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The role of human resource management practices in managing organizational change

Maßnahmen des Human Resource Managements zur Unterstützung von organisationalen Veränderungsprozessen

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Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The contingency perspective on human resource management (HRM) advocates that HRM practices fit the internal or external situation of the organization. Organizational change has not been considered to be one of these contingencies, although in many organizations, the HR department is responsible for implementing and managing change. This study in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation aims to explore the use and effectiveness of HRM practices to manage organizational change in a case-based approach. Data were collected in five organizations, and interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The results show two sets of HRM practices relating to the major organizational changes in the five companies, that is, reorganization and downsizing. The organizations adapted a broad range of practices to suit change-related requirements, and these practices yielded more favourable outcomes than the changes themselves (e.g., regarding perceived job security). Using a broader range of HRM practices and implementing them with more care produces more beneficial outcomes. Hence, organizational change should be considered to be a factor of contingency. It is beneficial for organizations to attentively adapt the current practices to the ongoing change.

Zusammenfassung

Im Sinne der Kontingenzperspektive des Human Resource Managements (HRM) sollten Maßnahmen des HRM den internen oder externen Gegebenheiten des Unternehmens entsprechen. Organisationale Veränderungsprozesse wurden bisher nicht als Kontingenzfaktor verstanden, obwohl es oftmals Aufgabe des HRM ist, Veränderungsprozesse umzusetzen und zu begleiten. Diese Studie in der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation untersucht den Einsatz und die Wirksamkeit von HRM Maßnahmen während organisationalen Veränderungsprozessen in fünf Organisationen. Die Interviewdaten wurden mittels qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen zwei Gruppen von HRM Maßnahmen, die in den zentralen organisationalen Veränderungsprozessen – Reorganisation und Personalabbau – verwendet wurden. Die fünf Organisationen nutzten verschiedenste auf die Anforderungen der Veränderungsprozesse abgestimmte Maßnahmen, die zu günstigeren Folgen führen als die Veränderungen an sich (z. B., in Bezug auf wahrgenommene Arbeitsplatzsicherheit). Dabei ist es vorteilhaft, eine größere Zahl von Maßnahmen anzuwenden und sorgfältig umzusetzen. Organisationale Veränderungsprozesse sollten daher als Kontingenzfaktor berücksichtigt werden. Insgesamt ist es günstiger, wenn Organisationen die gewählten Maßnahmen sorgfältig auf den Veränderungsprozess abstimmen.

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Notes

  1. A summary of practices and outcomes are documented in the appendix.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Anette Wittekind and Gudela Grote for their contribution to the larger research project in which the data were collected.

Funding

Funding

The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF-Grants 101803, 58298).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Sabine Raeder

  2. University of Oslo, PO Box 1094, 0317, Oslo, Norway

    Sabine Raeder

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  1. Sabine Raeder
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Correspondence to Sabine Raeder.

Appendix

Appendix

1.1 Results



Table 4 Summary of HRM practices implemented to manage organizational change in the five case studies
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Table 5 Summary of HRM outcomes in the five case studies
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Table 6 Summary of change outcomes in the five case studies
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Raeder, S. The role of human resource management practices in managing organizational change. Gr Interakt Org 50, 169–191 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11612-019-00465-1

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