Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Organizational characteristics and HRM policies on rights: Exploring the patterns of connections

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The protection of employee rights in the workplace is one of the fundamental ethical questions facing organizations today. Organizations differ in the extent to which they protect the rights of both employees and themselves as employers, yet little research has examined the types of organizations that have rights protection policies. Instead of the classic normative approach to ethical issues, this study took a contextual approach to the management of rights in the workplace through human resource policies. Associations were found between the organizational characteristics of size, industry, unionization, business condition, and the existence of employee and employer rights policies. Additional analyses revealed underlying dimensions in right policies and the relationship of organizational characteristics to these aspects of rights management were examined. The results are discussed in terms of understanding human resource rights management within an organizational context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baird, L. and I. Meshoulam: 1988, ‘Managing Two Fits of Strategic Human Resource Management’,Academy of Management Review 13, 116–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, T.: 1992, ‘A Preliminary Investigation of the Relationship Between Selected Organizational Characteristics and External Whistleblowing by Employees’,Journal of Business Ethics 11, 949–959.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrett, D. and S. R. Windham: 1984, ‘Hospital Boards and Adaptability to Competitive Environments’,Health Care Management Review 9, 11–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berenbeim, R. E.: 1990,Employee Privacy (Conference Board, Inc., New York, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, D. E. and B. Schneider: 1988, ‘Services Marketing and Management: Implications for Organizational Behavior’, in B. M. Staw, and L. L. Cummings (eds.),Research in Organizational Behavior (JAI Press, Greenwich, CT),1, 43–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brady, F. N.: 1990,Ethical Managing: Rules and Results (Macmillan, New York, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunt, N., T. C. Blum, and P. M. Roman: 1990 (Aug.), ‘Labor Market Characteristics and the Presence of Pre-employment Drug Screening and Employee Assistance Programs’. Paper presented at the meeting of the Academy of Management, San Francisco, CA.

