Interdependent HRM practices as active responses to paradox in Finnish growth enterprises

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Lindström ◽  
Minna Janhonen

PurposeBy adopting a paradox lens, the purpose of this study is to explore paradoxes in relation to work organization, recruitment and competence development in growth-oriented companies.Design/methodology/approachThe study is a qualitative content analysis based on research interviews of managers responsible for human resource management (HRM) in Finnish small and medium-sized growth enterprises (SMEs).FindingsThe results show four themes, namely, (1) individualized work, (2) cultural cohesiveness, (3) experimental organization and (4) personal closeness. These identified themes are interpreted as mutually enabling, active responses to the underlying paradoxes of individualism – community and stability – change.Originality/valueThe results contribute to research on tension and paradox in HRM by taking the still unexplored opportunity to apply paradox theory to HRM in SMEs.

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pramila Rao

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine human resource management (HRM) practices of the top 25 companies identified as “best” in India in 2011. This paper provides insights into HRM practices of a leading country in Asia that is playing a very important role in the global economy. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper will use for its research analysis the business reports of the Outlook Business Magazine and AON Hewitt. AON Hewitt is a global human resource consulting company and is an established authority in identifying “best” companies in India since 2004. A qualitative content analysis was done of the business report to identify predominant themes. Findings The analysis identified how the “best” 25 Indian companies offer progressive HRM practices that required careful investment and collaboration. This research showcases seven specific HRM themes that include elaborate staffing, investment in learning, work–life balance, egalitarian practices, developmental performance culture, generous benefits and engagement initiatives. Practical implications This paper provides preliminary guidelines for global practitioners who may be interested in doing business in India. It also provides a model of “best” HRM practices adopted by 25 companies that could help other organizations identify successful HRM practices in India. Among the 25 companies, 16 are Indian companies and 9 are subsidiaries of multinationals. Originality/value This paper outlines HRM “best” practices of organizations in an emerging Asian economy that has not been addressed before. This paper hopes to bridge this paucity in the extant literature by showcasing the “best” HRM practices from 25 “best” companies in India. It also provides an Indian model of “best” HRM practices that can be tested by other scholars for future studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 760-774
Author(s):  
Helena Francke

Purpose The activities of academic researchers are increasingly regulated by neo-liberal ideals, including expectations that researchers are visible online and actively promote their output. The purpose of this paper is to explore how researchers take on this responsibility. It uses the concepts of genre, authorship and self-writing in order to understand how the story of an academic life is constructed on academic web profiles. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative content analysis was conducted of material on 64 profiles belonging to 20 researchers on institutional and personal websites, as well as on ResearchGate, Academica.edu and Google Scholar. Findings The study shows that while institutional websites primarily contain researcher-produced material, content on commercial platforms is often co-constructed through distributed authorship by the researcher, the platform and other platform users. Nine different ways in which the profile of an “academic self” may be said to highlight the particular strengths of a researcher are identified. These include both metrics-based strengths and qualitative forms of information about the academic life, such as experience, the importance of their research and good teaching. Social implications This study of academic web profiles contributes to a better understanding of how researchers self-govern the story of their academic self, or resist such governance, in online environments. Originality/value The study furthers the knowledge of how researchers make use of and respond to digital tools for online visibility opportunities and how the story of the “academic self” is “made” for such public presentation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namino Ottewell

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine a time trend in newspaper reporting of mental illness in Japan between 1987 and 2014. Design/methodology/approach Four high-circulation national newspapers (the Yomiuri newspaper, the Asahi newspaper, the Mainichi newspaper and the Nikkei Newspaper) were selected for analysis. Articles were analysed using qualitative content analysis (n=448). Findings Whilst articles concerning the dangerousness of those with mental illness occupied a high proportion of coverage between 1987 and 2014, an overall shift is apparent whereby there is now more reporting of mental illness in relation to stress than in relation to dangerousness, particularly for depression. In contrast, schizophrenia was often reported in the context of violent crime. Information on the treatment, symptoms and prevalence of mental illness was rarely reported. Social implications While the nature of newspaper coverage of mental illness has been changing, there still is over-representation of dangerousness of mental illness, particularly of schizophrenia. For improving the public’s images of mental illness, it is hoped to reduce the proportion of reporting about dangerousness and to increase the proportion of reporting about treatment, symptoms and prevalence of mental illness and personal stories of those affected. Originality/value The present study is the first to examine changes in Japanese newspaper coverage over time and at the variation in reporting among diagnoses.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Andersson ◽  
Eric D. Carlstrom ◽  
Bengt Ahgren ◽  
Johan M. Berlin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify what is practiced during collaboration exercises and possible facilitators for inter-organisational collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews with 23 participants from four collaboration exercises in Sweden were carried out during autumn 2011. Interview data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Findings – Findings indicate that the exercises tend to focus on intra-organisational routines and skills, rather than developing collaboration capacities. What the participants practiced depended on roles and order of arrival at the exercise. Exercises contributed to practicing leadership roles, which was considered essential since crises are unpredictable and require inter-organisational decision making. Originality/value – The results of this study indicate that the ability to identify boundary objects, such as injured/patients, was found to be important in order for collaboration to occur. Furthermore, lessons learned from exercises could benefit from inter-organisational evaluation. By introducing and reinforcing certain elements and distinct aims of the exercise, the proactive function of collaboration exercises can be clarified.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 513-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Maximilian Johannes Teichmann

