Which HRM practices contribute to service culture?

Abstract

It is known that Human Resources Management (HRM) can help to develop service culture, which will in turn improve service quality. The purpose of this article is to determine the relative importance of six HRM practices in terms of their impact on culture. A questionnaire survey of medium and large-sized UK service businesses was conducted. The results reveal that there is a strong association between culture and HRM practices, and that some management practices are more strongly associated with culture than others. Further research should explore the reasons why some HRM practices are more contributory to culture than others. Service businesses in pursuit of service quality should make use of these HRM practices for developing service culture in their organisations. This research has confirmed a strong association between culture and HRM practices, and also clarified the relative importance of HRM practices in terms of their impact on culture in order to improve service quality.

Keywords:

• culture
• HRM
• services

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Akiko Ueno

Current Address: Middlesex University Business School, The Burroughs, Hendon, London, NW4 4BT.