The whole is more than the sum of its parts? How HRM is configured in nonprofit organizations and why it matters

Evidence points to the central importance of configurations of mutually reinforcing HR practices as they are assumed to provide the basis for understanding how HRM relates to organizational performance. While progress has been made regarding the construction and effects of HR architectures in the for-profit literature, few studies investigate how HR architectures are configured in nonprofit organizations (NPOs). Therefore, this paper aims to advance a conceptual model that captures the relationship between ideal types of HR architectures and performance in NPOs. We develop theoretical propositions that provide further insight on the HR programs and HR practices that define the HR architectures and entail implications about variations in performance outcomes in NPOs.

► Sheds light on the configuration of HR architectures in nonprofit organizations.
► Advances a conceptual model that relates HR architectures with performance.
► Discusses differences between intended HR programs and implemented HR practices.