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Describes the benefits of an evidence‐based, metrics‐driven approach to formulating HR strategy.

Details the approach taken to developing the HR strategy at Royal Mail's letters business, which involved: identifying the priorities for the HR strategy based on key business objectives; conducting an analysis of the current state in the organization; developing the HR strategy supported by robust analysis; reviewing the proposed approach against data and with key stakeholders; and finalizing the HR strategy.

Reveals that the key factors in delivering a successful HR strategy were: identification of the right metrics; engagement with, and facilitation across, stakeholders; adopting a robust, evidence‐based approach; and adopting a business rather than HR focus.

Claims that HR functions need the requisite analyst skills, combining “hard” data analysis relating to financial and operational performance measures and “soft” analysis of data such as employee opinion and assessment results. Argues that understanding the wider business strategy is critical, and that to act as a strategic partner, engagement across stakeholders is vital. Advances the view that the credibility of HR in the business then flows from a reputation for robust analysis.

Reveals how HR specialists can improve business performance by playing a more strategic role.

Outlines in practical terms how an HR strategy can be developed that is fundamentally based on the business strategy and uses objective analysis to help to achieve a consensus among key stakeholder groups as the basis for action.

The present research focuses on improving the awareness related to soft total quality management (TQM) practices by looking from the viewpoint of strategic human resources (HR). In addition, it is intended to reflect on the resulting soft TQM-HR outcomes and determine the mediating effect between soft TQM-HR strategies and organizational effectiveness (OE).

An exploratory research methodology with an online survey technique was adopted for the study. Three hundred and three managerial-level personnel from nine large Indian manufacturing organizations participated in the research. A theoretical model is projected and verified using correlation and mediation analysis.

The results show that commitment, reduced turnover intentions and satisfaction levels of employees mediate the relationship between resources, development and retention strategies and OE. However, the retention strategy has the strongest association with the OE of the three strategies. Also, of the three HR outcomes, satisfaction was strongly associated with OE. The analysis proved that the proposed model is an acceptable fit.

Implementing HR-related TQM strategies will likely impact OE since it elicits positive HR outcomes such as commitment, reduced turnover intention and satisfaction. Recognizing human resources as a unique strategic asset will help HR managers devise adequate resourcing, development and retention strategies instrumental in executing TQM.

The present micro study is unique in scrutinizing the influence of soft TQM-HR practices on organizational effectiveness by analysing the mediating effects of commitment, reduced turnover intention and satisfaction in Indian large-scale manufacturing organizations. The study is unique since no literature deciphers the linkages between HR strategies and organizational effectiveness in the Indian manufacturing sector.

This study explores the effect of the strategic fit (tight-fit, minimal-fit and non-fit) between business strategies and human resource (HR) practices on perceived organizational performance (POP). It also investigates the moderating role of firm size on strategic fit–performance linkage.

The data were gathered via an online survey from HR managers of companies listed in “Fortune-500 Turkey, ISO-Top and Second-Top 500”. The form was distributed to 669 organizations, and 102 of them responded. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and moderation analysis.

No statistically significant difference was found in organizational performance according to different strategic fit categories. The moderating effect of firm size was not significant. Yet, tight-fit and minimal-fit appear to be linked to higher organizational performance. The results reveal that business strategies aligned with HR practices could have a favorable impact on organizational performance.

The study differs from previous studies in terms of methodology, the conceptualization of strategic fit categories, the nature of the sample and non-Western origin.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the strategic integration of HRM practices with business/corporate strategy in the context of its applications and processes in two Japanese multinational companies in Malaysia.

The research used mixed‐methodology via case studies and questionnaire surveys. Overall 29 questionnaires, 15 from Company A and 14 from Company B were returned and analyzed for a response rate of 58 per cent. In addition, 15 respondents were interviewed, including Executive Director, Head of HR and line managers.

Analysis of questionnaire responses and interview findings shows strategic integration of HRM practices has been adopted by both organizations, though their approaches vary slightly. Importantly, the involvement of HR at board level, direct reporting of HR to the CEOs and the organization's supportive culture symbolize the integrative approach to HRM. Additionally, the findings indicate that although company strategies are in place, other factors such as business credibility of the HR manager and the level of commitment and support from CEOs and line management commitment are important determinants of strategic integration of HRM practices.

The influence of Japanese management practices which has similar characteristics of high performance work system (HPWS) and resource‐based view (RBV) approach that emphasizes participatory decision making and construe employees and HR function not as cost burdens but as sources of competitive advantage are important predictors of higher and effective strategic integration.

The paper provides some insights into approaches to strategic integration of HRM practices in two Japanese multinational companies in Malaysia.

The change in the environment of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) has accentuated the need for managers to understand the relationship between strategy, HRM and organizational effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to examine contingencies that underlie strategy, HRM and the dimensions of fit and flexibility in the actual HRM practices implemented by two study organizations that have deployed HRM in strategic change.

The research used two case studies of NPOs who reported that they adopted HR practices as an integral component of their adaptive strategy to achieve a fit. Thus, the research adopted purposive sampling to determine the cases that are appropriate to examine the research questions.

The findings provide evidence of horizontal and vertical fit and flexibility‐focused HRM practices designed to provide strategic alternatives. The research raises questions about how well NPOs’ managers understand contingency drivers of strategy, HRM practices and the direction of HRM in NPOs. A number of factors contributed to promote fit, flexibility and HR practices. First, the emphasis on HRM as a critical priority in strategy by senior management. Second, factor that may have contributed to fit and flexibility dimension is the use of professional managers in the NPOs. The case organizations involved either internal or external consultants with HRM expertise in strategic planning process. Finally, organisational structure that facilitated communication channels within both organizations. Both organizations emphasized internal communications as a way of engaging employees.

