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This paper aims to present an empirically driven crisis management framework of complementary human resource management (HRM) bundles that can be utilized in simultaneously managing the health crisis, financial crisis and disruptions to business operations through lockdown and other government restrictions propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The framework is developed employing qualitative methodology, drawing from the successful HRM practices adopted by 26 Sri Lankan companies in battling the many crises of COVID-19 and using the soft HRM approach as the theoretical basis.

The findings report a framework that consists of three key HRM bundles (health and safety bundle, cost-saving bundle and employee motivation and engagement bundle) entailing an array of inter-related, internally consistent, complementary and mutually reinforcing HRM practices and HRM activities. These HRM bundles and the HRM practices as well as the HRM activities therein, indicate how a softer approach to managing employees can be used during a crisis.

The framework will inform the HRPs of the HRM bundles, HRM practices and HRM activities that can be used to manage the multiple crises created by COVID-19 and other similar pandemics.

The study contributes to and expands the knowledge of HRM in crisis management generally and HRM in a global pandemic more specifically.

The purpose of this paper spans twofold. Firstly, to investigate Human Resource Management practices (HRMP) adopted by organisations during the pandemic. Secondly, to bundle similar HRMP into Human Resource Management (HRM) bundles that provided unhindered organisational support to employees during the crisis.

The authors conducted 39 in-depth interviews across industries using a semi-structured interview schedule. Thereafter, the authors transcribed the interviews verbatim and analysed them thematically using MAXQDA 2021.

The study identifies effective practices during times of uncertainty and how soft HRM practices helped organisations survive during a crisis. When bundled together, these practices enabled organisations to continue operations during the pandemic, keeping their employees engaged and motivated.

Based on the learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic, the study provides a toolkit of HRMP bundles that organisations can adopt for future crisis management, enhancing the organisations’ absorptive capacity.

The study investigates the practices incorporated during COVID-19, leading to the identification of soft HRM bundles. The study adds value to the existing domain of HRM by including a unique set of soft HRMP bundles that have not been discussed in earlier studies and could be of high utility to organisations during the crisis.

In this study, scales were developed to measure the extent to which organisations exhibited “soft” or “hard” approaches to HRM, and the extent to which potential barriers to the effective operation of HRM were present. The sample comprised 549 employees, managers and HRM staff across a wide range of types of organisations in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK and Canada. While the results supported the contention that HRM effectiveness can be achieved via both “soft” and “hard” approaches, several barriers to HRM take‐up were identified and there was little evidence that organisations generally operated HRM policies and practices that were seen as effective. Although very few differences between countries were found, the authors suggest the barriers identified and related ineffectiveness of HRM may be all the more detrimental to the competitiveness of Australian and New Zealand organisations in light of the recent economic downturn in the Asia‐Pacific region.

Considers the nature of Human Resource Management (HRM) in the Republic of Ireland. Identifies four variants of HRM in Ireland: “soft” HRM; neo‐pluralism; “hard” HRM; and traditional industrial relations. Then considers key areas of HRM policy choice and reviews alternative approaches to HRM practice in Irish organizations. Analyses the role of the specialist HRM function in Ireland using a HRM typology. Evaluates the evidence of change in HRM practice with a particular focus on key dimensions of change such as developments in employment forms and flexibility, the role of trade unions and the emergence of proactive approaches to HRM at establishment level.

Based on soft HRM and self‐determination theory, the aim of this paper is to test whether basic need satisfaction mediates the relationship between five HR practices and HRM outcomes. An important distinction (in line with soft HRM and self‐determination theory) is made between the presence of, and the quality of, a practice's implementation (in terms of the degree to which employees' talents, interests and expectations are taken into account).

A theoretically grounded model is developed and tested using survey data from 5,748 Belgian employees.

The results indicate that autonomy and relatedness satisfaction partially mediate the relationship between HR practices and HRM outcomes. Taking into account talents, interests and expectations within HR practices is associated with higher basic need satisfaction and subsequently HRM outcomes in addition to the presence of practices.

Future research could focus on HR practices and job design as both might affect basic need satisfaction and subsequently HRM outcomes. Additionally, behavior of the supervisor when administering HR practices can be further explored as a catalyst of basic need satisfaction.

