Session 1: Introduction of Module

HRM Activities
1. Recruitment and selection
2. Learning and talent development
3. Human resource planning
4. Provision of contracts
5. Provision of fair treatment
6. Provision of equal opportunities
7. Managing diversity
8. Motivating workers to achieved improve performance
9. Employee counselling
10. Talent management
11. Employee wellbeing
12. Payment and reward of employees
13. Health and safety
14. Disciplining individuals
15. Dealing with complains
16. Dismissal
17. Redundancy (unemployment)
18. Negotiation
19. Encouraging involvement and engagement
20. Ethics and corporate responsibility
21. Knowledge and management
22. Change management
23. Managing cross-cultural issues or internal HRM (Foot and Hook, 2011: 3)
HRM Elements
 According to Storey (1992 cited in Banfield and Kay, 2008: 39) there are
four key elements of HRM
1. HRM represents that people, or human resources are key to
organizational success. Management needs to understand the
employees’ value to the organization.
2. HRM embodies a much greater understanding and awareness of the
strategic importance of the human resource.
3. HRM unlike Personnel Management is central to organizational
performance. HRM is primarily delivered through line management
who are supported and advised by HR specialists.
4. HRM reflects the belief in the importance of integration, both
vertical(straight up and down) and horizontal (flat), where the use of
particular strategies to improve and reward employee performance in
the pursuit of enhanced organizational performance.
The Value of HRM
 The debates around the value of HRM have evolved and by focusing
on the HR roles and contribution the starting point is Ulrich (1997)
model where he defines four distinct roles and functions of HR:
 A Partner in strategy execution: this means the head of HR (HR
Director) has a ‘seat at the top table’.
 An Administrative Expert: getting the basics right and adopting a
much more instrumental approach to the use of procedures.
 An employee champion: the role of HR here is to ensure
employees remain engaged and committed through ensuring there is
a positive psychological and emotional working environment.
 A Change Agent: this is where HR is involved in building
organization’s capacity to embrace and to capitalize on change.
Evolution of Ulrich’s framework
 Ulrich and Brockbank (2005) refined the Ulrich model to reflect a
more in-depth and sophisticated understanding of the role of HR
professionals:
1. A developer of human capital
2. An employee advocate
3. A functional expert
4. A strategic partner
5. A leader of the HR function
HR Professional Role Description
HR Leader This central role has HR leading its own function and
The Five HR Roles developing other company leaders. This involves setting
(Source: Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005: Cited in clear goals,and
Gilmore enacting effective 2009:
Williams, communications,
18) managing
change, and defining results in terms of value added for a
range of stakeholders

Strategic Partner This requires HR to bring expertise in areas of business

change and consulting to their relationships with line
managers, whom they partner in reaching their goals
through strategy formulation and direction.

Human Capital Developer Human capital developers recognize people as critical

assets and provide learning opportunities at work to
facilitate employee and organizational success.

Functional Expert This role is concerned with ensuring the administrative

efficiency and effectiveness of the HR function

Employee Advocate This involves listening to employee concerns whilst

simultaneously adopting a customer, shareholder, and
managerial perspective, communicating to employees
what is expected of them to be successful in creating
value
 Discussion
In your opinion, what is the most important role of
HR Managers in organization?
Based on your opinion, why HR managers known as
people management?
List down the essential skills of HR Manager based on
your opinion.