Accommodating HRM in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): a critical review
Harney, BrianORCID: 0000-0003-3252-563X
(2021)
Accommodating HRM in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): a critical review.
Economic and Business Review, 43
(2).
pp. 72-84.
ISSN 2335-4216
The significance and imprint of SMEs as dominant employers is not proportionally reflected in people management
scholarship. In an effort to map out the prospects for greater understanding, this paper critically evaluates the prevailing
understanding in HRM. First, a case is made for definitional clarity to avoid aggregate interpretations of SMEs and illdefined
applications of HRM. The paper then explores four key theoretical frames of reference, namely universalism,
best fit, cultural and ecological theories, highlighting their merits and limitations as applied in the SME context. This
assessment results in a call for more holistic, integrative and context sensitive theory and research to understand the
dynamics of talent management in an SME context. This provides a pathway to better capture, and inform, the realities
of practice in this area.
Metadata
Item Type:
Article (Published)
Refereed:
Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:
SMEs; Small firms; People management; Determinants; HRM; Talent management; Context; Critical review