Assessing Cross-National Invariance of the Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment: A Cross-Country Study of University Faculty

Purpose: This study examines affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment in a cross-national context to identify if the effect of country-specific cultural orientation on organizational commitment of faculty in higher education functions invariably in different countries. Methodology: The work expands on Meyer and Allen's (1991) three-component model of organizational commitment. It includes a review of relevant literature on 10 countries and the results of a survey of university faculty members in 8 of these countries, assessing their institutions' human resources practices and their effect on organizational commitment. Findings: Though certain differences may exist between different countries and cultures with respect to the three-component model of organizational commitment, there is strong evidence of the existence of invariance and thus generalizability of the model across cultures. Research: Cultural studies have focused on differences in organizational commitment at national levels. Further attempts to identify the universality of factors leading to organizational commitment should account for culture in the study of employee-related globalization issues in higher education institutes. Knowledge of cultural impact is also useful from a managerial perspective, and for the design of relevant strategies. Practical Implications: National context plays a major role in shaping the nature of educational institutions. This study brings out the need for a deeper understanding of invariance in organizational commitment (inter alia, through the three-component model). Originality/Value: This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between organizational commitment and its various antecedents, including human resources management practices, for faculty in higher education institutes.div_BaM13pub5248pub

Factors affecting the decision to outsource the human resource management function

This study aims at studying the practice of outsourcing Human Resource Management (HRM) Services in Greece. It focuses on identifying the factors that affect the decision of firms to outsource HRM services and the perceived benefits from doing so. The study draws on several theories, such as the Theory of Transaction Cost Economics, the Theory of Core Competencies of the Firm, the Agency Theory, the Sunk Cost Effects Theory, the Administrative Innovation Theory and the Theory of Convergence of management practices internationally. Data were gathered through face-to face interviews with 100 HR directors in Greece, during which, an original questionnaire was completed. Additionally, a set of interviews was also conducted with senior HR service providers. Several methods for the description and analysis of the quantitative data were used. The main model-extracting methods for the way company- and service- specific factors affect the use of outsourcing in HRM services were discriminant analysis, multiple regression and structural equation modeling. A model for the factors affecting the use of outsourcing was extracted for recruitment and selection, training, design of the appraisal system and services about the organisational climate and culture. The main outcome of the study is that the outsourcing decision differs for different HRM services, because different factors dictate the need for outsourcing in each case. This agrees with the view that HRM consists of very diverse activities and stresses the importance for HR managers to develop multiple talents and competencies.Η παρούσα έρευνα έχει στόχο τη μελέτη του φαινομένου της εξωτερικής ανάθεσης υπηρεσιών Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού στην Ελλάδα. Επικεντρώνεται και επιδιώκει να ορίσει τους παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν την απόφαση εξωτερικής ανάθεσης υπηρεσιών Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού και τα αντιλαμβανόμενα οφέλη από αυτή. Η Θεωρητική Βάση της έρευνας βρίσκεται στη Θεωρία του Κόστους των Συναλλαγών, στη Θεωρία των Κύριων Ικανοτήτων, στη Θεωρία Αντιπροσώπευσης, στη Θεωρία του Ιστορικού Κόστους, στη Θεωρία της Διοικητικής Καινοτομίας και στη Θεωρία Σύγκλισης των Διοικητικών Πρακτικών Διεθνώς. Η συγκέντρωση στοιχείων σχετικά με το φαινόμενο διενεργήθηκε σε δύο στάδια, ένα ποιοτικό, αποτελούμενο από μια σειρά συνεντεύξεων με στελέχη διοίκησης ανθρώπινου δυναμικού και παροχείς υπηρεσιών και ένα ποσοτικό, με τη συμπλήρωση ενός ερωτηματολογίου από 100 διευθυντές διοίκησης ανθρώπινου δυναμικού. Η περιγραφή και ανάλυση των ποσοτικών στοιχείων έγινε με διάφορες μεθόδους. Οι κυριότεροι τρόποι εξαγωγής των σχέσεων μεταξύ των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν την εξωτερική ανάθεση (ανεξάρτητες μεταβλητές) και τη χρήση αυτής (εξαρτημένη μεταβλητή), ήταν η διαχωριστική ανάλυση, η ανάλυση πολλαπλής παλινδρόμησης και η ανάλυση δομικών εξισώσεων. Εξήχθηκαν μοντέλα για τους παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν τη χρήση της εξωτερικής ανάθεσης στην προσέλκυση και επιλογή, στελεχών και εργαζομένων, στην εκπαίδευση εργαζομένων, στο σχεδιασμό συστήματος αξιολόγησης και στις υπηρεσίες σχετικά με το οργανωσιακό κλίμα και την κουλτούρα. Κυριότερο συμπέρασμα της έρευνας είναι η διαφορετική αντιμετώπιση που απαιτεί κάθε υπηρεσία διοίκησης ανθρώπινου δυναμικού, καθώς διαφορετικοί λόγοι υπαγορεύουν την εξωτερική ανάθεση της καθεμιάς. Το συμπέρασμα αυτό ενδυναμώνει την πεποίθηση ότι η Διοίκηση Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού αποτελείται από πολύ διαφορετικές δραστηριότητες και τονίζει τη σημασία της ποικιλίας των ταλέντων που καλείται να αναπτύξει το στέλεχος Διοίκησης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού

