This thesis analyses empirical evidence of the state of the HR function and the presence of the strategic role of the HR function in the banking sector of Pakistan. The focus of analysis is on key components of the HR function that influence its role orientation, namely the patterns of devolution of HR responsibilities, the structure of the HR function and the skill-set of HR personnel. The extant literature on HRM and the role of the HR function is for the most part contextualized within Anglo-Saxon countries and as a consequence insufficiently highlights the idiosyncratic and embedded factors which influence the role and strategic direction of the HR function in developing countries. Also, while the literature suggests that different stakeholders are likely to report divergent views regarding the role of the HR function, few studies provide a thorough examination of this issue. To address these gaps in the literature, a qualitative case-study approach was adopted and interviews were conducted with 85 HR, senior and line managers in eight case-study banks. The data analysis largely fails to identify a significant presence of the strategic role of the HR function across the sample banks. It also indicates a generally low level of devolution of HR activities to line management, which has impeded the ability of HR managers to devote more time and resources to strategic initiatives. Even where devolution has occurred, it has not enabled the HR function to enhance its strategic contribution. The evidence also suggests that where organisations implemented structural changes to their HR function ostensibly, to enhance the strategic orientation, this did not result in meaningful outcomes and, moreover, the lack of requisite business acumen among HR personnel appears to have impeded their strategic contribution. In the context of Pakistan, these findings emerged because the HR function was in an early stage of development, the strategic HR role required a skill-set which had just begun to emerge and the underpinned reasons for changes in the structure were to attain better operational efficiency. Further, in the domestic case-study banks, the function faced challenges of an out-dated skill-set of incumbent employees and the ensuing legacy effects. These results suggest that in order to study the presence of a strategic role orientation, a broader analytical framework is required that both incorporates multiple elements within the HR function – especially its structure, extent of devolution of HR activities and skill-set of personnel – and responds to the multiple and conflicting perspectives of different stakeholders in a complex and fast-changing industry environment.

Nowadays, organisations are seeking to understand how one of the last truly competitive resources, their human resources, can be managed for competitive advantage (Allen and Wright, 2006). As Wright and McMahan (2011) state, today an organisation’s human resources have become more important than ever to their success. Consequently, a better understanding is needed of the role of HRM in creating better organisational performance. Although, human resource management practices have continued to be the focus of strategic HRM research (Combs et al., 2006), human capital has received little attention (Takeuchi et al., 2007), and human resource behaviours have received even less (Sun et al., 2007). This study theoretically develops and empirically tests a conceptual model that describes how the system of HRM practices is likely to have an impact on organisational performance. Drawing on the Resource Based View, the Behavioural Perspective and the Social Exchange Theory, the study provides a conceptual framework consisting of five constructs through which the underlying mechanisms linking the system of HRM practices and organisational performance are examined. It is proposed that HRM systems improve organisational performance by strengthening human capital and employee attitudes and behaviours (employee commitment). Primary data was collected from public and private universities in the Republic of Cyprus. The empirical analysis investigates the interrelationships between multiple independent and dependent variables that exist in the relationship between the perceived system of HRM practices and organisational performance. The study also intends to test the Resource Based View (RBV) and Social Exchange Theory at the higher education sector, by examining the level of human capital and employee commitment as mediating mechanisms through which a system of HRM practices affects university performance. To analyse the data and test the proposed hypotheses, Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were employed. Goodness-of-fit measures were utilised to assess the structural fit of the overall model. As the aim of the study was to test and investigate the structural model that explains the relationship between the five constructs, standardised path coefficients and the significance of the hypothesised relationships were utilised to test the postulated hypotheses in a causal diagrammatic form. The results of the analyses revealed that the perceived system of HRM practices has significant positive effects on both, the level of human capital and employee commitment. In addition, the analysis indicated that the level of human capital has significant positive effects on employee performance, while at the same time employee commitment has also significant positive effect on employee performance. Moreover, the impact of employee performance on organisational performance was found to be positive and statistically significant. The analysis also revealed that the perceived system of HRM practices has a significant positive and direct impact on organisational performance. Finally, the relationship between employee commitment and organisational performance is significant and direct. Interestingly, the model indicates no significant direct impact between the level of human capital and organisational performance. The current research can be considered as pioneering in the area of strategic HRM in higher education, since it demonstrates that the simultaneous use of the Resource Based View and the Social Exchange Theory can provide empirical evidence for examining the mediating role of organisational resources (the level of human capital) and employee attitude and behaviour (employee commitment) as well as employee performance at university-level education. In addition, the results of this thesis contribute to the existing body of research and knowledge and provide recommendations regarding the role of the perceived system of HRM practices as an organisational mechanism that may help universities to configure valuable bundles of committed administrative employees who are equipped with high level of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s).

