An Empirical Investigation of HRM Practices of Pakistani-Owned Smes in the UK.

Author(s)

Adeel Ahmed Chacher , Shahid Hussain ,

Download Full PDF Pages: 36-51 | Views: 373 | Downloads: 102 | DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3463016

Volume 4 - November 2015 (11)

Abstract

this article is based on empirical investigation of HRM practices of Pakistani-owned SMEs in the UK. The topic of the research was investigated through literature review and field survey. Keeping in view nature of research topic a semistructured questionnaire comprising a wide range of open-ended and close-ended questions was prepared to undertake field survey. The literature review contributed in making conceptual foundation of the study; whereas, field survey discovered useful primary data about HR concepts and their applications at managerial and operational levels of these companies. The study was mainly focused on recruitment & selection, training & development, rewards management, performance management and employment relations in these companies. It was aimed to explore strategic frameworks of these companies in organizing and managing their HR resources to survive, grow and compete in the UK’s multicultural business environment. The ultimate objective of the research was to discover some empirical facts and figures from the real world of these businesses in the interest of ethnic minority SMEs in general and Pakistani SMEs in particular. The findings of the research contain some valuable information for the students, researchers and practitioners in the field of human resource management. The study sensitizes contemporary researchers to pay some attention on an important but ignored business segment (ethnic minority SMEs) of the UK.

