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

Ali Asghar mobasheri ¹ ( Ph.D Candidate, Department of Human Resource Management, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran )
Mohadese Nadershahi ² ( Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial engineering, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran )
Seyed Rasool Anbarzadeh ³ ( phD candidate, Department Industrial Engineering Imam Hussain university, Tehran, iran )

Submited date : 2023-12-31 Accepted date : 2024-05-21

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 designed and implemented to modeling the factors affecting the productivity of human resources. The research is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of method, which was carried out with meta- synthesis method. Due to the nature of the meta-synthesis method, the statistical population of the research is made up of previous studies. After searching and finding the available sources, through the review and evaluation of the title, abstract and content of the found sources, the selection of suitable sources to conduct the research was done as a sample. After analyzing the collected data, the factors affecting the productivity of human resources were modeled in 4 main themes of individual factors (consisting of sub-themes of knowledge factors, attitudinal factors and factors related to skill and ability), group factors (including the sub- themes of in-group and out-group factors), job factors (with two sub-themes of job environment and job-related factors) and organizational factors (consisting of 3 sub-themes of cultural factors, factors related to organizational structure and factors related to organizational processes). The results indicate that solving the problems of human resource productivity or improving it, can not be viewed as a one-dimensional issue, and simple linear and single-variable models are not sufficient to answer the problems of the productivity of human resources in organizations.

Key words: Productivity, human resources Productivity, Meta-Synthesis.

Introduction

Although productivity has always been one of the topics of interest to managers and researchers in the field of organization and management; Nevertheless, the paradigm shift 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, the productivity of human resources and the factors affecting it have become one of the main research trends in the literature of human resources management in the past years, and many studies related to the identification of the factors affecting the productivity of human resources in organizations have been designed and implemented all over the world. On the other hand, the review of the studies conducted in connection with the factors affecting the productivity of human resources shows that different researchers have identified different factors in this field. These various factors have been identified as the antecedents of human resource productivity, which is the result of different views of researchers on this issue; It can increase the complexity of this issue for managers. Because managers and policy makers need coherent and integrated frameworks to enable them to understand the phenomenon under investigation during decision-making and planning. Therefore, it is necessary to present the factors affecting the productivity of human resources in a way that, while reducing the complexity of the problem, can increase the insight of managers in this connection. . Therefore, the present study is designed with the aim of identifying and modeling the factors affecting the productivity of human resources and providing a coherent and comprehensive framework in this connection and covering a corner of the existing scientific gap.

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 to work, the purpose of which is to make activities more intelligent in order to achieve a better and superior 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 quantitative and qualitative aspects). While productivity from a managerial point of view means the sum of effectiveness (fulfillment of goals) and efficiency (reduction of costs) (Anjanarko & Jahroni, 2022). The literature review also shows that different factors have been identified as antecedents of human resources productivity in different studies. 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, working environment conditions (hik & Kameswara Rao, 2022).

Methodology

This study is a qualitative research that was conducted using the meta- synthesis method. Meta-composite, which is one of the types of meta-study method (Bench & Day, 2010) and 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 related researches (Zimmer, 2006). In this research, the seven-step meta- synthesis method presented by Sandelowski & Barroso (2006) was used in order to model the factors affecting the productivity of human resources. And thematic analysis method has been used in order to analyze and combine the data and report the final results of meta- synthesis (data categorization and thematization process). Thematic analysis is a systematic method for recognizing, organizing and reporting the semantic patterns (themes) of ideas and guidelines in the investigated data; And because of its practicality and flexibility, it has become one of the most common methods of qualitative data analysis (Braun, & Clarke, 2012).

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 first. What are the effective factors on the productivity of human resources? How can the effective factors on the productivity of human resources be identified? What is the desired time frame of the research? What is the method of modeling factors affecting the productivity of human resources? In this connection, the previous experimental studies (published between 2000 and 2023 in English and Persian languages) as sources for identifying the factors and components affecting the productivity of human resources and meta- synthesis as a modeling method, were chosen. 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 for use in the research. Then, the text of the selected articles was reviewed and a total of 307 factors affecting the productivity of human resources were identified as primary. After extracting the primary codes, all the codes were carefully examined and while removing duplicate codes and merging similar codes, the final categories affecting the productivity of human resources were identified. After that, the identified categories were categorized according to the semantic and conceptual similarity in the form of specific and distinct themes (sub-themes). Then, by categorizing the identified sub-themes related to each other in the form of the main themes, modeling the factors affecting the productivity of human resources in 4 themes was done that includes: individual factors (consisting of 3 sub-themes of knowledge factors, attitude factors and factors related to skill and ability), Group factors (It has 2 sub-themes of intra-group factors and inter-group factors), Job factors (with 2 sub-themes of factors related to job environment and factors related to job) and Organizational factors (It consists of 3 sub-themes of cultural factors, factors related to organizational structure and factors related to organizational processes).

Discussion

Although the findings have been emphasized in other studies, however, no study has considered these factors in an integrated way. For example, Zare et al. (2022), have paid attention to some organizational processes affecting the productivity of human resources, such as the processes of attraction, development, maintenance and exploitation of human resources, but other processes as well as individual and group factors And they do not discuss an effective job in this connection. Ghrachorloo & ghahremani nahr (2022), have also examined some influential individual factors in this relationship such as motivation, commitment and spirit of team work, knowledge, skill and system thinking; Other levels of analysis have been ignored. 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 (Solminihac, 2017; Karthik & Kameswara Rao, 2022; Salimova et al. al., 2022). According to these explanations, the most important difference between the present research and the previous studies is the modeling of factors affecting the productivity of human resources in the form of a comprehensive framework with a holistic approach.

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