What would be the appealing factors about human resources?

Answer 1

The human resources term is mostly used in businesses and corporations. The term is used for the individuals who work in a firm. Therefore, Human resources appealed to me wherein I can deal with hiring, firing, training of employees and other employee issues.

Answer 2

Roles of HR Practitioner in an OrganisationsThe above discussion suggests an increasing emphasis on making HRM more strategic in Australian organisations. However, practitioners must benchmark the organisational roles of the people management function (Glanz and Dailey, 1992). To understand these roles, this section will focus on the roles required of Australian practitioners to succeed in achieving a strategic status within their organisations. Prior to identifying these roles, the following section will highlight the influence of environmental factors on the extent of HRM (Frenkel and Shaw, 1991; Jackson and Schuler, 1995).

Jackson and Schuler (1995) highlight the importance of macro and micro environmental factors on the HRM function. For example, macro environmental factors include changes in economic and business structures (e.g. economic downturn, globalisation, new organisational forms, knowledge based organisations); changes in industry characteristics and structures (e.g. Hilmers National Competition Policy); product and labour markets characteristics (e.g. consumer sophistication, high unemployment, workforce diversity); and financial and technological advances (see Carter, Nicholson, and Barlow, 1995 for detail discussion).

Micro dimensions are concerned with individual level factors such as professional and technical skills/competencies (Ulrich et al., 1995), reputational effectiveness of the HRM function in the organisations (Thui, 1994) and the development of strategic mindset by HRM practitioners (Ulrich and Yeung, 1989). The influence of these two dimensions would determine the extent to which different roles are required of HRM practitioners (Schuler, 1990; Ulrich and Yeung, 1989), illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1

Changing Roles of Australian HRM Practitioners

The influence of macro and micro dimensions require practitioners to undertake three closely related roles (strategic, consultancy and service) with the multiple stakeholders of the HRM function (shown as the overlapped section in Figure 1). Figure 1 also takes into consideration the importance of the Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI) as the professional association representing the interests of Australian practitioners (Smart and Pontifex, 1994). In addition, AHRI provides the professional development to enable practitioners acquire the right mix of competencies required in their new roles.

The role effectiveness of senior HRM practitioners in the strategic decision making process is an important micro dimension factor. In Australia, supporting an earlier study by Deery and Purcell (1989), Dowling and Fisher (1997:9) report that senior HRM managers are well represented on boards and executive committees. However, Gennard and Kelly (1997) caution practitioners that HR representation on the board of directors should not be seen as an Indicator of high status and influence. This is because it does not indicate active representation of the people management function in strategic decision makingand strategy formation processes. Torrington and Hall (1996) suggest that the strategic role of the senior HRM practitioners in the UK is a workplace rhetoric. They argue that the main issue is how personnel practitioners can add value by demonstrating the skills and competencies required to engage strategically in business processes. Individual competencies of the personnel directors can play an important part in influencing the strategic business decision making process (Gennard and Kelly, 1997; Ulrich et al. 1995). Others, such as Thai and Gomez-Mejia (1988) suggest that there are a range ofindicators which reflect the process (e.g. absenteeism rate, average time to fill jobs) or outcome (e.g. revenue per employee, value added on HR investment) effectiveness of the HRM function.

Research has suggested that the roles of the HRM function should change in order to successfully meet the demands placed by external and internal environments (Schulet 1990: Ulrich andYeung, 1989; Ulrich, 1996). Traditionally, the roles of practitioners can be classified as maintenance (e.g. salary and leave processing), reactive (lack of strategic approach), and operational (e.g. recruitment and selection). Practitioners have to relate their activities in a more holistic manner to the business activities in a complex and changing environment (Jackson and Schuler, 1995). There is a growing need for practitioners to be part of the top management team, engaging in a business partnership with line managers (Eisenstat, 1996; Gennard and Kelly, 1997; Ulrich, 1996). Eisenstat (1996) argues that the primary source of competitive advantage is the centrality positioning of the HRM function within any organisations. Business partnership with line management and other stakeholders requires HRM practitioners to undertake three main roles within their organisations, namely, strategic, consultancy, and service roles. The change in roles are consistent with developments in New Zealand (IPMNZ , 1994) and reflected in the 1995 national survey of AHRI members (Dowling and Fisher, 1997).

