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The purpose of this paper is to test empirically the relationship between the strategic involvement and the devolvement of human resource functions with organisational performance.

This paper is based on the primary data collected from the population of financial firms based in Jordan. The methodology adopted for the purpose of data analysis includes the use of basic statistics, zero‐order correlations, confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regressions.

The results provide strong support for the hypothesis that the involvement of human resource functions into the business and corporate strategy reduces employee turnover rate and enhances financial performance. The analysis does not support the second hypothesis that empowering day‐to‐day human resource functions to line managers impacts negatively on employee turnover and positively on financial performance.

Our results imply that financial performance can be enhanced and employee turnover rate decreased by involving human resource directors in the overall strategic decision‐making process of companies. However, our results also imply that the devolvement of routine human resource issues to line managers is neither positively related to the financial performance of the companies nor negatively related to employee turnover. This raises doubts as to whether, after having involved human resource functions into the strategic affairs of the company, they are empowered enough to make a positive impact.

This is one of few papers conducted on this topic in a non‐western environment, and the first of its kind for the country of Jordan. This paper contributes to the field through its approach to measuring and testing strategic human resource management theory. The paper also successfully links the core aspects of strategic human resource management with objective indicators of financial performance of the companies.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of a multi-level approach consisting of individual, human resource management (HRM) team, and organizational contingency factors when considering the efficacy of HR devolvement efforts. The authors accomplish this through a review of the relevant devolvement literature to show how outcomes are impacted by contingency factors, which highlights a gap in extant scholarship, and the authors organize the literature in a way that is meaningful to future researchers interested in the topic as well as practitioners involved with its implementation.

The authors use a narrative review approach to describe previous devolvement research (e.g. Hammersley, 2001; Harvey and Moeller, 2009). In contrast to a systematic review more commonly seen in quantitative meta-analyses, a narrative review allows for a more descriptive and detailed analysis and critique of quantitative, qualitative, and theoretical research (Bezrukova et al., 2012; Posthuma et al., 2002). This methodology produced over 300 books, journal articles, magazine articles, and discussion papers. In this review, the authors chose to focus only on those peer-reviewed papers reporting empirical findings or developing theoretical arguments surrounding devolvement.

While the studies reviewed herein are admirable and help call attention to an important topic in HRM, they nonetheless fail to provide a comprehensive understanding of contingencies affecting devolvement as they do not consider the multi-level nature of the phenomenon. Therefore, the authors’ contribution lies in the identification and categorization of contingency factors affecting the occurrence of devolvement operating at the individual, HRM team, and organizational levels.

As devolvement continues to be a viable means for assigning HR responsibilities from the human resources department to managers, its effects can have an impact on organizational performance, the strategic positioning of HR, and various job attitudes of line managers. Therefore, a clearer picture of devolvement in order to understand its continued significance is an important contribution.

The purpose of this paper is to examine electronic-HRM (e-HRM) as a contingency factor moderating the relationship between high-performance work practices (HPWP) and organisational performance. It also explores the hypothesised relationship within the Middle Eastern context.

An empirical study was conducted on Jordanian firms operating in both financial and manufacturing sectors. The final research sample consisted of 118 questionnaires. The data were analysed using partial least squares through Smart PLS.

The findings show support for the hypothesised relationship. In particular, this study shows that both HPWP and e-HRM have a significant positive influence on organisational performance. The results also revealed that e-HRM moderates the HPWP-performance link.

Overall, these findings support previous claims that the adoption of HPWP contributes to organisational success. In particular, firms operating in the Middle Eastern region could improve their performance by implementing HPWP. It also confirms the vital role of e-HRM on improving the positive influence of HPWP on organisational performance. Thus, managers may consider investing in e-HRM system in order to enforce the contribution of HPWP to the effectiveness of their firms.

This study represents a first attempt to measure e-HRM as a possible moderating variable in the HPWP and organisational performance link. Such moderation would be a contribution to the strategic HRM field as very recent research calls for studies that examine new intermediary variables in an attempt to unlock the “black box” in the HPWP and performance link.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on organizational performance in the banking sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to test the mediating impact of organizational innovation on the HRM-organizational performance relationship, and to test HRM practices as mediator of the relationship between innovation strategy and organizational innovation.

Data were collected from 168 managers working in UAE banks. A structured questionnaire containing standard scales of HRM practices, innovation strategy, organizational innovation, organizational performance, and some demographic variables was used. The analytical method used to empirically test the hypotheses proposed is the structural equation modeling technique using PLS. The two steps are: the assessment of the outer model and the assessment of the inner model. Moreover, a bootstrapping method is employed in order to test indirect effects.

Results found that organizational innovation fully mediates HRM-organizational performance link. Moreover, with the existence of innovation strategy, HRM mediates the relationship between innovation strategy and organizational innovation.

The limitations of common method bias and cross-sectional data are discussed in light of implications for future research. Nevertheless, the results provide new insights on the influence of HRM on organization innovation and performance in a non-Western context of the UAE by testing the role of some mediators in influencing the relationship between HRM and performance.

In general, enhancing the effectiveness of HRM can result in higher level of performance and innovation. In particular, the choice of an innovation strategy implies the use of an effective incentive-based compensation, training and development, recruitment and selection and performance appraisal.

