Annotated Bibliography on Human Resource Management Practices and Training Programs

This annotated bibliography covers various research studies on human resource management practices and training programs. It includes studies on unethical behavior in HR practices, electoral clout of unions, staff development and training programs, HR and emergency planning, and labor union effect on corporate cash holdings.

Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1
Annotated Bibliography
Name
Institutional Affiliation

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2
Earsmus, B. J. (2018). Unethical behaviour in Human Resource Management practices in South
Africa: Views of Human Resource practitioners. Management: journal of contemporary
management issues, 23(2), 65-86: doi.org/10.30924/mjcmi/2018.23.1.65
This article reports a study which was conducted to examine the correlation between
vulnerability of unethical behaviour in the practices of human resource and three independent
variables, specifically factors that influence individual ethical behavior of human resource
practitioners, the role played by human resource in institutionalizing good ethics of business as
well as the commitment to ethical behaviour of a business demonstrated by certain people in
organizations (Earsmus, 2018). The study in which 304 human resource practitioners from South
Africa took part employed the use of questionnaire in undertaking descriptive study
According to this article, it was found out that advertisement, recruitment, appraisal and
performance management as well as the selection of employees is most exposed to unethical
human resource practices. In contrast, areas that are least susceptible were psychometric testing,
employee socialization, employee orientation, employee equity planning, and affirmative action
(Earsmus, 2018). Furthermore, there existed a relationship between susceptible human resource
practices when human resource practitioners take lead in the resolution of ethical dilemmas.
However, a negative relationship is achieved when human resource is indirectly involved in the
resolution of ethical dilemmas. Earsmus (2018) concluded that the function of human resource
positively contribute to institutionalization of ethics in an organization.
Ikeda, F. (2019). THE ELECTORAL CLOUT OF UNIONS IN JAPAN: VOTE
MOBILIZATION IN COMPANY TOWNS. Journal of East Asian Studies, 19(1), 69-87.
doi:10.1017/jea.2018.30

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 3
According to this article, unions and interest groups play a leading role in mobilizing
voters. Besides, the research study was conducted on two Japanese parties; DPJ and UA Zensen
(Ikeda, 2019). However, the mobilization was done only on a few members, though the parties
have large membership which could be impractical to mobilize as a whole. According to this
article, interest groups are the channels through which voters are mobilized (Ikeda, 2019). Voter
mobilization takes place in various ways. Ikeda (2019) further argues that parties with fewer
members record more success in mobilizing their members. In the western world like United
States interest groups and labour unions are very active in mobilizing voters. However, in Japan,
these organizations have been found to support Liberal Democratic Party promoting patron client
relationships which has resulted in the decline of these organizations. According to Ikeda (2019),
even when the membership of interests groups and unions decline, they can as well maintain
their political clout.
Kasimba, R. (2014). Training and Development Programs in Educational Institutions: A Human
Factor Approach. Journal of Gleanings from Academic Outliers, 3(1), 64-86.
The study was conducted at Bindura University to determine the role of staff
development and training programs at universities (Kasimba 2014). The research study was done
in response the realization of a high decrease in the pass rate for university students especially
during the recent years. The decline was majorly linked to low input from university staff. As a
result, training was introduced to lower the prevalence of some of the problems faced by the staff
hence motivating them. Selection of Bindura was crucial since it is among the universities that
had introduced the program to her lecturers. Furthermore, Content analysis was used in
analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. The research found out that employee
advancement and training motivates employee thus improving on both organizational and

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individual productivity. According to Kasimba (2014), staff development and training results in
increased productivity, improved quality, enhance new skills, attitudes, understanding, and
knowledge. Also, it eliminates obsolete technology and skills as well as improving machine use.
Kasimba (2014) recommends that educational institutions should formulate programs for training
and advancement their staff so as to improve on the students’ pass rate. Also, the study
recommends for the inclusion of advisory programs for students counseling.
Mann, S. (2014). Human resources and emergency planning: Preparing local governments for
times of crisis. Public Administration Quarterly, 163-205. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/24372052?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
From this article, the purpose of the study was to carry out a detailed examination of the
features of cities that adopt a holistic approach to emergency planning by including human
resource in personnel planning. The study was conducted in response to the various weather-
related disasters’ that attacked the United States time and again especially between 1980 and
2008. In total, there were 90 disasters whose damage surpasses $1 billion. Common disasters
included tornadoes, hurricanes, and draughts. The Hurricane Katrina which occurred in 2005
made it known to experts that not all disasters are related to weather. According to the findings
of this article, many locals along the gulf coast of Mississippi lacked the plans for addressing
issues of human resources after the strike of a Hurricane. Besides, most of the vital employees
were left out in the process of emergency planning (Mann, 2014). However, Mann (2014)
concluded that inclusion of these vital employees in the emergency planning would impact
positively on managers as they would find it easier to address issues to do with employee re-
orientation, recruitment, retention, attrition, and compensation which have a tendency of being

