Knowledge that Transforms

AbstractWorkplace stress is a growing concern for human resource managers. Although considerable scholarly and practical attention has been devoted to stress management over the years, the time has come for new perspectives and research. Drawing from the emerging field of positive organizational behavior, this study offers research findings with implications for combating occupational stress. Specifically, data from a large sample of working adults across a variety of industries suggest that psychological capital (the positive resources of efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience) may be key to better understanding the variation in perceived symptoms of stress, as well as intentions to quit and job search behaviors. The article concludes with practical strategies aimed at leveraging and developing employees' psychological capital to help them better cope with workplace stress. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AbstractHuman resource management bundles consisting of multiple complementary practices are typically considered superior to individual best practices in influencing firm performance. This study investigates the relationship between three such bundles (empowerment, motivation, and skill‐enhancing) and business outcomes (retention, operating performance, financial performance, and overall performance ratings). A meta‐analysis of 239 effect sizes derived from 65 studies reveals that HRM bundles have significantly larger magnitudes of effects than their constituent individual practices, are positively related to business outcomes, and display effect sizes that are comparable to or larger than those of high‐performance work systems. These findings reaffirm the case for firm‐level investments in synergistic HRM combinations and highlight the importance of investing in complementary practices. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AbstractInternational assignments have become an important part of managers' careers and are considered one of the most effective leadership development tools. Yet, studies consistently show that companies fail to integrate international assignments with long‐term career development and succession planning and that a substantial percentage of expatriates leave the company upon completion of the international assignment. A total of 1,779 international assignees participated in a study that examined the factors associated with expatriate turnover intentions. The results indicate the importance of differentiating between two types of international assignments—developmental (or learning‐driven) and functional (or demand‐driven)—to understand expatriates' turnover intentions. While we found turnover intentions to vary depending on whether assignments are developmental or functional, the three sets of predictors of turnover intentions are similar. They are (1) lower satisfaction with company support, (2) higher repatriation concerns, and (3) lower career advancement opportunities within the company (relative to opportunities available outside the company). We discuss the implications for research and practice. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to test how human resources management (HRM) practices and employees' knowledge influence the development of innovative capabilities and, by extension, a firm's performance. Results confirm that HRM practices are not directly associated with innovation unless they take into account employees' knowledge. Specifically, our analyses establish a mediating role for the uniqueness of knowledge between collaborative HRM practices and innovative activity, a positive influence of knowledge‐based HRM practices on valuable knowledge, and a positive contribution of innovations to the company's profit. We tested hypotheses in a sample of firms from the most innovative Spanish industries through structural equation modeling. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AbstractIn this article we present expatriate management policies and practices of 136 large multinational companies (MNCs) based in four different countries: Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The findings we focus on include staffing, selection, training, and success. By analyzing our own results as well as comparing them to previous findings, we examine the changes in expatriate practices over time. In the managerial and research implications sections, we share additional findings and our thoughts about future issues and trends in expatriation. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.