The strategic management of people in work organizations: review, synthesis, and extension

The strategic management of human resources (HR) has been one of the most rapidly growing areas of research within human resources. In the last decade, there have been numerous empirical examinations and theoretical treatments of the link between HR and firm performance. In this paper, we review this empirical and conceptual literature and highlight areas of agreement and those that need further development. We then begin the process of building a conceptual framework based on this review and the extensive employment systems literature. Using our framework, we then discuss several methodological concerns that must be addressed for continued substantive research to proceed. We conclude with our suggestions for future empirical and conceptual work.