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Determinants of the adoption of HRM practices in tourism SMEs in Spain: an exploratory study

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Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between the adoption of HRM practices in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and the characteristics of the firm and the person responsible for HRM. We propose a conceptual model based on the resource-based view, which is tested with quantitative data from 164 tourism’s SMEs in Catalonia (Spain). As predicted, the adoption of HRM practices is positively associated with the presence of an HRM department. Also, SMEs in which the person responsible for HRM has previous experience in similar positions are greater adopters of HRM practices. Finally, SMEs which cooperate with other organizations are more likely to implement HRM practices.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank professors Melcior Mateu, Pere Ortín and Josep Rialp from the Autonomous University of Barcelona for their helpful comments on earlier versions of the present paper. David Urbano acknowledges financial support from the Project SEC2003 “Efficiency, total factor productivity and financial constraints”, Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology.

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  1. Business Economics Department, Edifici B. Campus UAB, 08913 Bellaterra, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    David Urbano & Desislava Yordanova

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  1. David Urbano
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  2. Desislava Yordanova
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Correspondence to David Urbano.

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Urbano, D., Yordanova, D. Determinants of the adoption of HRM practices in tourism SMEs in Spain: an exploratory study. Serv Bus 2, 167–185 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-007-0033-z

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