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The role of human resource management practices and employee job satisfaction in predicting organizational commitment in Saudi Arabian banking sector

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

ISSN : 0144-333X

Article publication date: 2 April 2020

Issue publication date: 24 June 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of human resource management and employee job satisfaction in predicting organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purpose of this study, quantitative survey research was employed. The independent variables are human resource management and employee job satisfaction, while the dependent variable is organizational commitment.

Human resource management correlated positively with employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment. On the other hand, employee job satisfaction was found to be positively correlated with organizational commitment. The two independent variables made significant individual contributions to the prediction of organizational commitment.

Research limitations/implications

This study has some limitations. First, convenient sampling method was used to recruit the participants. Therefore, the findings of the study have limited generalizability in other regions and age groups. Second, as a cross-sectional study, there has to be caution in making any generalization of the results. Future researchers should get more respondents from wider geographical location, that is from different bans, private and public. Furthermore, self-report questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. It is recommended that future researchers use different methods such as personal interview or telephone interview to collect data. This may help get reliable data after clarifying and removing what may be ambiguous.

Practical implications

The results of this study have corroborated with previous research and confirmed correlations between and among human resource management (HRM), employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. These findings have practical implications. Having high levels of job satisfaction among bank employees will prevent low levels of turnover rate, absenteeism and levels of productivity and increase organizational commitment. HRM practices, on the other hand, help in career development opportunities and hence provide better job opportunities. This study can recommend that to ensure high levels of job satisfaction among employees and enhanced organizational commitment, organizations, especially banks, should emphasize more on HRM practices.

Originality/value

This study could contribute to the literature on HRM, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. There is a rapid growth in the banking sector in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, there is an urge for recruiting efficient and experienced human resources (Mizan et al. , 2013). This study will contribute to the development of the Saudi Arabian banking sector, which may lead to maintain this sector work effectively that will have a positively impact on the economy of the Saudi society. It also will highlight the nature and importance of the HRM practices for the benefit of the banking sector.

• Human resource management practices
• Employee job satisfaction
• Organizational commitment
• Saudi Arabian banking sector

Cherif, F. (2020), "The role of human resource management practices and employee job satisfaction in predicting organizational commitment in Saudi Arabian banking sector", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy , Vol. 40 No. 7/8, pp. 529-541. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-10-2019-0216

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Fatma Cherif

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

In almost all organizations, there is a report of its mission stating that people are the most valuable resource. To achieve its goal, survive and succeed, any organization should have the right personnel at the right place and at the right time ( Oladipo, 2011 ). Banking organizations, as well as other types of business organizations, depend largely on the quality and competence of its employees. Therefore, organizations have to pay more attention to their human resources, because implementation of human resource practices supports maximizing employees' competences in the organization ( Saleem and Khurshid, 2014 ). Human resource management practices are able to create organizations that are characterized by intelligence, flexibility and competence compared to their rivals. These organizations apply policies and practices of recruiting, selecting, training skilled employees. These employees in their turn will direct their best efforts toward cooperation within the resource bundle of their organization ( Nancy, 2013 ).

Additionally, the success, survival and competing power of the organizations are tied to the commitment of their members. For the members to be committed to their organization, they be satisfied with their job, that is to say employees' job satisfaction is supposed to be a crucial prerequisite for their commitment to their organization. Human resource management practices have a role to play in building a viable mutual relationship between firms and their employees concerning shared trust and duties. This relationship follows the “social exchange theory,” in which employees offer their services to the organizations in exchange of perks and other benefits that they receive from the organizations ( Mehwish et al. , 2019 ).

Therefore, it is assumed that the reduction of the cost of employee turnover, absenteeism, low productivity can occur when employees are satisfied as well as well committed to their organization (Mizanur, Mohammad and Mohammad, 2012). Personnel's achievements and their working capability are perquisites of their sense of job satisfaction ( Paşaoğlu and Tonus, 2014 ). Thereby, for any organization (any bank, here) to attract new competent employees and maintain those existing talented ones, consistent human resource management practices, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment should be considered and be among its priorities ( Khera, 2010 ; Mizan et al. , 2013 ).

Literature review

Hrm practices, job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

The success of different organizations, public or private, such as banks, depend largely on the performance of their human resources ( Uma et al. , 2017 ), which emphasize employees' skills ( Ong and Koh, 2018 ; Ong et al. , 2019 ). Human resource management (HRM) practices can be regarded as a set of internally coherent and consistent practices aimed at reinforcing and promoting employee competence, motivation as well as commitment ( Elrehail et al. , 2019 ). They also manage human talents and skills to achieve the organization's goals ( Ana et al. , 2019 ).

HRM practices are likely to create work conditions and environment where employees become highly committed to the organization (have positive attitude) and do their best to accomplish the organization's goals. Organizational commitment can be considered the employees' willing to be committed to help the organization in achieving its goals. Organizational commitment involves the employees' levels of identification, involvement and loyalty ( Devananda and Onahring, 2019 ). HRM practices have a significant and positive effect on employee job performance ( Faiza et al. , 2019 ).

