The role of leadership in human resource management: perspectives and evidence from China

Leadership and human resource management (HRM) have attracted growing interest among researchers worldwide. However, existing studies tend to examine the two interrelated variables separately, which may result in potential biases when estimating their effects and miss important implications of their interaction. Drawing on the relevant literature, we articulate the relationship between leadership and HRM and offer conceptual and empirical insights into the opportunities for integrating the two streams of research. We also highlight the importance of contexts when studying leadership and HRM and present an overview of the twelve papers in this special issue that focus on leadership and HRM issues in China. Finally, we propose an agenda for future research to further integrate leadership and HRM.