Keywords

 HRM, SMEs; UK; Recruitment; training; rewards; performance; employment relations

References

  1. Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Services (2012) Religion or Belief and the Workplace: A guide for employers and employees [online]. London. Available from: [Accessed 17 September 12]
  2. Altinary, L., Altinary, E. and Gannon, J. (2008) Exploring the relationship between human resource management practices and growth in small service firms. The Service Industries Journal, Vol. 28 NO. 7, PP. 919-37.
  3. Ballot, G., Fakhfakh, F. and Taymaz, E. (2006) Who benefits from training and R&D: The firm or the workers? British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 44 No. 3, pp. 473-5.
  4. Barrett, R. and Mayson, S. (2007) Human resource management in growing small firms. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 307-20.
  5. Carlson, D. S., Upton, N. and Seaman, S. (2006) The impact of human resource practices and compensation design on performance: An analysis of family-owned SMEs. Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 44 No. 4, pp. 531-43.
  6. Cox, A. (2005) Managing variable pay in smaller work places: In Labour Management in Small Firms, eds. S. Marlow, D, Patton and M. Ram, London: Routledge.
  7. Cassell, C., Nadin, S., Gray, M. and Clegg, C. (2002) Exploring human resource management practices in small and medium sized enterprises. Personnel Review, 31(5/6), 671-692.
  8. Carroll, M., Marchington, M., Earnshaw, J. and Taylor, S. (1999) Recruitment in small firms: Process, methods and problems. Employee Relations, 23: 9, 236–250.
  9. Curran, J., Blackburn, R., Kitching, J. and North, J. (1997) Small firms and workforce training: some results analysis and policy implications. In Small Firms: Enterprising Futures, (eds.) M. Ram, and D. Deakins, Paul Chapman Publishing, pp90-101.
  10. Davidson, J. (2011) Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) report number 754 [online]. Available from: [Accessed 17 October 13]
  11. Department for Business Innovation & Skills (2012) Business population estimates for the UK and regions [online]. Available from: [Accessed 10 March 2012]
  12. Downing-Burn, V. and Cox, A. (1999) Does size make a difference? People Management, 5(2): 50-3.
  13. Duberley, J. and Whalley, P. (1995) Assessing the adoption of HRM by small and medium sized manufacturing organisations. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 6: 4, 891-909.
  14. Duberley, J. P., Johnson, P., Cassel, C. M. and Close P. (2000) Manufacturing change: The role of performance evaluation and control systems. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 427-40.
  15. Dundon, T., Grugulis, I. and Wilkinson, A. (2001). ‘New management techniques in small and medium enterprises’, in T. Redman and A. Wilkinson (eds), Contemporary Human Resource Management: Text and Cases, London: Prentice Hall.
  16. Flamholtz, E.G., Bullen, M.L. and Hua, W. (2002) Human resource accounting: A historical prospective and future implications. Management Decision, Vol. 40 No. 10, pp. 947-54.
  17. Forth, J., Bewley, H. and Bryson, A. (2006) Small and Medium Enterprises: Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey. London: Department of Trade and Industry.
  18. Gilman, M., Edward, P., Ram, M. and Arrowsmith, J. (2002) Pay determination in small firms in the UK: Contours of constrained choice. Industrial Relations Journal, 33(1): 52-67.
  19. Harney, B. and Dundon, T. (2006) Capturing complexity: developing an integrated approach to analysing HRM in SMEs. Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 48-73.
  20. Hornsby, J. and Kuratko, D. (1995) Human resource management in small business: Critical issues for the 1990s. Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 9-18.
  21. Hodson, R. and Sullivan, A. T. (1985) Totem or tyrant? Monopoly, regional and local sector effects on worker commitment. Social Forces, 63, pp. 716–731.
  22. Inyang, B. J. and Enuoh, R. O. (2009) Entrepreneurial competencies: The missing links to successful entrepreneurship in Nigeria. International Business Research, 2 (2), 62-70.
  23. Johnson, S. and Devins, D. (2008) Training and workforce development in SMEs: Myth and reality. Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) Catalyst – Issue 7.
  24. Johnson, S., Watson, D. and Webb. R. (2006) Employer perceptions of skills deficiencies in the UK labour market: A sub-regional analysis. Environment and Planning 1753-1771.
  25. Keep, E. (2006) Market Failure in Skills. Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) Catalyst, Issue 5.
  26. Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix, G. and Oxenbridge, S. (2006) Inside the workplace: Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) London: Routledge.
  27. Kongolo, M. (2010) Job creation versus job shedding and the role of SMEs in economic development. African Journal of Management, Vol. 4 (11), pp. 2288-2295.
  28. Kotey, B. and Slade, P. (2005) Formal human resource practices in small growing forms. Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp 16-40.
  29. Kotey, B. and Folker, C. (2007) Employee training in SMEs: Effect of size and firm type family and non-family. Journal of Small Business Management, vol. 45, pp. 214-238.
  30. Leung, A. (2003) Difference ties for different needs: Recruitment practices of entrepreneurial firms at different development phases. Human Resource Management, Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 303-20.
  31. Litz, R.A. and Stewart, A.C. (2000) Trade name franchise membership as a human resource management strategy: Does buying group training deliver true value for small retailers? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol. 25 pp 125-135.
  32. Lynch, L.M. and Black, S.E. (1998) Beyond the incidence of employer provided training, Industrial Labour Relations Review, 52(1) pp64-81.
  33. Marlow, S. (2005) Introduction. In: S. Marlow, D. Patton and M. Ram (eds.) Managing Labour in Small Firms, pp. 1–17. Abingdon: Routledge.
  34. Marlow, S., Taylor, S. and Thompson, A. (2010) Informality and formality in medium-sized companies: Contestation and synchronization. British Journal of Management, 21, pp. 954-966.
  35. Miles, M.B. and Huberman, A. M. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis, (2nd eds.) Thousand Oaks: CA, Sage.
  36. Ram, M., Edwards, P., Gilman, M. and Arrowsmith, J. (2001) ‘The dynamics of informality: employment relations in small firms and the effects of regulatory change’, Work, Employment and Society, 15: 4, 845–861.
  37. Saridakis, G., Sen-Gupta, S., and Storey, D. J. (2008) The impact of enterprise size on employment tribunal incidence and outcomes: evidence from Britain. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 46, pp. 469–499.
  38. Sector Skills Development Agency (2006) Skills for Business Network 2005: Survey of Employers. Research conducted by Ipsos MORI, SSDA Research Report 18.
  39. Sekaran, U. (2003) Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach. 4th edition, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
  40. Storey, D. G., Saridakis, S. and Sen-Gupta, P. (2010) Management formality and employee evaluations of work. Human Resource Management, 49, pp 305-329.
  41. Truss, K., Soane, E. C., Edwards, K. and Wisdom, A. (2006) Working Life: Employee Attitudes and Engagement. London: CIPD.
  42. UK-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UKPCCI), 2012 London.
  43. Yin, R. K. (2009) Case Study Research: Design and Methods (3rd edn) Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc.

Cite this Article: