Human Resource Management Configurations and Their Impact on Macroeconomic Indicators in Kazakhstan
https://doi.org/10.47703/ejebs.v69i2.516
Abstract
Human resource management (hereinafter – HRM) has become a key factor in the adaptability of organisations in the context of instability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the types of organisational configurations in HRM and macroeconomic indicators in a hybrid institutional environment in Kazakhstan. The research methods employed include categorical coding of organisational characteristics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), univariate analysis (ANOVA), and linear regression to assess the relationship between HRM configurations and GDP and employment indicators. The initial data covered the period from 2010 to 2024, including organisational characteristics of 26 small and medium-sized enterprises in Kazakhstan, as well as official industry statistics on GDP and employment, aggregated by four types of HRM configurations. The following key results were obtained: the HRM model in education and science demonstrated the most excellent effectiveness, having a significant impact on both GDP (F = 2369.3, p <0.001); the agricultural model showed a high correlation with employment (F = 116.99, p <0.001); the digital-creative model was significant only in terms of GDP (F = 109.4, p <0.001); the industrial hierarchical model showed the least impact on both indicators. These findings confirm that HRM models embedded in flexible, multifunctional structures with a development focus produce greater institutional and economic resilience. The study contributes to developing HRM typologies in transitional settings and offers evidence-based guidance for redesigning organisational systems aligned with sectoral performance and labor market priorities.
About the Authors
Meruyert Kanabekova
Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai, Sorbonne Institute-Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Cand. Sc. (Econ.), Associate Professor, Email: kma.2372@mail.ru
Gaukhar Taspenova
Narxoz University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Cand. Sc. (Econ.), Professor, Email: Gaukhar.taspenova@narxoz.kz
Galiya Mazhiyeva
Sharbat Igenbayeva
ALT University named after Mukhamedzhan Tynyshpayev, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Sc. (Econ.), Assistant Teacher, Email: Sharbat89@mail.ru
Kuralai Demeuova
ALT University named after Mukhamedzhan Tynyshpayev, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
M. Sc. (Econ.), Senior Lecturer, Email: k.d.zh@mail.ru
References
1. Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice (11th ed.). Kogan Page. Retrieved from https://e-uczelnia.uek.krakow.pl
2. Avdelidou-Fischer, N. (2006). The relationship between organizational structures and performance: the case of the fortune 500. In Value Creation in Multinational Enterprise, International Finance Review, 7, 169-206. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1569-3767(06)07008-7
3. Ben-Ner, A., & Ren, T. (2013). Comparing workplace organization design based on form of ownership: Nonprofit, for-profit, and local government. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 44(2), 340-359. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764013512422
4. Blake, R. R., & Mouton, J. S. (1981). Management by Grid® principles or situationalism: Which? Group & Organization Studies, 6(4), 439-455. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960118100600404
5. Blom, R., Kruyen, P. M., Van Thiel, S., & Van der Heijden, B. I. (2021). HRM philosophies and policies in semi-autonomous agencies: Identification of important contextual factors. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(18), 3862-3887. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2019.1640768
6. Brewster, C. (2017). Human resource practices in multinational companies. The Blackwell Handbook of Cross‐Cultural Management, 126-141. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405164030.ch7
7. Burton, R. M., Obel, B., & Håkonsson, D. D. (2015). Organizational Design: A Step-by-Step Approach (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from
8. https://assets.cambridge.org/97805216/17338/copyright/9780521617338_copyright.pdf
9. Child, J. (2005). Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice. Wiley.
10. Cregan, C., Kulik, C. T., Johnston, S., & Bartram, T. (2021). The influence of calculative (“hard”) and collaborative (“soft”) HRM on the layoff‐performance relationship in high performance workplaces. Human Resource Management Journal, 31(1), 202-224. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12291
11. Cuypers, I. R., Ertug, G., Cantwell, J., Zaheer, A., & Kilduff, M. (2020). Making connections: Social networks in international business. Journal of international business studies, 51, 714-736. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-020-00319-9
12. Daft, R. L. (2012). Organization Theory and Design (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
13. Dalton, K., & Druker, J. (2012). Transferring HR concepts and practices within multi-national corporations in Romania: The management experience. European Management Journal, 30(6), 588-602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2011.12.003
14. Dessler, G., Cole, N. D., & Chhinzer, N. (2015). Management of human resources: The essentials (4th ed.). Pearson Education Canada.
