Contemporary Issues in HR Service Delivery Essay

Contemporary Issues in HR Service Delivery - Essay Example Most recent articles have argued that HR management can be a critical source of competitive advantage if it becomes strategic. The paper explores the strategic function of HR and the core practices and outlines outcomes of HR practices. Ulrich’s model avails new opportunities to HR function as the need for a more strategic and business-linked is evident. This emanates from the fact that corporations are experiencing dramatic changes that manifest significant implications based on how critical human resources are to their performance. Several studies have explored the capability for the HR function to be a strategic partner and established that it possesses a critical value-adding function. HR function should become strategically proactive and goes beyond mere administrative expertise. HR function should be an expert in strategic business partnering, employee advocacy, and change management (Robinson and Robinson 2008, p.203). A well structured strategic business partner role combined with an effective delivery of operational HR functions can aid in transforming of the HR function. Human Resource as a discipline has manifested considerable changes within the last two decades with phrases such as â€Å"business partner† becoming common. Given the present turbulent nature of the business world and the resultant demands on human capital, the strategic business partner role can deliver value to organizations (Caldwell 2001, p.39). The establishment of strategic business role emanates from a combination of possessing skills and knowledge within the arena of Human Resources, organization development, and partnership. Nevertheless, once the competence profile is established, it is also critical to comprehend the usual tensions as the organization moves from their present HR state to the utilization of a strategic business model (Price 2007, p.55). The strategic business partner (SBP) concept should be structured around availing human capital