Harvard Model Of Human Resource Management

Introduction While often seen as a nuisance or perhaps not seen at all, the human resource department acts as the solid foundation for an entire company. Companies could not exist without employees, and human resources focuses almost exclusively on employees. Human resource departments strive to manage and develop employees in order to complete organizational goals and utilize employees to gain advantages over competitors. Further analysis and description of human resource models will depict a thorough description, comparison and application of the Harvard Model in a human resource setting.

Development and Description of the Harvard Model Many HR models stem from the revolutionary changes in the 1980s and 1990s, when managers began focusing

The most comparable and similar models fit into the soft HR model category as well. One model, by John Sorey and aptly named Sorey’s model, utilizes a comprehensive approach and offers a very humane approach to employment management. Sorey’s model suggests that the key factor in a successful competitive advantage is the qualified and valuable employees within an organization. Therefore, the human resource department and the employees must be cared for and cultivated as the assets that they are. This model is not as concerned with compliance to regulations, but rather commitment to employees and the organization. This model is very strategic in how it employs and utilizes policies. Executives and managers are called to be very involved in employment decisions and policy creation to enhance the value of the organization (MSU E-Learning Services, n.d.). Similarly, the Harvard model calls for involved upper-level personnel and places large emphasis on the value of employees to an organization. However, the Harvard Model considers more stakeholders in the creation of policies, whereas Sorey’s model exclusively recognizes the employee (Apyepong et al.

However, she also considers herself a humanitarian. She understands the value of employees in an organization and the costs associated with them. Ultimately, keeping employees content and engaged reduces turnover costs and reflects better on the organization and its financial statements. HR departments often are viewed as employee advocates, as one of its roles is to act as the intermediary between employee and organizational needs (Mathis, Jackson, & Valentine, 2015, p. 18). With this, the Harvard Model complements one of the main objectives of HR. Employees must remain valued and feel like an important part of an organization in order to stay there. The Harvard Model also understands that cost effectiveness is one of the main goals of the organization and prioritizes it in long-term