Extending the frontier of research on (strategic) human resource management in China: a review of David Lepak and colleagues’ influence and future research direction

Figures & data

Table 1. Number of articles referencing Lepak and his co-authors’ works by year of publication (N = 133).

Year of publication	No. of articles	Year of publication	No. of articles	Year of publication	No. of articles
2001	1	2007	1	2013	7
2002	2	2008	3	2014	9
2003	2	2009	6	2015	7
2004	0	2010	8	2016	13
2005	1	2011	5	2017	20
2006	3	2012	10	2018	25
				2019^a	10

^a Our search period was set for December 2018; articles listed in 2019 were originally published in early view in 2016, 2017 and 2018 at the time data were collected.

Table 2. Top 12 academic journals that have published most of the sample articles (N = 133).

No.	Journal titles	No. of articles in descending order
1.	The International Journal of Human Resource Management	35
2.	Human Resource Management	15
3.	Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources	6
4.	Personal Review	5
5.	Journal of Management	4
6.	Asia Pacific Journal of Management; Employee Relations; Frontiers of Business Research in China; Human Resource Management Journal; Journal of Business Ethics; Journal of World Business; Management and Organization Review	3

Note: Journals that published the same number of articles in the sample are listed in alphabetical order.

Table 3. Number of articles by research design and methodology (N = 133).^a

		Methodology
	Review/Conceptual (N = 15)	Empirical (N = 118)
		Qual	Quant	Mixed	Total
Level of analysis
Organization	N/A	3	39	4	46
Group/team/unit	N/A	2	3	0	5
Individual	N/A	0	28	3	31
Multilevel	N/A	4	30	2	36
Source of data
Single source	N/A	1	47	0	48
Multiple source	N/A	8	53	9	70
Time points of data collection
Single	N/A	9	84	9	102
Multiple	N/A	0	16	0	16
Total	N/A	9	100	9	118

^a Only the 118 empirical studies were analyzed for their research design and methodology.

Table 4. Top eleven authors based on the number of their articles.

Rank	Author	Current affiliation	No. of articles
1	Jie Shen	Shenzhen University	11
2	Iren Hau-Siu Chow	Hang Seng University of Hong Kong	5
2	Karin Sanders	University of New South Wales	5
2	Patrick Wright	University of South Carolina	5
2	Song Chang	Hong Kong Baptist University	5
2	Stephen Frenkel	University of New South Wales	5
2	Xiaobei Li	Sungkyunkwan University	5
2	Yaping Gong	Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	5
9	John Benson	Monash University	4
9	Kaifeng Jiang	The Ohio State University	4
9	Zhongxing Su	Renmin University of China	4

Note: This table only includes the authors who have published more than four or more articles on the topic.

Table 5. Lepak and co-authors’ research topics most frequently cited by the sample articles.^a

