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Missing in Action: Strategic Human Resource Management in German Nonprofits

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Abstract

Human resource (HR) management is important for human service nonprofits because they rely on the quality of their employees for the provision of their services. Using a typology of nonprofit HR architecture developed by Ridder and McCandless (Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q 29(1):124–141, 2010), we attempt to unpack the black box between performance and HR practices. To this end, we conducted semi-structured interviews with HR managers and young employees to investigate their perceptions of HR practices in their nonprofit organizations. Based on the findings, we extend the research on HR management in nonprofit organizations and caution that success or failure of implementing HR practices may be directly influenced by the external environment.

Résumé

La gestion des ressources humaines (RH) est essentielle pour les organisations à but non lucratif de service aux personnes, car leur capacité à fournir ces services dépend de la qualité de leurs employés. En utilisant une typologie des structures des RH au sein des organisations à but non lucratif créée par Ridder et ses collègues (2010) nous tentons d’ouvrir au grand jour la boîte noire qui sépare performances et pratiques de RH. A cette fin, nous avons conduit des entretiens semi-structurés avec des responsables de ressources humaines et de jeunes employés, pour chercher à comprendre leurs perceptions des pratiques de RH dans leur organisation à but non lucratif. Ces résultats nous permettent de contribuer à l’étude de la gestion des RH dans les organisations à but non lucratif et nous signalent que le succès ou l’échec de l’implémentation des pratiques de RH peuvent être directement influencés par l’environnement externe.

Zusammenfassung

Das Personalmanagement ist für Nonprofit-Organisationen, die personenbezogene Dienstleistungen anbieten, wichtig, da sie sich bei ihrer Dienstleistungsbereitstellung auf die Qualität ihrer Mitarbeiter verlassen. Unter Anwendung einer von Ridder und Kollegen (2010) entwickelten Typologie der Personalarchitektur in Nonprofit-Organisationen versuchen wir, die Black Box zwischen Leistung und Personalpraktiken zu entziffern. Zu diesem Zweck führten wir semi-strukturierte Befragungen von Personalleitern und jungen Mitarbeitern durch, um deren Auffassungen zu den in ihren Nonprofit-Organisationen angewandten Personalpraktiken zu untersuchen. Beruhend auf den Ergebnissen weiten wir die Forschung zum Personalmanagement in Nonprofit-Organisationen weiter aus und weisen darauf hin, dass der Erfolg oder Misserfolg der Umsetzung von Personalpraktiken unmittelbar vom äußeren Umfeld abhängen kann.

Resumen

La dirección de recursos humanos (RRHH) es importante para las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro de servicios humanos porque confían en la calidad de sus empleados para la provisión de sus servicios. Utilizando una tipología de la arquitectura de RRHH en las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro desarrollada por Ridder et al. (2010), tratamos de desvelar la caja negra entre el rendimiento y las prácticas de RRHH. Con este fin, hemos realizado entrevistas semi-estructuradas con directores de recursos humanos y empleados jóvenes para investigar sus percepciones de las prácticas de RRHH en sus organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro. Basándonos en los hallazgos, ampliamos la investigación sobre la gestión de RRHH en organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro y advertimos que el éxito o fracaso de implementar prácticas de RRHH puede estar directamente influida por el entorno externo.

Chinese

人力资源(HR)管理对于人力服务类的非营利机构具有重要意义,因为这些机构依赖于提供服务的员工的品质。运用里德尔(Ridder)及其同事(2010)年开发的非营利机构人力资源框架的类型学,我们试图打开绩效表现与HR行为之间的黑匣子。基于此目的,我们对人力资源经理和年轻雇员展开而来半结构化的采访,以调查他们对各自非营利机构中HR行为的看法。根据调查结果,我们研究非营利机构的HR管理,并且提醒,外部环境可能会直接影响HR行为的成功与否。

Arabic

إدارة الموارد البشرية(HR) مهمة لخدمة الإنسان الغير ربحية لأنها تعتمد على نوعية موظفيها لتوفير خدماتها. بإستخدام تصنيف أنظمة الموارد البشرية(HR) الغير ربحية التي وضعها ريدر وزملاؤه (2010) نحن نحاول فك الغموض بين الأداء وممارسات الموارد البشرية(HR). تحقيقا˝ لهذه الغاية، أجرينا مقابلات شبه منظمة مع مديري الموارد البشرية والعاملين الشباب لدراسة تصوراتهم عن ممارسات الموارد البشرية(HR) في منظماتهم الغير ربحية..إستنادا˝ إلى النتائج، نحن نوسع البحث في مجال إدارة الموارد البشرية(HR) في المنظمات الغير ربحية والحذر من أن نجاح أو فشل تنفيذ ممارسات الموارد البشرية (HR) قد يتأثر بشكل مباشر من قبل البيئة الخارجية.

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Notes

  1. German social workers hold a university degree of minimum 3 years after graduating (the German equivalent of) high school. Kindergarten teachers in Germany usually go through a 2–4 year apprenticeship (differences on the state-level) post middle school. Most often, they do not have any high school education. According to the collective agreement, kindergarten teachers are grouped in salary level 8, whereas social workers should be grouped in (at least) level 9 or 10. Depending on the state, this results in a difference. In monthly net salary between 70 and 215 Euro if employed full-time (Öffentlicher Dienst 2012).

  2. Free welfare associations are organized in six centralized umbrella associations of free welfare work (Spitzenverbände der freien Wohlfahrtspflege). These six entities serve as umbrella organizations for their members, and are either religiously affiliated (Caritas, Diakonie, Jewish Welfare), politically affiliated (Worker Welfare—social democratic), non-partisan (The Parity), or affiliated with the Red Cross (BAGFW e.V. 2008).

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  1. School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, 3701 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Marlene Walk & Femida Handy

  2. Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Caprivistrasse 30 A, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany

    Heike Schinnenburg

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  1. Marlene Walk
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Walk, M., Schinnenburg, H. & Handy, F. Missing in Action: Strategic Human Resource Management in German Nonprofits. Voluntas 25, 991–1021 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-013-9380-7

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