AGING WORKFORCE

Age-Related Determinants of Retirement Planning and Turnover, Professor Ruth Kanfer

A person-centric model of the determinants of older worker job/work disengagement intentions and behavior is proposed that integrates the historically disparate retirement and turnover literatures. A large-scale longitudinal field study of older gas and utility workers and a companion survey study of recent retirees are proposed to investigate hypothesized relations and the validity of the model. Findings are expected to provide initial evidence for the integrative model of job/work disengagement, to improve forecasting of older worker disengagement, and to identify potential points of leverage for organizations concerned with retaining older workers and facilitating knowledge transfer.

Workforce Policies and Practices to Promote Effective Engagement and Retention of the Aging American Workforce, Nathan D. Ainspan, Ph.D., Lisa Hisae Nishii, Ph.D., Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D.

Proactive efforts to maximize the productivity of an aging workforce will be critical in the upcoming shrinking talent market. This study will address the rapidly growing need for research in this area by adding contextual factors to determine the experiences of an aging workforce. We focus on the influence of climate for diversity and inclusion, demographic faultlines within groups, leader characteristics and leader-follower relationships (LMX), and how all of these factors can impact turnover intentions and employee attitudes. This research will help HR leaders understand the issues around the aging of the American workforce and help their companies thrive in the future.

HR Professionals as Team Leaders: The Dimensions, Antecedents and Consequences of Team Resilience, Ben Rosen

As the HR function evolves, more work will be accomplished in the context of teams composed of members with diverse backgrounds, experiences and expertise. Accordingly, HR professionals will be called upon to assume responsibilities for team leadership and to prepare managers for leadership roles. We propose to examine the phenomena of “team resilience,” the ability of teams to overcome adversity and regain effectiveness and particularly the role of team leaders in guiding teams through crises. A two-phased research program will be conducted using a variety of methodologies, including interviews and on-line surveys to examine the antecedents and consequences of team resilience. Findings from this program of research will identify important new competencies required for preparing HR professionals and line-managers for team leadership responsibilities.

Outsourcing HR in Small and Mid-Sized Businesses: Value Creation through Strategic Win-Win-Wins, Stephen Gilliland and Jerel Slaughter

Many companies outsource portions of their HR function. Researchers have studied HR outsourcing in large companies, but not small and mid-sized companies. The proposed study examines benefits for employers, employees, and HR outsourcing providers. A longitudinal survey of managerial and nonmanagerial employees from 50 firms beginning to outsource HR functions will assess satisfaction, commitment, turnover, firm growth and annual profits. A matched control group will be included. Survey responses at initial engagement of HR outsourcing and repeated one year later will address the general hypothesis that outsourcing is beneficial for small and mid-sized companies.

Institutional Compatibility and High-Commitment HR Practices in an Emerging Economy: A Study of MNC Affiliates in China, Yang Cao and Wei Zhao

From an institutional perspective, we argue that high-commitment HR practices (HCHPs) that are compatible with the host country’s institutional environment are both more likely to be adopted by MNC affiliates and more likely to improve organizational effectiveness. This implies that MNC practitioners need to design their HR practices in accordance with local institutions. Empirically, we propose to survey 300 MNC affiliates and 60 experts in the world’s largest emerging economy—China. We will conduct regression and multivariate analyses to test if institutionally compatible and incompatible HCHPs indeed have different adoption levels and exert differential effects on organizational effectiveness.

Managing Global Talent: Solving the Spousal Adjustment Problem, Nina Cole

Spousal career issues are a major reason for expatriate failure. Spousal assistance programs have been proposed to address this problem. This cross-sectional field study will use multivariate analysis of variance to test two hypotheses: (1) Spouses who experience a change in employment status will have lower adjustment than spouses who do not, and (2) Spouses who receive assistance from a spousal program will have higher adjustment than spouses who do not. Qualitative input from spouses on effective types of assistance will also be obtained.

Applying a Conceptual Framework of Global Work-Life Strategies, Helen De Cieri and E. Anne Bardoel

For multinational enterprises (MNEs), global work/life initiatives are increasingly recognized as vital elements of a strategic approach to human resource management. To be effective, global work-life initiatives must be strategically linked to the MNE's diversity, performance management, business objectives, and be responsive to the local environment. This project will apply and refine a model of global work/life management by conducting case studies in at least 10 MNEs. The project will provide a guide for future global work/life management research and identify strategic choices for global work/life management.

Examining International Assignment Success From A Psychological Contract and Careers Perspective, Maria L. Kraimer, Margaret A. Shaffer, David Harrison

Based on an integration of expatriation, careers, and psychological contract literatures, we propose examining repatriation success from the perspectives of both individuals and organizations. Repatriation success is defined in terms of the employees' career and life satisfaction, intentions to remain with the organization, and transfer of international knowledge and skills. We intend to mail surveys to at least 600 recently repatriated employees (and their supervisors) of multinational firms. The data will be analyzed using multivariate techniques including SEM and/or (moderated) regression analyses. Our study addresses global HR issues by identifying potential best practices for the retention and management of international talent.

Diversity and Careers: An Examination of the Career Experiences, Processes and Outcomes of a Multicultural Workforce,
Karen S. Lyness and Belle Rose Ragins

This study is designed to enrich our knowledge about the careers of today’s diverse workforce and enable HR professionals to better meet their needs. The career experiences of employees from dominant (white, middle-class, U.S. born men) and non-dominant (women, people of color, immigrants) groups will be compared using a Web-survey of college alumni. SEM and regression analyses will be used to examine whether prevailing models of career development capture the experiences, predictors and outcomes of career success for diverse employees. The results will lead to more inclusive theoretical models of careers and organizational interventions that better fit a multicultural workforce.

Leadership Development Through Experience: Understanding The Role Of Critical Reflection And Impact On Human Resource Management Practices, D. Scott DeRue, John R. Hollenbeck, Jennifer D. Nahrgang

Most leadership development occurs informally via on-the-job experiences or off-the-job life events. Yet, existing research has focused exclusively on the role of formal training and development programs. The present research addresses this gap by investigating how informal experiences, critical reflection and feedback processes, and individuals’ openness to experience shape leadership development outcomes. We will employ an experimental cohort design. Data will be collected from approximately 200 MBA students, their peers, and supervisors; hierarchical regression will be used to analyze this data. This study will provide HR practitioners insights into how best to systematically leverage informal experiences to promote leadership development.