Susan E. Jackson

Linking Competitive Strategies with Human Resource Management Practices

Within academia there has been similar growing awareness of this need. Although this awareness is being articulated in several ways, one of the most frequent involves the conceptualization and investigation of the relationship between business strategy and the personal characteristics of top managers.2 Here, particular manager characteristics such as personality, skills, abilities, values, and perspectives are matched with particular types of business strategies. For example, a recently released study conducted by Hay Group Incorporated, in conjunction with the University of Michigan and the Strategic Planning Institute, reports that when a business is pursuing a growth strategy it needs top managers who are likely to abandon the status quo and adapt their strategies and goals to the marketplace. According to the study, insiders are slow to recognize the onset of decline and tend to persevere in strategies that are no longer effective; so, top managers need to be recruited from the outside.

A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on role ambiguity and role conflict in work settings

Abstract Although role ambiguity and role conflict have been studied extensively in the organizational sciences, there remain numerous empirical discrepancies among the reported research results. Consequently, disagreement exists as to what can be concluded about the role ambiguity and role conflict research. Coupled with this empirical impasse has been a persistent and relatively singular approach to conceptually studying role ambiguity and role conflict. In response to this empirical and conceptual situation, a meta-analysis and a conceptual reevaluation of the role ambiguity and role conflict research were performed. Using the Hunter, Schmidt, and Jackson (1982 , Meta-analysis: Cumulating research findings across studies , Beverly Hills, CA: Sage) meta-analysis procedures, this study analyzed 29 correlates of role ambiguity and role conflict. These correlates include ten organizational context variables, five individual characteristics, ten affective reactions, and four behavioral reactions. Meta-analysis procedures were used to measure the strength and consistency of the relationship found between each of the 29 correlates and role ambiguity and role conflict. Meta-analysis was also used to determine where moderator variables should play a critical part in future role ambiguity and role conflict research. Based on the results of the meta-analysis, several empirical summaries and conclusions are presented. Along with these, several conceptual observations and reconceptualizing suggestions are offered. It is concluded that while a great deal is known about role ambiguity and role conflict in the organizational sciences much remains to be learned.

Recent Research on Team and Organizational Diversity: SWOT Analysis and Implications

Sixty-three studies published in the years 1997–2002 are reviewed to assess the effects of workplace diversity on teams and organizations. Four major questions are considered: Which personal attributes have diversity researchers studied in recent years? What has been learned about the consequences of diversity for teams and organizations? What has been learned about the role of context in shaping the effects of diversity? How has research addressed the multi-level complexities inherent in the phenomenon of diversity? For each question, we consider the strengths and weaknesses of recent diversity research, point out opportunities for new research, and identify threats to continued advancement. The review concludes by considering practical implications of the accumulated evidence.

Some Differences Make a Difference: Individual Dissimilarity and Group Heterogeneity as Correlates of Recruitment, Promotions, and Turnover

Schneiders (1987) attraction-selection-attrition model and Pfeffers (1983) organization demography model were used to generate individual-level and group-level hypotheses relating interpersonal context to recruitment, promotion, and turnover patterns. Interpersonal context was operationalized as personal dissimilarity and group heterogeneity with respect to age, tenure, education level, curriculum, alma mater, military service, and career experiences. For 93 top management teams in bank holding companies examined over a 4-yr period, turnover rate was predicted by group heterogeneity. For individuals, turnover was predicted by dissimilarity to other group members, but promotion was not. Team heterogeneity was a relatively strong predictor of team turnover rates. Furthermore, reliance on internal recruitment predicted subsequent team homogeneity.

The role of sex and family variables in burnout

Two survey studies were conducted to assess the relationship of demographic variables to the experience of job burnout. Contrary to earlier hypotheses that women are more vulnerable to this form of job stress, the results show that women do slightly better than men. However, this difference is rather small, which suggests that the sex of the employee is not a major factor in burnout. Other results show that employees who were married or who had children experienced less burnout. Job category was also an important predictor. The findings are discussed in terms of sex-role socialization, sex-typed occupations, and social support systems.

Convergence or divergence: human resource practices and policies for competitive advantage worldwide

The world is becoming far more competitive and volatile than ever before, causing firms to seek to gain competitive advantage whenever and wherever possible. As traditional sources and means such as capital, technology or location become less significant as a basis for competitive advantage, firms are turning to more innovative sources. One of these is the management of human resources. While traditionally regarded as a personnel department function, it is now being widely shared among managers and non-managers, personnel directors and line managers. As the management of human resources is seen increasingly in terms of competitive advantage, the question that arises is: What must we do to gain this advantage? Many of the most successful firms now have to operate globally, and this gives rise to a second question: Do firms in different parts of the globe practice human resource management (HRM) for competitive advantage differently? Because of their importance, these two questions form the primary focus of...

An Aspirational Framework for Strategic Human Resource Management

AbstractThe field of strategic human resource management (HRM) has a long and rich tradition. As a prelude to our description of the fields history, we provide an expansive definition of strategic HRM scholarship and offer an aspirational framework for strategic HRM scholarship that captures the multidisciplinary nature of the field. We then systematically review and critique three decades of strategic HRM theory and research, paying particular attention to the value of HRM systems as management tools for influencing a wide variety of outcomes of concern to internal (employees and their managers) and external (owners, customers, society, other organizations) stakeholders. In support of continued advancement of the empirical knowledge base of strategic HRM, we encourage new research that embraces systems thinking, more fully addresses the concerns of multiple stakeholders, and strives for greater practical usefulness by addressing significant problems such as managing innovation and environmental sustaina...

Diversity in work teams : research paradigms for a changing workplace

A study of how diversity affects the formation of employees into work teams. The book argues that knowledge of diversity is vital to an organizations success since many of the specific assets and liabilities of teams stem from the diverse perspectives and abilities of the individuals within them.

HR issues and activities in mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions are increasingly being used by firms to strengthen and maintain their position in the market place. They are seen by many as a relatively fast and efficient way to expand into new markets and incorporate new technologies. Yet their success is by no means assured. To the contrary, a majority fall short of their stated goals and objectives. While some failure can be explained by financial and market factors, a substantial number can be traced to neglected human resource issues and activities. Numerous studies confirm the need for firms to systematically address a variety of human resource issues and activities in their merger and acquisition activities. This article proposes a three-stage model of mergers and acquisitions that systematically identifies several human resource issues and activities. Numerous examples are offered to illustrate the issues and activities in each of the three stages. The article concludes with a description of the role and importance of the HR department and leader.

A Quarter-Century Review of Human Resource Management in the U.S.: The Growth in Importance of the International Perspective **

The past quarter century has witnessed many developments in the research and practice of managing human resources in the United States. In this article, we briefly describe two major areas in which these developments have been unfolding: strategic human resource management and international human resource management. Across these two areas of activity, HRM in the U. S. has evolved to encompass a greater appreciation of issues associated with: the systemic character of human resource management, the role that context plays in shaping HR policies and practices, the importance of demonstrating the effectiveness of HR policies and practices, the value of addressing the concerns of multiple stakeholders, the need for partnership in managing human resources, the complexity of managing human resources in multinational enterprises, and the challenge of developing theories and frameworks that provide new and useful insights about how to address all of these issues. We conclude with a brief summary and our thoughts about the future of HRM in the U.S. context and the continued importance of the international perspective.