Article

Talent acquisition in startups in India: the role of social capital

Authors:
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the talent acquisition practices adopted by startups and understand how small entrepreneurs leverage social capital to address the talent acquisition challenges faced by them, and; identify some of the unique parameters adopted by startups in talent acquisition. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a multiple case study method to explore the talent acquisition practices in startups in India. The study included six case studies on startups in Hubli city of North Karnataka in India. Findings This paper finds that startups (especially in smaller cities) face challenges such as lower quality of talent pool, absence of a brand name, inability to provide competitive salary and other benefits as per industry standards and locational disadvantages in talent acquisition. Thus, entrepreneurs leverage their social capital for talent acquisition by handpicking talent on the basis of familiarity or credible networks and recommendations. Incubation centres provide institutionalized sources of social capital to help them attract good talent. This study finds that employee-culture fit and trust play important role in acquiring talent in startups. Practical implications The study has implications for startup entrepreneurs, recruitment service providers, incubation centres, trainers, policymakers, etc. The study provides useful insights to the startups with regard to their recruitment practices. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature in the domains of talent acquisition, startups and social capital by describing hiring challenges faced by startups and exploring the mechanisms used by them in overcoming such challenges.

No full-text available

Request Full-text Paper PDF

To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.

... Another challenge sustainability start-ups face is retaining talented individuals (Mukul & Saini, 2021). These companies often need more resources and may need to be able to offer the same salaries and benefits as larger, more established companies. ...
... Retaining talent presents another crucial hurdle. Sustainability start-ups often operate with limited resources, making it hard to compete with established companies regarding salary and benefits packages (Mukul & Saini, 2021). This, coupled with a demanding work environment often characterized by long hours, leads to high turnover rates (De Lange, 2017). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
Sustainability start-ups address pressing global challenges but face human capital issues in attracting, retaining, and developing talent. Challenges include lack of brand awareness, competition with established firms, high turnover, burnout, limited career growth, resources, and expertise. This chapter reviews literature on these challenges, identifies unique issues in sustainability start-ups, and evaluates strategies to address them. It examines the impact of human capital challenges on performance, noting the need to attract passionate employees, offer competitive benefits, and foster a positive work environment. Recommendations include investing in brand awareness, offering unique benefits, supporting professional growth, and transparency in career paths.
... In particular, the presence of indicators of organizational effectiveness seems to be closely aligned with achieving better levels of non-financial performance. For example, the ability to maintain good stakeholder relationships increases the propensity to attract and retain key employees (Cadorin et al., 2021;Harlin and Berglund, 2021), especially in emerging markets where talent is less likely to stay because wages and benefits are generally less competitive than more developed markets (Mukul and Saini, 2021). Also, operational capacity and the time it takes to react to new Performance management and open innovation opportunities can be determinants of product and services innovation quality and speed (Ojha et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2021a, b). ...
... This preposition confirms the expectations that factors such as better use of resources, ability to maintain healthy stakeholder relationships, ability to anticipate demands and uncertainty and organizational agility are a strong predictor of nonfinancial performance, especially in terms of the development and quality of new products, services, programs and technologies, ability to attract and retain key employees and customer satisfaction. In sum, organizational effectiveness as a promoter of non-financial performance is widely supported in the literature (Cadorin et al., 2021;Harlin and Berglund, 2021;Mukul and Saini, 2021;Ojha et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2021a, b). This is closely linked to Result of the structural model the idea that the organizational capacity to meet new opportunities efficiently enables improvements in the quality and speed of innovations, which are strong indicators in the context of non-financial performance (Ojha et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2021a, b). ...
Article
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of performance management (PM) practices on in-bound open innovation (OI) and out-bound OI. To do this, the authors examine the organizational effectiveness as well as the non-financial and financial performance of Brazilian startups that have had recent OI relationships with larger companies. Design/methodology/approach - Using data collected from 103 Brazilian startups, the hypotheses were tested via partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). An additional analysis was performed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Findings - The findings show that PM practices orchestrate in-bound OI and out-bound OI; however, only in-bound OI promotes organizational effectiveness in Brazilian startups. Organizational effectiveness results in good non-financial performance, which in turn improves financial performance. PM practices have an indirect effect on financial performance from the serial mediation of in-bound OI, organizational effectiveness and non-financial performance. Moreover, several combinations of conditions lead to high levels of organizational effectiveness, non-financial performance and financial performance. Originality/value - This study provides new evidence and insights from an emerging market on the antecedents and consequences of startups' OI adoption.
... HRM practices, such as effective communication, well-planned employment strategies, and a balance between work and personal life, are closely linked HRM practices are crucial for maintaining the efficiency of Indian unicorn startups. Employee recruitment and retention have been a significant challenge for startups (Mukul & Saini, 2021). Employees' lack of access to perks and pay is another HRM-related concern facing Indian unicorn firms. ...
... The finding that gender does not moderate the relationship between HRM practices and employee engagement has theoretical implications for equality and diversity in the workplace. This suggests that well-designed HRM practices can be equally effective for both genders in driving engagement (Salanova et Limited research studies have examined how HRM practices could affect the likelihood that workers at unicorn firms would be engaged (Mukul & Saini, 2021;Sharma, 2017;Krishnan et al., 2022). The study highlights the significant role of HRM practices in driving and sustaining employee engagement. ...
Article
Full-text available
This study focuses on human resource management (HRM) practices that encourage employee engagement. It aims to explore the relationship between HRM practices and employee engagement and also investigates the moderating role of employee gender between both variables. The study applied a cross-sectional research design alongside correlational and regression analysis to evaluate the responses of 410 employees working in unicorn startups based in Gurgaon, New Delhi, and Mumbai through the structured survey questionnaires. Regarding the respondents’ gender, the majority are male (70%), and female constitutes 30%. However, the study results demonstrated that no matter an employee’s age or gender, effective HRM practices have a strong positive correlation with employee engagement (β = 0.93; p < 0.001). The results of the regression model show that HRM practices have explained 87% of the variance in employee engagement, which indicates that most of the employee engagement level depends on the best HRM practices of the organization. The gender differences do not significantly moderate this relationship. The F value in ANOVA analysis showed the overall significance of the model. The findings illustrated that by improving skills and promoting employee engagement, individuals experience heightened satisfaction levels and assume greater responsibility for their assigned duties. AcknowledgmentThis study is supported via funding from Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University project number (PSAU/2023/R/1445).
... Meanwhile, secondary data include literature studies on staffing strategies. To obtain the necessary information through interviews, the author used a series of interview questions based on the staffing cycle framework developed by Carlson and Connerley (2003) and the recruitment funnel parameters framework developed by Mohapatra et al. (2017), as well as research questions by Mukul and Saini (2021), modified as needed to answer how staffing strategies are implemented in startup companies, particularly in Jakarta. The interviewees in this study include HR specialists (managers and staff) and founders of several startup companies in Jakarta. ...
Article
Full-text available
The purpose of this research is to understand the planning, implementation, and evaluation of staffing strategies by startup companies to ensure their success. This study employs a qualitative approach using a case study method. Research data were obtained through observation at one small startup company, namely Investify, and in-depth interviews with 16 informants, including HR staff, HR Managers, and one CEO of a startup company. Data were coded using NVivo 12 software. The research findings reveal that staffing strategies involve several stages, including selecting job posting channels, candidate screening, and offering incentives to potential employees. The limitations lie in the research scope, focused only on startups in Jakarta, and potential bias in data interpretation. Using these research findings, practitioners can enhance workforce management effectiveness by reinforcing the company's brand through cultural communication, exploring diverse recruitment channels, and improving employee selection methods. The originality and value of this research lie in exploring workforce strategies in Jakarta's startup companies, providing insights into recruitment and selection processes that can enhance staffing strategies in startup companies.
... Sustainable talent acquisition practices, informed by HRA, positively influence diversity and inclusion initiatives [64]. HRA can identify patterns and biases in talent acquisition processes, guiding organizations to adopt more inclusive practices and ensuring a diverse workforce [43]. For identifying, recruiting, and retaining HR, a company needs sustainable talent acquisition to deal with the strategies, tactics, and processes. ...