HRM practices are considered to be a method of encouraging employees' satisfaction with their jobs ( Mohammed et al. , 2019 ). Job satisfaction can be defined as an individual's affective orientation toward work roles that he/she is presently occupying, and it is linked to that individual's behavior in the workplace ( Devananda and Onahring, 2019 ).

HRM practices are intended to improve employees' attitudes (commitment) and subsequently their performance ( Cai et al. , 2019 ). Employee commitment and satisfaction affect organization greatly ( Elrehail et al. , 2019 ). Moreover, Ana et al. (2019) verified a positive, strong relationship between HRM practices and employee satisfaction. Effective HRM practices can increase employee satisfaction and commitment on one the hand, and organizational performance on the other hand ( Cai et al. , 2019 ).

Employees' commitment is regarded as a bond or link to the organization ( Mizan, et al. , 2013 ). If employees are neither committed to organizational commitment nor satisfied with their job, then the rates of absenteeism and turnover will be high ( Murat et al. , 2014 ). To ensure employees' commitment, organizations should adopt and utilize incentives and motivate them to boost up their commitment ( Mehwish et al. , 2019 ).

Alima Aktar and Faizuniah Pangil (2018) examined the mediating role of organizational commitment (OC) on the relationship between HRM practices and employee engagement among banking employees. Their results revealed that HRM practices were the significant predictors of employee engagement. The results also identified organizational commitment as a partial mediator on HRM practices and employee engagement relationship.

One can expect an interactional cycle between and among HRM practices, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, where HR policies and practices are likely to raise the level of job satisfaction among employees, which in turn helps these employees to be more committed their organization ( Prakash, 2017 ). They are positively related with affective and normative commitment ( Ambreen, 2011 ). Employees' commitment to their organization can be monitoring through appropriate attitudes and behaviors, including job satisfaction, affective commitment and retention intention ( Mohammad et al. , 2018 ). Abdirahman (2015) found a positive relationship between HRM practices and organizational commitment. HRM practices affect the outcomes of any organization, as they are likely to shape worker behaviors and attitudes ( Norhasnina et al. , 2018 ).

Some researchers ( Abubakar et al. , 2017a , b ; Albrecht et al. , 2015 ; Ukil, 2016 ) revealed that HRM practices could lead to employee satisfaction and engagement. Murat et al. (2014) found that there were positive relationships between HRM practices (recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits, performance appraisals), job satisfaction and organizational commitment. In the same line, Mizan et al. (2013) found that there were positive relationships among specific human resource practices, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the banking sector of Bangladesh.

Problem statement

Organizations, at the heart of which lie banks, face challenges, including complex developments, and technological trends, among them are globalization, deregulation. These fast changes impose on them to manage their staff businesses effectively in job satisfaction, employee performance and organizational commitment. It was found that when employees were satisfied with their job, they were successfully committed to their organizations and contributed to their effectiveness and ultimate survival ( Mahmood, 2013 ). Although HRM practices have increasingly been studied in connection with different organizational outcomes like employee job satisfaction, employee performance and employee commitment ( Rahman et al. , 2013 ; Nadarajah et al. , 2012 ; Choi and Lee, 2013 ), there is no research on the role of HRM and employee job satisfaction in predicting organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector.

This study poses the following questions:

Are there relationships between and among HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian public banking sector?

What are the combined effects of HRM, employee job satisfaction on organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian public banking sector?

What is the relative contribution of HRM, employee job satisfaction to organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian public banking sector?

Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of HRM and employee job satisfaction in predicting organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector.

Significance of the study

There is a positive correlation between HRM and employee job satisfaction.

There is a positive correlation between job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

There is a positive correlation between HRM and organizational commitment.

There are combined effects of HRM and employee job satisfaction on organizational commitment.

HRM and employee job satisfaction contribute to organizational commitment.

Participants

Convenient sampling method was employed to recruit the participants. Three bank branches of Al Rajhi bank in Riyadh East district, namely, Batha Branch (Men Branches), Al-Aswaq Branch (Men Branches) and Al-Rawdah Branch (Ladies Branches), were approached and selected to study the role of HRM and employee job satisfaction in predicting organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. The majority of the participants were between the ages of 23 and 29 years ( n  = 180, 54.5 percent), 115 between 32 and 49 (34.8 percent), 35 between 50 and 59 (10.6 percent). As for the educational background, the majority of participants (93.9 percent) had a bachelor's degree ( n  = 310), 15 (4.5 percent) were holding a university diploma and 5(1.5 percent) were holding a master’s degree in commerce and management. The years of experience for the participants varied too; 120 (36.3 percent) were between five and ten years of experience, while 190 (57.5 percent) were between 15 and 20 years of experience. Only 20 (6.2 percent) were more than 20 years of experience. More than 900 questionnaires were distributed. Nevertheless, only 400 were received back, from which only (330) were selected, as they were filled correctly without missing questions. So, the final sample was (330) employee respondents from the three bank settings.

