Parth Patel, Brendan Boyle, Mark Bray, Paresha Sinha and Ramudu Bhanugopan
The purpose of this paper is to examine the control mechanisms used by multinational corporations (MNCs) from emerging economies to manage their subsidiaries in developed…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the control mechanisms used by multinational corporations (MNCs) from emerging economies to manage their subsidiaries in developed countries and their implications for human resource management practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on data collected through in-depth case studies and interviews with senior subsidiary managers of 12 major Indian information technology (IT) MNCs operating in Australia.
Findings
Indian IT MNCs rely heavily on the use of people-centric controls exerted through global staffing practices (via the transfer of parent-country nationals), which, in turn, influence their subsidiary’s discretion over their HR practices. The use of people-centric controls allows Indian IT multinationals to replicate parent-country HRM practices in their Australian subsidiaries in an ethnocentric manner and significantly leverage the people-based competitive advantages from India through short- and long-term expatriate assignments.
Research limitations/implications
The study investigates control and HRM practices from a single country and a single industry perspective. It provides an insight into the normative means of control in foreign subsidiaries of MNCs and enhances our understanding by explaining the integrated relationship that control mechanisms (and their people-centric components) have with HRM practices including the global staffing approaches and expatriate management practices of emerging MNCs.
Practical implications
Indian MNCs are using their business model to leverage the Australian immigration and skilled visa programme to maintain cost advantages. However, the immigration legislation in developed countries needs to be capable of allowing emerging multinational corporations (EMNCs) to maintain such advantages as developed countries seek to attract foreign direct investment from emerging economies.
Originality/value
The results indicate that the control practices of EMNCs are similar to the controls exerted by MNCs from developed countries. They also show that EMNCs do not adopt a portfolio approach to global staffing, and that the people-centric components of their control have a clear impact on their subsidiaries’ HRM practices.
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Sumedha Weerasekara and Ramudu Bhanugopan
Sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem research is an emerging trend within the entrepreneurship domain. Drawing from resource dependency theory, this study examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem research is an emerging trend within the entrepreneurship domain. Drawing from resource dependency theory, this study examines the interdependent nature of sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem factors and the mediating role of local culture as it relates to entrepreneurial action. The authors collected data from 12 entrepreneurial ecosystems in Australia and developed a model of the interdependencies of sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected through an e-survey of Small and Medium Entreprise (SME) owners in New South Wales, Australia. The authors applied partial least squares structural equation methodology to assess the structural models, validate the outer models and examine the inner model.
Findings
The findings reinforce empirical support for sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. The environment where sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems are evolved influences their functionality. Further, entrepreneurial culture mediates the relationship with other ecosystem factors. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Originality/value
This study focuses on understanding the interdependent nature of sustainable ecosystem factors. The authors identified entrepreneurial culture as a mediator to business support services, educational institutional support and financial capital availability with business and social networks.
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There has been a major concern expressed among industrial buyers, suppliers, manufacturers and customers about the quality of goods and services offered in Papua New Guinea. The…
Abstract
There has been a major concern expressed among industrial buyers, suppliers, manufacturers and customers about the quality of goods and services offered in Papua New Guinea. The need to implement quality programs in firms is inspired by claims of decline in sales of goods and services of certain firms, customers’ complaints and dissatisfaction with services, which should be of high standards and quality. This study has been proposed to identify firms which are implementing total quality management. There were 410 firms involved in this study. Basically, the study was carried out to identify whether or not these firms were successfully implementing TQM and what were the programs applied and the results achieved. Generally, the study revealed that there was not even one firm fully implementing TQM in its operations. Various reasons were cited for that problem.
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Sumedha Weerasekara and Ramudu Bhanugopan
This study aims to investigate the impact of entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles on enterprise performance and suggests several entrepreneurial ecosystems – factors are…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles on enterprise performance and suggests several entrepreneurial ecosystems – factors are impacting this relationship. The authors extend this line of work by examining how regional entrepreneurial culture, educational institutional support and business and social networks mediating the relationship between entrepreneurs’ decision-making style and small medium enterprises (SME)s’ financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected through an e-survey of SME owners in New South Wales, Australia. This study developed a model combining a set of entrepreneurial ecosystem factors, entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles and SMEs’ financial performance. Data were analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling.
Findings
The results suggest regional entrepreneurial culture, educational institutional support and business and social networks mediate the relationship between entrepreneurs’ decision-making style and SMEs’ financial performance. Hence, this study developed a more complete methodical understanding of entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles and their impact on SMEs’ financial performance. This study provides deeper insights into the conditions and processes by which an entrepreneurs’ decision-making style impacts SMEs’ financial performance.
Originality/value
The focus of this study was to understand the relationship of entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles on SMEs’ financial performance. The authors identified that the entrepreneurs’ decision-making style positively impacts SMEs’ financial performance. This study augments the body of knowledge by proposing ways in how the entrepreneurs’ decision-making style can be more strengthened.
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Pamela Lockhart, Nusrat Khan Shahani and Ramudu Bhanugopan
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of high-performance human resource management practices (HPHRMPs) on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of high-performance human resource management practices (HPHRMPs) on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and the influences of national culture (NC) and organisational culture (OC) on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a self-administered survey, data were collected from a sample of 420 public sector employees. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis.
Findings
The findings of this study offer new insights into the ability to improve OCB through greater consideration of NC and OC in the design of HPHRMP. The results indicated that NC fully mediates the relationship between HPHRMP and OCB, whilst OC has a partial mediating influence.
Research limitations/implications
HPHRMP includes a wide variety of functional areas; however, this study has only examined three (reward management, performance appraisal and promotion practices) and contributes to understanding the importance of institutional theory in HRM.