Article
Full-text available
The organizations negotiate a more dynamic and competitive business environment, strategic utilization of Human Resource Analytics (HRA) has emerged as a vital component impacting organizational agility and operational performance. This research uses the Technological-Organizational-Individual-Environmental (TOIE) model to analyze the factors that influence HRA adoption and its subsequent effects on organizational dynamics. The study collected data from 678 HR manager’s responses from different organizations in India. The data were analyzed utilizing smart pls 4.0 to perform Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The study found that cloud-based systems, job search engines, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, information systems, team creation, actionable insights, sustainable talent acquisition, performance evaluation, storytelling ability, and competitiveness have a significant impact on HRA adoption. Furthermore, the study shows that HRA adoption has a positive impact on organizational agility and operational performance. Understanding the TOIE model of the study holds implications for academia, practitioners, and organizational leaders seeking to leverage HR analytics for strategic advantage in a quickly evolving business landscape.
... . Attracting and retaining employees: A positive work environment and supportive culture can help startups attract and retain employees who are committed to the company's mission and values. By investing in employee training and development, startups can also help their employees grow and develop professionally, which can increase their motivation and engagement(Czinkota & Ronkainen, 2007;Mukul & Saini, 2021). 2. Building a strong brand identity: Internal marketing can help startups build a strong brand identity by promoting the company's values and mission to employees. ...
Article
Full-text available
Background The startup scene in Croatia has been accelerating in development in the last decade, partly due to the available European Union funds. Organisational culture is one of the main prerequisites for the growth and development of successful startups. Internal marketing is often crucial to reshaping positive organisational culture and fostering innovative employee behaviour. Objectives The purpose of this article was to investigate a main characteristic of the startup culture in the Republic of Croatia in order to recommend actions and activities of internal marketing that can help companies achieve their goals faster by engaging and motivating their employees and fostering a positive culture change. Methods/Approach Survey research was conducted on a sample of employees of Croatian startups. The main informant approach was used to collect the answers. Results The analysis reveals that as startups grow, they enhance gender diversity and opportunities for idea sharing yet face challenges in maintaining autonomy and constructive feedback. Additionally, mentoring, as one of the venues of internal marketing within startups, significantly bolsters adherence to company principles and fosters a culture of constructive problem-solving, highlighting the critical role of mentorship in shaping a positive organisational environment. Conclusions Results show that startups in the Republic of Croatia still have an opportunity to develop further and improve employee-focused culture and to apply several internal marketing activities in order to engage and retain their employees, such as internal communication, professional development, employee benefits, employee recognition and employee engagement.
... Furthermore, online retailers in Kenya have seen a decline in financial performance due to difficulties securing capital. Inadequate funding has prevented investments in vital areas, including marketing, talent acquisition, and technological infrastructure (Mukul & Saini, 2021). Only 15% of digital enterprises in Kenya had obtained outside funding, according to a 2018 World Bank report. ...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose: Businesses that rely on e-commerce for growth frequently find that their ability to obtain sufficient capital is critical to their success. Funding from venture capital firms is essential in this context. Due to insufficient capital, e-commerce-driven businesses in Kenya have continuously underperformed financially. Numerous of these businesses, such as Rupu, OLX Kenya, and ePay, encountered financial difficulties and eventually lost the ability to continue operating. This study's main objectives were to evaluate the impact of capital management support, financing options, and cost of capital on the financial performance of Kenyan e-commerce businesses. Additionally, the study sought to fully evaluate the moderating impact of regulatory structure on venture capital funding and the financial performance of Kenyan e-commerce-driven firms. The trade-off, stakeholder, financial liberalization, and agency theories all lend credence to this research. The research philosophy of positivism, which emphasizes the use of empirical data to evaluate theories and hypotheses, was applied to perform this study. Methodology: The study examined a population of 45 e-commerce-driven businesses that obtained venture capital financing between 2017 and 2022 using a descriptive cross-sectional survey research approach. A stratified simple random sampling design technique was employed to choose 45 e-commerce-driven businesses as a sample. Surveys were distributed to collect primary data. Important stakeholders, including investors, executives, and founders, were among the participants in the study. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the data, such as measures of central tendency (particularly the mean), variability (expressed by the standard deviation), and frequency distributions. Regression analysis, an inferential statistic, was also employed in the study to investigate the relationship between venture capital funding and financial success. The gathered data were coded before entering into the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) program to make the analysis process easier. The analysis's final results were provided as tables. Findings: The findings showed that the cost of capital, financing strategies, and capital management support significantly impact Kenyan e-commerce enterprises' financial performance. The aggregate score of 3.73 in cost of capital indicated consensus among participants on the impact of venture capital on e-commerce companies' financial performance. Participants perceived a significant correlation, with a standard deviation of 1.15 reflecting varying opinions. Most agree that lower venture capital costs lead to better financial success, influencing organizations' financial decisions significantly. The study concluded that venture capital funding has a considerable impact on the financial performance of e-commerce-driven enterprises in Kenya. The report advised management to thoroughly understand the total cost of capital related to venture capital funding. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study on venture capital and financial performance of e-commerce-driven firms in Kenya has made significant contributions to theory, practice, and policy. It has enhanced theoretical understanding by examining the relationship between venture capital investments and the financial performance of e-commerce firms, providing insights into the dynamics of these markets. In practice, the study has offered valuable guidance to e-commerce entrepreneurs and investors by identifying factors that influence financial performance and informing strategic decision-making. Additionally, the findings have implications for policy formulation, as they highlight the importance of fostering an enabling environment for venture capital investments in the e-commerce sector to spur economic growth and innovation in Kenya.
... In talent acquisition, data analytics facilitates the identification of key attributes that contribute to successful hires (Mukul and Saini, 2021). By leveraging data, HR professionals can streamline the recruitment process, target the right candidates, and enhance the overall efficiency of talent acquisition efforts. ...
Article
Full-text available
In the dynamic landscape of the 21st century, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) stands as a pivotal element for organizational success. This paper reviews the trends and innovations that characterize the evolution of SHRM in contemporary workplaces. As organizations navigate the complexities of a globalized and technologically driven environment, SHRM has witnessed a paradigm shift from a traditional administrative role to a strategic partner in achieving business objectives. The paper explores key trends, such as the integration of technology in HR processes, the rise of remote work, and the increasing importance of employee well-being in shaping SHRM strategies. Innovations in data analytics and artificial intelligence have revolutionized HR functions, enabling data-driven decision-making and predictive analytics for talent management. The paper highlights how these technological advancements have streamlined recruitment, performance management, and employee engagement, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of SHRM practices. The emergence of remote work as a mainstream paradigm has prompted organizations to reassess traditional approaches to talent acquisition, development, and retention. Strategies for managing a dispersed workforce and fostering a cohesive organizational culture are explored, emphasizing the need for adaptability in SHRM frameworks. Moreover, the paper delves into the growing recognition of employee well-being as a critical component of SHRM. Innovations in this regard encompass initiatives promoting work-life balance, mental health support, and inclusive workplace cultures. Organizations are increasingly acknowledging that a focus on employee well-being not only enhances morale and productivity but also contributes to long-term organizational sustainability. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the trends and innovations shaping Strategic Human Resource Management in the 21st century. It underscores the pivotal role of SHRM in navigating the complexities of the modern workplace, emphasizing the integration of technology, the impact of remote work, and the prioritization of employee well-being as key drivers in shaping strategic HR practices.
... Startup failure is common across ecosystems (IBM, 2016), especially in the technology domain. A few studies have looked at the failure and survival of select startups in India (Kalyanasundaram et al., 2021;Satyanarayana et al., 2021), the role of entrepreneurial bricolage in sustainable performance of startups (Sivathanu & Pillai, 2020) and the challenges in talent acquisition (Mukul & Saini, 2021). 3. Collaboration assumes significance in maximising value in the startup ecosystem through innovation and value creation. ...
Article
Full-text available
Startup India, which was launched in January 2016, completed five years in January 2022. To mark this occasion, January 16 has been declared as the National Startup Day, starting from 2022. Startup India has made a few significant strides in the preceding five years. We highlight 10 key features of the Indian startup ecosystem followed by a few grey areas where the startup community, academic fraternity, and policy making institutions could pay specific attention.
... Dalam keadaan demikian, maka pelaku UMKM dan wirausahawan harus memanfaatkan modal sosial mereka untuk akuisisi SDM dengan memilih sendiri SDM berdasarkan keakraban atau jaringan dan rekomendasi yang kredibel. Salah satu modal sosial yang bisa dioptimalkan oleh pelaku UMKM dalam merekrut SDM berkualitas adalah kecocokan budaya karyawan dan kepercayaan (Mukul, 2021). ...
