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Cross‐boundary working: Implications for HRM theory, methods, and practice
Author(s) -
Kinnie Nicholas,
Swart Juani
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
human resource management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.44
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1748-8583
pISSN - 0954-5395
DOI - 10.1111/1748-8583.12239
Subject(s) - boundary (topology) , simultaneity , consistency (knowledge bases) , boundary work , work (physics) , control (management) , knowledge management , business , computer science , sociology , management , mathematics , engineering , economics , physics , artificial intelligence , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , social science , classical mechanics
Major changes have taken place in work organisation, which originate predominantly from working across organisational boundaries. This paper argues for a more sophisticated approach to HRM that includes three types of cross‐boundary working, that is, intraorganisational, interorganisational, and transorganisational. Herein lies the contribution of our paper; we argue that we cannot assume a transition from one type of working to another because cross‐boundary forms of working coexist. We also need to understand the tensions of this simultaneity at the levels of the organisation/network, HRM systems, and the individual. We consider the impact of the simultaneous existence of these types of cross‐boundary working for the following: (a) theory, especially the development of HRM systems; (b) methods, including an activity‐based unit of analysis; and (c) practice, where we pay attention to the challenges of control, collaboration, and consistency.