Is HR in a State of Transition? An International Comparative Study on the Development of HR Competencies
Research Objectives: The roles and activities of
Human Resource Management (HRM) have changed a lot in the past
years. Driven by a changing environment and therefore new business
requirements, the scope of human resource (HR) activities has
widened. The extent to which these activities should focus on
strategic issues to support the long term success of a company has
been discussed in science for many years. As many economies of
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) experienced a phase of transition
after the socialist era and are now recovering from the 2008 global
crisis it is needed to examine the current state of HR positioning.
Furthermore a trend in HR work developing from rather
administrative units to being strategic partners of management can be
noticed. This leads to the question of better understanding the
underlying competencies which are necessary to support
organisations. This topic was addressed by the international study
“HR Competencies in international comparison”. The quantitative
survey was conducted by the Institute for Human Resources &
Organisation of FHWien University of Applied Science of WKW (A)
in cooperation with partner universities in the countries Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. Methodology: Using the
questionnaire developed by Dave Ulrich we tested whether the HR
Competency model can be used for Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. After performing confirmatory and
exploratory factor analysis for the whole data set containing all five
countries we could clearly distinguish between four competencies. In
a further step our analysis focused on median and average
comparisons between the HR competency dimensions. Conclusion:
Our literature review, in alignment with other studies, shows a
relatively rapid pace of development of HR Roles and HR
Competencies in BCSS in the past decades. Comparing data from
BCSS and Austria we still can notice that regards strategic orientation
there is a lack in BCSS countries, thus competencies are not as
developed as in Austria. This leads us to the tentative conclusion that
HR has undergone a rapid change but is still in a State of Transition
from being a rather administrative unit to performing the role of a
strategic partner.
[1] Svetlik, I., Barisic, A. F., Kohont, A., Petkovic, M., Miric, A. A. &
Slavic, A. (2010). Human Resource Management in the Countries of the
Former Yugoslavia. In: Review of International Comparative
Management 11 (8), 807–833.
[2] Mesner Andolšek, D. & Štebe, J. (2005). Devolution or
(de)centralization of HRM function in European organizations. In: The
International Journal of Human Resource Management 16 (3), 311–329.
[3] Bogicevic-Milikic, B. & Janicijevic, N. (2009). HRM trends in transition
economies: Two reflections of the shared background. In: Sociologija 51
(2), 157–176.
[4] Milikić, B., Janićijević, N. & Petković, M. (2008). HRM in Transition
Economies: The Case of Serbia. In: South East European Journal of
Economics and Business 3 (2), 75–88.
[5] Meardi, G. (2006). Multinationals' heaven? Uncovering and
understanding worker responses to multinational companies in postcommunist
Central Europe. In: The International Journal of Human
Resource Management 17 (8), 1366–1378.
[6] Jankowicz, A. D. (1998).Issues in human resource management in
central Europe. In: Personnel Review 27 (3), 169–176.
[7] Boselie, P., & Paauwe, J. (2005). Human resource function
competencies in European companies. Personnel Review, 34(5), 550–
566. doi:10.1108/00483480510612512
[8] Conner, J., & Ulrich, D. (1996). Human resource roles: creating value,
not rhetoric. Human Resource Planning, 19(3), 38–49.
[9] Lemmergaard, J. (2009). From administrative expert to strategic partner.
Employee Relations, 31(2), 182–196. doi:10.1108/01425450910925328
[10] Covarrubias Venegas, Barbara/Thill, Katharina/Groblschegg, Sabine
(2014): Is HR in a state of Transition? Empirical results from the
DACH-region and implications for a future transformation of the HR
profession. In: IATED Acadmey (eds.): Proceedings of the 7th
International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, pp.
3238-3246.
[11] Ulrich, D. (1997). Human Resource Champions. The next agenda for
adding value and delivering results. Boston: Harvard Business Review
Press.
[12] Caldwell, R. (2008). HR business partner competency models: recontextualising
effectiveness. Human Resource Management Journal,
18(3), 275–294. doi:10.1111/j.1748-8583.2008.00071.x
[13] Caldwell, R. (2003). The Changing Roles of Personnel Managers : Old
Ambiguities, New Uncertainties. Journal of Management Studies, 40(4,
June), 983–1004.
