Short Introduction to Strategic Human Resource Management: (Cambridge Short Introductions to Management)

This Short Introduction to Strategic Human Resource Management provides a concise treatment of the key elements of strategic HRM using an innovative risk-management approach. It emphasizes the importance of the decisions, processes and choices organizations make about managing people and shows how workforce management directly affects strategic organizational outcomes. It provides guidance for managers on how to make better human capital decisions in order to achieve strategic success more effectively. Reflecting an increasing uncertainty in global business, Cascio and Boudreau consider ways of dealing with risk in managing human capital. Numerous examples in every chapter illustrate key points with real business cases from around the world.

Table of Contents:
1. What is strategy?; 2. The external environment; 3. HR strategy in context: environmental, organizational, and functional elements; 4. HR strategy through a risk-optimization framework; 5. HR strategy: linkages, anchor points, and outcomes; 6. HR strategy: communication and engagement; 7. Outcomes of successful business and HR strategies; 8. Future forces and trends driving HR strategy.

About the Author :
Wayne F. Cascio is the Robert H. Reynolds Distinguished Chair in Global Leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver. His work is featured regularly in business media, including The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, National Public Radio and the Harvard Business Review, among others. John W. Boudreau is Professor of Management and Organization and is Research Director at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and Center for Effective Organizations.

Review :
'This book offers a novel contribution to HR strategy with its risk management perspective and call for HR to incorporate more disciplines, rely on boundary spanning and accept diverse definitions of the role. It is replete with ideas and examples and provides strong insight for advanced students and reflective practitioners alike.' Paul R. Sparrow, Lancaster University Management School 'In Short Introduction to Strategic Human Resource Management, Cascio and Boudreau have succinctly captured the critical elements of strategic HRM. Their grounding in the strategy of the company and the focus on measuring ROI of the human capital initiatives are critical for HR. This concise book is packed with practical examples and at the same time provides a holistic approach for those interested in beginning their journey into strategic HR. Definitely a must read!' Kalen Holmes, Executive Vice President, Partner Resources, Starbucks 'Wow! This relatively short book simply has it all. Internationally known HR scholars Cascio and Boudreau finally tell us what 'HR strategy' is all about. They use very interesting, relevant examples throughout to inform us about the underlying tenets and provide a new perspective (risk optimization) for effective HR strategy. A must read for MBA and HR students as well as HR professionals.' Fred Luthans, University Professor and George Holmes Distinguished Professor of Management, University of Nebraska 'Cascio and Boudreau have written a state-of-the-art primer on how managers can learn to think systematically about human resource decisions. With concrete examples and cases, they show how to combine the best available business facts with scientific findings to improve the quality and strategic value of the organization's HR practices.' Denise Rousseau, H. J. Heinz II University Professor, Carnegie Mellon University 'Boudreau and Cascio have written the definitive source book for developing HR strategy. This is not a one size fits all solution but rather a comprehensive guide to aligning business and human capital business plans.' James J. Duffy, Chief Human Resources Officer, Ally 'The critical role people and their knowledge play in a firm's success is widely understood in today's organizations. In fact, one can legitimately argue that people are not only a company's most vital asset, they are the foundation on which competitive advantages are built. In this fascinating, insightful, and engagingly written book, Boudreau and Cascio relay on their expertise to present readers with an array of compelling ideas about how to enhance a firm's performance by forming and effectively using human resource strategies. Those committed to understanding how to properly manage talented employees as the foundation for both personal and organizational success will gain extremely valuable insights by studying Boudreau and Cascio's carefully-crafted explanations of this important issue.' R. Duane Ireland, University Distinguished Professor, Vice President and Program Chair, Academy of Management, Texas A&M University 'For those of you who are HR execs or who advise them I highly recommend Short Introduction to Strategic Human Resource Management by Wayne Cascio and John Boudreau. It is a new book and has insights that have not been brought together in one place that define the HR function when it is a permanent and significant member of the C Suite. [I] hope you find it as enlightening as I did. I am using it in my Strategic HRM graduate class at DePaul University, even though it was not written as a text.' Robert J. Greene, CEO, Reward $ystems, Inc.