Mesut Akdere

A multi-level examination of quality-focused human resource practices and firm performance: evidence from the US healthcare industry

In todays business world, the role of quality has become ever more significant for organizations to compete in a global marketplace. Based on the quality management theory, this study empirically examines the relationship between quality-focused human resource practices (QHRP) and organizational performance outcomes. Data from 69 healthcare organizations indicate a strong support for this relationship. A Human Resource (HR) system focused on quality management was directly related to multiple dimensions of organizational performance outcomes (i.e., intangible – employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction – and tangible – profit). Specifically, two measures of QHRP, knowledge management and strategic management, were found to be positively related to the financial performance of firms implementing quality management. Process management is found to be negatively related to employee satisfaction. General Human Resources were positively related to both employee and customer satisfaction. Employee focus of the firms is also positively related to employee satisfaction. In addition, employee satisfaction is also related to both customer satisfaction and financial performance while customer satisfaction is found to be positively related to employee satisfaction. The findings indicate a generally strong positive relationship with the organizational performance outcomes. The results of this study are particularly important in showing HRs contribution to the organizations bottom line.

Economics of Social Capital: Implications for Organizational Performance

The problem and the solution. The role of social interactions and relationships at the individual, group/team, and organizational levels is becoming increasingly significant in todays workplace. Relationships in an organization may provide some unplanned opportunities, and social capital is considered a new tool with which to increase organizational performance. As a relatively new concept, social capital is still at the exploratory stage for human resource development professionals and researchers. However, social capital has yet to be explored from an economics perspective. This article aims to examine the economics of social capital and the implications for organizational performance.

The Role of Knowledge Management in Quality Management Practices: Achieving Performance Excellence in Organizations

The problem and the solution. Knowledge management involves “knowledge” and “information.” Both of these concepts lie at the heart of human resource development (HRD) practice in the workplace. In fact, knowledge management strongly supports both paradigms of HRD—learning and performance. Quality management, on the other hand, applies knowledge management as one of its core components. However, the problem is that knowledge management and quality management are viewed as unrelated fields and their interaction has not been fully explored. Understanding these two vital organizational processes will enable HRD practitioners to develop and design effective programs and services that fully utilize both processes in the organization. Considering knowledge management as a key element in the quality management process can help increase knowledge creation and utilization within the organization. This article explores the relationship between knowledge management and quality management and discusses its applicability in HRD for enhancing organizational capacity and capability to achieve performance excellence.

Social Media as Collaborative Media in Workplace Learning

As a result of rapid changes in technology, much is discussed about the use of social media in branding, marketing, and in general corporate communications. The intensity with which social media tools—blogs, wikis, Twitter, instant messaging (IM) and Facebook, among others—have proliferated is staggering. Increasingly important is the role of social media tools as a way to enhance and advance workplace learning and knowledge management. To more accurately describe the purposes for which social media tools are utilized within organizations, we propose the term collaborative media. The clarity brought by this term serves to help HRD professionals within organizations adopt collaborative media tools as a workplace learning and knowledge management strategy and to attain organizational support for such tools at the highest level and capacity. Also discussed is the need for future research by HRD scholars that facilitates the role of collaborative media tools in workplace learning and knowledge management.

An analysis of decision-making process in organizations: Implications for quality management and systematic practice

Decision-making is an integral organisational process that impacts every level including, individual, group, and organisation. It is often associated with problem-solving and group processes in the organisational structure. With the advance of technology and our ability to engage in more streamlined business, the role of decision-making in todays organisations became even more critical. Organisational members are often left with making fast and rapid decisions without being furnished with knowledge and skills to make them. This paper first provides an overview of different decision-making process including, brainstorming, affinity diagramming, force-field analysis, flow charting, planning matrix, unilateral decision-making, consultative decision-making, voting decision-making, and consensus decision-making; and consequently, analyses the utility of decision-making process in organisational settings and investigate their implications for quality management in organisations. The findings of this study demonstrate the integral link between decision-making and various organisational processes such as quality decision-making, systematic planning, performance, and learning.

Effective organizational vision: implications for human resource development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing literature related to organizational vision and discusses its potential implications for human resource development (HRD). Furthermore, the paper aims to provide a forum for debate on the utility and effectiveness of organizational vision and how it is related to HRD and strategic management.Findings – Examination of the organizational vision literature revealed three commonly addressed themes: the visioning process; vision content selection; and vision implementation.Practical implications – Implications of these findings for leadership and HRD are presented and include the role of HRD as a strategic partner in the visioning process and the role of leaders in advancing visioning efforts.Originality/value – Goes some way to fulfilling the need for research in the area of organizational vision, particularly as it relates to leadership, motivation, strategy, and commitment.

The Islamic Worldview of Adult Learning in the Workplace: Surrendering to God:

The problem and the solution. As the second largest religion on earth, Islam has been in existence for more than 14 centuries. Today, Islam continues to grow in many parts of the world, including Europe and North America where Muslims comprise a notable minority. As our societies become more diverse, it is not uncommon in many major cities to have a Muslim colleague at work, classmate in school, or neighbor in the community. These areas are within the practice and research realm of human resource development (HRD). Therefore, understanding and appreciating the Islamic worldview of adult learning and the daily practices of its followers will contribute to resolving philosophical and cultural clashes in the work of HRD professionals as trainers, researchers, educators, and consultants throughout the world.

Agency theory from the perspective of human resource development

This paper reviews and examines the development of agency theory and its components, the relationship between the principal and agent, and further explores its implications for the field of HRD. Understanding the foundations, functional utility, and implications is important both for HRD scholars and practitioners, as the field is striving to motivate productivity of employees in todays complex and dynamic workplace environment, where the ways in which business is conducted are changing. This paper contributes to our understanding of how organisational principals and agents interact and how HRD programmes and functions may benefit from the opportunity that agency theory offers to address the challenges which this phenomenon presents.

Towards a Theoretical Model of Performance Inhibiting Workplace Dynamics

A construct and model of performance inhibiting workplace dynamics is introduced to conceptualize the adverse consequences on performance and quality of certain interpersonal interactions in the workplace and behavioral instructions leading to double binds. Results of a literature review are presented which provide evidence for the existence of a set of workplace interactions that are associated with reduced performance and quality. It is hypothesized that the negative influences on employee performance in the model occur by alteration of one or more of the following three of Swansons performance variables at the individual level: mission/goal, capacity, or motivation. As a field that considers performance as an important outcome of its practice, human resource development scholars and practitioners need to understand such dynamics in order to eliminate or reduce their effects on employee performance.

Team performance based compensation plans: implications for human resources and quality improvement from agency theory perspective

Today, the global economy is undergoing some dramatic changes in the organisation of the workplace and the manner in which employees are paid. The growing use of teams in the workplace has led to an increasing number of incentive systems designed to motivate and increase team performance. As a field aiming to develop and unleash human expertise for the purposes of improving performance, Human Resources heavily utilises the workteam method as one of its practice tools. Agency theory further provides a dimension in understanding the dynamics of team-based compensation.