Our Strategic Approach to HRM

We believe that the way in which people are managed is vital for the sustainability of any organisation. Sustainability relies not only on financial outcomes but also employee wellbeing, customer satisfaction, and social and environmental responsibility. In our view, all human resource management (HRM) activities need to work together in order for the HRM function to help the organisation create and sustain value. Effective HRM is at the core of the three-way linkage between strategy, people and performance. Each chapter of this text discusses the strategic developments in each HR area and emphasises HRM as a means of creating value and helping organisations sustain a competitive advantage.

This is the third Australian adaptation of the international edition which was written by Raymond Noe, John Hollenbeck, Barry Gerhart and Patrick Wright. Those authors did a wonderful job in providing a text that captures the key theoretical, empirical and practical developments and issues in HRM. Their text provides a solid foundation enabling us to develop our book to be relevant to the contemporary HRM scene in Australia and the Asia–Pacific region. We have introduced new themes which capture the challenges pertinent in the local context at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Some of these challenges pose major concerns for organisations.

Key Themes in this Text

Throughout the text, we address these four key categories of challenges faced by organisations today:

• the challenge of globalisation
• the challenge of attracting and retaining people
• the challenge of HR innovation
• the challenge of sustainability

Features of this Text

• Each chapter reflects the most significant and most recent academic research and organisational practices in HRM. Up-to-date examples are provided throughout each chapter.
• Chapter opening case studies provide examples of practical HRM issues facing organisations in Australia and the Asia–Pacific region. Some of these case studies highlight organisations that have been recognised for their effective HR approaches. Others describe strategies that organisations have developed in order to deal with encountered difficulties. • Each chapter contains cases featuring practical examples of organisations meeting the four key challenges.
• ‘HRM spotlight’ cases provide the most current practical examples available of organisations introducing innovative HR strategies, or encountering new and emerging problems.
• At the end of each chapter, a ‘Managing People’ case and an ‘End-of-Chapter’ case provide in-depth studies of HRM-related problems or issues encountered by HR professionals and organisations. The case questions require students to critically evaluate problems or issues presented, and to apply the chapter content to analyse the case.
• Web exercises encourage students to use the Internet to explore the latest developments in HRM and to have access to experts in a particular area of HRM.
• Discussion questions at the end of each chapter help students to learn the concepts covered in the chapter and to consider different viewpoints when addressing the HRM issues encountered.

Addressing the Needs of Academics, Students and Managers

This book aims to provide undergraduate and graduate students with fundamental knowledge about HRM. It will be useful for those who want to become successful HR professionals and for those who have responsibility for managing people. This book identifies effective HRM strategies for managers who have personal responsibility for the design, implementation and maintenance of HRM practices, or who are working with HR professionals. Our intention is to emphasise effective ways to manage people and the issues most likely to be faced in current HR practice.

The text takes a more intellectual and practical approach to HRM than competing books, paying a lot more attention to empirical research and local examples. It addresses the real world complexities and challenges for HRM in Australia and the Asia–Pacific region by providing local examples and the outcomes of current research. Written by experts in their field with strong research, teaching and industry backgrounds, this text successfully explains through illustration, and reinforces the link between concepts and critical thinking.

In the process of preparing this book, we built on our own experience and insights from students, colleagues and professional networks, by seeking input from academics around Australia. This has provided us with invaluable ideas that we have incorporated into the book.

Helen De Cieri
Robin Kramar