Strategic Role

Australian HRM practitioners have to change their outlook from focussing on operational issues to strategic issues. There is an increasing emphasis on the contribution by practitioners to business decision making by participating in the strategic management process (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). To qualify for this transition, practitioners can take an active role in marketing their products and services to the line managers (Fitz-enz, 1986; Schneidet 1994). They must focus on the needs of customers (Schuler and Jackson, 1987), both internal and external (Ulrich, 1992) to achieve competitive advantage. Eisenstat (1996) urges practitioners to focus on the centrality of the corporate HRM function as a means to align themselves with line managers in the strategic management of HR.

This is similar to the findings Identified in Gennard and Kelly (1997), susting that decentralisation of the HRM function to line managers does not imply HRM function is losing control in the people management process. Instead, the relationship between line and HRM managers can be explained through 'mutual influence by contributing jointly to the solutions of business problems' (1997:40). For example, practitioners can contribute strategically (i) by working with senior management to ensure the next generation of Australian managers are educated in appropriate skills and competendes (Carter, Nicholson, and Barlow., 1995); (ii) by involving themselves in the reorganisation ofwork (Morehead et al, 1997); and (iii) by sharing responsibilities for key HRM functions and activities with line managers (IPMNZ , 1994).

Consultancy Role

HRM practitioners should reposition themselves within the oipnisatlon to act as internal consultants to line managers (Adams, 1990; Thnner, 1997). For example, Adams (1990) finds that British organisations have outsourced their HRM function to external parties. A smaller corporate HRM unit has been used to provide consulting services to line managers. In this instance, HRM practitioners act as change agents or facilitators of the organisational change process (Anon., 1997; Ulrich, 1996). As demonstrated in Ulrich's (1996) analysis, the grouping together of both change agent and strategic roles reflect the importance of the ability of practitioners to manage change in a volatile environmental conditions. This role is applicable in Australia as organisational change (e.g. competitive pressures, new office technology, and organisational restructures) is widespread (Morehead et al., 1997:257).

Service Role

Practitioners have a role to play in the process of providing guidance and support to line managers in the implementation of innovative business strategies (Hiltrop, Despres and Sparrow, 1995). This role supports the decentralisation of HRM responsibilities to line managers (Dunphy and Stace, 1992; Morehead et al., 1997) and is similar to the proposition made by the IPMNZ (1994) study. Besides its functional support role, practitioners have a service role by working together and involving their stakeholders/clients in the design and delivery of HR/IR/ER products and services (Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Ulrich, 1996). This role is similar to that of an administrative expert (Ulrich, 1996). With major reforms in the Australian IR arena (Morehead et al, 1997), practitioners can provide the support and guidance required in the negotiation of individual employment contracts, interpretation of the new legislation and on-going negotiation with the trade unions (Wittingslow 1997). This role is similar to that of the employee champion, suggested in the research by Uhich (1996) and it is important as the responsibilfty for industrial! employee relations are being devolved to line managers in Australia (Deery and Purcell, 1989; Morehead et al., 1997).

Organisational downsizing is another area in which HRM practitioners can provide service to line managers (Papalexandris, 1996). This situation is relevant to the Australian environment as both private and public sector organisations have undergone downsizing (Littler et al, 1997; Morehead et al, 1997). Practitioners play a key role in ensuring that downsizing is implemented effectively, minimising the negative impact (such as decreased job satisfaction, staff motivation, and increased concern over job security) on those who survive (Littler et al., 1997).

