bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Human resource management under change in the Romanian civil service in an international context
Authors: Poor Jozsef , Plesoianu George 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a number of initiatives which have been spearheaded by the Romanian government in the field of HRM in the civil service. A more specific purpose is to determine the modelling strategy which best reflects the reform programme of HRM in the civil service, the topic of our study.Design/methodology/approachThis paper attempts to supplement existing research into New Public Management (NPM) by outlining the modernisation of a range of public HR functions in the country, and it would like to explain how this special issue arose, to provide a historical perspective for the work undertaken by the Romanian National Civil Servant Agency (NACS) and to outline the context and significance of each of the attempts at modernisation in the HRM field.FindingsEmpirical evidence shows that the centralised Romanian civil service is in need of serious change if it is to deliver a more efficient and less politically driven level of practice. Many external and internal organisational forces such as the demographics of the labour‐force, technology and privatisation – as well as the erosion of confidence in government institutions have drastically altered the environment of the civil service in Romania. Consequently, traditional Human Resource Management (HRM) approaches no longer work.Practical implicationsAt this point, in the authors' opinion, the time has come to devote more attention to decentralisation and to formulating the terms of so‐called best or good practice.Originality/valueThe paper seeks to bridge the gap by reporting on the research and consulting work of the authors in the Romanian civil service.
Restructuring the employment relationship in South Eastern Europe?
Authors: Psychogios Alexandros G. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to address the generic research question of how promising management practices such as total quality management (TQM) initiatives affect employee relations in South Eastern European (SEE) countries by focusing on managers' professional lives. In particular, this study focuses on the effects of TQM programmes on middle managers' (MMs') career prospects and job security.Design/methodology/approachA multi‐modal research approach was applied based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. A total of 1,800 middle managers from 73 service organizations in both the public and private sectors participated in the research (19 and 54 respectively).FindingsThe implementation of TQM programs was found to have a positive impact on MMs' careers and job security. Nevertheless, it was related mostly to the “hard”, rather than the “soft”, side of TQM. The strong impact of TQM practices on MMs' responses to various aspects related to their physical work, as compared to the small impact of the “soft” side, implies a more pragmatic view of restructuring of the employment relations covenant due to the application of management models in SEE region.Research limitations/implicationsThe business literature has presented limited measurement tools for the “soft” and “hard” aspects of TQM. This paper provides a new, more reliable, and valid measurement of both sides of TQM. More research is required in order to further verify the use of such a measurement tool.Practical implicationsManagers should be aware of a somewhat more linear path to career progression and job security through the use of “hard” quality management practices while anticipating less importance to be given to concepts such as empowerment and employee involvement.Originality/valueThis study expands our understanding of how industrial relations can be formed from the application of promising management practices. In particular, it argues that managers' familiarity with the “hard” side of TQM seems to both positively and negatively influence career development and job security, while being influenced by employment sector and educational background.
Organisational culture in a transitional economy
Authors: Câmpeanu‐Sonea Eugenia , Borza Anca , Sonea Adrian , Silvia Mitra Cătălina 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on organisational change in Romania at the beginning of the twenty‐first century. This research raises the question on how transition and the change of conditions have contributed to the development of organisational culture after 1989. The paper seeks to clarify the characteristics of the organisational culture profile in Romania.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on two types of questionnaires, one for the regular employees of the firm and one for the managers, and questions were formulated, using the experiences of those who actually work in Romanian companies. The research was made under supervision, and the focus of the research was on the employees' perception of their company and not on how an outsider would see those things.FindingsThe paper emphasizes the specific characteristics of the actual evolution, generated by some internal factors, and the “imported” variables from the international economy. Although created less than two decades ago, the paper has found that the Romanian enterprises have a well‐defined culture, even if some specific features of personality are manifest.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is correlated to diagnose the organisational culture and to analyse the process of change within the company domains in that it is intending to extend the study, in the future.Practical implicationsThe study allows emphasis on some characteristics of the organisational culture developed during the last years in Romania: concern about the work quality; the firm's concern of the human resource quality; the concern about the technical level of work and the motivation system; the interest in stimulating employees' loyalty to the firm and the internal marketing; application at group level of labour principles and rewards; and the importance given to labour conditions, employees' health and old age insurance.Originality/valueThe survey was made within three representative companies from Transylvania, their main purpose being to observe the way organizational culture was influenced by different factors, such as: privatization, capital used, forms of ownership, and domain of activity.