With organizational development, many of management systems should be established and developed to handle different challenges and situations. Flamholtz and Randle (2007) figure out different but typical management orientation and systems at different stages of this development process and emphasize the importance of organizational transition between the stages. Human resource management (HRM) is regarded as one of the most important management systems to overcome challengers and gain competitive advantages during organization development. This paper concentrates on a HRM perspective to research on the relationship between organizational transition and HRM changes. The findings show HRM correlated with organizational transition from an entrepreneurial stage to a professionally managed one needs to change from traditional to strategic. The essence of this process is correspondingly a role change from a service provider to a strategic participant. Meanwhile, the functions and abilities to support them in HRM should be changed also.

As the traditional sources of competitive advantage can no longer provide a sustainable edge for business; the contemporary approach to global business strategy point to core competencies, invisible assets, and organizational capabilities as key factors influencing MNC¡¦s long-term success in global markets. An organization¡¦s intellectual assets are said to be a pack of knowledge under that firm¡¦s ownership or control, through services and the embodiment in firm¡¦s outputs to flow over time period. Knowledge especially has become the most strategically important resource and the potential to compete for advantages among MNCs to advance themselves in the information-driven societies. Derived from theoretical origins of resource-based view and behavioral perspective, an integrative framework from a sample set of 129 further concludes six determinants that enable MNC to build layers of knowledge-based global competence to compete and sustain advantages globally using structural equation modeling (SEM). Human interface, ISO, and parent innovation are found to have direct effect to firm¡¦s knowledge-based global competence, while IT, transnational innovation, and substantial investment in human capital are found to link indirectly through mediating effect of learning culture. From the resource perspective of the firm, as emerging country in its early phase of internationalization as Taiwan, local capabilities for knowledge innovation at host await to be developed over time and hence focal units rely on knowledge inflows from parent to assist their needs. Such interdependence between globally linked and locally leveraged for innovation makes externalized knowledge important for effective knowledge diffusion across network of subsidiaries aside from use of personnel flows for transferring implicit knowledge, IT for transferring explicit knowledge, and ISO for transferring codified knowledge, each requires good integration mechanisms to keep culture, language, and communication barriers to the minimum in cross-cultural settings. Investment in human capital and implementation of learning culture can benefit company enormously from movement of people either horizontally or vertically in terms of learning and sharing through socialization, and building a network of cross-functional interdependence for transferring knowledge, expertise, and sets of common goals and values for synergy.

Det föränderliga samhället har lett till att organisationer präglas av flexibilitet och oförutsägbarhet. Det har lett till ett förändringstryck, där förändring har blivit det nya normaltillståndet för organisationer. Behovet av en lyckad förändringsledning har aldrig varit större. För att tackla denna föränderlighet krävs det att organisationer framgångsrikt implementerar strategier och metoder för effektiv förändring och skapa organisatoriska förutsättningar för chefer att leda ett förändringsarbete. Eftersom mellanchefer visar sig ha stor betydelse för medarbetares engagemang och syn på förändring, är deras roll viktig i arbetet med förändring. Syftet med studien var att, ur ett chefsperspektiv, undersöka och analysera Norrpilens organisatoriska förutsättningar avseende motivation, delaktighet, kommunikation och information samt trygghet för ett strategiskt förändringsarbete. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer har problemområdet undersökts i syfte att skapa en djupare förståelse om chefernas upplevelser att leda ett förändringsarbete. Av resultatet framkom att kommunikation, information och delaktighet i relation till varandra är grundförutsättningar för att chefer ska känna sig motiverade och trygga i det strategiska förändringsarbetet. Studien bidrog därmed med kunskap om vilka förutsättningar chefer behöver för att leda ett strategiskt förändringsarbete samt vilka förutsättningar Norrpilen behöver utveckla och skapa till framtida förändringsarbeten.

