Strategic Human Resource Management: Contemporary Issues

by Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, Mark N.K. Saunders

This key textbook will become core reading for students studying a module on Human Resource Strategy at upper level Uundergraduate, MBA and Masters level. The author team have proved successful with students and academics alike with their market leading Research Methods for Business Students and, more recently, Employee Relations. As people and their capabilities are core to an organisations' competitive advantage, the planning and implementing of strategies including the human resource becomes a focus of all managers in a business. This new text successfully integrates HR strategy with the overall business strategy, examining both how the HR function contributes to, and is affected by that strategy. A true teaching and learning resource, the book combines cutting edge coverage of issues such as performance management and measurement, strategic reward systems, the learning organisation and managing knowledge for strategic advantage, with a wealth of examples, self-assessment exercises and encouragement to critique.

Genres: Management

600 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2007

About the author

Celebrated British paparazzi photographer.

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Strategic Human Resource Management by Mark Saunders was a deeply insightful experience. The book goes beyond the surface of HR functions and delves into how human resource strategies directly align with and support overall business goals. What I really appreciate about this text is how it bridges academic theory with real world application something many HR books fail to balance effectively.
Saunders presents the subject in a clear and structured way, making it easier to understand how people and their skills form the backbone of an organization’s competitive advantage. The book doesn’t just talk about HR policies; it explores how HR decisions shape long-term business success. Topics like performance management, strategic reward systems, and managing knowledge for strategic advantage are explained in detail, with examples that feel both practical and current.
Another strength of the book is how interactive it feels. The self assessment exercises and reflection points really helped me think critically about how HR strategies can be applied in different organizational contexts. It’s not just a book you read it’s one you engage with.
Overall, this is an excellent resource for anyone studying or practicing HR management, especially at an advanced level. Mark Saunders manages to make a complex subject both approachable and thought provoking. It’s definitely a must read for MBA students, HR professionals, and anyone interested in understanding how strategic thinking in HR can drive business success.

[Abdul · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst textbooks I studied in my master's. very useless and boring.

[Ali Pirhadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

good