The 5 Fits for HRM; Corine Boon obtained PhD degree
On June 12, Corine Boon has defended her PhD thesis entitled “HRM and Fit: Survival of the fittest!?” Her promoters are Prof. dr. Jaap Paauwe, Professor of Business and Organisation, Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Prof. dr. Deanne N. den Hartog, Professor of Organizational Behavior, University of Amsterdam.
What is the nature of ‘fit’ in strategic HRM? And, does fit make a difference to organizations? This research focuses the concept of fit or alignment in HRM. This thesis shows the importance of aligning HRM with strategy (strategic fit), systems and characteristics of the organization (organizational fit), and the socio-political context (institutional fit). It also seems important to align HR practices with each other in a consistent HR system (internal fit), to align employees with their jobs and with (the culture of) the organization (person-environment fit). Achieving the different types of fit can optimize HR policy, and better performance is expected. We have started to develop measurement instruments for each type of fit using qualitative case study data from three Dutch organizations. Moreover, we studied fit from an employee perspective by assessing person-environment fit using an employee survey.
This research provides insight in the different elements that make up fit. We have found several ‘clues’ for each type of fit which can be used in practice as a checklist aimed at improving and strengthening fit. Our study suggests that the different types of fit are interrelated, which means that when one piece is missing, other fits might not be achieved as well. Following this interrelatedness we recommend a ranking order when trying to achieve the different fits. Furthermore, it seems that organizations that have a clear idea of how to achieve a successful position in the market, and organizations that adapt well to changes are better able to achieve fit than organizations.
The conceptualizations and operationalizations of fit developed in this thesis can contribute to measurement of HRM fit in future research, as important elements and dimensions of the different types of fit will be identified in this thesis. Moreover, we are looking particularly at the questions how and why the different fits are shaped. Most research projects have focused on proving that there is a link between HRM and performance, without addressing how and why this relationship exists. These how and why questions provide an important contribution to the development of the ‘HRM fit’ area.
About Corine Boon:
Corine Boon was born in Lekkerkerk, the Netherlands, on March 24th in 1981. In 1998 she obtained her high school diploma at the ‘Krimpenerwaard College’ in Krimpen aan den IJssel, after which she started studying Business Economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. After she graduated cum laude in 2003, she was appointed as a PhD student in human resource management at the Erasmus University, where she worked on her dissertation about ‘HRM and fit’. She presented her research at international conferences, including the Academy of Management annual meeting, the annual SIOP conference, the EAWOP conference, and the Dutch HRM network conference. In 2007, one of her papers was nominated for the Carolyn Dexter award at the Academy of Management conference, and this paper was also published in the best paper proceedings of the HR division of the Academy of Management. Corine currently works as a post-doctoral researcher as part of the People Performance and Healthcare group which is a cooperation between the Institute of Health Policy and Management (Erasmus University Medical Centre) and the department of HR studies at Tilburg University.
Abstract: 
What is the nature of ‘fit’ in strategic HRM? This is the question guiding this thesis. Although the idea of fit is theoretically convincing, empirical evidence to support the role of fit is limited. Previous studies on fit have mainly focused on the alignment between HRM and strategy (strategic fit) and the alignment of HR practices with each other such that they form a consistent HR system (internal fit). Criticism of current research includes that there has been a lack of attention to dynamics and employee interests, and a lack of sophistication in the description of fit. Conceptualizations and operationalizations of fit in HRM need refining. This thesis reports research on five types of fit: strategic, internal, organizational, and institutional fit from the strategic HRM field, and person-environment fit from the applied psychology literature. First, new conceptualizations and operationalizations of fit in HRM are developed and evaluated using qualitative case study data from three Dutch organizations. Next, we aim to bridge organizational and individual level HRM research by assessing the contribution of person-environment fit to the strategic HRM field using employee survey data from two organizations. Finally, the possible effectiveness of fit for different stakeholders is explored. Does fit make a difference to organizations? This research provides insight in the different elements that make up fit. Results indicate that the different types of fit are interrelated, and that person-environment fit provides a valuable contribution to strategic HRM as it plays a significant role in explaining the relationship between HRM perceptions and employee attitudes and behaviors. Also, ‘adaptive capabilities’ are important for achieving a strong fit in the long run. This thesis concludes with an evaluation of the fit concept and an exploration of possible benefits of achieving a fit for organizations.
More Information
Full Text of the Dissertation
Pictures of the Defense