Article
Full-text available
SMEs or Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises play a very important role for the Indonesian economy. In the Indonesian economy, SMEs are the business group with the largest percentage. However, of the much assistance and attention provided by the government to SMEs, very little has been discussed regarding the Human Resources (HR) involved as employees in SMEs. so that SMEs can have a competitive advantage over their larger competitors, SMEs need to be involved in effective and efficient HR management practices, one of which is in terms of recruiting employees. One method of recruiting employees that is simple and can be applied easily is an interview. However, in conducting interviews, SME actors cannot ask questions without a clear framework because it will waste time and energy. Interview questions can be developed based on the three categories that most influence employee engagement, namely organizational factors, job factors, and individual factors.
... Startups operate in an organisational context distinct from established companies and entrepreneurs. The ability to attract, acquire and retain superior human capital is one of the critical success factors for startups (Mukul & Saini, 2021). Without sufficient resources, established systems and brand names, these startup ventures are generally less known to job seekers and are less likely to use sophisticated recruitment processes. ...
Article
Organisations increasingly use virtual means to connect with stakeholders to project an employer image among job seekers. Social media-based networking and employer branding strategies to attract and retain talent are effective strategies in the post-COVID scenario. A proper context exists to explore networking activities’ role in building solid social media capital and how this contributes to employer branding efforts. The present study explains how social media activities affect social media capital generation and employer branding. Second, the research examines how social media activities by organisations may help them leverage online social capital resources to create a strong employer brand. Extant literature illustrates how social media has increased the reach and scope for meaningful networking and greater possibilities of reaching out to potential employees through employer branding initiatives. Innovative social media tools for messaging and communicating, such as hashtags, tweeting, pinning, posting, likes and sharing, have made the outcomes more tangible, measurable and reliable. This facilitates effective social capital management to generate an employer’s reputation and a superior employer brand.
... Thirdly, ERPs can also benefit current employees by providing them with opportunities to develop their professional networks and earn financial incentives for successful referrals (Yildiz and Esmer, 2023). This can lead to increased employee engagement and job satisfaction (Mukul and Saini, 2021). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
"Yönetim, Organizasyon ve Strateji Üzerine Araştırmalar", çağdaş yönetim teorileri, organizasyon yapıları ve stratejik planlama uygulamalarının kapsamlı bir analizini sunan akademik bir kitaptır. Kitap, günümüzün küreselleşmiş ve hızla gelişen pazarında işletmelerin karşılaştığı temel zorlukları keşfetmek için yönetim, psikoloji, sosyoloji, ekonomi ve bilgi teknolojisi dahil olmak üzere çeşitli disiplinlerden gelen içgörülerden yararlanmaktadır. Kendi alanlarında önde gelen akademisyenlerin katkılarıyla hazırlanan bu kitap, okuyuculara yönetim, organizasyon ve strateji arasındaki dinamik etkileşim ve bunun organizasyonel performans ve sürdürülebilirlik üzerindeki etkisi hakkında yeni bakış açıları sunmaktadır. "Yönetim, Organizasyon ve Strateji Üzerine Araştırmalar ", en son paradigmalara ve yönetsel düşüncelere ilişkin kapsamlı bir bakış sunarak, Yönetim ve Organizasyon alanına katkıda bulunmayı hedeflemektedir. Yönetim sanatının karmaşıklığını, modern iş uygulamalarını ve stratejilerini şekillendiren karmaşık konulara ilişkin anlayışlarını ve işletmeler üzerindeki etkilerini anlamakla ilgilenen herkes için değerli bir kaynak olarak hizmet edeceğini umuyoruz.
... Thirdly, ERPs can also benefit current employees by providing them with opportunities to develop their professional networks and earn financial incentives for successful referrals (Yildiz and Esmer, 2023). This can lead to increased employee engagement and job satisfaction (Mukul and Saini, 2021). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
"Yönetim, Organizasyon ve Strateji Üzerine Araştırmalar", çağdaş yönetim teorileri, organizasyon yapıları ve stratejik planlama uygulamalarının kapsamlı bir analizini sunan akademik bir kitaptır. Kitap, günümüzün küreselleşmiş ve hızla gelişen pazarında işletmelerin karşılaştığı temel zorlukları keşfetmek için yönetim, psikoloji, sosyoloji, ekonomi ve bilgi teknolojisi dahil olmak üzere çeşitli disiplinlerden gelen içgörülerden yararlanmaktadır. Kendi alanlarında önde gelen akademisyenlerin katkılarıyla hazırlanan bu kitap, okuyuculara yönetim, organizasyon ve strateji arasındaki dinamik etkileşim ve bunun organizasyonel performans ve sürdürülebilirlik üzerindeki etkisi hakkında yeni bakış açıları sunmaktadır. "Yönetim, Organizasyon ve Strateji Üzerine Araştırmalar ", en son paradigmalara ve yönetsel düşüncelere ilişkin kapsamlı bir bakış sunarak, Yönetim ve Organizasyon alanına katkıda bulunmayı hedeflemektedir. Yönetim sanatının karmaşıklığını, modern iş uygulamalarını ve stratejilerini şekillendiren karmaşık konulara ilişkin anlayışlarını ve işletmeler üzerindeki etkilerini anlamakla ilgilenen herkes için değerli bir kaynak olarak hizmet edeceğini umuyoruz.
... Thirdly, ERPs can also benefit current employees by providing them with opportunities to develop their professional networks and earn financial incentives for successful referrals (Yildiz and Esmer, 2023). This can lead to increased employee engagement and job satisfaction (Mukul and Saini, 2021). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
Talent marketing is a strategic approach used by organizations to attract and retain top talent. This approach involves the use of various marketing techniques and channels to communicate the employer brand, job opportunities, and employee value proposition to potential candidates. Talent marketing is an essential component of an organization's overall talent management strategy as it helps to enhance the organization's reputation and competitiveness in the job market. The success of talent marketing relies on a deep understanding of the target audience, effective communication, and the creation of a compelling employer brand that resonates with potential candidates. With the growing competition for talent in today's job market, organizations must invest in talent marketing to attract and retain the best talent and stay ahead of the competition.
... Literature indicates that the relative relevance of each of these components has evolved from an early emphasis on shared infrastructure to a more recent emphasis on the significance of business support services and network access (Caetano et al., 2019). Mukul and Saini (2021) agree that the increasing involvement of incubation centers, colleges, and other educational institutions as a new generation of entrepreneurial ecosystem providers is a vital component of the entrepreneurial support system. Several studies have explored and discovered evidence of the favorable influence of participation in business incubation programs on the development of businesses (Harima et al., 2019). ...
Article
Full-text available
This study aims to develop a schoolpreneur model appropriate for Malaysia's secondary school environment. The current study surveyed students participating in the Program Tunas Commerce (PROTUNe) and the Young Entrepreneurs Association (PUM) in the states of Perak, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan to accomplish these purposes. A survey-based technique was used to collect data, and 400 students participated. With a cross-sectional research design, this research uses a quantitative research methodology. This research employed exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) for statistical analysis. The study's findings show that six highlighted factors can be incorporated to develop a schoolpreneur model. These factors all significantly affect the schoolpreneur model. A significant correlation of the schoolpreneur model of more than 60% indicates the significance of talent skills, mentors, incubators, individual personality, role models, and family background in the development of the schoolpreneur model. As a result, secondary schools can conduct entrepreneurial activities better due to the development of the schoolpreneur model.
... Social media has become an important platform of recruitment process for employers as helps them in attracting the best talent, communicating with jobseekers, reducing the cost of recruitment, verifying jobseekers profile and promoting employer brand (Frasca and Edwards, 2017;Mukul and Saini, 2021). Social media platforms help jobseekers in searching suitable employers, networking with the professionals of their fields, and applying for jobs. ...
Article
Purpose While the information source is likely to affect job search process, it is still unknown how the information source interacts with the information content and information valence. In this study, first, the authors examine the influence of information source, information content, and information valence on employer attractiveness and job pursuit intention; and second, the authors estimate the interaction of information source with content and valence of information on employer attractiveness and job pursuit intention. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopted a 2 (information source: company-independent vs company-dependent) x 2 (information content: instrumental vs symbolic) x 2 (information valence: positive vs negative) between-subject factorial design to achieve the study’s research objectives, using a sample of 240 job applicants; and applied multivariate analysis of covariance for estimating the main and interaction effects. Findings The authors find a significant interaction of information source with the content and valence of information, indicating a differential effect of content and valence, depending on the information source. The study reveals that the effect of information content (i.e. symbolic vs instrumental) on employer attractiveness varies depending on the source of information (i.e. company-independent vs company-dependent), with the company-independent source having a higher effect than the company-dependent source. Practical implications Considering that the information source has a differential effect on job seekers, it would be useful to account for such differences in designing recruitment communications. Results guide managers in deciding the appropriate recruitment information outlet for communicating symbolic and instrumental attributes. The use of symbolic attribute content is recommended for generating favourable evaluations about an employer. Originality/value This study is a novel attempt to examine on how information source interacts with information content type and information valence in influencing recruitment outcomes. The authors provide valuable insights to human resource managers or employer brand managers to design effective recruitment communications and leverage the company-independent information sources appropriately.
