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Many in the field of human resources (HR) will admit that the profession is at a perilous crossroads - that the next 10 years will spell either the demise or the ascendancy of the profession. HR's focus should not be on surviving or strengthening its status. Instead, HR should begin today to take actions which will eventually eliminate itself in major organizations. The issue to consider is not demise versus ascendancy, but rather demise under what circumstances. Those in HR must: 1. Create change. 2. Develop principled leaders. 3. Promote economic literacy. 4. Center on the customer. 5. Maximize services/minimize staff. 6. Steward the values.

This article describes the HR Management System in place at Sears. Key emphases of Sears' HR management infrastructure include: 1. formulating and communicating a corporate mission, vision, and goals, 2. employee education and development through the Sear University, 3. performance management and incentive compensation systems linked closely to the firms strategy, 4. validated employee selection systems, and 5. delivering the \"HR Basics\" very competently. Key challenges for the future include: 1. maintaining momentum in the performance improvement process, 2. identifying barriers to success, and 3. clearly articulating HR's role in the change management process.

Much has been written and heralded over the past few years regarding the Human Resource (HR) profession having achieved strategic partner status in major organizations. If one presses the issue with objective practitioners off-therecord, however, most will admit that the profession is at a perilous crossroads--that the next ten years will spell either the demise or ascendancy...

There is an \"ancient principle\" from general systems theory which states, \"If any part of a system is growing faster than the rest of the system, it is only a matter of time until it is the system.\" Such is the relationship between health care costs in the United States (US) and the country's Gross National Product (GNP). Late in the 1960s the cost of health care in the US began to outstrip the growth rate of the GNP. Costs have increased from 7.3 percent of the GNP in 1970 to a projected 13.4 percent in 1992. US business's share of this bill--$186 billion in 1990--now exceeds...

Companies are searching desperately for relief from the costs involved in providing quality health care for their employees. For the past decade, these costs have been the fastest growing portion of gross national product. To ensure that programs were meeting the needs of employees, in 1984 IBM implemented utilization reviews, focusing on substance abuse and psychiatric care. It was found that cost could be contained effectively and the length of stays in facilities could be reduced, while still providing employees complete freedom in their choice of facility. IBM is pleased with the balanced changes it has made in its benefits plan design and their effectiveness in controlling cost increases. Equally important is the acceptance of the changes by employees and the effect of the changes on employee morale.