Differences between Traditional HRM and Strategic HRM - Article Example

Most engineering and construction companies across the world significantly employ the traditional human resource management style because the technicalities in the field need the immediate manager to be there (Ulrich, 1998). On the other hand, production companies are using strategic human resource management styles, for it will help them to market their products across the world properly.

For strategic human resource management, human resource officers are responsible for fellow staff performance. On the other hand, human resource officers in the traditional human resource are not responsible for the production of their personnel. Training of line managers to attain higher employee morale is another sector that brings the gap between traditional and strategic human resource management. It is because strategic human resource managers ensure that they properly motivate their staff to attain better performance unlike in traditional human resource management.

In traditional human resource management, the level of technology in most organizations was very low as compared to strategic human resource management. Managers, who apply strategic human resource managers, also make use of automation in most of their activities. In the application of automation, managers ensure that they have sophisticated machines and equipment that can substitute human labor. On the other hand, traditional human resource management uses human labor in most of its activities.

The strategic human resource management in most organizations is shifting from the integral hierarchical structure to the network specialist. In the network specialist strategic management,  the employees with specific knowledge and skills come together to work on a given project ('Human resource management, 1985). Besides, traditional human resource management still operates under the vertical integral hierarchy. That is; the juniors, who are new in a particular field of expertise, will have to seek consultation from their superiors.

Management style is another sector that brings the greater difference between traditional human resources and strategic human resources.