Strategic Human Resource Management

Section Two

• Great emphasis on customer satisfaction^63

Interestingly, TQM programs have the potential to
increase the importance of the human resource management
function. Human resource management plays a major role in
providing more systematic training, facilitating changes that
empower employees, instituting team-based reward systems,
and communicating to workers their role in quality.^64 David
Bowen and Edward Lawler have described the relationship
between TQM and human resource management as follows:

The importance of the HR side of the quality

equation provides HR departments with a golden

opportunity. Quality can be the “business issue”

that truly brings senior managers and HR execs

together to move from just HRM to strategic

HRM. A major role in the quality improvement

effort puts HR in a position to contribute directly

and visibly to the bottom line, to add value to the

company’s products and services in the same way

that other functions, such as sales, accounting,

and production, add value.^65

Before the human resource function can make full
contributions to TQM efforts, high quality must be assured
within the function itself. Unfortunately, measurement of the