Exploration of the influence of social position on HRM adoption: a case of HRM in Pakistan

摘要

This thesis explores human resource management (HRM) adoption by investigating theudinfluence of multiple HRM actors’ social position, capital resource(s) exchangeudmechanism, dispositions, social classes, habitus, social expectation, and national andudglobal environmental factors.udThe objectives of this thesis were achieved through systematically conducting threeuddifferent studies for the thesis. The first study was carried out to gain insight into theudinfluence of social position on HRM academics’ adoption. The major contribution of thisudstudy was a theorising model on HRM academics’ adoption. It shows which capitaludresource is very sought after and how it plays a role in developing HRM academics’uddispositions, which in turn provides them with the drive and motivation to adopt westernudHRM ideas and knowledge. The second study was carried out to gain insight into theudmechanism and formation of capital resource(s) exchange that influences HRMudpractitioners to adopt western HRM ideas, knowledge, and practices. The mainudcontribution of this study comprised empirical insights into the importance and role ofudsocial class (élite and emerging class); habitus and socialisation (primary and secondaryudsocialisation) as developers and controllers of the mechanism of capital resource(s)udexchange; and formation of social position. The third study investigated a gap betweenudaccepted (adopted) HRM ideas and knowledge, and actual HRM practices. The majorudcontribution of this study was its theorising on the factors that influence this gap. Itudexplored the influences of conflicting factors such as actors’ professional andudoccupational orientation and position, social position, and social expectation, whichuddevelop the gap.udThis thesis adopted a qualitative abductive research approach. It conducted qualitative indepthudinterviews with 19 HRM academics, 15 MBA-Alumni HRM practitioners, and 10udnon-MBA-Alumni HRM practitioners. Qualitative observation in two business schoolsudand five business organisations in multiple industries was carried out to enrich the dataudcollection.udThis thesis contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing insights intoudindividual actors’ level HRM adoption, which is an underexplored area in Pakistan andudsimilar developing countries. By employing theoretical and analytical tools based onudBourdieu’s theory of practices and social position, Rogers’s and Tarde’s theorising ofudadoption, and findings of empirical studies of macro institutions, cultural sensitive views,udand institutional factors’ framework in the diffusion of HRM, this thesis explored,udexamined, and theorised HRM adoption at different individual actors’ level in businessudorganisations and business schools in Pakistan. In that respect, this thesis theoreticallyudcontributes to Bourdieu’s theory and its unique use in international HRM, organisationudstudies, and management research. This thesis empirically contributes to theudunderstanding of management and think tanks in business schools, businessudorganisations, educators, HRM practitioners, and relevant government and regulatoryudbodies who can benefit from the findings of this research by understanding the differentudfactors and social structures affecting western HRM’s effectiveness and its applications.udIt also suggests to these stakeholders the factors that affect individuals’ and employees’udadoption of western HRM and western management ideas, knowledge, and practices; anyudchange in strategies, policies, and procedures; and problems in their implementation.