Abstract This thesis explores the management of human resources (HR) in five star hotels located in a developing country (Malaysia). This study is particularly relevant to the hotel industry, known for its traditionally poor HR practices (e.g., a lack of employment security, training, and career development opportunity, low levels of employee involvement and an increasing number of casual employees who are paid hourly). These practices are often perceived as a solution to high labour costs and fluctuating demand prevalent in the hotel industry. However, it is often only "non-managerial" employees who are affected by poor HR practices, as more sophisticated approaches to HR practices are often taken with regard to managerial (strategic) level employees. HR practices system differentiation (HRPSD), or HR architecture, involves having more than one HR practices system within an organisation. HRPSD has been criticised in the hospitality management literature for the poor HR practices in the management of non-managerial employees, however despite this criticism, it is widely practiced by the industry. The continuation of HRPSD practices in the hotel industry suggests its importance to better understand, research and study. The aim of this research is to gain an understanding of HRPSD in a hotel industry context, and to better understand the immediate effects of such practices. While the existing literature concerning HR architecture in other industries provides some discussion of HRPSD, research and study of the concept focusing on the hotel industry is essential in providing a detailed explanation of the effect of this phenomenon, as HR practices between industries may vary. Central to this study, is an investigation of the nature of HRPSD, identification of HR intermediate outcomes, and the effects of HRPSD on hotel employees. Studying the effect of HRPSD on employees is important because employees are known to be a hotel organisations‟ most important resource. Developed based on the literature of SHRM and HR architecture, this study proposes a conceptual model that incorporates HRPSD in the SHRM model originally proposed by Schuler, Dowling, Smart, and Huber (1992). Guided by this model, this study seeks to answer the critical questions of “how organisations differentiate their HR practices systems” and “what are the corresponding HR intermediate outcomes?” A particular foci of this thesis relates to how the concept of a “strategic” (or managerial) job is conceptualised in the hotel industry, what the elements of HR practices systems in five-star hotels are, how and why hotel organisations differentiate their HR practices systems, what the HR intermediate outcomes of HRPSD are and how HRPSD relates to the identified HR intermediate outcomes. To answer these complex research issues, a multiple case research methodology is employed, utilising a series of in depth semi-structured interviews. This vi study focuses specifically on five-star hotels in Malaysia because HR practices vary among hotels of various sizes. The findings indicate a notable effect of HRPSD on employees‟ motivation, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and retention, and that excessive differentiation is not beneficial for a five star hotel. In this study only certain HR practices were found to be differentiated; selective staffing, extensive training, compensation and empowerment. HR practices that were applied to all employees without differentiation were a clear job description, orientation, employment security, objective performance appraisal, career development opportunity and effective communication. In addition, this study also provides a clear definition of the strategic job in the hotel industry, and demonstrates the importance of HR practices integration and the influence of internal and external environments on the formation of HR strategy. This research contributes to theory as well as hotel sector policy and practice. Theoretically, it has identified how HRPSD links to firm performance (in Malaysian five star hotels). In addition, it provides clear definitions and understanding of the strategic job concept as well as identification of HR practices system elements and their differentiation in five-star hotels. Furthermore, the theoretical framework developed can be useful for future quantitative studies which can test the model formulated in this study. For practitioners, the detailed examination of HR practices system elements and how they are differentiated may guide them in their future HR strategy formation.

Diss. phil. I Zürich (Austausch beschränkt). / Im Buchh.: München etc. : R. Hampp. Literaturverz.

<p>The importance of human capital is rising tremendously since the last few decades. Human capital is now rewarded as the most important factor in an organization on the way to success. Nowadays in the Netherlands talents need to be able to show employers that they possess certain qualities and employers need to be able to show that they offer something worthwhile for talents. The match is:</p><p>You can employ men and hire hands to work for you, but you must win their hearts to have them work with you. —Tiorio</p><p>This research project is primarily about the initial screening within the matching process, where both parties (employer & talent) need to express themselves to each other without having live contact. The strategic question throughout this research is: How can we explain problems between employer and talent during the initial screening phase in the matching process, in terms of measuring, explicating and expressing qualities?</p><p>Within this question perspectives of both parties are included: to understand the position, requirements and expectations of qualities. The objective of this research is to explore, get insight in and elaborate on the process taking place in the initial meeting. This is researched through qualitative research in the form of a mix of interviews, experiments and text analyses.</p><p>The result of this research conducts of several tips based on the analyses of this research. The tips are for talents as well as employers. Even though the results of this research were very diverse from the talent‘s perspective, some patterns could be seen. From the employers’ perspective the answers were less diverse and more clear patterns emerged. Altogether many interesting aspects are highlighted in this research.</p>