For the purpose of this study, quantitative survey research was employed. The independent variables are HRM and employee job satisfaction, while the dependent variable is organizational commitment.

Instruments

HRM practices questionnaire ( Chandrakantan2011 ). It is a 16-item questionnaire, with a five-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution, namely, compensation policy, information sharing, job security, and training and development, explaining 62.44 percent variance. Each factor has four items. Scores on each item ranged from 1 to 5, and the composite score could range from 16 to 80. The reliability of the scale in terms of internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's α . The items demonstrated a satisfactory level of internal consistency reliability. Cronbach alpha values obtained for the measures were 0.70 for compensation, 0.75 for information sharing, 0.76 for job security, 0.73 for training and development.

Organizational commitment questionnaire (Norm, Cyntia and Francisco, 2017). This questionnaire measures commitment in its normative dimension, based on reciprocity and responsibility as value to the work where a link to the organization based on loyalty of workers set was developed ( Norm et al. , 2017 ). It is a 30-item questionnaire, with a five-point Likert scale from 1 (does not look anything like me) to 5 (it looks a lot like me). The scores on each item ranged from 1 to 5, and the composite score could range from 30 to 150. The factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution, namely, loyalty-reciprocity and compliance-responsibility, explaining 45.1 percent of variance. Reliability analysis indicated adequate internal consistency, α  = 0.88.

The generic job satisfaction scale ( Scott Macdonald and Peter Maclntyre, 1997 ). It is a reliable measure of a single construct. It is a ten-item scale, with a five-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The scale was significantly related to workplace factors such as job stress, boredom, isolation and danger of illness or injury. Cronbach's α . The items demonstrated a satisfactory level of internal consistency reliability. Cronbach α obtained for the measures was 0.77. The scores on each item ranged from 1 to 5, and the composite score could range from 5 to 50, with higher scores indicating more job satisfaction.

Prior to administering the scales, employees in the target banks were informed about the purpose of the study and voluntarily indicated orally that they agreed to participate. To ensure that the respondents responded to the items honestly and sincerely, they were told not to identify themselves in any way on the scale paper. They were also informed that they should not be concerned with anything regarding their participation in the study, and their responses are for research purposes only and would be kept confidential. All data were entered in an SPSS file.

Data analysis

The data were analyzed with Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Multiple regression was used to explore the relative contributions of both HRM and employee job satisfaction to the prediction of organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector.

Descriptive data and inter-correlations

Table I shows the means, descriptive statistics and inter-correlations of HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Table I shows that there are significant correlations between HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment. HRM correlates positively with employee job satisfaction ( r  = 0.688) and organizational commitment ( r  = 0.524). On the other hand, employee job satisfaction was found to be positively correlated with organizational commitment ( r  = −0.612).

Human resource management and employee job satisfaction as predictors of organizational commitment

The results presented in Table II show that the two independent variables (HRM and employee job satisfaction) when put together yielded a coefficient of multiple regression ( R ) of 0.574 and a multiple correlation square of 0.571. This shows that 57.1 percent of the total variance in organizational commitment of those who participated in the study is accounted for by the combination of HRM and employee job satisfaction. Table III indicates that the analysis of variance of the multiple regression data produced an F-ratio value significant at 0.01 level ( F (2, 327) = 219.979; p  < 0.01).

As for the results displayed in Table IV , each of the two independent variables made significant individual contributions to the prediction of organizational commitment. The results indicated that the following β weights, which represented the relative contribution of the independent variables to the prediction, were observed. HRM ( b  = 0. 252, t  = 9.856; p  < 0.01) and employee job satisfaction ( b  = 0. 376, t  = 6.773, p  < 0.01). Although the two variables made significant relative contribution to the prediction of organizational commitment, employee job satisfaction is a more potent predictor.

Regression standardized residual, normal P-P plot of regression standardized residual and regression standardized predictive value are shown in Figures 1–3 . Here is a histogram of the residuals with a normal curve superimposed. The residuals look close to normal. Figure 2 checked for normality of residuals with a normal P-P plot. The plot showed that the points generally followed the normal (diagonal) line with no strong deviations. This indicated that the residuals were normally distributed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effects of HRM and employee job satisfaction (predictor variables) on organizational commitment (outcome measure). Moreover, it aimed to investigate the relative contribution of HRM and employee job satisfaction to organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. Additionally, the aim was to find out if there were correlations between and among HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. In this regard, the findings extend our knowledge on the association between HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector.

Findings from Table I : HRM correlated positively with employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment. On the other hand, employee job satisfaction was found to be positively correlated with organizational commitment. These findings are consisted with previous studies that highlighted that human resource practice and employee job satisfaction were found to be contributing positively to employees' organizational commitment ( Haruna and Marthandan, 2017 ; Nwachukwu and Chladková, 2017 ; Taghrid, 2015 ). It is likely that employees' positive perceptions about the human resource practice increase their job satisfaction and commitment to their organization. This may be due to, as revealed by Altarawneh (2009) , service industry normally gives more attentions to HRM than do other industries. The ultimate purpose of HRM is to ensure that the organization is able to achieve success through manpower. HRM provides the organization with required capabilities that allow its people to learn and capitalize on new opportunities. It is concerned with achieving the following: organizational effectiveness, human capital management, knowledge management, reward management, employee relations and meeting various needs ( Osibanjo, 2012 ).