Research topic of Lepak’s work	Lepak and co-authors’ articles cited in the sample articles	Main theories/concepts cited in the sample articles	Example of sample articles	No. of citations by the sample
Employee-oriented perspective of HRM	Liao et al. (2009)	Distinguishing managers’ perspective and employees’ perspective of HPWS The mechanism of managers’ and employees’ perceptions of HPWS relating to individual performance in manufacturing settings Individual human capital, empowerment, perceived organizational support as mediators between HPWS and performance Cross-level model	Fu et al. (2016), Jiang et al. (2017), Liu et al. (2017), Mao et al. (2013), Shen (2016), Wang and Xu (2017), Yang et al. (2018)	34
	Takeuchi et al. (2007)	Dual mediating mechanisms of HPWS–performance: collective human capital route, collective social exchange route	Ali et al. (2018), Chen et al. (2011), Fu et al. (2015), Gong et al. (2010), Zhang et al. (2018), Zhang et al. (2014), Zhang and Jia (2010)	31
	Nishii et al. (2008)	Provide the construct of HR attribution Link the HR attribution with employee attitudes and behaviours Multilevel design (not testing cross-level effects)	Bambacas and Kulik (2013), Khan and Tang (2016), Kim and Wright (2011), Li et al. (2011), Shen et al. (2018), Xian et al. (2019)	28
	Takeuchi et al. (2009)	Establishment-level HPWS relates to employee attitudes with concern for employee climate as a mediator	Chen et al. (2010), Liao et al. (2014), Ning et al. (2018), Xi et al. (2017)	17
	Messersmith et al. (2011)	Connect HPWS to unit-level performance by employee attitudes to organizational citizenship behaviour	Chang et al. (2018), Guo et al. (2014), Jiang et al. (2017), Shen (2016), Shen et al. (2014)	15
	Jiang et al. (2013)	Mediating mechanisms in the HR-performance relationship from multilevel perspective	Ma et al. (2017), Shen et al. (2018), Wang and Xu (2017), Zhang et al. (2018)	7
	Jiang et al. (2017) (this article is also included in the sample)	Employees’ HR perceptions are contingent on coworkers’ HR perceptions, managers’ HR perceptions and demographic dissimilarity to coworkers and managers Differentiate the reference in understanding HR perceptions	Burmeister et al. (2018), Chang et al. (2018), Liu et al. (2017), Wang and Xu (2017)	4
	Meijerink et al. (2016)	Employees’ perceptions of HRM services	Guan and Frenkel (2019), Liu et al. (2018)	2
Sub-total				138
Multiple domains of HR systems (i.e. skill-, motivation-, and opportunity- enhancing HR systems)	Jiang et al. (2012)	Provide a meta-analysis based on ability-motivation-opportunity model Differentiate three domains of HR systems (i.e. skill-, motivation-, and opportunity-enhancing HR systems) and their mechanism linking to proximal organizational outcomes and financial performance	Fu et al. (2015), Li et al. (2015), Liu et al. (2017), Ma et al. (2017), Tian et al. (2016), Shen and Benson (2016), Shen et al. (2018)	35
	Lepak et al. (2006)	Provide an integrated model linking HR systems with organizational performance by bottom-up emergence of compositional constructs (i.e. AMO framework) The conceptualization of HR systems: Objective-specific HR systems, HR systems for strategic objectives Provide a relationship map about HR systems, HR policy domains, and HR policies	Ma et al. (2017), Seeck and Diehl (2017), Su et al. (2018), Wang and Xu (2017), Zhang and Morris (2014), Zhou et al. (2013)	22
	Jiang et al. (2012)	The internal fit of HR systems refers to the construct of HR systems A review of the components of HR systems and their composite effect on firm performance	Ali et al. (2018), Jiang et al. (2017), Li et al. (2015), Madera et al. (2017), Ning et al. (2018), Tian et al. (2016)	9
Sub-total				66
HR architecture	Lepak and Snell (1999)	HR architecture with four employment configurations Employees with different values and uniqueness of human capital have different strategic importance to the firm and may be exposed to different HR configurations within a firm Align HR architecture with business strategy	Beamond et al. (2016), Benson and Zhu (2002), Li and Sheldon (2010), Li et al. (2008), Lin et al. (2017), Liu et al. (2015), Meyers and Woerkom (2014), Zheng (2016), Zhou et al. (2012b)	31
	Lepak and Snell (2002)	Different employment modes function differently with different HR configurations Human capital characteristics associated with choices of employment model	Esch et al. (2018), Gong et al. (2013b), Li et al. (2015), Liu et al. (2015), Lu et al. (2016), Zhang et al. (2009), Zhou et al. (2012a)	23
	Lepak et al. (2003)	The selective (simultaneous) use of different employment modes relates to firm performance distinctly The moderating effect of environment dynamism and technological intensity on the relationship between employment modes and firm performance	Chang et al. (2013), Zhang et al. (2009), Zhou et al. (2013, 2012a, 2012b)	8
Sub-total				62
Universal and contingency perspectives of (strategic) HRM	Youndt et al. (1996)	Universal and contingency views of HR–performance relationship Human-capital-enhancing HR systems–performance contingent on quality manufacturing strategy	Chow et al. (2008), Morris et al. (2009), Takeuchi et al. (2003), Wei and Lau (2010), Zhang and Albrecht (2010), Zhang and Li (2009)	38
	Patel et al. (2013)	HPWS as a systematic tool for enhancing organizational ambidexterity The utilization of certain composite HR practices depends on contextual conditions Companies can produce ambidexterity by achieving the alignment and adaptability that HR systems facilitate	Ali et al. (2018), Fu et al. (2016), Fu et al. (2015), Rao-Nicholson et al. (2020), Su et al. (2018)	8
	Lepak et al. (2007)	The extent to which core and support employees are exposed to HIHR systems is varied Conditions that relate to the variability in HIHR system used for core and support employees include HR philosophy, strategy and industry	Madera et al. (2017), Meyers and Woerkom (2014), Ngo et al. (2014)	3
	Lepak and Shaw (2008)	Three strategic HRM theoretical perspectives: universalistic, contingency, and configurational Conceptualization of HRM system	Latukha and Veselova (2019), Liang et al. (2012), Zhang and Morris (2014)	3
	Jiang et al. (2015) (this article is also included in sampling articles)	The dual routes in HIWS–operational performance National power distance moderates HIWS–operational performance	Engelen et al. (2018), Rao-Nicholson et al. (2020)	2
Sub-total				54
Expatriate management	Takeuchi et al. (2005a)	Differentiate international experience into current and past experience Expatriates’ current experience and past international experiences affect their cross-cultural adjustment Expatriate management	Chen et al. (2010), Selmer et al. (2009), Takeuchi et al. (2019), Takeuchi et al. (2005b)	4
Sub-total				4
Contingent labour	Way et al. (2010)	The impacts of labour cost, contingent labour strategy, employment stability, contingent labour strategy, and high investment HR systems on standard workers’ withdrawal behaviours	Chang et al. (2013, 2018)	2
Sub-total				2