Major Skills Required by HRM PractitionersEvidence has shown that Australian practitioners have a diverse range of working experience and levels of academic background. For example, only 22 percent of the respondents began their career in the HRM/IR functions; and the single largest group began their people management career in the clerical area (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). The combination of various roles and various backgrounds suggest that practitioners should acquire a number of different skills (Blancero, Boroski and Dyer, 1996; Connor and Ulrich, 1996) In order to demonstrate their contribution to firm performance (Huselid, Jackson, and Schuler, 1997). Davidson (1996) urges practitioners to acquire general management competencles and to accept responsibilities for their organisatlon's bottom line. Others, such as Cunningham and Debrah (1995), support this Idea by sustlng that practitioners should adopt an HRM approach which focuses on roles and skills necessary to manage the ambiguity in the people management function.

Recent research In the USA (Blancero, Boroskl, and Dyer, 1996; Elsenstat, 1996; Huselld, Jackson, and Schuler, 1997; Ulrlch et al., 1995) conclude that specific HR competencles can be used to add value to the bottom line of business. These studies highlight three different categories of HR competencles, namely (i) knowledge of business; (ii) management of change; and (iii) HR functional expertise. Simultaneously; a number of recent studies examine generic managerial/professional skills and competencies (Hearn et al., 1994) and leadership skills (e.g. Sanos, Tanewski, and Santora, 1995; Wallace and Hunt, 1996). Given the managerial nature of the HRM function, these generic managerial and professional competendes can be adopted for the development of HRM practitioners In their changing roles.

Strategic Skills

In Australia, evidence exists to show that personnel management departments have changed to the title of 'human resource management' (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). Kelly and Gennard (1996) suggest that strategic thinking rather than the labels attached to the people management function is the key to HRM role effectiveness. Ulrich and Yeung (1989: 42) state that 'the differences in paradoxical expectations and roles will require new thinking'. This exemplifies the need for practitioners to acquire new competencles to meet the business issues and challenges of their new roles.

The need for strategic skills is also highlighted in the Karpin Report (1995) on managerial and leadership skills in Australia. Strategic skills can include the abilities of seeing the macro (or bigger) picture, especially in terms of business knowledge and strategic planning skills. Ulrich (1996) and his colleagues (Ulrlch et al, 1995) conclude that effective performance of HRM would require a combination of business knowledge, together with functional and change management skills.

Organisatlonal Skills

Organisational capability. To become business partners with senior and line management, practitioners must acquire new skills to equip themselves for their new roles. These can gained through management development programs offered by institutes of higher learning or professional associations (Smart and Pontifex, 1994). It is also important for practitioners to acquire skills in the management of change (Anon. 1997; Guest, 1992; Ulrich and Yeung, 1989; Ulrich et al., 1995). As HRM is in the business of influencing the behaviour of employees, cognitive and behavioral skills are also required in order to meet the challenges of these new roles. As HRM becomes more customer focused (Schneider, 1994; Schuier and Jackson, 1987), practitioners have to embark on marketing exercises to improve their reputation and profile within their organisations (Pitz-enz, 1986). Therefore, there is a need for practitioners to acquire marketing and public relations related skills.

Functional capability included in this category are technical skills such as selection techniques, HR information systems, compensation and remuneration packages. These skills can be acquired through benchmarking (Glanz and Dailey 1992) or through external course providers. Changes to IR (Morehead et al., 1997) have a major impact on the way HRM is being performed in Australian from the short to medium term (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). As a consequence, IR-related skills such as negotiation, conflict resolution, and performance management are critical in assisting practitioners to raise line management awareness of the HRM function. Other skills would include financial (Armstrong, 1995) and technological skills (Ulrich et al., 1995). The findings by Huselid, Jackson and Schuler (1997) suggest that HRM technical expertise is important also.

