scholarly journals Book review: “Into the people effectiveness arena: Navigating between chaos and order”

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman J. Pietersen

Veldsman, T.H. (2002) "Into the people effectiveness arena: Navigating between chaos and order", Randburg, South Africa: Knowledge Resources, 364 pages. In a noteworthy new South African management text, Theo Veldsman, consultant in the strategic human resource management (SHRM) field, brings together the fruit of many years of experience and thought on people management issues in an exciting new way.

Author(s):  
Charlotte Pietersen

Orientation: A comprehensive framework for research in human resource management (HRM) in terms of fundamental knowledge orientations was found lacking.Research purpose: The aim was to perform a typological review of research trends in the field of HRM, specifically of publications in the South African Journal of Human Resource Management (SAJHRM).Motivation for the study: No previous research in the field of HRM in South Africa adopted a fundamental theory of knowledge.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative design was followed, consisting of a documentary analysis of articles that were published in the SAJHRM for the period from 2003 to 2015. A detailed content analysis of published articles was performed in terms of a number of criteria, namely knowledge type, race, gender, authorship, author contribution and representation according to author institution and country of origin.Main findings: An analysis of a final selection of 289 articles indicated that research in the SAJHRM was mostly on the following lines: research was mostly of the hypothesis-testing (Type II) knowledge type; involved multiple authorship; and was conducted by mostly white, male researchers, based at a relatively few South African academic institutions.Practical and managerial implications: The SAJHRM should, in partnership with the HRM profession, promote and publish research that more prominently addresses the gap between academic HRM and HRM practice, especially in terms of the participatory or action research (Type IV) mode of knowledge generation.Contribution: The present analysis of research trends in the SAJHRM provides a broader and more nuanced perspective on forms of research required for the HRM field in South Africa.


Author(s):  
Chantel Van Der Westhuizen ◽  
LJ Van Vuuren ◽  
Deléne Visser

Many organisations are downsizing their Human Resource (HR) operations due to the perceived lack of credibility of the function as a whole. This study investigates possible reasons for this perceived lack of credibility, and suggests ways in which the Human Resource Management (HRM) function can overcome this challenge. One of these suggestions implies the need to advance the professional status of HRM. The current professional status of HRM, as perceived by South African HR practitioners (N = 398) was evaluated by means of the trait approach to assessing the professional status of an occupation. The results reveal that practitioners do consider HRM to be a profession. However, HRM is still very much in the early stages of achieving true professional status. Other findings and their implications are also discussed. OpsommingDie Menslike hulpbronbestuursfunksie (MHB-funksie) word deur verskeie organisasies gerasionaliseer as gevolg van ’n oënskynlike gebrek aan geloofwaardigheid van die funksie as ’n geheel. In hierdie studie is moontlike redes vir die geloofwaardigheidsprobleem ondersoek en aanbevelings gemaak ten opsigte van wyses waarop die MHB-funksie hierdie uitdaging kan oorkom. Een voorstel impliseer die behoefte om die professionele status van die MHB-funksie te bevorder. Die huidige professionele status van MHB soos gesien vanuit die perspektief van Suid-Afrikaanse MHBpraktisyns (N = 398) is aan die hand van die eienskapgebaseerde metode om die professionele status van ’n beroep te bepaal, geëvalueer. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat ofskoon praktisyns MHB as ’n professie beskou, die MHBfunksie steeds in die vroeë fase van die strewe na ware professionele status is. Ander bevindinge en implikasies word ook bespreek.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia M. Schultz

Orientation: The world of work is evolving at an alarming rate, and human resource (HR) practitioners need to familiarise themselves with the future of human resource management (HRM) in order to add value to their organisations.Research purpose: This article presents South African HR practitioners’ views about the future and the role of HRM in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) from a qualitative perspective.Motivation for the study: Human resource practitioners play a central role in the 4IR, but theories on how their role is enacted remain insufficient.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative survey design was used to study the views of 105 HR practitioners affiliated with the South African Board of People Practices. Three open-ended questions were sent to participants by means of a SurveyMonkey link. Deductive and inductive coding were used to thematically analyse the data.Main findings: The following themes were identified: technology-driven, data-driven, ethically driven, change driven, business-driven, human–machine collaboration and presilience.Practical/managerial implications: South African HR practitioners should be prepared for the future world of work. If these HR practitioners are not technology-driven, data-driven, ethically driven, change driven, business-driven, human–machine collaboration and presilient, they may have difficulty to add value to the organisation in the 4IR.Contribution/value-add: This study extends the body of knowledge about the future world of work and the role of HRM in South Africa by founding that HR practitioners must have presilience and respect ubuntu. The study also extends contemporary scholarship by using an open-ended qualitative review design to investigate the future of HRM in South Africa during the 4IR.


