Mandy van der Velde

The contribution of e-HRM to HRM effectiveness. Results from a quantitative study in a Dutch Ministry.

Purpose – Both for-profit and not-for-profit organisations have been replacing face-to-face HRM activities with web-based HRM tools, e-HRM for short, for employees and managers since the 1990s. This paper aims to look at whether this is of benefit to an organisation. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in The Netherlands, where e-HRM in the form of employee self-service applications was introduced. Findings – The study shows that individual assessment of e-HRM applications influences HRM technical and strategic effectiveness. This is especially so in the perceived quality of the content and the structure of e-HRM applications which have a significant and positive effect on technical and strategic HRM effectiveness. Research limitations/implications – It is difficult to form generalizations from the research into only one company. Practical implications – The basic expectations are that using e-HRM will decrease costs, will improve the HR service level and will give the HR department space to become a strategic partner. This study investigates whether this is the case. Originality/value – The area on which this study concentrates has not had extensive academic research conducted into it

Factors Relating to Managerial Stereotypes: The Role of Gender of the Employee and the Manager and Management Gender Ratio

PurposeSeveral studies have shown that the traditional stereotype of a “good” manager being masculine and male still exists. The recent changes in the proportion of women and female managers in organizations could affect these two managerial stereotypes, leading to a stronger preference for feminine characteristics and female leaders. This study examines if the gender of an employee, the gender of the manager, and the management gender ratio in an organization are related to employees’ managerial stereotypes.Design/Methodology/Approach3229 respondents working in various organizations completed an electronic questionnaire.FindingsThe results confirm our hypotheses that, although the general stereotype of a manager is masculine and although most prefer a man as a manager, female employees, employees with a female manager, and employees working in an organization with a high percentage of female managers, have a stronger preference for feminine characteristics of managers and for female managers. Moreover, we find that proximal variables are much stronger predictors of these preferences than more distal variables.ImplicationsOur study suggests that managerial stereotypes could change as a result of personal experiences and changes in the organizational context. The results imply that increasing the proportion of female managers is an effective way to overcome managerial stereotyping.Originality/ValueThis study examines the influence on managerial stereotypes of various proximal and distal factors derived from theory among a large group of employees (in contrast to students).

Openness to Experience and Growth Need Strength as Moderators between Job Characteristics and Satisfaction

This study examines a specific personality variable Growth Need Strength (GNS) and a general Big Five Personality Factor Openness to Experience as moderators between job characteristics and job satisfaction. Respondents were 95 graduate students working in part-time jobs. They filled out Goldberg’s (1992) bi-polar rating scale measuring the Big Five factors and Hackman and Oldham’s (1976) Job Diagnostic Survey. Results show that GNS and openness to experience are substantially related. Further, from hierarchical regression analyses, it appeared that the moderating effect of GNS on the relation between skill variety and job satisfaction was explained by the moderating effect of openness to experience. Practical implications for the use of openness to experience and other Big Five personality factors versus specific characteristics in selection and career counselling are discussed.

Change in Work Values and Norms among Dutch Young Adults: Ageing or Societal Trends?

In the present study, data were analysed longitudinally on the basis of lifespan developmental psychology to determine if work values and norms change as a result of ageing/maturation or societal trends (i.e. period effects between two measurement waves). Moreover, data were collected to determine if the younger participants showed more change than the older participants. Participants were three age groups, 18, 22, and 26 years old, respectively, in 1987 (N 806). The participants completed a questionnaire in 1987 and 1991. Measures of work values and norms included Absolute Work Centrality, Relative Importance of Work, Obligation Work Norm, Emancipation Norm and Spare Time Norm, and Intrinsic, Extrinsic and Social Work Values. Using tests of differences in over time correlation coefficients, paired t-tests and analyses of variance, the results show that work, and especially intrinsic work values become more important by ageing than by societal trends and that younger participants indeed changed more than the older participants. These results underscore the plea of Schulenberg, Vondracek, and Kim (1993) for a combination of a developmental and individual difference perspective of work value change in career theory and practice.

Gender differences in the influence of professional tenure on work attitudes

In this study we examined gender differences in the influence of professional tenure on 3 work attitudes: career salience, organizational commitment, and job involvement. In total, 220 men and 125 women working in high-level jobs in a large multinational organization completed a written questionnaire. Using hierarchical regression analyses, and controlling for differences between men and women in age, the presence of children, and number of working hours, we found no significant gender differences in the 3 work attitudes. The results further show that although career salience, job involvement, and organizational commitment increase with age, these work attitudes decrease with professional tenure. In terms of organizational commitment, the negative influence of professional tenure was significantly stronger for women than for men. Finally, the implications for future studies and for organizational practice are discussed.

