P.E.M. Ligthart

The Diffusion of Calculative and Collaborative HRM Practices in European Firms

The aim of this paper is to trace and explain variations in calculative and collaborative human resource management (HRM) practices between companies and across national borders. Variations and similarities are explained in terms of the convergence and divergence of HRM practices determined by national institutions, and the increasing influence of multinational companies (MNCs). We explore the diffusion of HRM practices in Europe over time, using data sets from two surveys conducted in several European countries in 1995 and 2000. We use institutional explanations for the development of three selected bundles of HRM practices: individual, calculative performance-oriented practices; collective incentive schemes for the alignment of interests; and collaborative practices that seek to enhance the commitment of employees. We found substantial effects of country-specific institutions and of the country of origin of MNCs, which clearly support the institutional duality thesis. Foreign-owned MNCs, especially those that are US-based, appear to moderate country-specific institutional effects on the diffusion of the three HRM bundles.

The extended business case for childcare and leave arrangements in Western and Eastern Europe

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an “extended conceptualization of the business case” including both organizational characteristics and institutional conditions to analyse employer involvement in extra statutory childcare and leave arrangements. Special attention is given to Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.Design/methodology/approach – The (multi‐level) multinomial regression analyses included company‐level data on human‐resource practices of 2,865 firms nested in 19 countries, representing all European welfare state regimes.Findings – The extended business case appeared fruitful in order to explain variations in employer involvement. Particularly, state support was found to be negatively related to employer involvement. In the liberal regime, employer involvement was high, but variations across organizations were significant. In CEE‐countries, employer involvement was lowest, and did not vary by organizational business‐case factors.Research limitations/implications – The pap...

Employee Ownership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: High Performance Ownership Systems and the Mediating Role of Psychological Ownership

This paper investigated the effect of employee share ownership, mediated through psychological ownership, on organizational citizenship behavior. The analysis included the possible complementary role of High Performance Ownership systems. This paper investigated these relationships by analyzing employee survey data from a Dutch organization that has implemented employee share ownership. We used PLS, a variance-based structural equation model to test the hypotheses. The results showed a direct influence of employee ownership on organizational citizenship behavior, but the relationship was not mediated by psychological ownership. Unexpectedly, the results show that a High Performance Work System bundle without employee ownership generates psychological ownership, but this does not influence organizational citizenship behavior. This research could not confirm the comprehensive model in which employee ownership, HRM system, and psychological ownership are positively related to each other. We choose a deliberate set of HR practices on theoretical grounds, but future research could investigate other sets of HR practices that may produce the expected effects. This research showed that employee ownership has a positive influence on organizational citizenship behavior. Organizations are therefore advised to consider implementing employee ownership. The results also show that a set of HR practices positively influences psychological ownership. The results suggest that organizations should strive for a consistent message, which makes the employees feel that they are taken serious as and deserve to be owners. We analyzed the influence of a configuration of high performance ownership system on psychological ownership and organizational citizenship behavior that is not done before.

The Development of Employee Financial Participation in Europe

Financial participation is a key human resource management practice, extending democracy at the workplace and, as the success of the organization becomes directly linked to employee rewards, altering the relationship between employees and the organization. In this chapter we discuss the incidence and characteristics of financial participation in eight European Union countries. We address the following questions in the chapter. One, what is the incidence of financial participation schemes in these eight Member States? Two, to what extent are financial participation schemes selective for specific employee groups, such as managers? Three, what was the extent of development of these schemes in the decade 1995–2005? Four, what are the determinants of the use of these schemes? In the chapter we focus on narrow-based schemes targeted at management and broad-based schemes where all employees are eligible to participate. We focus on two types of schemes through which employees and managers participate financially in the performance of their companies: profit sharing and share ownership.

