Papers by Fernando Martín Alcázar
Revista de Trabajo y Seguridad Social. CEF
La gestión de los recursos humanos ha sufrido diferentes fases o etapas en su evolución que puede... more La gestión de los recursos humanos ha sufrido diferentes fases o etapas en su evolución que pueden relacionarse con la experimentada sobre la concepción que se ha tenido del individuo y su comportamiento en las organizaciones. En las últimas décadas, la perspectiva estratégica ha llevado a la necesidad de analizar en qué medida la gestión de estos recursos se integra en la estrategia perseguida por las empresas (Shuller y McMillian, 1984; Pfeffer, 1998; Schuller y Jackson, 1987; Storey, 1992). Apoyándonos en esta literatura y trabajos de investigación existentes, pretendemos argumentar la necesidad de un ajuste entre las estrategias perseguidas por las empresas y la orientación dada a los procesos de gestión de recursos humanos. Las organizaciones no deberían formular sus estrategias sin conocer previamente el grado en que están sustentadas por sus recursos y capacidades, y en qué medida pueden ser viables a partir de los recursos humanos existentes y sus prácticas de gestión (Evans...
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
R&D leaders are critical actors in creating and executing organizational R&D strategies and leadi... more R&D leaders are critical actors in creating and executing organizational R&D strategies and leading R&D departments. R&D leaders spearhead and manage innovation activities and efforts that are essential for organizational survival and growth. Despite the importance of the R&D leader role, there is a scant focus on R&D leadership styles and behaviors within the existing fragmented literature. Accordingly, in this article, the purpose is to address this deficit by examining R&D leadership styles and behaviors through a systematic literature review. Based on 60 articles, we identified three main themes: the influence of leadership style; R&D leader behaviors; and R&D leader human capital. We analyze and discuss these themes along with positing future research avenues for further understanding of R&D leaders and leadership.
Intangible Capital, Oct 14, 2021
The aim of this study is to empirically analyse how motivation and the opportunity to investigate... more The aim of this study is to empirically analyse how motivation and the opportunity to investigate enhance the direct relation between the researcher's human capital and individual scientific performance. Design/methodology: Following recent investigations of strategic human capital and the abilitiesmotivation-opportunity (AMO) theory, we propose a double quantitative-qualitative methodology to identify the determinants of individual scientific performance. Findings: Applying regression analysis to a sample of 471 Spanish academic researchers, we confirm the moderating role of a researcher's motivation and opportunities. Originality/value: Drawing on the empirical evidence obtained, this work discusses the relevant determinants of scientific productivity, providing practical recommendations for research management and policy making.
Review of Managerial Science, Jan 4, 2021
The aim of this study is to examine the way top managers scan environmental conditions to diagnos... more The aim of this study is to examine the way top managers scan environmental conditions to diagnose and interpret issues during periods of crisis. Despite each of these processes being widely and individually represented in the research literature, there is a lack of integrative models that examine their internal dynamics in-depth. In this study, structural equation modeling methodology (EQS 6.3) was applied to a sample of 120 top managers to examine how the cognitive orientation of scanning (rational vs. intuitive analysis of environment) may influence final issue categorizations. Results confirm that not only is procedural rationality needed when scanning the environment, as traditional arguments have posited, but also that intuition plays a relevant role, complementing rational processes and configuring a mixed set of competencies to assess different issue dimensions, such as favorability, urgency, and influence.
The Journal of Technology Transfer, 2022
There is burgeoning literature on principal investigators (PIs) and their influential role in sci... more There is burgeoning literature on principal investigators (PIs) and their influential role in science, technology transfer and research commercialisation. However, there is yet no analysis of this actor from the perspective of their human capital (HC), i.e., the combination of knowledge, abilities and skills that they possess. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by identifying whether a range of different PI profiles exists, based on their different HC. A cluster analysis was developed using a database comprised of 224 PIs of research teams, from a wide range of scientific fields. Three different PI profiles were identified, research-oriented PIs, accomplished PIs, management-focused PIs. The relationship between each of these profiles and their performance was analysed at both individual and research team level, and our findings reinforce the idea that there is not a size that fits all. Indeed, contrary to the ‘more is better’ statement, higher levels of HC ...
R&D Management, 2021
The lack of consensus about overcoming the negative impact of conflict on team performance within... more The lack of consensus about overcoming the negative impact of conflict on team performance within research teams has become a challenge. Based on the complex context of knowledge‐intensive teams, this study examines the effect that a transformational leadership style of the Principal Investigator has on the relationship between team conflict and team performance. We propose an inverted U‐shaped relationship between research team conflict and research team performance, and examine the impact that the Principal Investigators’ transformational leadership has on this curvilinear relationship. Using survey data from 205 research teams, our results confirm both hypotheses. Actually, those PIs who apply the transformational leadership style will extend the positive conflict area, so, they will be able to manage a higher level of conflict in the research team. Our findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of the impact of conflict and the principal investigator’s transformational l...
