Critically discuss the proposal that effective HRM policies can Essay

Critically discuss the proposal that effective HRM policies can support the delivery of business strategies and affect their performance. The arguments for and against this proposal-show the evidence - Essay Example Morfeld (2003) however, notes that despite the popularity of the aforementioned initiative, the activities of human resource managers, specifically workplace staffing, can be described as tactical at its best. The author notes that these strategies are in fact, reactive as managers usually scramble to fill in a vacant position upon the resignation of an employee, as an example. Although the abovementioned is at times, unavoidable, Human Resource generalists believe that there are effective ways to use human resource policies to enable a company to deliver strategy and high performance. This strategy usually entails the full support of the corporate leaders. In the same manner, effective HR policies also imply changes within the processes and procedures of the company in order to become successful. Finally, it is also of vital importance to demand commitment and cooperation in all levels of management in order to ensure that a company drafts and implements effectual HR policies. HR seems to have taken a more strategic role in the enterprise – an apparent paradigm shift. The focus on the synthesis of HRM practices and policies with strategy has been depicted as a paradigm shift from an administrative to a strategic thrust or goal (Thomason 1991). Unlike traditional personnel management that is characterized as reactive, parochial, and concentrates on rank and file employees, HRM is proactive in finding and setting up practices and policies which are consistent across all organizational policy areas (Miller 1989; Schuler 1991). The HRM orientation makes it imperative for personnel practices and policies to respond to enterprise needs (Schuler 1991). In addition, HRM considers employees as valued strategic resources instead of merely being overhead cost. A core goal of HRM is the effectual management of people within the enterprise – when done, this is expected to garner competitive advantage (Kamoche 1991; Miller 1989). In comparison with