Knowledge management, health information technology and nurses’ work engagement

Background: Knowledge management (KM) extends the health information technology (HIT) literature by addressing its impact on creating knowledge by sharing and using the knowledge of health care professionals in hospitals. Purpose: The aim of the study was to provide insight into how HIT affects nurses’ explicit and tacit knowledge of their ongoing work processes and work engagement. Methodology: Data were collected from 74 nurses in four wards of a Dutch hospital via a paper-and-pencil survey using validated measurement instruments. In a quasiexperimental research design, HIT was introduced in the two experimental wards in contrast to the two control wards. At the time of the HIT introduction, a pretest was administered in all four wards and was followed by a posttest after 3 months. Data were analyzed via partial least squares modeling. Results: Generally, nurses’ tacit knowledge (i.e., their insight into and their capacity to make sense of the work processes) appears to be a significant and strong predictor of their work engagement. In contrast, nurses’ explicit knowledge (i.e., information feedback about patients and tasks) only indirectly affects work engagement via its effect on tacit knowledge. Its effect on work engagement therefore depends on the mediating role of tacit knowledge. Interestingly, introducing HIT significantly affects only nurses’ explicit knowledge, not their tacit knowledge or work engagement. Practice Implications: Nurses’ tacit and explicit knowledge needs to be systematically distinguished when implementing HIT/KM programs to increase work engagement in the workplace. Tacit knowledge (insight into work processes) appears to be pivotal, whereas efforts aimed only at improving available information will not lead to a higher level of work engagement in nurses’ work environments.

The effects of market economy type and foreign MNE subsidiaries on the convergence and divergence of HRM

