Ramón Valle

Business Strategy, Work Processes and Human Resource Training : Are They Congruent?

This study examines the extent to which HR training (content and context) is contingent on business strategy (i.e. classified according to Miles & Snow typology) as well as the characteristics of the work process.

Relationships between human resource management practices and organizational learning capability

Purpose – This paper has three purposes: first, to study whether organizational learning capability (OLC) is related to human resource management (HRM) practices such as selection, development, appraisals and rewards; second, to assess to what extent the value and uniqueness of human capital is associated with OLC; and lastly, to consider the possible mediating role of human capital in the relationships between HRM practices and OLC.Design/methodology/approach – This research was conducted with a sample of companies in the most innovative sectors of Spanish industry, applying the partial least squares (PLS) technique.Findings – The results in this paper demonstrate the direct association of selection and appraisals practices and both dimensions of human capital with learning. Furthermore, developmental practices are associated with the value of human capital, and the selection and appraisal practices are related to uniqueness. Therefore, human capital is partially mediating the relationships between HRM p...

Human resources management in Spain: is it possible to speak of a typical model?

There is no shortage of literature studying the relationships between the various processes of human resources management, considered individually, and the strategy of the company. Nevertheless, studies that adopt a joint approach are scarce. In this study, working from the universalist, contingent and configurational perspectives, we seek to identify the possible existence of human resources management models and their links with the strategy of the company. Empirical analysis conducted with 130 industrial companies reveals three distinct models of human resources management but with behaviours independent of the strategies followed by the companies. At the same time we find, within each model, orientations of particular processes that are common among them and are thus characteristic of a universalist approach.

Trends and emerging values in human resource management ‐ The Spanish scene

Spanish firms have undertaken significant internal changes, including those related to human resources management, in order to adapt to new circumstances of market competitiveness. Length of the contractual relationship is one of the most important of these changes (contracts for an unlimited versus limited period). Available data show that the human resources management departments of Spanish firms have retained some traditional perspectives, while adopting some newer ones.

Antecedents of work–life involvement in work–life issues: institutional pressures, efficiency gains or both?

This paper contributes to the literature by integrating relevant insights from institutional theory and expected efficiency gains to explain organisational responsiveness to work–life issues. In times of global crisis it seems relevant to explore both the question of whether institutional pressures influence organisational behaviour and the positive and negative consequences implementing work–life practices. We tested the model using survey data from 146 private Spanish firms in two different industries. Hierarchical regression analyses tested the relationship between institutional pressures and organisational responsiveness and the potential moderator effect of the expected efficiency gains. The results reveal that mimetic and particular normative pressures significantly influence work–life practices, while coercive and global normative pressures appear not to do so. The perception of certain negative consequences related to the implementation of work–life practices inhibits this responsiveness. The positive outcomes are only relevant for the moderating effect they have on the relationship between institutional pressures and work–life responsiveness.

Employment relationships as drivers of firm flexibility and learning

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyse whether the firm model of employment relationships is associated with functional flexibility and organisational learning (exploratory versus exploitative). It also aims to assess the mediating effect of functional flexibility in the relationship between a specific employment mode (mutual investment) and organisational learning.Design/methodology/approach – This research was conducted using a sample of Spanish companies in the food industry, from which data from HR managers and production managers in each firm were collected. Cluster analyses, MANOVA and regression analyses were applied to test the hypotheses.Findings – The results suggest that those firms developing a mutual investment employment relationship outperform other firms in terms of functional flexibility and organisational learning (both exploitative and exploratory learning). The paper also finds a mediating effect of one dimension of functional flexibility (range‐number of activities) between mutual inve...

Perceptions of discrimination and distributive injustice among people with physical disabilities: In jobs, compensation and career development

Purpose This study examines whether disabled workers perceive negative workplace experiences in terms of discrimination. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of perceived distributive injustice at work, regarding three dimensions – job assignment, compensation and career development opportunities – on perceived discrimination and explore the mediation role of perceived discrimination in the relationship between perceived distributive injustice and the job dissatisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Research hypotheses are tested with a questionnaire administered to 107 disabled employees working in public and private Spanish organisations. Findings The results indicate that physically disabled people perceive distributive injustice and discrimination at work regarding job assignment, compensation and career development opportunities in Andalusian organisations, and this perception of discrimination leads to feel dissatisfaction. This study confirms the triple dimensionality of two of the variables studied: perceived distributive injustice at work and perceived discrimination at work. Originality/value Few studies have focussed on disability-related issues from a human resource management viewpoint. This study focusses on job assignments, compensation and career development and shows that the perception of discrimination mediates the relation between the perception of distributive injustice at work, and job dissatisfaction. That is, perceived distributive injustice in the organisation leads physically disabled employees to compare their situation with that of their non-disabled peers and thus to perceive discrimination regarding job assignment, compensation and career development opportunities. As a result, they become dissatisfied with their jobs. The results obtained allow us to extend the organisational justice framework, achieving a more thorough understanding of the perception of both injustice and discrimination.

Assessing public sector values trough the tri-axial model: empirical evidence from Spain

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine values among public sector employees. Furthermore, this study will identify differences according to several demographical variables with relevant policy making implications. Design/methodology/approach – Once the literature review on public sector values and the description of the tri-axial model is presented, analysis based on a survey of 3,018 public sectors will be undertaken. The sample consists of employees working in the Government of Andalusia, Spain. Findings – Results reveal the domination of pragmatic values, as well as values connected to the ethical axis. The study also shows how these values vary according to several demographic characteristics of the respondents, especially when considering their level of education and their respective tenure. Research limitations/implications – When managing employees from public organizations, emphasis should be given to the development of an organizational culture that represents a configuration of both p...