Competitiveness and sustainability of HRM activities in Croatia – CRANET survey results

The aim of the paper is to assess whether HRM practices in Croatia, as the newest European Union (EU) member country with only cca 20 years of free market economy which implies the change in the HRM philosophy, is heading towards more competitive or more sustainable HRM. In the theoretical part of the paper the characteristics of competitive HRM and sustainable HRM are provided. In the empirical part of the paper, using CRANET methodology, the survey of HRM practices in Croatia has been conducted in order to explore both competitiveness and sustainability of Croatian organizations’ HRM practices, coupled with a comparative analysis using CRANET survey 2011 results for EU countries

Competitiveness and sustainability of HRM activities in Croatia – CRANET survey results

The aim of the paper is to assess whether HRM practices in Croatia, as the newest European Union (EU) member country with only cca 20 years of free market economy which implies the change in the HRM philosophy, is heading towards more competitive or more sustainable HRM. In the theoretical part of the paper the characteristics of competitive HRM and sustainable HRM are provided. In the empirical part of the paper, using CRANET methodology, the survey of HRM practices in Croatia has been conducted in order to explore both competitiveness and sustainability of Croatian organizations’ HRM practices, coupled with a comparative analysis using CRANET survey 2011 results for EU countries

The Relationship between the Level and Modality of HRM Metrics, Quality of HRM Practice and Organizational Performance

The paper explores the relationship between the way organizations measure HRM and overall quality of HRM activities, as well as the relationship between HRM metrics used and financial performance of an organization. In the theoretical part of the paper modalities of HRM metrics are grouped into five groups (evaluating HRM using accounting principles, evaluating HRM using management techniques, evaluating individual HRM activities, aggregate evaluation of HRM, and evaluating HRM department). In the empirical part of the paper researched concepts are assessed through questionnaires distributed to Croatian organizations with more than 500 employees. Respondents (HRM managers) provided information about HRM metrics their organizations use, overall quality of HRM practice, and financial performance of their organizations. Based on the acquired data, relationships between modality of HRM metrics, quality of HRM and organizational performance are explored

HRM as a significant factor for achieving competitiveness through people – The case of Croatia

Traditional sources of competitiveness, such as production capacities, financial resources, raw materials, distribution channels etc., are considered necessary, but no longer sufficient for organizational success. Human resources, their knowledge, skills and competencies as well as synergy among them, become the most valuable asset, the new source of wealth, and the key ingredient of competitive advantage. Consequently, the human resources function, which deals with recruiting, developing, and keeping the best people, now has the opportunity to move out of the background into the mainstream of organizational strategy and management. In other words, in a world in which all work is knowledge work and intellectual capital is crucial for economic success, it is logical that the ability to attract, retain, and use the talents of people provides a competitive edge. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the quality of HRM in Croatia, as excellent HR policies, programs and activities enable enterprises to be competitive through people. Therefore, the empirical research was conducted. The population were Croatian enterprises with more than 200 employees, out of which 80 form the final sample (response rate of 14.3%). In order to assess the value of HRM, the audit approach based on HR indicators was used. 55 HR indicators (26 quantitative and 29 qualitative ones) were analyzed, using 10 Croatian enterprises as benchmarks. The list of benchmark enterprises was generated using expert method. Precisely, enterprises from the sample that have the best HR practice were identified by the best Croatian HRM theoreticians. Results indicate that Croatian enterprises on average have insufficient HR activities. Precisely, independent samples t-test showed that 61.82% of analyzed HR indicators were significantly better for enterprises that were used as benchmarks, as well as that those enterprises have better absolute values for all of analyzed indicators. Consequently, HRM in Croatia could not be considered a solid ground for achieving competitiveness through people.HRM, HR practices, competitive advantage, competitive advantage through people, audit approach, HR indicators, benchmarking

Integrating internal communications, human resource management and marketing concepts into the new internal marketing philosophy

