2 THE KEY MESSAGE ................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 THE HR-PERFORMANCE LINK ........................................................................................................................ 2
2.1.1 Resource-based view ......................................................................................................................... 2
2.1.2 Contingency theory (“it depends”) .................................................................................................... 2
2.1.3 The AMO framework (“the black box”) ............................................................................................. 3
2.2 THE HR-WELLBEING LINK ............................................................................................................................. 4
2.3 RECAP ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
6.1 RESOURCES-BASED VIEW ON HUMAN RESOURCES............................................................................................ 20
6.1.1 Case ................................................................................................................................................. 20
6.1.2 Key tenets of SHRM ......................................................................................................................... 20
6.1.3 Resource-based view of the firm ..................................................................................................... 20
6.1.4 Are human resources valuable? ...................................................................................................... 21
6.1.5 Are human resources rare? ............................................................................................................. 23
6.1.6 Are human resources inimitable? .................................................................................................... 23
6.1.7 Are human resources non-substitutable?........................................................................................ 25
6.2 ALIGNMENT............................................................................................................................................. 26
6.2.1 The concept ‘alignment’ .................................................................................................................. 26
6.2.2 What is strategy .............................................................................................................................. 27
6.2.3 Types of strategy ............................................................................................................................. 28
6.2.4 Organizational structure ................................................................................................................. 29
6.2.5 Organizational culture..................................................................................................................... 34
, 6.2.6 Michigan Matching Model .............................................................................................................. 36
6.2.7 Misalignment .................................................................................................................................. 37
6.3 MEASURING HR EFFECTIVENESS .................................................................................................................. 38
6.3.1 The importance of data ................................................................................................................... 38
6.3.2 Data-driven decision making ........................................................................................................... 38
6.3.3 HR analytics ..................................................................................................................................... 38
6.3.4 HRM systems ................................................................................................................................... 39
6.3.5 HR scorecards .................................................................................................................................. 39
6.3.6 Case HR scorecards ......................................................................................................................... 41
6.4 THE HR-TRIAD ......................................................................................................................................... 41
6.5 TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING....................................................................................................................... 42
7 WORK ANALYSIS AND COMPETENCY MODELING ................................................................................... 43
7.1 TRADITIONAL JOB ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................ 43
7.1.1 Why is this topic relevant? .............................................................................................................. 43
7.1.2 Contemporary definition ................................................................................................................. 43
7.2 TRADITIONAL APPROACHES ......................................................................................................................... 44
7.2.1 Case: funeral attendant ................................................................................................................... 44
7.2.2 Building blocks ................................................................................................................................. 44
7.2.3 Who would you consult to obtain information? (sources) .............................................................. 45
7.2.4 How would you seek information? (methods) ................................................................................. 46
7.2.5 What types of information would you look for?.............................................................................. 48
7.2.6 How will we analyze the data? ........................................................................................................ 49
7.2.7 Criticism of traditional approach ..................................................................................................... 49
7.3 THREE CHALLENGES ................................................................................................................................... 50
7.3.1 Challenge 1: New ways of working ................................................................................................. 50
7.3.2 Challenge 2: They don’t act ............................................................................................................. 51
7.3.3 Challenge 3: operational navel-gazing ............................................................................................ 52
7.4 COMPETENCY MODELING ........................................................................................................................... 52
7.4.1 Competency profile ......................................................................................................................... 53
7.4.2 Dream versus nightmare ................................................................................................................. 54
7.4.3 Case example .................................................................................................................................. 54
7.4.4 Strategic job modeling .................................................................................................................... 54
7.5 TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING....................................................................................................................... 55
8 RECRUITMENT AND EMPLOYER BRANDING ........................................................................................... 56
, 8.3.2 Targeting non-traditional applicants .............................................................................................. 67
8.3.3 Use of technology ............................................................................................................................ 68
8.3.4 Use of metrics .................................................................................................................................. 69
8.4 ALTERNATIVES TO RECRUITMENT ................................................................................................................. 69
8.5 TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING....................................................................................................................... 70
• Human Resources
o As opposed to tangible (ex. financial)/intangible resources (ex. reputation)
o Human resources are one of the primary means of creating a competitive
advantage for the organization
o Human resource strategy needs to be aligned with the business strategy
o By creating a workforce that is capable and motivated, and by creating
a work environment that offers opportunities to participate
1.1 Learning goals
Identify causes of
HR-related problems
and formulate
recommendations
based on the best
available evidence
Critically analyze factors
that influence the strategic
management of human
resources in today’s
international environment
Apply the theoretical concepts to a
fictional business case
Understand how the HR functions separately and in
combination contribute to sustainable competitive
advantage
Identify and describe the key concepts and frameworks for HRM, and
the fundamentals and functionality of the different HR functions
1.2 Evaluation
• Identical for first and second attempt
• Written exam
o Multiple choice (75% of total score)
▪ 30 questions
▪ Standard setting (18,75/30 = 10/20)
o Case (25% of total score)
▪ Analyze, apply, recommend
1
,• Marc Huselid, in his 1995 study entitled, “…”, provided evidence for the link
between HR practices and firm performance? What can we conclude from the
study results?