Author(s):  
Lineo W. Dzansi ◽  
Crispen Chipunza ◽  
Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela

Service delivery in South Africa has of recent been marred with much criticism and citizens’ dissatisfactions evidenced by protests across the country, especially in different municipal areas. While the South African central government recognizes the important supportive role of human resources management (HRM) in ensuring quality service delivery, the municipalities’ human resource management seem not to be playing this important role. There are accusations of too much political interference in municipal human resource management activities in municipalities in the country. The objective of this study was to determine municipal employees’ perceptions of political interference in human resource management practices within selected municipalities in South African. Using a sample of nine municipalities and 342 employees, results of the quantitative analysis of data collected using questionnaires showed that municipal employees perceived little or low levels of political interference in HRM practices.  The results are discussed within the context of organisational justice theory and implications on issues such as application of appropriate ethics in HRM practices are suggested.


1999 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Engelbrecht ◽  
R. G. Erasmus ◽  
N. Sivasubramaniam

To be utilized effectively and to have a positive effect on the multitude of complex challenges facing South African organizations, human resources (HR) have to be managed in a strategically correct manner. This study investigated the performance implications of two types of fit in strategic human resource management (SHRM). The results indicated that an organizations HR strategy had a moderating effect on the relationship between business strategy and performance. Furthermore, the survey indicated that organizations could be classified according to clusters of internally consistent HR practices, with some performance differences across the clusters. Finally, evidences for the validity of the proposed typology of fit were found, thus making a contribution to theory- building in the field of SHRM. Opsomming Ten einde menslike hulpbronne (MH) effektief te benut, asook die vele komplekse uitdagings waarmee Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies worstel die hoof te kan bied, moet menslike hulpbronne op 'n strategies korrekte wyse bestuur word. In hierdie studio is die prestasie-implikasies van twee tipes passing in strategiese menslike hulpbronbestuur (SMHB) ondersoek. Die resultate toon dat n organisasie se MH-strategie 'n modererende invloed op die verband tussen besigheidstrategie en prestasie uitoefen. Die ondersoek dui verder daarop dat organisasies in bondels van intern konsekwente MH aktiwiteite geklassifiseer kan word, met onderlinge verskille in orgamsatoriese prestasie tussen die bondels. Laastens is bewyse vir die geldigheid van die voorgestelde tipologie van passing gevind, waardeur 'n bydrae tot teoriebou in die veld van SMHB gemaak is.


2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumari O'Neil ◽  
Eileen Koekemoer

Orientation: Qualitative research is marked by phenomenal growth and development over the years.Research purpose: This article aims to offer insight into the emerging qualitative methodologies used in the fields of Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology and Human Resource Management.Motivation for the study: The value of qualitative organisational research has been recognised since the 1970s. Regardless of its perceived value, national and international trends show a greater tendency for quantitative research.Research design, approach and method: This article investigates qualitative articles (n = 242) published over two decades in the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology (SAJIP), South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP), and the South African Journal of Human Resource Management (SAJHRM). More specifically, a content analysis was conducted to highlight the trends of paradigms, designs and analysis methods employed in the studies.Main findings: Although there seems to be a slight increase in qualitative publications over the years, qualitative studies show a lower volume than its counterparts. The SAJIP published the least qualitative articles when compared to the SAJP and SAJHRM. There is a pattern of preference for specific paradigms and methods in all the journals. Overall, all the journals carry a large number of articles that do not specifically state their paradigmatic alignment or the designs they used, while some articles omits the methodology used in the studies altogether.Practical/managerial implications: The results indicate a clear need for increased exposure to qualitative methodology, both by publishing more qualitative studies in local journals and by providing formal training opportunities. A publication does not solely rely on authorship, but also on a review process. Therefore certain adjustments in this process may lead to more and better qualitative publications in future.Contribution/value-add: This article provides a critical analysis of the current trends and developments in qualitative research conducted in Industrial and Organisational Psychology(IOP) research in South Africa. The study identifies dominant methodologies in use, and thereby identifies possible opportunities to expand the ‘methodological menu’ of IOP research.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document