EXECUTIVE DIGEST Spotlight on human resource management
James C. Wimbush
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, 1309 East 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-1701, USA
1. Human resource management: Theevolution continuesHuman resource management, both as an academicfield and as a function within companies, hasprogressed tremendously in recent years. No longeris its main focus setting and administering employeepolicies, and passed are the days of an emphasison expenditures without 留學(xué)生dissertation網(wǎng)regard to cost. Rather, intoday’s environment, the emphasis is on humanresource management from a strategic perspective.Under this vision, human resource managementprofessionals work in concert with businessunit managers in a shared partnership to achievelong-term employee efficiency and productivity inattempt to meet organizational goals. Consequently,in order to make cost-effective decisions thatenhance organizational outcomes, both managersand human resource professionals now have theadded responsibility of learning more about eachother’s roles and duties. As noted by Rynes, Brown,and Colbert (2002), however, managers and evenhuman resource professionals are often lacking inknowledge regarding recent human resource research.
Unfortunately, this intellectual poverty canlead to poor human resource-related decisions andpractices.
The purpose of this spotlight on human resourcemanagement is to briefly survey some of the recentfindings presented in key academic journals. Whileresearch in all areas of human resource managementis represented in the recent literature, thisreview focuses on key findings in the areas ofstaffing and selection, compensation, training, andhuman resource practices.
2. Staffing and selection
Staffing and selection continues to be an area ofsignificant interest. A review of recent humanresource-related research clearly reveals the vastmajority has been conducted regarding variousaspects of staffing, including:
(1) recruitment;
(2) environmental/contextual factors affectingstaffing;
(3) selection methods; and
(4) web-based selection tools.
2.1. Recruitment
Collins and Han (2004) designed a study todetermine the effects of early recruitment practices,corporate advertising, and firm reputationon the quality and quantity of the applicant pool.Finding corporate advertising to be the mostpowerful of these three variables, the authors
surmised that corporate advertising may increasejob seekers’ awareness of an organization andhelp create a positive image of the company.
http://www.ttc-switch.com/Thesis_Writing/While firm reputation had a direct effect on tworecruitment outcomes, corporate advertising had
0007-6813/$ - see front matter D 2005 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2005.06.006
E-mail address: [email protected]#p#分頁標(biāo)題#e#
Business Horizons (2005) 48, 463—467
www.elsevier.com/locate/bushor
a direct effect across all recruitment outcomesand may be a more powerful predictor of organizationalrecruitment than firm reputation. Becausethe study examined multiple recruitmentpractices, the authors suggest it demonstrates theneed for researchers to be cautious in interpretingresults of studies with single recruitment practice.
As well, they urge organizations to recognize thatcorporate advertising may reap employees inaddition to consumers.Similarly, using a sample of undergraduatestudents, a study by Allen, Van Scotter, and Otondo(2004) found that the choice and use of media andmedia features matters in early organizationalrecruitment. The experiment showed that usingface-to-face, video, audio, and text media todeliver a constant recruitment message influencedperceptions of features related to favorable prehireoutcomes, attitudes regarding the organization,and joining the organization.
Research attention has also been paid to recruitmenton the web. Cober, Brown, Keeping, and Levy
(2004) presented a model and propositions togenerate research and discussion on how job
seekers are attracted to organizations on the basisof the characteristics of their corporate employmentweb sites. The paper posits that job seekersfirst react to the fac¸ade and aesthetic and playfulnessfeatures of an organization’s employment website. Job seekers’ initial reactions, augmented bythe system features of the web site, influenceperceptions of the site’s usability. Usability andaffective reactions are mediated by job seekersearch behavior and web site attitude to predictapplicant attraction to the organization. Withincreasing numbers of job seekers looking to theweb as a source of employment information, itseems important for researchers to explore and forpractitioners to better understand the factors andvariables that affect job seeker attraction tocorporate employment web sites.
Avery (2003) examined the effects of recruitmentadvertising on organization attractivenesswith respect to the racial composition of employeesfeatured in the advertisements. In an effort tounderstand what, if any, impact advertisementdiversity would have on organizational attractivenessto Black and White job seekers, Avery
manipulated the racial composition of advertisementsat two hierarchical levels. He found that,for the most part, White job seekers were notaffected by diversity in advertisements but Blackswere, especially when the diversity extended toBlack employees in managerial-level jobs. Nonetheless,
there were some White job seekers whowere attracted by diverse advertisements, whileothers were deterred by them. As the author
appropriately concluded, diversity in recruitment
advertising is a complex issue that is not plainlyBlack and White.
