An exploratory study of governance in the intra‐firm human resources supply chain

Abstract

The human resource management (HRM) literature has paid insuffi cient attention to supply chain management (SCM) when exploring the architecture of human resources (HR). Drawing on an SCM perspective, this study develops our understanding of (1) the intra-fi rm HR supply chain, and (2) how this HR supply chain infl uences corporate governance processes within large organizations. We argue that the HR function, represented as an internal professional service supply chain, needs appropriate governance principles as it operates through multiple delivery channels and with a wide variety of HRM practices. Exploratory fi ndings from a qualitative empirical study of seven large organizations investigating governance and risk management in the HR supply chain are presented. These in-depth interviews uncover how formal governance is relatively easy for these organizations to achieve, supported by outcome-focused monitoring tools, but informal governance mechanisms can fail due to insuffi cient attention. Although standardized approaches to HR delivery can maximize the opportunity for HR governance, little evidence was found that the organizations were considering the related governance implications explicitly. . Her areas of interest include international HRM; the power, professionalism, and roles of the HR department; change management and HRM; and e-HRM and new HR delivery mechanisms. Her work has been published in refereed academic journals and practitioner publications, as well as presented at international academic conferences. JAAP PAAUWE, professor of human resource studies at Tilburg University, The Netherlands, also affi liated to Erasmus University Rotterdam, has written and co-authored several books on human resource management; published numerous papers on HRM, industrial relations, and organizational change; and is one of the initiators of the Dutch HRM Network. His fi elds of interest are institutional theory, human resource management, organizational change, new organizational forms, and corporate strategy.PAUL BOSELIE is a professor of strategic human resource management at the Utrecht University School of Governance in The Netherlands and is affi liated to Tilburg University. His research focuses on HRM, industrial relations, and governance. His book SHRM: A Balanced Approach was published in 2010.

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