Unraveling HRM: Identity, Ceremony, and Control in a Management Consulting Firm
研究一家大型跨国管理咨询公司的人力资源管理系统，发现员工对HRM的普遍信任与其具体实践体验不符，从文化象征角度提出过度仪式化、身份项目和期望控制等概念来解释HRM的作用。
This paper addresses human resources management (HRM) systems and practices in a large multinational management consultancy firm. The firm invests considerable resources in HRM, and is frequently praised by employees for its accomplishments in hiring, developing, and promotion. However, this general faith in HRM does not align particularly well with employees’ experiences and perceptions of the specific HRM practices in the firm. The paper critically interprets the meaning and the functions of the HRM system and the beliefs supporting it. The paper suggests a reinterpretation of HRM systems and practices based on a cultural-symbolic perspective. It introduces the concepts of excess ceremonialism, identity projects, and aspirational control to highlight and interpret the significance of organizational symbolism in accounting for the role of HRM systems and practices, and the various effects of HRM systems and practices on employee identity and compliance.