I know one case of emergent business strategy, whereby the Honda salesmen in USA suggested to the management that it would be better if Honda motorbikes are sold through the department stores rather than the dealers. The management accepted this suggestion,and sales went up substantially after they did so. It was a case of emergent business strategy. I wanted to know more of such cases in the area of business strategy as well as HR strategy, where strategy/HR strategy emerged rather than being made through a rational procedure.
An emergent HR strategy is E-HRM, which is defined as "E-HRM is the (planning, implementation and) application of information technology for both networking and supporting at least two individual or collective actors in their shared performing of HR activities." as defined by Strohmeier, S. (2007). "Research in e-HRM: Review and implications." Human Resource Management Review 17(1): 19-37.
The following article:
Marler, J. H., & Fisher, S. L. (2013). An evidence-based review of e-HRM and strategic human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 23(1), 18-36.
looks at the purpose of electronic human resource management (e-HRM) to make the HRM function more strategic.
The attached is a case study on E-HRM
Most criticisms of strategy matching models claim that they overestimate the clarity and rationality of the process. Many approaches assume that HRM can simply be ‘read off’ strategy or stage of development and that suitable HR interventions can be found to ‘fit’ in the first place. By implication there is no room for managerial agency in either directing the organisation or ‘interpreting’ the environment. Research by Truss (2001) draws attention to the role of line managers as ‘powerful mediators’ in shaping the actual form HRM practices take. Watson’s (2004) narrative of HRM strategy making at Moddens foods provides insights into the fusion of interpretation, values and pragmatic criteria that serves to debunk more simplistic accounts of HRM design. Research has also found support for idea that HRM decisions are formed rather than formulated, with some indicating that firms actually express a preference for such ‘flexible’ approaches (Tyson, 1997). While emergent approaches were once looked down upon or seen as the preserve of smaller or unsophisticated firms (Harney and Dundon, 2007) it is increasingly recognised that rigid ‘fit’ may actually hinder the innovativeness and flexibility mandated for strategic success (Dyer and Ericksen, 2005).
Dyer, L., & Ericksen, J. 2005. In pursuit of marketplace agility: Applying precepts of self-organizing systems to optimize human resource scalability. Human Resource Management, 44(2): 183-189.
Harney, B., & Dundon, T. 2007. An emergent theory of HRM: A theoretical and empirical exploration of determinants of HRM among Irish small to medium sized enterprises. Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations, 15: 109-159.
Truss, C. 2001. Complexities and controversies in linking HRM with organizational outcomes. Journal of Management Studies, 38(8): 1121-1149.
Tyson, S. 1997. Human resource strategy: A process for managing the contribution of HRM to organisational performance. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 8(3): 277-290.
Watson, T. 2004. HRM and critical social science analysis. Journal of Management Studies, 41(3): 447-467.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Linguistics
- Composition Studies
- Publication