Addresses the question of whether a high turnover of staff is accompanied by lower investment in company‐training. By means of a written questionnaire, data were collected from…
Abstract
Addresses the question of whether a high turnover of staff is accompanied by lower investment in company‐training. By means of a written questionnaire, data were collected from 223 companies in four different sectors: the food sector, the wholesale trade, the printing industry and the software sector. Besides the turnover of staff, introduces the degree of contractual flexibility and the existence of an internal labour market as explanatory variables in the discussion. In contradiction to most labour economic thinking on training, finds a positive relationship between fluctuations in the number of employees and the investment in training. The findings indicate that company training is particularly concentrated on inflow and replacement problems. Therefore, concludes that financial support measures of governments might benefit more the recruitment policy of companies instead of the high ideal of “lifelong learning”.
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The debate on human resource (HR) outsourcing is polarised. HR outsourcing is seen as an opportunity for the HR function by some and as a threat by others. The first view suggests…
Abstract
Purpose
The debate on human resource (HR) outsourcing is polarised. HR outsourcing is seen as an opportunity for the HR function by some and as a threat by others. The first view suggests that HR outsourcing is an instrument creating time for HR to become a strategic partner. The second view considers HR outsourcing as a cost‐cutting instrument gradually reducing HR staff. The purpose of this study is to examine whether HR outsourcing is a manifestation of a strategic HR focus, a cost‐cutting HR focus or both.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample is obtained from an economy‐wide, cross‐sectional survey. The data cover 1,264 organisations with ten employees or more.
Findings
Results indicate that organisations with a strong focus on HR cost‐cutting do not outsource more than organisations with a weaker focus on HR cost‐cutting. The analyses show a positive relationship between a strong focus on strategic human resource management (HRM) and the level of HR outsourcing.
Research limitations/implications
First, this study examines the breadth of HR outsourcing. Further research might consider the depth of HR outsourcing. Second, as results are based on cross‐sectional data we cannot draw causal inferences. Finally, future research might focus on the impact of HR outsourcing on the organisation of the HR function and internal HR customer satisfaction.
Practical implications
HR outsourcing empowers the HR department. It frees up HR professionals to focus on strategic HRM.
Originality/value
HR outsourcing has been heavily debated. Yet, empirical research into the impact on the HR function is extremely limited. This study helps to fill this gap.
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Elise Marescaux, Sophie De Winne and Luc Sels
Based on soft HRM and self‐determination theory, the aim of this paper is to test whether basic need satisfaction mediates the relationship between five HR practices and HRM…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on soft HRM and self‐determination theory, the aim of this paper is to test whether basic need satisfaction mediates the relationship between five HR practices and HRM outcomes. An important distinction (in line with soft HRM and self‐determination theory) is made between the presence of, and the quality of, a practice's implementation (in terms of the degree to which employees' talents, interests and expectations are taken into account).
Design/methodology/approach
A theoretically grounded model is developed and tested using survey data from 5,748 Belgian employees.
Findings
The results indicate that autonomy and relatedness satisfaction partially mediate the relationship between HR practices and HRM outcomes. Taking into account talents, interests and expectations within HR practices is associated with higher basic need satisfaction and subsequently HRM outcomes in addition to the presence of practices.
Research limitations/implications
Future research could focus on HR practices and job design as both might affect basic need satisfaction and subsequently HRM outcomes. Additionally, behavior of the supervisor when administering HR practices can be further explored as a catalyst of basic need satisfaction.
Practical implications
HR actors should be aware that merely implementing soft HR practices may not suffice. They should also devote attention towards sufficiently taking into account individual talents, interests and expectations of employees when implementing them.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the HRM literature by integrating soft HRM and self‐determination theory into one model. In doing so, it sheds light on the possible pathways through and conditions under which HR practices lead to favorable outcomes.
