Employee Relations: An International Journal

de la Rosa-Navarro, Dolores; Díaz-Fernández, Mirta; Lopez-Cabrales, Alvaro

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-12-2018-0322

A strong HRM system (encompassing the dimensions of distinctiveness, consistency and consensus) facilitates a collective interpretation of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in a common direction, and consequently, a conjoint response by employees. The purpose of this paper is two fold: first to argue that those dimensions have a direct impact on the reaction of employees (organisational citizenship behaviour, OCB and intention to remain, IR); and second, the authors propose that these dimensions are not independent, but rather can interact in such a way that consensus impacts on the consistency of an HRM system, and consistency mediates the relationship between consensus and OCB and IR.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed HR managers and employees from a sample of 102 Spanish hotels. Specifically, HR managers were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing the dimensions of HRM strength, and employees completed a different questionnaire reporting their levels of OCB and IR. The authors examined the reliability and validity of measures by means of Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Finally, structural equations models were applied to test direct effects and mediating hypotheses.FindingsAs an initial finding, the authors obtained two dimensions of HRM strength: consistency and a new factor, which is a combination of distinctiveness and consensus, labelled the “Reputation” of the HRM system. A second result is that such the reputation of the HRM system positively affects OCB and IR. Third, consistency mediates in the relationships between the reputation of the HRM system and OCB and IR.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the authors are aware of the limitations of our paper, regarding the cross-sectional data design and the assessment of HR strength by managers, the authors believe that the results highlight the importance of HRM system strength, since it affects individual outcomes.Originality/valueOne of the valuable contributions made by this paper is that the authors obtained two dimensions for HRM strength instead of the three proposed by Bowen and Ostroff (2004): consistency and reputation (as a combination of distinctiveness and consensus). The authors explain that the new dimension is related to the concept of employer branding, emphasising HRM system’s internal image, facilitating common expectations that guide employees towards the desired responses. Second, Reputation impacts Consistency, improving employees’ OCB and IR; hence, the dimensions of HRM system strength are not independent, but they are better able to interact in order to affect employee outcomes.

Anderson, Pauline; Warhurst, Chris

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-10-2018-0271

There is renewed interest in the professions as a range of occupations pursue professionalisation projects. The purpose of this paper is turn analysis to an important omission in current research – the skills deployed in the work of these professions. Such research is necessary because skills determine the formal classification of occupations as a profession.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on qualitative research, this paper explores the deployment of skills in work of one newly professionalised occupation in the UK’s National Health Service – physiotherapists.FindingsThe findings point to a disconnect between how this occupation has become a profession (the skills to get the job, and related political manoeuvring by representative bodies) and the mixed outcomes for their skills deployment (the skills to do the job) in work as a profession.Originality/valueThe paper provides missing empirical understanding of change for this new profession, and new conceptualisation of that change as both symbolic and substantive, with a “double hybridity” around occupational control and skill deployment for physiotherapists as a profession.

