Annotated Bibliography: Human Resource Management in the Manufacturing Industry
Čech, M., Yao, W., Samolejova, A., Li, J., & Wicher, P. (2016). Human resource management in Chinese manufacturing companies. Perspectives in Science, 7, 6-9.
The article explains various aspects of human resource management among manufacturing companies in China. Furthermore, the research work concentrates on the role played by HR departments in these companies, which gives them a competitive advantage. On the same note, the article explains the gap between the local and foreign firms in terms of the quality of the HR departments compared to their success. The authors assert that the manufacturing sector acts as the backbone of the Chinese economy. However, the foreign companies hold the higher end in the manufacturing industry due to the type of HR recruited in running the firms. On the same note, the study affirms that the kind of acquiring human resources as well as retaining employees act as the critical aspect of success among the companies in China. The article conducts its research on different companies in China, both local and foreign own hence comparing their success based on the types of human resources they possess. The paper aims to contribute to further HR research by various scholars, more so those focusing on the Chinese manufacturing companies. The authors summarize by stating that human resource management in manufacturing industries represents a significant part in determining the potential competitive advantage. Nevertheless, human resource department, organize, plan, control, and lead the company workforce, which ensures the smooth running of daily activities.
The article mainly focuses on the analysis and presentation of the HRM practices among different companies in China. On the same note, the research concentrates on various concepts of the human resource management in Chinese companies such as evaluation of the performance, techniques of recruitment as well as training and development programs. The authors of the articles employed a questionnaire method in data collection designed by researchers from China and Czech. The research team employed 58 questions on each questionnaire specific for a single type of human resource aspects. The study involved 82 Hubei based manufacturing companies as the participants in which the team sent the survey through emails with the notification letter. The research team received a total of 67 questionnaires with complete information from the participants. Equally, the team used the freeware R software in data analysis. Furthermore, the research team conducted various statistical tests such as ANOVA, graphics, as well as descriptive statistics to ascertain the results. The research concluded that human resources management exists as one of the significant managerial factors in any manufacturing firm. As a result, the study explores various concepts of human resources in Chinese companies hence offering a crucial knowledge for multiple parties.
D’Netto, B., Shen, J., Chelliah, J., & Monga, M. (2014). Human resource diversity management practices in the Australian manufacturing sector. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(9), 1243-1266.
The article highlights the various concept of human resource management based on the ideologies of workforce diversity. As explained by the source, globalization over the past decades, accompanies diversity impacts in the manufacturing industry. Equally, the paper demonstrates that work diversity possesses various merits and demerits in the manufacturing sector; hence its management holds significant repercussions for the firms and its workers. When the company maintains an effective means of handling workforce diversity, it minimizes the incidence of negatives results, which could slow down the productivity of the employees. Human resources management plays a crucial role in such activities of maintaining and running a diverse workforce in the manufacturing industry. The authors assert that the human resource department plays a critical part in ensuring effectiveness, quality as well as value from the employees’ diversity. The ideologies of diversity originated from the United States as one of the ways in dealing with equality issues in the employment sector, as explained by the paper. The study mainly concentrates on investigating ethnicity in the domain of HR in various Australian manufacturing firms. Similarly, the article posits that ethnicity occurs as the primary factor in the employees’ diversity in the Australian manufacturing industry. The paper further explores various concepts of HR in Australian manufacturing firms such as benefits, management, recruitment, as well as challenges faced by HR in workforce diversity.
The main objective of the study focused on examining the workers’ perception of advantages and challenges related to diversity in workplaces as well as practices employed by the HR departments in managing the workforce diversity in Australian firms. The research used qualitative methods of data collection. Australian manufacturing sector comprises 34% of immigrants from diverse cultural backgrounds hence ideas for the study. The research team collaborated with the Australian Workers Union to access to human resource managers during the survey on various companies. The participants included nine global companies located in New South Wales, South Australia, as well as Victoria. HR manager advertised for the participation of the workers from different cultural backgrounds upon the study team request to participate in the research. The research team was divided into two in which they conducted interviews in the companies based on the two focus group system. The groups of participants consisted of four to six members in each firm, and the whole study comprised 92 employees from 28 various nations. The research concluded that Australia exists as a multicultural country with workforce diversity management resembling that of western states. Moreover, most of the manufacturing firms lack effective HR diversity management plans and strategies to maximize the benefits of the workers’ diversity. As a result, Australian manufacturing companies require well organized and effective human resource management of the diversity in workplaces.
Sheikh, M., Hasnu, S., & Khan, I. (2016). Link between HR practices and organizational performance in small firms: A case for manufacturing sector of Pakistan. Management Science Letters, 6(1), 71-86.
The study explains that in the late 1970s, different scholars focused on human resources in large companies. However, current research work concentrates on the implications of the HR practices concerning the performance measures in various manufacturing industries. The authors argue that these types of research conducted on small firms can significantly help in comprehending various factors encountered by startup companies. Furthermore, the study explains multiple aspects of the human resource in small companies, such as the impacts of HR to the success and growth of such organizations and ways of acquiring and allocating resources. According to the source, small enterprise encounters diverse human resource-related challenges in various perspectives. Startup firms could face problems like retaining, recruiting, and motivating workers in which the incorporation of competent HR departments could help in solving the challenges. Similarly, the article explains that the introduction of an excellent human resource team would significantly contribute to the survival, growth, and development of small firms. Notably, the paper discusses various definitions of small firms based on factors such as resource-based view, HRM, HRM practices, and performance.
