The Human Resources Management Practices -Models and Theories

The Harvard model: (1984) which use as an as a strategic map to concentrates on the soft aspect of HRM. It describes employee commitment. It also shows that employees needed to be competent and cost effective. This model has six basic components. Such as;

Stakeholders interest - shareholder, management, employee groups, government, unions

Situational factors- workforce characteristics, business strategy and conduct, management philosophy, Labour markets, unions, task technology, social and law values,

Human resources management policy choices – employee influence, hr. flow, rewards, work system

Human Resources outcomes- commitment, competence, congruence, cost effective

Long term consequences- individual well being, organizational effectiveness, societal well being

Feedback loop

The Michigan model: focuses on hard HRM. It holds that people should be managed

As like any other resources According to this model, selection, appraisal, development

And rewards were geared towards organizational performance.

Guest comparative model :(Guest, 1997) works on as integrated Human Resources Management practices will result to superior individual and organizational performance .The concept describes HRM strategies such as differentiation, innovation, the focus on Quality and cost reduction will increase good practices which influence the quality of the outcome, commitment and flexibility by training, appraisal, selection, rewards, job designs, involvement, and security. The final outcome will be positive productivity, with innovation, and decrees Labour turnover, fewer conflicts and less customer complaints.

Warwick model: was developed by Hendry and Pettigrew (1990). It is on analytical approach to Human Resources Management. It also recognizes the impact of the role of the personnel functions on the human resource strategy content. : Outer context, inner context, business strategy context, HRM context, HRM content

Commitment: The significance in HRM theory of organizational commitment (the strength of an individual’s identification with, and involvement in, a particular organization) was highlighted in a seminal Harvard Business Review article by Richard Walton (1985).

Motivation theory: explains the factors that affect goal-directed behavior and therefore influences the approaches used in HRM to enhance engagement (the situation in which people are committed to their work and the organization and are motivated to achieve high levels of performance).

The resource-based view: Resource-based theory expressed as ‘the resource based view’ states that competitive advantage is achieved if a firm’s resources are valuable, rare and costly to imitate.

Resource based view: Barney, 1991 Grant, 1991 Competitive advantage comes from the internal resources that the organization possesses.

Organizational behavior theory: describes how people within their organizations act individually or in groups and how organizations function in terms of their structure, processes and culture.

Contingency theory: states that HRM practices are dependent on the organization’s environment and circumstances. ‘The relationship between the relevant independent variables (HRM policies and practices) and the dependent variable (performance) will vary according to the influences such as company size, age and technology, capital intensity, degree of unionization, industry/sector ownership and location. Jackson and Schuler, 1987,Snell and Yaoundé, 1995;Delery and Doty, 1996,Seeking for better organizational performance HRM strategy has to fit with business strategy

Institutional theory: Organizations conform to internal and external environmental pressures in order to gain legitimacy and acceptance.

Human capital theory: is concerned with how people in an organization contribute their knowledge, skills and abilities to enhancing organizational capability and the significance of that contribution. Human capital theory; employee's skills, experience and knowledge will increase the organizational economic value since comprising above the employees will work efficiency and effectively to achieve organizational outcomes.

AMO theory: The ‘AMO’ formula as set out by Boxall and Purcell (2003) states that performance is a function of Ability + Motivation + Opportunity to Participate. building blocks of organizational Human Resources Management system.

Agency theory: states that the role of the managers of a business is to act on behalf of the owners of the business as their agents. But there is a separation between the owners (the principals) and the agents (the managers) and the principals may not have complete control over their agents.

European model of HRM Brewster: (1993) described a European model of HRM as follows:

1. Environment 2. Objectives 3. Focus 4. Relationship with employee’s 5. Relationship with line managers 6. Role of HR  7. Dialogue between social partners, 8.Emphasis on social responsibility; 9. Participation in decision making  10. Continuous learning.

The matching model of HRM: Forerun (1984) proposed the ‘matching model’, which indicated that HR systems and the organization structure should be managed in a way that is congruent with organizational strategy. Forerun proposed the ‘matching model’, which indicated that HR systems and the organization structure should be managed in a way that is congruent with organizational strategy.

Forborn Tichy and Devanna model of Human Resources Management (1984): This model emphasizes according to Human resources management cycle Human Resources Management activities will be interrelated and coherent .The Human Resources Management cycle has selection, appraisals, development, and rewards which links to forms performance.

Guest model of Human resources management :(1989, 1997): Human resources Strategy, HR policies, HR outcomes, behavioral outcomes, performance outcomes, financial outcomes

The Storey model of Human resources management: Beliefs and assumptions, strategic aspects, role of the line managers, key levels

Ulrich’s strategic partner model of Human resources Management (1997): Strategic, partner, change agent, administrative expert, employee champion

American models of HRM: Michigan model, New York model (matching models of HRM) and Harvard model

European models of HRM: Harvard model revised, the Brewster –burnhouse Brewster hegswhich and Brewster model, the clerk and Mallory model,

AMO framework: Appelbaum, Bailey, Berg, and Kalleberg, 2000 Organizational interests are best served by an HRM system that attends to employees' interests, namely their skill requirements, motivations and the quality of their job

The People - Performance framework: (Purcell, 2003). This framework, is built on two assumptions which describes “unlocking the black box the second, is the critical role

of line managers that they apply HRM and the way they behave towards employee .

Wright and Nishii (2006) model: Wright and Nishii (2006) studied the mediating

processes in HRM and performance relationship by examining HR practices, actual HR practices, perceived HR practices, employee reactions and Performance.

Boxall and Purcell (2008) model: This model is based on Wright and Nishii (2004) model

And ideas of Purcell & Kinnie (2007) which involves intentions, actions, perceptions and

Responses which integrate the individual and collective levels of analysis.

The 5-p’s model of HRM: (1992)

Philosophy: Expressed in statements defining business values and culture. It expresses how to treat and value people.

Policies: Expressed as shared values and guidelines. Policies establish guidelines for action on people related business issues and HR programs.

Programs: Articulated as human resource strategy. These coordinate efforts to facilitate change to address major people related business issues.

Practices: For leadership managerial and operational role practices motivate needed role behaviors.

Processes: For the formulation and implementation of other activities these define how activities are carried out.

The hard and soft HRM models: Storey distinguished between the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ versions of HRM. He emphasizes that ‘the hard one emphasizes the quantitative, calculative and business-strategic aspects of managing human resources as an “rational” a way and the soft version is by the influence of the human-relations school which emphasizes communication, motivation and leadership.

Contextual model of HRM: The contextual model of HRM emphasizes the importance of environmental factors such variables as the influence of social, institutional and political forces which have been negatively taken in other models.

By : Vachira Karunaratne -Human Talent Management Solutions- Every Human Being has Certain Talents.