Discourses of HR: Towards an Emergent Model of HR Strategy Formulation and Implementation

Abstract

This study uses a social constructivist epistemology and a compatible methodology to look at models of HR in three disparate organisational contexts: a British public sector organisation, an entrepreneurial European private sector company in high growth mode, and the Asian operation of the same company in the lead up to a major acquisition, providing an opportunity to examine an organisation in a time of considerable change and upheaval. The study originated in a dissatisfaction with the ability of current models of HR to explain the diversity of approaches to HR found in organisations, most notably theories of SHRM, best practice and best fit approaches and contextually based HR. It attempts to develop a new descriptive research model of HR which incorporates the discrete RBV and neo-institutional frameworks of HR into a flexible model which can explain the operation of HR in a variety of organisations. The social constructivist perspective allows the model to take a view of strategy formulation and implementation which gives weight to the profound influence of the actors on HR strategy and its deployment. The conclusion of this study is that a viable descriptive research model can be produced, which utilises contextually based HR as a diagnostic, but gives substantial weight to the influence of the organisational actors. Further research is, however, required in order to fully test the model and resolve several areas about which the projects in this study raised questions.