Helen Francis

Practitioner talk: the changing textscape of HRM and emergence of HR business partnership

It has been evident for some time in mainstream HRM writing, that HR work is largely framed as a business issue, accelerated by new developments in technology and increasing pressures being placed on the function to enhance its contribution to the organisation, and at the same time be more cost effective. Our paper examines the implications of this, and contributes to current debate about what the redesign of HR work means for HR professional expertise, the definition of legitimate HR work activities, and changing relationships with employees and line managers. By foregrounding the language of HR practitioners as a force for change in how HR work is shaped, we deploy an approach rooted in critical discourse analysis to analyze practitioner up-take of concepts like HR business partnership at the level of speech, and how it interacts with broader social and material practices. We examine three main discursive themes from our analysis, to argue that critical engagement with the concept of HR business partnership is warranted as the business facing facets of HRM discursively swamp other concerns, notably about employee well-being and HRs role in and responsibility for securing it.

Fostering an action‐reflection dynamic amongst student practitioners

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore changes taking place in a curriculum design for postgraduate teaching in personnel and development, aimed at enhancing lifelong learning. A scheme is described which aims to improve the alignment for professional development of students, in ways that facilitate critically reflective practice.Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on their personal experiences as a programme leader (Masters in HRM) and an educational consultant to describe their strategy for critically reflective continuous professional development (CPD). In doing so, their practice is related to some of the theories underlying critical reflection, and the key challenges in seeking to engage student practitioners in professional development of this kind are drawn out.Findings – It is argued that achieving an alignment between the development and assessment of student capabilities is vital to the development of critical reflection, and it is explained how the strategy presented for CPD supports...

HRM and the beginnings of organizational change.

This paper presents a discourse‐analytic approach to the study of human resource management (HRM) and organisational change, which is more sensitive than conventional research designs to the dynamic role of language in shaping processes of change. The prevailing positivism within business and management research is noted, in which language is treated as unproblematic; it simply mirrors or represents an objective “reality” that can be measured in some way. In contrast, discourse‐based studies accept that language is not simply reflective of reality, but is significant in constituting reality. The paper moves on to examine the potential of discourse‐based studies to offer fresh insights into the role of HRM in producing change. Drawing on the work of Ford and Ford, change is treated as a “shift in conversation” and case‐study evidence is presented of the surfacing of a change initiative within a large UK manufacturing firm.

The power of “talk” in HRM‐based change

This article uses discourse theory to examine the rhetoric of human resource management (HRM) in shaping organisational change. Built on the assumptions that people actively construct their “organisational world” and that language is central to these processes of social construction, HRM is treated as a discursive resource that can be used by managers to persuade employees to accept a particular world view of organisational change. Drawing upon a private sector case study, the article highlights important implications on the use of HRM rhetoric not addressed by conventional research designs concerned with notions of “strategic fit” and “best practice”. Here organisations are treated as being part of an objective reality that can be “measured” using some kind of statistical analysis. This article challenges assumptions underpinning these designs and examines the potential of discourse theory to develop richer insights into questions about the practicalities and ethics of managing meaning at the workplace.

A Processual Analysis of HRM-Based Change

This article examines the emergence and development of HRM-based change within two private sector manufacturing organizations. We draw upon discourse theory to open up fresh insights into the uncertain and complex nature of organizational change, specifically the socially contested nature of HRM and the essentially fluid nature of organizational discourse. We present a conceptual framework that depicts HRM-based change in the form of multi-layered ‘conversations’, drawing attention to the collaborative and discursive processes by which individuals construct their knowledge and understanding of their organizational world. Our conclusions point to the need for a more critical treatment of the creative and dynamic nature of organizational discourse and of employee perceptions and experiences of HRM-based change.

Discursive Struggle and the Ambiguous World of HRD

The problem and the solution. In this article, the author draws on a discourse perspective to explore the role of the human resource development (HRD) function in shaping organizational change within a large manufacturing firm moving toward a flatter team-based organizational structure. In support of an emerging “critical” strand of HRD, the author gives special consideration to how HRD specialists worked with colleagues from the personnel function to strategically draw on a complex mix of discursive constructions to promote a supportive learning environment and enhanced worker participation.Treating language as social practice, the author shows how this ability to act strategically was shaped by a variety of discursive practices at corporate level and beyond.