o Better HR practices are the reason why firms achieve better financial
performance.
o It is because firms perform better that they can afford more advanced, and
therefore better, HR practices.
o High-performing firms tend to have better HR practices.
o There is a reciprocal relationship between HR practices and firm
performance.
2 The key message
2.1 The HR-performance link
• The premise/claim of this course is that investments in human resources
(“people”) lead to better firm performance.
• Why is this?
→ If you invest in people, they’re going to be motivated and more productive
→ People will feel seen, respected, engaged, …
2.1.1 Resource-based view
• Besides tangible (financial, equipment, buildings) and intangible resources
(reputation, patents), a company also has human resources
→ People can do thing that can’t be imitated by other things
o Knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (e.g. personality)
o Motivation
• Human resources are an important source of sustained competitive advantage
o They are valuable
o They are rare
o Inimitable (very hard to imitate)
o Non-substitutable (also not by machines)
2.1.2 Contingency theory (“it depends”)
• HR practices contribute to firm performance if they are tailored to the context
in which they are to serve → HR need to be aligned with the business strategy
• Two types of fit:
o Vertical fit: HR practices should be aligned with business strategy
o Horizontal fit: HR practices should be aligned with each other
o No such thing as ‘best practices’ → ‘it depends’
2
,• Business strategy: innovation
o Vertical fit: HR is organized to promote innovative behavior amongst its
employees
o Horizontal fit: Align HR practices - recruitment, selection, training and
development, performance appraisal and management, compensation and
benefits - to obtain an innovative workforce
2.1.3 The AMO framework (“the black box”)
• HR practices influence firm performance through enhancing:
o Ability (skill levels)
▪ Recruitment, selection, training and development
o Motivation (willingness to exert effort)
▪ Performance appraisal and management, compensation and benefits
o Opportunity (to participate)
▪ Work design, leadership
→ When you have the ability (skills) and you are motivated (+ you have
the opportunity to perform), you are going to perform better than when
you don’t have the ability and/or are not motivated
3
,2.2 The HR-wellbeing link
• HR defends the interests of management and shareholders (HR-performance
link) as well as those of employees.
• One of its important responsibilities involves watching over employee well-
being, not (only) because healthy employees perform better, but because it is
important in itself.
• Can be accomplished through work design interventions
2.3 Recap
• In this course we claim that
o people provide a source of sustainable competitive advantage
o to achieve superior firm performance HR practices need to be vertically
and horizontally aligned
o HR leads to superior firm performance by influencing people’s abilities,
motivation and opportunities to participate
o HR must watch over the wellbeing of its employees, not for instrumental
reasons, but because it’s an end in itself.
4
, 3 HR roles
HR roles according to Dave Ulrich
• What role does HR play in the overall success of an organization?
• What key problems and challenges does he/she face?
→ recruiting people, payroll administration, relationships between employees,
training employees, …
Two dimensions:
- processes (administration, procedures) – people
- future/strategic focus – day-to-day/operational focus (payroll, hiring)
FUTURE/STRATEGIC FOCUS
Strategic Partner Change Agent
Aligning HR & Business Strategy Managing Transformation &
Active Role in Setting Change
Strategic Direction Effecting Transformation &
Creating added value Change
• Translate corporate strategy Managing & supporting the change
into specific, supportive HR- process
activities • Preparing people for change
• Aligning HR-processes (“change readiness”)
• HR information systems (e.g. • Organizational culture
HR scorecards, dashboards) • Conflict/problem resolution
• Action plans, monitoring
PROCESSES
progress, and making change
PEOPLE
last
Administrative Expert Employee Champion
Managing the Firm’s HR Managing Employees’ Contribution
Infrastructure Motivated & Competent
Personnel
Process Optimization &
Working relationships
Efficiency • Unions
Job Analysis, Recruitment & • Employee involvement &
Selection, Training & participation
Development, Career • Communication & trust
Management, Performance • Monitoring work stress and job
Appraisal & Management, satisfaction (“work
Compensation Systems, Labor engagement”)
Legislation, Human Resource • Psychological contract
Planning
DAY-TO-DAY/OPERATIONAL FOCUS
5
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