Abstract
We present an overview of what we believe to be every empirical research article into the linkages
between human resource management and performance published in pre-eminent international refereed
journals between 1994 and 2003 (n=104). The analysis covers the design of the study, including the
primary level of analysis and the identity of the respondent; the dominant theoretical framework(s)
informing the article; how HRM is conceived and operationalised; how performance is conceived and
operationalised, and which control and/or contingency variables are incorporated. Finally, the article
examines how each study depicts the so-called „black box‟ stage between HRM and performance. We
report wide disparities in the treatment of these components, but also some welcome commonalities and
indicative trends that point toward a gradual convergence on how future research into this complex
relationship might usefully be conducted. The findings are compared with previous reviews of the
literature. The analysis should illuminate the ongoing debate about the linkages between HRM and
performance and prove valuable for future research designs.