Leadership & Strategic Human Resource Management (BFT 507/3): Electronic Books

Three streams of activity merged in this first decade of the twenty-first century that support vibrant, effective, and efficient human resources policies and programs, promoting a culture of performance in public organizations. When Congress passed, and President Bill Clinton signed, the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, a revolution began in the way citizens and public employees began to think about government functions, products, and services to citizens. 1 The sense of Congress in passing GPRA was that federal managers were unable to improve program efficiency and effectiveness, because program goals were not articulated and performance information was inadequate. Because federal managers were inhibited from performing at their best, Congress was handicapped in making spending decisions and performing program oversight.

Strategic management of HR in health care is important in delivering high-quality patient care. Given that salary and wages constitute about 65 to 80% of the total operating budget in a typical health care organization and also the fact that people play a critical role in delivering high quality patient care, it is imperative for health care organizations to manage their human resources more effectively. Unfortunately, the HR function remains one of the most neglected in health care organizations and 'warm body syndrome' seems to characterize the role of HRM in health care organizations. The purpose of the special issue of AHCM on Human Resource Management is to explore the strategic role that HR function can play in delivering high quality and affordable health care.

Human resource transformation has seized the imagination of operating managers and HR practitioners alike. HR transformation is about reinventing, reconceptualizing, and rechartering what HR is— without assuming that HR is or should be “what we have always done in HR,” “what everyone else is doing in HR,” or “what appears in standardized HR college textbooks.” It means more than just applying technology to HR, containing the costs of HR, reducing the ratio of HR staff to organizational employees, or outsourcing HR activities (Lawler et al., 2004), although these efforts may play a part in a strategic review of HR’s purpose in an organization (Christensen 2005; Fischer 2003; Reddington, Williamson, and Withers 2005). A 2006 survey of one hundred large employers revealed that the key business drivers for HR transformation include (1) attracting, retaining, and growing talent (67 percent); (2) supporting the business by focusing HR on core capabilities (47 percent); and (3) supporting business changes (41 percent) (Miller 2006). Other drivers exist, of course, though those listed are representative of many of the most common ones.

This book reveals the key skills needed by any leader in any type of business and shows how they can be used in practice, focusing on techniques for improving individual and organizational performance and enabling mid- to senior-level managers to understand their own leadership style. It provides guidance on how to develop a learning organization and how to be a successful mentor.

It will be perfect for newly appointed managers looking for an expert but user-friendly introduction to this crucial role; departmental managers across the functions—i.e. finance, HR, production, marketing—who need to develop key skills outside their own area of expertise; in-company training courses; and business degree and MBA courses.