Strategic Human Resource Management The Dark side (and a route towards the light…) Chris Brewster (Paul Boselie) London South Bank University 13 November 2012

Outline Some basic propositions A history lesson: the bright side and the dark side A history lesson continued: trajectories of research Researching the dark side Researching the bright side: back to the future Discussion?

A basic tension? People Dimension Business/ Organization Dimension HRM Roles, Competencies & Qualities ?

The Past...

Popular theories in 1980s/1990s: - Strategic contingency approaches - Resource based view - AMO-model / High performance work systems theory

Main focus in late 1990s / early 2000s: - (as before, plus...) - HRM & Performance (added value) - Strategic alignment HRM (multiple fits) - HRM roles, positions & competencies - Empirical data based on input from large multinational companies

2000s onwards - (as before, plus...) - Critiques of mainstream SHRM approaches -managerialism (Delbridge & Keenoy, 2010) -focus on happy few – talents, management, expats (Keegan & Boselie, 2006) -lack of attention to downside of HPWS (Kroon et al., 2009) - Growing attention for the employee perspective (blending OB and HRM insights) -OB rigor and HRM contextuality (Wright & Boswell, 2002) -institutional context (Brewster, 1999; Paauwe, 2009 ) - Managers and voice (Burris, 2012) - Application of advanced methods and techniques (including multilevel analysis)

The Past...

neo-institutionalism The power of Isomorphism… Coercive Mimetic Normative To establish efficiency and legitimacy

Universalist vs Contextual Paradigms the Universalistic paradigm –theory –methodology the Contextual paradigm –theory –methodology other paradigms Brewster, C. (1999) "Different Paradigms in Strategic HRM: questions raised by comparative research" in Wright, P., Dyer, L., Boudreau, J. and Milkovich, G. (eds), Research in Personnel and HRM, JAI Press Inc, Greenwich, Connecticut pp

The Past...Back to the Future?

Comparative HRM: part of the answer… Different countries, different… HRM policies and practices Definitions of HRM Definitions of “good” HRM Stakeholders Explanations Outcomes

neo-institutionalism The power of Isomorphism… Coercive Mimetic Normative To establish efficiency and legitimacy

Explanations Cultures Institutions –Law –Politics –Business systems –Structure, history, education systems, labour market, technology, wealth, etc… Varieties of Capitalism

Liberal Market Economies Co-ordinated Market Economies Hall and Soskice, 2001 Nordic economies (Flexicurity economies) Mediterranean economies Transitional Economies (CEE) Whitley, 1999; Amable, 2003;

Varieties of Capitalism and what about: –Communist/Capitalist states? –Transition states? –African states? –Latin American states? Jackson and Deeg 2006

And so what…? Need to: challenge the assumption that what is good for short- term management requirements is “Good” to be more critical in our research and teaching –Wider range of stakeholders; longer-term thinking “best fit” and not “best practice” more internationally and comparatively aware There’s a “new” agenda – and a lot to do…

Strategic HRM: The Dark side and a route towards the light… Thank you Chris Brewster London South Bank University 22 November 2011

Outline Some basic propositions A history lesson: the bright side and the dark side A history lesson continued: trajectories of research Researching the dark side Researching the bright side: back to the future Discussion?

Example publications (i) Goergen, M., Brewster,C., Wood, G.T. and Wilkinson, A ( 2012) Varieties of capitalism and investments in human capital Industrial Relations 51 (2): Richbell, S. Brookes, M, Brewster, C. and Wood, G. (2011) Non-standard working time: an international and comparative analysis International Journal of Human Resource Management 22 (4): Mayrhofer, W., Brewster, C., Morley, M. and Ledolter, J. (2011) Hearing a Different drummer? Evidence of convergence in European HRM Human Resource Management Review 21 (1): Stavrou, E., Brewster, C. and Charalambous, C. (2010) “Human Resource Management and firm performance in Europe through the lens of business systems: best fit, best practice or both?” International Journal of Human Resource Management 21 (7): Goergen, M., Brewster, C. and Wood, G. (2009) Corporate Governance Regimes and Employment Relations in Europe Relations industrielles/Industrial Relations 64 (4): Wood, G.T., Croucher, C., Brewster, C., Collings, G.C. and Brooks, M. (2009) Varieties of Firm: complementarity and bounded diversity. Journal of Economic Issues 43 (1):

Example Publications (ii) Articles: Farndale, E., Brewster, C. and Poutsma, E. (2008) Coordinated vs. liberal market HRM: the impact of institutionalisation on multinational firms. International Journal of Human Resource Management 19 (11): Brewster, C., Wood, G. and Brookes, M. (2008) Similarity, Isomorphism or Duality: recent survey evidence on the HRM policies of Multinational Corporations British Journal of Management 19 (4): Johnson, P., Wood, G.T., Brookes, M. and Brewster, C. The Rise of Post- bureaucracy:Theorists' Fancy or Organizational Praxis? International Sociology 24 (1): Brewster, C., Wood, G., Brookes, M. and van Ommeren, J. (2006) “What Determines the Size of the HR Function?: a cross-national analysis” Human Resource Management, 45(1):3-21 Brookes, M., Brewster, C. and Wood, G., (2005) “Social Relations, Firms And Societies: A Study Of Institutional Embeddedness” International Sociology, 20(4): Mayrhofer, W. and Brewster, C. (2005) “European Human Resource Management: researching developments over time” Management Revue 16, (1): 36-62