Finnish Business Repatriates' Coping Strategies

This thesis explores Finnish business repatriates’ coping strategies. Managing repatriation has been recognized as a demanding task for companies and an important issue in international human resource management. However, we still know relatively little about how repatriates respond to the demands of the return. This thesis addresses this problem by applying a process approach to coping with repatriation. The focus is on identifying repatriates’ coping strategies and the various forms of them. This study also aims to investigate what might influence the use of repatriates’ coping strategies and forms of coping. The background of this doctoral study is provided by earlier research that identified factors influencing repatriates’ adjustment, either positively or negatively. The empirical material of this doctoral thesis comprises twenty-two Phase I semi-structured interviews and ten Phase II follow-up interviews conducted for the purposes of verification. The main findings of the study are formulated as propositions. For instance, it was suggested that repatriates are likely to use different forms of problem-focused strategy more often than various forms of emotion-focused strategy. Moreover, they also are likely to use a larger range of problem-focused strategies than emotion-focused strategies. In addition, in contrast to specialists, repatriates occupying managerial positions are likely to use a greater number and a greater variety of different forms of problem-focused strategy than of emotion-focused strategy, especially in the context of preparing for their return and in different work role changes. This thesis contributes to research on repatriation, expatriation, coping and identifies implications for management.

Microfoundations of HRM effects: Individual and Collective Attitudes and Performance

Previous research on Human Resource Management (HRM) has focused extensively on the potential relationships between the use of HRM practices and organizational performance. Extant research in HRM has been based on the underlying assumption that HRM practices can enhance organizational performance through their impact on positive employee attitudes and performance, that is, employee reactions to HRM. At the current state of research however, it remains unclear how employees come to perceive and react to HRM practices and to what extent employees in organizations, units and teams react to such practices in similar or widely different ways. In fact, recent HRM studies indicate that employee reactions to HRM may be far less homogeneous than assumed. This raises the question of whether or not the linkage between HRM and organizational outcomes can be explained by employee reactions in terms of attitudes and performance, if these reactions are largely idiosyncratic. Accordingly, this thesis aims to shed light on the processes that shape individuals’ reactions to HRM practices and how these processes may influence the variance or sharedness in such reactions among employees in organizations, units and teams. By theoretically developing and empirically examining the effects of employee perceptions of HRM practices from the perspective of ‘HRM as signaling’ and psychological contract theory, the main contributions of this thesis focus on the following research questions: i) How employee perceptions of the HRM practices relate to individual and collective employee attitudes and performance. ii) How employee perceptions of HRM practices relates to variance in employee attitudes and performance. iii) How collective employee performance mediates the relationship between employee perceptions of HRM practices and organizational performance. Regarding the first research questions the findings indicate that individuals do respond positively to HRM practices by adjusting their felt obligations towards the employer. This finding is in line with the idea of HRM as a signaling device where each HRM practice, implicitly or explicitly, sends signals to employees about promised rewards (inducements) and behaviors (obligations) expected in return. The relationship was also confirmed at the group level of analysis. What is more, variance was found to play an important role in that employee groups with more similar perceptions about the HRM system displayed a stronger relationship between HRM and employee obligations. Concerning the second question the findings were somewhat contradictory in that a strong HRM system was found negatively related to variance in employee performance but not employee obligations. Regarding the third question, the findings confirmed linkages between the HRM system and organizational performance at the group level and the HRM system and employee performance at the individual level. Also, the entire chain of links from the HRM system through variance in employee performance, and further through the level of employee performance to organizational performance was significant.

Yhteistoiminnallinen menetelmä ja oikeudenmukaisuus. Kuntatyöntekijöiden kokemuksia työkonferenssimenetelmästä.

