Papers by Alvaro Cabrales
Employment relationships as drivers of firm flexibility and learning
Personnel Review, 2011
PurposeThis paper seeks to analyse whether the firm model of employment relationships is associat... more PurposeThis paper seeks to analyse whether the firm model of employment relationships is associated with functional flexibility and organisational learning (exploratory versus exploitative). It also aims to assess the mediating effect of functional flexibility in the relationship between a specific employment mode (mutual investment) and organisational learning.Design/methodology/approachThis research was conducted using a sample of Spanish companies in the food industry, from which data from HR managers and production managers in each firm were collected. Cluster analyses, MANOVA and regression analyses were applied to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results suggest that those firms developing a mutual investment employment relationship outperform other firms in terms of functional flexibility and organisational learning (both exploitative and exploratory learning). The paper also finds a mediating effect of one dimension of functional flexibility (range‐number of activities) betwe...
Relationships between human resource management practices and organizational learning capability
Personnel Review, 2011
... were collected from self-reports obtained from subjective perceptions of the R&D managers... more ... were collected from self-reports obtained from subjective perceptions of the R&D managers, social desirability bias ... not measure causality between variables and our paper is limited by just testing relationships or associations among HRM practices, OLC and human capital. ...
The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between HR practices and innovative perfor... more The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between HR practices and innovative performance in the Spanish industry. Specifically, we will focus on innovativeness, measured through the production of patents, analyzing the extent to which this innovative result is favoured by some HRM practices as investments on training and whether it is also affected by the use of full time workers. We propose the assessment of these relationships by means of the Spanish Survey of Industrial Strategic Behaviour. We focus our longitudinal analysis on the period 2001-2008, years of high economic growth in Spain during the last decades. Our findings show that the most innovative firms are also the most competitive ones in terms of added value, and they also use full time workers. Finally, training investments on new technologies, languages and data processes have an impact on innovativeness. The paper is closed with a discussion about some lessons we may learn from these wealthy years and the role played by HRM investments on firms.
Human Resource Management, 2009
The objective of this paper is to test how human resources management (HRM) practices and employe... more The objective of this paper is to test how human resources management (HRM) practices and employees' knowledge infl uence the development of innovative capabilities and, by extension, a fi rm's performance. Results confi rm that HRM practices are not directly associated with innovation unless they take into account employees' knowledge. Specifi cally, our analyses establish a mediating role for the uniqueness of knowledge between collaborative HRM practices and innovative activity, a positive infl uence of knowledge-based HRM practices on valuable knowledge, and a positive contribution of innovations to the company's profi t. We tested hypotheses in a sample of fi rms from the most innovative Spanish industries through structural equation modeling.
European J. of International Management, 2009
Individual competencies are defined as the set of knowledge, skills and abilities that the employ... more Individual competencies are defined as the set of knowledge, skills and abilities that the employees possess and apply in their jobs. The purpose of this paper is to analyse to what extent different strategies require a diverse set of individual competencies and which compensation systems may incentive employees to acquire the desirable competencies for each strategic option. We carried out an analysis in a sample of manufacturing firms using structural equations models. Our findings suggested that prospectors make more emphasis than defenders on competencies as innovation, technical expertise, adaptability, customer orientation and results orientation and also that skill-based pay and performance-based pay are associated with different competencies. Therefore, the compensation systems strengthen the strategic option of a company by fostering the necessary competencies for its development.
British Journal of Management, 2011
We examine how employment relationships and human capital influence innovation in a sample of Spa... more We examine how employment relationships and human capital influence innovation in a sample of Spanish firms. Previous research has indicated that human capital directly affects innovation, but few studies have considered human capital as a variable that mediates or moderates the effects of other variables on innovation. We tested our hypotheses using a sample of 150 innovative Spanish firms and confirmed that, while human capital favours innovations, employment relationships are not directly associated with innovation unless they take human capital into account. Specifically, our analyses suggest that human capital mediates the relationship between a mutual investment employment relationship and innovation, which is characterized by high levels of incentives and expectations. However, we also found that human capital plays a moderating role when organizations develop an employment relationship characterized by low investments in personnel but high expectations from their work (the underinvestment model). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results.
