Abstract:
In the first chapter, we examined the theoretical debate on the nature and significance of the human resource management (HRM) model; in this chapter we explore an approach to HRM labelled strategic human resource management, or SHRM. By a strategic approach to HRM, we are referring to a managerial process requiring human resource (HR) policies and practices to be linked with the strategic objectives of the organization. Just as the term ‘human resource management’ has been contested, so too has the notion of SHRM. One aspect for debate is the lack of conceptual clarity (Bamberger & Meshoulam, 2000). Do, for example, the related concepts of SHRM and HR strategy relate to a process or an outcome?