Human resource strategies for managing knowledge workers: an Afro-Asian comparative analysis

Abstract

We use the model of culture fit to determine the human resource (HR) strategies for managing knowledge workers in two socio-culturally different countries: South Africa (SA) and Singapore. The national culture of SA is ethnically more diverse. Enterprise environment, such as institutional factors, particularly ownership, organization size and industry type, has more HR impact in Singapore than in SA. We found that there were convergent effective HR strategies used for motivating and retaining, but practices were divergent for attracting knowledge workers. When most frequent and ineffective strategies were studied, there were divergent practices. This knowledge of effective strategies being transferred to the two countries from more developed economies is in line with similar HR research.

Keywords:

• Singapore
• South Africa
• HR strategies
• cross-culture
• HR practices

Notes

1 Based on definitions from the literature (Alvesson, 2000; Drucker, 1999; Jack, 1993; Ulrich, 1998, Vogt, 1965) and derived from our Singapore study, (Horwitz et al., 2003). Respondents were asked to choose two definitions/descriptors from a list of five, which most aptly describe knowledge workers in their organizations. This structured approach enabled a composite definition of knowledge workers to be developed.

2 Six for Singapore and eleven for South Africa

3 Organizations were classified as ‘small’, ‘medium’ and ‘large’. More than 200 employees = ‘large’, 100–200 employees = ‘medium’ and less than 100 employees = ‘small’.

4 The former refers to the culture, norms and organizational symbols and practices, which create institutional loyalty. Communitarian-based loyalty refers to group identification based on interpersonal relations and perceived common interests (Thompson and Heron, 2000).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carol Nonkwelo

graduate students of the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Denise Roditi

graduate students of the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Paul van Eck

graduate students of the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa.