Human Resource Management Based on the AMO (Ability, Motivation, Opportunity) Framework in Family Businesses

A Case Study of PT SMI

Authors

  • Eunike Sarah Ronauli Pangaribuan Universitas Sumatera Utara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55606/ijemr.v5i1.668

Keywords:

Ability–Motivation–Opportunity, Employee Development, Family Business, Human Resource Management, PT SMI

Abstract

This study aims to explore human resource management practices based on the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) framework in family businesses, using a case study of PT Selat Malaka Indonesia (PT SMI), which operates in the energy distribution sector. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach with an intrinsic case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, limited observation, and documentation studies involving the owner, managers, and non-family employees, and were then analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that the management of ability at PT SMI develops evolutively through work-based learning, senior–junior mentoring, and unstructured external training. Employee motivation is primarily shaped by job security, a family-oriented culture, and trust, although it still faces challenges in the form of work fatigue, career stagnation, and the absence of formal performance indicators. Meanwhile, opportunity is more dominant at the operational level through the delegation of technical authority and open communication, but remains limited in strategic decision-making. These findings indicate that the AMO framework at PT SMI functions implicitly as a foundation for the sustainability of the family business, yet requires systematic strengthening so that human resource professionalization can proceed in balance with family values.

References

Alkhalaf, T., & Al-Tabbaa, O. (2024). The effect of ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO) on SMEs’ innovation performance. Creativity and Innovation Management, 33(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12578

Allen, D. G., Bryant, P. C., & Vardaman, J. M. (2010). Retaining talent: Replacing misconceptions with evidence-based strategies. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(2), 48–64. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.24.2.48

Alzuod, M. (2024). The impact of talent management on innovation: The empirical study of pharmaceutical companies. Corporate and Business Strategy Review, 5, 72–79. https://doi.org/10.22495/cbsrv5i2art6

Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. (2001). Do high performance work systems pay off? Research in the Sociology of Work, 10, 85–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-2833(01)80022-4

Arifah, A., Waskita, G., Saputro, B., Kusumadewi, R., Chakim, M., Rachmadi, K., … Pustaka, S. (2025). Bisnis dan kewirausahaan era digital.

Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2020). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice (15th ed.). Kogan Page.

Astrachan, C. B., Botero, I., Astrachan, J. H., & Prügl, R. (2018). Branding the family firm: A review, integrative framework proposal, and research agenda. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 9(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2018.01.002

Basco, R. (2023). Family business management. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003273240

Bechter, B., Brandl, B., & Lehr, A. (2022). The role of capability, opportunity, and motivation of firms for using human resource analytics. New Technology, Work and Employment, 37(3), 398–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12239

Bos-Nehles, A., Townsend, K., Cafferkey, K., & Trullen, J. (2023). Examining the ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO) framework in HRM research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 25(4), 725–739. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12332

Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Budhwar, P. (2022). Editorial. Human Resource Management Journal, 32(3), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12380

Colquitt, J. A., Scott, B. A., Rodell, J. B., Long, D. M., Zapata, C. P., Conlon, D. E., & Wesson, M. J. (2013). Justice at the millennium, a decade later. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 199–236. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031757

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.

Daspit, J. J., Madison, K., Barnett, T., & Long, R. G. (2018). The emergence of bifurcation bias from unbalanced families. Human Resource Management Review, 28(1), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.05.003

De Kok, J., Thurik, R., & Uhlaner, L. (2003). Professional HRM practices in family owned-managed enterprises. EIM.

Elsbach, K. D., & Pieper, T. M. (2019). How psychological needs motivate family firm identification. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 10(3), 100289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2019.100289

Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Mendoza-Lopez, A., Cruz, C., Duran, P., & Aguinis, H. (2024). Socioemotional wealth in volatile contexts. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 15(1), 100551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2022.100551

Hasson Fandy, A., & Abdul Jabbar Ibrahim, S. (2019). The impact of using AMO model in achieving competitive advantage. International Review of Management and Business Research, 8(4).

Kauanui, S., Solomon, G., & Fernald, L. (2001). Issues in growing a family business. Journal of Small Business Management, 39(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/0447-2778.00002

Marin-Garcia, J. A., & Tomas, J. M. (2016). Deconstructing AMO framework. Intangible Capital, 12(4), 1040–1087. https://doi.org/10.3926/ic.838

Michiels, A., Arijs, D., & Uhlaner, L. (2022). Formal HRM in family SMEs. Review of Managerial Science, 16(8), 2553–2576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-021-00509-1

Nor, N. M., Johar, E. R., & Khairi, S. M. M. (2021). Human resource practices, AMO model and employee commitment. International Journal of Business and Society, 22(3), 1602–1622. https://doi.org/10.33736/ijbs.4324.2021

O’Shea, M., & Duarte Alonso, A. (2022). Human resource management adaptation among family firms. Journal of Family Business Management, 12(1), 90–105. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-05-2020-0045

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.

Rosecká, N., & Machek, O. (2023). How relational conflict harms family firm performance. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 44(4), 854–869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-022-09877-6

Tsao, C. W., Le Breton-Miller, I., Miller, D., & Chen, S. J. (2021). Firing managers. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 12(3), 100411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2020.100411

Waldkirch, M. (2020). Nonfamily CEOs in family firms. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 11(1), 100305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2019.100305

Waterwall, B., & Alipour, K. K. (2021). Nonfamily employees’ perceptions of treatment in family businesses. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 12(3), 100387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2020.100387

Yu, J. (2024). Strategic human resource management: Catalyzing organizational behavior and performance. In Advances in economics, business and management research (pp. 415–421). https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-257-6_49

Zaman, A., Kabir, A., Osman, A., & Jalil, M. (2022). Strategic human resource management, human capital management and talent management. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 21(1).

Downloads

Published

2026-01-14

How to Cite

Eunike Sarah Ronauli Pangaribuan. (2026). Human Resource Management Based on the AMO (Ability, Motivation, Opportunity) Framework in Family Businesses: A Case Study of PT SMI. International Journal of Economics and Management Research, 5(1), 410–423. https://doi.org/10.55606/ijemr.v5i1.668

Similar Articles

<< < 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.