The Interplay between Human Resource Strategies and Strategic Alignment: A Comprehensive Review of Conceptual and Empirical Literature in the United States

Abstract

Strategic formulation involves senior managers evaluating the interaction between strategic factors and making strategic choices that guide managers to meet the organization’s goals. Some strategies are formulated at the corporate, business and specific functional levels. The term ‘strategic choice’ raises the question of who makes decisions and why they are made. The notion of strategic choice also draws attention to strategic management as a ‘political process’ whereby decisions and actions on issues are taken by a ‘power-dominant’ group of managers within the organization. Strategy implementation is an area of activity that focuses on the techniques used by managers to implement their strategies. Strategic human resource management involves a future-oriented process of developing and implementing HR programs that address and solve business problems and directly contribute to major long-term business objectives. HR management was once largely an administrative function focused on day-to-day responsibilities such as employee recruiting and selection and managing employee benefits. Changes in United States’ overall alignment policy – both the recalibration of its US-alliance relationship and its diversified strategic partnerships – cannot be separated from the larger question of foreign and security policy adaptation which has occurred since the end of the Cold War Keywords: Human, Resource, Strategic, Strategies, Realization, Fit