The impact of changes to the human resources function in Australia

Abstract

Results from a national survey of membership of the professional body, the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI), provide clear support that senior HR managers perceive that HR needs to be linked much more closely to organizational strategy and there should be consistency between HR policy areas. This is coupled with an expectation that HR must significantly add value and make an improved contribution to organizational effectiveness. There is also evidence of movement towards a framework that supports a unitarist approach to employee relations. Within an environment which expects high levels of employee performance and commitment the HR function has the potential to make a valuable contribution. In aligning itself with management, however, it may also risk distancing itself from a workforce that may not be able or willing to make the same transition.