Al Rajhi Bank is a service industry that has competitive advantage. Founded in 1957, Al Rajhi Bank is one of the largest Islamic banks in the world with total assets of SR343bn (US$90bn), a paid up capital of SR16.25bn (US$4.33bn) and an employee base of over 9,600 associates. With over 60 years of experience in banking and trading activities, the various individual establishments under the Al Rajhi name were merged into the umbrella “Al Rajhi Trading and Exchange Corporation” in 1978, and it was in 1988 that the bank was established as a Saudi share holding company. Deeply rooted in Islamic banking principles, the Sharia-compliant banking group is instrumental in bridging the gap between modern financial demands and intrinsic values while spearheading numerous industry standards and development.

The results of this study, consistent with the findings of Ali et al. 's (2019) , revealed that job satisfaction was correlated with organizational commitment. Additionally, HRM (represented by their managers) provides suitable conditions for increasing employees satisfaction and job motivation through appropriate awarding, which are based on the actual evaluation of performance and increasing salary in accordance to employees' capabilities, aiming to improve their organizational commitment.

Employees' high levels of job satisfaction is connected with high levels of productivity, low levels of turnover rate, low levels of absenteeism and levels of organizational commitment. HRM practices, which provide opportunities and are responsible for the effective growth and development of human resources in the organization, are a stronger predictor of organizational commitment. While, the absence of career development opportunities and better job opportunities are important reasons for employee turnover intention ( Budhwar et al. , 2009 ). The results of this study are consistent with those of Edgar and Geare's (2005) , who revealed that HRM practices would influence on employee attitudes such as organizational commitment, job satisfaction and organizational fairness in New Zealand. Job satisfaction can be achieved through equitable rewards system such as pay, working conditions, training and development, fair treatment and fair human resources practices ( Osibanjo et al. , 2012 ).

The results of regression analysis revealed that the two independent variables (HRM and employee job satisfaction) when put together yielded a coefficient of multiple regression ( R ) of 0.574 and a multiple correlation square of 0.571. This showed that 57.1 percent of the total variance in organizational commitment of those who participated in the study was accounted for by the combination of HRM and employee job satisfaction.

Application and implications

The results of this study have corroborated with previous research and confirmed correlations between and among HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. These findings have practical implications. Having high levels of job satisfaction among bank employees will prevent low levels of turnover rate, absenteeism and levels of productivity and increase organizational commitment. HRM practices on the other hand help in career development opportunities, and hence provide better job opportunities. We can recommend that to ensure high levels of job satisfaction among employees and enhanced organizational commitment, organizations, especially banks, should emphasize more on HRM practices.

Conclusion and recommendations

In conclusion, the aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of HRM and employee job satisfaction (predictor variables) on organizational commitment (outcome measure). Moreover, it aimed to investigate the relative contribution of HRM and employee job satisfaction to organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. Additionally, the aim was to find out if there were correlations between and among HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Saudi Arabian banking sector. It was found that employee job satisfaction correlated positively with organizational commitment. The two independent variables made significant individual contributions to the prediction of organizational commitment. It can be said HRM programs, activities, policies and practices are means through which organizational people can be managed to gain competitive advantage. So, its practices can be adjusted, accepted and used by bank managers and employees as part of their daily work. It is well known that the banking environment has both dynamic and competitive nature, so innovative HRM practices should be focusing on providing employees with new and diverse skills and cognition, ensuring their flexibility to be able to respond to change.

Limitations and future research

This study has some limitations. First, convenient sampling method was used to recruit the participants. Therefore, the findings of the study have limited generalizability in other regions and age groups. Second, as a cross-sectional study, there has to be caution in making any generalization of the results. Future researchers should get more respondents from wider geographical locations, i.e. from different bans, private and public. Furthermore, self-report questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. It is recommended that future researchers use different methods such as personal interview or telephone interview to collect data. This may help get reliable data after clarifying and removing what may be ambiguous.

Regression standardized residual

Normal P-P plot of regression standardized residual

Scatterplot

Descriptive statistics and inter-correlations of HRM, employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment

Note(s) : a Dependent variable: OC

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The research–practice gap in the field of HRM: a qualitative study from the academic side of the gap

• Review Paper
• Published: 15 June 2020
• Volume 15 , pages 1465–1515, ( 2021 )

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• Jesús de Frutos-Belizón   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3194-6910 1 ,
• Fernando Martín-Alcázar 1 &
• Gonzalo Sánchez-Gardey 1  

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In recent studies, researchers agree that there is a substantial gap between research and practice in the field of human resource management (HRM). The literature exploring the causes and consequences of this gap does not represent a finely structured discourse; it has focused on analysing the gap from the practitioner side, and it is based on opinions and theoretical discussions rather than on empirical evidence. In this paper, we try to shed some light on this so-called “valley of death”. We attempt to identify the causes underlying the disconnect between academics and professionals in our field by drawing on empirical qualitative evidence obtained from interviews with 15 expert academics in the field of HRM. Thus, the approach presented in our work differs from that of the prior literature in that it is focused not on the opinions of individual authors but on the personal experiences of a larger expert sample composed of independent, experienced scholars in the area. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, we analyse the factors explaining why academics are not always willing to focus their research on professional needs or orientate their research outputs to the practitioner community.

