The "Classical Model" for practising Human Resource Management

...or is there a need for an integrated approach including specialised human resource strategies?

Essay , 2008 , 16 Pages , Grade: 2,3

Leadership and Human Resources - Miscellaneous

During recent years an efficient Human Resource Management (HRM) has
become more and more important for companies to achieve and sustain both
competitiveness and economic success. Leopold, Harris and Watson (2005)
mentioned that Human Resources became matters of considerable competitive
advantage. Human Resources, respectively the skills and knowledge of an
organisation’s staff, as Hamel and Prahalat (1994) called it, has transformed
through massive changes in the economical, technological, sociocultural,
judicial and political conditions to one of the most important strategic factor of
success for companies these days. HRM, as a reaction to these changes in
‘Personnel Management’, attempts to find various methods of resolution for
practice. If ‘Personnel Management’, ’HRM’ or ‘SHRM’, they all have a common
goal: obtaining the achievement potential of all organisational members best as
possible. But the ‘HRM’ approach goes beyond the traditional approach of
‘Personnel Management’, having a broader focus on the necessary
interdependence of all components with each other as well as the connection to
other compartments of companies, whose success is seen in straight
connection with personnel measures.
Thereby Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) can be seen as
extension of HRM, and following the definition of Boxall (1996) it deals with the
relationship between the strategic management of an organisation and the
management of its human resources within this strategic context. In that case
the focus is on long-term personnel decisions as well as on the question how an
interaction of corporate and personnel strategy can be achieved.
Initially this work is going to introduce and define different organizational
strategies as well as key human resource strategies. This shall be followed by a
critical evaluation of the concepts by opposing the pros to the cons. Therein the
difficulties and between Organisational Strategy, Human Resource Strategy and
the Organizational Environment shall be shown. The work results in a final
conclusion.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Models of Organisational Strategy
  • Definition of 'Strategy'
  • The 'Classical Approach' to Organizational Strategy
  • The 'Processual Approach' to Organizational Strategy
  • The 'Systemic Approach' to Organizational Strategy
• Definition of Theoretical Approaches to SHRM
  • The 'Closed Matching Model'
  • The 'Open Matching Model'
• Critical Evaluation of the Selected Concepts
• Conclusion

Objectives and Key Themes

This essay aims to examine the effectiveness of the "Classical Model" in Human Resource Management (HRM) and whether an integrated approach incorporating additional organizational and specialized human resource strategies is necessary. The essay explores various models of organizational strategy and theoretical approaches to Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM).

• The importance of effective HRM for achieving and sustaining competitiveness and economic success.
• The evolution of HRM from traditional "Personnel Management" to a strategic function.
• The relationship between organizational strategy, human resource strategy, and the organizational environment.
• The "Classical Model" of HRM and its limitations.
• The potential benefits and challenges of integrating additional organizational and specialized human resource strategies.

Chapter Summaries

The first chapter introduces the importance of Human Resource Management (HRM) in achieving organizational success, highlighting its evolution from "Personnel Management." This chapter also defines key concepts such as Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and its relationship to organizational strategy.

Chapter two explores different models of organizational strategy, focusing on the "Classical Approach," the "Processual Approach," and the "Systemic Approach."

Chapter three defines theoretical approaches to SHRM, focusing on the "Closed Matching Model" and the "Open Matching Model."

Chapter four critically evaluates the concepts discussed in the previous chapters, analyzing the pros and cons of each approach and highlighting the complexities of aligning organizational strategy, human resource strategy, and the organizational environment.

Keywords

The key terms and focus topics of this work include: Human Resource Management (HRM), Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), organizational strategy, classical model, processual approach, systemic approach, closed matching model, open matching model, and the relationship between organizational strategy and human resource strategy.

• College: University of Western Sydney (School of Management)
• Course: Human Resource Strategy
• Grade: 2,3
• Author: Tim Wilczek (Author)
• Publication Year: 2008
• Pages: 16
• Catalog Number: V115412
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640173440
• ISBN (Book): 9783640173709
• Language: English
• Tags: Resource, Management, Resource, Model, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Strategy, Classical Model, HRM, HRS