HRM in SMEs Under Turbulence: An Employee-Centric Perspective

Margarita Nyfoudi

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-34279-0_8

HRM in SMEs Under Turbulence: An Employee-Centric Perspective

Margarita Nyfoudi^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Management

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

SMEs increasingly operate within a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) context, often turning to their employees as a source of flexibility and extra-role performance. Yet, turbulence may shake the survival of the firm and lead to cost-cutting employee practices. As a result, during times of crisis, employees may deviate from exhibiting ‘expected’ behaviours concomitant of a family-oriented SME environment. The aim of the chapter is to examine how turbulence may influence employee experience of work and, in particular, the role of HR practices in shaping employee’s conceptualisation of the crisis. In contrast to previous work that has focused more on espoused processes reported by SME owner-managers, the chapter adopts an employee-centric perspective and pays attention to implemented HR processes as experienced by SME employees. In progressing understanding, the chapter draws upon a novel application of ‘Coleman’s boat’ advocating multi-level research approaches.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Reframing HRM in SMEs
Subtitle of host publication	Challenges and Dynamics
Editors	Ciara Nolan, Brian Harney
Place of Publication	Cham, Switzerland
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Chapter	8
Pages	183-203
Number of pages	21
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	9783031342790
ISBN (Print)	9783031342783, 9783031342813
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34279-0_8
Publication status	Published - 2 Feb 2024

Keywords

SMEs
HR practices
Work experience
Turbulence
Crisis
Employees

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-34279-0_8Licence: None: All rights reserved

4 Article

Conceptualising the nexus between macro‐level ‘turbulence’ and the worker experience
Prouska, R., Chatrakul Na Ayudhya, U., Beauregard, A., Psychogios, A. & Nyfoudi, M., 11 Aug 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Human Resource Management Journal.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
22 Downloads (Pure)
Solidarity in action at a time of crisis: the role of employee voice in relation to communication and horizontal solidarity behaviour
Prouska, R., Nyfoudi, M., Psychogios, A., Szamosi, L. T. & Wilkinson, A., 13 Feb 2022, (E-pub ahead of print) In: British Journal of Management.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
48 Downloads (Pure)
Tell it like it is in SME teams: adverse working conditions, citizenship behaviour, and the role of team information sharing in a turbulent economy
Nyfoudi, M., Theodorakopoulos, N., Psychogios, A. & Dysvik, A., 10 Jun 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Economic and Industrial Democracy.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
1 Citation (Scopus)

208 Downloads (Pure)
Many hands lighter work? deciphering the relationship between adverse working conditions and organization citizenship behaviours in small and medium‐sized enterprises during a severe economic crisis
Psychogios, A., Nyfoudi, M., Theodorakopoulos, N., Szamosi, L. T. & Prouska, R., Jul 2019, In: British Journal of Management. 30, 3, p. 519-537
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
9 Citations (Scopus)

195 Downloads (Pure)

Cite this

@inbook{f3eb99507d284ca8b35fc6f2fccf5731,

title = "HRM in SMEs Under Turbulence: An Employee-Centric Perspective",

abstract = "SMEs increasingly operate within a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) context, often turning to their employees as a source of flexibility and extra-role performance. Yet, turbulence may shake the survival of the firm and lead to cost-cutting employee practices. As a result, during times of crisis, employees may deviate from exhibiting {\textquoteleft}expected{\textquoteright} behaviours concomitant of a family-oriented SME environment. The aim of the chapter is to examine how turbulence may influence employee experience of work and, in particular, the role of HR practices in shaping employee{\textquoteright}s conceptualisation of the crisis. In contrast to previous work that has focused more on espoused processes reported by SME owner-managers, the chapter adopts an employee-centric perspective and pays attention to implemented HR processes as experienced by SME employees. In progressing understanding, the chapter draws upon a novel application of {\textquoteleft}Coleman{\textquoteright}s boat{\textquoteright} advocating multi-level research approaches.",

keywords = "SMEs, HR practices, Work experience, Turbulence, Crisis, Employees",

author = "Margarita Nyfoudi",

year = "2024",

month = feb,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-34279-0_8",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783031342783",

pages = "183--203",

editor = "Ciara Nolan and Brian Harney",

booktitle = "Reframing HRM in SMEs",

publisher = "Palgrave Macmillan",

edition = "1",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - HRM in SMEs Under Turbulence

T2 - An Employee-Centric Perspective

AU - Nyfoudi, Margarita

PY - 2024/2/2

Y1 - 2024/2/2

N2 - SMEs increasingly operate within a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) context, often turning to their employees as a source of flexibility and extra-role performance. Yet, turbulence may shake the survival of the firm and lead to cost-cutting employee practices. As a result, during times of crisis, employees may deviate from exhibiting ‘expected’ behaviours concomitant of a family-oriented SME environment. The aim of the chapter is to examine how turbulence may influence employee experience of work and, in particular, the role of HR practices in shaping employee’s conceptualisation of the crisis. In contrast to previous work that has focused more on espoused processes reported by SME owner-managers, the chapter adopts an employee-centric perspective and pays attention to implemented HR processes as experienced by SME employees. In progressing understanding, the chapter draws upon a novel application of ‘Coleman’s boat’ advocating multi-level research approaches.

AB - SMEs increasingly operate within a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) context, often turning to their employees as a source of flexibility and extra-role performance. Yet, turbulence may shake the survival of the firm and lead to cost-cutting employee practices. As a result, during times of crisis, employees may deviate from exhibiting ‘expected’ behaviours concomitant of a family-oriented SME environment. The aim of the chapter is to examine how turbulence may influence employee experience of work and, in particular, the role of HR practices in shaping employee’s conceptualisation of the crisis. In contrast to previous work that has focused more on espoused processes reported by SME owner-managers, the chapter adopts an employee-centric perspective and pays attention to implemented HR processes as experienced by SME employees. In progressing understanding, the chapter draws upon a novel application of ‘Coleman’s boat’ advocating multi-level research approaches.

KW - SMEs

KW - HR practices

KW - Work experience

KW - Turbulence

KW - Crisis

KW - Employees

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-34279-0_8

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-34279-0_8

M3 - Chapter (peer-reviewed)

SN - 9783031342783

SN - 9783031342813

SP - 183

EP - 203

BT - Reframing HRM in SMEs

A2 - Nolan, Ciara

A2 - Harney, Brian

PB - Palgrave Macmillan

CY - Cham, Switzerland

ER -

HRM in SMEs Under Turbulence: An Employee-Centric Perspective

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Conceptualising the nexus between macro‐level ‘turbulence’ and the worker experience

Solidarity in action at a time of crisis: the role of employee voice in relation to communication and horizontal solidarity behaviour

Tell it like it is in SME teams: adverse working conditions, citizenship behaviour, and the role of team information sharing in a turbulent economy

Many hands lighter work? deciphering the relationship between adverse working conditions and organization citizenship behaviours in small and medium‐sized enterprises during a severe economic crisis

Cite this