A new look at HR

The acronym HR refers to Human Resources. This is distinct from Material Resources as it involves Intellectual Capital. Prof. Dave Ulrich has interpreted Intellectual Capital as a Product of Competence multiplied by Commitment. Competence represents the can-dopotential of an individual while commitment indicates the will-do-potential. It therefore, behoves on an HR Manager to optimize between these two.In essence, the purpose of Human Resource Management is to achieve organizational effectiveness through individual effectiveness. HRM strives to create an enabling work environment in an organization which facilitates employees to achieve organizational effectiveness through individual effectiveness. Thus, HRM helps to reconcile between organizational goals and individual goals. This is precisely what HRM should strive to achieve.

While all the resources at the command of an organization can be shrewdly and blindly imitated by the competitor to have an edge over the rivals, it is the Human Resource which eludes duplication due to its uniqueness.HR is not a number game, it is the sum total of the inherited intelligence,acquired knowledge, learned skill and accumulated experience over the years.According to J. Pfeffer, the significance of HR as the greatest asset of an organization assumes highest importance since it constitutes the organization’s intangible, irreplaceable and unimitable resource.

The above observations notwithstanding, HR is often criticized by it’s detractors. The premise on which the HRM concept is denigrated is that HR practitioners are perceived to operate sitting in ivory towers and off-load ornamental and flashy jargons which either are not relevant or simply do not apply in the work place. To this extent, the HR person becomes a fallen hero who is considered to be a drone at the mercy of other functional specialists (such as Sales, Finance, etc.) who are regarded to bring in tangible results more related to the bottomline concerning sales, profits. For obvious reasons, people in HR would be immensely let down at this slanderous allegation. However,the situation need to be analysed dispassionately before a suitable rebuttal can be contemplated. This calls for discerning the specific roles of HR as mentioned here under.
Basically, four HR roles exist. These include: Strategic Partner, Administrative Expert, Employee Champion,and Change Agent. These four roles need to be integrated into a coherent whole and that too, in a sequential manner which would sound logical. Let us suppose, an individual takes up an assignment as an HR Manager. It is futile for the incumbent to talk about change unless the rank and file believe about the veracity andsanctity of such a prophecy. Therefore, a sensible approach would be to start working shoulder-to-shoulder with people. This is where the concept of Strategic Partner comes in. The HR practitioner has to transcend from a thinker to a doer. Once done, people would look up to the incumbent for problem-redressal/technical advice. Here lies the importance of an Administrative Expert. The HR person then has to win confidence of one and all. He/she can do this once he/she emerges as the darling of the team. This can be realized if the role of Employee Champion is displayed. Here the HR guy acts as an emissary of the people to top management. Once accomplished,it is only then that the HR person can profess change. The role of Change Agent therefore comes eventually. In this capacity,the HR person acts as a facilitator who catalyses metamorphosis and ushers in the change process. Needless to mention,such a dovetailed approach will help elevate HR’s esteem to others. Regrettably, the crux of the problem lies elsewhere as enumerated below.

People tend to make an excess of each role. Instead of being a true Strategic Partner, HR individuals overdo such a role to an extent that they become intelligent tool-kit. In lieu of serving as an administrative expert, the HR person becomes a boffin. The employeechampion activities overstretch to those of a butler. Finally, the person in his/her endeavour to serve as a change-agent in abundance lands as a dreamer. None of these excess-oriented roles are well taken by others in the organization and in the final analysis, HR makes as mockery of the position.

Foregoing considerations therefore bring us to the panacea of all ills. The HR practitioner, as mentioned in the earlier paragraphs has to integrate the distinct four roles: Strategic Partner, Administrative Expert, Employee Champion, and Change Agent instead of being exceedingly pre-occupied with any particular role. Once this preponderance of one role over the others is eliminated, undue obsession with a given role disappears and the person becomes effective, efficient in his/her day-to-day operations. Others come to realize that the role is tangibly contributive to the organization in terms of say, reducing attrition,minimize absenteeism and lateness, decreasing accidents and scrap. The denouement is an unequivocal increased QWL (Quality of WorkLife) - definitely a goal to which not only HR looks ahead but the entire organization fervently aspires for.

Contributed By:

Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)