This study explores patterns of human resource management (HRM) practices across market economies, and between indigenous firms and foreign MNE subsidiary operations, offering a novel perspective on convergence and divergence. Applying institutional theorizing to improve our understanding of convergence/ divergence as a process and an outcome, data collected from nine countries at three points in time over a decade confirm that convergence and divergence occur to different extents in a non-linear fashion, and vary depending on the area of HRM practice observed. Patterns of adoption and convergence/ divergence are explained through the effect of institutional constraints, which vary between liberal and coordinated market economies, and between indigenous firms and foreign MNE subsidiaries. The study contributes a more graded conceptualization of convergence/ divergence, which reflects the complex dynamic reality of international business.

The aim of this paper is to trace and explain variations in calculative and collaborative human resource management (HRM) practices between companies and across national borders. Variations and similarities are explained in terms of the convergence and divergence of HRM practices determined by national institutions, and the increasing influence of multinational companies (MNCs). We explore the diffusion of HRM practices in Europe over time, using data sets from two surveys conducted in several European countries in 1995 and 2000. We use institutional explanations for the development of three selected bundles of HRM practices: individual, calculative performanceoriented practices; collective incentive schemes for the alignment of interests; and collaborative practices that seek to enhance the commitment of employees. We found substantial effects of country-specific institutions and of the country of origin of MNCs, which clearly support the institutional duality thesis. Foreignowned MNCs, especially those that are US-based, appear to moderate countryspecific institutional effects on the diffusion of the three HRM bundles.

An important challenge facing firms and governments is the realization of sustainable development objectives. Sustainable technology, as an effective means to achieve sustainable development, has recently gained much interest from both society and academia. Prior research has investigated the effects of several factors on the adoption of sustainable technologies and provides a basic understanding of firms' sustainable technology adoption behaviours. However, the results of this research are scattered across different disciplines, making that knowledge on sustainable technology adoption fragmented. In this systematic literature review, Elsevier and Web of Science were used as databases to search articles in the field of sustainable process technology adoption. Based on criteria, i.e., document type, languages, definition of adoption and sustainable technology and analysis level, 34 out of 964 articles were selected in the review. A qualitative synthesis method was chosen because the aim of this study is to understand and explain the effect of a specific factor as well as to explain the often-contradictory evidence in different contexts, focusing on not only the convergence but also the divergence in prior studies. Based on the typology from United Nations Environmental Program of sustainable technologies, a classification of sustainable process technologies is provided: CO 2 /emission reduction, material/fuel substitution, energy/material efficiency and recycling technologies. Environmental regulations and firm characteristics are most widely studied factors influencing sustainable process technology adoption. Coercive pressure, market pressure, technology capability, internal support, adoption experience, certified systems, and cooperation are important for sustainable process technology adoption. Firm characteristics (e.g. firm size, ownership) and technology types (e.g. end-of-pipe technology vs. cleaner technology) are

This study investigates how nation-level cultural values ('individualism' and 'collectivism') and intra-organizational task control mechanisms influence the level of organizations' use of formal telework practices. Employing a multi-level analysis on survey data (2009/10), including 1577 organizations within 18 nations, we found that 'high use of formal telework practices in organizations' was more likely when:(1) organizations operated in nations characterized by strong national values; and when they employed (2) 'hard' indirect controls (i.e. individual performance-related pay and 360º performance-evaluations). High telework use was less likely when organizations employed direct controls (i.e. higher proportions of managers) and 'soft' indirect controls (i.e. higher proportions of professionals). 'Low use of formal telework practices' was more likely when organizations employed 'soft' indirect controls. Our findings suggest that national cultural values can function as 'soft' indirect controls to mitigate the 'telework risk' of high levels of telework practices. Internal 'soft' task controls only sufficed for managing low levels of telework practices. We discuss the smart and dark sides of telework and how these relate to the management of telework practice. Implications for future telework research and practices are discussed.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose an “extended conceptualization of the business case” including both organizational characteristics and institutional conditions to analyse employer involvement in extra statutory childcare and leave arrangements. Special attention is given to Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.Design/methodology/approachThe (multi‐level) multinomial regression analyses included company‐level data on human‐resource practices of 2,865 firms nested in 19 countries, representing all European welfare state regimes.FindingsThe extended business case appeared fruitful in order to explain variations in employer involvement. Particularly, state support was found to be negatively related to employer involvement. In the liberal regime, employer involvement was high, but variations across organizations were significant. In CEE‐countries, employer involvement was lowest, and did not vary by organizational business‐case factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper used data from a cross‐sectional survey. To capture the long‐term trends, dynamics and nuances in employer involvement within and across various institutional contexts, a longitudinal in depth study is needed.Practical implicationsWhile state support in many CEE countries is declining, the analyses showed that employers will not automatically step in by providing additional work‐family arrangements. Social partners could use institutional pressure to stimulate a balance between state support and employer involvement.Originality/valueThe extended business‐case perspective contributes to the theory on the institutional embeddedness of decision making of employers. Moreover, it adds to the knowledge on employer involvement in institutional contexts which have hardly been studied before.

This study seeks to explain the differential effects of workforce flexibility on incremental and major new product development (NPD). Drawing on the resource-based theory of the firm, human resource management research, and innovation management literature, the authors distinguish two types of workforce flexibility, functional and numerical, and hypothesize differential effects on NPD outcomes. A large-scale sample of 284 Dutch firms across various manufacturing goods and business services industries serves to test these hypotheses. The results suggest that functional flexibility positively influences incremental NPD only, internal numerical flexibility negatively influences incremental NPD only, and external numerical flexibility positively influences major NPD only. Thus, differences between major and incremental NPD are grounded in the human resource flexibility of the firm. This complements research that found that such differences lie in critical development activities, learning processes, and capabilities. It also complements product innovation research on flexibility in NPD processes and on flexibility in organizational structures and routines. It extends the resource-based theory of the firm suggesting that human resource flexibility is part of the dynamic capabilities that allow firms to reconfigure existing competencies. The conclusions imply that managers of manufacturing and service firms may use training and education and create a functional flexible workforce that can progressively enhance incremental NPD outcomes. They may want to avoid paying overtime, because such internal numerical flexibility hampers incremental NPD, but use fixed-term contracts to expand external numerical flexibility to enhance major NPD. data set, created by M.A.M. de Voogd over the data collection period of April 2005-May 2006. We are grateful to Lucinde Klop for her great contribution to the precursor to this research. We thank Erik Poutsma, Bas Hillebrand, Hans Lekkerkerk, and the researchers of the Institute for Technology and Management (Technical University Berlin) for their valuable comments on a previous version of this paper. J PROD INNOV MANAG 2014;31(S1):30-42

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Nurses' tacit and explicit knowledge needs to be systematically distinguished when implementing HIT/KM programs to increase work engagement in the workplace. Tacit knowledge (insight into work processes) appears to be pivotal, whereas efforts aimed only at improving available information will not lead to a higher level of work engagement in nurses' work environments.