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The Warwick and Storey Models of Human R
The Warwick and Storey Models of Human R
The aim of this paper is to examine the Warwick and Storey Models of Human Resource
Management (HRM). It begins with providing a general introduction underpinning the topic. In
trying to understand and do justice to the topic, the paper examine the concept of HRM from
different scholars. The paper opines that over the years a number of models have been
postulated by various scholars to describe the HRM concept and how it operates. Among which
the Storey model and the Warwick model were discussed. Finally, the paper concludes that since
Human Resource Management (HRM) is critical for business sustainability, success and growth;
thus, in order to gain competitive edge and maintain competitive advantage, organizations
should use HRM models that can help to achieve maximum organizational and employee’s
individual goals.
INTRODUCTION
depends upon the way it is put in use through human resource management, which aims at
ensuring that organizations achieve success through people. This is true, regardless of the type of
organization; government, business, education, health, recreation, or social action. Getting and
keeping good people is critical to the success of every organization. Human Resource
and motivation, and four activities; getting people, preparing them stimulating them, and keeping
them. The overall purpose of human resource management is to ensure that the organization is
able to achieve success through people. In order to achieve this success, various models of HRM
have been developed from time to time by different teams of the researchers that have helped the
HR practitioner to effectively manage the human resources. Of these, the Storey model and the
There is no precise definition of what HRM is. Examination of literature revealed a wide
range of perspectives, theories, and models. According to Armstrong (2014), Human resource
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management is defined as a strategic, integrated and coherent approach to the employment,
development and well-being of the people working in organizations. Likewise, Minbaeva (2005)
viewed HRM as a set of practices used by organisations to manage human resources through
facilitating the development of competencies that are unique to the organisation, creating
advantage.
It was defined by Boxall and Purcell (2003) as ‘all those activities associated with the
offered by Watson (2010), HRM is the managerial utilisation of the efforts, knowledge,
arrangement) to carry out work tasks in a way which enables the enterprise to continue into the
future. From this framework, it can be established that Human resource management (HRM) is
concerned with all aspects of how people are employed and managed in organizations. It covers
the activities of strategic HRM, human capital management, knowledge management, corporate
selection and talent management), learning and development, performance and reward
management, employee relations, employee well-being and the provision of employee services.
MODELS OF HRM
Over the years a number of models have been postulated by various scholars to describe
the HRM concept and how it operates. Of these, the Storey model and the Warwick model will
be discussed.
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Storey Model
Storey (2001), posits that the HRM model emerged in the UK as a 'historically situated
phenomenon' and is 'an amalgam of description, prescription and logical deduction'. He devised
the model by reconstructing the 'implicit models' conveyed by some managers during research
interviews. Storey (1992) identifies the model with 27 points that differentiate HRM from
personnel and industrial relations (IR) practices. Storey’s model is based on an ideal type of
organisation and is a tool used to present what Storey sees as the essential features of personnel
and HRM in an exaggerated way. Storey identifies four categories in which the 27 points fit.
These are: beliefs and assumptions, strategic concepts, line management, and key levers.
2. Strategic Qualities
HR decisions are of strategic importance.
Senior managers must be involved in HRM.
HR policies should be integrated into the business strategy- stemming from it and
even contributing to it.
4. Key Levers
Managing culture is more important than managing procedures and systems.
Horizontal integrated between different HR practices is essential.
Restructuring and job design to allow devolved responsibility and empowerment.
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According to the stereotypes depicted in Table 1, the HRM 'recipe' of ideal and practice
prescribes certain priorities. In the framework, the most fundamental belief and assumption is the
notion that, ultimately, among all the factors of production, its labour that really distinguishes
successful firms from mediocre ones. It follows logically from this that employees ought to be
nurtured as a valued asset and not simply regarded as a cost. Moreover, another underlying belief
is that the employer's goal should not merely be to seek employees' compliance with rules, but to
strive for commitment and engagement that goes beyond the contract (Storey, 2001). The
strategic qualities contained in Storey's framework show that HRM is a matter of critical
importance to corporate planning. In Storey's words, decisions about human resources policies
should take their cue from an explicit alignment of the competitive environment, business
strategy and HRM strategy (p. 10). The third component, line management, argues that general
managers and not HRM specialist are vital to the effective delivery of HRM practices (Purcell et
al., 2009). The key levers element in the model focus on the methods used to implement HRM.
This ‘ideal type’ of HRM is not essentially an aim in itself but more of a tool that enables
sets of approaches to be pinpointed in organisations for research and analytical purposes. The
theoretical model is based on conceptions of how organisations have been transformed from
organisations in reality conforming to this 'ideal type' on which the model is based. It is,
therefore, quintessentially a tool for enabling comparative analysis. Storey’s ‘ideal’ model seeks
to describe the beliefs and assumptions of certain leading edge practitioners, prescribes certain
priorities and presumes certain consequent actions which seem to follow from the series of
proposals.
