The Impact of Organized Violence and Crime on HRM and Work Practices

This paper presents a multiple case study research to explore the configuration of human resource management (HRM), in complex institutional environments. 200 news histories were content analyzed and 16 interviews with HR managers were conducted to explore the direct and indirect impacts of organized violence and crime on HRM and work practices. The results made it possible to observe a complex configuration between HRM policies and practices and managerial style, in the context of organized crime and violence in Mexico. A combination of strict employees’ control, emphasis on soft-skills training and development, together with flexible management style, seems to facilitate employees to work in traumatic external contexts. Our results highlight the importance of values, such as trust, openness and participation, which tend to support HRM systems and practices. The various effects of institutional contextual factors on the operation of the HRM system and practices are examined.