Exploring the importance of human resource activities-strategies alignments: Interactive brainstorming groups approach

Abstract

The authors explore the importance of aligning human resource (HR) activities to HR strategies in the work of business organisations. Employing interactive brainstorming groups approach, 21 MBA/MPhil students of the Department of Management Studies of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana were put into 3 groups to discuss and generate ideas on HR activities and their strategic linkages while the researcher guided and provided the needed materials. Objectives of the study include (1) to identify a bundle of HR activities and a set of HR strategies; and (2) to ascertain how the various HR activities could align appropriately with the HR strategies to enhance the work of the HR department. The groups identified and agreed on seven HR activities including job design; recruitment; selection; separation and retention; performance management; employee training; and compensation, and aligned with each of the four identified HR strategies including Bargain Labourer; Free Agent; Loyal Soldier; and Committed Expert. The outcome brings to the fore the need for HR professionals to extend operations beyond their traditional role and approach their work more strategically to better manage their employees to feed into the organisation’s strategic direction. The study contributes to extending our understanding of the importance of effective alignment of day-to-day HR activities to HR strategies for effective people management and, therefore, refutes the popular view that strategy is always a top management activity.