Chapter
Business incubation has become indispensable today as an activator of entrepreneurship and innovation, through which HRM's catalyst role is vital. Incubators offer a much-needed process of services and resources within which startups can be nurtured; HRM, on the other hand, looks into turning individuals into a world-class motivated workforce through effective management. This chapter also explains how bundling financial resources and physical tools with HRM increases the startup's success by incubating a strategic acceptance in the operation continuum to understand operational human capital. It lacks specific metrics, fails to name the market-driven reasons, and offers no insights into future-proofing a career or what technology may soon bring. Furthermore, more research on corporate culture, the role of regulatory frameworks, and the applications of HR policies are needed. This chapter aims to fill the gaps in our understanding with relevant research questions that describe how business incubation and HRM might foster innovation and growth performance.
Article
Full-text available
Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive talent management model tailored to the unique needs and cultural context of the employees at Astan Quds Razavi. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The qualitative phase involved thematic analysis using Clarke's method, facilitated by MAXQDA software, and included interviews with 15 purposively selected experts from Astan Quds Razavi. The quantitative phase targeted 21,000 employees, with a sample size of 147 determined using G*Power software. Data were collected through surveys and analyzed using path analysis and variance-based structural equation modeling with SPSS and Smart PLS 3. Findings: The study identified six key predictors for effective talent management: talent evaluation, talent engagement, talent identification, talent culture, professional development of talent, and the attraction and retention of top talent. Additionally, 30 specific indicators were identified that contribute to these predictors. Conclusion: The proposed talent management model provides a robust and context-specific framework for managing talent within Astan Quds Razavi. The model addresses the unique needs of the organization and aligns with its cultural context, offering a valuable tool for improving organizational performance and employee satisfaction. This model has the potential to be adapted for use in similar organizations and contributes to the broader understanding of effective talent management strategies.
Chapter
Nepal’s entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) is still emerging and faces several challenges, including limited access to capital, restricted market entry, and regulatory complexities. This study uses a mixed methodology to identify solutions for advancement and policy recommendations. Relational network data is gathered using respondent-driven sampling and face-to-face questionnaires, while the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Diagnostic Toolkit is utilised to assess entrepreneurship barriers. The findings show that while the business sector plays a substantial role in Nepal’s entrepreneurial landscape, entrepreneurs often rely on personal ties and social networks for support. By partnering with academic institutions, businesses have the opportunity to foster innovation and drive economic growth. Additionally, technological advancements enable informal businesses to establish smooth communication with their clients, partners, and suppliers. However, corruption remains a significant impediment to Nepal’s EE, with diverse economic and business consequences. This study also delves into the significance and efficacy of EE initiatives. It builds upon previous research by mapping the EE and emphasising the importance of stakeholder relationships. The study is the first comprehensive analysis of its kind in a low-income country with institutional voids. It describes the composition of the EE and its intricate interaction system within a specific geographic area.
Chapter
The study will initially include information about incubation mechanisms and the nature of digital entrepreneurship. A detailed literature review is going to be conducted and former studies are going to be examined in terms of their context, methodology, and findings in detail. Better performing systems are going to be promoted and their procedures are going to be used in implications for the practitioners. Besides these, focus will be on access to resources, mentorship and guidance, networking opportunities, validation and credibility, access to finance and funding opportunities, support programs, and lastly, collaboration occasion in terms of the pros of the incubator mechanisms. On the other hand, equity stake, lack of autonomy, project evaluation criteria, competitiveness and time constrains, dependency, and mismatched expectations are going to be examined in detail as cons of these mechanisms. Later on, conceptual framework is going to be constructed in terms of the qualifications of incubators, their procedures, and advantages besides their handicaps.
Chapter
Entrepreneurs and their Startups play an important role in the growth of the developing economies. Also important is the knowledge on capability that they acquire through talent acquisition at different phases of the enterprise. Talent acquisition is a process that involves actors, factors (causes and needs), activities or event, outcomes, patterns and the sequences. While entrepreneur remain the central actor in this process, Theory of Causation explains the causal factors leading to the desired results of events of talent acquisition. Reference is made to the historical events as proposed by the Path Dependence Theory so as to explain the presence and/or rationale of the absence of patterns in the process. This provides to set the agenda for future research on talent acquisition in Startups including the research methodologies.
Article
Purpose Despite talent management’s (TM) importance for improving organizations' competitiveness and resilience, the pandemic highlighted the weakness of organizational-level TM strategies. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the moderating impact of HR analytics on the relationship between TM and its individual outcomes (talent motivation and quality of hires) and subsequently, their impact on organizational outcomes (talent retention). Design/methodology/approach The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to analyze 219 online questionnaires administered to HR managers from European companies. Findings A positive relationship exists between TM activities and talent motivation as well as the quality of hires. Furthermore, HR analytics positively moderates these relationships. Finally, talent motivation and the quality of hires are positively related to talent retention. Research limitations/implications This study offers several contributions to theory, as it analyzes TM from an individual perspective and provides further empirical confirmation of the potential benefits of HR analytics and additional grounding to the contingency theory. Practical implications Our results will allow practitioners to better orient their HR investments, with positive effects for their organizations and their employees. Social implications This study demonstrates that HR analytics can help organizations adopt a human-centric approach to TM, thus increasing the chances for talents to fully express their potential. Originality/value This study takes a step forward toward considering TM outcomes from an individual perspective, responding to new generations' need to pay more attention to their individualities. HR analytics can be a suitable tool to do so, as it can provide insights and suggestions based on the actual organizational context, making TM a more data-driven process.
Article
The work environment is increasingly competitive and dynamic, this makes skills crucial in a job candidate. The purpose of this article is to provide an illustration of using correspondence analysis to present a visual and easily understandable view of comparative characteristicsin profiles. The document aims to contextualize the importance of skills; and second, to illustrate their relative positioning among specific attributes that contribute to a wide variety of job roles. The approach consists of using correspondence analysis(n=105) and constructing a graph in which two dimensions are preserved. The findings present the qualities most valued in candidates for administrative positions: experience, problem solving, financial knowledge, reasoning, charisma, database management, accounting knowledge, and communication. Which involves training and practical support to enhance a candidate's potential.
Article
As social network services recently enjoyed significant popularity, social networking sites (SNS) appear as an attractive vehicle to increase an organization’s brand effectiveness. Even though there has been a significant influence of SNS on employees’ lives, there is limited focus on their application in the HRM discipline. Building on social networking theory, this study supplements an understanding of the growing utilization of SNS, specifically for employer branding in organizations. In an in-depth study comprising 54 interviews of HR professionals representing organizations operating in India, the empirical findings suggest that firms leverage large, widespread, and high-performing SNS to foster their employer branding strategies in numerous ways. This study also describes the advantages derived from the use of SNS for employer branding in organizations and elucidates the intricacies of utilizing SNS as an employer branding strategy. In doing so, we contribute to the extant literature in two ways: (1) address the need for research on SNS in relation to employer branding and (2) highlight the importance of online or virtual means in the context of employer branding. We are also responding to the calls for research that advances more interdisciplinary discussions on ‘doing business in India’, especially approaches that consider employer branding strategies and SNS.
Chapter
The impact of workplace incivility cannot be exaggerated, nor it can be ignored. Academic researchers have demonstrated in their study that 71% of the employees had faced incivility in past five years wherein the fellow court personnel were the instigators and workplace incivility is a source of job stress. Studies have reported that 78% of respondents had experienced supervisor incivility and 8% had gone through co-worker incivility. The stress released from incivility is not only within the workplace, but it is also taken home by the employees to their family domain which causes family antipathy. Haun suggested that incivility has negative impact over work and family domains as well. Employees who experience incivility hide their knowledge, and also retaliate the treatment they are given in workplace. On the days when employees are treated with uncivil behaviour, they tend to have a higher level of stress.