E-HR and international HRM:a critical perspective on the discursive framing of e-HR

In the current global economic climate, international HRM is facing unprecedented pressure to become more innovative, effective and efficient. New discourses are emerging around the application of information technology, with ‘e-HR’ (electronic-enablement of Human Resources), self-service portals and promises of improved services couched as various HR ‘value propositions’. This study explores these issues through our engagement with the emergent stream of ‘critical’ HRM, the broader study of organizational discourse and ethical management theories. We have found that while there is growing research into the take-up of e-HR applications, there is a dearth of investigation into the impact of e-HR on the people involved; in particular, the (re)structuring of social relations between HR functions and line managers in the move away from face-to-face HR support services, to more technology-mediated ‘self-service’ relationships. We undertake a close reading of personal narratives from a multinational organization, deploying a critical discourse lens to examine different dimensions of e-HR and raise questions about the strong technocratic framing of the international language of people management, shaping line manager enactment of e-HR duties. We argue for a more reflexive stance in the conceptualization e-HR, and conclude with a discussion about the theoretical and practical implications of our study, limitations and suggestions for future research.

Opening spaces for conversational practice: a conduit for effective engagement strategies and productive working arrangements

This study develops the concept of dialogic conversational practice (dialogic CP) as a conduit for effective engagement strategies and productive working arrangements. We begin with a critique of High-Involvement-High-Performance HR systems against the backdrop of the current economic crisis to underline its deep-seated instrumental orientation and adverse effects on employee engagement. We then outline the key dimensions of dialogic CP, and propose a conceptual framework grounded in the line manager–employee relationship, which we argue can moderate the adverse effects of the current economic crisis and frame a move towards more effective engagement strategies. Our research approach combines critical discourse analysis and critical realism to frame a thematic analysis of survey data gathered from two UK public sector organisations. Our core finding suggests that both organisations would fall short of the democratic values and principles underlying our framework but that, despite the negative impact of the current economic crisis on the employment relationship, do offer a glimpse of some of the key characteristics of dialogic CP and display a readiness for a more robust application of the concept to their respective contexts. We conclude by underlining the significance and limitations of our study and its implications for further research.

Tuning into tensions at times of change: The experiences of line and HR managers in a contract catering firm

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present case study evidence of how managers in a contract catering firm made sense of an organisational change initiative that encouraged them to become self‐sufficient and display “entrepreneurial” behaviours in an environment where they were also expected to “comply” with new operating procedures aimed at strengthening central control.Design/methodology/approach – Uses 25 in‐depth interviews with a cross‐section of line and HR managers over an 11‐month period to uncover practical experiences of change and their attempts to constructively manage the tensions between the opposing dualities that arise from it. The paper draws on empirical research from an in‐depth case study of a leading multinational corporation in the contract catering sector.Findings – the findings expose the pressures that managers faced in the reconciliation of the contrasting need to develop as entrepreneurs alongside an organisational strategy driven by cost minimisation and control. It prov...

HR transformation within the hotel industry: building capacity for change

Purpose This study aims to identify recent trends in the strategic repositioning of the human resources (HR) function within the hotel industry, and to explore challenges facing HR professionals as they engage in strategies to develop talent and organisational capability, while adjusting to the shifting boundaries of the HR function. Design/methodology/approach The study provides a case study investigation based on a qualitative research design. It draws on a series of informal discussions with key informants, in-depth round table discussions with members of the HR function and a rich source of secondary (company specific) data about a recent strategic change initiative. Findings The study presents a rich picture of the contradictory nature of the strategic repositioning of the HR function, and the role of electronic HR systems in shaping this. It points to the significance of “higher-order” HR capabilities associated with the functions’ capacity to engage in strategies to develop talent and organisational capability. Practical implications This study points to contradictions and tensions in shifting the focus of the HR function from “operational” to “strategic” management of talent. It offers four practice implications in the areas of continuous professional development, and building HR and line manager skills in dialogue, project management and the use of new technology, talent data and analytics. Originality/value This study illustrates the deployment of talent management practices within a broader organisational development remit to restructure the business and HR function in pursuit of more efficient and effective people management.