Identifying the Reliability and Validity of Hard and Soft HRM Measures: A Study on the Banking Sector of Bangladesh

Abstract

The effectiveness of Human Resource Management (HRM) is based on the realization of two models of HRM – the ‘Hard’ model and the ‘Soft’ model, which are now widely practiced. No study was conducted in the context of Bangladesh. Thus, a valid and reliable measurement of Hard and Soft HRM is vital for managing human resources in changing competitive business
environments. This study explores HRM practices in the banking sector of Bangladesh in terms of these two categories. The results indicate that the scale used in the study is valid and reliable to conduct further studies. Descriptive statistics reveals that the banking sector of Bangladesh practices a combination of both Hard and Soft HRM. It is found that most employees of the banks of Bangladesh think that HRM practices and policies can increase employee motivation, satisfaction, commitment, and welfare. Many of the employees in fact consider the HRM practices and policies as fair and facilitating towards employee development.