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Cited by 42Human Resource and Talent ManagementManagement and Organizational PracticesGlobal and Cross-Cultural Management

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Human resource management: the promise, the performance, the consequences

Brewster, Chris, Gooderham, Paul N., Mayrhofer, Wolfgang·2016·Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance
DOI 10.1108/joepp-03-2016-0024
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Abstract

Purpose: – The dominant focus of HRM research has been that of “strategic HRM”, that is a focus on the impact of HRM on firm performance. The authors argue that not only are the cumulative results of this “dominant research orthodoxy” disappointing in terms of their external validity, but also they are of limited practical value. Further, it has failed not only in terms of its narrow firm performance-oriented agenda, but also the tenets of its agenda have contributed to serious levels of employee dissatisfaction and to the failure to deal with pressing global issues. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach: – In order to assess the contribution of the dominant research orthodoxy the authors analyse the 16 most cited journal articles in the field of HRM. Findings: – The authors find a predominance of US-centric studies and therefore a questionable cross-national generalizability of the dominant research orthodoxy. The use of cross-sectional data means that long-term effects cannot be gauged. The authors observe a lack of consensus on how to operationalize HRM and firm performance. National context is generally absent. Practical implications: – The authors show that for HRM to realize its potential for governments, media, or philanthropic agencies, HRM must abandon its restricted scope and mono-dimensional sources of inspiration. Originality/value: – The authors not only point to the shortcomings of the dominant research orthodoxy within HRM, but the authors point to how HRM could become significantly more “centre-staged” by addressing the actors searching for contributions to the big questions of the world – the governments, media, and philanthropic agencies.

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  • The increase in low-paid, insecure, and atypical work contracts combined with the challenge of worker migration and the negative attitudes toward trade unions by employers has made the lack of a labor voice a major societal challenge.

    “The increase in low-paid, insecure, and atypical work contracts combined with the challenge of worker migration (Brewster, Gooderham, & Mayrhofer, 2016) and the negative attitudes toward trade unions by employers has made the lack of a labor voice a major societal challenge (Lee & Edmondson, 2017).”

    From Common Good HRM: A paradigm shift in Sustainable HRM? (2020) · cites this paper as Brewster, Gooderham, & Mayrhofer, 2016

    In “Societal stakeholders: The sound of silence” (page not provided), the paper identifies insecurity and zero-hours contracts as problems affecting employees and mentions (re-)migration as a topic for HRM research. It does not establish an increase in low-paid or atypical contracts or connect those contracts to migration. The separate claims about employers’ attitudes toward unions and lack of labor voice are attached to another citation, not this one. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The conventional strategic HRM paradigm evaluates business effectiveness primarily using financial metrics, making it unclear how HR practitioners can contribute effectively to the sustainability agenda.

    “To the extent that the conventional strategic HRM paradigm evaluates business effectiveness using financial metrics primarily, it is unclear precisely how HR practitioners can contribute effectively to the sustainability agenda (Brewster et al., 2016;Stahl et al., 2020).”

    From Advancing the sustainability agenda through strategic human resource management: Insights and suggestions for future research (2023) · cites this paper as Brewster et al., 2016