This study explores patterns of human resource management (HRM) practices across market economies, and between indigenous firms and foreign MNE subsidiary operations, offering a novel perspective on convergence and divergence. Applying institutional theorizing to improve our understanding of convergence/divergence as a process and an outcome, data collected from nine countries at three points in time over a decade confirm that convergence and divergence occur to different extents in a nonlinear fashion, and vary depending on the area of HRM practice observed. Patterns of adoption and convergence/divergence are explained through the effect of institutional constraints, which vary between liberal and coordinated market economies, and between indigenous firms and foreign MNE subsidiaries. Specifically, we expected, and largely found supporting evidence confirming that compensation and wage-bargaining level practices show more evidence of being institutionally constrained, and hence were less likely to converge, than contingent employment, training, and direct information provision practices. The study contributes a more graded conceptualization of convergence/divergence (from constant no difference, through robust convergence, non-robust convergence, non-robust divergence, and robust divergence to constant difference), allowing us to tease out the subtle manifestations of the process that can incorporate the complex dynamic reality of international business.概要本研究探讨人力资源管理(HRM)实践在市场经济国家,以及在本土公司和外国MNE(跨国公司)子公司业务之间的模式,提供了关于汇聚和发散的一个新颖视角。运用制度理论提高我们对聚/散作为过程和结果的理解,来自九个国家十多年来三个时间点收集的数据确认,汇聚和发散以一种不同程度的非线性方式发生,具体取决于观察到的HRM实践领域的变化。接纳和聚/散模式由制度约束效应来解释,这在自由的和协调的市场经济体之间,以及在本土公司和外国MNE子公司之间变化。具体而言,我们预期,并在很大程度上已找到证据确认,报酬与工资谈判水准实践显示了更多在制度上受限的证据,因此与偶然就业,培训,以及直接信息提供的做法相比更少可能汇聚。这项研究贡献了一个更渐变的聚/散概念(从一直无差异,经稳健汇聚,非稳健汇聚,非稳健发散,稳健发散,到一直有差异),让我们梳理出能包容国际商务复杂而动态的现实过程的微妙表现。RésuméCette étude examine les caractéristiques des pratiques de gestion des ressources humaines (GRH) dans les économies de marché, et entre les opérations des firmes locales et des filiales de multinationales étrangères, offrant une nouvelle perspective sur les points de convergence et de divergence. En appliquant la théorie institutionnelle pour améliorer notre compréhension des points de convergence/divergence comme des processus et des résultats, les données collectées dans neuf pays à trois moments différents d’une décennie confirment que les points de convergence et de divergence ont lieu de manière non-linéaire à des niveaux différents, et varient selon le domaine de la pratique de GRH observée. Les caractéristiques d’adoption et les points de convergence/divergence sont expliqués par l’effet des contraintes institutionnelles, qui varient entre les économies de marché libérales et coordonnées, et entre les firmes locales et les filiales de multinationales étrangères. Plus spécifiquement, nous attendions, et nous avons largement trouvé, des preuves confirmant que les pratiques en matière de compensation et de négociation des salaires ont une tendance plus marquée d’être contraintes institutionnellement, et sont ainsi moins susceptibles de converger que l’emploi contingent, la formation et les pratiques de mise à disposition directe d’informations. L’étude contribue à une conceptualisation plus graduée des points de convergence/divergence (pas de différence constante, convergence robuste, convergence non-robuste, divergence non-robuste, divergence robuste et différence constante), nous permettant de cerner les manifestations subtiles du processus qui peut intégrer la réalité dynamique complexe de l’international business.ResumoEste estudo explora os padrões de práticas de gestão de recursos humanos (HRM) em economias de mercado e entre operações de empresas domésticas e subsidiárias de multinacionais estrangeiras, oferecendo uma perspectiva inovadora sobre convergência e divergência. Aplicando teorias institucionais para melhorar a nossa compreensão sobre convergência/divergência como um processo e um resultado, dados coletados de nove países em três pontos ao longo de uma década confirmam que convergência e divergência ocorrem de diferentes maneiras de forma não linear e variam de acordo com a área de prática de HRM observada. Os padrões de adoção e convergência/divergência são explicados pelo efeito de restrições institucionais, que variam entre economias de mercado liberais e coordenadas, e entre empresas domésticas e subsidiárias de multinacionais estrangeiras. Especificamente, esperávamos e, encontramos amplas evidências que confirmam que práticas de remuneração e de negociação salarial mostram mais evidências de serem restringidas institucionalmente e, portanto, menos propensas a convergir do que o emprego contingencial, treinamento e práticas de provisão de informações diretas. O estudo contribui para uma conceituação mais categorizada de convergência/divergência (de constante nenhuma diferença, passando por convergência robusta, convergência não robusta, divergência não robusta e divergência robusta até constante diferença), permitindo-nos provocar as sutis manifestações do processo que podem incorporar a complexa realidade dinâmica dos negócios internacionais.ResumenEste estudio explora los patrones de las prácticas de la gestión de recursos humanos entre las economías de mercado, y entre las empresas locales y las operaciones de las subsidiarias de las empresas multinacionales extranjeras, ofreciendo una perspectiva novedosa donde la convergencia y la divergencia. Aplicando la teorización institucional para mejorar nuestro entendimiento de la convergencia/divergencia como proceso y como resultado, los datos recolectados en nueve países en tres puntos de tiempo durante una década confirman que la convergencia y la divergencia ocurren en diferentes grados de forma no lineal y varían dependiendo del área de la gestión de recursos humanos observada. Los patrones de adopción y convergencia/divergencia son explicados mediante el efecto de limitaciones institucionales, las cuales varían entre las economías de mercado liberadas y coordinadas, y entre empresas locales y subsidiarias de empresas multinacionales extranjeras. Específicamente, esperábamos, y encontramos grandes evidencias que confirman que el nivel de las prácticas de remuneración y negociación salarial muestran más evidencias de ser institucionalmente limitadas, y por ende tienen menos probabilidades de convergencia, que el empleo contingente, la capacitación, y las prácticas de provisión de información directa. El estudio contribuye a una conceptualización más graduada de la convergencia/divergencia (desde constante a ninguna diferencia, mediante convergencia robusta, convergencia no robusta, divergencia no robusta y divergencia robusta a diferencia constante), permitiéndonos descubrir las manifestaciones sutiles del proceso que puede incorporar la realidad dinámica compleja de los negocios internacionales.

Multinational enterprises: Comparing performance-related pay between companies in Eastern and Western Europe

This article compares the spread of broad-based individual performance-related pay practices (PRP) in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Western European companies. The article investigates the dominance effect of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the constraining effects of industrial relations, i.e. collective bargaining and union influence. A key finding is that we did not find stronger influence by US MNEs compared with other MNEs. Regarding the determinants of industrial relations, in general decentralised firm-level bargaining supports the adoption of PRP schemes, whereas a greater degree of unionisation tends to reduce it. However, the latter effect is not found in CEE countries with their more permissive industrial relations system. The fact that there are high levels of broad-based individual PRP in CEE, that there is no negative association with unionisation and a positive relationship with firm-level bargaining and no effect of MNEs suggests that this practice is well established in firms in CEE.

