Syed Akhtar

An empirical study of human resource management policies and practices in foreign-invested enterprises in China: the case of Shenzen Special Economic Zone

Information about human resource management (HRM) practices in foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in China has been limited to studies involving a small number of cases. This study provides an empirical assessment of HRM practices used in 158 FIEs operating in Shenzen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of the Guangdong Province in southern China. Results suggest that FIEs have moved away from centrally planned job allocation, life-time employment and egalitarian pay towards open job markets at management and non-management levels, contractual employment where pay and longevity are based on individual worker and company performance and compensation plans that recognize differences in skills, training and job demands. These practices seem to reflect the influence of the economic reform in China. Other aspects of HRM practices used by FIEs, such as approximate equality of pay for men and women, limited differences between management and non-management salaries and widespread provision of housing and other benefits...

The organizational choice of human resource management practices: a study of Chinese enterprises in three cities in the PRC

This study examined the effects of an organizations contextual variables on the choice of human resource management (HRM) practices to secure, nurture, reward and retain managerial employees. The contextual variables included organizational characteristics (ownership, age and size), on the one hand, and its competitive strategies (innovation, quality and cost) and the strategic role of the human resource function, on the other. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of general managers and human resource directors from 326 joint ventures and state-owned enterprises located in Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou, three major cities in China. Using structural equation analysis, we examined both the direct and indirect effects of the contextual variables on HRM practices. The indirect effects were measured through the strategic role of the human resource function. Results indicated that ownership and the strategic role of the human resource function were key variables in explaining an organizations choice of HRM practices. Age and size of the organization had limited effects. Compared with cost and quality strategies, the innovation strategy affected HRM practices, both directly and indirectly, indicating the increasing dynamism of the Chinese economy in its move towards a market orientation.

Job burnout among nurses in Hong Kong: Implications for human resource practices and interventions

This study examined the combined influences of organizational characteristics, individual background factors, perceived sources of job stress, and coping resources on job burnout among nurses. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of a random sample of 2267 nurses working in 43 public hospitals in Hong Kong. The questionnaire included multiple-item scales on eight perceived sources of stress, four measures of coping resources, and three dimensions of job burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment). Results obtained from multiple regression analyses showed that all the perceived sources of stress had significant effects on one or more dimensions of job burnout, with job demands and lack of professional recognition having significant effects on all the burnout dimensions. Self-efficacy appeared to be the most effective coping resource as it had significant negative effects on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and a positive effect on personal accomplishment.

Organizational context and human resource management strategy: a structural equation analysis of Hong Kong firms

Previous studies to explain why companies utilize particular human resource management (HRM) strategies have not adequately addressed the influence of contextual variables such as size, location, ownership, competitive pressure, technological change, age and growth. In this study, we investigate the extent to which these contextual variables are related to HRM strategy in seventy-six private-sector firms located in Hong Kong. Our analysis uses structural equations to examine the relationships among contextual variables and HRM strategy to develop and retain managers. The results show that contextual variables have both direct and indirect effects on an organizations HRM strategy. The indirect effects occur through the top management involvement of the HR function within an organization. Use of a human capital development HRM strategy reduces organizational uncertainty about having an adequate supply of managers to meet firm objectives. Contrary to our expectation, in Hong Kong firms, greater reliance on internal development and promotion tends to increase uncertainty and greater competition tends to reduce training investment. Both of these unanticipated relationships may reflect the high mobility of managers peculiar to the Hong Kong labour market.

Effects of inter- and intra-hierarchy wage dispersions on firm performance in Chinese enterprises

This study examined the impact of inter- and intra-hierarchy wage dispersions on company performance based on a sample of 395 Chinese enterprises. It was hypothesized that (1) inter-hierarchy wage dispersion between managers and workers is positively related to firm performance and (2) intra-hierarchy wage dispersion within manager and worker groups is negatively related to firm performance. Results based on regression analysis confirmed the first hypothesis and showed partial support for the second. Practical and policy implications are discussed in the context of Chinas transitional economy.

