Human resource management aspects of business process reengineering: a survey

Abstract

Examines the relationship between business process re‐engineering (BPR) and human resource management. A number of propositions relating to aspects of human resource management are derived from the literature, and examined by interviewing senior managers in UK organisations where business process re‐engineering projects had either been completed or were still in progress. The propositions are analysed under four major headings: structure and culture, the role of managers, team working, and reward system. The conclusion is that BPR principles on the management of human resources as stated in the literature seem to find a full application in most of the organisations investigated. However, there were two exceptions to the expectations in the literature. The first was that there would be a change to a process‐based structure; a change is seen in the majority of cases, but to a matrix style of organisation. The second was the implication that team‐based reward systems would appear; this has only happened in a minority of cases. Overall, for the organisations studied which have undergone BPR, a very clear pattern emerges with respect to human resource management practices.

Citation

Zucchi, F. and Edwards, J.S. (1999), "Human resource management aspects of business process reengineering: a survey", Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 325-344. https://doi.org/10.1108/14637159910297376