We articulate how HRM is now more strategic. In addition to the narratives outlined b. the chapter authors, strategic HRM can also be challenged by organisations that fundamentally see the HRM role as different from that of managers. For instance, let's examine this quote from Allen (2015: 1) 'executives al managers often think their job is to get financial results rather than to manage people. Second, when executive and managers neglect people management, the HR function worries about lapses and tends to "lean in" to righ them itself. On the surface, this approach seems to meet an organisation's needs: management moves away from areas it views as unrewarding (and perhaps uncomfortable), while HR moves in, takes on responsibilities, solves problems, and gains some glory in the process' (TechRepublic, 2015a; 2015b). So what is going on here HR managers and officers start to take on responsibilities that belong to business managers in other areas. On the one hand, the HRM function needs to be more strategic, but not so strategic that managers stop managing! The underlying pretext is that HRM officers might want to 'prove' their worth given debates about strategic human resource management (see Chapter 2). On the other hand, HRM officers are misinterpreting their role by trying to do the managers' work. If you asked questions about what role HR officers should occupy in comparison to a manager's role, how would they differ? The present chapter suggests that the underlying principle of HRM relates to training, development, and learning. Perhaps it is time for the HRM industry to rethink its role by becoming closer to human resource development practices rather than human resource management?

Questions

1 Should the HRM department develop and establish a company's leaders including determining how they lead? If not, why not?

2 Should the HRM department do the hard work of managing people? Develop a rationale for your answer.

3 HRM literature talks about 'managing up', but who should do this: managers or HRM executives/officers?