Swimming against the current: the positive effects of counter-cultural HR practices on the calculative/collaborative HR practices–firm performance relationship

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates the effect of counter-cultural human resources (CCHR) practices on firm performance. Specifically, it investigates the impact of national culture [future orientation (FO), in-group collectivism (I-GC), performance orientation (PO), power distance (PD) and uncertainty avoidance (UA)] on the calculative and collaborative HR practice–firm performance relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses data from the CRANET and GLOBE studies to conduct a multi-level analysis of the impact of national culture on the calculative/collaborative HR–firm performance relationship.

Findings

It finds support for both the CCHR and societal-culture fit (SCF) perspectives of national culture, with FO and I-GC supporting the CCHR perspective and the other culture dimensions aligning more closely with SCF.

Originality/value

These findings empirically validate that CCHR practices can help supplement behaviors lacking in the cultural environment in which organizations operate.

Citation

Prince, N.R., Prince, J.B., Prince, S.N. and Kabst, R. (2024), "Swimming against the current: the positive effects of counter-cultural HR practices on the calculative/collaborative HR practices–firm performance relationship", Evidence-based HRM, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-09-2023-0267