Book review and commentary: good strategy/bad strategy: the difference and why it matters

Strategy is in trouble: noted shortcomings include a failure to anticipate the fi nancial crisis, exposed defi ciencies in its economic heritage, and once lauded companies succumbing to complacency and inertia (e.g. Nokia and Kodak). In addition, the language of strategy (mission, vision, objectives, etc.) has become increasingly empty, promoting convergence and similarity as opposed to divergence and uniqueness. According to Rumelt, the real problem is not that companies are getting strategy wrong but that they ‘aren’t getting it all’ (Hill, 2011). With a 40-year track record and McKinsey’s designation as ‘strategy’s strategist’, Rumelt commands attention when discussing issues of strategy. His contributions are not known for their regularity (there is a 37-year interval since his last strategy text) but, critically, they are known for their impact. Conceptually, Rumelt’s (1979) work unpacking the dynamics of strategy evaluation is still a classic. Empirically, Rumelt (1982) was one of the fi rst to demonstrate a relationship between corporate strategy and profi tability. His 1991 paper ‘How Much Does Industry Matter?’ provided the much needed empirical impetus for the resource-based view of the fi rm, indicating that the characteristics of individual fi rms were actually more predictive of profi tability than traditionally assumed industry characteristics (Rumelt, 1991). The implication was that being good at what you do mattered a lot more than what industry you were in. This theme is transferred to Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, and here it is clear that ‘good strategy’ is the exception, while its antithesis is the rule. So how does the distinction between good and bad strategy play out

Unlocking the black box: line managers and HRM performance in a call centre context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the way to unlock the black box of HRM and performance linkages by exploring one of the key variables that mediates the link, namely whether line managers can stimulate improvements in firm performance by eliciting appropriate employee outcomes in a call centre context. Design/methodology/approach – The research draws on Purcell's "People-Performance Model" as a sensitising framework to inform an in-depth case study of a call centre. This provides a mechanism to unlock the HRM-Performance black box by focusing on the ability, motivation and opportunities for line managers to perform and any subsequent impact on employee outcomes. Data were collected over multiple site visits by means of multi-level interviews and a survey of telesales representatives (TSRs). Findings – Research findings indicate that one large client exerted significant control over the HRM policies developed within the call centre. Evidence suggests, however, that line managers'interventions ameliorated some of the negative aspects of work tasks and the HRM imposed by this dependency relationship. Research limitations/implications – This research is an exploratory attempt to better understand HRM-Performance linkages in one specific context. Results are not generalisable across contexts or even within call centres, which can vary extensively. Nonetheless, the research suggests that exploring line management behaviour is a promising avenue for more extensive research. Originality/value – This paper considers HRM-Performance linkages in a service context. Results indicate that both external relations and line managers are critical mediating variables conditioning HRM-Performance linkages, thereby lending support to the notion that hard and soft HRM practices are not necessarily irreconcilable

Designing a design thinking approach to HRD

This article considers the value of design thinking as applied to a HRD context, Specifically, it demonstrates how design thinking can be employed through a case study drawn from the GETM3 programme. It reports on the design, development, and delivery of a design thinking workshop which was created to draw out and develop ideas from students and recent graduates about the fundamental training and skills requirements of future employment. While design thinking has been widely deployed in innovation and entrepreneurship, its application to HRD is still very much embryonic. Our overview illustrates how the key characteristics of the design thinking process resonate with those required from HRD (e.g. focus on end user, problem solving, feedback, and innovation). Our contribution stems from illuminating a replicable application of design system thinking including both the process and the outcomes of this application. We conclude that design thinking is likely to serve as a critical mind-set, tool, and strategy to facilitate HRD practitioners and advance HRD practice

Designing a Design Thinking Approach to HRD

This article considers the value of design thinking as applied to a HRD context, Specifically, it demonstrates how design thinking can be employed through a case study drawn from the GETM3 programme. It reports on the design, development, and delivery of a design thinking workshop which was created to draw out and develop ideas from students and recent graduates about the fundamental training and skills requirements of future employment. While design thinking has been widely deployed in innovation and entrepreneurship, its application to HRD is still very much embryonic. Our overview illustrates how the key characteristics of the design thinking process resonate with those required from HRD (e.g. focus on end user, problem solving, feedback, and innovation). Our contribution stems from illuminating a replicable application of design system thinking including both the process and the outcomes of this application. We conclude that design thinking is likely to serve as a critical mind-set, tool, and strategy to facilitate HRD practitioners and advance HRD practice