Opinnäytetyössä tarkastellaan pienen kuntaliitoskunnan työntekijöiden asennoitumista työkonferenssiin. Työkonferenssi on keskustelutilaisuus, jonka keskeisiä periaatteita ovat demokraattisuus ja edustuksellisuus. Menetelmä on kehitetty erityisesti hierarkkisten raja-aitojen purkamiseen työyhteisöissä, ja sitä voidaan luonnehtia myös työyhteisöön kohdistuvaksi interventioksi. Työkonferenssimenetelmä on ideaalinen konstruktio, jonka periaatteet edustavat oikeudenmukaisuuden objektiivista ihannetta. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena on selvittää, miten työkonferenssia arvotetaan työskentelymenetelmänä ja etenkin, miten oikeudenmukaisuus konstruoituu työkonferenssia arvotettaessa. Oikeudenmukaisuutta tarkastellaan sosiaaliselle toiminnalle osoitettuna hyväksyntänä tai paheksuntana. Oikeudenmukaisuudesta puhuminen on puolestaan argumentatiivinen teko, jossa keskeistä on vastuun osoittaminen koetusta epäoikeudenmukaisuudesta. Tutkielman teoreettisena viitekehyksenä on kategorioinnin näkökulma oikeudenmukaisuuteen (Ambrose & Kulik, 2001), moraalisen vastuun näkökulma (Folger, 2001) ja yleinen oikeudenmukaisuusteoria (Folger & Cropanzano, 1998) ja tutkimusnäkökulmana retorinen asenneteoria (Billig, 1987/1996). Asennoitumista tarkastellaan laadullisen asennetutkimuksen menetelmällä (Vesala & Rantanen, 2007) tuotetun ja analysoidun aineistonäytteen kautta, joka koostuu kahdeksan kuntatyöntekijän yksilöhaastatteluin tuotetusta argumentatiivisesta puheaineistosta. Haastatellut osallistuivat syksyllä 2008 työkonferenssiin, jonka tarkoituksena oli määritellä pienen kuntaliitoskunnan hyvät palvelut – mitä ja miten. Haastattelut tehtiin syksyllä 2008. Aineiston analyysin perusteella työkonferenssia arvotetaan sekä tasavertaisuuden että hyödyn näkökulmasta. Pääosin haastatellut suhtautuvat työkonferenssiin myönteisesti. Myönteinen suhtautuminen liittyy erityisesti työkonferenssimenetelmän eettis-moraalisiin periaatteisiin ja koettuun ryhmätoimintaan. Hieman kielteisempi suhtautuminen liittyy työkonferenssin mahdollisuuteen toimia tehokkaasti yksityiskohtaisten tavoitteiden saavuttamisessa. Tutkimuksen tulokset antavat olettaa, että työkonferenssinmenetelmän mahdollisuus toimia työyhteisöön kohdistuvana interventiona paranisi sen periaatteellisemmalla käytöllä ja vuorovaikutuksellisia näkökulmia korostavilla tavoitteilla. Keskeisimmät lähdeteokset: työkonferenssista Lehtosen (2004) Työkonferenssi Suomessa; oikeudenmukaisuudesta Ambrosen ja Kulikin (2001) artikkeli How do I know that’s fair?, Folgerin (2001) artikkeli Fairness as deonance, Folgerin ja Cropanzanon (1998) Organizational justice and human resource management; retorisesta asenneteoriasta Billigin (1987/1996) Arguing and thinking; laadullisesta asennetutkimuksesta Vesalan ja Rantasen (2007) Argumentaatio ja tulkinta.

Costes potenciales ante el déficit de señalización en la Licenciatura de Ciencias Económicas para la Empresa

[ES] El desempleo existente entre los recién licenciados en España ha alcanzado un nivel récord comparado con el resto de los países en la Unión Europea. A su vez no hay ningún país en la Unión Europea que cuente con tantos estudiantes y licenciados como España. Este artículo no muestra los altos costes para los recién licenciados y el estado en general, sino se centra en los potenciales costes para las empresas en este país que conllevan estas circunstancias. Como base teórica este artículo aplicará los resultados de la Teoría de la agencia para hacer ver que las titulaciones tanto universitarias como no universitarias pueden sufrir una deflación permanente del valor. Con ayuda del ejemplo de la situación de los recién licenciados en Ingeniería y Empresariales en España frente a Alemania este artículo muestra como la deficiente señalización de las titulaciones puede provocar los ya mencionados costes.

¿Cómo gestionan las empresas emprendoras los recursos humanos? El caso de REDUR

[ES] En este trabajo se analiza la dirección de los recursos humanos en una empresa familiar y emprendedora, REDUR. En concreto, analizamos las características y los principales problemas en esta área a lo largo de la vida de la empresa. Actualmente REDUR se encuentra en su etapa de crecimiento. El estudio realizado nos ha permitido saber que la gestión de recursos humanos va adquiriendo un carácter más formal y que la formación y la contratación son las prácticas más importantes. Precisamente, en lo que se refiere a estas prácticas, destaca la utilización de la grafología, como técnica para seleccionar al personal, y la importancia de la socialización. Esto se puede deber a que las empresas en crecimiento priorizan el ajuste persona-organización.