Successful companies attach great importance to human resource management and internal communications, because they are aware of the value of those activities and of strategic advantage they can bring to the organization. They should also realize that it is necessary to live internal marketing philosophy, if they stream to offer quality products and services to both markets: internal and external. The idea of satisfied employees for the benefit of satisfied customers is accepted and developed by both academicians and practitioners, through the concepts of internal marketing, internal communications and human resource management. Consequently, the paper had two objectives: (1) to analyze concepts of internal marketing (IM), internal communications (IC) and human resource management (HRM) parallelly, and define their scopes, overlaps and differences; and (2) to propose a new internal marketing philosophy that combines three before mentioned concepts. The conclusion that emerged after reaching both objectives was that the new internal marketing philosophy should be grounded in a relationship marketing theory. It should not be limited to neither of three functional areas that are commonly connected to it – internal communications, human resource management or marketing. It is for sure that managing internal relationships should not be restricted to any function, and should not apply traditional marketing concepts and tools. That would ruin the nature of internal relationship marketing, and would not encompass all tasks it should fulfill.internal marketing philosophy, internal marketing, internal communications, human resource management (HRM)

Individual differences and occupational stress perceived: a Croatian survey

Apart from elaborating the concept of occupational stress (through it’s definition, sources, consequences, ways of dealing with it, and it’s relationship with individual differences), the research had two objectives: (1) to measure occupational stress levels among different categories of employees working in Croatian enterprises, and (2) to study and analyze stress in Croatia in relation to individual differences (gender, age, marital status, parenthood, number of children, hierarchical level, department, and working hours). The greatest level of stress perceive respondents who have three or more children, who are more than 50 year old, and those employed in marketing, at middle levels or in procurement, while the lowest level of stress perceive employees younger than 30 years of age, those employed in HR, finances and production, and parents of one child. Concerning the relationship between individual differences and levels of stress experienced, although the cross-sectional design of the study does not allow for causal interpretation of relationships found, findings suggest that there is a connection between age, marital status, parenthood, number of children and hierarchical level, and the way stress is perceived, while gender, department and working hours are not connected to it. The research integrated a broader set of antecedent variables which enable a better understanding of the demographic and work factors that lead to occupational stress. That should subsequently help managers understand a greater proportion of the variance of employees’ satisfaction, performance and turnover, and help them better deal with it.occupational stress, sources of occupational stress, consequences of occupational stress, individual differences, Croatia

Conflict Management Styles in Croatian Enterprises – The Relationship between Individual Characteristics and Conflict Handling Styles

The objective of the paper, except determining the dominant conflict handling style in Croatian organizational setting, was to explore individual characteristics affecting the choice of conflict resolution style of Croatian employees. Therefore, the variables of gender, age, level of education achieved, field of work, hierarchical level, marital status and parenthood were included in the study. Compromising conflict handling style was found to be the most frequently used style among Croatian employees overall, as well as the dominant style in all 22 subgroups of respondents. Three out of seven individual characteristics surveyed were found to relate to the conflict handling style used by Croatian employees. Precisely, gender, marital status and parenthood were found to relate significantly with the respondents’ usage of accommodating, gender and parenthood were found to relate significantly with the respondents’ usage of compromising, and parenthood was found to relate significantly with the respondents’ usage of avoiding conflict handling style. Age, education, field of work and hierarchical level were not found to relate with Croatian employees’ usage of diverse conflict handling styles.managing conflict, conflict handling styles, contextual parameters and conflict handling styles, Croatia

Is there a need for a change in employer branding practices? – a shift in employer attractiveness attributes/dimensions during the last decade

The aim of the paper is to explore the shift in key employer attractiveness (EA) attributes/dimensions in Croatia during the last decade, as well as to explore whether preferred EA attributes/dimensions differ based on individual characteristics. In the theoretical part of the paper the concept and attributes/dimensions of EA are briefly unfolded, together with the elaboration of the shift in potential and current employees’ EA attributes/dimensions preferences during the last period worldwide, and the elaboration of the impact of individual characteristics and contextual conditions on their preferences. In the empirical part of the paper, both the secondary data analysis and the primary research of preferred EA attributes/dimensions are presented. Firstly, 2006 to 2017 results of the national “Employer of the first choice” survey were longitudinally analysed. Secondly, a survey on a sample of 109 graduate management students from the Faculty of Economics and Business – Zagreb was conducted, and the collected data were compared with previous findings. Both secondary and primary data analysis revealed that preferred EA attributes/dimensions have changed over time. Furthermore, EA attributes/dimensions preferences were found to relate to respondents’ gender and age according to secondary data, and to respondents’ gender and income presence according to primary data

