What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to understand how managers' beliefs about employees impact their HRM strategies.

January 16, 2026The Developing Economies0 citations

Managers' Beliefs About Employees and Human Resource Management Strategies: A Case Study of Myanmar's Garment Industry

EKEitaro KojimaJapan External Trade Organization AOAkihiko OhnoAoyama Gakuin University

Key Points

The aim is to understand how managers' beliefs about employees impact their HRM strategies.
Data collected from 629 sewing machine operators and 105 plant managers
Focus on the garment industry in Myanmar
Comparative analysis of economic and social exchange perspectives
Managers viewing employees as rational cheaters hesitate to adopt HRM strategies
Trusting managers are more inclined to implement HRM strategies
Economic and social exchanges significantly influence employee behavior

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores how plant managers' beliefs regarding their employees influence human resource management (HRM) strategies, emphasizing the contrasting perspectives of economics and organizational science. The data for this study were collected from 629 sewing machine operators and 105 plant managers in Myanmar's garment industry. The findings reveal three key points: (1) Economic and social exchanges shape employees' behavior; (2) Managers who view their employees as rational cheaters tend to be hesitant about adopting HRM strategies; and (3) managers who trust in the conscience of their employees are inclined to implement HRM strategies. Given the focus on managers in the labor‐intensive industry in Southeast Asia, this study has significant implications for managers to incorporate diverse viewpoints into HRM strategies. JEL Classification: M12, M54, O15, O53

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