Belwal, Shweta; Belwal, Rakesh; Al-Hashemi, Suhaila Ebrahim

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-09-2018-0245

The purpose of this paper is to take cognisance of the work–life balance (WLB) challenges facing working women in Oman, make a review of the family-friendly policies (FFPs), related provisions in labour laws of various nations, and identify and suggest some FFP-based solutions for attracting women to private sector jobs.Design/methodology/approachInitially, desk research was used to review the labour laws of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and some pioneering countries known for their workplace policies using the major electronic databases and official websites. An exploratory approach was used to understand the lived experience of participants using 46 in-depth interviews. The data were analysed and the findings were explained and contextualised in terms of the Arab culture, wider social processes and consequences related to WLB.FindingsThe interviews revealed that the majority of women in the private sector are not fully aware of the labour laws and FFPs, and are not satisfied with the existing policies, as they do not provide the right WLB. Women in the private sector demand flexible working hours, privacy at work, reduced work hours and certain other benefits akin to the government sector. Omani Labour Law needs a review of FFPs in line with the best global practices and Oman’s diversification initiatives. The provision, awareness and implementation of FFPs in the workplace are necessary to attract Omani women to private sector jobs.Research limitations/implicationsThis research focusses on Oman in particular and GCC countries in general in its coverage of Omani women workers. The outcomes would be important for the specific segment but would have limited potential to generalise.Practical implicationsThe study of WLB and FFPs is of interest for both academia and industry globally. In its strategic vision 2040, Oman aims to encourage, support and develop the private sector to drive the national economy. To retain and boost the socio-economic development in the post-oil economy, the success of the private sector will depend on the participation of the Omani workforce. The role of working Omani women will be pivotal, for they form a substantial part of the skilled human resources inventory.Social implicationsWomen working in Oman are influenced by labour laws, organisational culture, traditional attitudes and societal values and influences. The voices of women working in the private sector indicate a great need to create awareness of existing policies, ensure their compliance and devise additional workplace policies to enable women to contribute to the labour market.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of studies examining work policies and employment of women in the context of Oman in particular and the GCC Countries in general. Even in the extant literature, the sectoral imbalance between the government and private sector has not been explored from the perspective of WLB and FFPs. This study presents a unique approach and findings in this regard.

Ben Hador, Batia; Klein, Galit

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-01-2019-0059

With increases in life expectancy, age diversity has emerged as a common feature of organizations. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the connection between employee age, intrapreneurial behaviors (i.e. introducing new ventures inside an organization), intra-organizational social capital (SC) and their connection to employee performance.Design/methodology/approachA paper-based survey was distributed among 617 participants from five organizations. Three organizations operate in the industrial industry, while the other two operate in the service field.FindingsThe findings show that intrapreneurial behaviors moderate the positive connection between age and performance. That is, among employees engaged in intrapreneurship, older workers evaluated their performance more highly compared to their younger counterparts. However, among workers who did not participate in intrapreneurship, younger employees evaluated their performances as higher compared to older workers. The authors also found that age was negatively connected to intrapreneurial activities, and this connection was mediated by intra-organizational SC.Originality/valueThe results of this study highlight the contribution of older employees to intrapreneurial activities and organizational performance while pointing to obstacles that may inhibit them from participating in intrapreneurship. The results have both theoretical and practical implications, which can aid HR managers in their attempt to establish a positive age-diversity climate.

Yan, Dong

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-06-2019-0238

The purpose of this paper is to examine the actual legal effect of collective agreements by focusing on the litigation regarding the implementation of collective agreements in China where current literature on the topic is scarce.Design/methodology/approachThis paper deploys both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the features of litigation regarding collective agreements. The judgments on collective agreement by people’s courts nationwide from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018 provide the primary empirical data. The intrinsic features of collective agreement disputes are investigated to delineate different sorts of theoretically presumed legal effect, namely contractual, normative and other (if any). A number of collective agreement templates and texts have been gathered and analysed to further explore the factors leading to collective agreement disputes. A dozen of labour law professionals, workers, scholars and trade union officials, were interviewed to verify the findings.FindingsThe number of collective agreement disputes is relatively small compared to the number of valid collective agreements or the volume of other labour disputes. This study found no litigation initiated by trade unions to claim a remedy against a violation of a collective agreement by an employer. However, a growing number of cases were filed by individual workers to complain about the terms and conditions of their individual employment agreements in contradiction to the existing collective agreement. These data do not mean that collective agreements lack problems or have no significance in action. A novel effect – a “substitution effect” – is evident in the existing labour litigations and relatively popular amongst employers, as they often refer to the collective agreement when a written individual agreement, as the mandatory document, is absent. The advent of substitution effect reflects a pragmatic view amongst Chinese labour law professionals, employers and workers.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the recent establishment of the online judgments database, this study has focused on collective agreement litigation in people’s courts from 2014 to 2018, which is representative of the national trend of such disputes and thus provides valuable insights. Future studies should cover a wider time span and extend to the collective agreement disputes subject to labour arbitration to provide a fuller picture of the challenges and potential solutions.Practical implicationsBy understanding the legal effect of collective agreements in reality, the legislature, workers and employers can act accordingly to enhance or empower it. The insignificant volume of both contractual and normative claims on collective agreements indicates the pressing need to inject something concrete into both substantive rights and the implementation mechanisms of collective agreements. The existence of substitution claims illustrates the room for further implementation of written individual agreements to reduce the need to borrow from collective agreements to fill the void left by the absence of individual agreements.Originality/valueThis study uniquely evaluates collective agreement disputes in China to seek their true legal effect, finding the substitution effect of collective agreements that was absent from the prior literature. The features of collective agreements are reflected in this work, together with public policy and theoretical implications.