Chapter
Full-text available
India has recently developed a robust startup ecosystem which is a growing startup market because of its energetic young businesspeople and entrepreneurs. By incorporating cutting-edge technology in their products, the entire ecosystem is continually expanding and growing livelier. These startups are also engaged in rural sector and successfully solving daily life problems and contributing a lot in the development of the nation. They are working in almost every sector of the rural, and boosting the economy and also solving unemployment issue. Therefore, these startups are becoming increasingly popular, they still have significant obstacles to overcome from its establishment to working. The article highlights the problems and difficulties that startup ecosystem is facing in current scenario in the country with useful suggestions and recommendation for its economic and sustainable growth.
Article
Full-text available
Purpose – The primary purpose of this study was to identify and conceptualize talent management (TM) functions by combining management and human resources functions, based on a rigorous, in-depth literature review. The secondary purpose was to identify the most common TM strategies and classify them in terms of TMfunctions to provide amore systematic foundation for the concept of TM. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review supported by qualitative content analysis was used to determine the main TM strategies in the current literature and to classify them under basic TM functions. Findings – This study identified seven core TM functions that were previously addressed in the TM literature but not labeled and conceptualized as TM functions. These seven core functions (talent planning, talent identification, talent attraction, talent acquisition, talent development, talent deployment and talent retention) structure the TM system, influence each other and operate as a cycle through their respective strategies in identifying, formulating and achieving business objectives (e.g. enhanced firm performance and sustainable competitive advantage). The findings also indicate that talent retention strategies were the most discussed topic within this field between 2006 and July 2022, followed by talent planning and talent development strategies. Originality/value – TM is still a young and developing field that needs more conceptual work for its development and recognition as a discipline. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this unique study is one of the first attempts to comprehensively define TM functions and offer a framework for the detailed and systematic classification of TM strategies under seven core TM functions. This framework makes clear the multidimensional concept and system of TM and reveals, through the notion of TM functions, the main lines and structural factors necessary to implement the strategies effectively. Based on the strategies presented in this study, TM is an important source of ideas for organizations that want to implement TM and provides a bench-marking tool for organizations that are currently implementing TM.
Article
Full-text available
p> Purpose: Innovativeness and development have become one of the greatest competitive advantage of all organisations. In order to develop innovations, human resources and their development are the main sources of creativity and new ideas, skills and their application. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate and identify approaches to enterpeneurship innovativeness. Furthwermore, paper develops current success criteria of start-ups based on qualitative research made with start-up leaders. Methodology/Approach: The data were collected by means of a quantitative questionnaire research carried out among employees of organisations across sectors who take part in a talent programme in the Czech Republic. Moreover, qualitative research of start-up projects by means of content analysis was carried out among start-up organisations. For the analysis key words and short phrases were selected to find success criteria of start-ups. For the purposes of testing, the Pearson’s chi-square test and the association test were employed. Findings: The results have shown statistically significant differences between the age category and creativity (p = 0.048) and the length of job history and the creativity demonstrated when performing job (p = 0.012). Furthermore, education plays role in innovativeness. University education may cause lowering of creativity by teaching standardized thinking. Moreover, results of study have shown that key success criteria (p = 0.000) of successful start-ups are: use of education and training, development, partners, theoretical mapping, use of expert help, use of concrete technologies, knowledge of project management, project functionality, personal interest in project delivery and efficiency of solution. Research Limitation/implication: The results develop practice in defining key success criteria of innovative approach in enterpreneurships, start-ups and innovative-oriented organisations. The limits of the article can be deemed to consist in a relatively small sample of respondents; however, with respect to the exclusive approach to the talent management in the Czech Republic the sample can be described as sufficient. The results may inspire other researches to conduit further research in other conditions and deepen knowledge about this phenomenon. Originality/Value of paper: The contribution of the article lies in identification and evaluation of the factors of innovativenes of enterpreneurships. Furthermore, practical contribution lies in identification and evaluation of the areas of the sustainable development of social start-ups. Practical contribution lies in presenting the concrete results from real start-up projects and innovative-oriented organisations. The results are important for development of new start-up ideas and project while their main efficient approaches are presented.</p
Article
Full-text available
Recent studies of entrepreneurial hiring have focused on teams of individuals brought together to form new firms. The literature is scarce on the hiring decision made by sole proprietors to obtain early-stage employees in existing growing firms, yet these firms are great in number and significantly impact the economy. Such hiring decisions will be critical to the growth, and even survival, of such small firms. This paper proposes a model suggesting that an entrepreneur's more central social or role identity influences the hiring decisions for early-stage employees. Utilizing social and role identity theories, this paper suggests how an entrepreneur's most central identity influences how early-stage hiring decisions are made in entrepreneurial small firms. Additionally, it is suggested that the job complexity of new employment positions, and the munificence of the human resources in an environment further moderate the relationship between the sole proprietor's entrepreneurial identity and the hiring decisions they make.
Article
Full-text available
Applicant attraction practices and their linkages to four attraction outcomes (applicants/vacancy, days-to-fill, acceptance rate, and retention rate) were investigated among 117 small businesses. Usage of previously found practices as well as many others (special hiring inducements, for example) were found, and these varied according to company size, industry, and presence of an HR department. Practices had selective, significant linkages to the outcomes. For example, using both past applications and newspaper ads as recruitment sources resulted in fewer days-to-fill vacancies, providing promotion possibilities and new employee training resulted in higher acceptance rates. Providing cost-of-living increases, promotion possibilities, and having the HR manager evaluate job applicants lead to higher retention rates. Numerous implications for research and for improving small business applicant attraction practices are suggested.
Book
Full-text available
The formation of new businesses can be conceptualized as a function of opportunity structures and motivated entrepreneurs with access to resources. On the demand side, opportunity structures contain the environmental resources that can be exploited by new businesses as they seek to carve out niches for themselves. On the supply side, motivated entrepreneurs need access to capital and other resources so that they can take advantage of perceived opportunities. A cursory examination of this formulation reveals two essential issues that research on entrepreneurship must address: (1) Entrepreneurship is a process and must be viewed in dynamic terms rather than in cross-sectional snapshots; and (2) entrepreneurship requires linkages or relations between key components of the process.
Article
Full-text available
Human resource management policies and entrepreneurship are linked. New businesses in the high technology sector are competing for employees in a tougher labor market than most businesses face. Like all businesses, they must attract, recruit, and keep skilled workers. They must also find ways of motivating these workers throughout their careers in a highly competitive and quickly changing market. We propose two perspectives on organizational change--a developmental and an evolutionary--to aid our investigation of the following questions: Do new firms start with effective HRM policies? If not, why not? If yes, how do owners learn about effective policies? If firms don't start with effective policies, do or can they eventually develop or adopt them? How quickly do effective HRM systems arise? We review the literature and suggest four sets of factors that might be used in answering these questions: characteristics of founding teams, a firm's initial workforce composition, the structure of an organization, and a firm's institutional context.
Article
Full-text available
Research indicating a positive relationship between effective Human Resource (HR) activities (high-performance work systems [HPWS]) and performance has focused primarily on large organizations. The present study provides evidence that the relationship also holds for small firms. As well, the presence of an HR manager is related to having HPWS. However, the effects of firm size on the presence of an HR manager, the incidence of HPWS, and on organizational performance were insignificant. Differences between our findings and similar research are also discussed.
Article
Full-text available
This article contains a theoretical discussion and an empirical test of Stinchcombe's "liability of newness" hypothesis, which assumes higher risks of failure for young organizations compared with old ones. It is shown that this hypothesis is not a good representation of the mortality hazard of West German business organizations. Therefore, we introduce the concept of a "liability of adolescence," which proposes an inverted U-shaped risk pattern. It is shown that mortality, depending on the initial resource endowments of a firm, peaks between one and fifteen years after founding. From this perspective, extended interpretations of the liabilities of smallness and legal form are given. These arguments are well supported by a log-logistic rate model estimated with our data.
Article
Full-text available
Business incubators aim to maximize the chances of success of start-up companies by creating a supportive environment. Typically, this involves offering management assistance, mentoring, access to financing, flexible and low-cost leases, office services, etc. There is large number of business incubators in the world. In this paper issues concerned status, development and overview of existing practice in the world will be presented as well as general issues and perspectives for developing countries.
