Strategy and human resources management: A management control perspective.

摘要

This research examined the relationship between the strategic posture of firms and the human resource management (HRM) practices they employ. Strategic posture is viewed along a single dimension from domain defense to domain offense. HRM is portrayed in this study as a management control system composed of two major types: (1) behavior, and (2) output.;It was hypothesized that the demands of strategic posture create information processing difficulties for executives and, therefore, serve as sources of administrative uncertainty. In particular, domain offense was viewed as limiting the ability of executives to observe and predict the cause-effect in the subordinates' performance.;Since, under conditions of administrative uncertainty, executives were viewed as less able to prescribe and monitor employee behavior, it was hypothesized that they would rely less on behavior control and more on output control systems to regulate performance.;Results based on data obtained from presidents and vice presidents from 89 companies provide no support for the notion that strategic posture is a source of administrative uncertainty experienced by executives. In addition, administrative uncertainty was related to neither behavior control nor output control. Finally, results indicated that strategic posture was related to neither type of HRM control. Consequently, there is absolutely no evidence to support a mediation hypothesis (via administrative uncertainty).;Behavior control is characterized by performance standards that are set autocratically and remain fixed over time, loose performance-reward linkages, behavioral performance measures, close supervisor surveillance, evaluation based upon improvement over time, and frequent feedback. Output control, on the other hand, involves consultative and flexible performance standards, tight performance-reward linkages, results performance measures, evaluations based upon comparison to preset targets, and infrequent feedback.;Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to research limitations and avenues for future research. Overall, it is concluded that a great deal more work is needed to understand the nature of HRM as a control system in organizations.