Review of Managerial Science, 2021
International Journal of Manpower, 2018
Purpose While previous human resources management (HRM) studies have focused on human resources (... more Purpose While previous human resources management (HRM) studies have focused on human resources (HR) practices to explain the strategic HRM-performance link, organizational communication is studied as a key HRM process and an alternative perspective explains the factors influencing communication implementation and subsequently internal HRM system consistency. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach HR decision makers’ human capital is examined as a determinant of communication implementation by applying the partial least squares approach to a sample of 120 Spanish HR managers. Findings The results confirm the relevance of HR decision makers’ cognitive skills, showing that communication of HRM strategy does not appear to require a particular cognitive approach but rather a balance of creative and rational skills. Additionally, the findings suggest that appropriate communication implementation improves the internal consistency of the HRM system by creating ...
Journal of Intellectual Capital, 2019
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and validation of an instrument ... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and validation of an instrument for measuring intellectual capital in the academic research context. The current research context describes a new paradigm of scientific production characterized by interdisciplinarity, heterogeneity and the intensification of the relations between the generators of knowledge. In this scenario, traditional measures of intellectual capital do not capture all the variables that make up the environment in which the research activities are carried out. This transformation of research processes suggests the need to bring theories of organizational behavior, more appropriate to an organizational context, to the study of scientific context. Thus, the paper contextualizes the intellectual capital approach, thereby explaining how the different attributes that build it influence scientific productivity and providing a measurement instrument to evaluate relative levels of intellectual capital in an...
Considering inconsistent results in the literature about the HRM-performance relationship, this s... more Considering inconsistent results in the literature about the HRM-performance relationship, this study discusses the association between both variables from a process perspective. To do so, the paper proposes a theoretical model that differentiates between the intended double fit (vertical and horizontal fit) and the real fit achieved in the HR practices implementation, considering employees' perceptions about the HRM system as a determinant factor to explain the success of HR practices. Design/methodology/approach: The research presents a theoretical review combining diverse fields of strategic human resource management research (fit perspective and system strength construct). Findings: The paper concludes with an alternative theoretical model that explains the relationship between the link between human resources and organizational performance, introducing employees' perceptions on the HRM system as a mediating variable.-992-Intangible Capital-http://dx.doi.org/10.3926/ic.431 Practical implications: Conclusions show the importance of the organizational communication in HRM processes, the role played by HR managers and the usefulness of the system strength as a tool to assess the fit of the implemented HRM strategy. Originality/value: Considering these assumptions, this proposal contributes to explain the effects of HRM strategies on organizational performance in three aspects: (1) the inclusion of employees' perceptions about the HRM system as a mediating variable between HRM strategies and organizational performance, (2) the integration in the same study the HRM strategy formulation and implementation and (3) the introduction of the system strength construct as a tool to assess vertical and horizontal alignment in the HRM implementation phase.
Intangible Capital, 2013
Partiendo de los resultados inconsistentes que la literatura ha mostrado acerca de la relación en... more Partiendo de los resultados inconsistentes que la literatura ha mostrado acerca de la relación entre el rendimiento organizativo y la dirección de recursos humanos, este estudio discute la asociación entre ambas variables desde una perspectiva de proceso. Para ello, el artículo propone un modelo teórico que diferencia entre el doble ajuste (vertical y horizontal) definido y el realmente alcanzado en la implantación, considerando las percepciones de los trabajadores sobre el sistema de gestión como un factor determinante para explicar el éxito de las prácticas. Diseño/metodología: La investigación presenta una revisión teórica de varios campos de la literatura en materia de dirección de recursos humanos (perspectiva del doble ajuste y la fortaleza del sistema de gestión). Aportaciones y resultados: El artículo concluye con la propuesta de un modelo teórico alternativo que explica la relación entre la función de recursos humanos y en desempeño organizativo, introduciendo las percepciones de los empleados acerca del sistema de gestión como variable mediadora. Implicaciones prácticas: Las conclusiones apuntan a la importancia de la comunicación organizativa en los procesos de RRHH, el papel del responsable de-991-Intangible Capital-http://dx.doi.org/10.3926/ic.431 recursos humanos y el uso de la fortaleza del sistema de gestión como una herramienta de evaluación del ajuste de la estrategia implantada. Valor añadido: Este estudio contribuye a explicar los efectos de la estrategia de recursos humanos sobre los resultados organizativos poniendo énfasis en tres aspectos: (1) la consideración las percepciones de los trabajadores acerca del sistema de gestión de recursos humanos como una variable mediadora entre las estrategias de recursos humanos y el rendimiento, (2) la integración en un mismo estudio de las fases de formulación e implantación de la estrategia de recursos humanos y, (3) la introducción del constructo fortaleza del sistema de gestión de recursos humanos como una herramienta de valoración del ajuste vertical y horizontal en la fase de implantación.