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Acknowledgement

This study has benefited from financing from the Research Project ECO2014-56580-R of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitively, and the Research Projects P12-SEJ-1810 from the Andalusia Government (Spain) and PR2016-018 (Research Projects University of Cadiz).

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Department of Business Management, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain

Jesús de Frutos-Belizón, Fernando Martín-Alcázar & Gonzalo Sánchez-Gardey

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• Notes: The academics interviewed appear in alphabetical order. This order is not related to the number assigned to each academic interviewed. All information about the interviewees was obtained through Elsevier’s Scopus database and public information in their CVs
• *The Centre for Performance-led HR (CPHR) at Lancaster has been successful at bringing together world–class academic experts to work with top HR directors to overcome the most pressing issues facing senior HR specialists. It is a unique partnership between Lancaster University Management School and major corporations and was nominated as one of five Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiatives in the 2009 Times Higher Education Awards
• **NIHR Patient Safety Translational Research Centres (PSTRCs) work to pull advances in basic research with potential relevance to patient safety into an applied research setting
• ***The LINK Research Institute, based at Dublin City University Business School, sets out to understand the factors that contribute to successful organisations, both private and public, in Ireland and internationally. The LINK Research Institute enjoys mutually beneficial collaborations with a wide range of organisations. This includes various consulting projects with a wide range of organisations such as: Fáilte Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, The Electricity Supply Board, The Health Service Executive, The Department of Social Protection, Novartis, Intel, Mars, Airbus and Pfizer
• ****The Global Future of World Foundation aims to help Business, Academia and Goverments around the globe to prepare the workforce of the future for a sustainable world by detecting and predicting trends and paradigms for successful transformation ( http://globalfutureofwork.com/ )
• + The Institute for Business Research serves as the hub for externally funded business research within the Broad College of Business, and as part of the Michigan State University (MSU) campus-wide research infrastructure, collaborates with other MSU Colleges/Departments as well as the Offices of Regulatory Affairs, MSU Technology, Sponsored Programs, Business Connect and Contract and Grant Administration
• ++ The People Management Center (PMC) is an organization located with the department of Human Resource Studies at Tilburg University, which serves as a platform for global HR excellence to connect staff and students of the department, TIAS Business School and the business partners in the HR field

Appendix 2: Interview guide

According to your research experience, do you consider that research is individual or collective? What individuals or agents do you collaborate with in the development of your research projects?

Could you say that you have a stable research group? Do you have stable relationships with agents outside the group?

Could you briefly describe how work is normally organized in the research projects in which you participate?

Do you engage with professional partners in the development of research? How was this experience? What difficulties and benefits did you find in these collaborations?

Normally, what motivates your choice of research topics?

Could you specify the different steps of the research processes conducted in your group?

Which of them do you think are more important?

Do you think your research is relevant to the professional community?

Have you ever carried out a research project collaboratively with the professional community?

Do you consider that research in our field must be produced only for academics? Is it considered possible or viable to produce research jointly with the professional community?

How much time would you say that the whole process takes, from the time you have a stimulus to research until the time an output is generated?

What specific steps of the process do you feel are more time-consuming?

Do you usually change your research ideas and initial impressions after contrasting them with the rest of the members of your research team? Do you also do this with non-academic agents?

Does your research group have formal procedures (such as regular meetings) established? Do they incorporate external agents?

Could you say that the group has established routines to develop research activities?

Does your research team have a strong shared culture?

What do you think are the skills, knowledge or experience necessary to carry out a successful academic career? How would you describe a successful researcher in terms of knowledge, skills and experience?

How are these skills distributed in your group? Are there members specialized in some specific activities or phases of the research process?

How would you describe internal relationships within your research team?

Have you ever had communication problems between the members of the unit? How would you describe your communication with external and/or professional agents?

How is your research normally funded?

Do you receive funding from non-academic institutions, such as firms or professional foundations?

How do you think that the prevalent academic culture affects the development of your research?

Could you describe the process through which your research results are disseminated?

What are the criteria used to select the specific means through which research results are disseminated? To what extent do you make use of non-academic or professional channels?

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de Frutos-Belizón, J., Martín-Alcázar, F. & Sánchez-Gardey, G. The research–practice gap in the field of HRM: a qualitative study from the academic side of the gap. Rev Manag Sci 15 , 1465–1515 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-020-00397-x

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-020-00397-x

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Human resource management (HRM)

• Human Capital Management
• Human Resource Management

It’s often said that people are an organization’s greatest resource. Yet, until fairly recently, human resource  management was not considered as critical to success as other business operations, like marketing, finance or sales. This notion has been largely altered by new technology, globalized markets and changes in organizational hierarchies. Today, business leaders place great emphasis on hiring the right people and keeping them engaged.

