Title: Managing employee performance in small organisations: challenges and opportunities

Authors: Alan Nankervis, Pauline Stanton

Addresses: School of Management, RMIT Business, RMIT University, Level 16, 239 Bourke St., Melbourne 3001, Australia. ' School of Management and Information Systems, Victoria University, Melbourne 8001, Australia

Abstract: The management of employee performance is recognised as one of the most important elements of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). This paper reports on a qualitative research study of the application of performance theory and practice in a sample of small organisations in Melbourne, Australia. The findings suggest that the difficulties for small organisations in performance management application are of different kinds than larger ones and provide just as many challenges and opportunities, but are more heavily reliant on the interpersonal skills and competencies of their managers to achieve similar aims.

Keywords: performance management; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; micro-businesses; SHRM; strategic human resource management; employee performance; performance theory; Melbourne; Australia; interpersonal skills; competencies; managers; human resource development; HRD.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2010.031440

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2010 Vol.10 No.2, pp.136 - 151

Published online: 03 Feb 2010 *

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