This Elgar Introduction provides an overview of some of the key theories that inform human resource management and employment relations as a field of study.
It cannot be denied that in recent decades, for many if not most people, work has become unstable and insecure, with serious risk and few benefits for workers. As this reality spills over into political and social life, it is crucial to interrogate the transformations affecting employment relations, shape research agendas, and influence the policies of national and international institutions. This single volume brings together thirty-nine scholars (both academics and experienced industrial relations actors) in the fields of employment relations and labour law in a forthright discussion of new approaches, theories, and methods aimed at ameliorating the world of work. Focusing on why and how work is changing, how collective actors deal with it, and the future of work from different disciplinary angles and at an international level, the contributors describe and analyse such issues and topics as the following: new forms of social protection and representation; differences in the power relations of workers and political dynamics; balancing protection of workers’ dignity and promotion of productivity; intersection of information technology and workplace regulation; how the gig economy undermines legal protections; role of professional and trade associations; workplace conflict management; lay judges in labour courts; undeclared work in the informal sector of the labour market; work incapacity and disability; (in)coherence of the work-related case law of the European Court of Justice; and business restructurings. Derived from a major conference held in Leuven in September 2018, the book offers an in-depth understanding of the changing world of work, its main transformations, and the challenges posed to classical employment relations theories and methods as well as to labour law. With its wide range of insights, analysis, and reflection, this unique contribution to the study of industrial relations offers an authoritative reference guide to scholars, policymakers, trade unions and business associations, human resources professionals, and practitioners who need to deal with the future of work challenges.
This volume of the series Research in Human Resource Management (HRM) focuses on a number of important issues in HRM and OB including performance appraisal, political skill, gratitude, psychological contracts, the philosophical underpinnings of HRM, pay and compensation messages, and electronic human resource management. For example, the first article by Cleveland and Murphy considers a very controversial issue (i.e., the reasons that organizations are abandoning the use of performance appraisal). The next article by Harris, Ferris, Summers, and Munyon is extremely interesting, and focuses on how composite political skills (e.g., social astuteness, interpersonal influence ) helps individuals develop productive work relationships in organizations. The third article by Scandura and Sharif presents a very innovative model of gratitude in organizations, and the authors argue that gratitude is essential for maintaining positive social relations in organizations. The fourth article by Suazo and Stone-Romero provides an extremely comprehensive review of the theory and research on psychological contracts in organizations from 1960-2015. The subsequent article by Bae, Kang and Kim presents a very unique perspective on HRM, and considers the philosophical underpinnings of the field. The sixth article by Murray, Dulebohn, Roehling, and Werling presents a very innovative model to explain the role that organizational messages about changes in pay or compensation systems have on anticipatory pay satisfaction. The final article in the series by Johnson, Thatcher, and Burleson presents a thought-provoking framework for understanding the key role that information technology (IT) plays in the field of HRM. The series should be useful to researchers and doctoral students in the fields of HRM, OB, and Industrial and Organizational Psychology. It should also be relevant for doctoral courses and scientist-practitioners in these fields.
Authoritatively and expertly written, the new seventh edition of Bratton and Gold's Human Resource Management builds upon the enduring strengths of this renowned book. Thoroughly updated, topical and accessible, this textbook explores the theory and practice of human resource management and will encourage your students to reflect critically on the realities of the ever-changing world of work. The new edition truly captures the zeitgeist of contemporary human resource management. With coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in relation to business ethics, physical and mental wellbeing, inequality and the rise of the gig-economy and precarious work, students will feel connected to the complex issues that face workers, organisations and wider society. This edition also includes expanded coverage on the ever-palpable effects of globalization and technological change and explores the importance of sustainable practice. Students will gain critical insight into the realities of contemporary HRM, engaging with the various debates and tensions inherent in the employment relationship and understanding the myriad of different theories underpinning human resource management. New to this edition: - New 'Ethical Insight' boxes explore areas of current ethical concern in trends and practice - New 'Digital Spotlight' boxes explore innovations in technology, analytics and AI and the impact on workers and organisations - Topical coverage on job design and the rise of the gig economy and precarious work - A critical discussion of the core themes and debates around human resource management in the post-Covid-19 era, including mental health and wellbeing. - A rich companion website packed with extra resources, including video interviews with HR professionals, work-related films, bonus case studies, links to employment law, and vocab checklists for ESL students make this an ideal text for online or blended learning.
Developing a strong theoretical base for research and practice in industrial relations and human resource management has to date remained a largely unfulfilled challenge. This text presents contributions from 15 scholars, developing their perspectives on work and the employment relationship.
In recent years there has been a weight of evidence suggesting that engagement has a significantly positive impact on productivity, performance and organisational advocacy, as well as individual wellbeing, and a significantly negative impact on intent to quit and absenteeism from the work place. This comprehensive new book is unique as it brings together, for the first time, psychological and critical HRM perspectives on engagement as well as their practical application. Employee Engagement in Theory and Practice will familiarise readers with the concepts and core themes that have been explored in research and their application in a business context via a set of carefully chosen and highly relevant original and case studies, some of which are co-authored by invited practitioners. Written in an accessible manner, this book will be essential reading for scholars in the field, students studying at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as practitioners interested in finding out more about the theoretical underpinnings of engagement alongside its practical application.
The link between HRM and performance has become an important policy issue at both a national and a corporate level. HRM and Performance draws on the knowledge and expertise of a number of leading international scholars in the field of HRM to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of HRM and identify fruitful directions for theory, research and practice. A central question throughout is - what's next for HRM and what are the keys to the future of managing people and performance?
Including both theoretical and empirical chapters, the contributors explore how global organisations and organisational networks can collaborate with stakeholders within their community to leverage their HRM strategies.
Empirical research in HRM has focused on such issues as recruiting, testing, selection, training, motivation, compensation, and employee well-being. A review of the literature on these and other topics suggests that less than optimal methods have often been used in many HRM studies. Among the methods-related problems are using (a) measures or manipulations that have little or no construct validity, (b) samples of units (e.g., participants, organizations) that bear little or no correspondence to target populations, (c) research designs that have little or no potential for supporting valid causal inferences, (d) samples that are too small to provide for adequate statistical power, and (e) data analytic strategies that are inappropriate for the issues addressed by a study. As a result, our understanding of various HRM phenomena has suffered and improved methods may serve to enhance both the science and practice of HRM. In view of the above, the purpose of this volume of Research in Human Resource Management is to provide basic and applied researchers with resources that will enable them to improve the internal validity, external validity, construct validity, and statistical conclusion validity of research in HRM and the related fields of industrial and organizational psychology, and organizational behavior. Sound research in these fields should serve to improve both science and practice. With respect to science, support for a theory hinges on the validity of research used to support it. In addition, the results of valid research are essential for the development and implementation of HRM policies and practices. In the interest of promoting valid research-based inferences in HRM research, the chapters in this volume identify a wide range of methods-related problems and offer recommendations for dealing with them. Chapters in it address such HRM research-related topics as neglected research issues, causal inferences in research, heteroscedasticity in research, range restriction in research, interrater agreement indices, and construct validity issues in measures of such constructs as job performance, organizational politics, and safety climate.
This book provides a succinct, affordable, up-to-date analysis of themes and topics relevant to the management of human resources today. It covers issues of critical contemporary importance such as restructuring, continuous improvement, involvement and participation, pay and working time, training and development, recruitment and selection.