Navigating Institutional Complexity: How Context Shapes Talent Management Implementation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of Draft

Abstract: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face distinctive challenges when implementing talent management (TM) practices, yet research has historically focused on large organizations in Anglo-American contexts. This article examines how institutional environments shape TM implementation in SMEs through the lens of institutional logics. Drawing on qualitative research with French SMEs and broader comparative evidence, we identify three dominant institutional logics—state, union, and market—that function as antecedents to TM implementation. Critically, SMEs are not passive recipients of institutional pressures but exercise agency through various tactics: minimal formal compliance supplemented by informal practices, collaborative narratives with symbolic adherence, and cost-focused imitation. These agentic responses generate persistent tensions—flexibility versus security, effectiveness versus legitimacy, and authenticity versus conformity—that fundamentally shape how TM unfolds in practice. We contribute to the TM literature by contextualizing implementation challenges, revealing the interplay between institutional structures and organizational agency, and providing actionable insights for practitioners navigating complex institutional environments. The findings challenge one-size-fits-all TM approaches and underscore the importance of understanding context-specific belief systems, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder expectations when designing and implementing talent strategies in resource-constrained organizations.

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