HR actors should be aware that merely implementing soft HR practices may not suffice. They should also devote attention towards sufficiently taking into account individual talents, interests and expectations of employees when implementing them.

This paper contributes to the HRM literature by integrating soft HRM and self‐determination theory into one model. In doing so, it sheds light on the possible pathways through and conditions under which HR practices lead to favorable outcomes.

Explores the implications arising from the complete devolvement of human resource responsibilities within an organization to line managers. Reviews the changing role for line managers through the literature related to the adoption of HRM. Uses theories by Guest and by Storey as a framework to examine the success of completely devolving the human resources function to line managers within a medium‐sized private sector company. Uses data collected through a questionnaire, a card sort and in‐depth interviews from a sample of 51 employees to evaluate this framework. Data indicate that the promotion of a soft HRM approach was being displaced by a harder, piecemeal, resource‐based approach. Analyses the need for human resource specialists based on the case study data. Argues that the absence of an identified top management role which includes personnel had a negative impact on the organization’s ability to achieve strategic integration in the management of human resources. Relates this to further negative consequences in relation to commitment to the organization, flexibility and quality.

The purpose of this paper is to critically explore the evidence that human resource management (HRM) could contribute to the improvement of organizational and individual performance. It aims to examine the historical development of HRM and its emergence as a distinct management discipline. The evidence indicates that HRM is the product of several different traditions that range from a concern with employee welfare to the development of workplace relationships. The paper critically re‐evaluates what human performance is and assesses its contribution to organizational effectiveness. What is particularly important is the lack of empirical literature on the contribution of HRM and business performance. This paper will call for the re‐evaluation of more contemporary criteria of how people contribute to organizational performance in private, public and the emerging non‐profit making sectors.

The methodology adopted in this research uses critical literature on the contribution of human resource management performance.

The main finding of this research is the understanding of the problems of research design in measuring the contribution of HRM to develop performance in organizations.

The research presented in this paper needs to review and standardize comparative research design to confirm the performance of HRM in organizations. It compares the alternative perspectives of measuring performance in financial criteria.

This paper reviews the research between key authors for exploring the correlation between HRM and organizational performance for future research and examines the influence of human resource professional bodies.

Using management and employee data from the 1998 workplace employee relations survey, this article attempts to trace “fragments of HRM” within the hospitality industry (HI) on a comparative basis with all industries and services (AIS) in Great Britain. Four themes are explored: how the management of HRM is organised and practised, “individualism” and “collectivism”, participation and involvement, and other “sophisticated” HR practices. The impact of HRM on employees is assessed. HRM in the HI is found to be very different, thus providing an extreme example of the “retaining control/cost control” approach to management, and a graphic illustration of very “hard” HRM in practice. While HI employees are much more content with their lot than their counterparts in AIS who are subject to rather more “favourable” HRM policies and practices, other indicators imply that there is also dissatisfaction. Qualitative research is necessary to understand whether employees really do enjoy being “kicked hard”. Management might reap greater benefits by adopting more developmental, “soft” HRM practices.

This paper aims to review the past, current and future trends in human resource management (HRM) in the hospitality industry, with a specific focus on large international hotels. The setting of this review is within the context of general HRM theory development.

This paper provides a detailed review of the literature, background, issues and trends in HRM. It moves from the generic HR review to examine the hospitality industry and specific identifiable trends and issues. Additionally, personal communication with senior industry executives is used to highlight specific areas.

Issues of training and skills development and of service quality are as important in the future as in the past. Technology is now set to revolutionise the way HRM is conducted. Generational change and how Generations X and Y view work require new approaches for HRM. Casualisation and outsourcing will become more dominant methods of employment. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) and its practices have the flexibility to add value to future hospitality firm performance. The future of HRM in the hospitality industry will need to take into account the various trends but will also be influenced by local circumstances.

This is a conceptual paper based on a review of literature that addresses a large area of both generic and hospitality HRM, and focuses on a specific section of the hospitality industry: large international hotels.

The paper provides a basis for understanding how the various HRM trends are developing, and addresses the steps required to meet future challenges in the industry.

The value of the paper is in its identification and analysis of the major trends in HRM and the implications these hold for the future of the hospitality industry.