International Journal of Business Administration, 2014
In spite of its strategic relevance, functional flexibility has still not been clearly defined by... more In spite of its strategic relevance, functional flexibility has still not been clearly defined by the literature. Drawing on different conceptualizations and measurement tools, empirical studies have reached different and even contradictory findings. This paper proposes a construct to define and measure functional flexibility in the field of Human Resource Management. In doing so, we will try to clarify this concept, classifying previous definitions and contributing with an integrative conceptualization. In the first part of this work we discuss and justify the need for certain level of functional flexibility in human resource management systems, which helps the organization to improve its capacity to adaptat to current environments. From this point of view, this capacity is considered as a relevant source of competitive advantage. Drawing on our theoretical analysis, we propose a new functional flexibility construct and a measurement model that could help to develop deeper analysis on this topic. This construct would serve as a starting point in the definition of a measurement scale for functional flexibility. Future research lines derived from this analysis are discussed in the last section of the paper. Specifically, we discuss the need to analyse how exploration and exploitation of human capital can be combined in flexible human resource management strategies.
International Journal of Business Administration, 2014
The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2005
Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-ras-10.1177_0020852320921220 for The influence of team members... more Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-ras-10.1177_0020852320921220 for The influence of team members' motivation and leaders' behaviour on scientific knowledge sharing in universities by José Luis Ballesteros-Rodríguez, Petra De Saá-Pérez, Natalia García-Carbonell, Fernando Martín-Alcázar and Gonzalo Sánchez-Gardey in International Review of Administrative Sciences
Science and Public Policy, 2021
Academic human capital (AHC) is a key element in the explanation of scientific productivity. Howe... more Academic human capital (AHC) is a key element in the explanation of scientific productivity. However, few studies have analysed this topic in the academic context, and their conclusions about composition and measurement remain ambiguous. This study proposes a measurement scale to assess AHC, following a systemic procedure composed of two steps: qualitative and quantitative phases. First, the Delphi technique was applied to reach a consensus on the AHC factors, resulting in a scale of 22 items. Second, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to determine the underlying factorial structure of the scale, using a sample of 2,223 researchers in Spanish universities. The results provided a five-dimensional structure of AHC, measuring the knowledge and abilities required to perform research activities, as well as skills related to the organisation of scientific processes, alertness to research opportunities, and the openness to provide and receive criticism. This study ...
BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 2021
Management scholarship should be placed in a unique position to develop relevant scientific knowl... more Management scholarship should be placed in a unique position to develop relevant scientific knowledge because business and management organizations are deeply involved in most global challenges. However, different critical voices have recently been raised in essays and editorials, and reports have questioned research in the management field, identifying multiple deficiencies that can limit the growth of a relatively young field. Based on an analysis of published criticisms of management research, we would like to shed light on the current state of management research and identify some limitations that should be considered and should guide the growth of this field of knowledge. This work offers guidance on the main problems of the discipline that should be addressed to encourage the transformation of management research to meet both scientific rigor and social relevance. The article ends with a discussion and a call to action for directing research toward the possibility and necessit...
Review of Managerial Science, 2020
In recent studies, researchers agree that there is a substantial gap between research and practic... more In recent studies, researchers agree that there is a substantial gap between research and practice in the field of human resource management (HRM). The literature exploring the causes and consequences of this gap does not represent a finely structured discourse; it has focused on analysing the gap from the practitioner side, and it is based on opinions and theoretical discussions rather than on empirical evidence. In this paper, we try to shed some light on this so-called “valley of death”. We attempt to identify the causes underlying the disconnect between academics and professionals in our field by drawing on empirical qualitative evidence obtained from interviews with 15 expert academics in the field of HRM. Thus, the approach presented in our work differs from that of the prior literature in that it is focused not on the opinions of individual authors but on the personal experiences of a larger expert sample composed of independent, experienced scholars in the area. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, we analyse the factors explaining why academics are not always willing to focus their research on professional needs or orientate their research outputs to the practitioner community.
European Management Review, 2020
This article analyses the determinants of management scholars' scientific productivity using ... more This article analyses the determinants of management scholars' scientific productivity using the intellectual capital approach. The paper contributes to the literature with a broad analysis that considers the complex integration of the intellectual capital dimensions and their joint influence on scientific productivity. To do so, we conduct semi‐structured interviews with 15 academics working in research teams, selected based on their experience and research results in the field of management. Through the evidence provided by the expert academics and a systematized and taxonomic study of the literature, we develop a theoretical framework based on the conceptualization of academic intellectual capital and its effects on scientific productivity. In the second step of the empirical analysis, the paper studies the impact of dimensions of intellectual capital on scientific productivity, using data extracted from a sample of 162 management academics. The results of the study have inte...
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Papers by Fernando Martín Alcázar