Strategic HRM summary
Table of content
Theme 1: Black-box debate....................................................................................................................................3
Knowledge clip:...................................................................................................................................................3
Video lecture:.......................................................................................................................................................4
Workgroup:..........................................................................................................................................................6
Lecture:................................................................................................................................................................6
Articles:................................................................................................................................................................8
Workgroup:......................................................................................................................................................8
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................10
Theme 2: Contingency perspective......................................................................................................................12
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................12
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................12
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................15
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................15
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................17
Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................17
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................19
Theme 3: Dark-side perspective...........................................................................................................................21
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................21
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................21
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................23
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................23
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................25
Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................25
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................27
Theme 4: Differentiated workforce.....................................................................................................................29
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................29
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................30
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................33
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................33
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................34
Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................34
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................36
Theme 5: HR devolution.......................................................................................................................................38
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................38
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................39
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................42
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................42
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................44
, Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................44
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................48
2
,Theme 1: Black-box debate
Knowledge clip:
SHRM theory: the more HR practices are implemented in an organization, the better the
organization’s performance.
Black-box debate: It’s unclear if the processes by which HR practices affect organizational
performance and both how many steps there are in the link between HRM and performance,
and what the content of each step is. Central to certain models is that employees play a key
role in explaining the impact of HR practices on organizational performance.
Resource-Based View of the Firm: main assumption of this theory is that
organizations can build a competitive advantage based on resources that
are valuable (capable of delivering superior competitive results), rare (not
easily obtained by competitors), imperfectly imitable (hard to copy), and
non-substitutable (hard to replace). This theory provides a reason for how
HR practices positively affect organizational performance by building a
better human capital pool and stimulating better processes within the
organization.
Organizations have different resources:
- Organizational resources (e.g. structure, planning)
- Physical resources (e..g plants, equipment)
- Human resources
Human resource advantage can consist of:
- Human capital advantage: situation where there’s a stock of
exceptional human talent working with the organization, whose
knowledge, abilities and skills match the strategic needs of the firm.
- Human process advantage: presence of difficult-to-imitate,
historically evolved processes within the organization, such as
intense forms of co-operation between people.
AMO framework: refers to the idea that people perform well if they have
the three components:
- Ability: the employee can perform well on the job because he
possesses the necessary knowledge and skills (linked to human
capital theory). These, in turn, can be influenced by HR practices, for
example by providing training opportunities.
- Motivation: employees perform well on the job because they want to
perform well. HR practices such as internal career opportunities and
extensive rewards motivate employees to perform well (linked to
social exchange theory).
- Opportunity: having the opportunity to perform well. HR practices
such as enabling employee participation in decision-making can
empower employees to show good performance.
AMO provides a reason for how HR practices impact organizational
performance by increasing employees’ ability, motivation, and opportunity
to produce high performance.
HRM process model: highlights the distinction between HR practices that
senior managers intend to implement in the organization, the practices
that are actually implemented by line managers and employees’
perceptions of these implemented practices. Also explains why sometimes
there’s a disconnection between the three. For example, line-managers
3
, may fail to implement an intended HR practice due to lack of time or skills
to do so. Employees, for their part, may interpret the same practices in
different ways because of factors like their previous work experience. The
model addresses the question of how HR practices impact organizational
performance by looking at how these practices are implemented in the
workplace, and how employees experience and respond to them.
Video lecture:
Overview and Purpose
The lecture focuses on the "Black Box Debate" within Strategic Human
Resource Management (SHRM), which examines how HR practices
influence organizational performance. It draws on insights from two key
articles: Peccei & van de Voorde (2014) and Chadwick & Flinchbaugh
(2021), complemented by other theoretical frameworks and examples.
Research Context
The Black Box Debate revolves around understanding the mechanisms
through which HR practices (e.g., recruitment, training, performance
management) affect both operational outcomes (e.g., productivity, quality)
and financial outcomes (e.g., profitability, market share). Despite empirical
evidence supporting a positive relationship between HRM and
organizational performance, the "black box" represents the unclear
processes linking HR practices to outcomes.
Theoretical Foundations
1. Resource-Based View (RBV)
o Core Idea: Competitive advantage stems from valuable, rare,
inimitable, and non-substitutable (VRIN) resources.
o Application to HRM:
- HR practices contribute to building human capital advantage
(exceptional talent, skills, and knowledge) and human process
advantage (collaborative and efficient organizational
processes).
- Example: A hospital's care quality depends on coordination
between doctors, nurses, and case managers, reflecting both
individual and process advantages.
o Challenges: Testing the RBV empirically is difficult due to the
complexity of processes and the historical uniqueness of resources.
2. AMO Framework
o Core Idea: Employees perform well when they have the Ability (skills,
knowledge), Motivation (engagement, commitment), and
Opportunity (empowered roles).
o HR Practices:
- Ability-enhancing: Recruitment, rigorous selection, training.
- Motivation-enhancing: Compensation, career development, job
security.
- Opportunity-enhancing: Job design, teamwork, decision-
making involvement.
