Modeling the factors affecting the productivity of human resources(Qualitative study using meta-synthesis method)

Subject Areas : Human resources management)

Ali Asghar mobasheri ¹ , Mohadese Nadershahi ² , Seyed Rasool Anbarzadeh ³

1 - Ph.D Candidate, Department of Human Resource Management, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial engineering, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
3 - phD candidate, Department Industrial Engineering Imam Hussain university, Tehran, iran

Received: 2024-03-24 Accepted : 2024-05-21 Published : 2025-12-22

Keywords: Productivity, human resources Productivity, Meta-Synthesis,

Abstract :

Considering the determining role of the performance and productivity of human resources in organizations, as well as the need to identify the factors affecting this issue in a coherent and integrated framework, the present research was conducted to identify and model the factors affecting human resource productivity. The research is applied in purpose and employs a mixed-method design, integrating meta- synthesis method and structural-interpretive modeling. The statistical population in the first phase comprised previous studies. After evaluating the titles, abstracts, and contents of the available sources, 151 studies were selected to be included in the study. The statistical population of the second phase consisted of academic experts, among whom 17 people were selected through a purposeful sampling procedure to participate in the study. After analyzing the collected data, the factors affecting the productivity of human resources were modeled in three main themes of individual factors (i.e., employees’ knowledge, attitude and behavior), group factors (in-group and out-group factors) and organizational factors (factors related to job, organizational culture, organizational structure, and organizational processes). The results indicate that solving the problems of human resource productivity or improving it, cannot be viewed as a one-dimensional issue, and that simple linear and single-variable models are not sufficient to address the problems of the productivity of human resources in organizations.

 

Key Words:

human resources productivity, structural interpretive modeling, meta-synthesis

 

 

 

1.Introduction

Productivity has always been one of the topics of interest to managers and researchers in the field of organization and management. Nevertheless, the paradigm shifts in valuing the assets of organizations as a result of entering the information age and the emergence of the knowledge-based economy has made the productivity of human resources and the factors affecting it a very important issue. Therefore, human resource productivity and its influencing factors have become main research trends in human resources management literature in recent years. Numerous studies worldwide have been designed and implemented to identify the factors affecting the productivity of human resources in organizations. On the other hand, the review of the studies conducted regarding the factors affecting the productivity of human resources shows that different researchers have identified different factors in this field. These various factors, identified as the antecedents of human resource productivity, reflect diverse views of the researchers on this issue, which can increase the complexity of the issue for managers. Therefore, managers and policy makers require coherent and integrated frameworks to enable them to better understand the phenomenon under investigation during decision-making and planning. Hence, presenting the factors affecting the productivity of human resources in a way that simplifies the complexity of the issue while enhancing managerial insights is essential. Thus, the present study is an attempt to identify and model the factors affecting the productivity of human resources and to develop a coherent and comprehensive framework that addresses a part of the gap in the existing scientific.

2.Literature Review

Productivity, which literally means the power of production (Asar, 2016), being fertile and productive, is one of the concepts that have been examined and conceptualized from various perspectives. Some describe productivity as a culture and a rational attitude toward work, aimed at making activities more intelligent and efficient in order to achieve a better and higher-quality life (Lewis et al., 2013) while others consider productivity as a criterion by which the success or failure of an organization in achieving its goals is evaluated (Ahmadi, 2016). From an economic point of view, productivity is described in relation to the reduction of production costs, and it is achieved when the consumption of resources is reduced without harming the product (from both quantitative and qualitative aspects). Productivity from a managerial point of view means the sum of effectiveness (fulfillment of goals) and efficiency (reduction of costs) (Anjanarko & Jahroni, 2022). A review of the related literature reveals that various factors have been identified in prior studies as antecedents influencing human resources productivity. Factors such as creativity and innovation of employees (Ahmadi, 2016), Intellectual Capital (Safari Ojgaz & Rangriz, 2020), effective and efficient planning, financial and technological factors, motivation, commitment and teamwork spirit, knowledge, skills and systemic thinking (Ghrachorloo & ghahremani nahr, 2022), wage and salary (Solminihac, 2017), equipment and technical facilities, salaries and wages, methods of motivating employees (Salimova et al., 2022), work environment, leadership (Djazilan & Arifin, 2022), management style, access to necessary facilities and equipment, and working environment conditions (Hik & Kameswara Rao, 2022). Hence, in the present study, the following research questions were posed:

1. What factors significantly influence human resource productivity?
2. How can the effective factors influencing human resource productivity

    be identified?

