Specific HR Strategies: IBM's Approach to Strategic HRM
This paper examines specific HR strategies as a distinct category within strategic human resource management (HRM). It contrasts general HR strategies — which focus on high commitment, involvement, and performance — with specific HR strategies, which are tailored to an organization's unique business goals and HRM policies. Using IBM as a primary example, the paper demonstrates how a well-articulated specific HR strategy aligns with four core business dimensions: business value, innovation, global integration, and on-demand infrastructure. The paper also explores IBM's use of the matching (contingency) approach to HRM, explaining how this framework promotes both vertical integration — aligning HR strategy with business strategy — and horizontal integration, which links HR goals to individual policy areas.
- Introduction: HRM's strategic role in firm performance
- Strategic Human Resource Management: Human capital, RBV, and strategic HR practices
- General vs. Specific HR Strategies: Contrasting general and specific HR strategy types
- IBM's Specific HR Strategy: IBM's four-pillar HR strategy and practices
- The Matching Approach and Integration: Contingency approach, vertical and horizontal integration
- Conclusion: Strategic HRM and IBM's competitive HR model
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its argument in the academic literature on strategic HRM before moving to a concrete organizational example, giving the discussion credibility and context.
- IBM is used as a sustained, well-developed case study rather than a passing reference, allowing each element of specific HR strategy (resourcing, talent management, knowledge management, continuous improvement) to be illustrated concretely.
- The paper clearly distinguishes between two types of HR strategies — general and specific — providing a conceptual framework that structures the rest of the analysis.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied theoretical analysis: it introduces the matching (contingency) approach as a theoretical lens and then systematically applies it to IBM's actual HR strategy, showing how vertical and horizontal integration are achieved in practice. This move from theory to application is a core skill in business and management writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a summary, then proceeds through an introduction that establishes HRM's strategic importance, a literature-grounded section on strategic HRM and the resource-based view, a conceptual section distinguishing general from specific HR strategies, an extended IBM case study, a focused discussion of the matching approach and integration, and a brief conclusion. The structure follows a classic funnel pattern: broad concept → theoretical framework → specific application.
Introduction
Human resource management (HRM) is an important part of organizational operations and has a greater impact on firm performance. Human resource practices have evolved to adopt a strategic approach from their conventional focus on individual and organizational effectiveness. According to Richard and Johnson (2001), the current focus of human resource management is critical to the strategic processes of an organization, as HR activities contribute to profitability rather than functioning merely as a cost of production. This implies that strategic HRM is essential in enhancing firm profitability in the increasingly competitive modern business environment. As a result, organizations are increasingly establishing HR strategies that seek to enhance employee productivity and financial performance while reducing employee turnover. This paper examines a specific HR strategy employed by organizations to enhance their productivity and performance.
References
Boon, C., Eckardt, R., Lepak, D. P., & Boselie, P. (2017, October 5). Integrating strategic human capital and strategic human resource management. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29(1), 34–67.
Boon, C., Hartog, D. N. D., & Lepak, D. P. (2019, January 14). A systematic review of human resource management systems and their measurement. Journal of Management, 45(6), 2498–2537.
Richard, O. C., & Johnson, N. B. (2001, March). Strategic human resource management effectiveness and firm performance. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12(2), 299–310.
Seyyedjavadin, S. R., & Zadeh, M. H. (2009, June). HR strategy and its aligning with organizational strategy and human capabilities. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 2(2), 5–29.
Wright, P. M. (2008). Human resource strategy: Adapting to the age of globalization. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from
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