Human Resource Management and Professionals
You are a senior member of a national law firm in New York City. The managing partner of the
firm has asked you to head up the southern branch in Raleigh, North Carolina. This branch is one
of ten under the main office. On the whole, the firm has been successful since its establishment in
the mid 1920s, but in the last five years, many of younger staff has elected to leave the
organization. The managing partner is convinced the problem is not salary, because a recent survey
indicated that the firm’s salary structure is competitive with that of other major firm. However, he
requests that you study this matter first hand in your new assignment.
After getting settled in Raleigh, one of your first projects is to meet with the four senior managers
to determine why the branch has had such a high attrition rate among the younger staff Harding
Smith, age 45, and states that the younger staff lacks dedication and fails to appreciate the career
opportunities provided by the firm. Wilma Thomson, age 50, says the younger staff members are
always complaining about the lack of meaningful feedback on their performance, and many have
mentioned that they would like to have a sponsor in the organization to assist with their
development. Thomson further explains that the firm does provide performance ratings to staff
and the previous manager had always maintained and open door policy. Brian Scott, age 40, says
he has received complaints that training is not relevant and is generally dull. He explains that
various persons in the firm who worked with training from time to time acted mainly on guidance
from New York. Denies Ruther Ford, age 38, says she believes the root of the problem is the lack
of the human resource department. However, she says that when the idea was mentioned to the
managing partner in New York, it was totally rejected.
QUESTIONS:
1. What do you think about the idea of the human resource department in a professional
office?
2. How would you sell the idea of HR department to managing partner?
3. What type of organizational structure would you propose?