Purpose This purpose of this paper is to illustrate how terrorists finance their activities through cryptocurrencies. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative content analysis of 30 semi-standardized expert interviews with both illegal financial service providers and prevention experts developed understanding of the concrete techniques of financing terrorism through cryptocurrencies. Findings Terrorists could use Bitcoin to receive donations from their supporters. Research limitations/implications As the findings are based on semi-standardized interviews, they are limited to the perspectives of the 30 interviewees. Practical implications The identification of gaps in current prevention mechanisms is intended to provide legislators and intelligence agencies with insights into the operations of terrorism financers. Originality/value While the existing literature focuses simply on identifying areas that could play a role in financing terrorism, this paper describes concrete methods, taking both prevention and criminal perspectives into account.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-70
Author(s):  
Kyoo-Man Ha

Purpose Culture does matter in the field of emergency response. The purpose of this paper is to examine how to change the negative emergency response culture in Korea by relying on people’s awareness and the president’s leadership. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative content analysis is used as the methodology. The irresponsibility culture, including public officials’ ranking, factionalism, lack of emergency response principles, and social corruption, is contrasted with the responsibility culture, including ability of public officials, egalitarianism, use of emergency response principles, and cleanup of corruption. Findings The major tenet is that Korea must not miss the opportunity to change its current irresponsibility culture into a responsibility culture under its own environment. Originality/value Many researchers have raised the necessity of cultural change in the emergency response in Korea during these days. In this regard, this paper studies the Korean emergency response culture more rigorously than did previous studies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Maceviciute

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the monographic literature related to developments in research libraries within recent years and the strategies that they are adopting to deal with change. The main aim is to identify any visibly established directions along which research libraries adapt to their social and organizational environments. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative content analysis was applied to identify topics emerging from the texts. The chosen texts were read and topics signifying directions of change in the immediate environment of research libraries were mapped. This initial topic map was used for ascertaining the reactions of research libraries to identified changes. The activities of libraries directed to future anticipated changes were noted separately. Findings – The review shows the surprising resilience of research libraries and their ability to change within a short period of time. This ability signifies that research and academic libraries as organizations perfectly adapt to the incessant transformations of current times, contrary to the widely spread stereotypical image of them as conservative institutions. At the same time, they seem to be keeping true to their core of mediating services to researchers and to their place in the chain of scholarly communication. Originality/value – The article identifies the main directions of transformation of research libraries and outlines their potential roles in the future of digital scholarly communication.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 719-744
Author(s):  
Pooja Malik ◽  
Usha Lenka

Purpose This study aims to identify specific human resource management (HRM) practices to overcome destructive deviance among public sector employees. Further, this study aims to rank the identified HRM practices in the order of their impact on destructive deviance. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the technique of both inductive and quantitative content analyses to identify specific HRM practices and rank them in the order of their impact on destructive deviance. Data was collected from 30 executives employed in Indian public sector via unstructured interviews. Also, Krippendorff’s alpha reliability estimate was calculated to establish the reliability of the content analysis, which was 0.80. Findings This study identified ten HRM practices (human resource planning, job design, training and development, reward system, employment security, career advancement opportunities, performance management, employee participation, monitoring and control, work–life balance) in overcoming destructive deviance among public sector employees. Furthermore, based on their frequency distribution, the HRM practices were classified into three categories, i.e. most significant, significant and least significant. Research limitations/implications Based on the categorization of HRM practices into three categories, this study implies that to discourage employees from exhibiting deviant behaviour, organizations should focus on the implementation of most significant HRM practices followed by significant and least significant practices. HRM practices that function as a coherent and synergistic system act as a win-win strategy benefitting both employees and the organization. Originality/value In spite of the rising research interest in the deviant behaviour in the literature, still there is a dearth of research pertaining to the association between HRM practices and destructive deviance. Moreover, there is no consensus among researchers concerning the specific HRM practices that should be incorporated in the overall construct. Guided by these gaps in the literature, this study identifies ten HRM practices to overcome destructive deviance among public sector employees using qualitative analysis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izhar Oplatka

PurposeBased on a qualitative content analysis of 57 curricula vitae of authors who published their work in the major journals of the educational administration (EA) field, this paper seeks to display the career of EA authors and to suggest some epistemological implications for the field.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on both quantitative and qualitative modes of inquiry, according to which the curricula vitae is seen as a document that is susceptible to textual analysis.FindingsEA authors receive their academic degrees in a host of disciplines from many countries and universities, usually work in the compulsory educational system, and hold many academic roles in their university. They teach courses, conduct research and publish works on a host of topics, three of which are very widespread: leadership, managerial processes, and organisational aspects.Originality/valueThe analysis acquaints the reader with some of many aspects of the professoriate in diverse countries, and helps probe the uncertainty and fragmented nature of the field of EA. It ends with scholarly implications for the recruitment of new field members.


Author(s):  
Dagmar Daubner-Siva ◽  
Claartje J. Vinkenburg ◽  
Paul G.W. Jansen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to adopt a paradox lens for dovetailing the human resource management sub-domains of talent management (TM) and diversity management (DM), in the attempt to create closer alignment between the two. Design/methodology/approach The authors review paradox theory, TM and DM literatures and formulate a paradox that becomes apparent when considering TM and DM simultaneously. Findings The authors coin this tension as the “exclusion-inclusion paradox,” highlighting that TM and DM reflect contradictory, yet interrelated principles: organizations promote exclusion through a TM architecture that focuses on the identification and development of a few selected employees, while simultaneously, organizations promote inclusion, in the attempt to minimize existing inequalities for traditionally marginalized groups. Practical implications Once uncovered, the exclusion-inclusion paradox enables organizational actors to make choices on whether to respond actively or defensively to the paradox. The authors argue for active responses in order to work through the paradox. Originality/value This is the first paper adopting a paradox lens in order to interweave the DM literature with TM literature in the attempt to explain how DM and TM constitute contradicting yet interrelated principles.


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