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DEFINITION HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ROLES. DESCRIPTION.

In an attempt to classify HR managers into categories, Lengnick-Hall and Lengnick-Hall (2003)
distinguish the following Human Resource Management Roles:
1. Human Capital Steward. Acts as a guide and facilitator in partnership with employees
with the aim of achieving the highest return possible on a companys human capital
investments. Compare: Skandia Navigator
2. Knowledge Facilitator. Facilitates both knowledge capital (held in explicit and implicit
sources) and knowledge flows. Compare: Knowledge Management (Collison & Parcell)
3. Relationship Builder. Manages relationships between individuals and groups both
internal and external to the organization to enhance social capital across the total value
chain. Compare: Dimensions of Relational Work
4. Rapid Deployment Specialist. Takes responsibility for the development of flexible
human capital resources with an emphasis on adaptability, tolerance
and capacity to learn. Compare: Appreciative Inquiry

Dave Ulrich distinguished between 4 other HR philosophies:

1. Strategic Partner. HR must ensure that its practices, processes, and policies
complement the overall organizational strategy. It needs to develop a capacity to
execute that strategy. HR must minimize the time it takes to implement the strategy.
2. Change Agent. All organizations change. In recent years the rate of change has
increased dramatically, due in part to the globalization of the economy and

enhancements in communication (e.g. the Internet). The HR role is to facilitate that

change in organizations. This includes modeling change to other departments,
advocating change across the entire organization, resolving issues that arise from
change, and institutionalizing change by implementing efficient and flexible processes.
3. Administrative Expert. This is the role to which HR dedicates most of its time, and
rightfully so. This role involves HR infrastructure, such as recruiting, hiring,
compensating, rewarding and disciplining, training, recordkeeping, and terminating, and
any other process that involves people. HR must ensure that these processes are
efficient and optimized, which requires tracking, monitoring, and continuously improving.
"You have to deliver on the basics," says Ulrich, "because it is much easier to change
when there is confidence in the infrastructure."
4. Employee Champion. This too is a traditional HR role, similar to 'employee advocate.'
To be employee champions, HR must know the employees well and spend time
meeting with and listening to employees. HR must promote communication, which can
include employee surveys, employee suggestion programs, all-employee meetings, ongoing communication of business status, and any other program that can make
employees feel part of the team and dedicated to customer service. This role also
includes ensuring that employees who are having problems get a fair hearing.