HRM practices of JIT firms in Canada

Many firms have adopted the just-in-time (JIT) philosophy to compete successfully in the global environment. The literature suggests that die success of JIT implementation depends on sound human resource management (HRM) practices that will attract, maintain, and retain employees with the required workforce characteristics. However, only a few field studies investigate the effectiveness of such practices. This empirical study examines HRM practices of 69 JIT manufacturing firms in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, it identifies important workforce characteristics, recruitment sources and selection instruments used by JIT firms. It also evaluates die degree of change in training, compensation, employee retention, and labour relations practices in the firms since JIT implementation. The level of attainment of various expected outcomes of JIT implementation and die competitiveness of the JIT firms are investigated. Problems faced by HRM managers are also discussed.     

Quality and environmental management practices: their linkages with safety performance

There is a widespread acknowledgement that quality and environmental practices are effective means for improving the business performance of firms. However, empirical evidence regarding the relationship between quality and environmental practices and employee safety performance is relatively scarce. In order to fill this gap, we investigate the relationship between quality and environmental practices and safety performance measured by employee accidents at work. Employing a multivariate probit model, we show that the adoption of quality management practices is associated with an increased chance that an employee encounters workplace accidents, whilst environmental practices are associated with a reduction in workplace accidents. However, when distinguishing between workplace accidents that do and do not lead to sick leave, our results reveal that the utilisation of quality practices is not associated to employees’ probability of encountering accidents that lead to sick leave. This suggests that quality practices are only related to benign accidents. Moreover, examining the interrelationships among quality practices, safety performance and quality-related contextual factors, our findings indicate that the implementation of quality practices by the firm that considers quality as very important for its strategy and provides employee’s quality-related training is not associated with safety performance. Therefore, the results suggest that the way a firm implements and uses quality practices is essential for their effect on safety performance.     

The relationship between HRM practices and organizational commitment of knowledge workers. Facts obtained from Swiss SMEs

This paper explores the effects of human resource management (HRM) practices in Swiss small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). More specifically, the main objective of this study is to assess the impacts of HRM practices developed in Swiss SMEs upon the commitment of knowledge workers. Using data from a survey of over 198 knowledge workers, this study shows the importance of looking closer at HRM practices and, furthermore, to really investigate the impacts of the different HRM practices on employees' commitment. Results show, for example, that organizational support, procedural justice and the reputation of the organization may clearly influence knowledge workers' commitment, whereas other HRM practices such as involvement in decision-making, skills management or even the degree of satisfaction with pay do not have any impact on knowledge workers' commitment.     

The mediating role of leadership and people management practices on HRD and organizational performance

Drawing upon prior research, we identify strategic value and transaction effectiveness as two significant HRD contributions and examine their dyadic effect on leadership and people management practices, and influence on firm performance. Results of path analysis on 138 participants supported the dyadic effect hypothesis. More significantly, we found leadership and people management practices as a significant predictor on the relationship between strategic value and organizational performance, which suggests that organizational performance is affected by the combined effect of leadership and people management practices. A key implication of this research is that where organizations had effective leadership and people management practices, both types of HRD contributions – strategic value and transaction effectiveness – significantly enhanced firm performance.     

An integrated approach to evaluation and planning of best practices

This paper develops a new integrated evaluation and planning approach for implementing a given set of best practices in a prioritized and phased manner. The best practices are implemented for achieving lower-level business unit objectives and higher-level strategic goals of an organization. With a multiattribute decision making algorithm under the balanced scorecard (BSC) framework, a new evaluation model is developed to effectively measure the relationship between lower-level objectives and higher-level goals, and to give each best practice a relative priority value. A new adjustment method is also developed to address potential biases in the self-assessment process at the business unit level. The evaluation model enables the prioritization and implementation planning of best practices in terms of their importance and achievability from the viewpoints of the organization, four BSC strategic perspectives, individual business units, and the overall implementation planning zone. An empirical study is conducted to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the integrated evaluation and planning approach.     

中国管理学派本土研究的路径探索

随着中国经济的迅速发展,本土管理研究的重要性日趋突显.然而,目前中国管理学界仍然缺乏相应的本土管理研究,如何探索和创建基于中国管理实践的管理理论是海内外华人学者共同面临的重要研究课题.在分析当前中国管理理论研究现状的基础上,认为本土管理研究可以围绕3个路径进行探索,以期对实现“中国现代管理学”的目标有所裨益.     

国际视野下商科高校商务英语教学协作创新特色研究与实践

文章对商务英语的概念及范畴进行了梳理,归纳了国内外商务英语的研究内容,并针对国内商务英语的教学现状及教师队伍存在的问题,提出商科高校商务英语教学协作创新的途径。     

企业社会责任实践维度界定及测量——基于社会企业家视角

当今社会背景下,企业直面的不是社会责任承担与否的问题,而应是如何承担社会责任的问题。利益相关者理论的引入,为企业承担社会责任明确了义务对象和责任范围,增强了企业社会责任实践操作能力。结合社会企业家理论中社会价值创造的观点,本文对企业社会责任实践的内涵与维度进行界定,并通过来自全国多地企业的358份有效样本数据进行实证检验,结论表明企业社会责任实践可以划分为两个维度：其一为企业法律、伦理与慈善实践维度;其二为关系实践维度,为现实企业社会责任承担提供了方向指导。最后,本文从构建企业社会责任管理体系;积极吸纳就业并提高员工薪酬待遇;提升产品与服务质量,重视对消费者的社会责任;积极推动环境保护和节能减排等四个方面提出具体政策建议,以促进企业更好地承担社会责任。     

试论绿色教育在中国高校的实践

高校绿色教育是高等教育的重要进步,绿色教育是今后高等教育的发展趋势和重要研究课题。发展绿色教育更新教育观念是先导,重视绿色教育课程建设,科学设计好教学内容、方法、手段是关键。     

会计信息失真的治理对策

会计信息失真是现行经济生活中的客观现象 ,也是目前会计理论界讨论的热点。作者经过深入思考 ,把会计信息失真的表现形式归结为两点 ,即会计差错和会计舞弊。二者性质不同 ,产生的原因也不同。在深入分析会计信息失真产生原因的基础上 ,作者阐述了治理失真的相应对策。