Global capability. International business skilis, such as foreign languages and cross-cultural understanding (Bigelow 1994; Carter, Nicholson, and Barlow, 1995) must be developed if practitioners are to assist their organisations compete successfully in the international arena. An understanding of HRM issues regarding the employment of global managers (e.g. expatriate management, taxation, performance appraisal, and repatriation) requires practitioners to think and behave differently (Adler and Bartholomew, 1992). As the degree of multiculturalism increases in the Australian workplaces, cross-cultural understanding can also be beneficial for domestic conditions.

Personal Skills

Personal skills are relevant for both domestic management and international management Managerial skills, such as stress management, time management, career development, Interpersonal skills (see Bigelow, 1994), leadership skills (Sarros, Tanewsld, and Santora, 1995; Ulrich, 1991), and HR core competencies, including personal integrity, ambition and drive, and team skills (Blancero, Boroski and Dyer, 1996) are included in this category. As practitioners undertake consultancy roles, they will have to focus on acquiring effective facilitation and consultancy skills as a means of influence within their organisations (Anon. 1997; Tanner, 1997).

The above discussion highlights the three different categories of skills which would improve the effectiveness of the HRM functions. Successful repositioning of the function will require the performance of three key roles, each requiring a different mix of HR skills (briefly summarised in Table 2). The development of the above 'soft and hard' skills can be acquired through tertiary institutions, private colleges and institutes of further education.

Table 2

Critical HR skills required of HRM practitioners Critical HR SkillsDescriptionStrategic skillsstrategic mindset, e.g. ability to see macro picture; business knowledge;Organisational skills(i) organisational capability change management; cognitive and behavioral skills; marketing skills (ii) functional capability technical skills, e.g. recruitment and selection, HRIS; IR-related skills, e.g. negotiation and conflict resolution, performance management; financial and technological skills; strategic planning (iii) global capability cross-cultural skills; international business skills, e.g. taxationPersonal skillsmanagerial skills, e.g. stress and time management; HR core competencies, e.g. personal integrity, team skills, facilitation and consulting skills.

Roles of HR Practitioner in an OrganisationsThe above discussion suggests an increasing emphasis on making HRM more strategic in Australian organisations. However, practitioners must benchmark the organisational roles of the people management function (Glanz and Dailey, 1992). To understand these roles, this section will focus on the roles required of Australian practitioners to succeed in achieving a strategic status within their organisations. Prior to identifying these roles, the following section will highlight the influence of environmental factors on the extent of HRM (Frenkel and Shaw, 1991; Jackson and Schuler, 1995).

Jackson and Schuler (1995) highlight the importance of macro and micro environmental factors on the HRM function. For example, macro environmental factors include changes in economic and business structures (e.g. economic downturn, globalisation, new organisational forms, knowledge based organisations); changes in industry characteristics and structures (e.g. Hilmers National Competition Policy); product and labour markets characteristics (e.g. consumer sophistication, high unemployment, workforce diversity); and financial and technological advances (see Carter, Nicholson, and Barlow, 1995 for detail discussion).

Micro dimensions are concerned with individual level factors such as professional and technical skills/competencies (Ulrich et al., 1995), reputational effectiveness of the HRM function in the organisations (Thui, 1994) and the development of strategic mindset by HRM practitioners (Ulrich and Yeung, 1989). The influence of these two dimensions would determine the extent to which different roles are required of HRM practitioners (Schuler, 1990; Ulrich and Yeung, 1989), illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1

Changing Roles of Australian HRM Practitioners

The influence of macro and micro dimensions require practitioners to undertake three closely related roles (strategic, consultancy and service) with the multiple stakeholders of the HRM function (shown as the overlapped section in Figure 1). Figure 1 also takes into consideration the importance of the Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI) as the professional association representing the interests of Australian practitioners (Smart and Pontifex, 1994). In addition, AHRI provides the professional development to enable practitioners acquire the right mix of competencies required in their new roles.

