The impact of demographic change and its challenges for the workforce in the European public sectors. Three priority areas to invest in future HRM. EIPA Working Paper 2012/W/01

European public sectors are particularly affected by the demographic challenge and an ageing and shrinking workforce. According to OECD statistics, over 30% of public employees of central government in 13 countries will leave during the next 15 years. Moreover, the public sector has as compared to the private sector to rely on a much older workforce, who will have to work longer in future. Against this background, European governments need to react and re-think major elements of current HR and organisational management in the public sector. Particularly the skills in age management should be improved in order to also maintain in future a highly productive, competent and efficient public sector and to ensure that public employees stay longer ‘employable’, ‘healthy’, ‘fit for the job’ and ‘up to the task’. The survey suggests some solutions by investing more in three priority areas in the field of HRM.

Museers arbete med strategisk kommunikation och digitala medier : En kvalitativ studie av tre museimyndigheter i Stockholm

Museisektorn står idag inför utmaningar som kräver att museerna anpassar sina kommunikativa strategier för att hålla sig aktuella och kunna tävla om publikens uppmärksamhet. Då museerna har mycket att vinna på att arbeta med strategisk kommunikation och tidigare studier visat att museer i andra länder har dåligt utvecklade kommunikativa strategier, ämnar denna uppsats undersöka på vilket sätt museer i Stockholm Stad arbetar med strategisk kommunikation för att nå de mål de har satt upp i sina visioner samt vilken roll de nya digitala och sociala medierna spelar i detta arbete. De digitala och sociala medierna öppnar nämligen idag upp för nya sätt att bedriva strategisk kommunikation i och med att de möjliggör en två-vägs kommunikation som inte tidigare varit möjlig.  I sökandet efter svar har tre kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts med kommunikationspersonal på museer i Stockholms Stad.  Genom att koppla resultatet från dessa intervjuer till teori och tidigare studier har slutsatsen dragits att museerna arbetar tydligt med strategisk kommunikation i vissa aspekter av kommunikationen samtidigt andra delar av kommunikationen utmärks av ett tydligt marknadsföringstänk. Arbetet med de digitala och sociala medierna präglas av visionerna och således ett strategiskt tänk, dock utnyttjas inte potentialen till relationsfrämjande dialog vilket gör att dessa medier bara blir ännu en kanal för museerna att nå ut till publiken.

The effect of business strategies and HRM policies on organizational performance:the Greek experience

This article investigates the relationship between simultaneity in decisions regarding business strategies and human resource management (HRM) policies and their impact on organizational performance. The research is based on a sample of 178 organizations operating in the Greek manufacturing sector. The results of this study support the hypothesis that when business strategies and HRM policies are developed simultaneously, they positively affect organizational performance. This is more valid for decisions taken simultaneously with respect to quality and employee development, innovation and employee rewards and relations, and cost and employee resourcing. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

HRM systems of Indian call centres:an exploratory study

This paper initially highlights the rapid growth in the call centre (CC) sector in developing countries like India. It then makes a case for the investigation of human resource management (HRM) systems of call centres in India. The analysis is based on a two-phase empirical study. Phase one examines the nature and pattern of HRM systems and phase two the emerging issue of attrition in Indian call centres. A mixed research approach comprising in-depth interviews and questionnaire survey was adopted to conduct the investigation. Against the established norms of Indian organizations, the findings highlight the existence of formal, structured and rationalized HRM systems. Core reasons for the increasing levels of attrition are highlighted. The analysis further provides useful information both for academics and practitioners and opens avenues for future research.

The dynamics of HRM systems in Indian BPO firms

This paper highlights the context within which business process outsourcing (BPO) has rapidly grown in India and the critical need to investigate the dynamics of human resource management (HRM) practices and systems in this sector. Using a mixed-method approach involving both in-depth interviews and self-completing questionnaires, we analyze the nature of HRM systems in BPO organizations operating in India. The analysis is based on a sample of 51 BPO companies, a majority of which are located near the capital of New Delhi. The results focus on the nature and structure of work and organization of Indian BPOs, as well as the strategic role played by HRM in such organizations. Furthermore, the findings highlight the way specific HRM practices such as recruitment, performance appraisal, training and development, and compensations are implemented. Our study suggests the existence of formal, structured, and rationalized HRM systems in Indian BPOs. A number of insights related to HRM policies and practices are shared by the HR managers interviewed shedding more light on the inner workings of the Indian BPO companies and their challenges. The analysis provides original and useful information to both academics and practitioners and opens avenues for future research on the nature of HRM systems and practices in the Indian BPO industry.