Trends in Australian human resource management: what next?

Abstract

This article examines the trends in Australian human resource management (HRM) policies in the last fifty years. It briefly reports on the practices used in the period from the 1960s to the early 1990s and provides a brief description of the characteristics of the concept of strategic human resource management (SHRM). The article then examines the results of four surveys co-ordinated by the Cranet Network and conducted in Australia between 1996 and 2008-09. These surveys show there have been strong trends of HRM policies becoming more calculative and individual, a reduction in the role of collective organisations, the adoption of some HRM policies regarded as more effective than others and the development of the roles of HRM managers and HRM departments. There was increasing use of flexible working practices, greater use of performance appraisals, the development of policies such as career planning methods, career break schemes and targeting older workers and women. The representation of human resource managers on boards increased between 1996 and 2008-09. Keywords: Australia, Cranet study, HRM, HR managersThe approach, language, organisation and the methods used to manage people have ostensibly altered dramatically in the last fifty years. In the 1960s personnel management was widespread. There was increasing formalisation of employment practices, the promotion of industrial welfare and the development of management training. In addition, relationships and dealings with trade unions were varied, but in many large organisations they were Correspondence: Professor Robin Kramar, Professor HRM, Faculty of Business, Australian Catholic University, Level 10, 8-20 Napier St, North Sydney, NSW 2060, Australia; e-mail: robin.kramar@ acu.edu.au Accepted for publication 5 December 2011. Key points1 Employment practices have developed towards a strategic human resource management approach during the last forty years. 2 There is strong evidence that Australian human resource practices have become more individualised, calculative and based on effective practice. 3 The role of the human resource manager has become more strategic and professional.

Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management - as new management concepts – in Central and Eastern Europe

“…For the purposes of this analysis the authors decided to explore data for organizations from the CEE region. CRANET methodology and data were also used in researches on the influence of the specific policies and organization of HRM department on economic success of the company (Dolan et al, 2005), SHRM in SMEs compensation and benefits (Karoliny et al, 2009;Stangl-Susnjar & Slavic, 2012;Gurkov et al, 2012;Kramar, 2012), HRM outsourcing (Susomrith & Brown, 2013;Stangl-Susnjar et al, 2013a), training and development (Hansson, 2007;Lekovic & Stangl-Susnjar, 2010;McNamara et al, 2012), HRIS (Stangl-Susnjar et al, 2013) so as a very interesting topic -the relation between CSR and HRM concept, and the influence of that in relation to the organizational performances (Buciuniene & Kazlauskaite, 2012;Berber, 2013).…”

Workforce Development

“…In Australia, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicates a trend towards non-traditional employment, or employment that is not full-time and ongoing in someone else's business (Waite and Will 2002). Kramar (2012) found that in 2008-2009 more than 50 % of the Australian workforce was subject to flexible work arrangements. Flexible working arrangements include negotiated part-time work, working from home, flexitime, job sharing or periods of approved leave such as annual, parental or sick leave, as well as casual employment, temporary, fixed-term contracts or annual fixed-hour contracts.…”

Gestão internacional comparativa de recurso humanos e gestão de recursos humanos no Brasil: Uma análise frente aos modelos calculativos e colaborativos

“…Dessa perspectiva, diferentes variáveis precisam ser consideradas, inclusive aquelas relacionadas ao contexto no qual as organizações se inserem. A compreensão de aspectos macroambientais, portanto, tem ganhado espaço e desencadeado estudos de GRH contextualizados (Brewster, 2004;Kramar, 2012;Peng, 2005), especialmente frente à competitividade global das 1 Contato do autor: Email: tszuppani@gmail.com organizações e à evolução da Gestão Internacional de Recursos Humanos (GIRH).…”