International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management (11 papers in press)

Special Issue on: ICMC 2017 Culture, Conflict, Decision Making and Experience of Organisational Norms for an Individual

• Open Access

  The Influence of Cultural Context in Managerial Decision-making: Legitimacy Views of Finnish and Italian Managers ( Free Full-text Access )

  by Johanna Kujala, Valentina Battista, Lorenzo Lucianetti, Anni Paavilainen 
  Abstract: This study examines the influence of cultural context in managerial decision-making by comparing the legitimacy views of Finnish and Italian business managers. In the business context, managers often make decisions based on economic interests only; but for moral decisions, other means of legitimacy are required. Although both Finland and Italy are members of the European Union (EU), they have significant differences in terms of culture and economy. Finland is a North-European country with Protestant religion and low level of corruption, while Italy is a South-European country with the Catholic religion and high level of corruption. The study contributes to previous research on managerial decision-making by showing, with a qualitative approach, that Finnish managers rely more on property and perception view of legitimacy in their decision-making, whereas Italian managers rely more on a process view of legitimacy in their decision-making.
  Keywords: cultural comparison; moral dilemma; legitimacy; decision-making.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2021.10029528
   
  

• Open Access

  Understanding stakeholder influence: Lessons from a controversial megaproject ( Free Full-text Access )

  by Lara Gonzalez Porras, Anna Heikkinen, Johanna Kujala 
  Abstract: This study aims to extend the understanding of stakeholder influence in megaprojects by examining a controversial pulp mill project in Uruguay. The theoretical framework is based on stakeholder theory, focusing on stakeholder influences in international megaprojects. The research data comprise 96 newspaper articles from 2005 to 2009, and qualitative content analysis is used in the empirical analysis. The findings present the main events of the megaproject and how the stakeholder-firm and inter-stakeholder influences emerged and evolved during the project. This research contributes to the existing knowledge of stakeholder influence in megaprojects by showing that stakeholder influences are interdependent and non-exclusive and that stakeholder influence evolves over time. Moreover, the study examines inter-stakeholder influence in addition to stakeholder-firm influence and extends the stakeholder-firm classification, contributing to the literature on secondary stakeholder influence. The managerial implications emphasise the importance of understanding how stakeholders can be influenced by or, alternatively, exert influence in megaprojects.
  Keywords: stakeholder; influence; megaprojects; conflict; case study.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2021.10030361
   
  
• The Conflictual Sense of Commercialization and Academic Entrepreneurship  
  by Jukka Moilanen, Tero Montonen, Paivi Eriksson 
  Abstract: This article draws attention to how scientists make sense of commercialization activities at the university. Using the critical sensemaking lens (CSM), it illustrates how the juxtaposition of the dominant discourse of academic research and the emerging discourse of commercialization in academic work (re)produces a tensioned and conflictual sense of commercialization and academic entrepreneurship (AE). The article is based on empirical data gathered from a 2-year study of scientists working on a project that included both research and commercialization activities. The contribution of this article is twofold; it argues that commercialization is not only about organizing and funding, but also about power dynamics; and it demonstrates how hybrid projects that aim to integrate research with commercialization activities offer rich data for the researchers of AE.
  Keywords: academic entrepreneurship; commercialization; scientists; critical sensemaking; formative context; rules; discourse; power.
  
  
• The effectiveness of leadership development in the military context from a gender viewpoint  
  by Heli Häyrynen, Anna-Maija Lämsä 
  Abstract: In this case study, leadership development is investigated from the viewpoint of women in a military context. In particular, the effectiveness of a leadership development program in a specific context, namely the Finnish Defence Forces, is explored. The program being studied is unique because it is concerned with developing volunteers, not professional soldiers. A longitudinal, interview-based study of the topic was conducted with women who had participated in the program. The data consists of 45 open-ended interviews with 15 women. Each woman was interviewed three times: at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the program. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The results show that the current leadership model for effective leadership in the Finnish Defence Forces would benefit especially from the addition of an intrapersonal leadership competence dimension, to better take womens needs into consideration. By making the female point of view visible and acknowledging womens views, new resources can be created for military organizations.
  Keywords: case study; effectiveness; gender; leadership development; military leadership; woman.
  
  
• Liminality and Hybridity of Academic Entrepreneurship  
  by Tero Montonen, Päivi Eriksson, Eeva Aromaa 
  Abstract: This article explores identities in-between and the experience of liminal and hybrid identities in academic work. The longitudinal qualitative case study illustrates how liminal identities crossing organizational boundaries can create a space for employee agency, in contrast to those within the organization that are influenced by the employer. Using the concept of third space of hybridity, this article illustrates how employee agency can be exercised when identities that cross organizational boundaries are constructed as meaningful. The study is based on repeated narrative interviews with one university scientist over 2 years, and the experiences of in-between identities were analyzed with narrative analysis. The article offers two contributions. First, it suggests that in-between identities are about liminality and hybridity at the same time. Second, it illustrates how the third space of hybridity provides a new ground for the study of changing academic work.
  Keywords: Human resources; employee; identity; change; narrative; liminality; hybridity; university; business; case study.
  
