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The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm has been consistently used as a backdrop in strategic human resource management (SHRM) research and has the potential to bridge the ‘micro–macro’ divide. The tension between the SHRM and the strategic human capital literature, however, signifies that RBV has not reached its potential. In this paper, we begin with a brief review of the conceptual logic linking human resource management (HRM) practices and firm outcomes that aim at highlighting the different treatment of RBV in the SHRM and strategic human capital literatures. We then propose a conceptual model that suggests that HRM practices are not simple levers that enable firms to create sustainable competitive advantage, as most of the strategic human capital research postulates. On the contrary, we argue that HRM practices can contribute to a firm's sustainable competitive advantage not only by enhancing employees' ability, and offering motivation and opportunities, but also by shaping supply-side and demand-side mobility constraints.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to test alternative conceptualizations of the relationship between systems of human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational effectiveness. The authors describe a framework suggesting a complex relationship between HRM practices and organizational effectiveness, test this approach empirically in a large sample of US motor carriers, and compare the results to those derived using other approaches prevalent in the strategic HRM literature.Design/methodology/approach– The study used a large scale cross-sectional survey design. In a sample of US motor carriers, questionnaires completed by senior HRM department staff were used as the primary data. The data were supplemented by organizational effectiveness data reported by motor carriers to the US Government.Findings– The results support the general hypothesis that HRM practices enhance organizational effectiveness, provide some evidence that HRM practices can enhance each other’s effectiveness, and underscore the value of theory driven methodological approaches. Specifically, the authors found that HRM system comprising practices that ensure selectivity in staffing, performance-based pay, and enhanced employee opportunity through participation in decision-making result in higher levels of organizational effectiveness. Additionally, the effects of other combinations of these practices varied.Practical implications– This study highlights the need for HRM departments and organizations to approach the strategic management of employees with a systems perspective. The optimal design of an HRM strategy must take into account the various components.Originality/value– This study is one of the first to test the main assumptions of the systems perspective in strategic HRM using multiple measures and empirical approaches for combining HRM practices into systems. Comparison of these different approaches in a single study offers insight into how researchers can test the relationship between HRM practices and organizational effectiveness and provide practitioners more useful approaches for designing HRM systems.

The relationship between voluntary turnover rates and two types of organizational performance — work force and financial — is investigated in two intra-industry studies. Drawing on multiple perspec...

Although there are many individual-level models of turnover, little research has examined the effects of human resource management practices on quit rates and discharge rates at the organizational level. This study used organization-level data from 227 organizations in the trucking industry to explore this issue. Results show that human resource management practices predict quit rates and discharge rates but that the determinants of each are quite different. Implications are derived and directions for future research suggested.

There is a growing body of research showing that the methods used by an organization to manage its human resources can have a substantial impact on many organizationally relevant outcomes. Human resource management (HRM) practices have been linked with turnover (Arthur 19941, productivity (Ichniowski, Shaw, & Prennushi 1997; MacDufYie 1995), financial returns (Delcry & Doty 19961, survival (Welbourne & Andrews 19961, and firm value (Huselid 1995). This growing area of research has been labeled strategic human resource management (SHRM) in that it emphasizes the strategic role of human resources management in meeting business objectives. Estab~shing that HRM practices are linked with firm effectiveness is an important first step in this line of research, however, there is still little understanding of the mechanisms through which HRM practices influence effectiveness. For instance, Delaney and Huselid (1996) stated that researchers still do not know “how HRM practices affect org~izational outcomes, whether some practices have stronger effects than others, and whether complemtarities or synergies among such practices can further enhance organizational performance” (p. 950). This line of research has been interesting in that it points to the importance of human resources, but it has provided few real insights for organizations wishing to gain a competitive advantage through human resources. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, I provide a brief review of the major theoretical and empirical work completed to date in SHRM, focusing most closely on the fit of HRM practices into a coherent system. Second, I present several issues critical to empirical research in SHRAiI on which researchers must focus greater attention. To date, there is clearly no consensus as to how researchers must address these issues. It is argued throughout this article that the conceptual foundations of SHRM have been relatively weak and many of the empirical investigations have made assumptions not driven

The field of strategic human resource management (SHRM) has been criticized for lacking a solid theoretical foundation. This article documents that, contrary to this criticism, the SHRM literature ...

This symposium proposal aims to reinvigorate the investigation of the role of formal HRM functions in strategic HRM (SHRM) research. The majority of recent SHRM research has investigated the influe...

The strategic management of human resources (HR) has been one of the most rapidly growing areas of research within human resources. In the last decade, there have been numerous empirical examinations and theoretical treatments of the link between HR and firm performance. In this paper, we review this empirical and conceptual literature and highlight areas of agreement and those that need further development. We then begin the process of building a conceptual framework based on this review and the extensive employment systems literature. Using our framework, we then discuss several methodological concerns that must be addressed for continued substantive research to proceed. We conclude with our suggestions for future empirical and conceptual work.