Bunner, Johanna; Prem, Roman; Korunka, Christian

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-04-2018-0120

Non-technical skills are of increasing importance for safety engineers to perform their job. In their position as expert consultants, they work closely with managers. Thus, gaining management support is oftentimes crucial for safety engineers to successfully improve occupational health and safety. Drawing on organizational support theory (OST), this study investigates how safety engineers’ non-technical skills in communication and persuasion (i.e. rational and hard influence tactics) are related with their management support, and how management support is related with their individual task proficiency (ITP). The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of safety engineers’ expert power in this context.Design/methodology/approachUsing an online questionnaire, survey data were collected from 251 safety engineers working in Austria.FindingsRational influence tactics are positively related to ITP via management support, whereas hard influence tactics are not. Safety engineers’ expert power moderates the relationship between influence tactics and management support and, consequently ITP. High (vs low) expert status strengthens the positive relationship of rational influence tactics on ITP via management support. For hard influence tactics, high (vs low) expert power buffered the negative relationship of upward appeal and pressure on ITP via management support.Practical implicationsSafety engineers should rely on rational persuasion when cooperating with management to obtain support and improve their own performance.Originality/valueThis study connects the effect of influence tactics in the context of safety engineers’ work performance with OST. It demonstrates that safety engineers’ influence tactics are related to work role performance through management support and that these relationships are moderated by expert power.

Morales-Sánchez, Rafael; Pasamar, Susana

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-04-2019-0169

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the ability, motivation and opportunity model, and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) as a result variable, using the perceived organisational support (POS) as a moderator of this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses developed here are tested using data from a sample of Spanish firms belonging to two industries: finance and hotels. These sectors were selected due to the serious impact the recent financial crisis had on them, and because they may benefit from extra-role behaviours.FindingsThe results reveal that ability and motivation significantly influence the level of OCB. POS also has a notable direct effect on OCB, as well as moderating in the relationship between opportunity and OCB.Originality/valueThe study’s findings have some important lessons for practitioners and researchers with an interest in OCB, showing how to improve these extra-role behaviours, which can be so necessary in this post-crisis context.