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Tom Vander Steene, Luc Sels, Geert Van Hootegem, Hans De Witte and Anneleen Forrier
In this paper we evaluate the impact of the institutional context on the politics of flexibility. We examine whether differences in institutional embedding lead to differences in…
Abstract
In this paper we evaluate the impact of the institutional context on the politics of flexibility. We examine whether differences in institutional embedding lead to differences in the way in which companies seek to achieve flexibility. Belgium and The Netherlands were selected for comparison on the reasons for their different flexibility mix. The conclusions are based on both a macro‐economic analysis of national statistics and a micro‐economic analysis of organisations in both countries. The main conclusion is that the institutional frameworks of Belgium and The Netherlands have been built up along different lines. Dutch legislation encourages contractual flexibility. The Belgian institutional context focuses more on temporal flexibility. A competition for the greatest flexibility has little point given these observations. It is not a question of more or less, but of different flexibility. A wider significance of the comparison is that it clearly demonstrates that evaluations fail if the different components of the institutional framework and flexibility are not studied in their close mutual interrelationship.
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Caroline Gilbert, Sophie De Winne and Luc Sels
Based on role theory, this paper seeks to investigate the impact of HR devolution characteristics (number of devolved HR tasks), characteristics of the HR devolution context…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on role theory, this paper seeks to investigate the impact of HR devolution characteristics (number of devolved HR tasks), characteristics of the HR devolution context (level of support from the HR department, and presence of institutionalised incentives to perform the allotted HR tasks well), and personal characteristics of the front‐line managers (HR competency) on front‐line managers' perceptions of two HR role stressors, i.e. HR role ambiguity and HR role overload.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a sample of 169 front‐line managers from 47 organisations. The results are based on two moderation regression analyses, taking into account the nested nature of the observations.
Findings
The results suggest that the execution of a high number of HR tasks does not lead to the occurrence of HR role stressors among front‐line managers. However, for the HR department it is important to create an appropriate environment in terms of giving HR support and advice to line managers, and training line managers regarding their HR competencies.
Research limitations/implications
This research opens up interesting lines of inquiry regarding the conditions under which the partnership between the HR department and line management can be successful.
Practical implications
The paper provides HR practitioners with insights into the conditions needed to avoid perceptions of HR role stressors among front‐line managers.
Originality/value
The paper applies role theory in a new context, i.e. the HR role of front‐line managers.
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Dave Stynen, Anneleen Forrier and Luc Sels
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of motivation to work in explaining workers’ pay flexibility – as measured by their reservation wage ratio – across the lifespan…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of motivation to work in explaining workers’ pay flexibility – as measured by their reservation wage ratio – across the lifespan. This is important since pay inflexibility may undermine mature age workers’ retention at the workforce.
Design/methodology/approach
Relying on self-determination theory the paper broadens the role of “motivation to work” from the overall work valence an individual attaches to work to the underlying work values (i.e. the perceived value of work for its intrinsic vs extrinsic outcomes) and work motives (i.e. the underlying autonomous vs controlled reasons regulating one's work participation). The authors conducted hierarchical linear regression analyses on a sample of 1,577 Belgian workers to explore how individuals’ work values and work motives, in addition to work valence, shape workers’ reservation wage ratios across the lifespan.
Findings
Results indicate that work valence and holding relative intrinsic work values and relative autonomous work motives are associated with lower reservation wage ratios. Finally, age moderates all three relationships. Whereas the negative impact of work valence and relative autonomous work motives is stronger at older age, the negative impact of relative intrinsic work values is stronger at younger age.
Research limitations/implications
Motivational predictors are differently related to reservation wage ratios across the lifespan.
Practical implications
By fostering overall work valence and autonomous work motivation practitioners can exert influence on mature age workers’ pay flexibility.
Originality/value
This study extends prior research on pay flexibility by focussing on the content of motivation to work (i.e. work values, work motives) and its role across the lifespan.
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Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American…
Abstract
Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.
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Outlines social dialogue by providing a definition and background to its introduction and covers its progress to date. Critically examines the social dialogue resulting in the…
Abstract
Outlines social dialogue by providing a definition and background to its introduction and covers its progress to date. Critically examines the social dialogue resulting in the European collective agreement, the instrument for implementing directives. Concludes with the Collective agreement’s place in formulating European Law. Suggests the integration of the Maastricht Treaty into the body of the Treaty of Amsterdam forms a basis for solid advances in social policy.