Philip Lewis

New china, old ways? A case study of the prospects for implementing human resource management practices in a Chinese state-owned enterprise.

This paper attempts to evaluate the extent to which the introduction of human resource management (HRM) practices in Chinese state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) is likely to boost the organisations’ performance in the way in which the advocates of HRM bundles claim. It has examined the organisational context of one SOE in particular and analysed the literature on people management in Chinese organisations in general. The HRM practices covered are: recruitment, selection and staffing; compensation and benefits; employee training and development; and employee relations. The paper examines the problems raised in the literature and evaluates the extent to which these seem apparent in the organisation. The study concludes that considerable caution must be exercised in assuming that the introduction of coherent bundles of HRM practices would boost organisation performance. However, the picture that emerges is not wholly depressing for the Chinese economy. A high degree of interest in management education and remarkable industry and enthusiasm among young workers provided grounds for optimism.

The Evaluation of Training: : An Organizational Culture Approach

Recognizes the difficulties of evaluating training and argues that what is required to make it more effective is the adoption of an integrated approach to evaluation and, most significantly, the creation of an appropriate organizational culture, which promotes and recognizes the value of evaluation in general and training evaluation in particular. Discusses reasons for the absence of, or ineffective practice of, evaluation within so many organizations and these are shown to be related to organizational cultures which discourage training evaluation, especially organizational‐level evaluation. Discusses the nature and meaning of organizational culture from a practical point of view before providing advice to those responsible for training about how they can attempt to change an organization′s culture towards one which supports and values the evaluation of training.

Exploring Lawler’s new pay theory through the case of Finbank’s reward strategy for managers

This article seeks to establish the extent to which a major bank’s (Finbank) reward strategy for managers demonstrates the plausibility of Lawler’s model of reward strategy. This model argues that business strategy implies individual and organisational behaviours which dictate the content of reward strategy. In addition, three critical elements of the reward system need to be aligned for the system to be effective: the organisation’s core values; the implementation process; and the structure. The data collected demonstrate that Lawler’s model presents three major complications. It over‐simplifies the process of strategy formulation and content; it gives equal importance to values, structure and process although the data showed that the last was of the greatest significance; and it is represented as unitarist and deterministic.

Performance‐related Pay: Pretexts and Pitfalls

Performance‐related pay (PRP) has grown in importance in the 1980s and is likely to continue growing. The reasons for this growth are examined: labour market factors, changes in organisational objectives, fairness in payment initiatives, weakening of collectivisation, and “fashion”. Problems associated with PRP are also explored. It is argued that PRP has a capacity to subvert the purposes for which it is intended by distorting pay structures, creating unfairness in reward systems and harming team spirit. PRP also detracts from the value of other performance appraisal objectives. Some of the problems inherent in measuring individual job performance are also considered.

Great Ideas and Blind Alleys? A Review of the Literature on Starting Research

This paper aims to address the problem of the way in which the topic identification stage is covered by many of the management and business general research textbooks. Advice offered in these textbooks is summarized, integrated and built upon. As part of this, techniques and inside accounts discussing topic identification are indexed to individual textbooks and a composite list of attributes required of a good research problem provided. An inside account of topic identification further emphasizes the need to make novice researchers aware of the realities of the process. The paper concludes with a discussion in which it is argued that more emphasis needs to be placed on the realities of the topic identification process. In particular it argues that the inevitable presence of blind alleys and seemingly irrelevant discussions provides considerable advantages to all researchers, including the novice.

Family breakdown: developing an explanatory theory of reward system change

Analyses the introduction and first three years of the operation of a new reward system in a financial services organisation. The purpose of the study was to develop an explanatory theory associated with reward system change effectiveness. Following a description of the organisation and its operational context, analyses the new reward system, together with an examination of the specific objectives the organisations managers hoped it would achieve. Provides an explanation of the methods employed to collect and analyse the data. The main part of the paper comprises an analysis of these data, which provides evidence that the system was not meeting its objectives. Subsequently uses the literature on reward theory and organisational behaviour to help explain the reasons for such apparent ineffectiveness. Concludes by suggesting a tentative theory of reward system change effectiveness.

Employee Participation in a Japanese‐owned British Electronics Factory: Reality or Symbolism?

In recent years it has become clear that joint consultation has not withered away in British industry but has managed to maintain a considerable institutional presence. The precise character of consultation in these companies is rather more difficult to determine. Drawing on research in a Japanese‐owned electronics factory, with elaborate machinery for participation as well as a single union, no‐strike deal, it is concluded that consultation is little more than a symbol of unitarism. Moreover, other unitarist symbols are also used to convey the “family” message to the workforce.