| dc.description.abstract | Over the last decades, the focus on strategic work within HRM theorists and practices has been
increasing. Largely because of the global trend to transform HR organizations in larger
companies where also divisional HR practitioners, in the role as HR business partners (HR BP),
are supposed to work “more strategically”. Though, previous research implies that the strategic
transition of HR practitioners work is unclear, and that it is often an uncritical adoption of the
strategy concept within HRM theory and practice. Through a case study of the municipality of
Gothenburg this paper explore problematize how HR Business Partners work strategically. The
methods for data collection were in-depth interviews with different HR practitioners, line
managers and trade union representatives, observations of meetings and document reviews. The
different ideas of strategic HR work within Göteborgs Stad are discussed in relation to Ulrich’s
(1997) four-role typology and the prevalent ideas of strategic HR work within the HRM
scholarship. The result is then analysed in relation to three general theoretical strategy
approaches.
The findings show diverse ideas of HR BP’s strategic work where they imply to be strategic in
what Ulrich’s model suggests to be operational. However, the adoption of the strategy concept by
Ulrich and within the SHRM discourse, seem to be mainly based on classical strategy arguments,
emphasizing organizational diagnosis and formal strategy planning and implying a division
between strategic and operational work. By adopting a Strategy-as-Practice perspective together
with a Processual strategy approach, other aspects of HR BPs work could be regarded as
strategic. Hence, this paper suggests a more multi-paradigmatic view of strategy and strategic HR
work in HRM scholarship and practice, at least in the context of HR BPs. | sv |