Motivation of working women in the Greek retail sector: an empirical analysis
Authors: Giannikis Stefanos K. , Mihail Dimitrios M. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeA significant trend in the retail sector is women's over‐representation in part‐time work. Given the feminisation and adverse working conditions of part‐time employment, the purpose of this paper is to enhance understanding of the motivation of female sales employees.Design/methodology/approachInitially, a theoretical framework is presented with the aim of stipulating the research hypotheses. Empirical evidence was obtained from 349 Greek female sales employees using a structured questionnaire. Analyses of covariance and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with the aim of exploring the research hypotheses.FindingsIt was found that part‐time and full‐time female employees are similar in designating the job motivators that they find important in the workplace. However, surprisingly, results indicated that female part‐timers are more optimistic about receiving intrinsic rewards. Further analysis provided evidence on how the work status (part‐time/full‐time) and the individual characteristics of employees have an impact on the reported importance of work motivators and on the expectations of receiving these rewards.Practical implicationsThe findings provide retail firms with significant guidelines on how to develop a flexible motivational plan that fits the needs of their employees. In addition, the results of the paper provide retail managers with a profile of motivated, full‐time and part‐time female employees.Originality/valueGiven the dearth of empirical research on employee motivation in Greece, the results of the paper provide the wider academic community with new empirical evidence on how the motivation of employees is differentiated by work status.
Analysis of the repatriation adjustment process in the Spanish context
Authors: Sánchez Vidal Ma Eugenia , Sanz Valle Raquel , Barba Aragón Ma Isabel 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the repatriation adjustment process of international employees in the Spanish context. The paper also aims to test the applicability of Black et al.'s repatriation adjustment model for Spanish repatriates.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports on empirical quantitative research, based on data from 124 Spanish repatriates. Multiple regression analysis and factor analysis are used to test the hypotheses of the study.FindingsThe findings provide evidence for some of the relations proposed in the model but they do not support the model as a whole. The paper questions the existence of the different dimensions of expectations/adjustment and the importance of some of the factors included in the model.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is not very large; some bias could appear as only repatriates who continue working in their companies were questioned. Future research should conduct longitudinal studies.Practical implicationsThe study provides evidence of the relevance of facilitating repatriates' adjustment, as it affects their performance. The study also shows that some variables can facilitate the process. In particular, having a mentor and frequent communication with home during the expatriation has been found to help the repatriates to create accurate expectations, which, in turn, affect their general adjustment. Social capacity and the fact that the repatriates had not adjusted completely overseas also facilitate readjustment. Finally, work autonomy on return and social status have been found to positively affect work adjustment.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature by examining the repatriation model of Black et al. that has not been thoroughly analyzed before wither as a whole regarding its applicability to non‐Anglo‐Saxon countries.
High performance work practices in the health care sector: a Dutch case study
Authors: Boselie Paul 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to present an empirical study of the effect of high performance work practices on commitment and citizenship behaviour in the health care sector. The theory suggests that individual employees are willing “to go the extra mile” when they are given the opportunity to develop their abilities and to participate, and when they are motivated.Design/methodology/approachThe data were gathered in a Dutch general hospital using employee questionnaires. Medical specialists were not included in the study.FindingsThe results of the study suggest that employee development (e.g. skills training, general training, and task enrichment) and employee involvement (e.g. job autonomy, participation in decision making) are important HR practices in creating a high performance work climate in a health care organisation.Research limitations/implicationsThe data come from one hospital and the analysis is cross‐sectional. However, the importance of the study lies in its focus on the individual employee perspective rather than the organisational level analyses which currently predominate in the HRM and performance debate.Practical implicationsThe training and development of health care employees can increase their affective commitment. Increasing employee involvement can also help stimulate citizenship behaviour.Originality/valueThe paper looks at the non‐profit sector, whereas the majority of previous HR research has focused on multinational companies.