Traditionellt har HR-arbetet främst varit fokuserat på administrativa uppgifter och inte ansetts vara tillräckligt effektivt och värdeskapande. För att HR-arbetet ska bli mer strategiskt behöver funktionen organiseras så att den tillgodoser dessa behov (Boglind et al, 2013). Vi menar att HR-funktionens relation till ledare och linjechefer är avgörande för hur framgångsrikt deras arbete blir. Syftet med detta arbete är därför att undersöka hur chefer uppfattar HR-funktionens förändrade roll och vilken typ av stöd de förväntar sig av den. Vi vill också undersöka om uppfattningen av HR-funktionen skiljer sig åt beroende på hur den är organiserad. Undersökningen är baserad på en multipel fallstudie utförd på Falu och Avesta kommun. Totalt har tretton djupintervjuer genomförts, där fem personer representerar HR-avdelningarna och åtta personer representerar linjecheferna. Falu kommun började genomföra en HR-transformation vid årsskiftet 2013/2014, Avesta kommun har inte genomfört en HR-transformation utan har funktionen uppdelad i två team. Av empirin framkommer att linjecheferna i båda kommunerna har en ganska vag uppfattning om HR-funktionens organisation och trots de strukturella skillnaderna mellan kommunerna efterfrågar linjecheferna något mer. I Avesta är samtliga respondenter överens om att en samsyn kring HR-funktionens arbetsuppgifter inte finns på grund av att en tydlig strategi för HR-funktionen saknas. Cheferna i Avesta efterfrågar ett arbete med personalfrågor från grunden samt ett mer strategiskt arbete. I Falun visar empirin att linjechefer och HR-personer har olika åsikter kring huruvida det finns en samsyn. Även om flera linjechefer i Falun anser att HR-funktionen fungerar bättre efter transformationen efterfrågar samtliga en kontakt med en specifik HR-person istället för att kontakta ett HR-center. Trots att de organisationer vi studerat har HR-funktioner som skiljer sig åt i storlek och struktur kan vi konstatera många likheter. Vi drar därför slutsatsen att de problem som linjecheferna beskriver inte är relaterade till HR-avdelningens organisering, utan snarare kan kopplas till en obalans i HR-arbetets inneboende dualitet som uppstått i och med ett mer strategiskt fokus. Vi anser att båda kommunernas HR-funktioner bör ha en tydlig och kontinuerlig dialog med linjecheferna för att maximera värdeskapandet dem emellan. Sammanfattningsvis menar vi att kommunerna bör lägga fokus på att identifiera vilka aspekter av personalarbetet som är värdefulla och unika för just deras organisation samt arbeta strategiskt utifrån dessa. / Traditionally, HR work has not been considered sufficiently effective and value creating because of its main focus on administrative tasks. For HR work to become more strategic the function has to organize in a way that meet the new needs (Boglind et al, 2013). We believe that the success of the HR function depends on their relationships to leaders and line managers. The purpose of this essay is to examine how line managers perceive the changing role of the HR function and what kind of support they expect from them. We also want to investigate whether the perception of the HR function is related to how it’s organized. The survey is based on a multiple case study conducted in Falu and Avesta municipality. A total of thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted where five respondents represented the HR departments and eight respondents represented the line managers. Falun municipality began implementing an HR transformation at the turn of 2013/2014. Avesta municipality has an HR function divided into two teams and hasn’t performed an HR transformation. Our empirical data reveals that line managers in both municipalities have a rather vague idea of the HR function and its organization. Despite structural differences between the municipalities line managers in both organizations demand something more. All respondents in Avesta municipality agree to a lack of consensus regarding the duties of the HR function, due to an absence of a distinct strategy. The line managers of Avesta requests a more fundamental and strategic HR management. Empirical data from Falun municipality reveals that line managers and HR respondents disagree on whether there is a consensus regarding the tasks of the HR function. Although several line managers in Falun mentions that the HR function have improved from the transformation, they still prefer close relations to a specific HR person over contacting the HR call center. Although the studied HR functions differ in size and structure, we observe many similarities. We therefore conclude that the difficulties described by line managers isn’t related to the structure of the HR function, but instead relates to an imbalance in the immanent duality of the HR work that emerge from a more strategic focus. We believe that the HR function in both municipalities should have a consistent and continuous dialogue with line managers to maximize the exchange of value. In conclusion we suggest that the municipalities should focus on identifying the aspects of HR work that is most valuable and unique to their organization and build their strategies from these.

