Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been an evolution in the paradigms under which the industrial worker is perceived and dealt with. These paradigms can be briefly listed in the order of their evolutionary stage as: the food-gatherer, the economic man, the social man, the resourceful man, and the enterprising man. Each of them is a combination of two basic paradigms in different proportions, namely, the outsider paradigm and the partnership paradigm. Obviously, the paradigmatic perspectives of management about their workers will have a significant influence on how they treat their workers, which may become especially conspicuous during recessions and other kinds of hard times. It was in this context that we designed a study to understand the human resource strategies of companies during a period of recession. Data for this study was collected through the content analysis of 46 published cases, wherein we developed the ratings of two sets of variables, namely: the external and internal environments of the company and the strategic actions taken by the respective managements. A surprising finding of the study is that the correlations between the environmental factors and the strategy factors were small and non-significant; moreover, the correlations involving the external environment were smaller than those involving the internal environment. Hence, it may be inferred that strategic actions are influenced primarily by the paradigmatic perspectives of management rather than environmental factors. In order to identify the different types of paradigmatic perspectives, we have further carried out a cluster analysis to develop a taxonomy of paradigms. The results showed that there are five sub-paradigms, which are: (1) Pacifiers, constituting 35% of the sample; (2) Modifiers, constituting 22%; (3) Molders, constituting 17%; (4) Enhancers, constituting 15%; and (5) Exploiters, constituting 11%. The limitations of the study and the implications of the findings are discussed in the concluding part.

The rapid digitalisation of business processes and the widespread adoption of remote work since the COVID‑19 pandemic have forced private enterprises to re‑examine the role of human resource management (HRM). Drawing on the resource‑based view, this study investigates how digital HR strategies—covering recruitment & selection, training & development, performance management and digital employee services—affect employee engagement and firm performance in a context where a significant portion of the workforce operates remotely. Using survey data from 150 employees and managers in 50 privately owned firms in Chongqing, China, supplemented by semi‑structured interviews with HR leaders, we develop a digital HR adoption index and test its impact on remote work effectiveness and organisational performance. The results show that higher levels of digital HR adoption positively influence employee engagement, reduce perceptions of relative deprivation and cyberloafing, and enhance remote work effectiveness. Regression analysis further indicates that remote work effectiveness mediates the relationship between digital HR adoption and organisational performance. Qualitative insights highlight the importance of leadership support, training and the integration of platforms such as WeChat Work, DingTalk and Tencent Meeting for managing remote teams. Our findings offer evidence‑based recommendations for private enterprises in emerging economies to align digital HR strategies with remote working arrangements, support employee well‑being and sustain performance.