Marriage versus career: a dilemma for professional women

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Misbah Choudhry ◽  
Hina Uqaili

Subject area Gender Roles, Human Resource Management. Study level/applicability HRM-related courses at undergraduate and MBA level. Can be used in executive training. Case overview Nida Akhtar, a 29-year-old factory unit supervisor and a labor union leader of one of the biggest private textile manufacturing companies of Pakistan, faces a crucial decision regarding her personal and professional life. She is getting married in a few months and may need to move to another city. She has been working at Shanza Textile Limited (STL) for the past nine years. In spite of several social pressures and sometimes unfavorable circumstances, she has continued working because of her determination and endurance. She has earned appreciation and respect from her organization as well as from her family and friends. She has an option of moving to STL’s female hostel if she wants to continue working. However, she will have to gain her husband’s consent to do this. Alternatively, she can look for another job in the new city, but in this way, she will not be able to enjoy the same rank and position which she currently enjoys. She is exploring possibilities, and she knows that this decision will not only affect her own future life but will also have a significant impact on her married life and on her future generation. Expected learning outcomes Introducing students to an important aspect of labor economics: determinants and demographics of female labor force participation rates, in the context of an emerging market like Pakistan. Enabling students and other participants to engage in a meaningful unbiased discussion regarding gender roles in workplaces of emerging markets. To make students familiar with related characteristics, issues and challenges faced by working women in developing and emerging economies. To devise and present policy suggestions for making work environment more conducive for the female workers. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Andrés Vivares-Vergara ◽  
William Ariel Sarache-Castro ◽  
Julia Clemencia Naranjo-Valencia

Purpose – Human resource management (HRM) is considered an important issue in operations strategy (OS). Furthermore, OS effectiveness depends on performance in competitive priorities (CP). However, little empirical evidence exists about the relationship between them. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of HRM on performance in CP. Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted by surveying a sample of medium and large manufacturing companies in the Colombian coffee region. Three groups of variables were studied: performance in CP, HRM practices and factors related to employees. A regression analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. Findings – No significant relationship was found between HRM practices and performance in CP. Regarding the factors related to employees, two findings were relevant: first, when the companies involve features about the individuals in OS decision making (motivations, personal goals, abilities, etc.) better performance can be observed in CP; second, when employees reach a higher level of satisfaction and job performance, the performance in CP improves as well. Practical implications – Considering the importance of HRM practices, appropriate adjustment and application should be sought to improve company performance. Furthermore, factors related to employees (features about the individuals, job satisfaction and employee performance), must be properly aligned with the OS. Originality/value – The paper addresses an issue supported by little empirical evidence. Because few studies have considered the total set of CP identified in the literature review, the authors applied an indicator to establish the global performance of the production system according to the market requirements. Traditionally, HRM has been studied from the perspective of management practices, giving little attention to employees. In this research, the authors consider not only this perspective but also the effects of factors related to employees on performance in CP when they are aligned with the OS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Yi Yong ◽  
M.-Y. Yusliza ◽  
Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour ◽  
Noor Hazlina Ahmad

Purpose Green human resource management (HRM) has been considered to be a vitally important mechanism for companies to move towards a sustainable organization. By adopting the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity as the underpinning theory, the purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that facilitate the adoption of Green HRM in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative exploratory approach research was adopted in this study. The required data for this study were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with human resources directors and managers from four large manufacturing companies in Malaysia. The data collected was then reorganized into four themes. Findings Based on the interview, four key factors that influence the adoption of Green HRM include stakeholder pressures, relative advantage, which means the perceived benefits from implementing Green HRM, top management commitment and green intellectual capital, which means the intellectual capital incorporating green innovation or environmental management. Surprisingly, among the three dimensions of green intellectual capital, only green human capital and green structural capital were greatly discussed by the human resources directors and managers, while the role of green relational capital on the adoption of Green HRM was hardly observed. Originality/value Research studies on Green HRM in Malaysia are scarce. The originality of this paper lies in its exploration of Green HRM in an environmental sensitive sector and the insight it provides to academics and practitioners involved in the manufacturing sector. Although research findings cannot be generalized, they can be used as insights for both academics and end-users in emerging economies.


