What do tattoo artists know about HRM? Recruitment and selection in the body art sector
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425451111153916 |
| Pages | 570-584 |
| Date | 16 August 2011 |
| Published date | 16 August 2011 |
| Author | Andrew R. Timming |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
What do tattoo artists know about
HRM? Recruitment and selection
in the body art sector
Andrew R. Timming
Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the recruitment and selection procedures employed
in the body art sector.
Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative interviews were conducted with the
owners/managers of eight body art studios located across the USA and the UK.
Findings – The results suggest that recruitment and selection in the body art sector is
characteristically informal and instinctive. It was also found that the use of formal methods of
recruitment and selection in one of the case studies appeared to enhance difficulties in attracting and
retaining talent.
Practical/implications – The research corroborates the argument that smaller firms employ HRM
strategies that are distinct from larger firms. But, more importantly, it also suggests that firm size
could be a red herring in light of the various other factors that simultaneously influence HR service
delivery.
Originality/value – This paper explores HRM practices in a hitherto unstudied sector of
the economy. It also adds another layer of complexity to the academic debates surrounding HRM in
small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Keywords Body art, Recruitment,Selection, Small to medium-sizedenterprises,
United States of America,United Kingdom
Paper type Research paper
The study of management practices in small- and medi um-sized enterprises
(SMEs) is increasingly becoming an integral component of the broader human
resource management literature. There are several specialist journals dedicated to
small business management, as well as a series of high-profile special issues in more
generalist outlets (Katz et al., 2000; Huselid, 2003; Barrett and Mayson, 2004). This
body of literature is indicative of a growing acceptance of SME research within
mainstream HRM circles. In contrast to the formalized HR policies adopted in most
large and multinational firms and espoused in many HRM textbooks, the SME
literature illustrates how smaller firms tend to rely on, variously, unsystematic,
improvised, and informal HR strategies (Storey, 1994; Matlay, 1999; Wilk inson, 1999).
The corpus of literature on HRM in SMEs broadly converges around a consensusthat
the formalization of HR practices is positively related to firm size, with the implicit
assumption being that smaller firms suffer from an HR “deficit” (Behrends, 2007) in
comparison to larger firms. This broad dichotomization of large and small firms
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
The author would like to thank the Editor and all those involved in the peer-review process.
He also would like to thank John Budd and Tony Dundon for helpful comments. Finally, he is
grateful to the interviewees for their time.
ER
33,5
570
Received 2 November 2010
Revised 20 February 2011
Accepted 14 March 2011
Employee Relations
Vol. 33 No. 5, 2011
pp. 570-584
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425451111153916
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