Human Resource Management Outcomes: A Systematic Desk Research Based on Authoritative Textbooks

Abstract

This systematic desk research study examines the outcomes of Human Resource Management (HRM) as presented in authoritative HRM textbooks. Using the authority method of knowledge acquisition, 24 out of 36 major HRM textbooks were perused to achieve four objectives: (1) To identify HRM outcomes given in the authoritative textbooks of HRM; (2) To arrange the identified HRM outcomes in the order of relative prominence or consideration as collectively perceived by different authors in the textbook HRM literature; (3) To explore and specify vital but marginally considered or relatively underemphasized HRM outcomes in the HRM textbook literature; and (4) To provide a meaningful classification for the found HRM outcomes. The analysis yielded 40 distinct HRM outcomes. Content analysis based on the intensity of consideration, measured by the number of textbooks in which each outcome appeared, revealed that employee turnover (retention) is the most frequently emphasized outcome, followed by employee motivation, job satisfaction, absenteeism, competence, commitment, job performance, cost effectiveness, and acquisition of right employees at the right time. The findings suggest that textbook authors place greatest emphasis on outcomes related to attracting, retaining, developing, motivating, satisfying, and securing high performance from employees while controlling labor costs. The study also identifies several strategically and socially important but relatively underemphasized outcomes, including ethicality, greening, employee well-being, trust, and presenteeism. The identified outcomes are classified using three complementary approaches: core versus non-core outcomes, employee-level versus organizational-level outcomes, and eleven multiple result categories. The study contributes to HRM theory, teaching, and practice by providing the first comprehensive synthesis and prioritization of HRM outcomes based on authoritative textbook literature.

Key Words: Content Analysis, Employee Outcomes, HRM Outcomes, HRM textbooks, Human Resource Management, Strategic HRM, Sustainable HRM, Systematic Desk Research