Changing Role Of
HRM
 Hiller
et. al (1993) comments that:
"The greatest single reward that any
manager can receive is to have his or
her subordinates say that they are
better workers because of the
manager's leadership. Such an attitude
builds morale and loyalty, and these
will accomplish the impossible".
Who then is responsible for
Managing People?
Everybody in the
organisation.
Expectations of the HR role
Karen Legge 1978
 Conformist innovator
 Deviant innovator
 Problem solver
Tyson & Fell 1986
 Clerk of the works
 Contracts manager
 Architect
Storey 1992
 Handmaiden
 Regulator
 Adviser
 Change maker
Expectations of the HR role
Wilkinson & MArchington 1994
 Facilitator
 Internal contractor
 Hidden persuader
 Change agent
Ulrich 1998
 Administrative expert
 Employee champion
 Change agent
 Business partner
HR’s reputation
There is ‘good reason for HR’s struggling
reputation.
It is often
 ineffective,
 incompetent, and
 costly and in a phrase,
 it is value depleting.
Ulrichs’ model

To overcome this reputation, he argues that HR must adopt these four roles;
FOCUS
Strategic & forward looking
STRATEGIC
PARTNER
CHANGE
AGENT
ACTIVITIES
Management of
process
Management of
people
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPERT
EMPLOYEE
CHAMPION
Operational & day to day
Ulrich’s model
Business partner: Partner in strategy execution and
ensuring that it is developed and put into effect
 Administrative expert: Expertise in organisation of
work and deliver administrative efficiency
 Employee champion: Voice of employee
representation and work in improving their
contribution
 Change agent: agent of continuous transformation,
shaping processes and culture to improve the
organisational capacity for change.

Outsourcing HR function
Most widespread areas of HR work undertaken
by consultants
 Training and Management Development
 Recruitment,
 Selection, and
 Outplacement
4 reasons why employers turn
to external consultants
1.
2.
3.
4.
Consultants provide expertise on time that is
not available internally
Provide independent views and opinion
(theoretically) free from internal influence
HR function can be more strategic by
outsourcing routine, clerical and administrative
duties
Cost savings
Line managers and HR
Specialists
 Line
managers now have far greater
responsibility for HR issues
 Line managers work more in conjunction with
specialists
Aspects of HRM line managers
are most likely to take
 Rarely
did line managers take lead on HR
policy issues
 Line managers playing greater part is
resourcing and employee relations while in
development and reward the professionals still
had a significant role
 Work in conjunction but depends on the power
base of the managers
Training line managers for
people management function
‘Most
of managing people is common
sense anyway. When ever an issue
comes up it is always where you have
had no preparation …. you can deal
with it if you consider the issues
carefully.’
How HR can support middle
managers
HR strategies should be composed of broad themes
that can then be contextualised
 Middle managers should be encouraged to contribute
towards elaboration of these themes
 The HR function should be organised to allow HR
professionals to work closely with line managers
 The development of middle managers is directed
towards their contribution to strategic change

Responsibility for HRM
 The
key characteristics of distinctiveness in the
modern form of HRM is the decentralisation of
HR responsibilities to line management
 Line
responsibility is basic to its effective
practice
Role of line management
‘the role of line management is no more restricted to
monitoring and organising production but also
achieving the HRM goals of commitment, quality,
flexibility and ultimately the profitability of
subordinates.
 Thus it is implied, both implicitly and explicitly, that the
role of line management is expanded or redefined so
that it incorporates “people responsibilities” rather
than purely “technical responsibilities”.

Responsibility for HRM
Sandy Adironadack in her book Just About Managing
has suggested that Human Resource Management
(Personnel Management) should involve:
 ensuring the organisation has clear, appropriate and
workable policies and procedures for all aspects of
employment and volunteering;
 ensuring the organisation's policies and procedures
comply with legal requirements, and are updated to
comply with changes in the law;
 ensuring all staff, whether paid or voluntary, are
properly recruited, inducted, supervised, trained and
supported;
contd.
ensuring all workers feel they are a valued part of
the team and organisation;
 involving workers in discussions and decisions which
affect their work or working environment, and
ensuring they have adequate information and time to
participate;
 ensuring workers know what they are supposed to be
doing, how to do it and how it fits into the
organisation's overall work;
 helping workers plan work and assess priorities;
 helping workers recognise and overcome intellectual,
technical or personal difficulties affecting their work;

contd.
ensuring workers have opportunities to learn, change
and develop within their work;
 setting deadlines and information workers about them,
implementing procedures to monitor work against the,
changing them as required;
 setting standards of performance(quality of work
and/or behaviour) and implementing procedures to
monitor them;
 dealing with poor time-keeping, poor work
performance, and other potential or actual
disciplinary matters;

contd.
 creating
and maintaining a safe and pleasant
physical environment;
 creating and maintaining a good emotional
environment;
 helping sort out conflicts within the group;
 dealing with worker's concerns and grievances