The structure of work in organizations continues to change at a radical and accelerated pace to a... more The structure of work in organizations continues to change at a radical and accelerated pace to allow them to remain competitive in a changing environment (LePine, 2003). Faced with constantly evolving internal and external environments, more and more firms utilize teams as a means of better leveraging human capital in the pursuit of organizational goals (Kozlowski & Bell, 2003). Prior research has demonstrated the prevalence of teams as Devine, Clayton, Philips, Dunford, and Melner (1999) found that 48% of the respondents ...
Research has uncovered mixed results regarding the influence of overqualification on employee per... more Research has uncovered mixed results regarding the influence of overqualification on employee performance outcomes, suggesting the existence of boundary conditions for such an influence. Using relative deprivation theory (Crosby, 1976) as the primary theoretical basis, in the current research, we examine the moderating role of peer overqualification and provide insights to the questions regarding whether, when, and how overqualification relates to employee performance. We tested the theoretical model with data gathered across three phases over 6 months from 351 individuals and their supervisors in 72 groups. Results showed that when working with peers whose average overqualification level was high, as opposed to low, employees who felt overqualified for their jobs perceived greater task significance and person-group fit, and demonstrated higher levels of in-role and extra-role performance. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications for overqualification at the individual level and within the larger group context.
We conducted two studies to investigate the contingent role of regional human capital quality (i.... more We conducted two studies to investigate the contingent role of regional human capital quality (i.e., the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the collective workforce in a region) in the relationship between firm level human resource (HR) practices (i.e., practices focusing on employees’ human capital development) and firm performance in China. Drawing upon human capital theory, we hypothesized that the human capital-enhancing HR practices and regional human capital quality has a substitutive effect on firm performance. Study 1 uses a World Bank survey of 9,125 firms in 30 provinces. We found the human capital-enhancing HR practices to relate more strongly to firm performance when regional human capital quality was lower than when it was higher. Study 2 used a sample of 203 firms across seven provinces. We found similar results. We further hypothesized and found that the substitutive effect of regional human capital quality was stronger when a firm adopted an innovation strategy. Our findings provide new evidence for the contingency perspective of strategic human resource management and highlight the importance of matching HR practices with local labor quality conditions and business strategy of the firm.
The field of strategic human resource management has a long and rich tradition. As a prelude to o... more The field of strategic human resource management has a long and rich tradition. As a prelude to our description of the field's history, we provide an expansive definition of strategic HRM scholarship and offer an aspirational framework for strategic HRM scholarship that captures the multidisciplinary nature of the field. We then systematically review and critique three decades of strategic HRM theory and research, paying particular attention to the value of HRM systems as management tools for influencing a wide variety of outcomes of concern to internal (employees and their managers) and external (owners, customers, society, other organizations) stakeholders. In support of continued advancement of the empirical knowledge base of strategic HRM, we encourage new research that embraces systems thinking, more fully addresses the concerns of multiple stakeholders, and strives for greater practical usefulness by addressing significant problems such as managing innovation and environmental sustainability.Accepted Author Version. Not yet edited or proofed. Please see disclaimer on the article abstract page.
Although the number of firms adopting corporate volunteerism programs is rising steadily, very fe... more Although the number of firms adopting corporate volunteerism programs is rising steadily, very few firms are assessing the benefits of such programs on target groups, such as employees and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and identifying the conditions under which benefits to the various groups are maximized. This study addresses both by examining the conditions of employees’ corporate volunteer assignments that lead to increased employee engagement, sustainability of the volunteers’ project within the NGO, capability development for the business unit, and employees’ continuation of volunteerism. Using a longitudinal and multisource design, responses from 116 corporate volunteers from a global pharmaceutical organization are matched with responses from their NGO managers and their business unit managers at 3 points in time: at the start of the volunteer assignment, at the end of the assignment, and 6 months after the completion of the assignment. Across these outcomes, we found that employees’ volunteer assignments are most valuable when they are international, when the volunteers perceive that their projects contribute meaningfully the NGO's functioning, when volunteers have professional skills (and are able to use them), when there are opportunities for skills to be developed that can be applied in the volunteers’ regular work role, and when the NGOs have tangible resources to sustain the volunteers’ projects.