Turnaround and human resource strategies during the COVID-19 crisis
BRQ Business Research Quarterly
In the highly complex world of human resource management (HRM), organizations need to maintain bo... more In the highly complex world of human resource management (HRM), organizations need to maintain both an inward and an outward approach in times of crisis. To adequately manage human resources, it is necessary to consider the environment and the literature on turnaround strategy. This study combines the literature on both turnaround and HRM to focus on problem antecedents/causes and their impact on companies. A case study of an airline was conducted, enriched with a rhetorical signal analysis of managerial communications and stakeholder responses. The objective was to explore the company’s turnaround strategies, human resource strategies, and institutional pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that to overcome the crisis, it is necessary to recognize antecedents of decline, turnaround strategies, human resource (HR) strategies and practices, institutional pressures on HRM, the emotional tone and temporal focus of managerial communications as well as stakeholder response...
Managerial Competencies for Multinational Businesses
Decisions are choices. Decision making is the essence of management. Managers make decisions ever... more Decisions are choices. Decision making is the essence of management. Managers make decisions every day and the practical implications of such decisions are key to the success of the company. After reading this chapter, managers, or those who are preparing to be managers, should be better able to do the following: (1) understand the extent to which such organizational characteristics as structure or technology affect decision making, (2) see why the complexity of task environments determines the decisions being made by managers, (3) define and manage certain strategic organizational capabilities such as learning or absorptive capacity, (4) think about cognitive and non-cognitive human capital characteristics that play a role in decision making, and (5) be aware of the impact of culture on decision-making processes. Understanding these aspects will help you develop a deeper understanding of the role and importance of decision making, not only in the domestic market but also internatio...
Human Resource Management System Strength and Employee Reactions--Model
Within a rapidly expanding field of study, the HRM–Performance relationship has been approached f... more Within a rapidly expanding field of study, the HRM–Performance relationship has been approached from a variety of perspectives. We start by discussing the achievements so far. This will show that there are still many challenges ahead in the form of missing elements, a lack of proper theorizing with respect to the concepts of HRM and Performance and a lack of insight into the underlying mechanisms and processes which could fully explain why HRM practices and systems might contribute to increased performance; aspects that will be later addressed in this chapter. Thirdly, we contribute to resolving this so-called 'black box', firstly by indicating the various levels of analysis which come into play when discussing the relationship between HRM and Performance. Subsequently, we link each level of analysis (including the individual, organizational and societal levels) to possible candidates for opening up the black box by describing theories that shed some light on to the underlyi...
Linking organisational values and sustainability: the role of AMO practices
PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyse the link between the values that govern the functioni... more PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyse the link between the values that govern the functioning of cooperatives and their sustainability. Furthermore, the authors propose that this relationship is mediated by AMO (ability, motivation and opportunity) practices, which generate different behaviours and attitudes in their employees, thus strengthening the message of sustainable management that the directors of this kind of companies aim to transmit.Design/methodology/approachThis article presents a theoretical and empirical research model about the relationship between organisational values, AMO practices and sustainability in social economy firms. The proposed model was tested using the multivariate method of partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with a sample of 124 cooperative companies. The information was gathered through a questionnaire with questions composed of measurement scales that had been previously validated by the reference literature.Findings...
On the road to happiness at work (HAW)
Personnel Review
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transformational lea... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership (TFL), organizational learning capability (OLC) and happiness at work (HAW), and offers a new measure for HAW. Design/methodology/approach The authors used confirmatory factor analysis to test the theoretical model in order to check the psychometric properties of HAW. They examined a sample of 167 medical staff working in allergy units, which represents a response rate of 25 per cent. Findings The research showed that HAW can be measured using the proposed new measurement scale, and that TFL predicts HAW through the mediating role of OLC. Practical implications The results suggest that hospital managers and heads of allergy services should consider the effects of TFL, under certain learning conditions, to enhance HAW. Originality/value This research is the first that examines the effects of TFL and OLC on HAW, a higher order construct that has been implemented closely following p...