Impact of wages and job levels on worker absenteeism
Authors: Pfeifer Christian 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to analyse to what extent absolute wage levels, relative wages compared with colleagues, and the position in a firm's hierarchy affect workers' absenteeism behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses personnel data of a large German company from January 1999 to December 2005. The data set contains 62,774 monthly observations of 1,187 full‐time white‐collar workers. Probit and Tobit models for individual monthly absenteeism are estimated.FindingsAbsenteeism is negatively correlated with absolute wages, relative wages, and hierarchical levels, which is in line with the paper's hypotheses. Moreover, the results indicate that a positive relative wage has a stronger impact than a negative relative wage, which gives rise to the issue of unequal wage structures.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings point to the relevance of interdependent preferences and status in utility functions. From the non‐linear relationship between relative wages and absenteeism it follows that an unequal wage structure has the benefit that relatively better paid workers are absent less frequenty, while the costs of higher absenteeism of workers at the lower tail of the wage distribution are rather low.Practical implicationsThe results show that not only the absolute wage level but also status‐related factors (e.g. relative wage, hierarchical level) affect employees' work effort and that unequal wage structures can be efficient to some degree.Originality/valueThe paper provides “real world” evidence from scarce personnel data for the importance of interdependent preferences and status. Furthermore, the non‐linear relationship between relative wages and absenteeism is examined.
Employee responses to relational fulfilment and work‐life benefits
Authors: Hornung Severin , Glaser Jürgen 
Published: April 2010

PurposeInvestigating employee responses to relational fulfilment of the psychological contract and work‐life benefits of a telecommuting program, this study aims to contribute to the literature on social exchange in employment.Design/methodology/approachThe setting of the study was the German public administration. Survey data from 947 Civil Servants were analyzed in structural equation models. Analysis of mean structure was used to compare telecommuting participants (n=601) and regular workers (n=346).FindingsTrust and affective commitment consecutively mediated between relational fulfilment of the psychological contract and organizational citizenship behavior. Members of the telecommuting program had more positive representations of social exchange, reporting higher levels of fulfilment, trust, and commitment than their peers.Research limitations/implicationsReliance on cross‐sectional self‐report data poses a limitation. Selection effects in the quasi‐experimental design for comparing telecommuters and regular employees cannot be ruled out. Generalizability to more transactional or short‐term employment is debatable.Originality/valueThe study adds to a more integrated understanding of the psychological processes that reinforce and strengthen employee trust and commitment, thus forming the basis of the motivation to go above and beyond specified duties and reward‐contingent behavior.
Top team composition and corporate turnaround under environmental stability and turbulence
Authors: Abebe Michael A. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to empirically examine the effect of top management team (TMT) characteristics on corporate turnaround performance in declining firms under conditions of environmental stability and turbulence.Design/methodology/approachTheoretical hypotheses were developed and tested using data collected from 98 US manufacturing firms that experienced performance decline and turnaround during the periods 1990‐1994 and 1995‐2000 respectively. Data were collected from the COMPUSTAT database and annual filings and analyzed using a moderated regression analysis.FindingsThe results of moderated regression analysis indicate an adverse effect of long organizational tenure on corporate turnaround, especially in turbulent environments. Hence, if was found that the effect of top team composition on corporate turnaround varies depending on the environmental context.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to the ongoing corporate turnaround research by examining the interplay between TMT characteristics and turnaround performance under different environmental contexts. Consequently, the findings of the study suggest that the environmental context in which declining firms operate matter just as much as the nature and characteristics of their top team in determining the success of their turnaround attempt.Practical implicationsThe results of the study shed some light on corporate governance issues, specifically on the importance of matching top management change efforts in declining firms with the respective environmental context.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the corporate turnaround literature by addressing the recent call for research in the TMT‐turnaround relationship under environmental contingencies (i.e. environmental stability/turbulence).