4
Table of content
Theme 1: Black-box debate....................................................................................................................................3
Knowledge clip:...................................................................................................................................................3
Video lecture:.......................................................................................................................................................4
Workgroup:..........................................................................................................................................................6
Lecture:................................................................................................................................................................6
Articles:................................................................................................................................................................8
Workgroup:......................................................................................................................................................8
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................10
Theme 2: Contingency perspective......................................................................................................................12
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................12
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................12
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................15
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................15
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................17
Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................17
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................19
Theme 3: Dark-side perspective...........................................................................................................................21
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................21
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................21
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................23
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................23
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................25
Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................25
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................27
Theme 4: Differentiated workforce.....................................................................................................................29
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................29
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................30
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................33
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................33
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................34
Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................34
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................36
Theme 5: HR devolution.......................................................................................................................................38
Knowledge clip:.................................................................................................................................................38
Video lecture:.....................................................................................................................................................39
Workgroup:........................................................................................................................................................42
Lecture:..............................................................................................................................................................42
Articles:..............................................................................................................................................................44
, Workgroup.....................................................................................................................................................44
Lecture...........................................................................................................................................................48
2
,Theme 1: Black-box debate
Knowledge clip:
SHRM theory: the more HR practices are implemented in an organization, the better the
organization’s performance.
Black-box debate: It’s unclear if the processes by which HR practices affect organizational
performance and both how many steps there are in the link between HRM and performance,
and what the content of each step is. Central to certain models is that employees play a key
role in explaining the impact of HR practices on organizational performance.
Resource-Based View of the Firm: main assumption of this theory is that
organizations can build a competitive advantage based on resources that
are valuable (capable of delivering superior competitive results), rare (not
easily obtained by competitors), imperfectly imitable (hard to copy), and
non-substitutable (hard to replace). This theory provides a reason for how
HR practices positively affect organizational performance by building a
better human capital pool and stimulating better processes within the
organization.
Organizations have different resources:
- Organizational resources (e.g. structure, planning)
- Physical resources (e..g plants, equipment)
- Human resources
Human resource advantage can consist of:
- Human capital advantage: situation where there’s a stock of
exceptional human talent working with the organization, whose
knowledge, abilities and skills match the strategic needs of the firm.
- Human process advantage: presence of difficult-to-imitate,
historically evolved processes within the organization, such as
intense forms of co-operation between people.
AMO framework: refers to the idea that people perform well if they have
the three components:
- Ability: the employee can perform well on the job because he
possesses the necessary knowledge and skills (linked to human
capital theory). These, in turn, can be influenced by HR practices, for
example by providing training opportunities.
- Motivation: employees perform well on the job because they want to
perform well. HR practices such as internal career opportunities and
extensive rewards motivate employees to perform well (linked to
social exchange theory).
- Opportunity: having the opportunity to perform well. HR practices
such as enabling employee participation in decision-making can
empower employees to show good performance.
AMO provides a reason for how HR practices impact organizational
performance by increasing employees’ ability, motivation, and opportunity
to produce high performance.
HRM process model: highlights the distinction between HR practices that
senior managers intend to implement in the organization, the practices
that are actually implemented by line managers and employees’
perceptions of these implemented practices. Also explains why sometimes
there’s a disconnection between the three. For example, line-managers
3
, may fail to implement an intended HR practice due to lack of time or skills
to do so. Employees, for their part, may interpret the same practices in
different ways because of factors like their previous work experience. The
model addresses the question of how HR practices impact organizational
performance by looking at how these practices are implemented in the
workplace, and how employees experience and respond to them.
Video lecture:
Overview and Purpose
The lecture focuses on the "Black Box Debate" within Strategic Human
Resource Management (SHRM), which examines how HR practices
influence organizational performance. It draws on insights from two key
articles: Peccei & van de Voorde (2014) and Chadwick & Flinchbaugh
(2021), complemented by other theoretical frameworks and examples.
Research Context
The Black Box Debate revolves around understanding the mechanisms
through which HR practices (e.g., recruitment, training, performance
management) affect both operational outcomes (e.g., productivity, quality)
and financial outcomes (e.g., profitability, market share). Despite empirical
evidence supporting a positive relationship between HRM and
organizational performance, the "black box" represents the unclear
processes linking HR practices to outcomes.
Theoretical Foundations
1. Resource-Based View (RBV)
o Core Idea: Competitive advantage stems from valuable, rare,
inimitable, and non-substitutable (VRIN) resources.
o Application to HRM:
- HR practices contribute to building human capital advantage
(exceptional talent, skills, and knowledge) and human process
advantage (collaborative and efficient organizational
processes).
- Example: A hospital's care quality depends on coordination
between doctors, nurses, and case managers, reflecting both
individual and process advantages.
o Challenges: Testing the RBV empirically is difficult due to the
complexity of processes and the historical uniqueness of resources.
2. AMO Framework
o Core Idea: Employees perform well when they have the Ability (skills,
knowledge), Motivation (engagement, commitment), and
Opportunity (empowered roles).
o HR Practices:
- Ability-enhancing: Recruitment, rigorous selection, training.
- Motivation-enhancing: Compensation, career development, job
security.
- Opportunity-enhancing: Job design, teamwork, decision-
making involvement.
4
