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Among the gold standards in human resource development (HRD) research are studies that test theoretically developed hypotheses and use experimental designs. A somewhat typical experimental design would involve collecting pretest and posttest data on individuals assigned to a control or experimental group. Data from such a design that considered if training made a difference in knowledge, skills or attitudes, for example, could help advance practice. Using simulated datasets, situated in the example of a scenario-planning intervention, this paper aims to show that choosing a data analysis path that does not consider the associated assumptions can misrepresent findings and resulting conclusions. A review of HRD articles in a select set of journals indicated that some researchers reporting on pretest-posttest designs with two groups were not reporting associated statistical assumptions and reported results from repeated-measures analysis of variance that are considered of minimal utility.

Using heuristic datasets, situated in the example of a scenario-planning intervention, this paper will show that choosing a data analysis path that does not consider the associated assumptions can misrepresent findings and resulting conclusions. Journals in the HRD field that conducted pretest-posttest control group designs were coded.

The authors' illustrations provide evidence for the importance of testing assumptions and the need for researchers to consider alternate analyses when assumptions fail, particularly the homogeneity of regression slopes assumption.

This paper provides guidance to researchers faced with analyzing data from a pretest-posttest control group experimental design, so that they may select the most parsimonious solution that honors the ecological validity of the data.

This paper aims to introduce matching in propensity score analysis (PSA) as an alternative statistical approach for researchers looking to make causal inferences using intact groups.

An illustrative example demonstrated the varying results of analysis of variance, analysis of covariance and PSA on a heuristic data set. The three approaches were compared by results and violations of statistical assumptions.

Through the illustrative example, it is demonstrated how different statistical approaches can produce varied results. Only PSA mitigated pre-existing group differences without violating the assumption of independence.

This paper attempts to answer calls in the literature for more robust statistical methodologies to better inform human resource development practice and theory.

The purpose of this paper is to explore CEO corporate social responsibility (CSR) rhetorical choices in response to stakeholder pressures. CEOs often search for legitimacy through CSR rhetoric. It contributes to maintaining or developing pragmatic, moral and cognitive legitimacy in a post‐crisis world where CSR concerns are gaining in importance.

A content analysis of various CEO discourses is performed. Press articles are analyzed to identify the nature of stakeholder pressures. Covariance analyses are conducted to study how CEO CSR rhetorical strategies vary between communication channels dedicated to specific stakeholders. Regression analyses are conducted between stakeholder pressures and rhetorical strategies.

The paper identifies three types of CEO CSR rhetorical categories: values rhetoric to develop moral legitimacy, normative rhetoric to improve cognitive legitimacy, and instrumental rhetoric to enhance pragmatic legitimacy. Values CSR rhetoric is used most often with employees or societal stakeholders. It increases when stakeholders' satisfaction is already quite high regarding financial performance, strategy, and products and services. Normative CSR rhetoric is rarely used. It is only devoted to societal stakeholders and it increases with stakeholder satisfaction with the quality of management, leadership and governance. Instrumental CSR rhetoric is mainly used with boards of directors, financial investors and shareholders. Its importance increases with stakeholder satisfaction with CSR but decreases with stakeholder satisfaction with financial performance and corporate vision/strategy.

The paper provides key contributions for CEOs on how to communicate on CSR. The empirical design based on qualitative and quantitative analyses innovates in operationalizing CSR rhetorical categories and stakeholder pressures.

Guided by institutional theory, this empirical paper examines variations in the adoption of HRM practices among SMEs in three different business sectors (services, manufacturing and trade).

Data from 300 owners/managers representing three business sectors were collected through a survey method.

The results suggest that service SMEs use more formal HRM practices than manufacturing and trade SMEs. Manufacturing SMEs are more formal than trade firms. Results are not affected by firm age.

Social desirability bias may have influenced respondents into portraying a positive image of the organization by inflating HRM sophistication. A further limitation is that the performance of the firms was not measured. As such, it is not possible to judge whether greater HRM formality correlated with improved organizational performance.

This study shows how the business sector shapes HRM practices in Pakistani SMEs. Findings help to inform Pakistan's Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) in dealings with manufacturing and trade firms in terms of improving HRM practices.

Given the important role of SMEs in economic development, comparative research on HRM in SME contexts is scarce. Since SMEs are vital for Pakistan's economy, an improved understanding of the sector's approach to human resource development is important. The findings extend the boundaries of prior comparative HRM literature in SMEs by addressing sector influences while controlling for contextual factors.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of recruiter gender and profit margin on the duration of the hiring process in professional services firms (PSFs).

In evaluating over 500 recruiting transactions in a PSF, a factorial ANOVA was performed to determine if there is a significant interaction between recruiter gender and profit margin on days it take to fill an open position.

The results suggest a significant interaction exists between the recruiter gender and profit margin variables in effect on days that it takes to fill an open position. At lower job position profit margins, female recruiters were found to outperform their male counterparts. Conversely, at higher job position profit margins, male recruiters appear to outperform female recruiters.

This research is focused on the duration of the recruiting process and does not address the quality of candidate selection. An evaluation of the quality of candidate selection contrasted with the time it takes to hire should be an essential consideration for future research.

If job vacancies remain vacant at client firms for an extended period, this could adversely impact the financial and reputational health of small PSFs. By focusing on key variables that impact the recruiting timeline, management may be able to consider interventions that would improve both the recruiting process and firm’s financial health.

