OB – Organizational Behaviour – 2022/2023 – SUM
Summary week 1
Organizational behaviour: ‘a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and
structures have on behaviour within organizations for the purpose of applying such knowledge
toward improving an organization’s effectiveness’- how, on different levels
(individual-professionalism/group-leadership/structure-context, organization)
the behaviour/knowledge of individuals (employees) is influenced.
Human resource management is the management of work and people towards
desired ends (Boxall et al., 2007).
Contextual SHRM framework
- Many HRM models developed in for-profit contexts >> can it be applied in a HC context (not-
for-profit context)?
o In the old days there were the standard recipes that claimed to work in any context;
however nowadays the best fit approach; fitting the nature of your organization
o Outside in/inside-out thinking
Porter approach; conduct performance paradigm: external context (the
market) would determine the nature and development division coordination
of labour
Inside-out; resource-based view; internal context (own capabilities)
determine how we’re gonna manifest ourselves in the market
Balanced approach; inside out en outside in; external context and our own
capabilities
Best practice --- best fit
Universalistic (one size fits all)/best practice; from a normative point of view a set of HR practices
that always work
Best practice (Pfeffer’s 7 best practices)
- Selective recruitment and selection
- Extensive training
- Performance related pay (PRP)
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Reduction of status differences
- Job security
interesting in a US setting; however, what is the value of this approach in a western
European setting? Considering that a lot of jobs already have all of these.
Contingent (if … then)/best fit; if you are operating in such a market than you need to..; e.g. If you are
operating in a tight labour market than you have to put a lot of effort in recruitment and pay a bit
more; in order to become a preferred employer.
Best fit approach
, Context is important
o Internal context
History
Administrative heritage; how is it shaped through the past
(founder/mergers)
Culture; power and hierarchy or family etc
o External context
Market mechanisms
Institutional mechanisms (legislation/ collective bargaining agreements /
values dominant in society)
How to reconcile the two
o Boxel & Percel; best practice is about the underpinning layer and the best fit is about the
surface layer; it will always pay off to select your employees carefully (best practice), however
the specific way to do this might differ per function/job category/organization etc. (best fit).
o HR fit
Strategic/vertical fit; ‘alignment between business strategy and HR strategy’
Institutional/environmental fit; ‘the alignment between the HR strategy and the
institutional environment of an organization ; e.g. legislation, norms and values, works
councils’
Organisational fit; ‘alignment between HRM and other organizational systems and the
configuration’ – in line with the educational level/IT management system/ financial
system etc
Internal/horizontal fit; ‘alignment between internal HR practices (deadly combinations)’;
if you’re stimulating teamwork; maybe don’t implement PRP per person
The claim is; if you achieve the 4 types of fit/if you can optimize them than you’ll have good
HR which will be beneficial to your employees and organization.
Mapping the specific context in which the organization operates, helping to design a HR
system which meets the demands that arise out of the internal and external context, unique
for your organization; contributes to different forms of performance/well-being/societal
well-being.
Contextually Based Human Resource Theory
, The competive (strategic fit), heritage (organizational fit) and institutional (environmental fit)
mechanisms determine the context of an organisation; the pose demands upon the dominan
coalition (the people in charge; they have to reconcile the different demands) within their
leeway; leading to HR strategies arising from the specific demands/context of an organisation
(internal fit).
Summary week 1
Organizational behaviour: ‘a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and
structures have on behaviour within organizations for the purpose of applying such knowledge
toward improving an organization’s effectiveness’- how, on different levels
(individual-professionalism/group-leadership/structure-context, organization)
the behaviour/knowledge of individuals (employees) is influenced.
Human resource management is the management of work and people towards
desired ends (Boxall et al., 2007).
Contextual SHRM framework
- Many HRM models developed in for-profit contexts >> can it be applied in a HC context (not-
for-profit context)?
o In the old days there were the standard recipes that claimed to work in any context;
however nowadays the best fit approach; fitting the nature of your organization
o Outside in/inside-out thinking
Porter approach; conduct performance paradigm: external context (the
market) would determine the nature and development division coordination
of labour
Inside-out; resource-based view; internal context (own capabilities)
determine how we’re gonna manifest ourselves in the market
Balanced approach; inside out en outside in; external context and our own
capabilities
Best practice --- best fit
Universalistic (one size fits all)/best practice; from a normative point of view a set of HR practices
that always work
Best practice (Pfeffer’s 7 best practices)
- Selective recruitment and selection
- Extensive training
- Performance related pay (PRP)
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Reduction of status differences
- Job security
interesting in a US setting; however, what is the value of this approach in a western
European setting? Considering that a lot of jobs already have all of these.
Contingent (if … then)/best fit; if you are operating in such a market than you need to..; e.g. If you are
operating in a tight labour market than you have to put a lot of effort in recruitment and pay a bit
more; in order to become a preferred employer.
Best fit approach
, Context is important
o Internal context
History
Administrative heritage; how is it shaped through the past
(founder/mergers)
Culture; power and hierarchy or family etc
o External context
Market mechanisms
Institutional mechanisms (legislation/ collective bargaining agreements /
values dominant in society)
How to reconcile the two
o Boxel & Percel; best practice is about the underpinning layer and the best fit is about the
surface layer; it will always pay off to select your employees carefully (best practice), however
the specific way to do this might differ per function/job category/organization etc. (best fit).
o HR fit
Strategic/vertical fit; ‘alignment between business strategy and HR strategy’
Institutional/environmental fit; ‘the alignment between the HR strategy and the
institutional environment of an organization ; e.g. legislation, norms and values, works
councils’
Organisational fit; ‘alignment between HRM and other organizational systems and the
configuration’ – in line with the educational level/IT management system/ financial
system etc
Internal/horizontal fit; ‘alignment between internal HR practices (deadly combinations)’;
if you’re stimulating teamwork; maybe don’t implement PRP per person
The claim is; if you achieve the 4 types of fit/if you can optimize them than you’ll have good
HR which will be beneficial to your employees and organization.
Mapping the specific context in which the organization operates, helping to design a HR
system which meets the demands that arise out of the internal and external context, unique
for your organization; contributes to different forms of performance/well-being/societal
well-being.
Contextually Based Human Resource Theory
, The competive (strategic fit), heritage (organizational fit) and institutional (environmental fit)
mechanisms determine the context of an organisation; the pose demands upon the dominan
coalition (the people in charge; they have to reconcile the different demands) within their
leeway; leading to HR strategies arising from the specific demands/context of an organisation
(internal fit).
