Dhar observes that the aspect of strategic human resource management is integral in setting goals and objectives for an organization.4 According to the author, the aspiration to work and remain committed at workplace can only be nurtured and sustained through strategic human resource management. In any case, goals form part and parcel of the success agenda required by all business organizations. However, strategic human resource management should be effectively aligned with the adopted organizational goals so that the desired success can be attained. It is the duty of management teams to prioritize the set goals in terms of urgency or relevance. Although Dhar attempts to correlate goal setting with strategic human resource management, the author has does not clearly explain some of the loopholes that may hamper the attainment of the goals set.
Perhaps, the arguments presented by Gannon, Doherty and Roper may be justified to some extent bearing in mind that the aspects of competitive advantage and human resource development in organizations have been explored.5 All the human resource management practices should be curtailed towards a rigorous competitive advantage. In other words, it is the role of an HR officer to high the most talented employees who can deliver according to the needs of an organization. As a matter of fact, strategic working groups within an organization can be used as the best platform for launching strategic production. Strategic groups have been known to be quite effective in service delivery in organizations. However, overreliance on strategic groups may pose serious limitations especially is employed for a long time. There is need to undertake additional research on the significance of strategic groups since attaining a sustainable competitive advantage is a strenuous task. The study by Gannon, Doherty and Roper has also failed to explicitly explain how a streamlined human resource pool can be strategic enough to culminate into competitive advantage. The basic theoretical interpretation of competitive advantage should not be misconstrued with the contribution of strategic groups deployed by the human resource department.
In addition, Gannon, Doherty and Roper have employed the division’s perspective in understanding the relevance of human resource development in organizations. For companies that plan to undertake geographical expansion, some ambitions can hardly be attained especially if such a perspective is put into practice. Nonetheless, the study has rigorously and excellently engaged the SWOT analysis parameter and how the analysis can translate into a strategic human resource management especially if the human resource issues are identified and applied correctly. The limitations noted in the Gannon, Doherty and Roper study have also been spotted in the past studies. For example, there is a vivid missing link between the strategic human resource management and the functions of strategic groups in organizations.
Afiouni takes a completely different perspective on how strategic human resource management can be enhanced at workplace. According to the author, managers in organizations have largely failed to manage talent especially at the point of hiring workers.1 As it stands now; organizational hierarchy is currently being broken by the rapid adoption of information technology in the management of human resource affairs. For example, the art of production and the modes of communication have been revamped by the latest advances in technology. As a result, customer satisfaction has been taken to the next level. Moreover, competition between firms has intensified. Embracing technology has also accelerated the pace of globalization. In the context of strategic human resource management, it is interesting to mention that knowledge is the key contributor toward the success of any organization. Needless to say, the author has indeed pointed out that organizational effectiveness can only be boosted if knowledge management is given priority. Although knowledge management is crucial in the overall management of organizational processes, it is advisable to distinguish between the human knowledge, skills and competences as well as human-driven knowledge through technology. From the research article, it is evident that the author has not connected knowledge management with the elements of strategic human resource management.
In the case of Krishnan and Singh, it is vivid that key attention has been diverted to strategic human resource management in the recent years.6 The performance of organizations is usually the main point of interest when strategic human resource management is being implemented. The latter authors have managed to develop proper frameworks and theoretical perspectives in an attempt to link and expound how the two extremes contribute towards effective management of organizations and impressive outputs. The process of strategic human resource management has been addressed using a three-stage model. In fact, the model creates a clear picture on the relevance of strategic human resource management.
A similar approach has been assumed by Brauns who observes that strategic human resource management can be executed in the most successful way only if change management is considered in the process.2 However, the author introduces yet another dimension to this discussion by arguing that a reward system can be used by the management of organizations to add value to strategic human resource management. It is vital to mention that a reward system should only be used as a supplemental strategy of enhancing the capacity of the existing workforce. Even the small and medium sized enterprises can apply the ideals of strategic human resource management in enhancing corporate responsibility. Although Castrogiovanni, Urbano and Loras have employed the resource-based approach in their study, effective development of manpower in organizations cannot simply rely on the available resource.3
Reference List
Afiouni, F. Human resource management and knowledge management: A road map toward improving organizational performance. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge. 2007; 11(2):124-130.
Brauns, M. Aligning strategic human resource management to human resources, performance and reward. The International Business & Economics Research Journal (Online). 2013; 12(11):1405-1406.
Castrogiovanni GJ, Urbano D, Loras J. Linking corporate entrepreneurship and human resource management in SMEs. International Journal of Manpower. 2011; 32(1):34-47.
Dhar, L.R. Strategic Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Excel Books; 2008.
Gannon JM, Doherty L, Roper A. The role of strategic groups in understanding strategic human resource management. Personnel Review. 2012; 41(4):513-546.
Krishnan SK, Singh M. Strategic human resource management: A three-stage process model and its influencing factors. South Asian Journal of Management. 2011; 18(1):60-82.