Taking a Human Resource Business Partner Role - Literature review Example

Running head: HR BUSINESS PARTNER ROLE Taking a Human Resource Business Partner role Student Name Instructor Institution Date Taking a Human Resource Business Partner role Introduction The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) through science and industrial research, provides innovative solutions for a wide range of sectors in Australia. CSIRO has several divisions which include: manufacturing and mineral resources; telecommunications; information and technology; environment and natural resources; energy and transport and agribusiness. (CSIRO, 2013). CSIRO needs a HR manager to work with a team that will support CSIRO’s the Manufacturing, Materials and Minerals (MMM) and Process Science and Engineering (CPSE) Group. This individual will be required to create and facilitate a range of HR strategies that will deliver high quality advice, assistance, coaching and mentoring of all business staff units. In this paper I will illustrate how as a Human Resource (HR) manager in business in CSIRO’s MMM Group, I can contribute to the success of CSIRO. It will dwell on three of the most important issues that are central to the success of a HR manager as a strategic business partner; strategic contribution, business knowledge and HR delivery. Issue 1: Strategy execution Grant (2002) says that the business strategy is tasked with guiding the firm on how to deploy its resources in a way that satisfies its long-term goals and how it organises itself through the implementation of that strategy. He notes that it is disastrous if an organization fails to match the strategy with the capabilities and resources it has. Purcell (2005) underlines the importance of a HR practitioner to take on the role of a strategic business partner. This increases a firm’s competitive advantage, meeting of business strategy and creation of beneficial strategic relationships. Conner and Ulrich (1996) illustrated a framework whereby rather than being an adjunct, a HR manager could become a business partner in the organization. As Lemmergaard (2009) observes, such a role ensures that the HR manager adds value to the organization and increases its competitiveness. This role entails demands the cooperation of both the senior and line managers on how to meet the overall needs of the organization. (‘HR’s strategic panacea’, 2009, p. 29). Being a HR business partner, it will be my responsibility of attracting, selecting, recruiting and retaining the best talent for the execution of RMM’s strategy. I will also be responsible for creating alignment towards the corporate objectives as well as building strategic relationships with the leaders and managers to ensure that the business unit has high quality HR strategies which will compliment the research strategies. HRM literature has proposed that for the effectiveness of the HR profession, it needs to embrace and integrate a more strategic role in organizations rather than performing the traditional HR role (Wharton & Brown, 2009). According to Haye (1999), strategy puts together an organization’s goals and actions into a unified whole. Embracing a strategic framework helps organizations to deal with present realities to forecast future requirements to add advantage. While the business strategy defines the future plan of a company’s growth, the human resource strategy aids in focusing, mobilizing and directing on the aspects that will impact on the business. (Walker (1992) quoted in Kaye, 1999, p. 579). Walker (1992) says that while business strategy define the future of the company; growth, profitability and development, the human resource strategy helps facilitate the focusing and mobilization of the human resources on issues that will impact the business. In essence, strategies are directional plans that direct the kind of actions the management takes to pursue opportunities. In this sense, human resource strategies guide the responses of the management on people issues. These are plans that help managers address opportunities to obtain and sustain competitiveness through people. In order to ensure that I contribute to the success of CSIRO, I would embrace Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) practices. SHRM is described as deploying human resources in a way directed to the achievement of the overall company goals (De Cieri & Kramar, 2003, cited in Zheng et al. 2007, p. 305). Lovell (2009) defines it as the deliberate efforts that a firm’s management takes to execute human resource management as a single, lucid function such that it improves the organizations performance and complements the overall organizational strategy. In fact, in the vacancy notice, CSIRO specifies that the person to fill the position should be actively involved in contributing to development of the business strategy and help the leadership in its efforts to build a commitment to the firm’s strategic directions. My role will ensure meeting of the already set strategy through merging the HR strategy with the MMM Group’s strategy. Issue 2: Business Knowledge Business knowledge means moving closer to business by developing business knowledge or commercial acumen as a business ally (Purcell, 20005). Business knowledge enables the HR manager to join the management team. The HR business