Advancing understanding of HRM in small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): critical
questions and future prospects
Harney, BrianORCID: 0000-0003-3252-563X, Gilman, Mark, Mayson, Susan and Raby, Simon
(2022)
Advancing understanding of HRM in small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): critical
questions and future prospects.
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33
(16).
pp. 3175-3196.
ISSN 0958-5192
A notable paradox of HRM research is that while small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form the dominant private
sector employer across the globe, they remain dramatically
underrepresented in scholarship. This is significant as there
are a number of SME specific characteristics that shape HRM
in this context, raising questions around the relevance and
applicability of dominant understanding of HRM. In this
paper we outline six such SME characteristics captured by
the acronym RECIPE and outline their implications for HRM.
We then introduce seven special issue papers which serve
to advance understanding of HRM in SMEs. Drawing together
key insights, we conclude by proposing a number of routes
for future research and deeper contextualisation of HRM in
SMEs. These include broadening the theoretical palette, challenging conventional assumptions, moving beyond an exclusive HPWS focus, incorporating employee perspectives,
coupled with the need to cast a wider methodological net