  
• Workplace Bullying in the Top Management: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study  
  by Shreya Mishra, Manosi Chaudhuri, Ajoy Kumar Dey 
  Abstract: Workplace bullying is a worldwide phenomenon, and the onus of safeguarding the employees from the same, remains with the top managers of the organisation. While exploring this phenomenon, the authors wondered what if the executives within the top management themselves become the target of bullying? Thus, this paper aims to explore aspects of workplace bullying within the top managers of organisations. A constructivist approach was taken for the study, which adopted a constructivist grounded theory method to capture and analyse thirteen in-depth interviews with top executives from public and private sector organisations in India. It was found that top managers face intensified bullying. The study explored the antecedents, forms, repercussions, and ways of coping with bullying. Findings show that targets primarily face peer bullying and/or mobbing. This study bridges a gap in the literature which lacks empirical studies on bullying at the top level of organisations.
  Keywords: constructivist grounded theory; leadership; mobbing; workplace bullying; qualitative; top executives; top management; upper echelons.
  
  

Regular Issues

• A Case Study of Strategic Human Resource Management: Implementation Levels and Communication  
  by Ryan McCann, Stuart Allen 
  Abstract: The communication of information relevant to strategic human resource management (SHRM) has the potential to support SHRM implementation and should be reflected in the activity of an organisations inter- and intra-organisational communication networks as forms of organisational information processing. This multiple case study examined SHRM implementation levels in a sample of oil and gas companies with the aim of examining the extent to which communication flows reflect the level of SHRM implementation. The case studies showed similarly low levels of SHRM-related communication and SHRM implementation, suggesting the need for further research to explore this relationship. The authors propose that SHRM-related communication could be an additional factor in assessing SHRM implementation levels and that organisational design must be considered in understanding low levels of SHRM-related communication.
  Keywords: strategic human resource management; organisational communication; organisational information processing; networks; oil and gas industry; case study; western Pennsylvania.
  
  
• Professional training in the context of the diversity of workplaces: project teams and non-standard forms of employment  
  by Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej, Dominika B?k-Grabowska 
  Abstract: This article presents the discussion on the approach to professional training of workers in the situation when employees work in an unusual, non-routine work organization, which has been illustrated by the example of work in project teams, or when workers are employed in non-standard forms. The purpose of the study is to indicate whether, and if so, what are the differences in approaching professional training of employees in the process of working in project teams or while working within the framework of non-standard employment forms. Both distinguished phenomena are a part of the diversity of workplaces in contemporary organizations. Apart from presenting the theoretical approaches, the analysed issues have been illustrated by the presentation of the previously conducted quantitative research results and case studies. The first two cases refer to work in project teams, the third covers employment in non-standard forms.
  Keywords: human resources development; professional training; project management; project team; non-standard form of employment; contractors.
  
  
• Service-Profit Chain: Literature Review and Recommendations for Future Research within the Restaurant Industry  
  by Abbie Lambert, Suzanne Clinton, Lee Tyner 
  Abstract: The restaurant industry has historically struggled with poor management, low wages, and high employee turnover, which inevitably affect customer service and business results. Increasing pressure has been placed on the industry concerning the employee-employer relationship and organizations struggle to implement strategies that successfully address workforce concerns while continuing to optimize financial performance. Service management and service-profit chain literature have offered initial support for a framework in which employee perceptions influence customer perceptions of service, which in turn affect financial results. The following paper examines the growing body of service-profit chain literature and provides suggestions for future research within the industry.
  Keywords: Service-profit chain; restaurant industry; service management; employee engagement.
  
  
• Comparison of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the Analytic Network Process in Human Resource Management  
  by Stanislav Peregrin, Josef Jablonsky 
  Abstract: Employee selection is one of the essential functions of human resource management. The main aim of the paper is to analyze the application of multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods in the process of the employee recruitment process to establish frameworks that help accepting best decisions. Information about the candidates, which was acquired by managers during various kinds of testing and personal interviews at the assessment center, constitutes the input data of our research. Subsequently, this information was processed and analyzed using two of the most popular MCDM methods ? the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Analytic Network Process (ANP). These were chosen because of their versatility and high efficiency in solving various types of decision-making problems. Finally, we compared the outcomes obtained by both methods. We discuss their potential for practical use. The application of AHP seems to be preferable for this group of problems because of its simplicity, and because less information is required from decision makers.
  Keywords: Human resource management; decision making; multiple criteria decision making; analytic hierarchy process; analytic network process.
  
  
• The importance of organizational justice on schedule satisfaction: A study of Latin American call center employees  
  by Randi L. Sims, Yuliya Yurova, Peter Zeidler 
  Abstract: Using organizational justice theory as a basis for hypotheses formation, we consider the relationship between fairness perceptions in how employee work shifts are assigned and reported employee satisfaction with their work schedule. Secondary survey data (N = 3,871) from employees working in call centers in Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina were supplied by the employing organization. We randomly drew 400 replies from each country for use in hypothesis testing. The results suggest that feelings of justice are positively related to employee feelings of satisfaction with their work schedule. Procedural and distributive justice are the strongest predictors. Length of time with the company was found to moderate the relationship between interactional justice and satisfaction with the schedule, with the effect significantly greater for recently hired employees. We also consider the impact of national culture on the relationship between justice perceptions and reported schedule satisfaction. The findings suggest that the relationship between distributive and procedural justice and satisfaction with schedule is stronger for employees from the high power distance national culture of Brazil. Implications for theory and recommendations for practice are offered.
  Keywords: organizational justice; national culture; call center; moderation; tenure.