Jan Kees Looise

Innovation through exemptions: building upon the existing creativity of employees

In the literature on continuous improvement and innovation management, the role of employees in the innovation process is thoroughly discussed. A widely accepted starting-point in this literature is that the generation of ideas has to be organised and initiated by the senior management of an organisation. In this paper we develop another method that builds upon the already existing creativity within organisations. Recognising potential, trust, result responsibility and exempting employees from their regular tasks are important features of this method.

Implementing Human Resource Management Successfully: A First-Line Management Challenge

In this paper we will address the success of Human Resource Management (HRM) implementation, concentrating not on the HR function but on first-line managers. First-line managers find implementing HR practices at the operational level difficult and show reluctance with their HR responsibilities. However, they have become increasingly responsible for the implementation of HRM and thus, their performance is critical for HRM effectiveness. Previous research pointed to five factors that could lead to HRM implementation difficulties. Four case studies in four different multinational business units are presented here to investigate the salience of these factors. Results show that first-line managers perceive four of the five factors hindering, but that the challenges faced vary per business unit.

Framing the implementation of HRM innovation: HR professionals vs line managers in a construction company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of human resource management (HRM) frames, to identify frame domains, and to explore their role in implementing HRM innovation. HRM innovation implementation is considered through the theoretical lens of social cognitive theory, and defined as a process for achieving the appropriate and committed use of HRM innovation by targeted employees. Design/methodology/approach – An explorative case study in a construction company is conducted to illustrate the role of HRM frames in the implementation of HRM innovations. Interviews are held with 21 line managers and human resource (HR) specialists, and intensive document analysis added further data. Respondents described their understanding, assumptions and expectations of a new HRM programme, which enabled analysis of the contents of interview transcripts. Findings – Four HRM frame domains are identified: strategic motivation, essence of HRM innovation, HRM innovation-in-practice and ownership. Where the HRM frames are significantly different, difficulties and conflicts in HRM innovation implementation are observed. Empirical findings illustrated how the nature, value and reasons behind the HRM innovation are interpreted by HR specialists and line managers, and that incongruent frames resulted in outcomes that deviated from those expected. Originality/value – This paper takes a process-based approach and considers the implementation of HRM in organisations rather than focusing on factor-based research into HRM practices. It shows how the implementation of HRM is constructed through social-cognitive interpretations by organisational members.

Continuous improvement and the mini‐company concept

The key issue of continuous improvement (CI) seems to be the problem of combining extensive employee involvement with market orientation and continuation of CI. In this article we review some existing organisational designs for CI on these three essential characteristics of CI. As an alternative to the shortcomings of current organisational designs for CI we present the mini-company concept, related to the sociotechnical concept of the self-managing team. The mini-company concept incorporates the three key issues: it has a self-propelling capacity for CI, involving everyone on the shop floor. A constant and market-oriented source for improvement is found in the clients and suppliers of the mini-company. Results of an in-depth case-study are presented, showing some strong effects of the mini-company concept.

Dutch Works Councils in Times of Transition: The Effects of Changes in Society, Organizations and Work on the Position of Works Councils

This article assesses the current position of Dutch works councils within their organizations and within the broader system of Dutch industrial relations. The authors use data from a recently conducted national survey on works councils to establish the impact that societal and organizational developments in the 1990s have had on the formal position and actual influence of the works council. These data show that, contrary to popular opinion, societal developments and the introduction of new management concepts have not had a negative impact on the position of the works council. An exception to this is the internationalization of firms, which curtails the range of works council influence. Further, the gradual increase in the actual influence of the works council that characterized the postwar period does seem to have levelled off in the 1990s.

Coercion, Guidance and Mercifulness: The Different Influences of Ethics Programs on Decision-Making

The development of an ethics program is a method frequently used for organising responsible behaviour within organisations. For such a program, certain preconditions have to be created in the structure, culture and strategy. In this organisational context, managers have to take their decisions in a responsible way. This process of decision-making, embedded in an ethics program, is the main focus of this article. Ethics programs often influence decision-making in a formal way; certain norms and types of behaviour are formalised and controlled within the organisation. Subsequently, individual managers have to infer the meaning of responsible behaviour from the demands laid down in the ethics program. Such a formal ethics program has some important advantages but the dangers of such an approach are often ignored. This article discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of a formal ethics program and adds two alternative ways of stimulating responsible behaviour in the organisation. In a monological approach the reflections of the decision makers on their own values are central in differentiating between right and wrong. In a dialogical approach, the communications between decision makers and other stakeholders involved are the foundations for determining a responsible solution. Because each approach is appropriate for certain issues, a well-chosen combination is justified. Such an ethics program should be strict on certain issues but leave room for reflection and interaction on other issues.

Direct participation quality and organisational commitment: the role of leader‐member exchange

Purpose – The relationship between participation quality and commitment has received relatively limited attention in the industrial relations (IR) and human resource management (HRM) literature. This paper seeks to fill some of the gaps in prior research. It aims to answer three questions: How do participation justice and satisfaction influence affective and normative organisational commitment? Does leader‐member exchange (LMX) influence satisfaction and perceived justice with participation? Do the three assumed indicators of participation quality mediate the relationship between LMX and affective and normative organisational commitment?Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted at three faculties of a Dutch university, and involved faculty staff. E‐mails and online questionnaires were distributed in Dutch. Hypotheses were tested. Three indicators of direct participation quality: satisfaction with participation, perceived distributive justice concerning participation, and procedural justice ...

Electronic HRM in theory and practice

Organizations have increasingly been introducing web-based applications for HRM purposes, and these are frequently labeled as electronic Human Resource Management

HR research in the Netherlands: imitation and innovation

In this paper we present an overview of Dutch HRM Research in the last decade, based on a content analysis of academic journals in this area. Also included is a comparison between UK and USA research, on the one hand, and Dutch research, on the other. Looking back, we conclude that HRM research in the Netherlands has had a relatively institutional character and has been less focused on HRM activities in a narrow sense. Dutch HRM researchers have paid less attention to the strategic positioning of HRM, to the redesign of HRM tools in the area of through-flow and performance management (appraisal, reward systems, feedback mechanisms) and to the monitoring of the effects of HRM. In this way HRM research has not reflected the key HRM issues occupying the attention of practitioners. From more recent patterns, however, we expect Dutch HRM research increasingly to reflect managerial concerns. This does not imply full convergence with US patterns, especially given the Dutch traditions in industrial relations and personnel management. The challenge for Dutch research on HRM is to find the right balance between market forces and institutional arrangements, including a fair position for the workers; this will have to do justice to the long established tradition of industrial democracy and consultation practices among the various stakeholders.

Employee participation in multinational enterprises

The internationalisation of enterprises is expected to undermine national systems of employee representation. This paper assesses the extent to which this expectation can be confirmed. Using a survey of Dutch works councils, we compare national, Dutch multinational and foreign multinational firms. Using another survey, we then assess the role of European works councils within Dutch MNEs. The results of the first survey show that the influence of works councils in multinational firms, especially with respect to strategic policy, but also, to a lesser extent, regarding organisational and personnel issues is decreasing. From the second survey, we learn that European works councils have so far not compensated for this decrease in influence. We conclude that the undermining of employee representation at the national level can only be counteracted by a combination of further regulations at the European level, a change in (top) management attitudes in European MNEs and the close co-operation of employee representatives within the respective countries and at the different levels.