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Citations

Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 30

  1. Arthur, J.B. (1994), “Effects of human resource systems on manufacturing performance and turnover”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 670-687. · DOI
  2. Batt, R. (2002), “Managing customer services: human resource practices, quit rates, and sales growth”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 45 No. 3, pp. 587-597. · DOI
  3. Beer, M. , Boselie, P. and Brewster, C. (2015), “Back to the future: implications for the field of HRM of the multi-stakeholder perspective proposed 30 years ago”, Human Resource Management , Vol. 54 No. 3, pp. 427-438. · DOI · Paper page
  4. Beer, M. , Spector, B. , Lawrence, P.R. , Quinn Mills, D. and Walton, R.E. (1984), Managing Human Assets. The Groundbreaking Harvard Business School Program , The Free Press, New York, NY.
  5. Brewster, C. and Cerdin, J.-L. (2016), Human Resource Management in Mission Driven Organizations , Pearson Education, New York, NY. · DOI
  6. Brewster, C. and Mayrhofer, W. (Eds) (2012), Handbook of Research on Comparative Human Resource Management , Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. · DOI
  7. Cappelli, P. and Neumark, D. (2004), “External churning and internal flexibility: evidence on the functional flexibility and core-periphery hypotheses”, Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society , Vol. 43 No. 1, pp. 148-182. · DOI
  8. Chen, C.J. and Huang, J.W. (2009), “Strategic human resource practices and innovation performance – the mediating role of knowledge management capacity”, Journal of Business Research , Vol. 62 No. 1, pp. 104-114. · DOI
  9. Collins, C.J. and Smith, K.G. (2006), “Knowledge exchange and combination: the role of human resource practices in the performance of high-technology firms”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 49 No. 3, pp. 544-560. · DOI
  10. Combs, J. , Liu, Y. , Hall, A. and Ketchen, D. (2006), “How much do high-performance work practices matter? A meta-analysis of their effects on organizational performance”, Personnel Psychology , Vol. 59 No. 3, pp. 501-528. · DOI
  11. Delaney, J.T. and Huselid, M.A. (1996), “The impact of human resource management practices on perceptions of organizational performance”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 39 No. 4, pp. 949-969. · DOI
  12. Delery, J.E. and Doty, D.H. (1996), “Modes of theorizing in strategic human resource management: tests of universalistic, contingency, and configurational performance predictions”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 39 No. 4, pp. 802-835. · DOI
  13. Fombrun, C.J. , Tichy, N. and Devanna, M.A. (Eds) (1984), Strategic Human Resource Management , Wiley, New York, NY.
  14. Gooderham, P. , Parry, E. and Ringdal, K. (2008), “The impact of bundles of strategic human resource management practices on the performance of European firms”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management , Vol. 19 No. 11, pp. 2041-2056. · DOI
  15. Guthrie, J.P. (2001), “High-involvement work practices, turnover, and productivity: evidence from New Zealand”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 180-190. · DOI
  16. Huselid, M.A. (1995), “The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 635-672. · DOI · Paper page
  17. Huselid, M.A. , Jackson, S.E. and Schuler, R.S. (1997), “Technical and strategic human resources management effectiveness as determinants of firm performance”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 171-188. · DOI
  18. Ichniowski, C. , Shaw, K. and Prennushi, G. (1997), “The effects of human resource practices on manufacturing performance: a study of steel finishing lines”, American Economic Review , Vol. 87 No. 3, pp. 291-313.
  19. Jackson, S.E. , Schuler, R.S. and Jiang, K. (2014), “An aspirational framework for strategic human resource management”, Academy of Management Annals , Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 1-56. · DOI · Paper page
  20. Lepak, D.P. and Snell, S.A. (2002), “Examining the human resource architecture: the relationships among human capital, employment, and human resource configurations”, Journal of Management , Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 517-543. · DOI
  21. MacDuffie, J.P. (1995), “Human resource bundles and manufacturing performance: organizational logic and flexible production systems in the world auto industry”, Industrial and Labor Relations Review , Vol. 48 No. 2, pp. 197-221. · DOI
  22. Schuler, R.S. and Jackson, S.E. (2005), “A quarter-century review of human resource management in the US: the growth in importance of the international perspective”, Management Revue , Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 11-35. · DOI
  23. Snell, S.A. and Dean, J.W. (1992), “Integrated manufacturing and human resource management: a human capital perspective”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 467-504. · DOI
  24. Sparrow, P.R. and Hiltrop, J. (1994), European Human Resource Management in Transition , Prentice Hall, London.
  25. Suchman, M.C. (1995), “Managing legitimacy: strategic and institutional approaches”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 571-610.
  26. Sun, L.Y. , Aryee, S. and Law, K.S. (2007), “High-performance human resource practices, citizenship behavior, and organizational performance: a relational perspective”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 50 No. 3, pp. 558-577. · DOI
  27. Ulrich, D. (2013), Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results , Harvard Business Press, Boston, MA.
  28. Youndt, M.A. , Snell, S.A. , Dean, J.W. and Lepak, D.P. (1996), “Human resource management, manufacturing strategy, and firm performance”, Academy of Management Journal , Vol. 39 No. 4, pp. 836-866. · DOI
  29. Boxall, P. (2003), “HR strategy and competitive advantage in the service sector”, Human Resource Management Journal , Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 5-20. · DOI
  30. Wilton, N. (2010), An Introduction to Human Resource Management , Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks.

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Metadata

Authors
Brewster, C., Gooderham, P. N., & Mayrhofer, W.
Affiliations
  • University of Reading (GB)
  • Norwegian School of Economics (NO)
  • Vienna University of Economics and Business (AT)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance
Publisher
Emerald
Published
2016-06-06
Volume
3
Issue
2
Pages
181-190
ISSN
2051-6614 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1108/joepp-03-2016-0024
OpenAlex
W2399737981
Cited by
42
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 1
FWCI
7.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.emerald.com/insight/site-policies (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Organizational Effectiveness People and Performance (publishedVersion)
  • WU Research (publishedVersion)
  • CentAUR (University of Reading) (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Human Resource and Talent Management
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Management and Organizational Practices
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Business and International Management › Global and Cross-Cultural Management
Keywords
strategic human resource management, firm performance, job dissatisfaction, cross-national generalizability, national context

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