Abstract
In the field of international human resource management (HRM), most research has focused on the formal-institutional drivers of HRM practices during times of stability. However, little research has been conducted on how broader social forces that intersect with formal institutional drivers may constrain or enable HRM interventions in terms of their acceptance, implementation, and evaluation in more turbulent conditions. This study explored how two subsidiaries of a multinational hotel in Nigeria applied a localised adaptation of HRM practices to curb the negative effects of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on its employees. We drew on neo-institutional theory focusing on employees’ lived experiences as influenced by HRM processes, as well as the outcomes situated in and influenced by other informal-institutional and wider social forces—with a focus on broader cultural rules and beliefs. Our findings suggest that addressing the adverse effects of turbulent conditions imposed by macro-level factors at the micro-level, while still managing a diverse workforce, requires organisations to move away from standardised mainstream HRM processes to more interactive and integrative (or ‘relational’) practices. We then discuss our findings’ implications for HRM theory, research, and practice in turbulent periods.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | 38th EGOS Colloquium, Vienna 2022 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Sub-theme 16:Organizational Anomalies, New HR Practices and Strategies in Challenging Times |
| Editors | Aizhan Tursunbayeva, Anouck Adrot, Stan Karanasios |
| Publisher | European Group for Organisatuional Studies |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 22 Jun 2022 |