This study is considered the first study to examine the mediating role of organizational innovation on the relationship between HRM and organizational performance in the Middle East. Also, the study is the first study to test the role of HRM as a mediator for the innovation strategy-innovation performance relationship in a non-Western context.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how management and employee perspectives of high-performance work systems (HPWS) relate to employee discretionary behaviour. In addition, the paper examines to what extent the relationship between employees’ perception of the HPWS and discretionary behaviour varies among different organizations/groups.

Two samples were used in the study. The first sample included data from 51 managers and 1,023 employees from 26 manufacturing companies. The second sample included 52 managers and 6,382 employees from 42 manufacturing companies.

The study shows that employee rated HPWS mediates the relationship between management rated HPWS and individual-level discretionary behaviour. Moreover, results showed that the effect of employee rated HPWS on discretionary behaviour varies among different organizations/groups.

Results show that employee perceptions of the HPWS more strongly predict employees’ discretionary behaviour than management rated HPWS. Moreover, it shows that employees’ perceptions of the same HPWS, but operating in different organizational contexts exhibit different levels of discretionary behaviour.

The study differentiates between management and employee perspectives of the HPWS. It also examines the variability of the relationship between HPWS and discretionary behaviour. Multilevel structural equation modelling is used to test the hypotheses.

The purpose of this study is to examine when perceived organizational support (POS) may be more likely to play a mediator versus moderator role in stressor and strain relationships by considering POS relative to challenge and hindrance stressors, cognitive/emotional and physical strains.

This cross‐sectional survey research was conducted in two samples (n=720, 829) of employees working for a large retail organization in the USA. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.

As hypothesized, results indicate POS mediates relationships between hindrance stressors and cognitive/emotional strains, but does not mediate relationships between challenge stressors and physical strains. POS does not moderate any of the relationships examined.

This paper is one of few studies to examine challenge and hindrance stressors and to examine POS relative to physical strains.

The notion, that people management can be a key source of sustained competitive advantage, calls for the integration of Human Resource Management (HRM) and business strategy. Not surprisingly, the main debate in HRM is nowadays concerned with the relationship between strategic management and employee relations in the firm and therefore strategic HRM focuses on the overall direction of the organisation in pursuit of its stated goals and objectives. This paper explores the above relationship in the electronic manufacturing industry. It is based on empirical evidence and the findings of a survey of senior managers’ perception and views on strategic HRM.It is concluded that increasing core competencies of the firm, in particular HR, is one of the key elements to the success of the firm performance and that HR involvement in the development and implementation of business strategy leads to organisational effectiveness in this industry.

There is growing evidence that Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) activities are being pursued in an interdisciplinary manner. One such discipline where management accounting could contribute is in Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). The integration of business strategy and Human Resource Management minimises the risk of neglecting human resources as a vital source of organisational competitive advantage. It also provides a broader range of solutions for solving complex organisational problems and ensures that human resources are given consideration when setting company goals. This empirical study examines the current role of management accounting in relation to the SHRM process using data from surveys of Finance Directors and Human Resource Directors from both Canada and the UK. The results reveal that Canadian Finance professionals are more involved in providing information for developing, evaluating and controlling Human Resource (HR) strategy than UK Finance professionals. Both HR and Finance respondents considered that there was a need for a closer partnership between HR and Finance professionals.

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the nature and impact of human resource capabilities and involvement on the firm's performance in the SME sector.

This research is based on an empirical survey of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and their perception of the HR involvement in strategy development in high tech SMEs operating in the electronics industry in the UK. Postal questionnaire is the main data collection instrument for this research. A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches has been employed for data analysis.

The important conclusion reached is that increasing the core competencies of the firm, in particular in HR, is the key element to the success of the firm. Moreover, it is posed that the growing involvement of the HR in the development and implementation of business strategy will lead to the increased effectiveness of the organisation and the industry as a whole. Finally, the competitive advantage a firm enjoys can come from the distinctive capabilities which provide it with a core competence in HR.

The present study is concerned solely with small and medium‐sized enterprises in the electrical and electronic manufacturing sector in the UK. A further comparative international‐wide study is recommended.

In order to increase firm performance and to benefit from HR capabilities, it is recommended that practitioners and SME CEOs increase the involvement of their HR specialists in the processes of strategic management in their firms.

The principal contribution of this first‐time study has been the attempt to explore the CEO's perceptions of HR, its capabilities and its degree of strategic involvement as significant determining factors to ensure competitive advantages for the firm in a highly changing market.

Senior managements possess considerable discretion in making choices on personnel policy. Practice indicates a broad range of choice on a continuum from high strategic integration of human resource issues in strategic planning to more piecemeal ad hoc approaches to managing human resources. The particular approach adopted in organisations will reflect the interplay of internal and external factors in the organisation′s environment and establish the context for human resource development (HRD). A key external factor is the product market which affects managerial discretion in personnel policy choice. Important internal factors include competitive strategy and managerial values. Three benchmark dimensions underpin personnel policy choice in organisations – strategic integration, collectivism and individualism. Management positions on these dimensions become manifested in key areas of personnel policy such as the work system, communications, rewards, recruitment/employee development and the role of the personnel function. Looking at the Irish context a number of factors both encouraging and mitigating a greater strategic role for HRD may be identified.