Have HR strategic partners left the building? The (new) role of HR professionals from a social-symbolic perspective

IF 3.3 3区 管理学 Q1 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS & LABOR Personnel Review Pub Date : 2024-06-03 DOI:10.1108/pr-11-2023-0929
Roberta Cuel, Aurelio Ravarini, Barbara Imperatori, Gilda Antonelli, Teresina Torre
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Abstract

Purpose

This manuscript explores the evolving roles of HR professionals amidst global megatrends and organizational transitions, focusing on the Italian context, which has experienced disruptive adoption of new forms of work such as remote and hybrid work. In this challenging scenario, our research aims to uncover if and how HR professionals are transforming their roles or maintaining the status quo in navigating organizational changes, dealing with the upcoming working scenario, and challenging conventional perceptions of HR practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs the social-symbolic work lens, that contributes to a deeper understanding of how HR professionals work to construct organizational life, the identities of employees, and the societal norms and assumptions that provide the context for organizational action. This perspective highlights HR professionals’ personal efforts, consisting of the emotional labor entailed in steering organizational transformations and, eventually, maintenance in a context where remote work has become prevalent. Data was collected through 16 online focus groups involving 76 HR professionals from Italian organizations.

Findings

Our research offers two interrelated contributions to HR literature. First, we provide pieces of evidence on how HR practitioners act as agents of change in two emerging roles: the “Wannabe Hero” and the “Ordinary Hero”. This challenges the prevailing rhetorical discourse about the so-called HR business partner. Secondly, we delve into the persistent obstacles that hinder HR professionals from making a substantial impact in addressing radical changes. These findings will provide useful insights into effectively engaging HR practitioners as agents of change in organizational transformation, shedding light on praxis, structures, and their emotional work.

Originality/value

The paper analyzes HR professionals’ social-symbolic work, which offers an original contribution to the comprehension of the activities they carry on in practice and the emotions they have been experiencing. These influence both the way HR professionals play their role and the organizational and institutional environment.

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人力资源战略伙伴离开大楼了吗?从社会符号角度看人力资源专业人员的(新)角色
本手稿探讨了人力资源专业人员在全球大趋势和组织转型中不断演变的角色,重点关注意大利的情况,该国经历了采用远程和混合工作等新工作形式的颠覆性变革。在这种充满挑战的情况下,我们的研究旨在揭示人力资源专业人员在驾驭组织变革、应对即将到来的工作情景以及挑战人力资源从业人员的传统观念时,是在转变角色还是在维持现状,以及如何转变角色和维持现状。这项研究采用了社会-符号工作视角,有助于深入理解人力资源专业人员如何构建组织生活、员工身份以及为组织行动提供背景的社会规范和假设。这一视角强调了人力资源专业人员的个人努力,包括在远程工作盛行的背景下引导组织变革并最终维持组织的情感劳动。我们的研究为人力资源文献提供了两个相互关联的贡献。首先,我们提供了一些证据,说明人力资源从业人员是如何以 "崇拜英雄 "和 "普通英雄 "这两种新兴角色来推动变革的。这是对所谓人力资源业务合作伙伴的普遍说法的挑战。其次,我们深入探讨了阻碍人力资源专业人员在应对激进变革中发挥实质性影响的顽固障碍。本文分析了人力资源专业人员的社会符号工作,为理解他们在实践中开展的活动和经历的情感做出了原创性贡献。这既影响了人力资源专业人员发挥作用的方式,也影响了组织和制度环境。
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来源期刊
Personnel Review
Personnel Review Multiple-
CiteScore
7.10
自引率
7.70%
发文量
133
期刊介绍: Personnel Review (PR) publishes rigorous, well written articles from a range of theoretical and methodological traditions. We value articles that have high originality and that engage with contemporary challenges to human resource management theory, policy and practice development. Research that highlights innovation and emerging issues in the field, and the medium- to long-term impact of HRM policy and practice, is especially welcome.
期刊最新文献
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