Implications of frames of reference for strategic human resource management research: Opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Budd, Pohler, and Huang's (Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society 2022) proposed a theory of (mis)matched frames of reference to explain how managers’ and employees’ frames of reference regarding employment relationships may influence the use of human resource (HR) practices and help to explain the HR outcomes and conflicts observed in practice. We concur with Budd et al. that frames of reference provide a valuable and unique approach to studying employment relations and HR systems but have not received much attention. Therefore, we aim to extend their theory of (mis)matched frames of reference to strategic human resource management (HRM) research. We begin this commentary with a summary of their theoretical framework. We then introduce the background of strategic HRM and propose opportunities of applying frames of reference to advance strategic HRM research. Moreover, we discuss challenges of and considerations for using their framework in strategic HRM research.