The challenge of increasing employees' well‐being and performance: How human resource management practices and engaging leadership work together toward reaching this goal
Human Resource Management
BRQ Business Research Quarterly
This article seeks to explain and understand how the strength of a human resource management (HRM... more This article seeks to explain and understand how the strength of a human resource management (HRM) system and perceived organizational support (POS) determine employment relationships (ERs) in organizations and the behaviors they generate in terms of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and intentions to remain (IR). A typology of ERs is proposed, considering perceptions about the HRM system (Ability, Motivation, and Opportunity [AMO] model), its strength, and POS. An analysis was adopted, looking into organizations in two separate studies in service sectors (hospitality and financial services), taking as informants to 130 and 87 HRM managers and 30 workers’ representatives as proxies of organizations and employees, respectively. Cluster analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted, and results are congruent with theoretical frameworks such as Attribution Theory and Social Exchange Theory. Depending on how stakeholders understand the way in which the HRM system is i...
The impact of employment relationships on firm sustainability
Employee Relations: The International Journal
PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyse the influence of different employment relationships (... more PurposeThe aim of this study was to analyse the influence of different employment relationships (ERs) on the sustainability results of cooperatives. The authors approached the type of ER comparing the inducements offered by the firm with the contributions that the manager expects from employees. In this way, the authors study how the orientation toward the employment relationship influences the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the firm.Design/methodology/approachThis article presents a theoretical and empirical research model about the relationship between ERs and sustainability. The necessary information was obtained through a questionnaire that was completed by the human resource (HR) managers and chief executive officers (CEOs) of 124 cooperative companies, and structural equation modelling was applied to evaluate the relationships between the proposed constructs, using the partial least squares technique (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe obtained results suggest that mut...
BRQ Business Research Quarterly
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we operate at work. Dealing with these changes may requ... more The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we operate at work. Dealing with these changes may require new ways of thinking about our models of employment relationships, to create more sustainable organizations during troubled times. Sustainability can be understood as an attempt to strike a balance between the economic, social and environmental goals of companies—a balance that could drive a global recovery from the pandemic crisis. This essay focuses on the employer’s perspective and considers how firms can use different employment models to improve sustainability during the crisis. We propose two alternative employment models which we label “Oversustainability” and “Mutual Sustainability” that depend on the choice of the firm’s competitive strategy (proactive/innovative vs analyzer/following). We considered the contributions expected from employees and the inducements they were offered under each model. We believe these employment models can be advantageous for companies seeking to...
Ethical values in social economy for sustainable development
Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics
Disentangling the strength of the HRM system: effects on employees reactions
Employee Relations: The International Journal
Purpose A strong HRM system (encompassing the dimensions of distinctiveness, consistency and cons... more Purpose A strong HRM system (encompassing the dimensions of distinctiveness, consistency and consensus) facilitates a collective interpretation of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in a common direction, and consequently, a conjoint response by employees. The purpose of this paper is two fold: first to argue that those dimensions have a direct impact on the reaction of employees (organisational citizenship behaviour, OCB and intention to remain, IR); and second, the authors propose that these dimensions are not independent, but rather can interact in such a way that consensus impacts on the consistency of an HRM system, and consistency mediates the relationship between consensus and OCB and IR. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed HR managers and employees from a sample of 102 Spanish hotels. Specifically, HR managers were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing the dimensions of HRM strength, and employees completed a different questionnaire reporting their ...
Sustainable HRM strategies and employment relationships as drivers of the triple bottom line
Human Resource Management Review
A multidimensional approach to the content of human capital
Management Research: Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management
Purpose Using a multilevel approach, this theoretical paper aims to build a framework to explore ... more Purpose Using a multilevel approach, this theoretical paper aims to build a framework to explore the cognitive and non-cognitive dimensions of human capital, which may in turn explain how they become a source of competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents several propositions to be empirically tested in further research using multilevel analysis. Starting at the individual level, four configurations of human capital are determined by considering cognitive and non-cognitive human capital. Based on these settings, interactions of human capital at intermediate or departmental level are discussed, taking into account the complexity of the task environment and psychosocial processes. These interactions constitute microfoundations, which explain why human capital may influence different types of organizational capabilities. Findings The theoretical analysis carried out allows proposing four configurations of human capital, combining individual cognitive and non-...
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Papers by Alvaro Cabrales