Being the strategic business partner is the most important role for an organization’s HR department (Research Paper Sample)

Being the strategic business partner is the most important role for an organization’s HR department
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Abstract
The focus of this paper is to critique the statement that being the strategic business partner is the most important role for an organization’s HR department. It has been identified that, as a strategic business partner human resource department plays an import role in an organization. For instance, the department will help in coordinating with other departments for the purpose of having an effective service delivery which will in turn increase customer satisfaction thus creating positive customer relationship. On top of that, the department will be in a position to take the costs out of the service delivery by improving work efficiencies, thus lessening the cost of delivery. However, considering the human resource department as a strategic partner, has its own share of the challenges. It limits the role of the human resource in adequately motivating employees. It also limits the role of the department in its traditional role of personal management. An alternative role of the human resource department is administrative in which it enforces human resource related policies for all departments to follow for the purpose of achieving organizational goals and objectives.
Introduction
The primary role of the human resource department in an organization has greatly transformed in the recent past. In the early years, the human resource was viewed as a personal department executing administrative duties such as file maintenance and record keeping. Currently, many organizations are moving from the traditional mode towards a modern strategic human resource model aimed at developing strategic plans that fit within the larger structure of the company’s plans. It is not easy to underestimate the role of the Human Resource department hence its significance when used as a strategic partner. Becton & Schraeder (2009) refutes the claim that the primary role of the HR department is to be a strategic business partner. Despite the doubts by Becton & Schraeder (2009), the primary role of Human Resource indeed should be a strategic partner since it helps reduce the costs of delivery, boost quality of service delivery and aid in achieving organizational goals and objectives apart from managing talent.