The role effectiveness of senior HRM practitioners in the strategic decision making process is an important micro dimension factor. In Australia, supporting an earlier study by Deery and Purcell (1989), Dowling and Fisher (1997:9) report that senior HRM managers are well represented on boards and executive committees. However, Gennard and Kelly (1997) caution practitioners that HR representation on the board of directors should not be seen as an Indicator of high status and influence. This is because it does not indicate active representation of the people management function in strategic decision makingand strategy formation processes. Torrington and Hall (1996) suggest that the strategic role of the senior HRM practitioners in the UK is a workplace rhetoric. They argue that the main issue is how personnel practitioners can add value by demonstrating the skills and competencies required to engage strategically in business processes. Individual competencies of the personnel directors can play an important part in influencing the strategic business decision making process (Gennard and Kelly, 1997; Ulrich et al. 1995). Others, such as Thai and Gomez-Mejia (1988) suggest that there are a range ofindicators which reflect the process (e.g. absenteeism rate, average time to fill jobs) or outcome (e.g. revenue per employee, value added on HR investment) effectiveness of the HRM function.

Research has suggested that the roles of the HRM function should change in order to successfully meet the demands placed by external and internal environments (Schulet 1990: Ulrich andYeung, 1989; Ulrich, 1996). Traditionally, the roles of practitioners can be classified as maintenance (e.g. salary and leave processing), reactive (lack of strategic approach), and operational (e.g. recruitment and selection). Practitioners have to relate their activities in a more holistic manner to the business activities in a complex and changing environment (Jackson and Schuler, 1995). There is a growing need for practitioners to be part of the top management team, engaging in a business partnership with line managers (Eisenstat, 1996; Gennard and Kelly, 1997; Ulrich, 1996). Eisenstat (1996) argues that the primary source of competitive advantage is the centrality positioning of the HRM function within any organisations. Business partnership with line management and other stakeholders requires HRM practitioners to undertake three main roles within their organisations, namely, strategic, consultancy, and service roles. The change in roles are consistent with developments in New Zealand (IPMNZ , 1994) and reflected in the 1995 national survey of AHRI members (Dowling and Fisher, 1997).

Strategic Role

Australian HRM practitioners have to change their outlook from focussing on operational issues to strategic issues. There is an increasing emphasis on the contribution by practitioners to business decision making by participating in the strategic management process (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). To qualify for this transition, practitioners can take an active role in marketing their products and services to the line managers (Fitz-enz, 1986; Schneidet 1994). They must focus on the needs of customers (Schuler and Jackson, 1987), both internal and external (Ulrich, 1992) to achieve competitive advantage. Eisenstat (1996) urges practitioners to focus on the centrality of the corporate HRM function as a means to align themselves with line managers in the strategic management of HR.

This is similar to the findings Identified in Gennard and Kelly (1997), susting that decentralisation of the HRM function to line managers does not imply HRM function is losing control in the people management process. Instead, the relationship between line and HRM managers can be explained through 'mutual influence by contributing jointly to the solutions of business problems' (1997:40). For example, practitioners can contribute strategically (i) by working with senior management to ensure the next generation of Australian managers are educated in appropriate skills and competendes (Carter, Nicholson, and Barlow., 1995); (ii) by involving themselves in the reorganisation ofwork (Morehead et al, 1997); and (iii) by sharing responsibilities for key HRM functions and activities with line managers (IPMNZ , 1994).

Consultancy Role

HRM practitioners should reposition themselves within the oipnisatlon to act as internal consultants to line managers (Adams, 1990; Thnner, 1997). For example, Adams (1990) finds that British organisations have outsourced their HRM function to external parties. A smaller corporate HRM unit has been used to provide consulting services to line managers. In this instance, HRM practitioners act as change agents or facilitators of the organisational change process (Anon., 1997; Ulrich, 1996). As demonstrated in Ulrich's (1996) analysis, the grouping together of both change agent and strategic roles reflect the importance of the ability of practitioners to manage change in a volatile environmental conditions. This role is applicable in Australia as organisational change (e.g. competitive pressures, new office technology, and organisational restructures) is widespread (Morehead et al., 1997:257).

