The development of the HR function in firms generally acknowledged as
leading LO transformers in New Zealand often sees the relocation of hire,
promote and fire functions within work teams, and defines the HR
department as a specialised business unit and cost centre offering
services to teams. If the teams perceive the HR support team in the
organisation as providing a useful service at the price they set as a cost
centre - then HR survives. Otherwise it doesn't.
In another model associated with HR decisions being located in teams the
HR specialist department is abolished. HR specialists are attached to
teams (or maybe divide their time amongst a group of teams). The HR
specialists then have to see ways in which their skills can be applied to
team needs, or extend their skills appropriately, or else become
multi-skilled into new functional fields in order to remain valued team
members. In a case we know HR specialists put in this situation have
repositioned themselves into 'soft skill' training roles and are actively
developing team skills amongst team members. In this case they are also
beginning to find a role as mediators and conflict resolution specialists,
-- Phillip Capper WEB Research Wellington New Zealand pcapper@actrix.gen.nz