Strategic Human Resource Management

Section Two

resource management function by distributing greater
personnel responsibilities to line managers.^24 A future challenge
for the managers of these organizations will be to develop or
adapt existing human resource practices for these settings.
Interestingly, some human resource executives who lost their
jobs as a result of corporate downsizing now operate successful
consulting firms that supply human resource services to smaller
businesses.

„ WORKER VALUES AND ATTITUDINAL

TRENDS

Before examining worker attitudes and values, it is important to
note that attributing less work-oriented values to a younger
generation has been a long-standing tradition. As a result,
popular views on the work values of younger employees may
be biased. Seymour Lipset has observed the following:

Beliefs about the work ethic vary over time and

place. There is, however, a general inclination for

older people to believe that things were better—

or at least more moral, more decent—when they

were young.^25