Santos, Gina Gaio; Ferreira, Ana Paula; Pinho, José Carlos

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-09-2018-0249

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of career attitudes (traditional career vs boundaryless career) on perceived employability (internal vs external employability). In addition, the authors examine whether career self-management strategies act as mediators of these relationships. Due to high unemployment rates in the last two decades, it is important to assess the extent to which young graduates’ career attitudes affect perceived internal and external employability, along with the role of career self-management strategies as an employability enhancement tool.Design/methodology/approachAs part of a cross-sectional research design, the authors administered a survey questionnaire to a sample of 131 graduates (i.e. master’s students) with at least one year of work experience. The empirical data were analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling, which combines confirmatory factor analysis, multiple linear regression and path analysis.FindingsThe results reveal that there is a positive and significant impact (direct effect) of a traditional career attitude (TCA) on internal employability, while there is no significant negative impact of a TCA on external employability. Additionally, the results show that there is a negative impact (direct effect) of a boundaryless career attitude (BCA) on internal employability, while no significant positive impact is found of a BCA on external employability. This study also confirms the mediation effect (full mediation) of career positioning strategies on the BCA-external employability relationship, and a partial mediation of career influence strategies on the TCA-internal employability relationship.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of this study relate to the sample size and the use of a convenience sampling technique. Hence, some caution is needed regarding results’ generalization. In addition, this research uses a cross-sectional design, thus the authors cannot assess longitudinal causal relationships between variables. Future research should be replicated with different types of respondents and in different cultural contexts.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that organizations would benefit more from employees that hold a TCA than those that hold a BCA, especially if they are interested in fostering the internal employability of their workforce. At the individual level, the results identify optimal career self-management strategies (internal vs external employability) for young graduates.Originality/valueThis study offers new empirical evidence of the predictive value of perceived internal vs external employability and the mediating role of career self-management strategies in explaining employability. Young graduates perceive a TCA as more advantageous than a BCA for both internal and external employability. This is an unexpected but interesting finding, since the bulk of the literature on contemporary career attitudes overemphasizes the advantages of a BCA, while disregarding potential disadvantages for both individuals and organizations.

Sánchez-Vidal, M. Eugenia; Cegarra-Leiva, David; Cross, Christine

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-02-2019-0120

Attention on the issue of individual level conflict between work and life roles remains a feature of studies on work-life balance. However, few studies have examined gender differences in the work-to-life conflict (WLC) and the life-to-work conflict (LWC) over a given period in Spain. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the literature.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a two-wave (2009–2014) sample of working employees with children from an industrial sector in Spain.FindingsThe 2009 results showed no gender differences in WLC; however, women experienced LWC significantly more than men. Conversely, the 2014 results showed more men suffered WLC and no gender differences were found for LWC.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation is that we do not know if the same respondents answered the questionnaires in both time periods. Second, we did not analyse the inter-role conflict experienced by childless or single employees. Finally, and as stated before, findings may not be generalisable to other countries or sectors of activities.Social implicationsOur findings are discussed in the context of the economic crisis, the labour market and family co-responsibility in Spanish society.Originality/valueFew studies have explored gender differences on inter-role conflict at two time points, and helps to identify key findings in terms of co-responsibility. Furthermore, this research is conducted in Spain, which is under-researched in WLB terms. The paper also identifies two distinct constructs of the inter-role conflict.

Basnyat, Sandeep; Clarence Lao, Chi Sio

2020 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/er-04-2019-0182

The purpose of this paper is to explore hotel employees’ views on how human resource management (HRM) practices influence their turnover intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this empirical study were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 employees who had experience of working in various hotels in Macau, China. The thematic analysis approach was carried out to analyze the interview data and interpret the findings.FindingsThe findings of this study demonstrate that although employee-oriented human resource policies and practices are favored, the way HR department handles and implement those policies are valued more by hotel employees. Furthermore, the retention of an organizational culture that helps create a feeling of ownership among employees is highly influenced by employees’ turnover intentions. The current study demonstrates that the HR department in hotels holds a powerful position, and therefore, hotel employees expect their HR department to play greater and proactive roles in the HRM apart from providing equitable opportunities for their growth. This implication is particularly important for Integrated Resorts where a large number of employees collectively work to serve a range of customers who visit hotels for a variety of purposes.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that addressing employees’ needs particularly those related to resolving complaints and managing relationships with other colleagues and providing opportunities for employees’ family members to take part in the organization’s activities and use its facilities are important practices that HR department can initiate to encourage employees’ engagement in hotels. Furthermore, the study shows that managers need to understand their employees’ perspectives as they can help resolve problems at the root level where they grow, and send a signal to the employees that the management is genuinely interested in resolving their problems and making them happy and satisfied.Originality/valueAlthough several studies have provided valuable insights into the relationship between HRM practices and employee turnover intentions, most of those studies have used quantitative approaches to collect and analyze data. Furthermore, almost none of the findings were derived from the hotel sector. This study explores hotel employees’ views on the relationship between HRM practices and employee turnover intention using qualitative methods.