(acceptance, confrontation, negotiation, etc) these reactions are also part of
the strategy process.
Strategy formulation propositions
Boxall (1993) has drawn up the following propositions about the formulation of
HR strategy from the literature:
there is typically no single HR strategy in a firm, although research
conducted by Armstrong and Long (1994)^62 showed that a number of
the firms contacted did have an overall strategic approach within which
there were specific HR strategies;
business strategy may be an important influence on HR strategy but it
is only one of several factors and the relationship is not unilinear;
implicit (if not explicit) in the mix of factors that influence the shape of
HR strategies is a set of historical compromises and trade-offs from
stakeholders;
management may seek to shift the historical pattern of HR strategy
significantly in response to major contextual change, but not all
managements will respond in the same way or equally effectively;
the strategy formation process is complex, and excessively rationalistic
models that advocate formalistic linkages between strategic planning
and HR planning are not particularly helpful to our understanding of it;
descriptions of the dimensions that underpin HR strategies are critical
to the development of useful typologies but remain controversial, as no
one set of constructs has established an intellectual superiority over
the others.
It is also necessary to stress that coherent and integrated HR strategies are
only likely to be developed if the top team understand and act upon the
strategic imperatives associated with the employment, development and
motivation of people. This will be achieved more effectively if there is an HR
director who is playing an active and respected role as a business partner. A
further consideration is that the effective implementation of HR strategies