Abstract

BENTES, Luísa; CORREIA, Anabela  and  GOMES, Jorge F.S.. Striving for a strong system in human resources management. Economia Global e Gestão [online]. 2009, vol.14, n.3, pp.77-91. ISSN 0873-7444.

Strategic Human Resources Management has highlighted the ways in which the HR System is critical to organizational performance. This relationship has being at the centre of some recent theoretical developments in the HRM literature, with moderate empirical support from several studies. Notwithstanding such support, there is still a significant lack of knowledge with regards to how such association works. In order to clarify the problem, Bowen and Ostroff (2004) have put forward a model in which the HR System/Organizational Performance relationship is mediated by the psychological interpretation that people construct of their surrounding environments (called Situation Strength). These authors have also introduced the notion of HR System Strength, to designate the attributes which make the HR System more efficient in communicating desired and appropriate messages across the organization. Reaching organizational goals is therefore dependent on the HR aptitude to influence people’s perceptions and behaviors. Based on Bowen and Ostroff’s (2004) propositions, the current text offers an extension of their model, incorporating culture and leadership as two additional organizational influence factors. The extended model intents to expand on existing knowledge and, at the same time, it describes the research project in which this text’s authors are presently involved.

Keywords : Human Resources Management; Strategy; Organizational Performance; HRM Strength; Situation Strength.

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