Title: Strategic human resource management and organisational competitiveness: the importance of fit and flexibility

Authors: Patricia Ordonez de Pablos

Addresses: Faculty of Economics, Department of Business Administration and Accountability, University of Oviedo, Avd. del Cristo, s/n, 33.071 Oviedo – Asturias, Spain

Abstract: The main goal of this paper is to analyse how strategic human resource management can create a sustainable competitive advantage if it achieves two essential goals: organisational flexibility (both resource and coordination flexibility) and fit (both external and internal). The achievement of these goals at the same time allows the origination of a dynamic fit, able to create a firm that renews itself, and at the same time, it is given a fast response ability to environmental requests. With the aim of testing these matters, the work is organised in three main sections.

Keywords: competitiveness; external fit; internal fit; human capital; human resource management; strategic HRM; organisational flexibility; organisational strategy; organisational resources; competitive advantage.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2005.005982

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2005 Vol.5 No.1, pp.1 - 15

Published online: 17 Jan 2005 *

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