How to improve firm performance through employee diversity and organisational culture/Como melhorar o desempenho da empresa por meio da diversidade de colaboradores e da cultura organizacional/Como mejorar el desempeno de la empresa a traves de la diversidad de sus colaboradores y de la cultura organizacional.
| Autor | Triguero-Sanchez, Rafael |
1 Introduction
Researchers have devoted much effort in recent years to studying the relationship between human resource management (HRM) and organisational performance, and a particular case of this relationship, which is the focus of this study, is when a firm's human resources (HR) are characterised by diversity in terms of demographic characteristics (gender, age, race or nationality) (Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007) and/or human capital (education, functional speciality, length of service in the organisation or in the position) (Triguero-Sanchez, Pena-Vinces, Gonzalez-Rendon & Sanchez-Apellaniz, 2012).
Though the literature shows that human resource diversity can have positive effects on the success of organisations (i.e. Chatman & Flynn, 2001; Chattopadhyay & George, 2001), there is no consensus regarding the effects of this heterogeneity and even the very concept of diversity is not exempt from discussion. Some studies (i.e. Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007) have shown that the types of diversity--functional and demographic--do not by themselves explain their effects on the performance of work groups or of the organisation (Triguero-sanchez, Pena-Vinces & Sanchez-Apellaniz, 2011). Moreover, the idea that there is a straightforward and direct relationship between diversity and performance has been questioned. More attention to the intermediate variables in this relationship, such as human resource practices and other contextual variables, has been demanded (i.e. Malik, Waheed & Malik, 2010; Richard, Murthi & Ismail, 2007). Diversity models must, therefore, include environmental variables/factors that can explain the process (Martin-Alcazar, Romero & Sanchez-Gardey, 2011; Shore & Coyle-Shapiro, 2003). It has also been stated that dimensions of organisational culture (Hofstede, 1980, 1994) and/or organisational climate (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004) provide a solid base for these kinds of studies.
Therefore, our research has a double aim. On one hand, it shows how diversity among employees and conditions of the HR system influence organisational performance, taking contextual variables into account. On the other hand, as a second aim, with the same importance as the first, we assess the moderating effect of the cultural dimensions of individualism--collectivism (IC) and hierarchical distance (HD). This moderating impact may affect the relationship between HRM practices and performance. We must consider that the relevance of these dimensions is derived from studying organisational culture (Hofstede, 2001) and, especially, studies that aim at fostering employee commitment and organisational performance relationships. These relationships are evaluated from a perspective linked to social exchange theory (SET) (Bordia, Restubog, Bordia &Tang, 2017; Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005; Martin-Alcazar et al., 2011; Shore & Coyle-Shapiro, 2003). Lastly, this work also contributes to the measurement of organisational performance from a non-financial perspective. In other words, we assess organisational performance in terms of employees' and managers' perceptions of their organisations' achievements.
Our research is structured as follows. First, the fundamental concepts are addressed, considering the relationship between HR diversity and organisational performance. The possible moderating effects of IC and HD cultural dimensions are studied through the mediation of HRM. The key findings are provided after an analysis of the results, addressing the limitations of this paper, followed by the new research lines that emerge and the implications for management.
2 Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses
Studies that focus on employee diversity have mainly centred on differences in gender, age, race, the nationality of origin, educational level, functional background and length of service (Milliken & Martins, 1996; Sujin, 2005). Whatever diversity variable is analysed, the intention is to explain how the differences between the members of a work team affect its performance (Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007). Studies on this matter from the fields of social psychology and management deal with the impact of diversity on business success (Prieto, Phipps & Osiri, 2009). The similarity-attraction paradigm, along with the social categorisation perspective (Tziner, 1985), show that homogeneous groups or teams are probably more productive than heterogeneous ones due to the mutual attraction between members with similar characteristics (Wiersema & Bantel, 1992). Cognitive diversity theory (Cox & Blake, 1991) and the information/decision-making perspective, however, emphasise the benefits of diverse work groups and, in particular, the breadth of opinions and outlooks that they generate (Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007), as well as their actions and results (Hambrick & Mason, 1984). The way employees interpret and use information is influenced by their cognitive diversity (Dahlin, Weingart & Hinds, 2005) and has been related to a broader vision of the organisation and greater response capacity, as well as fostering debate and participation (Pitcher & Smith, 2001).
