Barriers to effective HRM

In this study, scales were developed to measure the extent to which organisations exhibited “soft” or “hard” approaches to HRM, and the extent to which potential barriers to the effective operation of HRM were present. The sample comprised 549 employees, managers and HRM staff across a wide range of types of organisations in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK and Canada. While the results supported the contention that HRM effectiveness can be achieved via both “soft” and “hard” approaches, several barriers to HRM take‐up were identified and there was little evidence that organisations generally operated HRM policies and practices that were seen as effective. Although very few differences between countries were found, the authors suggest the barriers identified and related ineffectiveness of HRM may be all the more detrimental to the competitiveness of Australian and New Zealand organisations in light of the recent economic downturn in the Asia‐Pacific region.

[1]  David Grant,et al.  Of believers, atheists and agnostics: practitioner views on HRM , 1998 .

[2]  L. Baird,et al.  Proactive Human Resource Management , 1987 .

[3]  P. Miller,et al.  Strategic Human Resource Management: an Assessment of Progress , 1991 .

[4]  Christopher Mabey,et al.  Experiencing Human Resource Management , 1998 .

[5]  R. Collins,et al.  Evolution of the Species , 1985 .

[6]  Ellen Ernst Kossek,et al.  THE ACCEPTANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE INNOVATION BY MULTIPLE CONSTITUENCIES , 1989 .

[7]  Randall S. Schuler,et al.  Repositioning the Human Resource Function: Transformation or Demise? , 1990 .

[8]  Randall S. Schuler,et al.  AT&T global business communications systems: Linking HR with business strategy , 1994 .

[9]  C. Hales.  ‘Internal Marketing’ As an Approach to Human Resource Management: A New Perspective Or A Metaphor Too Far? , 1994 .

[10]  David Guest,et al.  Personnel Management: The End of Orthodoxy? , 1991 .

[11]  G. Hofstede.  The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories , 1983 .

[12]  S. Tyson.  Human Resource Strategy: Towards a General Theory of Human Resource Management , 1995 .

[13]  John Storey,et al.  Human Resource Management: A Critical Text , 1994 .

[14]  R. Stablein,et al.  Human Resource Management in New Zealand: Profession and Practice* , 1993 .

[15]  D. Bowen,et al.  Moving from production to service in human resources management , 1986 .

[16]  David S. Karpin,et al.  Enterprising nation : renewing Australia's managers to meet the challenges of the Asia-Pacific century : report of the Industry Task Force on Leadership and Management Skills , 1995 .

[17]  K. Legge.  Human Resource Management: Rhetorics and Realities , 1995 .

[18]  Riccardo Peccei,et al.  Checking Out Service: Evaluating Excellence, HRM and TQM in Retailing , 1997 .

[19]  R. Edwards,et al.  Global personnel skills: A dilemma for the Karpin Committee and others , 1998 .

[20]  John Gennard,et al.  Human Resource Management: the Views of Personnel Directors1 , 1994 .

[21]  Paul F. Butler,et al.  Successful partnerships: HR and strategic planning at eight top firms , 1988 .

[22]  David Metcalf,et al.  Participation, contingent pay, representation and workplace performance: evidence from Great Britain , 1995 .

[23]  R. Kramar.  Strategic Human Resource Management: Are the Promises Fulfilled? , 1992 .

[24]  What Rewards do Australians say They Want from their Job , 1985 .

[25]  P. Dowling,et al.  Support for an HR Approach in Australia: The Perspective of Senior HR Managers , 1999 .

[26]  D. Gilbertson,et al.  Annual Review Paper : Do New Zealand HRM Staff Have Sufficient Power and Influence? , 1991 .

[27]  R. Walton,et al.  From Control to Commitment in the Workplace: In Factory after Factory, There Is a Revolution Under Way in the Management of Work. Readings on Labor-Management Relations. , 1991 .

[28]  Mary Anne Devanna,et al.  Strategic Human Resource Management , 1984 .

[29]  Robert L Kane.  HRM: Changing Concepts in a Changing Environment , 1996 .

[30]  R. Schuler.  Strategic human resources management: Linking the people with the strategic needs of the business☆ , 1992 .

[31]  B. Gerhart,et al.  The Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Performance: Progress and Prospects , 1996 .

[32]  Paul R. Lawrence,et al.  Human Resource Management: A General Manager's Perspective , 1985 .

[33]  Ken Kamoche.  A Critique and A Proposed Reformulation of Strategic Human Resource Management , 1994 .

[34]  P. Boxall.  The Strategic Hrm Debate and the Resource‐Based View of the Firm , 1996 .

[35]  Jean-Paul A. Barthès,et al.  Knowledge Management , 1994, Encyclopedia of Database Systems.

[36]  R. Kane,et al.  Training and Staff Development: Integrated or Isolated? , 1994 .

[37]  L. Dyer.  Linking Human Resource And Business Strategies , 1992 .

[38]  Mark A. Huselid.  The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Turnover, Productivity, and Corporate Financial Performance , 1995 .

[39]  P. Blunt.  Recent developments in human resource management: the good, the bad and the ugly , 1990 .

[40]  George T. Milkovich,et al.  Personnel Department Activities: Constituency Perspectives and Preferences. , 1987 .

[41]  Chris Hendry,et al.  Human Resource Management: An Agenda for the 1990's , 1990 .

[42]  H. Heneman,et al.  ASSESSING MANAGERS' SATISFACTION WITH STAFFING SERVICES , 1995 .

[43]  P. Devereaux Jennings,et al.  Canadian Human Resource Management at the Crossroads , 1993 .

[44]  V. Murray,et al.  Why the Human Resources Management Function Fails , 1984 .

[45]  Chris Hendry,et al.  Patterns of Strategic Change in the Development of Human Resource Management , 1992 .

[46]  Anne S. Tsui,et al.  A Multiple-Constituency Model of Effectiveness: An Empirical Examination at the Human Resource Subunit Level. , 1990 .

[47]  G. O'neill,et al.  The Personnel Function in Australia: A Shakesperian Analogy , 1985 .

[48]  David Guest,et al.  Human Resource Management And The American Dream , 1990 .

[49]  John Storey.  Developments in the Management of Human Resources , 1988 .

[50]  Riccardo Peccei,et al.  The Nature and Causes of Effective Human Resource Management , 1994 .

[51]  Olive Lundy.  From personnel management to strategic human resource management , 1994 .

[52]  Glenn M. McEvoy,et al.  Managing Human Assets , 1984 .