Service Role

Practitioners have a role to play in the process of providing guidance and support to line managers in the implementation of innovative business strategies (Hiltrop, Despres and Sparrow, 1995). This role supports the decentralisation of HRM responsibilities to line managers (Dunphy and Stace, 1992; Morehead et al., 1997) and is similar to the proposition made by the IPMNZ (1994) study. Besides its functional support role, practitioners have a service role by working together and involving their stakeholders/clients in the design and delivery of HR/IR/ER products and services (Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Ulrich, 1996). This role is similar to that of an administrative expert (Ulrich, 1996). With major reforms in the Australian IR arena (Morehead et al, 1997), practitioners can provide the support and guidance required in the negotiation of individual employment contracts, interpretation of the new legislation and on-going negotiation with the trade unions (Wittingslow 1997). This role is similar to that of the employee champion, suggested in the research by Uhich (1996) and it is important as the responsibilfty for industrial! employee relations are being devolved to line managers in Australia (Deery and Purcell, 1989; Morehead et al., 1997).

Organisational downsizing is another area in which HRM practitioners can provide service to line managers (Papalexandris, 1996). This situation is relevant to the Australian environment as both private and public sector organisations have undergone downsizing (Littler et al, 1997; Morehead et al, 1997). Practitioners play a key role in ensuring that downsizing is implemented effectively, minimising the negative impact (such as decreased job satisfaction, staff motivation, and increased concern over job security) on those who survive (Littler et al., 1997).

Major Skills Required by HRM PractitionersEvidence has shown that Australian practitioners have a diverse range of working experience and levels of academic background. For example, only 22 percent of the respondents began their career in the HRM/IR functions; and the single largest group began their people management career in the clerical area (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). The combination of various roles and various backgrounds suggest that practitioners should acquire a number of different skills (Blancero, Boroski and Dyer, 1996; Connor and Ulrich, 1996) In order to demonstrate their contribution to firm performance (Huselid, Jackson, and Schuler, 1997). Davidson (1996) urges practitioners to acquire general management competencles and to accept responsibilities for their organisatlon's bottom line. Others, such as Cunningham and Debrah (1995), support this Idea by sustlng that practitioners should adopt an HRM approach which focuses on roles and skills necessary to manage the ambiguity in the people management function.

Recent research In the USA (Blancero, Boroskl, and Dyer, 1996; Elsenstat, 1996; Huselld, Jackson, and Schuler, 1997; Ulrlch et al., 1995) conclude that specific HR competencles can be used to add value to the bottom line of business. These studies highlight three different categories of HR competencles, namely (i) knowledge of business; (ii) management of change; and (iii) HR functional expertise. Simultaneously; a number of recent studies examine generic managerial/professional skills and competencies (Hearn et al., 1994) and leadership skills (e.g. Sanos, Tanewski, and Santora, 1995; Wallace and Hunt, 1996). Given the managerial nature of the HRM function, these generic managerial and professional competendes can be adopted for the development of HRM practitioners In their changing roles.

Strategic Skills

In Australia, evidence exists to show that personnel management departments have changed to the title of 'human resource management' (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). Kelly and Gennard (1996) suggest that strategic thinking rather than the labels attached to the people management function is the key to HRM role effectiveness. Ulrich and Yeung (1989: 42) state that 'the differences in paradoxical expectations and roles will require new thinking'. This exemplifies the need for practitioners to acquire new competencles to meet the business issues and challenges of their new roles.

The need for strategic skills is also highlighted in the Karpin Report (1995) on managerial and leadership skills in Australia. Strategic skills can include the abilities of seeing the macro (or bigger) picture, especially in terms of business knowledge and strategic planning skills. Ulrich (1996) and his colleagues (Ulrlch et al, 1995) conclude that effective performance of HRM would require a combination of business knowledge, together with functional and change management skills.