What is human resource management?

Human resource management involves creating personnel policies and procedures that support business objectives and strategic plans. Central to this mission is fostering a culture that reflects core values and empowers employees to be as productive as possible.

What are the functions of human resource management?

HR functions can vary depending on industry, businesses size and the types of workers employed. In most cases, the primary objectives are to acquire and cultivate talent and improve communication and cooperation among workforce members. Other key human resource management functions include:

• Job analysis Determining the skills and experience necessary to perform a job well may make it easier to hire the right people, determine appropriate compensation and create training programs.
• Workforce operations Creating health and safety policies, responding to employee grievances, working with labor unions, etc., can help support regulatory compliance.
• Performance measurement Evaluating performance is important because it not only fosters employee growth through constructive feedback, but also serves as a guide for raises, promotions and dismissals.
• Incentive programs Recognizing achievements and rewarding high performers with bonuses and other perks is a proven way of motivating employees to take ownership of business objectives.
• Professional development From orientation to advanced educational programs, employee training serves to improve productivity, reduce turnover and minimize supervisory needs.

HCM Buyer’s Guide: Evaluating integrated HCM solutions

What are the responsibilities of human resource management.

HR professionals generally are tasked with creating and administering programs that improve workplace efficiency and employer-employee relationships. Within this broad assignment are several different, but critical responsibilities, such as:

• Staffing Staffing a business or an individual department requires a number of key steps. Hiring managers must first determine how many new employees the budget can support, then find and interview qualified candidates, and finally, make selections and negotiate compensation.
• Developing workplace policies If it’s determined that a new or revised policy is needed, HR professionals typically consult with executives and other managers, write the supporting documentation and communicate it to employees. Policies may cover vacations, dress codes, disciplinary actions and other types of workplace protocol.
• Administering pay and benefits In order to attract and retain talent, compensation must meet industry standards and be comparable to what other employees in similar roles are being paid. Creating such a fair pay system requires careful consideration of an employee’s years of service with the business, experience level, education and skills.
• Retaining talent Compensation isn’t the only thing that retains talented employees. HR managers may need to proactively address issues with workplace environments, organizational culture and relationships between employees and supervisors.
• Training employees When employees develop new skills, they tend to be more productive and satisfied with their job. Some of the training programs typically run by HR departments include team-building activities, policy and ethics education, and on-the-job instruction and skills, e.g. how to run a machine or computer program.
• Complying with regulations Laws that affect the workplace – whether they’re related to discrimination, health care or wages and hours  – are constantly evolving. HR professionals are required to keep up with these changes and notify the rest of the organization in support of compliance.
• Maintaining safety Safety in the workplace means protecting not just the physical health of employees, but also their private information. To minimize workers’ compensation claims and data breaches, HR must implement security measures and ensure that all federal, state and union standards are met.

Human resource management and small business

While human resource management is important to all businesses, the stakes may be higher for smaller organizations. For example, one incompetent employee in an office of 10 people can be much more detrimental than one in a workforce numbering in the thousands. To improve their people processes, small business owners generally can:

• Assess current operations to determine if new hires are needed or if existing employees and production methods can be utilized more effectively.
• Take an active role in the recruitment process and write job descriptions that match prospective talent to business needs.
• Create an employee handbook or an official document that clearly outlines company policies.
• Provide continuing education opportunities as needed by the particular industry.
• Maintain a work environment where employees are treated fairly and can be productive.

HRM systems and software

Faced with rising numbers of contract-based workers and increasingly complex regulations, HR professionals have turned to HRM software to help them keep pace with changing workforce environments and people management needs. This technology is available with a variety of options to suit businesses of any size. Basic systems may offer recruitment services , payroll and benefits , while more robust solutions tend to include talent management, international compliance support  and advanced analytics.

Why use a human resource management system (HRMS)?

HRMS are designed to meet the core needs of HR and turn basic administrative functions into critical enablers of business value. With the aid of these people-centric, data powered solutions, HR managers may be able to:

• Improve their hiring processes
• Manage people more effectively
• Optimize workforce productivity
• Engage and retain employees
• Eliminate costly redundancies
• Make data-driven decisions
• Maintain regulatory compliance

How to choose a human resources management solution

Finding the right solution often requires a strategic evaluation process, such as the following:

• Identify what the organization would like to accomplish, change or improve and how technology can help achieve those goals.
• Ensure that the HRMS can keep pace with the rapidly changing regulatory and statutory requirements in all applicable jurisdictions (local, state, federal, international, etc.).
• Prioritize security and know exactly how sensitive data will be stored, transferred and backed up.
• Look for implementation models with a change management strategy  that will get the HRMS up and running efficiently.
• Address stakeholder questions, concerns and objections to drive widespread HRMS support.
• Ask about service plans to manage the hundreds of post-payroll tasks necessary for compliance .
• Inquire into the vendor’s financial history and investments in innovation.
• Get outside-in perspective by looking at peer reviews, industry analyst feedback and product demos.

