Strategic Human Resource Management

Section Four

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The sixth component in the conceptual framework is strategy
implementation. In order to accomplish their missions,
organizations formulate requirements for returns on
investment, scan the environment for opportunities and
threats, formulate strategies, plan human resource require-
ments, and then implement their strategies. Unfortunately,
implementation is usually the most difficult part of management
and has often been overshadowed by the emphasis on strategy
formulation. Fortunately, there is growing awareness of the
actions needed for strategy implementation and an expanding
literature on the topic. This section will cover several areas of
implementation beginning with the efficient utilization of human
resources through workforce flexibility and the widespread use
of teams. Such efficiencies have become increasingly important
because of pressure to control labor costs. Next, approaches
for dealing with employee shortages will be discussed along
with the related topic of human resource outsourcing. This
discussion is followed by an extensive examination of selection
practices. Approaches for dealing with employee surpluses are
discussed after this examination. The section concludes with
approaches for dealing with some special implementation
challenges.