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS AT WORK PERCEIVED BY CROATIAN AND WORLDWIDE EMPLOYEES AND BY DIFFERENT AGE, GENDER, EDUCATION, HIERARCHICAL AND COMPANY SIZE GROUPS – EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

Workplaces benefit if workers have good relationships. In other words, in years when people are said to be the only true competitive advantage, it is evident that interpersonal relations in organizations and processes of nourishing them have become essential for the organizational success. The purpose of this article was to concisely explain the importance, types and ways of improving interpersonal relations at work, as well as to explore if, and to what extent, interpersonal relations at work are influenced by employees’ backgrounds. The demographic characteristics of employees that were expected to influence their perceptions of interpersonal relations were: the country of origin, age, gender, educational level, hierarchical level, and the size of the company for which they work. The correlation analysis showed that the “country of origin” does influence interpersonal relations at work. Precisely, interpersonal relations in Croatia are, according to the respondents’ perceptions, not as good as in other countries involved in the study. For example, Croatian employees perceive the working atmosphere around them as significantly less positive in comparison with the respondents from other countries, they are significantly less frequently consulted by their superiors and rarely praised, and their superiors spend significantly less time with them. However, the research revealed that other demographic characteristics are not of significant influence, either on the overall perceptions of interpersonal relations, or on the perceptions of superior – subordinate or peer relations

Conflict Management Styles in Croatian Enterprises – The Relationship between Individual Characteristics and Conflict Handling Styles

Osim određivanja dominantnog stila upravljanja sukobima hrvatskih zaposlenika, cilj istraživanja bio je odrediti povezanost između karakteristika pojedinaca i njihovog stila upravljanja sukobima. Iz tog je razloga istraživana povezanost između varijabli spol, dob, obrazovna razina, područje rada, hijerarhijska razina, bračni status te roditeljstvo i upotrebe pojedinih stilova upravljanja sukobima. Ukupno, a tako i za sve 22 podgrupe ispitanika, kompromis se pokazao kao stil koji zaposlenici u hrvatskim organizacijama najviše koriste. Tri od ukupno sedam karakteristika pojedinaca pokazale su se povezanima s njihovim stilom upravljanja sukobima. Točnije, spol, bračni status i roditeljstvo su značajno povezani s korištenjem prilagođavanja kao stila upravljanja sukobima, spol i roditeljstvo su značajno povezani s korištenjem kompromisa kao stila upravljanja sukobima, a roditeljstvo se pokazalo značajnim za korištenje izbjegavanja kao stila upravljanja sukobima. Dob, obrazovna razina, područje rada i hijerarhijska razina nisu se pokazale značajnima za stil upravljanja sukobima koji koriste hrvatski zaposlenici.The objective of the paper, except determining the dominant conflict handling style in Croatian organizational setting, was to explore individual characteristics affecting the choice of conflict resolution style of Croatian employees. Therefore, the variables of gender, age, level of education achieved, field of work, hierarchical level, marital status and parenthood were included in the study. Compromising conflict handling style was found to be the most frequently used style among Croatian employees overall, as well as the dominant style in all 22 subgroups of respondents. Three out of seven individual characteristics surveyed were found to relate to the conflict handling style used by Croatian employees. Precisely, gender, marital status and parenthood were found to relate significantly with the respondents’ usage of accommodating, gender and parenthood were found to relate significantly with the respondents’ usage of compromising, and parenthood was found to relate significantly with the respondents’ usage of avoiding conflict handling style. Age, education, field of work and hierarchical level were not found to relate with Croatian employees’ usage of diverse conflict handling styles