Influences of Cultural Origin and Sex on Work Values

This study examined the influences of cultural origin and sex on intrinsic, instrumental, and systemic work values using an individual level analysis. Data on importance of work outcomes were obtained from a stratified sample of 111 Hong Kong Chinese, British, and American managerial employees of a multinational media company. Analysis of variance showed that compared to Hong Kong Chinese, British and American managerial employees scored significantly higher on intrinsic work values and lower on instrumental work values. Cultural origin did not significantly influence systemic work values. Sex differences in the three work values were also not significant. Implications for managerial practice are discussed.

REASSESSING AND RECONCEPTUALIZING THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT

This study was designed to reassess and reconceptualize the multidimensional nature of organizational commitment. The Organizational Commitment Questionnaire of Porter, Steers, Mowday, and Boulian was administered to 259 employees representing five retail banks. Factor analysis (principal factor, promax rotation) yielded the three dimensions proposed by Porter, et al. in 1974. This conceptualization was inadequate because one dimension, i.e., desire to maintain organizational membership, overlaps the withdrawal construct. A similar criticism has been levelled against Meyer and Allens 1991 model. Consistent with the three-dimensional attitude theory, organizational commitment was reconceptualized in terms of cognitive, emotive, and conative meanings. The proposed dimensions include normative commitment (amount of cognitive consonance with organizational norms), affective commitment (intensity of emotional attachment to the organization), and volitive commitment (extent of conative orientation towards organizational goals).

Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Job Burnout Correlates of the Health Professions Stress Inventory

Previous research in 1994 by Gupchup and Wolfgang identified four factors from Wolfgangs Health Professions Stress Inventory (1988) that were common among a sample of practicing pharmacists. The factors were labeled Professional Recognition, Patient Care Responsibilities, Job Conflicts, and Professional Uncertainty, respectively. We used confirmatory factor analysis to assess whether this factor structure was generalizable to nurses. To examine concurrent validity, we correlated the factors with Maslach and Jacksons three dimensions of job burnout, i.e., Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of a random sample of 9,380 nurses from across 43 public hospitals in Hong Kong, from which 2,267 (24.2%) responded. Analysis indicated statistically acceptable goodness of fit indices for the four-factor solution. Except for the factor Patient Care Responsibilities, all other factors had moderate correlations between .44 and .53 with Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization. Correlations between the factors of Stress Inventory and Personal Accomplishment were small but significant, ranging from –.25 to .13. Areas for further improving the psychometric properties of the inventory are discussed.

Human resource management strategies under uncertainty: How do US and Hong Kong Chinese companies differ?

Purpose – To compare the tendency of US and Hong Kong Chinese companies to utilize three alternative human resource management (HRM) strategies to offset uncertainties in the supply of labor.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 158 US and 66 Hong Kong Chinese companies concerning the extent to which these companies engaged in training and development, monitoring and assessment of employee performance, and staffing through an internal labor market. Data were also obtained concerning the uncertainty in the supply of qualified employees.Findings – After controlling differences in industries and company size, the results show that, when faced with labor uncertainty, use of the three (HRM) strategies was increased by Hong Kong Chinese companies, but decreased by US companies.Practical implications – This study provides new information about how cultural differences may play out in business organizations. The results may provide some insight into how competitors in a global marketplace may rea...

Job Burnout: toward an Integration of Two Dominant Resource-Based Models

The goal of this study was to integrate the job demands-resources model and the conservation of resources model of job burnout into a unified theoretical framework. The data were collected through a mail questionnaire survey among nurses holding managerial positions in the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong. From a computer-generated random sample of nurses, 543 (84.3% women) returned usable surveys, amounting to a response rate of 24.2%. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed paths originating from job demands and job resources to the core job burnout dimensions, namely, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Results supported the integrated model, indicating that job demands and job resources had differing effects on the burnout dimensions. The effect of job demands was stronger and partially mediated the effect of job resources. Implications of the results from this study on management practices were discussed.