Article
Full-text available
This paper aims to contribute to the development of a broader, more balanced approach to talent management that will help in studying and implementing talent management across different contexts. The paper starts with an overview of the advances made in previous reviews and studies with respect to three central themes: the definition of talent, intended outcomes of talent management, and talent management practices. We identify the one-dimensional and narrow approach to the topic as a main limitation of the existing talent management literature. Through the use of theories from the organizational theory and the strategic HRM domain, we add new perspectives and develop a multilevel, multi-value approach to talent management. In so doing, we offer an in-depth discussion of the potential economic and non-economic value created by talent management at the individual, organizational, and societal level.
Article
Full-text available
Drawing on the social embeddedness perspective, this article examines the impact of entrepreneurs' social capital on their firm performance in post-Soviet Russia. Based on face-to-face interviews with 75 Russian entrepreneurs in 1995 and follow-up interviews in 1999, the study examines effects of structural embeddedness, relational embeddedness and resource embeddedness on firm performance. The main finding is that relational embeddedness and resource embeddedness have direct positive impacts on firm performance, whereas structural embeddedness has no direct impacts on performance.
Article
Full-text available
Small businesses dominate the landscape of the United States, representing over 99% of all employers, creating two out of every three new jobs, and producing 39% of the gross national product, but very little research has examined the issues they face when recruiting employees. Past small business research on recruitment has largely focused on simply describing what recruitment practices are utilized, without developing a theory about why these practices may be successful. Within the human resource, management (HRM) literature, research on recruitment has almost exclusively focused on large firms. This focus on large firms is problematic because there are theoretical reasons to suggest that small firms may face different barriers in the recruitment process than larger firms. Specifically, relative to large businesses, small firms face at least two unique challenges: lower levels of external awareness of their existence and image, and greater pressures to conform to institutional norms.
Article
Full-text available
Purpose With talent management becoming an area of growing concern, there is a need for practicing due diligence in their talent acquisition strategy. To meet the demands for talent with a specific skill set in a given timeline, the organizations are adopting innovative recruitment practices to find the correct skill sets and competencies. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of these practices and also to investigate talent acquisition and its relationship to levels of employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach The investigation is carried out with the aid of a case study on Motorola India‐ Mobile Devices Business. Findings By reflecting recruitment and culture need fit, an environment is created at the workplace where employees feel more passionate about their work and exhibit the behaviours that organizations need to drive better results. Research limitations/implications This is a qualitative study which could be further enriched by empirically measuring person‐organization fit and its impact on the level of engagement. Practical implications It is suggested that organizations should make efforts to build effective, practical and holistic talent strategies that are not only able to attract talent but also address employee engagement and the retention of key skills thus boosting the productivity and business performance. During talent acquisition, due diligence is required in assessing the person‐organization fit and providing an enabling work environment to keep the talent anchored to the organization. Originality/value The paper highlights the impact of due diligence in talent acquisition, which is the most crucial problem faced by the organizations in the present times, by means of a case study.
Article
Full-text available
Social capital is an important primary outcome of collaborative planning and is deemed a precursor to arriving at successful collaborative planning outcomes such as more effective collective action and both individual and social benefits. Although commonly used definitions of social capital stress the importance of social networks, recent scholarly research tends to overlook the importance of understanding how collaborative efforts influence the formation of new relationships and the structures of these relations (social networks) and in turn how these influence success. This article documents the application of social network analysis methods in the evaluation of a collaboration's effectiveness at building social capital, the structures of these relations, the factors that influenced positively and negatively their formation, and finally, the influence of the social networks on realizing successful outcomes.
Article
Full-text available
Abstrat't Thi.s paper addresses the debates about the nature of strategic HRM in intcriiaiiimal companies. It builds on a substantial research programme using questionnaires and detailed case studies to argue that the international HRM field is changing .significantly and rapidly and that there is a need for better understanding of these developments. Five distinct, but linked, organizational drivers of international HRM are identified and discussed: efficiency orientation, global service provision, information exchange, core business processes and localization of decision-making. These factors are creating a new set of pressures on HRM specialists. Three distinct, but linked, enablers of high-performance international HRM arc being developed by multinational enterpd.ses: HR afl'ordability. central HR philosophy and HR excellence and knowledge transfer. A series of ditierent strategic recipes combining these drivers and enablers are identified. These recipes in turn are delivered through a series of important HR processes: talent management and employer branding, global leadership through international assignments, managing an international workforce and evaluation of HR contribution. A tentative model of the relationships belween these drivers, enablers and processes is proposed.
Article
Full-text available
Develops a model relevant to small and growing businesses that delineates five stages of firm development. These stages are: (1) existence--concerned with garnering customers and delivering the product or service contracted for; (2) survival--firms have demonstrated that they are workable business entities, but the key question becomes whether there is enough money for the firm to break even and stay in business; (3) success--here the decision facing owners is whether to exploit the company's accomplishments and expand or keep the company stable and profitable, providing a base for alternative owner activities; (4) take-off--concerned with how to make the firm grow rapidly and how to finance this growth; and (5) resource maturity--companies have the advantages of size, financial resources, and managerial talent and will be a formidable force in the market if they retain their entrepreneurial spirit. Each stage is characterized by an index of size, diversity, and complexity and described by five management factors: managerial style, organizational structure, extent of formal systems, major strategic goals, and the owner's involvement in the business. In addition, this research identifies eight factors prominent in determining firm success or failure. They include: financial, personnel, systems and business resources and the owner's goals for him/herself, operational abilities in doing important jobs, managerial ability and willingness to delegate, and strategic ability for looking to the future. Knowing which development stage the firm is in will help managers, consultants, and investors make more informed choices and prepare the company for later challenges. (SFL)
Chapter
My starting point is this: a player brings capital to the competitive arena and walks away with profit determined by the rate of return where the capital was invested. The market-production equation predicts profit: invested capital, multiplied by the going rate of return, equals the profit to be expected from the investment. Investments create an ability to produce a competitive product. For example, capital is invested to build and operate a factory Rate of return is an opportunity to profit from the investment.
Chapter
The field of strategic management, like other social science disciplines, is organized around a central research question. That question is: "Why do some firms persistently outperform others?" This question does not presume that there will always be persistent performance differences between firms. Rather, it presumes only that it may be the case that, in some situations, persistent performance differences will exist between firms, and that those differences cannot be explained by traditional economic theories of firm performance. These traditional economic theories suggest, in general, that performance differences between firms should be unusual, will almost certainly not be persistent, and if they exist, are most likely a manifestation of anti-competitive collusive or monopolistic actions on the part of firms.
Article
- This paper describes the process of inducting theory using case studies from specifying the research questions to reaching closure. Some features of the process, such as problem definition and construct validation, are similar to hypothesis-testing research. Others, such as within-case analysis and replication logic, are unique to the inductive, case-oriented process. Overall, the process described here is highly iterative and tightly linked to data. This research approach is especially appropriate in new topic areas. The resultant theory is often novel, testable, and empirically valid. Finally, framebreaking insights, the tests of good theory (e.g., parsimony, logical coherence), and convincing grounding in the evidence are the key criteria for evaluating this type of research.
Article
Over the years much has been written about the organization life cycle, yet there has been remarkably little attention given to the underlying construct of a life-cycle stage. It is proposed in this study that each life-cycle stage consists of a unique configuration of variables related to organization context and structure. Cluster analysis is used to derive a taxonomy of growth stage configurations in a sample of 126 high-technology organizations. The derived configurations suggest a sequence of four growth stages.
Article
Understanding sources of sustained competitive advantage has become a major area of research in strategic management. Building on the assumptions that strategic resources are heterogeneously distributed across firms and that these differences are stable over time, this article examines the link between firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Four empirical indicators of the potential of firm resources to generate sustained competitive advantage-value, rareness, imitability, and substitutability are discussed. The model is applied by analyzing the potential of several firm resources for generating sustained competitive advantages. The article concludes by examining implications of this firm resource model of sustained competitive advantage for other business disciplines.
Article
Recruiting new employees is one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses, and a key component of organizational success. Unfortunately, existing human resource literature has almost entirely focused on medium and large firms. In addition, past recruitment research has neglected the possible influence of institutional forces on organizational recruitment success. This paper attempts to address these potential gaps in the literature by utilizing institutional theory to develop a strategic model of small business recruitment.
Article
This paper investigates how the interorganizational networks of young companies affect their ability to acquire the resources necessary for survival and growth. We propose that, faced with great uncertainty about the quality of young companies, third parties rely on the prominence of the affiliates of those companies to make judgments about their quality and that young companies "endorsed" by prominent exchange partners will perform better than otherwise comparable ventures that lack prominent associates. Results of an empirical examination of the rate of initial public offering (IPO) and the market capitalization at IPO of the members of a large sample of venture-capital-backed biotechnology firms show that privately held biotech firms with prominent strategic alliance partners and organizational equity investors go to IPO faster and earn greater valuations at IPO than firms that lack such connections. We also empirically demonstrate that much of the benefit of having prominent affiliates stems from the transfer of status that is an inherent byproduct of interorganizational associations.•.