Determinantes sociales y cognitivos en el espíritu emprendedor: un estudio exploratorio entre estudiantes argentinos

[ES] En este artículo analizamos las intenciones de emprender un negocio por parte de un grupo de estudiantes argentinos que cursaban la especialización en Dirección Estratégica de Recursos Humanos en la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Los resultados del estudio muestran que estos estudiantes desean crear su propio negocio, pero las posibilidades de creación del mismo dependen de varios factores. Entre todos ellos destaca la autoeficacia; aquellos estudiantes que muestran puntuaciones más elevadas en esta variable son los que manifiestan más intención por crear un negocio. Esta intención, en contra de lo esperado, es menor para los alumnos que señalan poseer más apoyo social. No encontramos que las cargas familiares o la experiencia previa en creación de empresas tengan un efecto significativo.

Implementation of a nursing competency assessment system in public hospitals

Numerous problems are frequently observed when nursing competency assessment systems (NCAS) are implemented. How to effectively implement a nursing competency assessment system, according to academic and practical contributions, is poorly reported in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to present a set of recommendations for public hospitals and nursing management in order to facilitate the implementation of a NCAS. To achieve this objective we have revised the existing literature and conducted a Delphi study with nursing managers and human resource managers of the public hospitals of the Basque Health Service. The results are that the implementation of a NCAS requires a well-planned strategy that managers must consider before implementing any NCAS. This strategy must include, at minimum, the following aspects: communication, training, leadership, and content where the NCAS is concerned. The context of the organisations and the cultural dimensions may also influence the results of the application of the system.

管理干部胜任特征评价方法的初步研究

Competency Assessment Method (CAM) is an important technique of Human Resource Management and Development in theory and practice, especially in personnel selection and training. Based on literatures of related fields, the thesis explored the feasibility of CAM in China. The main results found in this study are as follows: 1. Competencies scored in Behavioral Event Interviews (BEI) are not influenced by length of protocol, by performance in the preceding year. Average level and maximal level of complexity correlate significantly with length of protocol. Total competency frequency of outstanding executives is not significantly different from that of typical executives. These results support McCleland's view. But there is significant correlation between length of protocol and competency frequencies, which which is not agreed by McCleland. We found that competency scores using coding standard of average level and maximal level of complexity show more reliability than that using coding standard of competency frequencies. But this isn't confirmed by McCleland. 2. Inter-rater reliability was studied. The results indicated: total Category Agreement (CA) is 55.45%, over 70 percent of 20 competencies of the inter-rater reliability coefficients based on the classical test theory are significantly correlated. G coefficient based on the generalization theory is 0.85697. 3. Study of criterion sample shows that manager's competencies of China's communication enterprise are as follows: Impact and Influence, Organization Commitment, Information Seeking, Achievement Orientation, Team Leadership, Interpersonal Understanding, Initiative, Market Awareness, Self-confidence, Developing Others. This result in similar to the generic competency model of managers presented in Spencer's book. 4. CAM showed more advantages than the method of experts panel judgement.

国有企业管理者裁员决策特征及其对留岗者心理影响的研究

In China, orgnizational change and downsizing are the primary topics studied in I/O psychology and Human Resource Management. Due to the great need in reality, both theorists and practitioners raised the same questions: Does downsizing increase the organizational performance? What is the relationship between organizational downsizing strategies and survivors' psychological reations? Which factors influence managers' downsizing decision-making most? How can managers manage the process successfully? The purpose of this study is trying to answer these questions, and then to establish the downsizing decision-making model of China's SOE (State owned enterprise) managers. The hypothetical model of SOE managers' downsizing decision-making was put forward, based on a tremendous amount of literature on downsizing decision-making, especially on the downsizing decision-making model built by B. Shaw, and also based on the results of the interviews conducted to the SOE managers who have the downsizing decision-making experiences. In order to test and verify the model, 322 SOE managers were investigated by a questionnaire study. And the statistic results supported the hypothetical downsizing decision-making model. Further, 259 survivors (those who are still working in the SOEs) from 7 downsized SOEs and 1 non-downsizing SOE, were also investigated by a questionnaire study. The statistic results also supported the hypothetical downsizing decision-making model. A subsequent case study was performed upon one downsized SOE; and a deliberate focus group interview study within 6 SOE mangers from another downsized SOE was also conducted. Both fundings from the two studies surported the hypothetical model again. Thus, China's SOE managers' downsizing decision-making model was established. This China's SOE managers' downsizing decision-making model suggests the following: Firstly, the characteristics of managers'downsizing decision-making were the center of the model. Those characteristics displayed during the process of the downsizing decision planning, the participation of downsizing decision-making and the communication concerning downsizing events, were influenced by managers' sense of crisis, controlling factors out of the organization and the managing experience within it. Especially, the latter two factors were more important. Secondly, in downsizing decision-making problems, the perceived crisis of China's SOE managers was mainly influenced by the outer factors, esp. the controlling factors from the government or the high authorities, but not by the inner factors including manufacturing management, HRM skills and organizational competition strategies. Thirdly, survivors'psychological reactions (including job satisfaction, job motivation, team working cooperation, etc) were mainly influenced by the characteristics of the managers' downsizing decision-making, at the same time, also by the outer factors (including controlling and social security factors) and the inner factors (including competition strategy and HRM skills). Finally, according to the model and the results from this study, the conclusions were reached in the followings: The stronger the controlling effort upon the SOE managers, the worse the effect displayed during the downsizing process. And in order to improve the effect and quality of downsizing decision-making, SOE managers need a lot of training to ameliorate their competencies such as competition strategies and HRM skills.