15. Diani, R. D., Hamida, H., & Sudiarditha, I. K. R. (2024). The Role of Human Resources in Human Capital Management. Siber Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary, 2(1), 145-160. https://doi.org/10.38035/sjam.v2i1.145
16. Donaldson, L. (2001). The Contingency Theory of Organizations. Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452229249
17. Englmaier, F., Foss, N. J., Knudsen, T., & Kretschmer, T. (2018). Organization design and firm heterogeneity: Towards an integrated research agenda for strategy. Organization design, 229-252. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0742-332220180000040008
18. Ferreira, M. P., Serra, F. A. R., & Pinto, C. S. F. (2014). Culture and Hofstede (1980) in international business studies: A bibliometric study in top management journals. REGE-Revista de Gestão, 21(3), 379-399. https://doi.org/10.5700/rege536
19. Galbraith, J. R. (2012). The evolution of enterprise organization designs. Journal of Organization Design, 1(2), 1-13. Retrieved from https://ssrn.com/abstract=2181930
20. Gooderham, P. N., Mayrhofer, W., & Brewster, C. (2019). A framework for comparative institutional research on HRM. The international journal of human resource management, 30(1), 5-30. https://doi.org/10.1504/EJIM.2007.014696
21. Górecki, J., Núñez-Cacho, P., & Rutkowska, M. (2022). Study on circular economy implementation propensity of construction companies in context of prevailing management styles. Applied Sciences, 12(8), 3991. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083991
22. Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1982). Grid® principles and situationalism: Both! A response to Blake and Mouton. Group & Organization Studies, 7(2), 207-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960118200700207
23. Hiltrop, J. M. (1996). The impact of human resource management on organisational performance: Theory and research. European management journal, 14(6), 628-637. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-2373(96)00059-X
24. Hofstede, G. (1984). Cultural dimensions in management and planning. Asia Pacific journal of management, 1, 81-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733682
25. Hofstede, G. (1993). Cultural constraints in management theories. Academy of Management Perspectives, 7(1), 81-94. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.1993.9409142061
26. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson.
27. Kamoche, K. (1996). Strategic human resource management within a resource‐capability view of the firm. Journal of Management studies, 33(2), 213-233. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.1996.tb00158.x
28. Oyler, J. D., & Golden Pryor, M. (2009). Workplace diversity in the United States: the perspective of Peter Drucker. Journal of Management History, 15(4), 420-451. https://doi.org/10.1108/17511340910987338
29. Saha, A., Ali, A. I., Tasrif, A. A., & Khan, N. A. (2025). The Impact of Human Capital on Labor Productivity and Income: An Analytical Study of Education, Skills, and Workforce Attributes. Pacific Journal of Business Innovation and Strategy, 2(1), 34-38. https://doi.org/10.70818/pjbis.2025.v02i01.026
30. Sarwar, A., Khan, M. A., Sarwar, Z., & Khan, W. (2021). Financial development, human capital and its impact on economic growth of emerging countries. Asian Journal of Economics and Banking, 5(1), 86-100. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEB-06-2020-0015
31. Seitova, D. (2016). Perspectives on the Present State and Future of Higher Education Faculty Development in Kazakhstan: Implications for National Human Resource Development. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 11(18), 11081-11096. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1120637
32. Shakharovа A., Bashu, Z., Ybyraiym, N., & Kanapina, A. (2025). Evaluation of the effectiveness of utilizing national human resources of the republic of Kazakhstan in the context of socio-economic development. Statistics, Accounting and Audit, 1(96), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.51579/1563-2415.2025.-1.02
33. Sheehan, M., & Sparrow, P. (2012). Introduction: Global human resource management and economic change: A multiple level of analysis research agenda. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(12), 2393-2403. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.668382
