Relational HR practices in Malaysian SMEs: An Ethics of Care perspective

Article


Au, W.C., Stephens, S. and Ahmed, P.K. 2023. Relational HR practices in Malaysian SMEs: An Ethics of Care perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05458-1
TypeArticle
TitleRelational HR practices in Malaysian SMEs: An Ethics of Care perspective
AuthorsAu, W.C., Stephens, S. and Ahmed, P.K.
Abstract

Adopting an Ethics of Care theoretical framework, this paper aims to investigate the way in which the owner-mangers (OMs) of small and medium-sized enterprises in Malaysia engage in human resource management. Based on in-depth interviews with 48 OMs, the findings show that HRM practices occur within the remit of management but are described by the managers in terms of relational obligations and cannot be fully accounted for using a strategic, instrumental, or critical lens. The present study highlights the importance of the caring attitudes of OMs who adopt a humanistic management approach, responding to the varied needs of their employees and the obligations which are inherent to relationships between humans.

KeywordsEthics of care; SME; Human Resource Management
Sustainable Development Goals8 Decent work and economic growth
Middlesex University ThemeHealth & Wellbeing
Research GroupBusiness Ethics, Accountability and Governance
PublisherSpringer
JournalJournal of Business Ethics
ISSN0167-4544
Electronic1573-0697
Publication dates
Online06 Jun 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted23 May 2023
Submitted15 Dec 2020
Deposited28 Jul 2023
Output statusIn press
Publisher's version
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This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05458-1
LanguageEnglish
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