Strategic Human Resource Management within the Pharmaceutical Industry: Reality or Rhetoric?

Hearty, Nuala (2008) Strategic Human Resource Management within the Pharmaceutical Industry: Reality or Rhetoric? Masters thesis, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

This dissertation examines the extent of which strategic HR practices exist in reality within a small sample of the pharmaceutical industry. This study investigates the perception of strategic HR from both a General Management perspective and a HR professional perspective and seeks to establish the reality of same. The study also investigates the perceived HR competencies required by HR professionals to enable them to carry out the role of strategic HR within their own organisations.

The study further investigates the obstacles that currently prevent the HR professionals within the chosen organisations from acting in a strategic capacity. The study also attempted to establish if HR professionals had the freedom to act strategically if they so wished. The study was composed of two elements: a questionnaire completed by all respondents and a Focus Group meeting attended only by the HR professionals.

The study commences with a literary overview of Human Resource Management from its origins in the Welfare role right through to the role of Strategic Human Resource Management in today’s organisations. Whilst the strategic HR overview incorporates some of the most up to date thinking in relation to the whole area of strategy it also includes some of the more negative literary comments.

The results showed that whilst the practices of strategic HR were in part understood by all the reality of them being seen in practice was different. The results also concluded that being strategic meant different things to different people and that there is no one set of congruent strategic HR practices that can be put in place without remaining cognizant of the operating environment.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Strategic Management
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Arts in Human Resource Management
Depositing User:	Clair McAuley
Date Deposited:	28 Aug 2012 13:47
Last Modified:	28 Aug 2012 13:47
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/686

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