partner role at CSIRO requires one to build strategic relationships with the leaders and managers. These relationships would allow acquitting yourself with the business of CSIRO by spending time with the business management. I will find out the business model of CSIRO and align the HR practices to the model. In addition, it will require learning the political map of CSIRO in order to determine the kind of strategies to use with each stakeholder. This would help in developing business insight in order to know at what stage to link the HR strategy with the organizational strategy. It is important to be able to transfer responsibility to business management and be able to provide back-up education and learning in the process. This will allow for a tighter focus on customer needs, key emerging markets and quality. Issue 3: HR Delivery Becker and Huselid (1998) advocate that the approach adopted in personnel management should merge the outcomes to the objectives that the business and corporate strategy rides on (Lovell, 2009). This implies that the overall corporate strategic goals should be developed before the specific HR plans can be developed. The strategies have to be developed during the organization’s business strategy formulation. One of the strategic requirements includes giving HRM its place in the general organizational managements so that the decisions made by other managements consider their implications to human resources. Therefore, if the company is to undertake a strategic approach to HRM, the HR manager should be a part of that senior management group which is something that CSIRO has embraced through incorporating a HRM in the Business Unit. As Raich (2002) puts it, “when we say ‘HR’ we mean ‘people in business’” (p. 270). These people in business include employees, management, customers and other stakeholders. Being an employee champion means that, I will emphasise the needs of the employees in a bid to increase capabilities and commitment. This role will include increasing and encouraging employee loyalty to CSIRO and its mission through concentrating on their well-being. This will also involve developing and introducing new ways to management performance for all people as well as coming up with e-practices of people management (Raich, 2002). Adams (2012) says that putting people at the heart of the business with the focus of delivering sustainable performance and growth is what real strategic HR is about. It is about creating an environment in which every employee can give their best towards realizing the goals and objectives of the company. I will ensure effective management of the staff and aim at retaining the employees that are fit for both strategy and CSIRO’s culture. In addition, I will invest in the employees with high potential for retention which will ensure cost-effective utilization of employees. Conclusion My competencies and commitment in strategic contribution, business knowledge and HR delivery will ensure improved performance, customer and employee satisfaction as well as enhanced shareholder value which will have played a key role in CSIRO’s mission and vision. References Adams, A. (2012) Mapping a strategic approach to HR leadership, Strategic HR Review, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 31-36. Baker, D. (1999), Strategic human resource management: performance, alignment, management, Library Career Development, Vol. 7, No. 5, pp. 51-63. De-Ceiri, H., Kramar, R., Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., Wright, P. (2003). Human Resource Management in Australia: Strategy – People - Performance. McGraw – Hill, New York. Grant, R. (2002) Contemporary strategy analysis: Concepts, techniques, applications (4th ed) Blackwell publishers, Malden. HR’s strategic panacea: A Danish study of successful HR Integration as business partner, (2009) Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp 29-31. Kaye, L. (1999), Strategic Human Resources in Australia: The Human cost. International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 20, No. 8, pp. 577-587. Lemmergaard, J. (2009), From administrative expert to strategic partner, Employee Relations, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 182-95 Lovell, K (2009). Strategic Human resource Management: What does it Mean in Practice? DBA Thesis, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW. Retrieved from: Purcell, J. (2005) Business strategies and human resource management: uneasy bedfellows or strategic partners? Working paper series (16), University of Bath. Retrieved from http://www.bath.ac.uk/management/research/pdf/2005-16.pdf Raich, M. (2002), HRM in the knowledge-based economy: is there an afterlife?, Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 269-273. Wharton, J. & Brown, J. (2009), Competencies of Strategic Human Resource Management in Australia: A Comparison of a Competency Model in American Human Resource Management Literature to an Australian Company. The Australian Journal of Business and Informatics, Vol. 4, No.1 Walker, J.W. (1992), Human Resource Strategy, McGraw-Hill, New York. Zheng, C., Di Milia, L., Rolfe, J. & Bretherton, P. (2007), Emerging strategic people management of coalmines in central Queensland, Management Research Review, Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 302-313. Read More