The main objective of the study focused on instigating the existence of formal or informal HR practices and policies among the startup up firms in the region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. Equally, the research objective exists as determining the effects of human resources on the performance of small enterprises as well as the critical role the HR department plays in the success and growth of these firms. The study hypothesized that a strong association occurs between HR activities and performance outcomes in startup enterprises. On the same note, the researchers hypothesized that HR policies and practices positively affect small businesses. The research team conducted data collection in the small companies in the Hazara division, which comprised the small industrial estates. The study used both interviews and questionnaires on the small firm owners as the primary method of data collection. The research team divided the questionnaire into four parts covering aspects of status, practices, views, and outcome of HR in these firms. The research team briefed the participants about the aim of data collection before the commencement of the filing in questionnaires and interviews. Based on results obtained and analyzed from the study, the article concludes that human resource management in small firms positively impacts on the company’s performance. Similarly, the performance of the startup organizations significantly depends on the human resource experience, behaviors, attitudes as well as skills.
Menachery, T. J., & Pandey, C. (2018). Strategic Human Resource Management Practices and Organisational Performance in Indian Manufacturing Companies. International Business Management, 12(2), 117-125.
The article covers concepts of the HRM concerning the performance if the manufacturing firms in India. As per the authors, ideas of the HRM strategy by different manufacturing companies began in late 1980 with a significant focus on the linking factors of human resources to the enterprise strategies of the organizations. Equally, the strategic human resource links the company strategies with the HR department. Based on the study, the previous scholar profoundly concentrated on investigating HRM issues developed countries like the United Kingdom and the United States; hence it occurred as a crucial step in conducting such studies in the developing economies like that of India. Furthermore, the study explains that previous studies indicate success and growth in performance when they apply the required human resource system. On the same note, due to high competition in the Indian manufacturing sector sparked by the initiation of the economic reforms, most of the companies require highly experienced and skilled HR. In such an environment, HR would act as a strategy for the company’s success as opposed to the traditional view and perception of the human resource. The article further explains various impacts of strategic human resources on the performance and progress of manufacturing industries in India.
The main goal of the study aimed at investigating the association between the human resource practices and performance of manufacturing industries in India. Moreover, the study hypothesized that, firstly, a “positive relationship exists between strategic HRM practices and HRM outcomes.” Secondly, the study hypothesized that a positive association occurs between the strategic human resource and performance of the manufacturing sector. The research team conducted data collection using questionnaires in the Chennai India on participating companies. The study groups divided the manufacturing sectors into three aspects, such as chemical, equipment, and machinery, as well as transport equipment. The research team engaged 300 manufacturing organizations with at least 50 workers from each. The study pre-tested the questionnaires for its validity and clarity using twenty HR representatives from the manufacturing firms based in Chennai. The research team presented the questionnaires to one person in each company responsible for the HR department. Moreover, the research measured parameters such as the HRM outcome and strategic human resource practices. The study concluded that different strategic human resource practices positively impacts the performance of the manufacturing companies in Chennai. Similarly, strategic human resource applications such as training and development, profit sharing, as well as offering career opportunities, positively affect the performance of the firms in the manufacturing sector.
Haddock-Millar, J., Sanyal, C., & Müller-Camen, M. (2016). Green human resource management: a comparative qualitative case study of a United States multinational corporation. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(2), 192-211.
The article explores various concepts of human resources concerning environmental management in manufacturing corporations. Authors assert that, based on the current concerns on environmental issues, the HRM structure, policies, and practices should align with the management of various environmental factors. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on multiple aspects of the green HRM in which it involves the relationship between HRM practices with the environmental goals of the firms. The article explains that green managements in most manufacturing companies exist as a growing phenomenon since various research works indicate that such actions offer a competitive advantage. In order to achieve such implementation of the green goals by the manufacturing companies, workers should work closely with the organization’s environmental goals and strategies. As a result, manufacturing companies require HR functions in alignment and functioning to achieve success in environmental performance. The study explains various principles and practices of green HRM, which comprises the firm’s culture on the environmental issues, engagement of the workers, and training of the staff members on the same. Notably, the research discusses various factors of employees’ involvement in green HRM as well as the role of the human resource in aligning the workforce within the companies’ green strategies.
The main objective of the study focused on exploring ways in which multinational manufacturing firms in the United States subsidiaries of Swedish, German, and British. The article concentrated on evaluating differences and variations in the three European subsidiaries based on the strategies in green HRM actions and behaviors. The research team involved 50 participants in a multi-case study technique. The research employed interviews on the participants using the semi-structured systems. The study further involved the 21 participants in the face to face interview, which comprised managers and directors from the subsidiaries as well as frontline workers. In each interview, the researchers first engaged the participants with overviews of the matter concerning the firm’s environmental strategies as well as problems facing the HRM in implementing green goals of the organization. The paper concluded that many differences and similarities existed among the subsidiaries concerning the green HRM. However, across the three subsidiaries, the research affirms that they continuously get committed to environmental sustainability measures through green HRM. On the same note, the human resource department takes different approaches in alignment and positioning of the workforce towards the programs of environmental issues. Equally, the study, through its results, explains that employee engagements play a significant role in supporting the environmental engagement programs under effective green HRM structure.