The structure of work in organizations continues to change at a radical and accelerated pace to a... more The structure of work in organizations continues to change at a radical and accelerated pace to allow them to remain competitive in a changing environment (LePine, 2003). Faced with constantly evolving internal and external environments, more and more firms utilize teams as a means of better leveraging human capital in the pursuit of organizational goals (Kozlowski & Bell, 2003). Prior research has demonstrated the prevalence of teams as Devine, Clayton, Philips, Dunford, and Melner (1999) found that 48% of the respondents ...
Research has uncovered mixed results regarding the influence of overqualification on employee per... more Research has uncovered mixed results regarding the influence of overqualification on employee performance outcomes, suggesting the existence of boundary conditions for such an influence. Using relative deprivation theory (Crosby, 1976) as the primary theoretical basis, in the current research, we examine the moderating role of peer overqualification and provide insights to the questions regarding whether, when, and how overqualification relates to employee performance. We tested the theoretical model with data gathered across three phases over 6 months from 351 individuals and their supervisors in 72 groups. Results showed that when working with peers whose average overqualification level was high, as opposed to low, employees who felt overqualified for their jobs perceived greater task significance and person-group fit, and demonstrated higher levels of in-role and extra-role performance. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications for overqualification at the individual level and within the larger group context.
We conducted two studies to investigate the contingent role of regional human capital quality (i.... more We conducted two studies to investigate the contingent role of regional human capital quality (i.e., the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the collective workforce in a region) in the relationship between firm level human resource (HR) practices (i.e., practices focusing on employees’ human capital development) and firm performance in China. Drawing upon human capital theory, we hypothesized that the human capital-enhancing HR practices and regional human capital quality has a substitutive effect on firm performance. Study 1 uses a World Bank survey of 9,125 firms in 30 provinces. We found the human capital-enhancing HR practices to relate more strongly to firm performance when regional human capital quality was lower than when it was higher. Study 2 used a sample of 203 firms across seven provinces. We found similar results. We further hypothesized and found that the substitutive effect of regional human capital quality was stronger when a firm adopted an innovation strategy. Our findings provide new evidence for the contingency perspective of strategic human resource management and highlight the importance of matching HR practices with local labor quality conditions and business strategy of the firm.
The field of strategic human resource management has a long and rich tradition. As a prelude to o... more The field of strategic human resource management has a long and rich tradition. As a prelude to our description of the field's history, we provide an expansive definition of strategic HRM scholarship and offer an aspirational framework for strategic HRM scholarship that captures the multidisciplinary nature of the field. We then systematically review and critique three decades of strategic HRM theory and research, paying particular attention to the value of HRM systems as management tools for influencing a wide variety of outcomes of concern to internal (employees and their managers) and external (owners, customers, society, other organizations) stakeholders. In support of continued advancement of the empirical knowledge base of strategic HRM, we encourage new research that embraces systems thinking, more fully addresses the concerns of multiple stakeholders, and strives for greater practical usefulness by addressing significant problems such as managing innovation and environmental sustainability.Accepted Author Version. Not yet edited or proofed. Please see disclaimer on the article abstract page.
Although the number of firms adopting corporate volunteerism programs is rising steadily, very fe... more Although the number of firms adopting corporate volunteerism programs is rising steadily, very few firms are assessing the benefits of such programs on target groups, such as employees and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and identifying the conditions under which benefits to the various groups are maximized. This study addresses both by examining the conditions of employees’ corporate volunteer assignments that lead to increased employee engagement, sustainability of the volunteers’ project within the NGO, capability development for the business unit, and employees’ continuation of volunteerism. Using a longitudinal and multisource design, responses from 116 corporate volunteers from a global pharmaceutical organization are matched with responses from their NGO managers and their business unit managers at 3 points in time: at the start of the volunteer assignment, at the end of the assignment, and 6 months after the completion of the assignment. Across these outcomes, we found that employees’ volunteer assignments are most valuable when they are international, when the volunteers perceive that their projects contribute meaningfully the NGO's functioning, when volunteers have professional skills (and are able to use them), when there are opportunities for skills to be developed that can be applied in the volunteers’ regular work role, and when the NGOs have tangible resources to sustain the volunteers’ projects.
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