Performance Effects of High Performance Work Systems on Committed, Long-Term Employees: A Multilevel Study

Even though effects of High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) on employee performance have been widely investigated, there is no consensus on how this link is achieved. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET), this paper attempts to shed more light in this relationship by investigating the mediating role of affective, normative, and continuance commitment in the relationship between HPWS and employee performance. Moreover, the potential moderating role of employee tenure on the HPWS—organizational commitment link is examined. Using data from 342 subordinates and 115 supervisors from 111 service organizations in Greece, our multilevel analysis shows that affective commitment fully mediates the relationship between HPWS and employee performance. In addition, employee tenure positively moderates the relationships between HPWS and affective and normative commitment. The paper discusses theoretical implications and provides recommendations for practitioners.Economics of Technology and Innovatio

Multi-level effects of human resource bundles on the performance of aging employees

Previously, scholars have studied the need for implementing different human resource (HR) configurations that foster aging employees' outcomes, but there is a lack of evidence at the group level. Using the framework of Social Exchange Theory, coupled with the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation theory, we examine associations between bundles of HR practices, age (measured both as calendar age and proportion of an aging workforce), and performance, at both the individual and group levels. First, the outcomes of our multi-level analysis show that bundles of maintenance-enhancing HR practices are positively related to performance at both levels, whereas bundles of growth-enhancing HR practices associate with performance only at the group level. Second, age relates positively to performance, both at the individual and group levels. At the group level, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the proportion of an aging workforce and group performance, such that a group's performance benefits from the participation of older employees up to a maximum proportion of 56%. Finally, age negatively moderates the association between growth-enhancing HR bundles and performance at both the individual and group levels. Results highlight the value of older employees for working organizations, and the importance of adopting HR practices that consider maintenance and growth-related needs across the life-span, while also providing useful theoretical and practical implications for Human Resource Development scholars and professionals

Multi-level effects of human resource bundles on the performance of ageing employees

Previously, scholars have studied the need for implementing different human resource (HR) configurations that foster aging employees' outcomes, but there is a lack of evidence at the group level. Using the framework of Social Exchange Theory, coupled with the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation theory, we examine associations between bundles of HR practices, age (measured both as calendar age and proportion of an aging workforce), and performance, at both the individual and group levels. First, the outcomes of our multi-level analysis show that bundles of maintenance-enhancing HR practices are positively related to performance at both levels, whereas bundles of growth-enhancing HR practices associate with performance only at the group level. Second, age relates positively to performance, both at the individual and group levels. At the group level, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the proportion of an aging workforce and group performance, such that a group's performance benefits from the participation of older employees up to a maximum proportion of 56%. Finally, age negatively moderates the association between growth-enhancing HR bundles and performance at both the individual and group levels. Results highlight the value of older employees for working organizations, and the importance of adopting HR practices that consider maintenance and growth-related needs across the life-span, while also providing useful theoretical and practical implications for Human Resource Development scholars and professionals

The moderating effect of age on the association between high-performance work systems and employee performance in different work roles

High performance work systems (HPWS) have been shown to associate with performance at diverse levels. In this article, we study the effects of employee age on the relationship between HPWS and employee performance. We use a role-based measurement of employee performance, which introduces five roles that an employee can hold within an organization, namely the roles of Job holder, Career seeker, Innovator, Team member, and Organization member. Integrating social exchange theory with lifespan theories (i.e., future time perspective and socio-emotional selectivity theory), we propose that HPWS have different associations with job roles for older employees. Using 342 pairs of supervisors and their subordinates, that are nested in 111 service organizations, multilevel analyses show that HPWS positively associate with employee performance in the Organization member role. Moreover, the relationships between HPWS and performance in the Job holder and the Career seeker roles are weaker for older than for younger employees. The results are discussed in the light of the challenges they pose for the management of an aging workforce