  • Bylinsky, G.: 1991, ‘How Companies Spy on Employees’,Fortune, Nov. 4, 131–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, K. S., R. I. Sutton, and D. A. Whetten (eds.): 1988,Readings in Organizational Decline: Frameworks, Research and Prescriptions (Ballinger Publishing Co., Cambridge, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, K. S., D. A. Whetten, and M. U. Kim: 1987, ‘Organizational Dysfunctions of Decline’,Academy of Management Journal 30, 126–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland, J. N., K. R. Murphy, and R. E. Williams: 1989, ‘Multiple Uses of Performance Appraisal: Prevalence and Correlates’,Journal of Applied Psychology 74, 130–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Aveni, R. A.: 1989, ‘The Aftermath of Organizational Decline: A Longitudinal Study of the Strategic and Managerial Characteristics of Declining Firms’,Academy of Management Journal 32, 577–605.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalton, D. R. and M. B. Metzger: 1993, ‘Integrity Testing for Personnel Selection: An Unsparing Perspective’,Journal of Business Ethics 12, 147–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delaney, J. T.: 1991, ‘Unions and Human Resource Policies’,Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management 9, 39–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delaney, J. T., D. Lewin, and C. Ichniowski: 1989,Human Resource Policies and Practices in American Firms. BLMR 137. (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor-Management Relations and Cooperative Programs, Washington, D.C.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, L.: 1984, ‘Studying Human Resource Strategy: An Approach and an Agenda’,Industrial Relations 23, 156–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewing, D.: 1982, ‘Due Process: Will Business Default?’,Harvard Business Review 60, 114–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewing, D. W.: 1989,Justice on the Job: Resolving Grievances in Nonunion Workplaces (Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, R. B. and J. L. Medoff: 1984,What Do unions Do? (Basic Books, Inc., New York, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritsche, D. J., and H. Becker: 1984, ‘Linking Management Behavior to Ethical Philosophy — An Empirical Investigation’,Academy of Management Journal 27, 166–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorden, W. I., C. M. Anderson, and S. D. Bruning: 1992, ‘Employee Perceptions of Corporate Partnership: An Affective-Moral Quid Pro Quo’,Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 5, 75–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie, J. P. and J. D. Olian: 1991, ‘Does Context Affect Staffing Decisions? The Case of General Managers’,Personnel Psychology 44, 263–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hambrick, D. C.: 1983, ‘Some tests of the effectiveness and functional attributes of Miles and Snow's strategic types’,Academy of Management Journal 26, 5–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirschman, A. O.: 1970,Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S. E., R. S. Schuler, and J. C. Rivero: 1989, ‘Organizational Characteristics as Predictors of Personnel Practices’,Personnel Psychology 42, 727–786.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, W. A.: 1990, ‘Toward an Agenda for Business Ethics Research’,Academy of Management Review 15, 311–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. and C. W. Mueller: 1978,Factor Analysis: Statistical Methods and Practical Issues (Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleiner, M. M. and M. L. Bouillon: 1988, ‘Providing Business Information to Production Workers: Correlates of Compensation and Profitability’,Industrial and Labor Relations Review 41, 605–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kochan, T. A. and T. A. Barocci: 1985,Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations (Little Brown and Company, Boston, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kossek, E. E.: 1989, ‘The Acceptance of Human Resource Innovation by Multiple Constituencies’,Personnel Psychology 42, 263–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lengnick-Hall, C. A. and M. L. Lengnick-Hall: 1988, ‘Strategic Human Resources Management: A Review of the Literature and a Proposed Typology’,Academy of Management Review 13, 454–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles, R. E. and C. C. Snow: 1978,Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process (McGraw-Hill New York, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Munchus, G.: 1989 ‘Testing as a Selection Tool: Another Old and Sticky Managerial Human Rights Issue’,Journal of Business Ethics 8, 817–820.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, V. V. and D. E. Dimick: 1978, ‘Contextual Influences on Personnel Policies and Programs: An Exploratory Model’,Academy of Management Review 3, 750–761.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickens, J. M., A. J. Purga III, and P. P. Noriega: 1980,Research Methods for Needs Assessment (University Press of America, Washington, D.C.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Olian, J. D. an S. L. Rynes: 1984, ‘Organizational Staffing: Integrating Practices With Strategy’,Industrial Relations 23, 170–183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osigweh, C. A. B.: 1988, ‘The Challenge of Responsibilities: Confronting the Revolution in Workplace Rights in Modern Organizations’,Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 1, 5–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osigweh, C. A. B.: 1990a, ‘Toward an Employee Responsibilities and Rights Paradigm’,Human Relations 43, 1277–1309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osigweh, C. A. B.: 1990b, ‘Elements of an Employee Responsibilities and Rights Paradigm’,Journal of Management 16, 835–850.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, M. E.: 1980,Competitive Strategy (The Free Press, New York, NY).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, B. and C. Schwoere: 1990, ‘Balanced Protection Policies’,HR Magazine 35, 59–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rushing, W. A.: 1967, ‘The Effects of Industry Size and Division of Labor on Administration’,Administrative Science Quarterly 12, 273–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rynes, S. L. and A. E. Barber: 1990, ‘Applicant Attraction Strategies: An Organizational Perspective’,Academy of Management Review 15, 286–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, B.: 1985, ‘Organizational Behavior’,Annual Review of Psychology 36, 573–611.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuler, R. S. and S. E. Jackson: 1987, ‘Linking Competitive Strategies with Human Resource Management and Practices’,The Academy of Management Executive 1, 207–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwoerer, C. and B. Rosen: 1989, ‘Effects of Employment-at-Will Policies and Compensation Policies on Corporate Image and Job Pursuit Intentions’,Journal of Applied Psychology 74, 653–656.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. and J. W. Meyer: 1991, ‘The Rise of Training Programs in Firms and Agencies: An Institutional Perspective’,Research in Organizational Behavior 13, 297–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Segev, E.: 1989, ‘A systematic comparative analysis and synthesis of two business-level strategic typologies’,Strategic Management Journal 10, 487–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shortell, S. M. and E. J. Zajac: 1990, ‘Perceptual and Archival Measures of Miles and Snow's Strategic Types: A Comprehensive Assessment of Reliability and Validity’,Academy of Management Journal 33, 817–832.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R.: 1987, ‘Accounting Control Systems and Business Strategy’,Accounting, Organizations, and Society 12, 357–374.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slocum, J. W. Jr., W. L. Cron, R. W. Hansen, and S. Rawlings: 1985, ‘Business Strategy and the Management of Plateaued Employees’,Academy of Management Journal 28, 133–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, E. F. and D. L. Stone: 1990, ‘Privacy in Organizations: Theoretical Issues, Research Findings, and Protection Mechanisms’, in K. Rowland and G. Ferris (eds.)Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management 8, 349–411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stonich, P. J.: 1981, ‘Using Rewards in Implementing Strategy’,Strategic Management Journal 2, 345–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. S. and J. S. Davis: 1989, ‘Individual Privacy and Computer-Based Human Resource Information Systems’,Journal of Business Ethics 8, 569–576.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tichy, N. M., C. J. Fombrum, and M. A. Devanna: 1982, ‘Strategic Human Resource Management’,Sloan Management Review 23, 47–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevino, L. K.: 1986, ‘Ethical Decision Making in Organizations: A Person-Situation Interactionist Model’,Academy of Management Review 11, 601–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, A. S. and G. T. Milkovich: 1987, ‘Personnel Department Activities: Constituency Perspectives and Preferences’,Personnel Psychology 40, 519–538.

    Google Scholar 

  • Victor, B. and J. B. Cullen: 1988, ‘The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates’,Administrative Science Quarterly 33, 101–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whetten, D. A.: 1987, ‘Organizational Growth and Decline Processes’,Annual Review of Sociology 13, 335–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Youngblood, S. and L. Bierman: 1985, ‘Due Process and Employment-at-Will: A Legal and Behavioral Analysis’, in K. Rowland and G. Ferris (eds.),Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management 3, 185–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A. and J. A. Pearce II: 1990, ‘Research Evidence on the Miles-Snow Typology’,Journal of Management 16, 751–768.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zedeck, S. and W. Cascio: 1984, ‘Psychological Issues in Personnel Decisions’,Annual Review of Psychology 35, 461–518.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, The University of Kansas, 66045-2003, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Catherine E. Schwoerer, Douglas R. May & Benson Rosen

Authors
  1. Catherine E. Schwoerer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Douglas R. May
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Benson Rosen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Catherine E. Schwoerer is an Assistant Professor in the School of Business at the University of Kansas. Her research interests include work place rights and responsibilities, training and development, self-efficacy, and aging and work.

Douglas R. May is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at the University of Nebraska. His research interests include social issues management and the impact of the physical environment on employees' attitudes and health.

Benson Rosen is Hanes Professor of Management and Chairman of Management Area at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, The University of North Carolina. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a member of the Academy of Management.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schwoerer, C.E., May, D.R. & Rosen, B. Organizational characteristics and HRM policies on rights: Exploring the patterns of connections. J Bus Ethics 14, 531–549 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00871982

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00871982

Keywords

Search

Navigation