[14] Soderquist, K. E., Papalexandris, A., Ioannou, G., & Prastacos, G.
(2010). From task-based to competency-based: A typology and process
supporting a critical HRM transition. Personnel Review, 39(3), 325–346.
doi:10.1108/00483481011030520
[15] Grossman, B. R. J. (2007). New Competencies forHR. HR Magazine,
58–62.
[16] Ulrich, D., Grochowski, J. (2012). From shared services to professional
services. Strategic HR Review, 11(3), 136–142.
doi:10.1108/14754391211216850
[17] Gooderham, P., Morley, M., Brewster, C., & Mayrhofer, W. (2004).
Human resource management: a universal concept? In C. Brewster, M.
Morley, & W. Mayrhofer (Eds.), Human Resource Management in
Europe. Evidence of Convergence? (pp. 1–27). London and New York:
Routledge.
[18] Morley, M., Heraty, N., Michailova, S. (2009). Managing Human
Resources in Central and Eastern Europe (Global HRM.
[19] Clark, T., Pugh, D. (2000). Similarities and Differences in European
Conceptions of HRM. Toward a Polycentric Study, International Studies
of Management & Organisation, 29, 84-100.
[20] Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Johnson, D, Sandholtz, K. & Younger, J.
(2008). HR Competencies. Mastery at the intersection of people and
business, Society for Human Resource Management.
[21] Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Johnson, D. & Younger, J., (2009). Human
Resource Competencies. Rising to meet the business challenge. The
RBL White Paper Series. Online: http://rblnet.
s3.amazonaws.com/hrcs/2012/HRCS%20HRMJ%20State%
2012.10.2011.pdf, (09.02.2013).
[22] Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W. & Ulrich, M. (2011a). The State
of the HR Profession. The RBL White Paper Series. Online:
http://www.hrnorge.no/filestore/HumanResourceCompetenciesRisingto
meetthebusi-nesschallenge.pdf, (09.02.2013). [23] Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W. & Ulrich, M. (2011b).
Competencies for HR Professionals Working Outside.-In: The RBL
White Paper Series. Online: http://rbl-net.s3.amazonaws.com/hrcs/2012/
Competen-cies%20for%20HR%20Professionals%20Working%20
Outside-In.pdf, (09.02.2013).
[24] Sieber, Susanne (2011). Rezente Entwicklungen der österreichischen
Direktinvestitions-tätigkeit. Online: http://www.fiw.ac.at/
fileadmin/Documents/Publikationen/Spezial/2.FIW-Special_FDI.pdf ,
(28.02.2013)
[25] Boston Consulting Group/World Federation of People Management
Associations (2012). From Capability to Profitability. Realizing the
value of people management. Download:
http://www.bcg.de/documents/file110599.pdf
[26] Kakabadse, A. & Kakabadse, N. (2000). ‘‘Critical view – outsourcing: a
paradigm shift’’, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 19 No. 8,
pp. 670-85.
[27] Lahteenmaki, S., Storey, J. & Vanhala, S. (1998). ‘‘HRM and company
performance: the use of measurement and the influence of economic
cycles’’, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 51-
65.
[28] Baird, L. & Meshoulam, I. (1998). ‘‘Managing two fits of strategic
human resource management’’, Academy of Management Review, Vol.
13 No. 1, pp. 116-28.
[29] Wright, P., Gardner, T., Moynihan, L. & Allen, M. (2005). The
relationship between HR practices and firm performance: examining
causal order. In: Personnel Psychology, Volume 58, Issue 2, pages 409–
446.
[30] Lengnick-Hall, M., Lengnick-Hall, C., Andrade, L. & Drake, B. (2009).
Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field. In:
Human Resource Management Review 19 (2009) 64–85.
[31] Ulrich, D. (1996). Human Resource Champions. In Harvard Business
School Press, pp. 281.
[1] Svetlik, I., Barisic, A. F., Kohont, A., Petkovic, M., Miric, A. A. &
Slavic, A. (2010). Human Resource Management in the Countries of the
Former Yugoslavia. In: Review of International Comparative
Management 11 (8), 807–833.