The objective of this research is to compare public and private organizations with regard to work related attitudes, work satisfaction and organizational commitment. The long-standing debate as to whether or not public administration must rely upon business administration assumptions has strengthened the need for more research analyzing the similarities and differences between public and private organizations. The public-private comparison is relevant to understand the context in which the transferability of management techniques occurs and be aware of the differences between public and private employees' needs and perceptions. Therefore, this study attempts to explore if the factors that influence work satisfaction and organizational commitment differ for public and private employees. Data from a survey of 925 employees in the public sector and 339 employees in the private sector were collected in order to explore the antecedents of satisfaction and commitment. Multiple regression analysis was employed to test the proposed hypotheses.

The purpose of this thesis was to explore how knowledge gained during taught Masters in Human Resource Management (MSc HRM) programmes was transferred into working organisations, whether knowledge gained from academic study could be transferred if individuals were motivated to transfer and if organisations had a culture that was receptive to transfer. The term knowledge transfer was defined as sharing of information between one individual and another individual or group. This study looked at the perceived value of Human Resource (HR) knowledge within organisational contexts, with a focus on how knowledge flowed and what facilitated or blocked that flow. A ‘two-tailed’ case study approach was taken using a social construction methodology and was applied across three University Centres, utilising students studying on MSc HRM programmes and their respective work organisations, plus Operational Managers within the same geographical boundaries. Data was gathered using qualitative methods and analysed thematically. A key finding of this study was that knowledge gained from MSc HRM programmes is valued within organisational contexts. HR professionals effectively transferred knowledge into their organisational functions and amongst workplace communities and via wider networks, in a homogenous manner. However, the study also found that transfer of knowledge across work boundaries, via heterogeneous workplace communities, was less effective. Individual willingness to transfer knowledge was found, but issues linked to organisational culture such as politics, power and structure was found to influence the extent of knowledge transfer activities. It was evident that in order for knowledge transfer to be effective an organisational culture based on mutual support and understanding was required. If an organisation had a culture focused on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that reinforce knowledge transfer across team boundaries then heterogeneous workplace communities emerged. Organisations that deliberately focused on knowledge transfer evidenced a greater ability to transfer knowledge across organisational functions; this strategy was beneficial to organisational growth. This study concluded that building on workplace communities and managing a deliberate introduction of heterogeneous workplace communities enabled MSc HRM acquired-knowledge to be transferred cross organisationally. Although this study focused on the transfer of knowledge from MSc HRM programmes the concept behind using workplace communities to transfer and build knowledge could potentially be transferable to other disciplines. Two further areas of research were identified: firstly, action research within University Centres to ascertain the benefit of cross-discipline teaching, secondly, analysis of an organisation with a heterogeneous community design.

The purpose of this study is to examine howthe intellectual, social/emotional and managerial competencies of a project managers are valued by the line manager and project manager to provide a framework for categorizing the competencies which can be used for HR purposes. Previous research has developed a framework of 15 competencies connected to intellectual, emotional and managerial intelligence. Studies have linked the competencies of a project manager to project success. Research emphasizes the need of integrating and involving the project manager to have an active role in competence management. However, the competence management of the project manager is not as widely discussed. With this background, it is therefore interesting to study how the employees involved ina project value the competencies of a project manager and to further discuss the HRM practices for a project manager. Six interviews were held with one line manager and five project managers working at a Swedish energy company. Inline with previous research, this study found that the 15 competencies of a project manager are valued important by the line manager and the project managers. Based on the empirical findings the 15 competencies were categorized into four categories; perceptive competencies, strategic competencies, interpersonal competencies and elemental competencies. Furthermore, the empirical data show a difference in what competencies the line manager hopes for the project manager to have, and what competencies the project managers hope to achieve. Both the theoretical and the practical contribution are a framework based on the categorization of the 15 competencies of a project manager. The suggested use of the framework is as part of competency -based human resource management, and more specifically as part of performance management. Further, the study presents a behavior-anchored rating scale for evaluating of the 15 competencies of a project manager.