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att kartlägga hur HR-funktionens arbete är värdeskapande i organisationen. Metod: Studien utgår från en deduktiv forskningsansats och har tillämpat en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi. Det empiriska underlaget har samlats in genom åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer inom HR och med chefer i organisationen. Studien genomfördes på företagen Volvo Cars och Scania Slutsats: Studien har visat att de faktorer som ger ett värdeskapande HR-arbete är verksamhetsförståelse, närvarande HR, delaktighet i ledningsgrupp för HR-personal samt att det finns en förståelse för vad HR arbetar med från chefernas perspektiv.

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att kartlägga hur HR-funktionens arbete är värdeskapande för organisationen. Metod: Studien utgår från en deduktiv forskningsansats och har tillämpat en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi. Det empiriska underlaget har samlats in genom åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer inom HR och med chefer i organisationen. Studien genomfördes på företagen Volvo Cars och Scania. Slutsats: Studien har visat att de faktorer som ger ett värdeskapande HR-arbete är verksamhetsförståelse, närvarande HR, delaktighet i ledningsgrupp för HR-personer samt att det finns en förståelse för vad HR arbetar med från chefernas perspektiv.

Esta pesquisa exploratória investigou como a filosofia de gestão de pessoas influencia a estratégia e a performance organizacional -_ um fenômeno contemporâneo de bastante interesse, não apenas da academia como também do ponto de vista da prática organizacional, devido à distância considerável entre a teoria e a prática da gestão estratégica de pessoas. Utilizou-se o método de estudo de multicasos com abordagem qualitativa, enfoque indutivo e perspectiva histórica, possibilitando, assim, maior abrangência analítica entre diferentes aspectos do fenômeno ocorrido ao longo da trajetória das quatro organizações estudadas. Trata-se de empresas de sucesso internacionalmente reconhecido que operam em diferentes setores, possuem configurações organizacionais distintas e têm suas origens na Austrália, Brasil, Canadá e Dinamarca. Os dados, oriundos de múltiplas fontes, foram coletados por meio de quatro técnicas distintas, incluindo a condução de 45 entrevistas semi-estruturadas e em profundidade com gerentes e não gerentes das quatro organizações. Os dados foram organizados por temas e categorias utilizando-se software específico para análise de pesquisa qualitativa. O mapeamento visual de dados longitudinais contribuiu para a síntese dos casos investigados e para a geração de insights. Os resultados desta pesquisa ilustram que a filosofia de gestão de pessoas, ou seja, o significado das pessoas no trabalho para os dirigentes da organização pode influenciar tanto a política e a estratégia de gestão de pessoas, como também, de forma significativa, o processo da estratégia e a performance organizacional ao longo da trajetória das empresas. A filosofia de gestão de pessoas pode também interferir na forma de interpretação do conceito de profissionalização ou modernização da gestão e na aplicação das ferramentas e modelos de gestão propostos pela academia. É curioso observar que, enquanto a literatura defende o alinhamento da gestão de pessoas a partir da estratégia empresarial como fórmula para o sucesso da organização, este estudo empírico aponta o sentido inverso da relação. Ou seja, a força motriz que define o alinhamento entre estratégia e gestão de pessoas nas empresas estudadas não tem sua base na estratégia empresarial, mas, sim, na filosofia de gestão de pessoas, aspecto esse que influencia de forma significativa, para não afirmar que determina a estratégia e o sucesso das organizações. Apesar de fazer sentido e de ocorrer na prática organizacional, tal possibilidade não está presente nos modelos de integração propostos pela literatura. / The theory and practice of strategic human resource management this research question is a contemporary issue of great interest not only from academics but also practitioners. On one hand researches and executives consider people as strategic assets and the source of sustainable business, but on the other hand the considerable gap between theory and practice remains a challenge. Therefore, this international muticase study investigated how the HR philosophy influences organizational strategy and business performance. By applying qualitative and inductive approach with a historical perspective, this exploratory research allowed a comprehensive analysis of various aspects of the research phenomenon occurred along the course of the four organizations. They are successful companies operating in different sectors, with very different organizational configurations. The cases are from Australia, Brazil, Canada and Denmark. The primary and secondary data, from multiple sources, were collected by four different techniques, including 45 semi-structured and in-depth interviews with managers and non-managers from these four organizations. Data were organized by themes and categories using specific software for qualitative research analysis. The visual mapping of historical data helped build and present the case studies and generate insights. The results of this research show that the HR philosophy, that is, the meaning of people at work for the leadership, influences not only the HR policy & strategy, but significantly the organizational strategy process and business performance over the organizational life time, including the way leadership interprets the concept of management professionalization and implements management models & tools proposed by the academy. It is interesting to note that while the literature suggests the alignment of HRM from the business strategy, this empirical study shows the opposite direction of the relationship, that is, the driving force that defines the alignment between strategy and HRM is not the business strategy, but the HR philosophy, which strongly influenced, not to say that determined the strategy and success of organizations. Despite making sense, this possibility is not considered in the many models of people strategy performance integration proposed by the literature.

