This paper presents a framework for studying the concepts of fit and flexibility in the field of Strategic Human Resource Management (Strategic HRM) focusing on HRM practices, employee skills, and employee behaviors and reviews past conceptual and empirical work within that framework. A model of Strategic HRM is presented and this model is used to explore the concepts of fit and flexibility as they apply to Strategic HRM. The concepts of resource and coordination flexibility are applied to Strategic HRM, and the implications of the framework for both the practice of and research on Strategic HRM are discussed.

Toward a Unifying Framework for Exploring Fit and Flexibility in Strategic Human Resource Management

Using longitudinal data over a 132‐month period collected from 500 employees of the Spanish subsidiary of the German BSHG Corporation, this paper builds upon the growing research on high‐performance work systems (HPWS) to provide a model to predict outcomes of work teams on manufacturing performance. We suggest that this issue is not exclusively dependent on having an HPWS environment. We suggest other contingent factors, such as technology and work organization, history, culture and values; and, at the same time, it is necessary to consider aspects related to attitudinal and behavioral performance.

Raquel Ortega

Papers

A Field Study of Workplace Organization on Company Performance