Achieving Excellence in Human Resources Management: An Assessment of Human Resource Functions is the Center for Effective Organizations' (CEO) fifth study of human resources in large corporations. The only long-term analysis of its kind, this text compares data from CEO's earlier studies to data collected in 2007—12 years of data in total. Like CEO's previous research, this project measures whether the HR function is changing and on gauging its effectiveness. Edward E. Lawler III and John W. Boudreau pay particular attention to whether HR is changing to become an effective strategic partner. They also analyze how organizations can more effectively manage their human capital. The results show some important changes, and indicate what HR needs to do to be effective in the years to come. The text identifies best practices and effective organizational designs. This is a must-read for scholars and practitioners engaged in Human Resource Management.
"This work should be of particular interest to HR professionals who are aspiring to grow in their careers, as the results have strong implications for how HR people should be spending their time to add more value to their organizations and, therefore, become better business partners. For HR leaders, this book contains critical insights for how they should be organizing the HR function, and developing and deploying the skills of their staff members."—Daryl D. David, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Washington Mutual, Inc.
"Professors Lawler and Boudreau continue to take the pulse of HR in their longitudinal study. Documentation of changes occurring in the functions related to strategic HR allows readers to become aware of how unaware we are. This work is an excellent read for helping executives and leaders climb out of this era of recession." —Donna E. Ledgerwood, Associate Professor, University of North Texas, former President of the Southern Management Association and the Southwest Academy of Management
"As an organization committed to advancing the strategic nature and value of HR, The Human Resource Planning Society (HRPS) is a proud supporter of CEO's continuing analysis of 'the state of the function.' It is a must read and a valuable point of reference for scholars and practitioners who are involved in developing HR's role as an effective business partner. Nobody sets the table better than Ed Lawler and John Boudreau, as they offer a strategy for success. In traditional CEO fashion, this volume makes an enormous contribution to the field; it is a solid research and a great read." —Walt Cleaver, President & CEO, The Human Resource Planning Society