Retail work constitutes an estimated 10.5 per cent of the UK workforce (British Retail Consortium, 2011). The literature suggests homogeneity in the nature of HRM in the retail industry with low formal skills, pay and trade union density associated with this context (Skillsmart Retail, 2010; Department for Business Innovation and Skills, 2010). Furthermore, the downward pressure on the working conditions of employees is observed across front-line work in general and this, seemingly does not improve with competitive strategy (Kelliher and Perrett, 2001; Lloyd, 2005; Lloyd, Warhurst and Dutton, 2013). However, the service work literature reveals diversity at the workplace level in the performance of emotional labour (Bolton, 2000) and the different types of customer (Bolton and Houlihan, 2005). Yet there are gaps in the literature related to how the performance of emotional labour compares and contrasts across retail organisations through different management control mechanisms as well as how the employee-customer interaction may explain diversity at the workplace level. The thesis draws on a comparative case approach of four case study organisations in the retail industry each reflecting different market positions in clothing and electrical product markets. A total of 37 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and employees across the case study stores. In addition the methodology also included the analysis of the customer perspective which is traditionally missing in the work and employment relations literature (Korczynski, 2009) This included collecting data using eighteen customer shopping reports, a method based on qualitative diaries. The overall aim of the study was to compare and contrast management, employee and customer perspectives across different retail organisation contexts and explore how the nature of HR and the performance of emotional labour are framed and reframed by the dynamics and negotiations that take place between these three actors. The findings reveal homogeneity in the nature of HRM with no improvement in recruitment and selection, training, pay and collective employee involvement going up the quality chain in the retail industry. This confirms other studies in the service industry more generally (Kelliher and Perrett, 2001; Lloyd, 2005; Lloyd et al, 2013). However within this downward pressure on the nature of HRM there were elements of diversity in the management requirements for the performance of emotional labour and the conceptualisation of the customer which shaped the employee-customer interaction in much broader terms than Strategic HR theorists might have assumed. To understand diversity across the retail organisations it was necessary to analyse the nature of employee-customer interactions within the context of management performance strategies. This revealed that many of the nuances between the case study retailers related to the ways the customer shapes, and is shaped, by the performance of emotional labour. The thesis will argue for the continued relevance of the concept of triangular relations which has been recently criticised (Belanger and Edwards, 2013) because it recognises the three actors that shape the performance of emotional labour at the level of workplace relations.