Human resource management challenges facing franchise businesses

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammadali Zolfagharian ◽  
Iman Naderi
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the current understanding of human resource management (HRM) challenges facing franchise businesses. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative investigation, including eight in-depth interviews and 66 semi-structured interviews with various franchise stakeholders as well as 42 participant observations, was conducted in North America to answer the research questions. Findings Six major conclusions emerged from the conceptual and empirical work. The findings, for instance, reveal that human resources in franchise businesses lacks in motivation and skills, and franchisees’ distance from the ideal mix of autonomy and risk-aversion determines psychological and financial distress in the system. Practical implications The findings suggest that when firms choose the franchising path as a means of leapfrogging resource constraints, they will experience new and more challenging HRM complications for several reasons. Therefore, decision-makers at both franchisor and franchisee firms need to address these new HRM challenges proactively by recognizing their possibility and emergence and by engaging in cooperative learning with one another. Originality/value While HRM practices can “make or break” franchise systems, some important research questions still remain unanswered in this context. In an attempt to narrow this gap, and using a qualitative approach, this work identifies and classifies the key HRM challenges facing the franchise industry. Based on the finding, a conceptual model is proposed and discussed.

scholarly journals A proposed human resource management model for zakat institutions in Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aznan Hasan ◽  
Rusni Hassan ◽  
Engku Rabiah Adawiah Engku Ali ◽  
Engku Muhammad Tajuddin Engku Ali ◽  
Muhamad Abduh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
State Government ◽  
The State ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Objectives

Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose a contemporary human resource management (HRM) framework by zakat institutions, which collect and manage religious alms, both obligatory (zakat) and voluntary (ṣadaqah), in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach In doing so, discussions pertaining to the key elements of zakat institutions’ HRM including recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, training and development and compensation are gathered from the existing literature and other sources of information such as zakat institutions’ websites and publications. In addition, zakat officers’ insight on how HRM is practiced at their institutions is gathered through a series of semi-structured interviews and incorporated in the findings of this study. Findings The paper finds that the state government, by virtue of the State Islamic Religious Council (SIRC), which is the sole trustee of all waqf properties in Malaysia, may have significant influence in formulating the human resource strategies and policies in zakat institutions. Research limitations/implications The proposed HRM model can be a useful reference for SIRC in enhancing the current human resource practice in its respective zakat institutions. Originality/value The novelty of this study lies in the proposed HRM model applicable to zakat institutions. The model emphasizes the alignment between the zakat institutions’ HRM practice and their zakat collection and distribution goals, as well as zakat management objectives in general.

Analysis of challenges in sustainable human resource management due to disruptions by Industry 4.0: an emerging economy perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vernika Agarwal ◽  
Kaliyan Mathiyazhagan ◽  
Snigdha Malhotra ◽  
Tarik Saikouk
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Human Resource Practices ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

PurposeSustainable human resource management highlights the importance of the eighth sustainable development goal, “decent work and economic growth”. Thus, the purpose of this study is to align human resource practices and policies with Industry 4.0 is imperative.Design/methodology/approachThe authors aimed to identify key challenges of sustainable human resource implementation in view of Industry 4.0 and to analyse these identified challenges by prioritising them for effective Industry 4.0 implementation in an emerging economy such as India. A mixed-methods approach was utilised to prioritise identified challenges. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts, academicians and industry mangers. Transcribed interviews were run in NVivo to emerge into broad themes/challenges, which were prioritised using fuzzy best–worst methodology.FindingsThe performance appraisal challenge holds maximum importance, followed by learning and development. This finding signifies the need for instilling job security and continuous learning opportunities for employees amidst all disruption caused by Industry 4.0.Practical implicationsThis work enhances the link between sustainability, disruptive technologies and Industry 4.0 to transform economic outlooks, leading to improvement under economic aspects through the adoption of sustainable human resource practices into workplaces and society.Originality/valueSustainable human resource management has mostly focused on employee welfare. However, the major challenges of disruption caused by Industry 4.0 have not been addressed in the literature. The upskilling and reskilling requirements due to disruptions by Industry 4.0 range from recruitment to performance appraisal and every facet that relates to an employee's cycle in a company. Hence, there is a need to identify critical challenges for optimum adaptation to upcoming industry demands.

