Sarah MacCurtain

High performance work systems in Ireland: human resource and organizational outcomes

From the perspective of the resource based view (RBV), although traditional sources of competitive advantage such as natural resources, technology, economies of scales, and so forth, create value, these resources are increasingly easy to imitate. As such, human capital and human resource management may be an especially important source of sustainable competitive advantage. Over the past few years, there has been growing research interest in the competitive advantage associated with high performance work systems (HPWS), a set of management policies and practices thought to endow employees with greater levels of skill, information, motivation and discretion. In this study, we describe a study examining the relative effectiveness of HPWS in the Irish context. Results suggest that greater use of high performance work systems is associated with positive human resource and organizational outcomes. Specifically, firms utilizing higher levels of HPWS tend to have lower rates of employee absenteeism and voluntary turnover along with higher labor productivity and lower labor costs.

Understanding the Dynamics of Collective Learning: The Role of Trust and Social Capital

The problem and the solution. A focus on collective, as opposed to individual learning, points to the social network component of learning. Collective learning is fundamentally concerned with social interaction and the development of relational synergies.A key challenge to understanding social interaction is the influence of trust. Trust is important for social capital development and thus for collective learning.This article addresses a significant gap in the literature by reviewing the literature on collective learning, trust, and social capital theory and proposing a set of propositions for further research.The article also identifies a number of implications for HRD in tandem with each proposition.

Workplace bullying and incivility: a systematic review of interventions

Purpose – Workplace mistreatment has a negative impact on the health and well-being of approximately 20 per cent of workers. Despite this, few interventions have been evaluated and published. The purpose of this paper is to address the question “what interventions designed to reduce workplace bullying or incivility are effective and what can be learnt from evaluated interventions for future practice?” Design/methodology/approach – A systematic review was undertaken in which 11 electronic databases were searched, yielding 5,364 records. Following screening on abstract and title, 31 papers were retained for detailed review and quality assessment. Subsequently, 12 interventions to address workplace bullying or incivility were critically appraised. Findings – The papers spanned a wide range of approaches to and assumptions about resolving the problem of bullying and/or incivility. Half the studies focused on changing individual behaviours or knowledge about bullying or incivility, and duration of intervention...

The Top Management Team, Reflexivity, Knowledge Sharing and New Product Performance: A Study of the Irish Software Industry

In the present study, we develop a model to predict new product performance incorporating the literature on top management team (TMT) composition, trustworthiness, knowledge sharing and task reflexivity in organizations. We hypothesize that diversity and trustworthiness in the TMT should influence knowledge sharing and reflexivity and reflexivity and knowledge sharing would be positively associated with new product performance. We test the model using data collected from 39 indigenous software firms in Ireland. Results indicate that age diversity was positively related to knowledge sharing ability while educational level, tenure and functional diversity of the TMT did not have any direct effect on reflexivity or knowledge sharing ability or motivation. However, educational level of TMT, tenure and age diversity had indirect effects on reflexivity and knowledge sharing through the intervening variable of TMT trustworthiness. Further, knowledge sharing and task reflexivity had direct effects on market new product performance. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Unions and the Adoption of High Performance Work Systems: Does Employment Security Play a Role?

Previous research on the association between unionization and the adoption of high performance work systems (HPWSs) has yielded inconsistent results. Using data from a 2004 multi-industry survey of firms operating in the Republic of Ireland, the authors examine the relationship between employee union membership rates and relative use of HPWSs. They also test arguments that employment security may affect the receptiveness of unions to such HR practices. The results indicate that as union representation increased, there was a significant decrease in the use of high performance work systems. Evidence also suggests that providing employment security significantly ameliorated this negative impact.

Organizational Justice Perceptions and Employee Attitudes among Irish Blue Collar Employees: An Empirical Test of the Main and Moderating Roles of Individualism/Collectivism **

Prior research indicates that individualism - collectivism orientations (I/C) of employees, as well as organizational justice perceptions - procedural and distributive justice perceptions - influence the following employee attitudes: affective/normative commitments, pro-social behaviour, team loyalty, and tenure intent. Research also suggests that I/C orientations are related to justice perceptions with individualism orientation favouring equity principle and collectivism orientation favouring equality principles. Under the assumption that individualism orientation favours equity and procedural justice principles, we empirically test the main effects of I/C orientations and justice principles on employee attitudes. In addition, we also test whether I/C orientations moderate the relationships between justice perceptions and these employee attitudes. We tested these hypotheses using a survey methodology consisting of a sample of two-hundred and four employees from Ireland. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Dismantling pluralism: Industrial relations in Irish greenfield sites

Focuses on recent empirical evidence on management approaches to industrial relations in greenfield companies in Ireland. Places particular emphasis on the impact of industrial relations on the location of greenfield site facilities, patterns of trade union recognition and avoidance, pay determination, and the role of employer associations. Finds that, despite a national system of “bargained consensus” and the integration of trade unions into corporatist decision‐making structures on economic and social issues, most recent greenfield site facilities are non‐union. Argues that this evidence points to extensive management opposition to conventional pluralist industrial relations, despite the existence of a State system which has consistently promoted a consensus approach over the past two decades. This apparent paradox is explained by reference to the transformation in the structure and performance of the Irish economy in parallel with related social changes since the early 1980s.

SHOULD HIGH PERFORMANCE WORK SYSTEMS INCLUDE DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

The article reports on diversity management in high performance work systems. Labor quality in high performance work systems has been increased through strategic human resource management as well as productivity. High performance work systems include those with employee recruiting and selection practices, efficient training and development programs, and communication and employee participation practices. These management systems should also include training in diversity and equality due to the diverse labor market.

Supporting patients during their breast cancer journey: the informational role of clinical nurse specialists.

Background: Research evidence suggests that a multidisciplinary team approach improves the outcomes of patients with breast cancer. However, limited attention has examined the extent to which the clinical nurse specialist’s (CNS’s) role can impact Irish patients’ care, particularly given the novelty of this role in Ireland. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the informational role of CNSs in supporting Irish patients during their breast cancer journey and the extent of its impact on their care. Methods: Three Irish breast cancer teams were investigated. A Picker questionnaire was administered to more than 100 patients per team who had completed treatment. Questions focused on the patients’ journey from diagnosis through to treatment completion. Follow-up interviews with the teams’ CNSs were conducted to achieve a deeper understanding of the care received. Results: While patients reported an overall positive impression of their care, they were least satisfied with the amount of information and emotional support they received during their chemotherapy. Clinical nurse specialists commented that there is insufficient staffing in medical oncology to address this need in part because the ill-defined job description makes it difficult to quantify the impact of this role. Conclusions: The informational role of the CNS is inadequately recognized and is thus not currently able to fully address patients’ care needs. Implications for Practice: Clarification of the CNS’s role description in oncology care in Ireland is needed as is sufficient CNS staffing to maintain the vital informational role of CNSs throughout the patients’ breast cancer journey.

Role of Organizational Justice Perceptions in India and Ireland: An Empirical Examination

Research indicates that due process and equitable reward distributions may be more appropriate in influencing attitudes in individualistic rather than collectivistic cultures. Hence, we examined the effects of perceptions of due process in performance appraisal and equity in reward systems on employee commitment and tenure intent among collectivist Indian and individualistic Irish employees. The results indicated that both procedural and distributive justice perceptions predicted affective commitment, normative commitment, and tenure intent among Irish employees. However, in the Indian sample, procedural justice perceptions predicted affective commitment and tenure intent but distributive justice perceptions did not predict these outcomes; also distributive justice perceptions predicted normative commitment but procedural justice perceptions did not. Implications for global businesses are discussed.