This study provides a unique contribution by focusing on the recruiting timeline, recruiter gender, profit margin, and the resulting ability of a PSF to proactively manage its revenue.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predictors of punitive attitudes towards young offenders among police officers. This included an examination of variables such as officers’ coping styles, mental health, rank and age. It was predicted that indirect coping styles, mental health difficulties, higher age and higher rank would negatively impact on punitive attitudes towards young offenders. Officers reporting direct coping strategies, low levels of mental health difficulties, lower rank and lower age were expected to have less punitive and more rehabilitative attitudes towards young offenders.

A sample of 83 police officers and community support officers from the UK completed standardised self-report measures.

Indirect coping strategies, high levels of mental health difficulties and high rank were all associated with more punitive attitudes, whilst age had no impact.

Results are discussed with regard to their research and real world implications. These include an impact of these findings on the job performance, community safety, approaches to policing, and the well-being of police officers. The importance of mental well-being, direct coping and positive attitudes towards young offenders is indicated in order for police officers to employ more proactive, consistent and fair behaviour with this group, leading to less punitive outcomes for young offenders, as well as improved police-youth relations.

The research findings link mental health, coping styles and rank to officers’ attitudes towards young offenders, which had not been fully examined in the literature previously. Results suggest that mental well-being and direct coping styles may serve as a protective factor against the development of punitive attitudes. This highlights the importance of providing support for mental well-being, as well as training in the areas of effective coping styles and issues surrounding young offenders.

The present study aims to examine whether event size has a significant impact on consumers' perceptions of goodwill. In the relationship between event size and perceived goodwill, sponsorship duration and sponsor-event congruence are tested as moderating variables.

This study conducts an experiment with a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design.

The results show the main effects of event size on perceived goodwill, and the moderating effects of sponsorship duration and sponsor-event congruence in the relationship between event size and perceived goodwill. Also, regression analyses test the relationships among the dependent variables including perceived goodwill, attitudes toward the sponsor, and purchase intentions.

Marketing practitioners may discover the merits of a corporation sponsoring local events at lower costs, and the importance of duration and congruency.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between some main characteristics of different living arrangements and the quality of life (QoL) of their users with severe intellectual disability and low-functioning autism spectrum disorders.

Study participants were assessed for ASD severity through the Childhood Autism Rating Scale or the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS): for behavioral problems with the aberrant behavior checklist (ABC); for perception of efficacy and satisfaction with care, through an adapted Visual Analogue Scale; and for QoL with the QoL inventory in residential environments (validated in French as Inventaire de la Qualité de Vie en Milieu Résidentiel). Because the goal was to define a “residential profile (RP),” the authors evaluated each participating residence with the Working Methods Scale and the questionnaire on residential parameters.

The RP allowed for the classification of the residences into three clusters. The authors found no clear relationship between QoL and the RP clusters, but the authors found the RP clusters to be significantly correlated with ABC factors F1 (irritability, agitation, crying) and F2 (lethargy, social withdrawal), and VABS scores for living, socialization, and motor skills.

RPs were more strongly correlated with ABC items and the ability to cope with everyday life than with QoL. The authors hypothesize that RP is correlated with both aberrant behavior and the autonomy of residents and that QoL remains relatively stable. Therefore, RP is correlated with the status of the residents; however, this appears not to be correlated with their QoL.

This paper aims to examine the joint effects of product type (hospitality services vs goods) and consumers’ need for status (low/Patricians vs high/Parvenus) on consumers’ attitude change toward their favorite luxury brands. As an ever increasing number of customers can now afford luxury products, it is important to understand how affluent consumers react to the less affluent mimicking behaviors.

In all, 265 luxury consumers with annual household income of more than $100,000 and experiences of luxury consumption in the past three months were recruited. A 2 (product type) × 2 (need for status) factorial design was used to test the hypotheses.

This study demonstrates that when faced with mimicking behaviors by less affluent consumers, Parvenus exhibit more negative attitude toward their favorite luxury goods brands than luxury hospitality brands. Conversely, Patricians exhibit similar levels of attitude change across the two types of luxury brands.

The findings suggest that luxury hospitality companies may find it easier to expand to less affluent markets than their luxury goods counterparts, in particular when the majority of target consumers are Parvenus.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine consumers’ reactions to mimicking behaviors by the less affluent in the context of luxury hospitality services, and it adds to the knowledge on the joint effects of product type and status seeking on luxury consumption.

The effect of a study programme in entrepreneurship on intention to start a business has not received adequate attention by researchers using a pre- and post-programme research design. The purpose of this paper is to find evidence of entrepreneurship education programme on entrepreneurial intention in the context of a post-communist transition county.

Coarsened exact matching method is performed to achieve two similar groups: control (people who did not attend a study programme in entrepreneurship) and treated (those who attended) groups. Based on a set of covariates as identified in theory, 442 out of 528 members were matched. Hypotheses developed in a pre- and post-programme setting can be tested by using the ANCOVA. Members’ scores on intention to start a business before the programme was introduced were used as the covariate in this analysis (pre-programme).

The analysis confirms a significant difference between the two groups on entrepreneurial intention after the study programme in entrepreneurship was completed (post-programme). The results suggest that entrepreneurial intention is affected by entrepreneurship education programme.

This study offers useful insights for universities and individuals running a business. Aiming better results in terms of entrepreneurship, university, industry and government should align their efforts following a triple helix model.

This work adds value to the entrepreneurship literature in the context of post-communist transition country. Furthermore, it uses a rigour methodology that makes the comparison of control and treated groups possible.