Conceptualization of wasta and its main consequences on human resource management

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi Alsarhan ◽  
Marc Valax
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Employee Motivation ◽  
Workplace Diversity ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Overall Performance

Purpose This paper aims to offer a review of the concept of wasta, as a form of social capital in Arab societies. Furthermore, this paper seeks to elucidate the main implications of the use of wasta among human resource management (HRM) practices on the workplace environment and the overall performance of institutions. Design/methodology/approach The authors embraced a qualitative approach in this paper. A total of 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HR officials from different levels in a number of Jordanian public organizations. Findings The results obtained indicate that wasta has negative consequences on the overall performance of organizations, through the influence it exerts on employee motivation, morale and job satisfaction, frustration, workplace diversity, turnover, brain drain, as well as its effect on the image and reputation of the individuals and organizations alike. Originality/value In this paper, the authors attempted to illustrate the concept of wasta as a form of social capital and to analyze its links with the features of the Jordanian culture through two of Hofstede’s dimensions. Furthermore, this paper is based both on the available literature and on data obtained through the semi-structured interviews. The findings through this process not only corroborate what we already know in the literature but they also generate an understanding of the hidden mechanisms that link the different implications of wasta together, creating the actual known consequences of this practice.

Human resource management practices of Japanese companies in India: dealing with the transfer-adaptation dichotomy

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan Pyari Maharjan ◽  
Tomoki Sekiguchi
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hr Practices

Purpose Based on the international human resource management perspective, this paper aims to explore and explain the human resource (HR) practices of Japanese multinational companies (MNCs) operating in India. Design/methodology/approach This paper applies a qualitative methodology. The study is based on 17 semi-structured interviews that were conducted within the subsidiaries of 10 Japanese MNCs in India. Findings The respective HR practices are differently influenced by cultural and institutional factors. Cultural similarity, unique social context and the evolving labor market shape the HR practices of Japanese MNCs in the Indian context. Research limitations/implications The generalizability of findings might be limited because of the nature of methodology. Future research could collect additional qualitative data and conduct quantitative studies to test the findings of this research. Practical implications A unique combination of HR practices could be formed by addressing the changes in the local institutional environment and retaining the core philosophy of the parent company. Originality/value This research adds value to the transfer-adaptation dichotomy by presenting how institutional and cultural factors differently influence the transfer of respective HR practices.

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.

Analysis Of Open Selection Mechanism In The Government Of Bantul District 2016

ARISTO ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Vindhi Putri Pratiwi ◽  
Muhammad Eko Atmojo ◽  
Dyah Mutiarin ◽  
Awang Darumurti ◽  
Helen Dian Fridayani
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
The State ◽  
Selection Mechanism ◽  
Government Bureaucracy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Bureaucratic Reform ◽  
Depth Interviews

The purpose of this research is to see the open selection mechanism in the government of Bantul district. Because the success of bureaucratic reform is a part of human resources within the government bureaucracy. Therefore it is necessary to have human resource management to realize a state of civil apparatus with integrity, professionalism and competence. In this study, researchers used qualitative approach methods. Where in the technique is done in-depth interviews to get information and gather other supporting documents on this research. Human resource management could be done by structuring employees through an open selection mechanism. The Government of Bantul District has conducted an open selection in structuring employees who are in their government. Because the open selection is considered a solution in the screening of the state civil apparatus. Moreover, the Bantul Government in the open selection process uses several stages including administration selection, competency tests, interviews, and paper presentations. With the existence of several stages carried out in the open selection process by the Bantul Government, it is expected to capture and create a state civil apparatus who are professional and competent in running of bureaucracy in the government. So the existence of the state civil apparatus competent then will be influenced in its performance.

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.

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