HRM reforms and job-related well-being of academics

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of human resource management (HRM) reforms on job-related well-being of academics in Chinese universities. It also tests the mediating effect of work intensification (WI) and affective commitment (AC), and the moderating effect of perceived organizational justice (OJ) on the HRM‒well-being relationship to understand the influence mechanisms and boundary conditions. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was conducted in 25 Chinese universities, obtaining 638 usable questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as the analytical technique to examine the model fit and test hypotheses. Findings The findings reveal that the relationship of HRM and well-being is neither direct nor unconditional, and a win‒win scenario for both management and employee well-being is possible when organizations pursue HRM innovations. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study are that data were collected at once and at a defined time, with no time lag being involved. In addition, all variables were self-reported. Practical implications Commitment-oriented HRM practices can create a win‒win scenario; when control-oriented HRM practices are necessary, managers should ensure OJ to offset their negative influence on employees. Originality/value This study is among the first to examine the impact of HRM on employee well-being in the context of Chinese higher education, contributing to the limited studies on HRM in Chinese public sector and the on-going debate on the nature of HRM in China.

How work–life conflict affects employee outcomes of Chinese only-children academics: the moderating roles of gender and family structure

“…While actively engaging in professional work reinforces women's career identity, evidence in the present study indicates that female only-children's career development may increasingly rely on their acceptance of WLC as a prerequisite. This is particularly so in a substantially reformed HE system that requires long working hours as a prerequisite to career success (Lai et al , 2016; Xia et al , 2019).…”

“…While WLC in the West may be perceived as a failure to care for an individual's significant others, within Chinese work ethics and recent competition in the labour market, Chinese employees tend to accept WLC as a fact of life and link it to their career expectations (Cooke and Xiao, 2014). The commitment-oriented HRM model adopted by Chinese universities and HE reform mean Chinese academics may see WLC as a prerequisite or “investment in the profession” for achieving good performance and being positively related to career outcomes (Ren and Caudle, 2016; Xia et al , 2019). Moreover, Coso Strong and Sekayi (2018) found that doctoral students are typically trained to deal with conflicting demands and intense struggles throughout the course of their studies.…”

“…Academics generally have more flexibility and control over their time to manage their professional and personal lives than many workers. Alongside this, they are also known for having constant work demands and working long hours, which may accentuate WLC (Ren and Caudle, 2016; Xia et al , 2019). Unlike other high-skilled worker groups (e.g.…”

HRM reforms and job-related well-being: the mediating effect of work intensification and affective commitment and the moderating effect of perceived organizational justice

“…Carrying out studies that view an organization as having a pure HRM model through one of these perspectives has led to mixed findings. Xia et al (2019) assume that in reality organizations, including Chinese universities, adopt a hybrid style HRM using commitment-oriented practices to maximize the interest of both parties alongside control mechanisms to prevent rogue behavior and manage conflicts and examine the influence of both on job-related well-being.…”

“…The review is based on “HRM reforms and job-related well-being of academics”, by Xia et al (2019), published in Personnel Review. The purpose of this study is to examine how HRM influences the well-being of academics.…”