3. What is the appropriate time frame of the research?
4. What modeling approach can be used to analyze the factors affecting human resource productivity?

3.Methodology

The research is applied regarding purpose and employs a mixed-method design, integrating meta- synthesis method and structural-interpretive modeling. Meta- synthesis, a type of meta-study method (Bench & Day, 2010), is used when various findings related to a specific topic have been obtained in previous studies. Meta-synthesis requires that the researcher conduct a thorough and deep review and combine the findings of the related researches (Mobasheri & Teimouri, 2023). In the present study, the seven-step meta- synthesis method, presented by Sandelowski and Barroso (2006), was used in order to model the factors affecting the productivity of human resources. The structural-interpretive modeling method is also a method used to analyze the internal relationships between identified variables around a specific topic. It is one of the common research methods in management studies. The statistical population in the first phase comprised previous studies. After evaluating the titles, abstracts, and contents of the available sources, 151 studies were selected to be included in the study. The statistical population of the second phase consisted of academic experts, among whom 17 people were selected through a purposeful sampling procedure to participate in the study.

4.Result

Considering the purpose of the research and also keeping in mind the principles of conducting a meta- synthesis study, the research questions were formulated as already mentioned. As for the research questions, previous experimental studies (published between 2000 and 2023 in English and Persian) were selected as sources for identifying the factors and components affecting the productivity of human resources while meta-synthesis was adopted as the modeling method.

In the next step, the literature was examined and, while searching for keywords appropriate to the topic and purpose of the research in databases and search engines, the necessary resources were identified, evaluated and selected. At this stage, 151 sources were selected to be used in the present study. Then, the selected articles were reviewed and a total of 307 factors affecting the productivity of human resources were identified as initial codes. After extracting these initial codes, all codes were carefully examined while removing duplicate codes and merging similar ones, to identify the final categories affecting the productivity of human resources. Next, the identified categories were organized according to their semantic and conceptual similarity in the form of specific and distinct themes (sub-themes).

Subsequently, by grouping the related sub-themes under broader main themes, a model of the factors affecting human resource productivity was developed, comprising three major themes: individual factors (consisting of two sub-themes of employees’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors), group factors (with two sub-themes of in-group factors and out-group factors), and organizational factors (including four sub-themes of cultural factors, factors related to organizational structure, job-related factors and factors related to organizational processes).

5.Discussion

Although the findings of the present study have been highlighted in previous studies, no research has addressed these factors in an integrated way. For example, Zare et al. (2022), focused on certain organizational processes affecting the productivity of human resources, such as attraction, development, maintenance and exploitation of human resources. However, their study did not consider other organizational processes or the significant roles of individual and group factors in this context. Ghrachorloo and Ghahremani Nahr (2022) also examined some influential individual factors in this relationship such as motivation, commitment and spirit of team work, knowledge, skill and system thinking while overlooking other levels of analysis. This research gap is also evident in studies conducted abroad. Some researchers have studied factors related to the work environment, such as management style, access to necessary facilities and equipment, and the conditions of the work environment in relation to the productivity of human resources while they have not paid attention to other factors (Karthik & Kameswara Rao, 2022). Other researchers have had a one-dimensional approach to these factors or have considered the factors affecting the productivity of human resources only from limited dimensions and aspects (e.g., Solminihac, 2017; Karthik & Kameswara Rao, 2022; Salimova et al. al., 2022). Considering the preceding discussion, the main distinction of the present research from the previous studies lies in modeling the factors affecting human resource productivity within a comprehensive holistic framework.

Conflict of interests: none

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