers had specific concerns about the effectiveness of undergraduate mentors. The need for a refresher course to inculcate ethical behaviour and the inadequacy of the two-month duration of the SLP to reinforce values were highlighted. Respondents also voiced the requirement to build responsible citizenship behaviours among the participants. Mallika was all for preparing a model to further enhance the effectiveness of SLP. Dr Narayan and Mallika embraced the challenge and they were raring to go to develop SLP as a cutting-edge leadership programme and to take it to new heights. Complexity academic level This case can be used in courses on human resource management in postgraduate and graduate management programmes. It can also be used in the general and development management courses and during executive education programmes to teach methodologies for evaluating the effectiveness of the training interventions, with emphasis on the voluntary sector. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document