Entrepreneurs, HRM Orientations and Environmental Fit: A UK-Japan Comparison in High Tech Manufacturing

Hugh Whittaker, Philippe Byosiere, Junpe Higuchi and Thelma Quince

Working Papers from Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge

Abstract: Entrepreneurs cannot develop a business single handedly. One of the most important tasks the entrepreneur faces is to recruit, allocate work to, motivate and retain employees who will help the business to grow. Based on survey data, this paper examines the HRM orientations of UK and Japanese high tech manufacturing entrepreneurs, and identifies fundamentally different approaches to these tasks, at least as expressed by the entrepreneurs. The UK entrepreneurs espouse an employment relationship based on 'give and take' flexibility, while the Japanese entrepreneurs are more focused on raising or nurturing their employees. Reasons for the differences are explored, and relate to the entrepreneurs' backgrounds, as well as the business and social environment. Implications for the 'new employment relationship' are explored.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; HR management; High-tech small firms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L60 M12 M13 M14 M50 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-bec, nep-ent, nep-hrm, nep-ino and nep-sea
Note: PRO-1
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cbrwp330.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cbr:cbrwps:wp330

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Ruth Newman (online@jbs.cam.ac.uk).