- 2 Operational Management Systems
Research which focuses exclusively on HR practices has the eVect of isolating HRM
from other aspects of organizational life. HPWS research, especially in manufac-
turing (see Chapter 20 ), necessarily broadens the research agenda to coverXexible
production, work systems, and HPWS practices. ‘The argument’, writes Wood ( 1999 :
369 ), ‘is that high-performance systems that are integrated with the wider organiza-
tion will yield stronger results than those that are not.’ This is where the concept of
‘embeddedness’ is important. ‘HR creates value when it is embedded in the oper-
ational system of an organization that enhances theWrm’s capabilities’ (Becker and
Gerhart 1996 : 782 ). These authors use other terms, such as ‘operational fabrics’
( 1996 : 788 ) and ‘Wrm infrastructure’ ( 1996 : 794 ), suggesting that HR practices must
be aligned with theWrm’s unique business problems. At one level, this is a question of
Wt with operational strategies. At another level, the very choicesWrms make on
operational strategies have a direct impact on workers—their jobs and task variety,
staYng levels and thus eVort, work time and social relations at work—and strongly
inXuence line management roles in directing workers. Boxall ( 2003 ) shows in the
service sector how the type of markets served inXuences the knowledge content of
jobs required for service, the type of work design, competitive dynamics, and types
of strategic HRM. Batt ( 2002 ) provides detailed examples of this in call centers while
Appelbaum et al. ( 2000 ) show this in manufacturing industry.
It can be argued that operational strategy, in the same way as business strategy,
can be seen as a major inXuence over choices of HR systems but it is unnecessary to
include it within research focused upon the impact of HR on performance.
However, some features of operational management relating to the organization
of work are so inXuential on employees that they need to be included, as shown in
our model. In particular, aspects of perceived job design like eVort, autonomy,
challenge, and stress need to be included (Ramsay et al. 2000 ). As does teamwork
(Harley 2001 ). Boselie et al. ( 2005 ) found that a minority of studies (forty in the
case of teamwork, twenty-Wve in the case of job design) included some aspects of
operational management. These job features are so central to work experience, and
are likely to be strongly related to job satisfaction and commitment, that their
exclusion will probably be the cause of covariance. This means that they are
variables which need to be controlled for or which have to be included within
the research, either as part of the HR system or as moderating variables.
- 3 Organization Culture, Climate, and Values
Guest et al. ( 2003 : 291 ) adopt a resource-based view of strategy (RBV) in searching
for the HR–performance link. They note the importance of ‘the management of
organisational culture’ but do not research it or control for it. Yet culture is usually
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