Author(s):  
Baofeng Huo ◽  
Zhaojun Han ◽  
Haozhe Chen ◽  
Xiande Zhao

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.


Author(s):  
Kim Lian Lee ◽  
Sarvanan Singram ◽  
Christopher Luke Felix

Objective - The study explores the relationships between human r esource management practices on employee retention in Malaysian industrial setting s . The human resource management practices such as selection, training and development, performance appraisal and reward were considered in this study as the main factors that impact the employee retention in an organization Methodology/Technique - All d ata used in th is study consist s of respondents of executives and managers in manufacturing companies located in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Data processing and statistical analyses were mainly carried out using SPSS. Reliability test was used to check the con sistency and dimensionality of the scale items. P e a rson Intercorrelation was used to measure the associations among the human resource practices and employee retention and Multiple Regression Analysis to check the criterion - related validity of the scale i tems and to complement the correlation results. Findings - Data from 151 respondents from various industries show ed that the reward was most correlated with employee retention. This is followed by performance appraisal, in which fair and inclusive appraisa l leads to better retention. On the contrary, selection was found to have least significance relationship with employee retention. Novelty - The contribution of the study is in asserting some findings for human resource manager to understand the importanc e of an effective HRM practices on employee retention in the manufacturing industry. Apart from that, this research provides an understanding of some important elements in human resource management practices that are more effective in employee retention. Type of Paper - Empirical Type of Paper - HRM Practices; Employee Retention; Relationship; Significance .


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arosha S. Adikaram ◽  
N.P.G.S.I. Naotunna ◽  
H.P.R. Priyankara

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Stefano Patrucco ◽  
Liliana Rivera ◽  
Christopher Mejía-Argueta ◽  
Yossi Sheffi

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.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Mihir Ajgaonkar

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.


Author(s):  
Frank M. Horwitz ◽  
Linda Ronnie

This chapter provides a critical overview of the evolving human resource management (HRM) research context, labor market developments, insights regarding cross-cultural diversity, human resource practices, issues pertaining to the efficacy of adoption of Western and East Asian international HRM, and employment relations in African countries. Given the influence of multinational corporations on the diffusion and development of HRM in African countries, issues pertaining to their influence are critically evaluated. Even with the increasing focus on the Chinese–African HRM nexus, studies on African management or HRM are often country specific, occasionally comparative, and variously suggest that HRM practices follow the convergence perspective, “cross-convergence” perspective, or divergence perspectives. There are still unexplored issues relating to African management or HRM, and new findings could reshape the research agenda, HRM policy, and practice. Though often country or regionally focused, there is evidence of increasing research on HRM issues and mergers and acquisitions, impacts of privatization on HRM, knowledge appropriation, emerging market multinational corporation HRM policy and practice, diversity and cross-cultural management, HIV/AIDS policy implementation issues, sustainable development and corporate social responsibility, and impacts of the institutional and regulatory environment on HRM and employment relations.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Mohammad Fakhar Manesh ◽  
Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini ◽  
Giulia Flamini

PurposeThe human dimension of open innovation is paramount for organisational excellence. However, there is scant evidence of the implications of human resource management practices on employees' orientation towards open innovation. The article shows how such practices facilitate the development of an open innovation climate among food companies.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study was designed to obtain insights into the approach to open innovation of a large sample of food companies (n = 2,458). Secondary data were collected from the sixth European Working Condition Survey. A parallel mediation analysis allowed us to investigate the human resource management practices' implications on individual perceptions of an open innovation-oriented organisational climate through the mediating effect of employees' involvement and engagement.FindingsHuman resource management practices have an impact on employees' skills, motivation and interpersonal relationships, but they do not have direct implications on the employees' perception of an open innovation-oriented organizational climate. As they solicit employees' involvement and engagement, human resource management practices indirectly nurture a favourable perception of an open innovation-oriented organisational climate.Practical implicationsTailored human resource management practices should be crafted to increase employees' capabilities and motivation and, therefore, to sustain open innovation in the food sector. Human resource management practices foster employees' involvement and engagement, which pave the way for a greater proclivity to open innovation at the individual and collective levels.Originality/valueThe article discusses the implications of human resource management practices on the perception of an organisational climate conducive to open innovation, envisioning aspects to focus on and avenues for future research.


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