Editorial: global entrepreneurial talent management challenges and opportunities for HRD

This special issue of the International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy and Research brings together on-going work from the Global Entrepreneurial Talent Management3 (GETM3) project. GETM3 is a European Union Research Innovation and Staff Exchange (RISE) project investigating the HRD implications of the way existing and future talent can be managed at work, harnessing the entrepreneurial attitudes and skills of young people. The project is both interdisciplinary and international, exploring the key challenges of managing this entrepreneurial talent within organizations. The scope and content of the project align neatly with the intent of the Journal of International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy and Research, not least the emphasis on practical HRD implications. Indeed, at the heart of GETM3 is an appreciation that true understanding and impact can only come from engagement with multiple stakeholders. This editorial provides a brief contextual overview of GETM3, focusing on its relevance for HRD, before providing a brief review of the articles and opinion/forum pieces that make up the special issue. Such explorations are certainly timely. Deloitte’s recent Global Human Capital survey highlights that organizations must re-invent their ability to learn. Indeed, the top rated trend for 2019, reflected by 86% of respondents, was the need to improve learning and development (Deloitte, 2019: 77). Related to this is the requirement for more dedicated evidence exploring the nature and impact of HRD (Gubbins, Harney, van der Werff, & Rousseau, 2018; Mackay, 2017), coupled with more directed attention to the process, rather than the content, of HRD interventions (Staats, 2019). The papers in this special issue certainly make a contribution to enhanced understanding and equally to bridging the seemingly ever widening theory-practice gap (Holden, 2019)

Editorial: Global Entrepreneurial Talent Management challenges and opportunities in HRD

This special issue of the International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy and Research brings together on-going work from the Global Entrepreneurial Talent Management3 (GETM3) project. GETM3 is a European Union Research Innovation and Staff Exchange (RISE) project investigating the HRD implications of the way existing and future talent can be managed at work, harnessing the entrepreneurial attitudes and skills of young people. The project is both interdisciplinary and international, exploring the key challenges of managing this entrepreneurial talent within organizations. The scope and content of the project align neatly with the intent of the Journal of International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy and Research, not least the emphasis on practical HRD implications. Indeed, at the heart of GETM3 is an appreciation that true understanding and impact can only come from engagement with multiple stakeholders. This editorial provides a brief contextual overview of GETM3, focusing on its relevance for HRD, before providing a brief review of the articles and opinion/forum pieces that make up the special issue. Such explorations are certainly timely. Deloitte’s recent Global Human Capital survey highlights that organizations must re-invent their ability to learn. Indeed, the top rated trend for 2019, reflected by 86% of respondents, was the need to improve learning and development (Deloitte, 2019: 77). Related to this is the requirement for more dedicated evidence exploring the nature and impact of HRD (Gubbins, Harney, van der Werff, & Rousseau, 2018; Mackay, 2017), coupled with more directed attention to the process, rather than the content, of HRD interventions (Staats, 2019). The papers in this special issue certainly make a contribution to enhanced understandin

Introduction- strategic HRM: research and practice in Ireland

This piece is the Introduction to "Introduction- strategic HRM: research and practice in Ireland

Microfoundations of dynamic capabilities for innovation: a review and research agenda

This paper provides a conceptual overview of the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities for innovation. A critical evaluation of dynamic capabilities theory highlights its contested nature and significant limitations in its application. Notably, there is little understanding of the mechanisms determining the origin and evolution of dynamic capabilities, while the role of employees has been neglected. In an effort to address this deficiency, the paper draws on literature from HRM and innovation management to trace the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities for innovation. This highlights the importance of incorporating the perspectives and motivation of employees as a central part of analysis and as a basis for more direct managerial interventions in building capabilities

Employment relations and human resource management.

This chapter locates the emergence and significance of key intersections of Human Resource Management (HRM) and Employment Relations (ER) in a threefold manner. First, the chapter traces the origins of HRM, highlighting the importance of longstanding domain assumptions which formed the conceptual heritage of the term. Second, the chapter explores key waves of research that have characterised the field since the mid-1980s, including an emphasis on strategy, HRM-Performance linkages, and employee outcomes. Third, the chapter draws on a 5C framework to provide a critical evaluation of HRM. Overall, this serves to illuminate the value of more employment relations grounded understanding and on-going conversation between related modes of thinking about the management of people at work in contemporary society