34. Sparrow, P., Schuler, R. S., & Jackson, S. E. (1994). Convergence or divergence: human resource practices and policies for competitive advantage worldwide. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 5(2), 267-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585199400000019
35. Storey, J. (1996). From personnel management to HRM: The implications for teaching. ASIA Pacific journal of human resources, 33(3), 4-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/103841119603300302
36. Strauss, G. (2001). HRM in the USA: correcting some British impressions. International Journal of Human resource management, 12(6), 873-897. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190122941
37. Kroon, B., & Paauwe, J. (2022). HRM in 21st century small organizations: a midrange typology to describe, contrast and contextualize the phenomenon. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 33(16), 3224-3251. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2021.1915359
38. Latukha, M., & Malko, K. (2019). Westernization or localization of human resource management practices in CIS countries? Evidence from Kazakh firms. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 14(3), 385-409. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-05-2016-0122
39. Legge, K. (1989). Information technology: personnel management’s lost opportunity? Personnel Review, 18(5), 2-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000000774
40. Lunenburg, F. C. (2012). Organizational structure: Mintzberg’s framework. International journal of scholarly, academic, intellectual diversity, 14(1), 1-8. Retrieved from
41. http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred%20C.%20Organizational%20Structure%20%20Mintzberg%20Framework%20IJSAID%20V14%20N1%202012.pdf
42. Lunenburg, F. C. (2017). Organizational Structure and Design. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 1(1), 21-43. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1226963
43. Martela, F. (2019). What makes self-managing organizations novel? Comparing how Weberian bureaucracy, Mintzberg’s adhocracy, and self-organizing solve six fundamental problems of organizing. Journal of Organization Design, 8(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41469-019-0062-9
44. Masyhuri, M. (2022). HRM comparative performance and practices within MNCs’ subsidiaries in Kazakhstan. Eurasian Journal of Economic and Business Studies, 63(1), 31-61. https://doi.org/10.47703/ejebs.v1i63.71
45. Medlin, C. J. (2012). Peter Drucker's ontology: understanding business relationships and networks. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 27(7), 513-520. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858621211257275
46. Mintzberg, H. (1979). The Structuring of Organizations: A Synthesis of the Research. Prentice-Hall. Retrieved from https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0907/ML090710600.pdf
47. Mueller, F. (1996). Human resources as strategic assets: an evolutionary resource‐based theory. Journal of Management studies, 33(6), 757-785. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.1996.tb00171.x
48. Nurbekova, R. (2020). HRM in public sector in Kazakhstan. BULLETIN of Ablai Khan KazUIRandWL Series “International Relations and Regional Studies”, 42(4). https://doi.org/10.48371/ISMO.2020.%2042.4.007
49. Vîrjan, D., Manole, A. M., Stanef-Puică, M. R., Chenic, A. S., Papuc, C. M., Huru, D., & Bănacu, C. S. (2023). Competitiveness—the engine that boosts economic growth and revives the economy. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11, 1130173. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1130173
50. White, L., Lockett, A., Currie, G., & Hayton, J. (2021). Hybrid context, management practices and organizational performance: A configurational approach. Journal of Management Studies, 58(3), 718-748. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12609
Review
For citations:
Kanabekova M., Taspenova G., Mazhiyeva G., Igenbayeva Sh., Demeuova K. Human Resource Management Configurations and Their Impact on Macroeconomic Indicators in Kazakhstan. Eurasian Journal of Economic and Business Studies. 2025;69(2):109–127. https://doi.org/10.47703/ejebs.v69i2.516
Views:
41
JATS XML
Email this article 