In the management field, the benefits of diversity include greater creativity, innovation and problem-solving capacity (Cox & Blake, 1991; Hambrick, Cho & Chen, 1996). From the resource-based view, this has been regarded as a source of competitive advantage (i.e. Barney & Wright, 1998). Thus, an organisation's growth and its success are limited/propelled by the deployment of its resources to achieve new and innovative forms of advantage over the competition (Paauwe, 2004). In this vein, Richard et al. (2007) show that a diverse workforce in organisations indirectly influences performance, generally showing its effects through HR practices (Triguero-Sanchez et al., 2011).
For many of those who study HRM, diversity among employees is an essential element since it affects the level of knowledge, adeptness and skills they contribute to their organisations. At the same time, HRM systems can positively influence employee attitudes and behaviour by improving the work atmosphere (Richard & Johnson, 2001), thereby enhancing performance (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004). HRM practices affect organisational performance through their effect on employee development and behaviours. These practices determine the type of employees who are selected, the skills and motivation of the employees, and the opportunities and incentives they have to design new and better ways of doing their jobs (Moideenkutty, Al-Lamki & Rama Murthy, 2011). The common theme in the literature that relates human resource management with business results places emphasis on the use of systems that can achieve a possible source of competitive advantage. In this sense, HRM practices could be a good system by which to provide a competitive advantage for a firm (Triguero-Sanchez et al., 2011, 2012). Therefore, these aspects must be considered when designing and implementing an HRM system (Richard & Johnson, 2001). Among the approaches concerning the configuration of HR policies and practices, for our study we have preferred a social exchange perspective (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005) that underlines reciprocal interdependence in which 'one party's actions are contingent on the other's behaviour' (Blau, 1964; Bowen & Ostroff, 2004; Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). This approach indicates that different components must be appropriately aligned with each other to achieve the performance that organisations wish for (Hartman & Moers, 1999), and its effectiveness depends significantly on contextual and environmental characteristics (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004).
Furthermore, the literature suggests that the composition of work groups must ensure suitable skills as well as creating mechanisms to stimulate and motivate the workers. This work system would allow employees to contribute, through their individual and collective efforts, to securing the organisation's results (Triguero-Sanchez et al., 2011). Arguments founded on the ability--motivation--opportunity theoretical approach (Boxal & Purcell, 2003) enable the set of HR practices to be defined and structured. According to Coyle-Shapiro, Morrow and Kessler (2006), SET provides a sufficient basis for understanding the relationship between employees' work and their commitment, from various points of view. According to Golparvar and Javadian (2012), the individual-organisational perceptions of justice or injustice that predict individual behaviour are derived from this. That is, the exchange relationships are likely derived from the belief of the employee, in which unfair rules will lower the level of commitment to the organisation (Bordia et ah, 2017). These arguments are also supported by the contingency approach to HRM, as it focuses more on commitment than on mere compliance (Alcazar, Fernandez & Gardey, 2005). Our study is also based on social exchange theory inasmuch as it focuses on employee commitment (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). Despite the difference in this theory (i.e. Coyle-Shapiro & Conway, 2004), there is broad agreement that interactions between group members inevitably force them to relate to each other (Coyle-Shapiro & Conway, 2004). This approach implies that the exchange of tangible and intangible resources is ruled by norms of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960) and the underlying assumptions (Hatch & Cunliffe, 2006) that guide behaviour in such a way that one person feels obliged to return favours received from another person. In the long term, this becomes a mechanism of reinforcement between them. This theory has had a special influence on 'individual-organisation' relations in that it supports HRM, which seeks commitment from employees by favouring their integration in the firm and the achievement of aims (Guest, Michie & Conway, 2003; Kirkman & Shapiro, 2001). From this perspective, HR practices can be classified by their orientation, either seeking to control employees or their commitment...
Para continuar a ler
PEÇA SUA AVALIAÇÃOCOPYRIGHT GALE, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
