4 minute read
Research Update: What's going on?
The Academic branch of HRNZ is a ‘virtual branch’, designed to complement and contribute to the geographic branches by:
i) strengthening the engagement between HR academics and HR practitioners, in order to advance relevant HRM research, on the one hand, and evidence-based HRM practice and policy advice, on the other;
ii) fostering the academic-practitioner dialogue on HRM education and, thus, enhancing the ways in which education in HRM serves professional development;
iii) building closer links between students of HRM and HRNZ;
iv) fostering dialogue between HRM academics on ongoing HRM education, teaching, and research.
Through the Human Resources magazine, we hope to let you know about research nationally and internationally that is of relevance to HRM. In this update we begin by providing a small selection of current research at some New Zealand universities.
The HRNZ Research Team of the year for 2019 brings together HR and psychology experts from Massey University and AUT to examine the meaning of a living wage. The principal investigators are Professors Jim Arrowsmith and Jane Parker (Massey Business School), Professors Stuart Carr, Darrin Hodgetts and Dr Siatu Alefaio (Massey School of Psychology) and Professor Jarrod Haar (AUT Department of Management). The project, supported by the government’s Marsden Fund, explores employer and employee perspectives across a range of sectors and organisations. It is longitudinal, tracking intentions and effects over three years from early 2018. Also, the research team is integrated into an international network of living wage researchers through Massey’s Project GLOW. Early results suggest that employers are becoming more strategic around pay, linking it to job redesign and upskilling within a context of tight labour markets. The employee research, based on a nationally-representative survey of low-paid workers, also indicates that addressing low pay can improve worker motivation at work as well as reducing stress and improving well-being.
Professor Jarrod Haar (AUT) is currently involved in a number of specific HR studies. Notably, he conducted the quantitative survey evidence behind the four-day work week at Perpetual Guardian. The evidence clearly shows that a fourday work week (but paid five-days) can have major benefits for both employer and employees. Jarrod has also looked into the links between employee work-life balance and performance to provide strong empirical evidence behind these linkages. His recent studies have found consistently that work-life balance appears to mainly work as a building block where it helps other attitudes shape performance. Jarrod has also been investigating the role of high-performance work systems (HPWS) in New Zealand and the way they influence employee well-being as well as creativity behaviours. The latter has been in association with the National Science Challenge Science for Technological Innovation, to understand the influence of HPWS on employee retention of top talent, firm performance, and the creativity of managers. Overall, New Zealand firms that provide stronger bundles of HR practices outperform those who do not. Similarly, managers and employees who perceive these practices more valuably also report positive outcomes.
At the University of Otago, Associate Professor Fiona Edgar is working on projects which explore how HR practices impact employees’ well-being, behaviours and job performance. A recent study looks at the impact of alcohol on the workplace and on individual performance. With colleague Dr Paula O’Kane, a current project investigates the predictive validity of social media when used as a selection tool. Paula’s recent research on performance management demonstrates the need for more conversation-based systems which enable regular dialogue, but that the stumbling block is manager skills. A Future of Work team at Otago are beginning to explore ‘Ageing and Work’ and more broadly ‘Ageing and Occupation’ – how people occupy their time, and the role work can play in well-being as well as the impact an older worker can have on the workplace, and what adaptations can be made to ensure a continuing and positive working relationship.
Dr Maree Roche at the University of Waikato investigates the role that leadership plays in enhancing psychosocial outcomes at the organisational and individual level. In examining leadership mindset and well-being specifically, her research looks at positive psychological states, notably mindfulness and psychological capital of leaders. Maree’s research confirms that mindfulness improves leaders’ wellbeing, which makes them much better influencers at work.
At Victoria Business School’s Centre for Labour Employment and Work, Dr Geoff Plimmer’s research on psychosocial safety climate, has found that when senior managers care about the well-being of staff it makes a difference – less bullying, more job satisfaction, and better line management behaviours. Associate Professor Jane Bryson’s research with colleagues in Europe and Canada examines employee access to training, one common theme across very different countries is the centrality of a supportive supervisor or manager to ensure employees actually get training. A team of researchers from Victoria Business School (Dr Noelle Donnelly, Dr Ruth Weatherall), Massey Business School (Prof Jane Parker) and AUT (Dr Julie Douglas, Dr Katherine Ravenswood) show significant barriers remain in the role of middle managers in progressing gender equity in the public service. Their research shows middle managers report ongoing challenges in balancing the needs of individuals with organisational requirements and highlights the need to develop coordinated gender equity strategies within agencies. The research recommends creating improved resources and capabilities to support managers in their role as facilitators of gender equity initiatives in their workplaces.
This represents just a selection of research occurring across New Zealand. In subsequent issues we will provide updates on other research in New Zealand and internationally. For further information on a specific item please feel free to contact the relevant researcher at their university.
Jane Bryson is a Chartered Fellow of HRNZ and outgoing president of the Academic Branch. She teaches and researches in HRM and work at Victoria University of Wellington where she is also Deputy Dean of the Business School. Email: Jane.bryson@ vuw.ac.nz.
