Moving beyond the business case: the real living wage in the UK care sector

Purpose This paper aims to reveal the opportunities and challenges of co-produced research projects that aim to generate real-world human resource management (HRM) impact. This research explored whether employer adoption of high-road HRM strategies such as the real living wage (RLW) could simultaneously reduce staff shortages and turnover, as well as tackle in-work poverty among employees. Design/methodology/approach The research was co-produced with key local stakeholders across the care economy in Greater Manchester (GM). It draws on two longitudinal case studies to open up the “black box” of HRM implementation within organisations and to understand the diffusion of HRM policies across organisations. Findings Our collaborative research showed that the HRM intervention (the RLW) had varied impacts for workers, organisations and the broader caring industry in GM. For workers, the RLW had a symbolic impact in recognising the value of their labour; for organisations, there were short-term impacts on staff morale. However, where organisations adopt high-road HRM practices for business rather than moral reasons, these practices are more at risk of withdrawal as market and financial conditions change. The ongoing nature of the research also allowed us to critically evaluate the rollout of the RLW across the care economy and impress upon policymakers the importance of incorporating the RLW into a broader bundle of high-road HRM practices. Originality/value We show how research impact happens at different levels and across different time horizons. Clearly, to overcome deep-rooted staff shortages and turnover, there is a need to understand how individual HRM policies, such as the RLW, are adopted, embedded and sustained over time.