This thesis explores human resource management (HRM) adoption by investigating the influence of multiple HRM actors’ social position, capital resource(s) exchange mechanism, dispositions, social classes, habitus, social expectation, and national and global environmental factors. The objectives of this thesis were achieved through systematically conducting three different studies for the thesis. The first study was carried out to gain insight into the influence of social position on HRM academics’ adoption. The major contribution of this study was a theorising model on HRM academics’ adoption. It shows which capital resource is very sought after and how it plays a role in developing HRM academics’ dispositions, which in turn provides them with the drive and motivation to adopt western HRM ideas and knowledge. The second study was carried out to gain insight into the mechanism and formation of capital resource(s) exchange that influences HRM practitioners to adopt western HRM ideas, knowledge, and practices. The main contribution of this study comprised empirical insights into the importance and role of social class (élite and emerging class); habitus and socialisation (primary and secondary socialisation) as developers and controllers of the mechanism of capital resource(s) exchange; and formation of social position. The third study investigated a gap between accepted (adopted) HRM ideas and knowledge, and actual HRM practices. The major contribution of this study was its theorising on the factors that influence this gap. It explored the influences of conflicting factors such as actors’ professional and occupational orientation and position, social position, and social expectation, which develop the gap. This thesis adopted a qualitative abductive research approach. It conducted qualitative indepth interviews with 19 HRM academics, 15 MBA-Alumni HRM practitioners, and 10 non-MBA-Alumni HRM practitioners. Qualitative observation in two business schools and five business organisations in multiple industries was carried out to enrich the data collection. This thesis contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing insights into individual actors’ level HRM adoption, which is an underexplored area in Pakistan and similar developing countries. By employing theoretical and analytical tools based on Bourdieu’s theory of practices and social position, Rogers’s and Tarde’s theorising of adoption, and findings of empirical studies of macro institutions, cultural sensitive views, and institutional factors’ framework in the diffusion of HRM, this thesis explored, examined, and theorised HRM adoption at different individual actors’ level in business organisations and business schools in Pakistan. In that respect, this thesis theoretically contributes to Bourdieu’s theory and its unique use in international HRM, organisation studies, and management research. This thesis empirically contributes to the understanding of management and think tanks in business schools, business organisations, educators, HRM practitioners, and relevant government and regulatory bodies who can benefit from the findings of this research by understanding the different factors and social structures affecting western HRM’s effectiveness and its applications. It also suggests to these stakeholders the factors that affect individuals’ and employees’ adoption of western HRM and western management ideas, knowledge, and practices; any change in strategies, policies, and procedures; and problems in their implementation.

The doctoral thesis deals with the topic of specification and comparison of cultural dimensions of companies from different places of global community. Main focus is to answer a question, how the corporate culture and its cultural dimensions influence a shift of a company towards a knowledge-based economy. The identification of cultural dimensions was realized through the quantitative research VSM 94 in two German parent companies and their subsidiaries from the Czech Republic, India, Japan and USA. In case of one Czech subsidiary the research was extended with the qualitative research TCSD. Subsequently the identified cultural dimensions were compared with the desirable cultural dimensions of knowledge-based company. The results show that only cultural dimensions of low power distance and feminity correspond to the knowledge-based economy, long-term orientation is in the transition phase. The longest way to the knowledge-based economy was revealed by collectivism and uncertainty acceptance. Here can be found the greatest potential for corporate culture forming and human resources management. Based on the analysis of cultural dimensions, shared values, strength of corporate culture, cultural influence of parent company and impact of national culture were expressed proposals to shift the examined companies to the ideal state - knowledge-based company.