Workplace learning and the employment relationship in the public sector.

Training that is relevant to employers is not necessarily enriching for employees, especially those on the lower salary scales. The authors argue that the analysis of training and development needs to be understood in the context of the employment relationship. Drawing on reasearch evidence from six case studies in the public sector, the article examines the impact of changes in work organisation on workplace learning, managers' and employees' own strategies towards it and the limitations of tools such as appraisal. Since employees' existing qualifications are poorly utilised and their development needs often frustrated, issues concerning job design, occupational progression routes and employee entitlements need to be addressed

Impact of Islamic values on HRM practices: an empirical study of Jordanian universities

Purpose This study aims to present an in-depth theoretical and practical analysis of HRM practice in the light of Islamic values and principles. It looks at the four main HRM functions of recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, and rewards, from the Islamic perspective. Besides establishing a theoretical base for the influence of Islam on HRM, it analyses the key characteristics of HRM practice as applied in Jordanian universities and analyses the extent to which Islamic values are embedded in that practice. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on a structured questionnaire distributed to 500 respondents working in four Jordanian universities which sought to elicit the respondents views on the influence of Islamic values within specific HR functions. Findings The findings indicate that there is a diffusion of Islamic values into HRM practice in the participating organisations. The extent of the diffusion varies between the organisations; there is a clear indication that explicitly Islamic values are being practiced, albeit to a limited extent. Originality/value The role of spirituality and/or religion in shaping the working of contemporary organisations is not sufficiently recognised in the literature. This paper is a response to the limited number of research studies assessing the extent of the absorption of religious values into the management of human resources. The study undertaken examines the current status of HRM practice in Jordanian universities and contributes to deepening the contemporary understanding of interactions between Islamic values and the core HR functions.

Gestão integrada de recursos humanos em farmácia comunitária e seus fundamentos

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Farmacêuticas

The senior female international managerial career move: a qualitative study in a European context

Research investigating the position of women in management has, largely, been confined within national boundaries. Over the last fifteen years, empirical studies of women in international management have been undertaken, predominantly in North America. In this research field, many questions remain unanswered or have been only partially addressed. The particular focus of this study is on the senior female international managerial career move in Europe — a relatively unexplored area. Fifty senior female expatriate managers were interviewed, representing a wide range of industry and service sectors. The study, for the first time, assesses an exclusively senior sample of female managers who have made at least one international career move. This study of senior females in international management makes a theoretical contribution, not only to the analysis of gender and international human resource management, but also to wider debates within the contemporary women in management and career theory literatures. The aims of the study were to develop an understanding of the senior female international career move in a European context in order to more fully understand both the covert and overt barriers that may limit women’s international career opportunities. The results of the study show that the senior international career move has largely been developed along a linear male model of career progression, a development which, taken together with gender disparity both in organisations and family responsibilities, frequently prevents women employees from reaching senior managerial positions. The study proposes a model of the senior female international managerial career move, thereby contributing primarily to the international human resource management literature. The implications of the study for research literatures in women in management and career theory are also explored and a future research agenda developed.

Getting to the Real Story: What Vietnamese business people wish foreigners understood about doing business in emerging and transition countries like Vietnam – BEFORE they start

Knowledge sharing typically examines organizational transfer of knowledge, often from headquarters to subsidiaries, from developed country sites to emerging country sites, or from host to local employees. Yes, recent research, such as Prahalad’s Bottom of the Pyramid, raises the question of reverse transfer of knowledge, or whether knowledge could and should be transferred from local sites to home country sites within an organization. As several emerging economies build their capabilities in knowledge, research and development, marketing, and the like, it only makes sense to consider what type of knowledge and how to transfer it in reverse or bi-directional manners. This paper takes one step back in the process. Rather than focusing on what knowledge transfer may make sense within an organization, we consider what types of knowledge are important for foreigners to know at the initial stages of engagement abroad as they consider whether to do business in an emerging country.