Article
Recruiting influences employees’ motivation, performance, and retention. Because an organization’s talent influences its capabilities, strategic execution, and competitive advantage, recruiting is a foundation of organizational performance. Strategic recruitment refers to recruitment practices that are connected across levels of analysis and aligned with the goals, strategies, context, and characteristics of the organization. It differs from traditional recruitment perspectives by explicitly connecting firm strategy and context to recruitment practices and activities within that firm. Strategic recruitment lies at the nexus of four important topics: resource-based theory, strategic human resource management, human capital, and levels of analysis. In this review, we first define strategic recruitment and explain its importance. Next, we briefly review why strategic recruitment is a critical yet underexplored area of research despite decades of research on strategic human resource management in general and recruitment in particular. Finally, we introduce a model that advances our understanding of strategic recruitment. We introduce two new concepts, horizontal strategic recruitment and vertical strategic recruitment, which connect to the ideas of horizontal and vertical alignment in the strategic human resource management literature but focus explicitly on the notion of strategic recruitment. This model highlights a variety of opportunities for future recruitment research relevant to resource-based theory, strategic human resource management, human capital, and levels of analysis.
Article
I explore the effects of organizational size and age on failure rates among New York life insurance companies between 1813 and 1985. Theorists tend to agree that organizational growth and aging processes increase organizational inertia, but they disagree on the effect of that inertia on failure rates. I find that organizational size affects failure rates nonmonotonically, but over the actual range of sizes, large size almost always lowers failure rates. I also find a strong liability of aging; this runs counter to ecological theories of liabilities of newness and adolescence. An empirical test of the relative effects of age during periods of environmental turbulence and calm indicates that organizational inertia is especially problematic during turbulent times. This suggests that the liability of aging occurs more through obsolescence than senescence, at least in the population of insurance companies I investigate.
Article
I present argument and evidence for a structural ecology of social capital that describes how the value of social capital to an individual is contingent on the number of people doing the same work. The information and control benefits of bridging the structural holes-or, disconnections between nonredundant contacts in a network-that constitute social capital are especially valuable to managers with few peers. Such managers do not have the guiding frame of reference for behavior provided by numerous competitors, and the work they do does not have the legitimacy provided by numerous people doing the same kind of work. I use network and performance data on a probability sample of senior managers to show how the value of social capital, high on average for the managers, varies as a power function of the number of people doing the same work.
Article
This paper is based on a study which investigates the relevance of management competencies in Austrian organizations, focusing on start-ups. The study as well as the existing literature confirms that personal competencies such as ambition, selfconfidence or assertiveness are perceived as more important by start-ups than by established companies. However, further results of the paper show that especially leadership competencies play a major role in developing a growing start-up whereas personal competencies fade into the background and can even have a negative impact on turnover growth. In general, the paper discusses special characteristics of competence classes for start-ups and examines differences and similarities in comparison to established companies. As it has already been indicated, the evidence leads to different and surprising considerations for entrepreneurs and growing start-ups.
Article
This article argues that a common organizational practice - the hiring of new workers via employee referrals - provides key insights into the nation of social capital. Employers who use such hiring methods are quintessential "social capitalists," viewing workers' social connections as resources in which they can invest in order to gain economic returns in the form of better hiring outcomes. Identified are three ways through which such returns might be realized: the "richer pool," the "better match," and the "social enrichment" mechanisms. Using unique company data on the dollar costs of screening, hiring, and training, this article finds that the firm's investment in the social capital of its employees yields significant economic returns.
Article
Using unique data from a large retail bank, we investigate the theoretical mechanisms by which preexisting social ties affect the hiring process. By focusing on a single, large employer, we are able to identify the recruitment practices and hiring criteria used during screening for entry-level positions. This method allows us to assemble data for the pool of candidates at multiple phases of the hiring process and to conduct empirical tests of the various roles that personal contacts might play at each stage. Because we are able to treat hiring as a process, rather than as an event, we can also consider the possible selection biases introduced by the multistage screening process. More specifically, we study how employee referral (i.e., being recommended by a current bank employee) affects an applicant's success at multiple stages of the recruitment process, and we examine the cumulative effects of referral status on the chance of being offered a job. Results of probit models indicate that, controlling for other factors, referrals have advantages at both the interview and job-offer stages compared to external nonreferral applicants. Consistent with theoretical arguments that referrals are prescreened by current employees, our results show that referral applicants present more appropriate résumés than do nonreferral applicants. Referral applicants also are more likely than nonreferrals to apply when market conditions are more favorable. Nevertheless, résumé quality and application timing cannot explain referrals' advantage at the interview and hire phases. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings.
Article
The general topic of this chapter is the relation of the society outside organizations to the internal life of organizations. Part of the specific topics have to do with the effect of society on organizations, and part of them concern the effects of organizational variables on the surrounding social environment. I intend to interpret the term “social structure” in the title in a very general sense, to include groups, institutions, laws, population characteristics, and sets of social relations that form the environment of the organization. That is, I interpret “social structure” to mean any variables which are stable characteristics of the society outside the organization. By an “organization” I mean a set of stable social relations deliberately created, with the explicit intention of continuously accomplishing some specific goals or purposes. These goals or purposes are generally functions performed for some larger structure. For example, armies have the goal of winning possible military engagements. The fulfillment of this goal is a function performed for the larger political structure, which has functional requirements of defense and conquest. I exclude from organizations many types of groups which have multiple purposes (or which perform multiple functions for larger systems, whether these are anyone's purposes or not), such as families, geographical communities, ethnic groups, or total societies. 1 also exclude social arrangements built up on the spur of the moment to achieve some specific short-run purpose. For instance, I will not consider a campaign committee for some political candidate as an “organization,” although a political party would definitely meet the criterion of continuous functioning and relatively specific purposes.
Article
Despite the advantages of the case study method, its reliability and validity remain in doubt. Tests to establish the validity and reliability of qualitative data are important to determine the stability and quality of the data obtained. However, there is no single, coherent set of validity and reliability tests for each research phase in case study research available in the literature. This article presents an argument for the case study method in marketing research, examining various criteria for judging the quality of the method and highlighting various techniques, which can be addressed to achieve objectivity, and rigorous and relevant information for planning to marketing actions. The purpose of this article is to invite further research by discussing the use of various scientific techniques for establishing the validity and reliability in case study research. The article provides guidelines for achieving high validity and reliability for each phase in case study research.
Article
Based on social network theory, this article investigates the distribution of networking roles and responsibilities in entrepreneurial founding teams. Its focus is on the team as a collection of individuals, thus allowing the research to address differences in networking patterns. It summarizes the results of two rounds of in-depth interviews carried out in 24 Danish new technology-based ventures over a period of two years and analyses the distribution of networking activity among founding team members. The article identifies six central networking activities and shows that not all founding team members are equally active ‘networkers’. The analyses identify that team members prioritize different networking activities and that one member in particular has extensive networking activities whereas other members of the team are more limited in their networking, while some even reject the notion of networking as a useful activity.
Chapter
Note: OCR errors may be found in this Reference List extracted from the full text article. ACM has opted to expose the complete List rather than only correct and linked references.
Article
I present argument and evidence for a structural ecology of social capital that describes how the value of social capital to an individual is contingent on the number of people doing the same work. The information and control benefits of bridging the structural holes - or, disconnections between nonredundant contacts in a network -that constitute social capital are especially valuable to managers with few peers. Such managers do not have the guiding frame of reference for behavior provided by numerous competitors, and the work they do does not have the legitimacy provided by numerous people doing the same kind of work. I use network and performance data on a probability sample of senior managers to show how the value of social capital, high on average for the managers, varies as a power function of the number of people doing the same work.