HRM Policies and Firm Performance: The Role of the Synergy of Policies

For both academics and practitioners, an insight into the relationship between Human Resource Management (HRM) and performance is essential. In exploring this link, HRM scholars have arrived at a point where the universalistic approach of the performance effects of best HRM practices are criticized. In an effort to move beyond a best-practice mode of theorizing, scholars have proposed different bundles of HRM practices that relate to better performance (Huselid, 1995). An emerging stream of literature proposes that systems of HRM practices have synergic performance effects (e.g. Delery & Doty, 1996). Scholars from the latter research stream argue that systems of HRM practices in so called ‘High Performance Work Systems’ (HRM Systems) lead to significant effects on firm performance, and hence propose that ‘ideal’ systems of HRM practices (i.e. best-systems) lead to superior firm performance (Becker & Huselid, 1998). Against this backdrop, Delery and Doty (1996) called upon scholars to adopt a ‘configurational mode of theorizing’ and indeed sparked a plethora of research in search of ideal-type HRM systems (Becker & Huselid, 1998; Lepak et al., 2006). Taking stock of this field today, its theoretical and empirical advancement is still hindered by ‘deficient empirical support’, in part because researchers have focused on bundles of large numbers of practices. For instance, Guest et al. (2003) identified 48 HRM practices and grouped them into nine HRM domains, but concluded that these formed no coherent factors. Also, measuring and examining the interactions between large numbers of practices is empirically very complex (Martin-Alcazar, Romero-Fernandez & Sanches-Gardey, 2005: 645). Individual practices’ interactions with many variables are not as easily empirically testable. Some 20 years after the emergence of the perspective of HRM configurations, this perspective has yet to deliver on its promise.

Employee Ownership and High-Performance Work Systems in Context

This chapter addresses employee ownership within a strategic human resource management (SHRM) framework that has gained increased attention. The study extends the configurational approach to SHRM and argues that the construct of the workforce philosophy is the primary factor that determines the coherence of HRM systems. In other words, the workforce philosophy propagates the idea that employees both deserve to be co-owners and must be taken seriously as such. In addition, the chapter argues that the HRM system should reflect this workforce philosophy: the HRM system should contain HRM practices that mirror the rights that comprise the very construct of “ownership.” We present the possible core HRM practices of the “ownership high-performance work system (O-HPWS),” which, similar to employee ownership, produces favorable outcomes. The chapter also addresses the important mediating role of employees’ perception and attributions related to employee share ownership in the relationship of the HRM system (with employee share ownership) to favorable outcomes.

‘Fit’ for telework’? Cross-cultural variance and task-control explanations in organizations’ formal telework practices

This study investigates how nation-level cultural values (‘individualism’ and ‘collectivism’) and intra-organizational task control mechanisms influence the level of organizations’ use of formal telework practices. Employing a multi-level analysis on survey data (2009/10), including 1577 organizations within 18 nations, we found that ‘high use of formal telework practices in organizations’ was more likely when: (1) organizations operated in nations characterized by strong national values; and when they employed (2) ‘hard’ indirect controls (i.e. individual performance-related pay and 360º performance-evaluations). High telework use was less likely when organizations employed direct controls (i.e. higher proportions of managers) and ‘soft’ indirect controls (i.e. higher proportions of professionals). ‘Low use of formal telework practices’ was more likely when organizations employed ‘soft’ indirect controls. Our findings suggest that national cultural values can function as ‘soft’ indirect controls to mitigate the ‘telework risk’ of high levels of telework practices. Internal ‘soft’ task controls only sufficed for managing low levels of telework practices. We discuss the smart and dark sides of telework and how these relate to the management of telework practice. Implications for future telework research and practices are discussed.