a Lepak and his coauthors’ articles cited by one journal article only in the sample are not included in the table.

Note: AMO=abilities, motivation and effort, opportunities to contribute; HCR=human capital resource; HIHR=high-investment HR; HIWS=high involvement work system; HPWS=high performance work system.

Figure 1. An integrative framework of strategic HRM research in China. Note: KSAs= knowledge, skills and abilities; KASOs= knowledge, abilities, skills and other individual characteristics.

Table 6. Examples of directions for future research related to strategic HRM in the Chinese context.

Examples of topics	Examples of research questions	Indicative empirical and practical considerations
Organizational design and strategic capability in a customer-oriented era	What patterns of strategic HR configurations may exist or be created that are responsive to changes in the business environment? What are the requirements for strategic HRM to support a customer-oriented business strategy and business reconfiguration? What may be the long-term organizational and HRM implications?	Types of organizational design (e.g. structure, functions, employee skill sets, talent flow, leadership roles, flexible employment mode, modular patterns of human resource supply) Types of HR competence needed (e.g. developing more strategic capability in addition to operational excellence) Long-term risk assessments for organizations and human resource development needs (e.g. Haier’s rendanheyi initiative)
Digitalization and employee-centred strategic HRM	How can digital technology be used to capture real time HR information feedback to inform HR strategy adjustment? How can firms design an overall HR strategy to capture and improve individual employees’ experience to systematically track their life-cycle with the company? How can different components of HRM be integrated to deliver an employee-centred HR service? What leadership styles are needed?	What are the needs and expectations of different groups of the workforce, esp. the post-90 generation? Types of data that can be captured to measure individual employees’ experiences on various aspects of the HRM, and link them to employee behavioural outcomes (commitment, engagement, organizational citizenship behaviour, productivity, creativity), and employee rewards (e.g. promotion, financial rewards) How can different functions of the HRM (e.g. recruitment, training, performance management, employee competence model, employee pay and benefits) be joined up to deliver a beginning-to-end experience for individual employees to create a total experience that is responsive/tuned to their different needs at different stages? Types of competence needed for HR professionals/department (e.g. developing more strategic capability in addition to operational excellence)
Belt and Road Initiative	What strategic capability do CMNEs need to develop in managing their international operations, with strategic HRM as an integral part? How do/should CMNEs formulate and implement their HRM strategy, policy and practice to balance the needs and interests of multiple stakeholders to maintain efficiency and fairness? What are the roles of the external institutional actors in facilitating and/or restricting CMNEs to fulfil their strategic intents?	Cultural and institutional differences between China and host countries (e.g. role of the informal institutional actors, patriarchal system, community, family and kinship ties) Potential conflicts among diverse demands from various stakeholders that drive or hinder CMNEs’ capacity to adopt socially and societally responsible HRM policy and practice Types of employment strategies to reduce temporary workers’ turnover and motivate them to be committed to the organization and improve productivity and human capital for the host country for sustainable development Multi-level and in-depth investigations with a stakeholder perspective
COVID-19 and organizational sustainability	How can organizations respond during crisis period to sustain the business? How can organizations across different industrial sectors collaborate to survive and thrive in hard times? What may be the implications for organizational leadership? What strategic HRM practices may be adopted to help employees reduce their stress and increase resilience?	New forms of employee sharing across organizations and sectors; employee training needs; organizational risks; HR challenges in managing temporary employees from very different industrial backgrounds Corporate entrepreneurship and management mindsets Managerial capability and development needs From ‘owning’ employees/talents to ‘sharing’ employees/talents across organizations and business sectors Training and development needs to develop the workforce’s aptitude and attitude to work across different types of jobs Strategic risk management for business and HRM Employee identity and job crafting in sharing employee mode of work Employee well-being support system as part of the strategic HR system that is under-developed in China

Source: compiled by the authors.

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Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article (see Tables and Reference list).