2.2. Environmental/contextual factors
affecting staffing
Two studies have examined environmental factorsrelated to recruitment and selection of specificgroups of employees. Williamson and Cable (2003)introduced a conceptual scheme for understandingsocial environmental factors associated withrecruiting and staffing top management teams.They found that organizations were more likely torecruit and hire top management from externalsources where board of director relationshipsexisted than where such relationships did not exist.In comparison to those outside the social network,the interfirm network was believed to supply theorganization with better, more useful, and morecomprehensive information and data regarding thecandidate. The authors believe the study resultspoint to the need for human resource managementtheory to consider and include network and institutionalperspectives in human resource managementresearch.#p#分頁標(biāo)題#e#
Gong (2003) examined the likelihood of multinational
enterprises using expatriate parent country
nationals to staff culturally distant subsidiaries,
and how employing these nationals affected the
performance of the subsidiary. The author found
that cultural distance initially increases the tendency
of multinational enterprises to employ
expatriate parent country nationals at top management
levels, but that the tendency becomes
less likely over time. An important contribution of
the study is that it provides empirical support that
international HR needs to be examined in its
broader strategic and national cultural contexts.
2.3. Selection methods
Studies regarding selection methods, techniques,
and tools for selection decisions continue to
comprise a large portion of the staffing research.
Included in the recent research on selection
methods are studies focusing on understanding
both applicant reactions to methods (Hausknecht,
Day, & Thomas, 2004) and the determinants of the
methods employers use (Wilk & Cappelli, 2003). In
an effort to understand applicant reactions to
different methods used in the selection process,
Professor Hausknecht and his co-authors use metaanalysis
to study portions of a model they offer.
The researchers found that methods with high face
validity and perceived predictive validity (e.g.,
464 EXECUTIVE DIGEST
interviews, resumes, work samples, etc.) were
perceived more favorably by applicants than
cognitive ability tests. In turn, cognitive ability
tests were perceived by applicants to be better
than personality inventories, honesty tests, biodata,
and graphology. Significantly, the researchers
found the more favorable applicants’ perceptions,
the more likely they were to perform better on the
selection tools and feel positively about the
organization. In addition to the aforementioned
model, the study offers empirical results that
provide insight to the selection process from an
applicant perspective.
While Professor Hausknecht and his colleagues
investigated selection methods from an applicant
perspective, Professors Wilk and Cappelli focused
their research on organizations’ selection practices.
Their interest centered on job characteristics
as a predictor of an organization’s choice of
selection methods. Study results indicated the
greater the skill requirements and work demands
of a position, the more likely the organization was
to use more selection tools and applicant skill and
ability assessment tools. The researchers speak
both to the practical implications of their findings
and to the understanding of why employers select
particular selection practices.
Methods that have recently been researched#p#分頁標(biāo)題#e#
include integrity tests (Wanek, Sackett, & Ones,
2003), structured telephone reference checks (Taylor,
Pajo Cheung, & Stringfield, 2004), and grade
point average (McKinney, Carlson, Mecham, D’Angelo,
& Connerley, 2003). Whereas previous studies
of integrity tests were conducted at the test level
only, Wanek et al. (2003) compared and contrasted
seven commercially available integrity tests in
order to extend research to the item level. From
their research, the authors concluded that although
individual forms of integrity tests may be different
in surface content, they all tap into the same
underlying constructs. This study is helpful in
enhancing researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding
of how integrity tests work and how they
can be used as effective tools for selection.
In order to predict job performance and turnover,
Taylor et al. (2004) developed an efficient
procedure for conducting structured telephone
reference checks and assessed its dimensionality
and criterion-related validity in an actual employment
setting. Also explored was whether a relationship
existed between the length of time the
referee and referent worked together and the
referee’s ratings of the applicants. The authors
found that the method predicted supervisory ratings
of job performance; referees with shorter
working relationships with applicants were not
shown to be any less valid. The efficiency and
validity of the method provides encouragement for
practice, as it is easy to administer and can be
performed by untrained staff in 10—15 min.
Along with a group of researchers at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, McKinney
et al. (2003) set out to examine the relationship
between college grade point average (GPA)
and initial screening decisions by recruiters. In the
study, the authors recorded and analyzed the
decisions of 548 recruiters for jobs posted in a
college recruitment program. The findings produced
evidence that in 42% of the 548 hire
decisions, GPA was not used. More surprisingly,
the researchers found that in 15% of the hire
decisions, recruiters appeared to select against
high GPA. Although a minimum cutoff GPA was
shown to be used fairly consistently by recruiters,
the research reveals the idiosyncratic nature of the
use of GPA by college recruiters.
The focus of several recent studies, the selection
interview represents one of the most widely
and frequently used selection methods. Two
studies of particular interest examine the effect
of race on selection decision outcomes. McFarland,
Ryan, Sacco, and Kriska (2004) used a
sample of applicants for jobs as police officers
to examine the relationship between race and#p#分頁標(biāo)題#e#
interview ratings resulting from structured threemember
panel interviews. Interestingly, the
authors found some evidence that only the racial
composition of the panel affected ratings. Predominantly
White panels were likelier to be more
favorable toward all applicants regardless of race
than were panels of predominantly Black raters.
However, Black applicants were more likely to be
rated favorably by Black raters only when the
panel was mostly Black. The authors suggest that
the three-way interaction effect may help to
explain inconsistencies in previous research regarding
race effects in selection interviews. Further,
they offer several rationales in an effort to
understand their findings.