Organisatlonal Skills

Organisational capability. To become business partners with senior and line management, practitioners must acquire new skills to equip themselves for their new roles. These can gained through management development programs offered by institutes of higher learning or professional associations (Smart and Pontifex, 1994). It is also important for practitioners to acquire skills in the management of change (Anon. 1997; Guest, 1992; Ulrich and Yeung, 1989; Ulrich et al., 1995). As HRM is in the business of influencing the behaviour of employees, cognitive and behavioral skills are also required in order to meet the challenges of these new roles. As HRM becomes more customer focused (Schneider, 1994; Schuier and Jackson, 1987), practitioners have to embark on marketing exercises to improve their reputation and profile within their organisations (Pitz-enz, 1986). Therefore, there is a need for practitioners to acquire marketing and public relations related skills.

Functional capability included in this category are technical skills such as selection techniques, HR information systems, compensation and remuneration packages. These skills can be acquired through benchmarking (Glanz and Dailey 1992) or through external course providers. Changes to IR (Morehead et al., 1997) have a major impact on the way HRM is being performed in Australian from the short to medium term (Dowling and Fisher, 1997). As a consequence, IR-related skills such as negotiation, conflict resolution, and performance management are critical in assisting practitioners to raise line management awareness of the HRM function. Other skills would include financial (Armstrong, 1995) and technological skills (Ulrich et al., 1995). The findings by Huselid, Jackson and Schuler (1997) suggest that HRM technical expertise is important also.

Global capability. International business skilis, such as foreign languages and cross-cultural understanding (Bigelow 1994; Carter, Nicholson, and Barlow, 1995) must be developed if practitioners are to assist their organisations compete successfully in the international arena. An understanding of HRM issues regarding the employment of global managers (e.g. expatriate management, taxation, performance appraisal, and repatriation) requires practitioners to think and behave differently (Adler and Bartholomew, 1992). As the degree of multiculturalism increases in the Australian workplaces, cross-cultural understanding can also be beneficial for domestic conditions.

Personal Skills

Personal skills are relevant for both domestic management and international management Managerial skills, such as stress management, time management, career development, Interpersonal skills (see Bigelow, 1994), leadership skills (Sarros, Tanewsld, and Santora, 1995; Ulrich, 1991), and HR core competencies, including personal integrity, ambition and drive, and team skills (Blancero, Boroski and Dyer, 1996) are included in this category. As practitioners undertake consultancy roles, they will have to focus on acquiring effective facilitation and consultancy skills as a means of influence within their organisations (Anon. 1997; Tanner, 1997).

The above discussion highlights the three different categories of skills which would improve the effectiveness of the HRM functions. Successful repositioning of the function will require the performance of three key roles, each requiring a different mix of HR skills (briefly summarised in Table 2). The development of the above 'soft and hard' skills can be acquired through tertiary institutions, private colleges and institutes of further education.

Table 2

Critical HR skills required of HRM practitioners Critical HR SkillsDescriptionStrategic skillsstrategic mindset, e.g. ability to see macro picture; business knowledge;Organisational skills(i) organisational capability change management; cognitive and behavioral skills; marketing skills (ii) functional capability technical skills, e.g. recruitment and selection, HRIS; IR-related skills, e.g. negotiation and conflict resolution, performance management; financial and technological skills; strategic planning (iii) global capability cross-cultural skills; international business skills, e.g. taxationPersonal skillsmanagerial skills, e.g. stress and time management; HR core competencies, e.g. personal integrity, team skills, facilitation and consulting skills.

Answer 3

Getting in third person Human Resources often provides more efficiency for the company needing staff; they will be skilled workers and their skills and expertise can prove a great benefit to a company.

Answer 4

Human resources have several appealing factors. Dealing with different kinds of people in terms of hiring, firing, and training, are all its appealing factors.