[2] Mesner Andolšek, D. & Štebe, J. (2005). Devolution or
(de)centralization of HRM function in European organizations. In: The
International Journal of Human Resource Management 16 (3), 311–329.
[3] Bogicevic-Milikic, B. & Janicijevic, N. (2009). HRM trends in transition
economies: Two reflections of the shared background. In: Sociologija 51
(2), 157–176.
[4] Milikić, B., Janićijević, N. & Petković, M. (2008). HRM in Transition
Economies: The Case of Serbia. In: South East European Journal of
Economics and Business 3 (2), 75–88.
[5] Meardi, G. (2006). Multinationals' heaven? Uncovering and
understanding worker responses to multinational companies in postcommunist
Central Europe. In: The International Journal of Human
Resource Management 17 (8), 1366–1378.
[6] Jankowicz, A. D. (1998).Issues in human resource management in
central Europe. In: Personnel Review 27 (3), 169–176.
[7] Boselie, P., & Paauwe, J. (2005). Human resource function
competencies in European companies. Personnel Review, 34(5), 550–
566. doi:10.1108/00483480510612512
[8] Conner, J., & Ulrich, D. (1996). Human resource roles: creating value,
not rhetoric. Human Resource Planning, 19(3), 38–49.
[9] Lemmergaard, J. (2009). From administrative expert to strategic partner.
Employee Relations, 31(2), 182–196. doi:10.1108/01425450910925328
[10] Covarrubias Venegas, Barbara/Thill, Katharina/Groblschegg, Sabine
(2014): Is HR in a state of Transition? Empirical results from the
DACH-region and implications for a future transformation of the HR
profession. In: IATED Acadmey (eds.): Proceedings of the 7th
International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, pp.
3238-3246.
[11] Ulrich, D. (1997). Human Resource Champions. The next agenda for
adding value and delivering results. Boston: Harvard Business Review
Press.
[12] Caldwell, R. (2008). HR business partner competency models: recontextualising
effectiveness. Human Resource Management Journal,
18(3), 275–294. doi:10.1111/j.1748-8583.2008.00071.x
[13] Caldwell, R. (2003). The Changing Roles of Personnel Managers : Old
Ambiguities, New Uncertainties. Journal of Management Studies, 40(4,
June), 983–1004.
[14] Soderquist, K. E., Papalexandris, A., Ioannou, G., & Prastacos, G.
(2010). From task-based to competency-based: A typology and process
supporting a critical HRM transition. Personnel Review, 39(3), 325–346.
doi:10.1108/00483481011030520
[15] Grossman, B. R. J. (2007). New Competencies forHR. HR Magazine,
58–62.
[16] Ulrich, D., Grochowski, J. (2012). From shared services to professional
services. Strategic HR Review, 11(3), 136–142.
doi:10.1108/14754391211216850
[17] Gooderham, P., Morley, M., Brewster, C., & Mayrhofer, W. (2004).
Human resource management: a universal concept? In C. Brewster, M.
Morley, & W. Mayrhofer (Eds.), Human Resource Management in
Europe. Evidence of Convergence? (pp. 1–27). London and New York:
Routledge.
[18] Morley, M., Heraty, N., Michailova, S. (2009). Managing Human
Resources in Central and Eastern Europe (Global HRM.
[19] Clark, T., Pugh, D. (2000). Similarities and Differences in European
Conceptions of HRM. Toward a Polycentric Study, International Studies
of Management & Organisation, 29, 84-100.
[20] Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Johnson, D, Sandholtz, K. & Younger, J.
(2008). HR Competencies. Mastery at the intersection of people and
business, Society for Human Resource Management.
[21] Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Johnson, D. & Younger, J., (2009). Human
Resource Competencies. Rising to meet the business challenge. The
RBL White Paper Series. Online: http://rblnet.
s3.amazonaws.com/hrcs/2012/HRCS%20HRMJ%20State%
2012.10.2011.pdf, (09.02.2013).
