Human resource management practices among frontline employees in the Jordanian organizations: Navigating through the crossroads of change and challenge

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the paper is twofold. First to evaluate the latent factor structure of human resource management (HRM) practices scales, and second, to examine the nature of HRM practices within the Jordanian context. Further, the study identifies possible future directions for HRM strategy development and professional practice in Jordan.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was completed by 493 frontline employees from Jordanian organizations. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the underlying factor structures and multidimensional scale (PROXSCAL) method is also employed to obtain a micro view of the latent factor structures of the consolidated scale.

Findings

This study demonstrated a good fit of data for a four-factor structure in Jordanian samples. This is consistent with the disposition of factor structure in the original scales and lends support to the construct validity of the consolidated HRM practices scale.

Research limitations/implications

A limited amount of research available on human resource practices in Jordanian organizations has limited the opportunity to gather content-rich information from previous studies. Also, the few studies that are available are not based on empirical realities and tend to be anecdotal in nature.

Practical implications

The practice of HRM within Jordanian organizations cannot be expected to improve whether its practitioners do not understand the nature of its current applications. Equally, there is no clear evidence as to the participation of HR managers in strategic decision making in the Jordanian private and public sectors.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the knowledge in several grounds. First, it validates the structure of HRM practices scales in Jordan. Second, it contributes to the knowledge of the topic of HRM practices in Jordan.

Citation

Aladwan, K., Bhanugopan, R. and Fish, A. (2014), "Human resource management practices among frontline employees in the Jordanian organizations: Navigating through the crossroads of change and challenge", International Journal of Commerce and Management, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 6-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCoMA-09-2011-0027