I do not think that academics and HR professionals have embraced SHRM out of self-interest. In the past, the role of HR management was primarily administrative. Nowadays, HR managers are instrumental in ensuring the organization possesses the necessary talent to enhance business performance and fulfill its mission. Strategic HRM involves optimizing the workforce's potential through strategic planning, talent management, leadership development, organizational design, and performance management, empowering HR departments to drive business success.
Let's take Air national as an example.
Company background: Air National went from feeling hopeful to making big changes. When it became a private company, it faced challenges, like losing $93 million by 2000 under CEO Clive Warren. This made them rethink their strategy. They started focusing more on giving great service to customers and changing how they operated, like starting a new, cheaper airline. They also tried to spend less money by selling things, changing routes, and letting go of some employees. Even though the airline industry had problems like a bad economy and lots of competition, Air National tried to stand out by caring a lot about customers and being more efficient in how they worked.
Changes of HR strategies to fulfill it's company mission: The competitive and HR strategies pursued by AN's mainline business post-restructuring align with an employee-centric HR approach. CEO Clive Warren emphasized the pivotal role of employees in the airline industry, highlighting the need for teamwork. AN's HR Director, Elizabeth Hoffman, emphasized a shift towards empowering employees, urging managers to relinquish control to foster performance improvement. This new approach entailed removing boundaries between craft groups, forming multiskilled teams led by team leaders. Despite initial discomfort among middle managers accustomed to traditional hierarchies, AN invested in customer service training and fostered a strategic partnership with unions. This partnership involved transparency, profit-sharing initiatives, and leadership development programs aimed at fostering trust, motivation, and visionary leadership among employees.