[22] Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W. & Ulrich, M. (2011a). The State
of the HR Profession. The RBL White Paper Series. Online:
http://www.hrnorge.no/filestore/HumanResourceCompetenciesRisingto
meetthebusi-nesschallenge.pdf, (09.02.2013). [23] Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W. & Ulrich, M. (2011b).
Competencies for HR Professionals Working Outside.-In: The RBL
White Paper Series. Online: http://rbl-net.s3.amazonaws.com/hrcs/2012/
Competen-cies%20for%20HR%20Professionals%20Working%20
Outside-In.pdf, (09.02.2013).
[24] Sieber, Susanne (2011). Rezente Entwicklungen der österreichischen
Direktinvestitions-tätigkeit. Online: http://www.fiw.ac.at/
fileadmin/Documents/Publikationen/Spezial/2.FIW-Special_FDI.pdf ,
(28.02.2013)
[25] Boston Consulting Group/World Federation of People Management
Associations (2012). From Capability to Profitability. Realizing the
value of people management. Download:
http://www.bcg.de/documents/file110599.pdf
[26] Kakabadse, A. & Kakabadse, N. (2000). ‘‘Critical view – outsourcing: a
paradigm shift’’, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 19 No. 8,
pp. 670-85.
[27] Lahteenmaki, S., Storey, J. & Vanhala, S. (1998). ‘‘HRM and company
performance: the use of measurement and the influence of economic
cycles’’, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 51-
65.
[28] Baird, L. & Meshoulam, I. (1998). ‘‘Managing two fits of strategic
human resource management’’, Academy of Management Review, Vol.
13 No. 1, pp. 116-28.
[29] Wright, P., Gardner, T., Moynihan, L. & Allen, M. (2005). The
relationship between HR practices and firm performance: examining
causal order. In: Personnel Psychology, Volume 58, Issue 2, pages 409–
446.
[30] Lengnick-Hall, M., Lengnick-Hall, C., Andrade, L. & Drake, B. (2009).
Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field. In:
Human Resource Management Review 19 (2009) 64–85.
[31] Ulrich, D. (1996). Human Resource Champions. In Harvard Business
School Press, pp. 281.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:70523", author = "Barbara Covarrubias Venegas and Sabine Groblschegg and Bernhard Klaus and Julia Domnanovich", title = "Is HR in a State of Transition? An International Comparative Study on the Development of HR Competencies", abstract = "Research Objectives: The roles and activities of
Human Resource Management (HRM) have changed a lot in the past
years. Driven by a changing environment and therefore new business
requirements, the scope of human resource (HR) activities has
widened. The extent to which these activities should focus on
strategic issues to support the long term success of a company has
been discussed in science for many years. As many economies of
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) experienced a phase of transition
after the socialist era and are now recovering from the 2008 global
crisis it is needed to examine the current state of HR positioning.
Furthermore a trend in HR work developing from rather
administrative units to being strategic partners of management can be
noticed. This leads to the question of better understanding the
underlying competencies which are necessary to support
organisations. This topic was addressed by the international study
“HR Competencies in international comparison”. The quantitative
survey was conducted by the Institute for Human Resources &
Organisation of FHWien University of Applied Science of WKW (A)
in cooperation with partner universities in the countries Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. Methodology: Using the
questionnaire developed by Dave Ulrich we tested whether the HR
Competency model can be used for Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. After performing confirmatory and
exploratory factor analysis for the whole data set containing all five
countries we could clearly distinguish between four competencies. In
a further step our analysis focused on median and average
comparisons between the HR competency dimensions. Conclusion:
Our literature review, in alignment with other studies, shows a
relatively rapid pace of development of HR Roles and HR
Competencies in BCSS in the past decades. Comparing data from
BCSS and Austria we still can notice that regards strategic orientation
there is a lack in BCSS countries, thus competencies are not as
developed as in Austria. This leads us to the tentative conclusion that
HR has undergone a rapid change but is still in a State of Transition
from being a rather administrative unit to performing the role of a
strategic partner.", keywords = "Comparative study, HR competencies, HRM, HR
Roles.", volume = "9", number = "8", pages = "2748-9", }
