Human Resource Management in Context Assignment

Human Resource Management in Context - Assignment Example5). Key Developments in Human Resource Management Hard and Soft Versions The above-mentioned reason is enough to explain so many developments in Human Resource forethought in recent times. Human Resource Management can be differentiated between hard and soft versions. The followers of hard version fragility their employees as one of the inputs in the business and try to utilize them in the best possible way to generate the more or less profit. For this, they try to reduce be and try to focus on flexibility techniques. On the other hand, the followers of soft version of Human Resource Management believe employees to be the most precious asset of the organization and they afford different strategies to retain their employees and to make them happy (Armstrong, 2009, p. 5). It would be wrong to say as to which technique is the best. Companies choose a version on Human Resource Management depending upon its core values and com panys philosophies and design their HR strategy accordingly. There are companies that apply a combination of both soft and hard versions of Human Resource Management. ... HR professionals would deal with the concerns of the employees as they arise from the employees side. However, the view of looking at an HR professional and the span of its roles and responsibilities have changed drastically over time. Now, HR professionals are seen in most organizations as business partners (Hunter, 2006, p. 6). The word business in tune Partners implies a strategic intervention. It refers to something that has to be implemented from the top i.e. designing the strategy. Besides, the term partners refers to working alongside, and at the same level with that of the top management (Charles and Fombrun, 1984 , p. 3). Now, HR professionals nonplus with the top management, help them, and advise them in designing a companys strategy and that is where the role of strategic HRM comes into play (Charles and Fombrun, 1984 , p. 3). Once, a companys strategy is designed then HR strategy is designed keeping in view companys strategy. For example, if companys business strategy is cost leadership so the culture in the organization would be such that would incentivise its employees on cost-cutting activities and the like (Kenton and Yarnall, 2009, p. 2). This is why, when today one talks about HR professionals, he talks about someone who is working hand in hand with the company in order to implement its strategy from top to bottom, and is so playing a role of a Business Partner of that company. External Contexts of HRM Todays HR professional has to be aware about the make out developments in the business or in business strategy. Moreover, he also has to be aware about the external context in which the business operates. By external context, we mean a companys macro environment. This includes socio-cultural,