Article
The study investigated the methods used by small businesses to select people under the age of 20. While over 88 per cent of all businesses employ fewer than 25 people (about a third of the total workforce), very little is known about how they recruit and select their staff. A national sample of 498 small businesses, employing a total of 5612 people, were interviewed by a team of about 50 interviewers. A structured face-to-face interview was used to explore each organization's most recent selection of one or more young people. The recruitment and selection procedures they followed and techniques they used were probed in detail. Data were analysed in terms of general trends and differences relating to four main variables: size of business; geographical location; industry sector; and type of occupation. The results raise questions about ‘good’ and ‘fair’ practice and are discussed in terms of difference in selection practice between small and larger businesses. The selection and recruitment procedures used by small businesses, especially those employing 10 or fewer people, differ markedly from those of large organizations, being far more informal and unstructured. Among the major findings was a strong emphasis by employers on the importance of personality characteristics—such as honesty and integrity—and of interest in the job. All were rated as far more important than ability, aptitude or attainment.
Article
Authors Amanda Coffey and Paul Atkinson underscore the diversity of approaches at the disposal of the qualitative researcher by using a single data set—doctoral students and faculty members in social anthropology—that they analyze using a number of techniques. [This book] is not intended as a comprehensive cookbook of methods: It describes and illustrates a number of key, complementary approaches to qualitative data and offers practical advice on the many ways to analyze data, which the reader is encouraged to explore and enjoy. [It is a] resource [for] students and professionals in qualitative and research methods, sociology, anthropology, communication, management, and education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Emerging firms are the foundation for economic growth in today's business world. Yet relatively little is known about the factors that contribute to the success or failure of developing organizations. This research study addresses this broad question by examining the role that high performance work systems (HPWS) play in the performance of high-tech new ventures. Using the resource-based and dynamic capability perspectives, this research project examines the links between HPWS and firm performance. Results indicate that HPWS utilization is positively associated with sales growth and innovation; however, a hypothesized mediating role for employee voluntary turn over was not supported. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Article
Directors of college recruiting for Fortune 1000 corporations were surveyed regarding a broad set of college recruiting practices and college recruiting effectiveness measures. Descriptive results suggested that most college recruiting programs diverge from normative prescriptions (e.g., little recruiter training, limited data collection, and almost no empirical evaluation of recruiting outcomes). Stepwise regression revealed several statistically significant relationships between organizational characteristics, recruiting practices, and perceived recruiting effectiveness. Some of these findings were consistent with conventional wisdom (e.g., positive relationships between perceived effectiveness and recruiter information, recruiter selection criteria, and recorded information about new hires) while others were not (e.g., negative associations between perceived effectiveness, personalization of rejection notices, training recruiters in a broad range of content areas, and the existence of a human resource information system). Methodological limitations are noted, and suggestions are offered for future practical recruitment improvements and theoretical research.
Article
Small firms employ half the U.S. private sector workforce, yet recruitment research has traditionally focused on large firms. The present study attempts to advance knowledge on how recruitment practices vary with firm size. Results suggest that the recruitment practices of larger firms are generally more formal and bureaucratic than those of smaller firms. In addition, the study demonstrates that many job seekers have distinct preferences regarding firm size, and that preferred firm size is related to job search behavior. Taken together, these findings suggest that firm size is an overlooked and important aspect of the recruitment/job search context. The processes involved in matching employers and applicants differ so much as a function of firm size that one might argue that large and small firms comprise separate labor markets.
Article
Entrepreneurial firms face significant challenges in attracting and acquiring needed human resources. That is, in addition to difficulties associated with resource constraints and organization legitimacy, the requirements for “person-organization fit” change substantially as these firms transit from start-up to growth phase. This study examines how entrepreneurial firms tap evolving social network ties in order to address “needs-and-fits” issues across different developmental stages of the firm. The findings go beyond what “strength of weak ties” and “structural hole” theories would suggest, and highlight the persistent use of strong and direct ties across developmental phases. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Article
There exists a variety of ways of working at entrepreneurship, some of which offer more promise of success than others. This text suggests patterns for organizing the existing entrepreneurial examples in order to help potential entrepreneurs see what options are available to them. The analyses present data concerning both success and non-success, as well as conceptual schemes for analyzing and for developing entrepreneurial action, in order to offer strategies for business entry, whether by startup or acquisition. Often used as a textbook, this work is also cited in the research literature, in part because of its synthesis of prior research. Organizes the prior research into a framework that includes the following components: Perspectives on Entrepreneurship (which points out eight different types of entrepreneurs); Success and Failure Factors; Career Departure Points (the different points in life at which individuals start ventures); Sequences in Startups; Sources of Venture Ideas; Evaluating Venture Ideas; Competitive Entry Wedges (advantages that new firms use to break into a market); Acquisition Finding and Dealing; Corporate Entrepreneurship; and Public Policies. Categorizes entrepreneurs into eight different types: solo self-employed individuals (including Mom 'n' Pop operators, trades people, and high-hourly-rate professionals); deal-to-dealers (serial and portfolio entrepreneurs); team builders (whose who go on to build larger companies using hiring and delegation) ; independent innovators (who create companies in order to develop, produce, and sell their own innovations and inventions); pattern multipliers (those who spot an effective business plan, possibly originated by someone else, and multiply it to realize profits on additional such ventures); economy-of-scale exploiters (who locate in lower rent and tax areas and reduce services in order to reduce prices, which makes it more difficult for competitors to enter), capital aggregators (who initiate such ventures as banks or insurance companies by pulling together a substantial financial stake); and acquirers (who acquire a going concern). The analysis of success and failure concludes that performance depends on a number of factors such as: the right time and place, education and experience, working with partners, starting with greater capital, and applying better management practices. While many sequences are possible for creating new ventures, generally five key elements must be recruited by the entrepreneur in order to start: the venture idea, physical resources, technical know-how in the particular line of work, personal contacts critical to the business, and sales orders from customers. The venture idea is one of the most difficult ones to acquire and most important, because if it is good, it facilitates the acquisition of the remaining ones. The analysis of sources of venture ideas offers eight suggestions that can increase the odds of discovering a good idea by taking action, rather than passively waiting for fortunate coincidence. Four sets of factors primarily determine why entrepreneurs choose some ventures rather than others: head start factors, apparent feasibility, cost factors, and payoff potential of the business. Key questions include how much can be made, how much can be lost, and how likely breakeven can be attained. There are general types of advantages most new companies use to break into the stream of established commerce. The study presents three main economic entry wedges: introduction of a new product of service, parallel competition not involving anything really new but employing lesser differentiation, and franchise entry. Eleven more entry wedges can be regarded to some extent as variants of the main wedges presented. These wedges can be grouped into four categories: exploiting partial momentum, customer sponsorship, parent company sponsorship
Article
Reviews the major theoretical constructs devised for explaining the source of dynamic entrepreneurial performance in developing countries. Discusses the roles in terms of theories of entrepreneurial supply, which are constructed from either psychological or sociological elements. Provides a comparative evaluation of theoretical formulations in terms of the variables employed and the methodological approaches used. Evaluated are four psychological theories (of Joseph Schumpeter, David McClelland, Everett Hagen, and John Kunkel) and three sociological theories (of Max Weber, Thomas Cochran, and Frank Young). Sets out what each author regards as the defining qualities of the entrepreneur and the non-economic variables that control his appearance (supply), as well as the role played by social groups and the means by which individuals are directed into business pursuits. Theories may explain entrepreneurial supply in terms of need for achievement, of deviant or supernormal individuals, as representing society's modal personality, of society's incorporation of reactive subgroups, or as result of surrounding social structures. Critically evaluates the theories and discusses the entrepreneurial bottlenecks in developing countries. The mechanism by which persons with high need for achievement are directed into entrepreneurial careers is explained. Concludes that none of the psychological or sociological entrepreneurship theories achieves an acceptable level of empirical verification or can be rejected as demonstrably false. Almost all face a problem in explaining change in entrepreneurial performance: is it due to change in supply of entrepreneurial effort or improvement in economic environment (demand)? Concludes with a new model of entrepreneurial performance drawing on evidence contained in existing empirical studies of business performance in developing countries. In this model one exogenous fact is assumed: the psychological drive to maximize income. This reduces the entrepreneurial role to decision-making under uncertainty. Rejecting a binary conception that there is a presence or absence of the entrepreneur, proposes considering the 13 tasks and activities (rather than personal attributes), grouped as exchange relationships, political administration, management control, and technology. The social structure that supports and is enmeshed with traditional technology is explored. Evidence shows managerial and technological shortcomings are continuing impediments to entrepreneurial development rooted in the sociological variables on the supply side. Factors can be related to the status system, social structure, problems of role discontinuity and role incongruency. Concludes that various activities required of the industrial entrepreneur are hindered or reinforced by prior technological traditions and social structure factors. In modernizing economies, the crucial inputs are achieving and maintaining efficient production. (TNM)