The findings set the groundwork for major research which could extend findings from previous empirical research, that strategy of NPOs is aligned with the level of HR practices in some functions such as training and not aligned in others practices such as recruitment.

For nonprofit managers, this research reinforced the importance of senior management commitment and HR expertise to develop and implement HR practices that are aligned with current strategy and the need to develop employees’ skills to facilitate flexibility to adapt to change in the environment. It is imperative for the HR practices of NPOs not only to achieve horizontal and vertical fit, but also to build in flexibility the organization requires to develop, deploy and sustain employee skills and behaviour needed to cope with the competitive environment and to help with the achievement of organisational goals.

The important point of this research is that it extends our understanding of fit and flexibility in NPOs. It provides an example of how two NPOs adopted and emphasized SHRM as a critical component of their strategy.

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the perceptions of senior managers in companies in the Sunday Times list of UK best employers on the practice of HRM in their organisations.

The approach taken was to conduct semi‐structured interviews with senior line and HR directors/ managers.

In the organisations investigated, HRM is afforded high‐level organisational support at chief executive, if not always senior operational manager, level. It is generally recognised by senior managers as contributing to business effectiveness when it centres on business needs. It is integrated with business strategy processes at both strategic and operational levels. Indeed HRM is elemental to business strategic planning processes, which has the effect of reducing the potential gap between strategic rhetoric on HRM and practical implementation of HRM. Leadership and performance management are current HR policy priorities.

The generative primary data represent senior managers' perceptions of how HRM operates in their organisation therefore cannot be generalised.

Senior manager support of HRM means focusing HRM efforts in organisations on business needs and integration between HRM and business strategy processes. The corollary is that HRM policy priorities are derived from the strategic business direction and that they are perceived to support business operations and, consequently, business performance.

Senior line managers and HR specialists inform the research which contributes to understanding of current, best practice HRM from an evidence base; a model of contemporary best practice is proposed.

Past research suggests that most culture change efforts proceed with limited attention to the pluralistic nature of contemporary organizations. We argue that the relationship between organization subcultures and the implementation of new HR strategies into HR practice has not been adequately explored because of the lack of a comprehensive framework for defining and integrating culture change and the strategic HR literature. We review the organization culture and strategic HR literature and present a heuristic that serves as a step toward exemplifying the role of changing employment modes and organizational subcultures in enabling or constraining the implementation of HR strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of strategic integration between business strategy and human resource (HR) policies and their impact on organizational performance of public listed companies in Nepal.

Exploratory cum descriptive research design is followed with structured questionnaire distributed to 105 publicly listed individual organizations as a unit of analysis and secondary source of information used to verify the performance result of perceptual measurement.

Formulation of explicit mission and business strategies indicate that around half of the organizations are doing business without business strategy and just one-fourth organizations formulate explicit HR strategy in order to support business strategies. Among the respondent organizations, few organizations meet the requirement of high strategic integrating organizations that were performing better than organizations that were low integrating.

This study provides sufficient evidences to Nepalese decision makers and academics that integration of business and HR strategies will have better impact on organizational performance. The result of this study motivates decision makers and academics, particularly South Asian, to understand the importance of investing in HR to raise organizational performance.

Examining strategic integration for organizational performance is perhaps the first study which certainly contributes to the overall assessment HRM and its impact on organizational performance to the developing countries of South Asia, like Nepal and add values to the process of theoretical development as well as HR management.

The notion, that people management can be a key source of sustained competitive advantage, calls for the integration of Human Resource Management (HRM) and business strategy. Not surprisingly, the main debate in HRM is nowadays concerned with the relationship between strategic management and employee relations in the firm and therefore strategic HRM focuses on the overall direction of the organisation in pursuit of its stated goals and objectives. This paper explores the above relationship in the electronic manufacturing industry. It is based on empirical evidence and the findings of a survey of senior managers’ perception and views on strategic HRM.It is concluded that increasing core competencies of the firm, in particular HR, is one of the key elements to the success of the firm performance and that HR involvement in the development and implementation of business strategy leads to organisational effectiveness in this industry.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a survey and interviews with human resource (HR) professionals to identify and better understand their perceptions and expectations of human capital measures' (HCM) content, links to strategy, and impact on performance.

This paper relies on a quantitative analysis of survey questionnaires collected from 104 HR executives, as well as on a qualitative investigation using six interviews. Two types of HCM are derived using principal component analysis. One factor measures employees' work efficiency and cost consciousness (efficiency indicators), whereas the second factor measures employees' entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities (innovation indicators).

The results confirm the following hypotheses: first, according to HR managers, the more advanced a company is in the development of HCM, the higher the company's performance; and second, in companies following a differentiation strategy, HR managers are interested in innovation indicators, while in those following a cost reduction strategy, HR managers are interested in efficiency indicators.

Results are based on a cross‐sectional study of HR professionals' perceptions. However, it underscores the critical role that HCM plays in delivering performance in the HR managers' opinion. It also shows that HR managers are conscious that HCM should be aligned with strategy.

Based on HR managers' perceptions, the paper suggests that HR professionals might invest more effort in creating and implementing their HCM to deliver higher levels of performance. It also implies that HR managers and management accounting and control systems experts have a common interest to collaborate when implementing HCM.

The paper demonstrates the importance of implementing human capital (HC) metrics into a strategic performance management system to deliver performance from a company's HC. It contributes to a cross‐disciplinary (HRs, management control, and strategy) perspective on HC strategy.