Examples of HRM software

Business leaders and HR professionals who are looking for software to help them accomplish more with less resources generally have three options available to them:

• Human resource information systems (HRIS) – perform core HR functions , like applicant tracking, payroll and benefits administration
• Human resource management systems (HRMS) – offer the benefits of HRIS, plus talent management services
• Human capital management (HCM) solutions – provide a broad suite of HR capabilities, including global payroll and compliance support and in-depth analytics

Why choose ADP for your human resource management needs?

ADP’s HR management solutions automate and streamline key needs so that HR professionals can focus more time on their people and less on paperwork. We offer basic and customized packages with some of the following features:

• Powerful workforce reporting that turns data into a trusted source of decision-making
• Preconfigured new hire templates for a simplified onboarding process
• Self-service and mobile apps so time-sensitive tasks can be performed quickly
• Industry-recognized security to help safeguard sensitive information

Learn more about ADP Workforce Now® HR Management →

Frequently asked questions about HRM

What is human resource management and its functions.

Human resource management is the strategic approach to nurturing and supporting employees and ensuring a positive workplace environment. Its functions vary across different businesses and industries, but typically include recruitment, compensation and benefits, training and development, and employee relations.

What are the three major roles of human resources management?

The job of an HR manager can be broken out into three major roles:

• Administrator Running payroll , writing job descriptions, creating workplace policies and procuring benefits packages are typical of HR administration.
• Change manager HR professionals must monitor regulations and communicate policy or procedural changes with employees to help support compliance.
• Personnel manager Managing people entails resolving conflicts, overseeing training and development, and fostering employee engagement.

What are the five main areas of HR?

HR professionals perform many activities in the pursuit of employee well-being and organizational stability, but their responsibilities generally lie within five main areas:

• Recruitment and staffing – identifying talent gaps, acquiring applicants, arbitrating contracts, maintaining ethical hiring practices
• Compensation and benefits – determining pay scales, approving raises, negotiating benefits packages
• Training and development – onboarding new hires, making educational opportunities available
• Compliance and safety – monitoring legislative changes, implementing safety measures, processing workers’ compensation claims
• Employee relations – resolving employee conflicts, addressing harassment or abuse allegations, working with union leaders

What are seven functions of HR?

Over the years, HR has evolved from a personnel department engaged largely in administration to a strategic partner that works closely with management teams on organizational development. It’s seven key functions today include:

• Strategic planning
• Recruitment
• Training and development
• Compensation and benefits
• Policy creation
• Employee and labor relations
• Risk management

What is HR compliance?

HR compliance means keeping an organization from violating the growing number of employment laws enacted by federal, state and local governments. This responsibility requires HR professionals to monitor and understand regulatory requirements, enforce policies, classify workers correctly, practice fair hiring practices and provide a safe work environment, among other tasks.

This guide is intended to be used as a starting point in analyzing an employer’s HR obligations and is not a comprehensive resource of requirements. It offers practical information concerning the subject matter and is provided with the understanding that ADP is not rendering legal or tax advice or other professional services.

ADP Editorial Team The ADP editorial team is comprised of human resource professionals with extensive experience solving complex HR challenges for businesses of all sizes.

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• Guidelines and Guidance Library
• Core Practices
• Isolation Precautions Guideline
• Disinfection and Sterilization Guideline
• Environmental Infection Control Guidelines
• Hand Hygiene Guidelines
• Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDRO) Management Guidelines
• Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) Prevention Guideline
• Tools and resources
• Evaluating Environmental Cleaning

Infection Control Basics

• Infection control prevents or stops the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
• Healthcare workers can reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections and protect themselves, patients and visitors by following CDC guidelines.

Germs are a part of everyday life. Germs live in our air, soil, water and in and on our bodies. Some germs are helpful, others are harmful.

An infection occurs when germs enter the body, increase in number and the body reacts. Only a small portion of germs can cause infection.

Terms to know

• Sources : places where infectious agents (germs) live (e.g., sinks, surfaces, human skin). Sources are also called reservoirs.
• Susceptible person: someone who is not vaccinated or otherwise immune. For example, a person with a weakened immune system who has a way for the germs to enter the body.
• Transmission: a way germs move to the susceptible person. Germs depend on people, the environment and/or medical equipment to move in healthcare settings. Transmission is also called a pathway.
• Colonization: when someone has germs on or in their body but does not have symptoms of an infection. Colonized people can still transmit the germs they carry.

For an infection to occur, germs must transmit to a person from a source, enter their body, invade tissues, multiply and cause a reaction.

How it works in healthcare settings

Sources can be:.

• People such as patients, healthcare workers and visitors.
• Dry surfaces in patient care areas such as bed rails, medical equipment, countertops and tables).
• Wet surfaces, moist environments and biofilms (collections of microorganisms that stick to each other and surfaces in moist environments, like the insides of pipes).
• Cooling towers, faucets and sinks, and equipment such as ventilators.
• Indwelling medical devices such as catheters and IV lines.
• Dust or decaying debris such as construction dust or wet materials from water leaks.

