HR differentiation between professional and managerial employees : broadening and integrating theoretical perspectives

Recent HR differentiation research has been concerned with HRM differences within job groups (such as between more and less talented managerial employees) and HRM differences between job groups of different strategic value (such as knowledge and manual workers). Less attention has been paid to HR differentiation among strategically valuable job groups. This paper reviews literature relevant to the question whether (and how) firms should differentiate their HRM systems between professional and managerial job groups. Four broad theoretical perspectives are adopted, including firm-level economic (“macro”), psychological (“micro”), institutional, and technical-feasibility perspectives. Psychological, institutional, and technical-feasibility perspectives are argued to favor a two-pronged approach, whereby professional HRM systems are nested within firm-level managerial HRM systems (while being subject to influence by field-level institutions). The economic (resource-based) perspective, by contrast, implies HR homogenization across the two job groups. Integrating the four perspectives, the paper points to potential longer-term negative effects of trends toward HR homogenization on professional skill standards and dedication to higher-order professional goals

Performance management for different employee groups : a contribution to employment systems theory

Manage managers based on competencies and informal networks – Set task-based output goals for professional specialists – Control temporary workers at the agency level – Ensure that contractors are managed effectively as part of boundary-crossing networks This book provides a framework of analysis to capture and explain differences in employment systems. Taking account of the wealth of research in the field, it provides a sound basis for developing function-specific performance management systems, integrating aspects such as incentivization, multi-source appraisal, and accountability. From macro to micro approaches of HRM, the contents will be of value to researchers on employment systems, strategic HRM, and occupational psychology and to practitioners of HRM and organizational development

Temporal effects of employee training : a dynamic and multilevel perspective

This conceptual study introduces a framework and tool for gauging temporal effects of employee training. It proposes a set of lag factors (causing lag effects of training) and a set of sustenance factors (influencing the duration of training effects). It also distinguishes different types of training effect on the performance trajectory, which link differentially to the various lag and sustenance factors. Thus, managers may use the framework to gauge temporal effects of training by considering what types of effect the training is likely to have and, based on that, which lag and sustenance factors are likely to apply. The study adopts a unique dynamic perspective, suggesting that temporal effects of training must be assessed in terms of effects on ongoing learning and performance trajectories of employees. Also assuming a multilevel perspective, it is argued that employee-level performance improvement effects may result either in performance improvement effects (first- or second-order change effects) or in performance sustenance effects at the organizational level (preempting unintended first- or second-order change)—with implications for the timing of training effects

HRM systems for knowledge workers : differences among top managers, middle managers, and professional employees

This theoretical study contributes to the debate in the field of strategic HRM on whether HRM systems should differ across employee groups within the firm. It explores differences in the efficacy of two HRM systems—high-involvement HR and internal labor market systems—across top management teams, middle managers, and professional employees. In addition, it examines factors that may prevent the adoption of effective HRM systems for these groups of knowledge workers. A model is proposed depicting how four job-level moderators influence the HRM-performance relationship and how these moderators apply to each of the three employee groups. Short-term performance pressures and favoritism in staffing are proposed as factors that may hinder the adoption of effective HRM systems. Finally, HRM systems for different employee groups are classified based on their gains potential and barriers to implementation, yielding four categories of strategic HRM activity metaphorically labeled low-hanging fruits, high-hanging fruits, peanuts, and barren land. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

International academic careers : personal reflections

University business schools are increasingly adopting an international outlook as they compete for students who are aiming for global careers. A natural consequence of university internationalization is the need to internationalize the academic workforce, resulting in increasing attention on, and recognition for, the academic with international teaching and research experience. Yet the effort and complexity involved in making an international academic transition is often overlooked. Academic institutions' efforts to recruit international academics often outpace their expertise and support in the inpatriation and orientation processes. Academics interested in international mobility may find it difficult to obtain helpful information prior to arrival in the new country and encounter problems in adjusting to their new job and surroundings. This paper presents personal experiences of a select group of academics who have moved between countries. Their reports illustrate differences in teaching loads, language, student behavior, recruitment and career-ladder issues across countries, as well as strategies they have used to adapt to their new surroundings.18 page(s