Practical implications
This study highlights the need for HR professionals to ensure that they consider the impact of cultural differences (national and organisational) on how these HR practices will be perceived by employees.
Originality/value
The present study seeks to extend research into the link between cultural context and HPHRMP and posits that culture plays a crucial role in this relationship.
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Pamela Lockhart and Ramudu Bhanugopan
The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of employee assistance programs (EAP) as a form of perceived organisational support (POS) to address workplace bullying (WB), from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of employee assistance programs (EAP) as a form of perceived organisational support (POS) to address workplace bullying (WB), from the perspective of employees who have been the victims of bullying.
Design/methodology/approach
Using an on-line survey, data were collected from 397 employees across a range of positions and industry sectors in Australia, who indicated they had been subjected to bullying.
Findings
The results of the study indicate that WB is rife, and although anti-bullying policies were in existence participants felt that these were mere tokenism. The level of POS and use of EAPs were considered to be inadequate and, interestingly, in some cases offered more support to the bully than the victim.
Research limitations/implications
With the increased rate of WB, organisations are seeking different ways to address this. This study highlights that the ability of EAPs to provide support to employees in these circumstances appears to be limited. The findings suggest that if management wish to use EAPs to support employees in cases of WB, they must invest more in them.
Originality/value
This study seeks to extend research into the management of WB through EAPs and POS and posits that there is a high level of dissatisfaction with management’s response and support with regard to bullying incidents.
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Ramudu Bhanugopan, Ying Wang, Pamela Lockhart and Mark Farrell
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of skills shortages, namely, skills scarcity and skills deficiencies among managers, and its relationship with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of skills shortages, namely, skills scarcity and skills deficiencies among managers, and its relationship with organizational characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a quantitative approach and data were collected from 243 managers working in China. Multivariate analysis of variance and box plots were employed for data analysis.
Findings
The results revealed that organizational characteristics were found to have a significant positive impact on managers’ skill levels, and hard-to-fill vacancies caused by skills shortages were found in all types of organizations. Existing and deficient skills were also identified as affecting all organizations.
Practical implications
The results suggest that organizations would benefit from the adoption of a system supporting internal retention, training and development and external recruitment to close the skills gaps.
Originality/value
This is an empirical study that provides an insight into the skills shortages from a multi-organizational context. It highlights the effects of organizational characteristics in relation to skills shortages and provides a foundation to support the skills needed in the context of national and global organizations.
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Justin Williams, Ramudu Bhanugopan and Alan Fish
This paper seeks to provide an overview of the concept of “localization” of human resources in Qatar. Relative to the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCCCs)…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to provide an overview of the concept of “localization” of human resources in Qatar. Relative to the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCCCs), economic development began late in Qatar due to political and economic factors such as the influx of an immigrant labour force and changes in the education system. Now, with one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and the highest per capita income, Qatar has vigorously embraced rapid economic expansion. However, in a small country awash with natural resources, and with a population engulfed by expatriates, the issue of “localization” is a pressing economic and social issue.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews the national human resource situation in this atypical context, and seeks to determine the factors that impact on “localization” in this small, yet important Gulf nation.
Findings
There are some common barriers to “localization” throughout the GCCCs. These can be summarized as: an inefficient quota system; a culture that is focused more on prestige than performance; strict cultural practices concerning women in the workforce; education systems that are not market driven; and an inequitable social contract and distribution of oil and natural gas wealth in the GCCCs.
Originality/value
While much attention has been directed to the concept of “localization” in developing countries, “Qatarization” has received no attention in the scholarly literature, despite the resounding political and economic role that Qatar has in the GCCCs.
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Khaled Aladwan, Ramudu Bhanugopan and Alan Fish
This study proposed to investigate the phenomenon of intention to quit among frontline employees. The main objectives of the current study were to examine the level of intention…
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposed to investigate the phenomenon of intention to quit among frontline employees. The main objectives of the current study were to examine the level of intention to leave and what factors influence the employees to consider leaving their organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 493 frontline employees from Jordanian organisations. The study reported in this paper tested the factor structure of intention to quit using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.
Findings
The findings which emerged from this study established a three‐factor solution model which is appropriate to test employees’ intention to quit based on three factors, namely work opportunities, personal needs, and personal responsibilities. The results provided new perspectives and support the overall validity of the nomological network of intention to quit factors, but also suggest that caution should be exercised in different contexts and cultural settings.
Originality/value
The present study emphasises the need to expand the focus on intention to quit research beyond attitudinal and relational factors. Theoretical implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
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Khaled Aladwan, Ramudu Bhanugopan and Alan Fish
– The aim of this paper is to highlight and provide a stronger focus on the nature of human resource management (HRM) in Jordan.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to highlight and provide a stronger focus on the nature of human resource management (HRM) in Jordan.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper discusses four practices of HRM: recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal and rewards and benefit; and links these practices with social factors: political environment, economical issues and cultural values.
Findings
The findings suggest that HRM in Jordan has not yet received due attention. The employee recruitment and selection process is largely inadequate and needs effective attention. In many Arab and more specifically Jordanian organizations, expenditure and time spent on training and development are considered unuseful and unnecessary functions.
Practical implications
The effectiveness of even skilled and qualified employees will be limited if they are not encouraged and motivated to work, but through HRM practices, they can be encouraged to work harder and smarter. Increasingly, employees' performance and skills can also be influenced by HRM practices, which control the acquisition and development of the organization's human capital.
Originality/value
Jordanian organizations are facing major problems surrounding the development of human capital, including high turnover rates and a lack of skilled employees. Low spending on research, training and development has fuelled these problems. HRM literature shows that many Arab organizations, including public and private Jordanian organizations, need to devote more attention to their HRM practices.