A study published slightly prior to McFarland et
al. also examined the effect of race on interview
ratings, but considered the impact of sex similarity,
as well. Sacco, Scheu, Ryan, and Schmitt (2003)
found no supporting evidence that race or sex
similarity significantly affected interview ratings.
Based on their findings, they assert that organizations
need not be concerned with matching raters
and applicants on the basis of race and gender to
avoid potential bias. The authors suggest the
results may be explained by the possibility that
organizations have effectively trained raters to
look beyond sex and race characteristics, or that
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similarity effects are alleviated by highly structured
interview processes.
2.4. Web-based selection tools
Two separate studies compare web-based tests to
paper-and-pencil tests. Potosky and Bobko (2004)
discuss measurement and validity issues associated
with web-based tests, and report findings from an
exploratory study comparing web-based and paperand-
pencil tests. Their findings suggest cross-mode
equivalence between the two forms of test taking
for untimed tests, but not for timed tests. Issues
regarding test-taker perceptions about the internet,
technological features of the test platform, and
other matters were discussed for future research
and consideration. Similarly, Ployhart, Weekley,
Holtz, and Kemp (2003) conducted a quasi-experimental
study to compare proctored web-based tests
to paper-and-pencil selection tests. Their findings
suggest better distributional properties, lower
means, more variance, higher internal consistency,
and stronger inter-correlations compared to paperand-
pencil tests. As organizations increasingly use
the web for selection test purposes, the findings of
these studies offer support that the added efficiency
of the web is beneficial for the organization.
3. Compensation
Compensation is an area that receives considerable
research attention. A study of the relationship#p#分頁標(biāo)題#e#
between pay level, pay structure, and measures
of organizational performance is of particular
interest. Brown, Sturman, and Simmering (2003)
employed data from multiple hospitals in an
examination of pay at different levels and structures
and its impact on resource efficiency, patient
care outcomes, and financial performance. The
findings showed that higher pay was associated
with greater performance; however, the effects
appear to be curvilinear. The authors point out that
the predictability of the interactions between pay
level and pay dispersion for all three organizational
outcomes was especially noteworthy. As they
mentioned, the findings underscore the importance
of an integrative approach to making decisions
regarding compensation policy.
4. Training
Investment in employee training and development
continues to climb well into the billions of dollars.
Benson, Finegold, and Mohrman (2004) sought to
examine the effect of corporate investment in
tuition reimbursement programs on employee turnover.
Encompassing over 9500 employees of a large
manufacturing company, the study revealed that
tuition reimbursement programs had an overall
positive effect on turnover while the employee
was enrolled in classes. The researchers noted
significantly low turnover during the period in
which employees were taking classes. Furthermore,
they pointed out that periods of part-time
study, which usually takes years, might be long
enough to justify the expense of tuition reimbursement
programs, even if the employee leaves the
organization after the degree is earned. Similarly,
reimbursement for employees to earn certificates
and other credentials also had a positive effect on
turnover. For employees earning graduate degrees,
however, turnover did increase upon graduation,
but only when promotional opportunities within the
company were unavailable.
5. Human resource practices
Several studies have focused on the effect of human
resource practices on various organizational outcomes.
Collins and Clark (2003) looked at the role of
human resource practices in creating organizational
competitive advantage. In a field study involving 73
firms, they were able to show that HR practices
designed to encourage the development of top
management team social networks (practices such
as mentoring, incentives, etc.) were related to top
management team networks, and that these networks
mediated the relationship between HR practices
and firm performance. The authors feel their
results show that HR practices designed to enhance
social networks can significantly affect sustainable
competitive advantage by fostering support for the
formation and continuation of strategic social networks#p#分頁標(biāo)題#e#
that are valuable to the firm.
Gelade and Ivery (2003) found significant correlations
between human resource management
practices, work climate, and organizational performance.
Study results demonstrated that the effects
of human resource management practices (staffing
level, overtime, professional development, etc.)
on organizational performance (sales against target,
customer satisfaction, staff retention, clerical
accuracy, etc.) are partially mediated by work
climate. The researchers state that their findings
build on previous research, which shows that work
climate and supportive human resource practices
are likely to enhance organizational performance.
These studies have findings similar to those of
Allen, Shore, and Griffeth (2003), who proposed
and tested a model designed to help clarify the
relationship among human resource practices,
466 EXECUTIVE DIGEST
perceived organizational support, and turnover, as
well as the impact of perceived organizational
support on the turnover process. The authors found
that supportive human resource practices (e.g.,
growth opportunities, fairness of rewards, participation
in decision making, etc.) were highly related
to perceived organizational support. The researchers
assert this and their other findings support their
belief that human resource practices contribute to
employee perceptions of organizational support,
and thereby enhance employees’ attachment to
the organization.
Altogether, the findings of these and other
studies on issues related to human resource management
provide evidence that human resource
practices can help organizations enhance critical
dimensions of organizational performance. Moreover,
the research raises new questions for further
research and issues for consideration in organizational
practice.
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