Este estudo se propôs a identificar os paradoxos existentes entre a intenção manifesta pelas empresas de preocupação com a saúde, bem-estar e qualidade de vida dos trabalhadores e a realidade praticada pelas mesmas através da gestão de Recursos Humanos. Os dados foram obtidos com pesquisa documental e tiveram como fonte os seguintes materiais que foram submetidos ao meu enfoque de pesquisa: publicações das melhores empresas para trabalhar de 2007, VII Congresso de stress da ISMA-BR/IX Fórum Internacional de Qualidade de Vida no trabalho, realizado em 2007 e resultados de pesquisas de dissertações da UFRGS publicadas no período de 31/12/01 à 15/05/07 envolvendo o tema saúde e trabalho. A técnica utilizada para análise dos dados foi o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo – DSC (LEFÉVRE e LEFÉVRE, 2003) e a Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 1979). Os pressupostos teóricos que fundamentaram o estudo foram constituídos por um conjunto bastante extenso e diversificado de autores, caracterizando a abrangência e interdisciplinaridade do estudo nas seguintes áreas: psicodinâmica do trabalho, psicologia social, sociologia do trabalho, sociologia da educação e administração de RH. Os resultados obtidos apontam para quinze paradoxos em relação à saúde do trabalhador nas práticas de gestão de RH, que em suma evidenciam que a questão da saúde no trabalho está subordinada à necessidade prioritária de produtividade das empresas. Assim entre a intenção e a prática há uma série de limitações, aqui identificadas como paradoxos, que fazem com que o discurso das empresas de preocupação com a saúde do trabalhador, longe de ser uma realidade, possa ser compreendido como mais uma prática de gestão que visa além de auxiliar na boa imagem da empresa, a submissão do trabalhador à organização. / The purpose of this study is to identify the paradox between company’s manifest intention in health concerning, well being and life quality of labors and the reality practiced through human resource management. The datum were obtained from document research and had wellspring of information the following materials how were submitted to my search: Best companies to work 2007, VII Stress Congress of ISMABR and IX International Forum of Life Quality at work, on 2007 and result of dissertation at UFRGS published between dec/31/2001 and mai/15/2007 involving health and work subject. The technique used to analysis the datum were the Discourse of Collective Subject – DSC (LEFÉVRE and LEFÉVRE, 2003) and the Content Analysis (BARDIN, 1979). The theoretical underpinting to base this study are constitute for one combined very extent and diversify of authors characteristic the range and interdisciplinary of study in the next field of study: work psychodynamics, social psychology, work sociology, education sociology and human resource management. The results indicate for fifteen paradox in respecting to health of labors in the practices of human resource management, so that summary evidence the question of health in the work it’s depend of need for priority of productive the company’s. Like this between intention and the practice have many limited, here identify how paradox, what do the speech of company’s health concerning of labor, far away to be reality, actually to understand how one more practice of management with objective apart from to aid in the good opinion company’s, the submissive of the labor to company’s.

Este estudo se propôs a identificar os paradoxos existentes entre a intenção manifesta pelas empresas de preocupação com a saúde, bem-estar e qualidade de vida dos trabalhadores e a realidade praticada pelas mesmas através da gestão de Recursos Humanos. Os dados foram obtidos com pesquisa documental e tiveram como fonte os seguintes materiais que foram submetidos ao meu enfoque de pesquisa: publicações das melhores empresas para trabalhar de 2007, VII Congresso de stress da ISMA-BR/IX Fórum Internacional de Qualidade de Vida no trabalho, realizado em 2007 e resultados de pesquisas de dissertações da UFRGS publicadas no período de 31/12/01 à 15/05/07 envolvendo o tema saúde e trabalho. A técnica utilizada para análise dos dados foi o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo – DSC (LEFÉVRE e LEFÉVRE, 2003) e a Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 1979). Os pressupostos teóricos que fundamentaram o estudo foram constituídos por um conjunto bastante extenso e diversificado de autores, caracterizando a abrangência e interdisciplinaridade do estudo nas seguintes áreas: psicodinâmica do trabalho, psicologia social, sociologia do trabalho, sociologia da educação e administração de RH. Os resultados obtidos apontam para quinze paradoxos em relação à saúde do trabalhador nas práticas de gestão de RH, que em suma evidenciam que a questão da saúde no trabalho está subordinada à necessidade prioritária de produtividade das empresas. Assim entre a intenção e a prática há uma série de limitações, aqui identificadas como paradoxos, que fazem com que o discurso das empresas de preocupação com a saúde do trabalhador, longe de ser uma realidade, possa ser compreendido como mais uma prática de gestão que visa além de auxiliar na boa imagem da empresa, a submissão do trabalhador à organização. / The purpose of this study is to identify the paradox between company’s manifest intention in health concerning, well being and life quality of labors and the reality practiced through human resource management. The datum were obtained from document research and had wellspring of information the following materials how were submitted to my search: Best companies to work 2007, VII Stress Congress of ISMABR and IX International Forum of Life Quality at work, on 2007 and result of dissertation at UFRGS published between dec/31/2001 and mai/15/2007 involving health and work subject. The technique used to analysis the datum were the Discourse of Collective Subject – DSC (LEFÉVRE and LEFÉVRE, 2003) and the Content Analysis (BARDIN, 1979). The theoretical underpinting to base this study are constitute for one combined very extent and diversify of authors characteristic the range and interdisciplinary of study in the next field of study: work psychodynamics, social psychology, work sociology, education sociology and human resource management. The results indicate for fifteen paradox in respecting to health of labors in the practices of human resource management, so that summary evidence the question of health in the work it’s depend of need for priority of productive the company’s. Like this between intention and the practice have many limited, here identify how paradox, what do the speech of company’s health concerning of labor, far away to be reality, actually to understand how one more practice of management with objective apart from to aid in the good opinion company’s, the submissive of the labor to company’s.