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difficult after a disaster. Moreover, the study included survey on participants ranging from
50,000 to 249,999 personnel such as administrators, directors, and human resource managers
picked from the local governments in various medium sized-cities across the United States
(Mann, 2014). The selection of medium-sized cities was done due to a wide range of experience
from the professionals in these cities. Mann (2014) argues that it is common to find experienced
managers in large cities; however, these professionals must have worked at smaller governments
initially. To note, administrators or their representatives are the decision makers while the
managers and directors work with or in the departments. Furthermore, majority of those
surveyed were male. In the absence of workforce, the local governments were incapacitated to
respond to any given disaster often experiencing the rise of crises.
Shaheen, F., Ghayyur, M., & Yasmeen, G. (2014). An Investigation of Training and
Development Programs on Employees Satisfaction: A Case Study of Marks and Spencer
London, UK. PUTAJ-Humanities and Social Sciences, 21(1), 133-142. Retrieved from
http://putaj.puta.pk/index.php/hss/article/view/133
The research study was conducted to explore the functions of human resource
management in Marks and Spencer, a London based organization. Besides, a total of 419
employees in the organization took part in the study (Shaheen, Ghayyur, & Yasmeen,
2014).According to this article; many organizations of today face various problems such as
change in consumer tastes and preferences, improvement in technology, market forces, and
organizational culture. As a consequence, an active human resource is, therefore need to help
meet the goals of an organization towards achieving competitiveness. The research study found
out that, employee training and development are some of the incentives that motivate employees.

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Organizational employees should be endowed with current skills and capabilities as well as
creativity which will bring about their flexibility with the emerging trends thus job satisfaction
and employee retention is fostered Shaheen, Ghayyur, & Yasmeen, 2014). Furthermore, the
study used convenient sampling methods where questionnaires were randomly distributed in
order to obtain primary data. Also, the study found out that the organization understands the
importance of employee advancement in human resource department. Besides, employee training
and advancement is of mutual benefit to both firm and the employees since it taps more potential
of the workforce improving on their output which reflects on the overall productivity of the firm.
Shaheen, Ghayyur, and Yasmeen (2014), therefore, suggest for other organizations to invest on
training and development of their workforce based on logical aspects.
Shin, M., Kim, S., Shin, J., & Lee, J. (2018). Labor Union Effect on Corporate Cash Holdings
and Their Marginal Value. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 54(6), 1391-1413.
doi:10.1080/1540496x.2017.1289085
According to this article, unionized firms hold limited capital for strategic bargain against
unions of labour (Shin, Kim, Shin, & Lee, 2018). Besides, agency theory posits that they are
unlikely to lessen the marginal value of their capital holdings thus reducing the value of their
shareholding. The findings justify the tenets of agency theory especially wastage of corporate
resources by managers through cash hoarding. To make such inferences, the study used KIS
Value Library and FnGuide.com to make selection of various firms listed on the Korean
Exchange within the period between 2000 and 2004(Shin, Kim, Shin, & Lee, 2018).
Significantly, the results suggest that agency problems and information related to financial
constraints co-exist in firms which are unionized. Through collective bargaining, labour unions

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have several benefits to workers such as increasing their wages, pension plans, and health
insurance. As a result, unionized firms play a strategic role in improving the bargaining power of
worker against unions for labour thus sheltering corporate income. Cumulatively, the labour
unions are vital for reducing cash holdings an act which increases their bargaining power.
Moreover, Shin, Kim, Shin, and Lee (2018) measured the marginal value attributed to cash
holdings and found out that generated extra dollar held by a company help firms which
financially constrained to avoid high costs incurred by raising funds.