The views of Spanish HR managers on the role of internal communication in translating HR strategies into HRM systems

• Published in: European management journal Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 269 - 281
• Main Authors: García-Carbonell, Natalia, Martín-Alcázar, Fernando, Sánchez-Gardey, Gonzalo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2016; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Communication; Decision making; HR communication; HR implementation; Human resource management; Personnel management; Spain; Strategic human resource management (SHRM); Studies; System strength; Spain; HR communication; HR implementation; Strategic human resource management (SHRM); System strength
• ISSN: 0263-2373; 1873-5681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2015.11.007

Although the literature has broadly examined the effects of strategic human resource management (SHRM) on performance in the past two decades, the way the relationship manifests and the conditions the strategies must meet to influence organization-level outcomes are still unresolved. This paper discusses the association between SHRM and performance from a process perspective, analyzing the role of organizational communication as a factor that moderates the implementation of an HRM strategy. Applying partial least squares modeling to a sample of 120 Spanish HR managers, we confirm the moderating role of communication, and suggest that communication makes the outputs of the strategic decision-making process explicit and fosters a shared understanding of HRM in Spanish firms.