Stability and change of person characteristics among young adults: The effect of the transition from school to work

Abstract In this study hypotheses on stability and change of four categories of person characteristics were tested. Subjects were 314 young adults between 18 and 30 years old. They completed a questionnaire and were interviewed in 1987 and in 1991. Measures of person characteristics included traits, attributional style, psychological health/well-being and work values and norms. Two subgroups were studied: 1. (1) Young adults who attended school in 1987 and in 1991 ( N = 146); and 2. (2) young adults who made the transition from school in 1987 to work in 1991 ( N = 168). Following role theory, it was hypothesized that person characteristics in the second subgroup changed more than in the first subgroup. Moreover, subjects from the second subgroup were expected to experience positive change of characteristics in time, such as increased psychological health/well-being. Using tests of differences in over time correlation coefficients, t -tests and univariate analyses of variance of mean scores at time two, controlling for time one scores and biographical variables, the hypotheses were confirmed by the data. However, the effects were small. Although for some person characteristics changes in mean scores over time were significant in both subgroups, these changes were slightly larger for people who experienced the transition from school to work than for those who stayed in school. It is concluded that the transition from school to work induces extra positive changes in some person characteristics. For example, subjects who made this transition became less susceptible to boredom, and scored lower on depression and neuroticism over time.

The Development of Person-Vocation Fit: A Longitudinal Study Among Young Employees*

This two-phase panel study examines the development of the congruence between vocational interests and perceived skill requirements. Participants were 492 Dutch men and women between 18 and 26 years old, with a paid job in both phases. Three hypotheses inspired by the theory of work adjustment (Dawis and Lofquist 1984) and congruence theory (Holland 1992) were tested, using a composite index of fit proposed by Cronbach and Gleser (1953). The first hypothesis proposing that participants experiencing incongruence between their vocational interests and their perceived skill requirements are dissatisfied with their job was supported. The hypothesis that incongruence has a positive relationship with job change and a negative relationship with tenure was not confirmed. The expectation that the congruence between vocational interests and perceived skill requirements increases over time was confirmed. Furthermore, exploring determinants of change in vocational interests and perceived skill requirements, it was found that change in these domains was predicted by different variables, educational level being the only common factor. It is concluded that this study supports the longitudinal propositions of prevailing work-related person-environment fit theories.

International career motives, repatriation and career success of Indian women in Science & Technology

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into international career motives, repatriation and career success of Indian women in Science and Technology. Design/methodology/approach - – In total, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with (upper) middle-class Indian women in Science and Technology in Bangalore and New Delhi, India. Findings - – Thematic analysis resulted in four themes – International career motives, Theme 1: cross-cultural and scientific exposure; Repatriation reasons and experiences, Theme 2: family reunion, career prospects and readjustment; Career success, Theme 3: international experience; and career growth, Theme 4: social responsibility. Motives for international career mobility of Indian women were: exposure to foreign cultures, international collaboration in science and personal and professional development. Family formation and reunion and career prospects were reasons for repatriation and positively influenced repatriation experiences of Indian women. Readjustment to people and conditions in India impacted their repatriation experiences negatively. The meaning women attribute to career success is grounded in recognition from peers in science, career growth, satisfaction and contribution to science and Indian society. Research limitations/implications - – The sample of Indian female scientists may limit generalization of the findings to global career professionals in other professions from other countries with different socio-cultural and economic contexts. Practical implications - – HR policies that foster international careers of women scientists as well as womens networks in science to share and apply knowledge, and their contribution to the Indian economy and society will enhance global career success of women and strengthen the sustainable competitive position of organizations. Originality/value - – The study provides new insights into motivation for international career mobility and repatriation of women professionals from a developing country and their career success in the home country, and contributes to the development of theoretical frameworks on international career mobility and career success.

Dual-earner couples’ willingness to relocate abroad: the reciprocal influence of both partners’ career role salience and partner role salience.

ABSTRACT Successful international assignments are important for international organizations. Research has shown that employee willingness to relocate internationally strongly depends on spouse’s willingness to follow. However, the mechanisms driving these effects are not thoroughly investigated. This study gives more insight into the processes that explain both partners’ willingness to (co-)relocate internationally. We examine the influence of both partners’ career role and partner role salience on each other’s (co-)relocation willingness. On the basis of Identity theory, Interdependency theory, and Attachment theory, we hypothesize combined interaction effects of career and partner role salience. Data were collected from 226 couples (professional employees and their spouses) working in a multinational Anglo-Dutch company. Results show that, in particular, spouses’ willingness to follow their partners abroad is determined by both career importance and partner role salience. We conclude that, for theory and for organizational practice, it is indeed crucial to involve both the employees and their spouses in the decision-making for an international relocation.

Warm welcome or rude awakening?: Repatriation experiences of Indian and Dutch international assignees and intention to leave the organisation

Purpose – The purpose of this exploratory, empirical study is to gain insight into repatriation experiences and repatriate turnover intention of employees from India and The Netherlands who either were or had been on international assignments in the respective countries. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted with 25 Dutch and 30 Indian international assignees (IAs) and repatriates in both India and The Netherlands. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: met and unmet expectations of career advancement opportunities; knowledge transfer and labour marketability; economic growth versus economic recession and alternative employment opportunities; and boundaryless careers: adventure and entrepreneurship. Findings – Repatriate expectations about the use of knowledge, skills and abilities gained in the host country moderate the relationship between the macro-economic situation of the home country and repatriate attrition/retention, such that met expectations of Indian respondents decreased ...