Employee reactions to human resource management and performance in a developing country : Evidence from Eritrea

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine employee reactions to human resource management (HRM) and performance. It placed employees on a centre stage in analysing HRM to provide theoretical insights. Design/methodology/approach – To explore the theme, a survey of 252 employees drawn from eight organisations was conducted. Furthermore, on‐site interviews were carried out with managers, thereby contributing to the generalisability of the findings. Findings – The findings from the study indicate a positive attitude of employees to HRM practices, such as promotion from within, staffing, equal employment opportunity, quality of training, reasonable compensation and paid vacation and sick days. Moreover, the evidence also shows that productivity has been increasing while employee turnover, absenteeism, and grievances are low. However, the evidence also reveals that training was not integrated in a planned way to employee career development. Research limitations/implications – The present study adds to a growing literature that helps the understanding of HRM policies and practices in a developing country context. Future research would benefit from additional research in this area in other geographical settings to better understand the generalisability of the findings reported. Originality/value – In contrast with previous research, which has predominantly been conducted from a managerial perspective, this article deals with employee perceptions. This emphasises the importance of exploring employee reactions towards HRM practices, policies and other aspects of firm life.