THE VARIOUS ROLES OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Résumé

Using a survey conducted with 274 Canadian
companies, this study aimed to validate Ulrich’s
four-role typology (1997) characterizing the various
roles of human resources departments (HRD) as
well as measure the effect of these HRD roles on
organizational performance. An exploratory factor
analysis reproduced Ulrich’s four HRD roles (1997)
and revealed a fifth administrative role, which
relates to the control of administrative procedures
specific to human resources management (HRM).
This fifth role is distinct from Ulrich’s
“administrative expert” role (1997), associated with
the development and implementation of human
resources (HR) policies. The empirical data further
demonstrated that HRDs’ adoption of all of these
roles, and in particular a mastery of strategic roles,
is positively correlated with organizational
performance indicators. HRDs that place an
emphasis on administrative or operational roles have
little impact on organizational performance.