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TABLE 1: Storey Model of HRM
Strategic aspects
Line management
15. Standardization High (e.g. 'parity' an Low (e.g. 'parity' not seen as
issue) relevant)
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skills
Key levers
25. Conflict handling Reach temporary truces Manage climate and culture
Storey (1992) proposes another model as a means of comparative analysis, for identifying
the shift organisations may take from personnel management to HRM. This is illustrated in
Figure 2. He suggested in the model depicted, that, for an organisation to gain competitive
advantage, a strategic response needs to be given to the beliefs and assumptions of the
organisations and that line managers should take on part of this role. Line managers would have
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a responsibility for the change in key levers, which would move the organisation away from
being locked into bureaucratic procedures towards becoming a flexible organisation that would
Enhanced Strategic
Competition Response
Believes
and
Assumptions
Change in
Key
Levers
Storey not only identified the shift towards human resource management, he also
described two approaches to HRM as ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ model. The 'hard' model according to
Storey, (1987) emphasises the 'quantitative, calculative, and business strategic aspects of
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managing the headcount resource in as "rational" a way as for any other economic factor'. The
hard HRM approach has some kinship with scientific management as people are reduced to
passive objects that are not cherished as a whole people but assessed on whether they possess the
skills/attributes the organisation requires (Legge, 1995; Vaughan, 1994; Storey, 1987; Drucker,
White, Hegewisch, & Mayne, 1996). In contrast, soft HRM places an emphasis on "human" and
is associated with the human relations school of Herzberg and McGregor (Storey, 1987). Legge
refers to this as "Developmental Humanism" (Legge, 1995). Whilst emphasising the importance
of integrating HR policies with Business objectives, the soft model focuses on treating
employees as valued assets and a source of competitive advantage through their commitment,
adaptability and high quality skill and performance. In essence the ‘hard’ approach, rooted in
manpower planning is concerned with aligning human resource strategy with business strategy,
while the ‘soft’ approach is rooted in the human relations school, has concern for workers’
The Storey (1992) model attempted to create “ideal type” human resource approaches
and practices and that the “ideal type” should incorporate the “soft” dimensions of HRM by
focusing on the development of employees (Bratton & Gold, 2003). This would result in high
levels of trust, commitment, and also create an adaptable and motivated workforce. This would
eventually lead to a high performing organisation that could gain a competitive advantage.
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The Warwick Model
This model was developed by two researchers, Hendry and Pettigrew (1990) at centre for
strategy and change, University of Warwick (hence the name Warwick model). It emphasises 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. Like other models, the
Warwick proposition centres on five elements, namely the outer context (macro environmental
forces), inner (firm specific or micro environmental forces) context, organisation or business-
This model takes cognizance of business strategy and HR practices; it illustrates the
integration of inner context and outer context with organisational strategy. As such, the model
has significance for recruitment and selection, seeing that internal and external contexts should
be integrated with organisational strategy. Organisational strategy, in turn, affects and influences
HRM practices. Such practices entail systems, processes, procedures, techniques, approaches and
methods. The Warwick model’s strength is mainly centred in the fact that it identifies and
classifies important environmental influences on HRM. It also maps the connections between the
environment and organisational strategy. Furthermore, this model explores how HRM should
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The following figure illustrates the contexts and contents of the Warwick model which
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The HRM model above illustrates how the outer context of social, economic,
technological, political and legal factors influence and affect the inner context of the
organisation. This context consists of the structure, culture, politics, leadership, task technology
and business output. In turn, the inner context influences and affects the Outer Content (role
strategy. The HRM context and content of organisational strategy influence the HRM content on
issues such as HR work flow, work systems, reward systems or employee relations, objectives,
CONCLUSION
Having analyzed the HRM models described above and since Human Resource
Management (HRM) is critical for business sustainability, success and growth; thus, in order to
gain competitive edge and maintain competitive advantage, organizations should use HRM
models that can help to achieve maximum organizational and employee’s individual goals.
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REFERENCES
Armstrong, M, (2014) Armstrong’s’ Hand book of Human Resource Management Practice, 13th
Edition. UK, Ashford Colour Press Ltd.
Boxall, P F and Purcell, J (2003) Strategy and Human Resource Management, Basingstoke,
Palgrave Macmillan.
Bratton, J., and Gold, J. (2003) Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, 3th edition,
Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Drucker, J., White, G., Hegewisch, A., Mayne, L. (1996) 'Between hard and soft HRM: human
resource management in the construction industry', Construction Management and
Economics, 14, 405-416.
Hendry, C. and A. Pettigrew, (1990). Human resource management: An agenda for the 1990s.
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1: 17-43.
Minbaeva, D. B. (2005) “HRM practices and MNC knowledge transfer‖.” Personal Review,
Vol.34, No.1, pp. 125-144.
Storey, J. (2001) Human Resource Management: A Critical Text (2nd edn). London: Thomson
Learning.
Vaughan, E. (1994) 'The trial between sense and sentiment: a reflection on the language of
HRM', Journal of General Management, 19, 3, 20-32.
Watson, T J (2010) Critical social science, pragmatism and the realities of HRM, The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21 (6), pp 915–31.
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