Implementability of HR-policies: a multiple-case study of factors that permit HRM-programmes to be put into practice

By means of an interview based multiple case study the impact of six manageable factors, called implementation levers, on the implementability of HRM programmes within organizations was investigated. The levers that were studied were: programme flexibility (opposite of programme standardization), programme embeddednes (fit with existing organizational processes), participative programme development (programme users being involved in the programme development), attention to politics (intra-organizational power relations being taken into account), HRM’s coworkership (programme users being supported by HRM department) and HRM’s accessibility (HRM department being contactable for programme users). The interview outcomes confirm the expectations about the impact of each of the levers. In addition to that, they articulate those expectations by highlighting a variety of mechanisms that explain the impact. They furthermore also point to instances of reversed impact, that is either a negative impact of the presence of a lever or a positive impact of the absence of a lever. Mechanisms that produced reversed impact were identified for all levers except HRM’s accessibility. The remaining ones thus can be said to have a bright side (as was expected) but a dark side as well.