Transmission can happen through activities such as:

• Physical contact, like when a healthcare provider touches medical equipment that has germs on it and then touches a patient before cleaning their hands.
• Sprays and splashes when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This creates droplets containing the germs, and the droplets land on a person's eyes, nose or mouth.
• Inhalation when infected patients cough or talk, or construction zones kick up dirt and dust containing germs, which another person breathes in.
• Sharps injuries such as when someone is accidentally stuck with a used needle.

A person can become more susceptible to infection when:

• They have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer or organ transplantation. These can decrease the immune system's ability to fight infection.
• They take medications such as antibiotics, steroids and certain cancer fighting medications. These can decrease the body's ability to fight infection.
• They receive treatments or procedures such as urinary catheters, tubes and surgery, which can provide additional ways for germs to enter the body.

Recommendations

Healthcare providers.

Healthcare providers can perform basic infection prevention measures to prevent infection.

There are 2 tiers of recommended precautions to prevent the spread of infections in healthcare settings:

• Standard Precautions , used for all patient care.
• Transmission-based Precautions , used for patients who may be infected or colonized with certain germs.

There are also transmission- and germ-specific guidelines providers can follow to prevent transmission and healthcare-associated infections from happening.

Learn more about how to protect yourself from infections in healthcare settings.

For healthcare providers and settings

• Project Firstline : infection control education for all frontline healthcare workers.
• Infection prevention, control and response resources for outbreak investigations, the infection control assessment and response (ICAR) tool and more.
• Infection control specifically for surfaces and water management programs in healthcare settings.
• Preventing multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs).

Infection Control

CDC provides information on infection control and clinical safety to help reduce the risk of infections among healthcare workers, patients, and visitors.

For Everyone

Health care providers, public health.

Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office

It is the mission of the Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (CRFWCO) to assist in determining the status of imperiled natural stocks, to evaluate management measures for recovery and assist in the recovery of these stocks, and to prevent future listings

O ur staff collaborates with local, state and Tribal partners to conserve, restore, and improve native fish and aquatic resources throughout Oregon and along the Columbia River and all of its tributaries downstream from McNary Dam to the Pacific Ocean. We study wild and hatchery aquatic organisms and their populations, support habitat restoration, and evaluate restoration projects, fish hatchery practices and human impacts. The results of our studies allow land and natural resource managers to make science informed management decisions. 

Our Organization

The CRFWCO provides science-based recommendations for the management of aquatic resources on Federal and Tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest. The programs in our office provide technical assessment, interagency coordination, and representation for technical- and policy-level workgroups, committees, councils, and commissions. Our programs are:

Passage and Habitat Assessment

Natural Population Assessment

Hatchery Assessment

Marking and Tagging

GIS and Data

Science Communication and Outreach

Our Species

Our work focuses on native fish and aquatic species, including those of Tribal importance and species listed under the Endangered Species Act. 

Bull Trout  

Salvelinus confluentus, pacific lamprey , entosphenus tridentatus, freshwater mussels, western pearlshell ( margaritifera falcata )   yukon floater ( anodonta beringiana )     western ridged mussel ( gonidea angulata ), coastal cutthroat trout, oncorhynchus clarkii, pacific salmon (oncorhynchus sp.), chinook (o. tshawytscha) coho (o. kisutch)   chum (o. keta)   pink (o. gorbuscha)   kokanee (o. nerka).

( Oncorhynchus mykiss )

Aquatic Invasive Species

Brook Trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis )

 American Bullfrog ( Lithobates catesbeianus )

Projects and Research

The Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (CRFWCO) coordinates, facilitates, and implements management actions to conserve and restore fish and aquatic species in the Columbia River Basin and adjacent parts of Oregon, including threatened and endangered resident species, anadromous salmonids, and their associated habitats. Our main conservation and restoration activities include: endangered species review and assessment, fish passage fish passage Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people. Learn more about fish passage improvement, tagging and marking of anadromous salmonids, Federal hatchery evaluation, harvest management, aquatic invasive species invasive species An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars. Learn more about invasive species monitoring, and various technical assistance programs. We work through collaboration and partnership with other Federal agencies, stakeholder groups, State and Tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, and the public.

Our geographic focus includes the Columbia River and tributaries downstream from McNary Dam to the Pacific Ocean, and the rest of Oregon (except for the Klamath Basin). Providing technical assistance, interagency coordination, and representation on technical and policy level workgroups, committees, councils, and commissions for hydrosystem, hatchery, harvest, and habitat management are the key tasks for the CRFWCO. The CRFWCO work is guided by, and consistent with, the Pacific Region Fisheries Strategic Plan, USFWS National Fisheries Strategic Plan, and Department of Interior Secretarial priorities.

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From invasive species invasive species An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars. Learn more about invasive species removal to protecting endangered species, find out what kind of projects and initiatives we're conducting to protect our aquatic resources.

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