Developing the strategic resources of Chinese entrepreneurial firms
Authors: Yi Feng Chen Nancy , Chen‐Ho Chao Mike , Tjosvold Dean 
Published: April 2010

PurposeApplying the theory of cooperation and competition, this paper proposes that entrepreneurial firms can obtain social capital in terms of trust and reciprocity by developing cooperative goals with other firms, rather than competitive and independent goals. Such cooperative relationships may then enhance the firm's strategic resources, including corporate reputation and market access.Design/methodology/approachResults were obtained from structural equation modeling of data from 120 entrepreneurial firms in Shanghai, China.FindingsThe hypotheses were supported, except that reciprocity was found to affect corporate reputation negatively. The results suggest that cooperative interdependence and trust in the network of entrepreneurial firms, not self‐sacrificing reciprocity, can foster a firm's business development.Originality/valueAlthough there is evidence in the literature suggesting that social capital influences the performance of entrepreneurial firms both directly and indirectly, there is less evidence addressing the mechanisms by which entrepreneurial firms can acquire and maintain social capital. This study addresses this research gap.
Leadership development: the key to unlocking individual creativity in organizations
Authors: Houghton Jeffery D. , DiLiello Trudy C. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper sets out to develop and test a hypothesized model of the role of adult leadership development and youth leadership development as possible moderators of the relationships between creative self‐efficacy, perceived support for creativity, and individual creativity.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the multi‐group nested goodness‐of‐fit strategy in LISREL 8.53 to test the interaction effects of two qualitative moderator variables.FindingsResults suggest that adult leadership development may moderate the relationship between perceived organizational support for creativity and individual creativity, while youth leadership development may moderate the relationship between creative self‐efficacy and individual creativity.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include concerns regarding generalizability, possible social desirability and response set biases, self‐report data, and causality. The primary implication is that leadership development, targeted at adults as well as children, may represent one important key for unlocking idle creative potential and enhancing overall organizational effectiveness.Practical implicationsOrganizations may wish to consider youth leadership development experiences as potential behaviorally based predictors of future job success for jobs that require creativity. Organizational decision makers should also carefully consider making leadership development opportunities available to organizational members at all levels.Originality/valueThe study is among the first to examine both adult and youth leadership development as potential facilitators of creativity in organizations and has value for practitioners as well as for future creativity and leadership development researchers.
Transformational and active transactional leadership in the Canadian military
Authors: Ivey Gary W. , Kline Theresa J.B. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis study seeks to examine the manifestation and effects of transformational, contingent reward, and active management‐by‐exception leadership across ranks in the Canadian military. It also aims to investigate whether or not the relationships between perceived leadership behaviors and effective leadership outcomes are moderated by hierarchical level and followers' expectations.Design/methodology/approachA total of 704 military officers and enlisted members rated their leaders' behaviors and the behaviors they expect of their leaders.FindingsFrequency of transformational leadership behaviors increased with rank, but frequencies of perceived and expected contingent reward and active management‐by‐exception leadership behaviors did not. Transformational and contingent reward leadership effects were not moderated by rank or by followers' expectations. The effects of perceived active management‐by‐exception leadership were moderated by followers' expectations.Research limitations/implicationsWhen followers do not expect active management‐by‐exception from their supervisors, based on their own implicit beliefs about the types of behaviors their leaders should be exhibiting, but they are subjected to it, their job satisfaction and their attitudes toward their supervisors may be negatively affected.Practical implicationsTransformational leadership is prevalent, expected, and effective at all hierarchical levels. Because of their positive impact on followers' job satisfaction and their attitudes toward their supervisors, the Canadian military should continue to encourage transformational leadership and contingent reward leadership behaviors at all hierarchical levels.Originality/valueThe study highlights the potential importance of congruence between the expectations followers have of their leaders and followers' perceptions of their leaders' actual behaviors.