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The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a specific set of management practices and policies and policies (organizational behavior modification, the management principles, and the management process) on human resource outcomes and on individual employee performance. A comprehensive management practices and policies performance model is theorized and empirically assessed.

Data collected from a sample of full-time employees working in the Southern USA are analyzed using a partial least squares/structural equation modeling methodology.

Considering the direct and indirect links among the constructs the authors conclude the following: organizational behavior modification, the management principles, and the management process combine to improve organizational commitment and job satisfaction; organizational commitment and job satisfaction combine to improve employee engagement and workplace optimism; and employee engagement and workplace optimism combine to enhance individual performance.

The model tested reflects the synergy created though the implementation of the management practices and policies and policies and the impact of that synergy on human resource outcomes and individual employee performance. This is the first assessment of this comprehensive model. Replication and verification of the model are suggested.

Practitioners are provided with a framework for assessing the synergistic impact of the management practices and policies on human resource outcomes and individual employee performance. The theorized model and results provide practicing managers with a blueprint for the systematic implementation of the management practices and policies.

A comprehensive management practices and policies performance model is proposed and empirically assessed. The results support the proposition that implementation of the management practices and policies leads to improved human resource outcomes and individual employee performance.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships among goal setting, employee engagement, workplace optimism, and individual performance constructs. Goal setting is hypothesized as positively impacting employee engagement, employee engagement as positively impacting workplace optimism, and workplace optimism as positively impacting individual performance.

Data collected from a sample of 426 full‐ and part‐time employees are analyzed following a structural equation modeling methodology.

The measurement and structural models fit the data relatively well. Goal setting positively impacts employee engagement, employee engagement positively impacts optimism, and optimism positively impacts individual performance, as hypothesized.

Although data are collected from a relatively diverse group of respondents, the ability to generalize the findings is limited because the results are derived from a non‐random sample. All measures are based on the perceptions of the respondents. Job performance is reported by each respondent may not reflect the supervisor's performance rating and is not necessarily consistent with objective performance indicators such as sales generated by a marketing employee.

Results indicate that formal, structured goal setting processes lead to higher levels of employee engagement, that higher levels of engagement lead to improved workplace optimism, and that improved optimism in turn leads to higher levels of individual performance.

The paper provides empirical support for the implementation of management programs that foster goal setting, employee engagement, and workplace optimism for the purpose of enhancing the performance levels of individual employees.

Prior research indicates that workplace diversity negatively impacts the job satisfaction and organizational commitment levels of minority workers. This study investigates the impact of age and gender diversity between human resources (HR) professionals and their supervisors on the satisfaction and commitment levels of the professionals.

Data from 279 HR professionals employed by large US manufacturers were collected using a traditional mail methodology and were analyzed using ANOVA.

Neither age differential, gender differential nor age and gender differential interaction were found to impact the job satisfaction and organizational commitment levels of HR professionals.

Although it appears that the number of females and, in particular, female supervisors is under represented in the sample, it is likely that the sample accurately reflects the current status of the manufacturing labor force.

The negative impact on supervisor/subordinate relationships of demographic differences may be mitigated through the implementation of diversity management strategies, such as those adopted by HR professionals.

These unexpected findings may be attributed to the heightened awareness of diversity‐related legislation and regulation on the part of HR professionals. Additionally, HR professionals as a group are likely more attuned to the potential negative impact of workplace diversity and more skilled in applying workplace strategies to minimize the negative impact of such diversity.

An organizational optimism model is developed and tested. The constructs of optimism subculture and goal setting process are investigated as antecedents to the level of employee optimism and individual and organizational performance are investigated as direct and indirect consequences of the level of employee optimism. Data relating to the constructs were collected from 133 manufacturers and subjected to structural equation modeling analysis. The proposed model fits the data well. Results indicate that managers may improve individual and organizational performance by raising levels of employee optimism and that levels of optimism may be raised through development of an optimism subculture and implementation of a goal setting process.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influences of expatriate characteristics, complexity of task assignment and perceived cross‐cultural differences on needs for expatriate training, and expatriate training effectiveness and to evaluate the influences of the fit between the expatriate's learning style and instructor's teaching modes on training effectiveness.

Survey methodology was adopted to obtain data from the opinions of expatriates in foreign companies within Taiwan and China. Quantitative data were used to answer the research questions. A total of 400 foreign companies, with 200 in Taiwan and 200 in China, were selected as the survey sample. Hierarchical regression analyses were adopted to test the five research questions as developed in this study.

The study results revealed that expatriates' perceived needs for training were negatively influenced by competence and adaptability to work in the overseas assignment. Expatriates' perceived needs for expatriation training were also influenced by the complexity of the task assignment, capability of host country managers, and the perceived cross‐culture differences between the home country and host country. Furthermore, the levels of fit between expatriate learning preferences and the instructor's teaching methods did moderate the relationship between the need for expatriate training and the effectiveness of such training.

First, since this study adopts cross‐sectional research design and examines the opinions of expatriates at one point in time, directional relationships may not be clear. It is recommended that future research conduct longitudinal studies to confirm the findings of this study. Second, due to the constraints of time and resources, the samples of this study are limited to expatriates working for foreign firms in Taiwan and in China. The generalization of the study results should thus be interpreted with appropriate caution. It is recommended that the same questionnaire, or an abbreviated form, could be used for expatriates in other countries, such as expatriates of multinational subsidiaries with US, Japanese, and European investment origins. Additional research will further confirm the validity and generalizability of the findings.

The training of expatriates has been recognized as one of the key elements for the success of business globalization. However, the evaluation of the effectiveness of training and development for overseas expatriates has remained largely unclear. The results of this study enabled one to understand how relevant contingency factors influence expatriate training needs and effectiveness. These findings could provide importance references for academics and practitioners when deciding on business practices.