The role of leadership in human resource management: perspectives and evidence from China

ABSTRACT

Leadership and human resource management (HRM) have attracted growing interest among researchers worldwide. However, existing studies tend to examine the two interrelated variables separately, which may result in potential biases when estimating their effects and miss important implications of their interaction. Drawing on the relevant literature, we articulate the relationship between leadership and HRM and offer conceptual and empirical insights into the opportunities for integrating the two streams of research. We also highlight the importance of contexts when studying leadership and HRM and present an overview of the twelve papers in this special issue that focus on leadership and HRM issues in China. Finally, we propose an agenda for future research to further integrate leadership and HRM.

KEYWORDS:

• Leadership
• human resource management
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71832007; 71832006, 71802106, 72072044) and the National Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of China (No. 19ZDA136).

Notes on contributors

Shuming Zhao

Shuming Zhao is Senior Professor, Honorary Dean of the School of Business, and Dean of Xingzhi College, Nanjing University. He received his PhD in management from Claremont Graduate University in California, USA. His research interests include human resource management, manager’s competence, and multinational business management.

Mingwei Liu

Mingwei Liu is a Professor at the School of Management and Labor Relations of Rutgers University. He received a PhD degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University. His research interests fall into three broad areas: comparative employment relations and human resource management, high performance work practices in different industries and national contexts, and labor standards and corporate social responsibility in global value chains.

Meng Xi

Meng Xi is an Assistant Professor at School of Business, Nanjing University, P.R. China. He received his PhD in management from Nanjing University, China. His primary research interests focus on employment relations, leadership, strategic human resource management, and corporate entrepreneurship.

Cherrie J. Zhu

Cherrie Jiuhua Zhu is Professor of Human Resource Management (HRM) and Chinese Studies at Monash Business School, Monash University. She received her PhD in the area of HRM from the University of Tasmania. Her research areas cover cross-culture management, especially HRM, and the impact of international business on HRM policies and practices.

Hong Liu

Hong Liu is a Professor at School of Business, Nanjing University, China. He received a PhD degree in management science and engineering from Wuhan University of Technology. His research areas include human resource management, and organizational change.