Human Resource Management Practices Marks and Spencer Case Study

Human Resource Management Practices Marks and Spencer - Case Study Example In other words, HR management is a necessary tool for corporate restructuring. However, its use should be made very carefully trying to take into account the firm’s strengths as well as its potentials for the future. On the other hand, in the case that HR professionals are called in order to propose specific plans of HR restructuring, then they should have a series of competencies which fall in the next categories: In order to evaluate the role of human resources management in the improvement of the firm’s performance, we should ‘test’ the practices followed by organizations within a particular industrial sector. In most cases these practices present similarities, however, there could be elements of the operational strategy with significant differentiation among the participants/ companies. For this reason, any relevant comparison should take into consideration the particular characteristics of each specific organization trying to ensure the protection of the persons involved (i.e. publication of data only in cases where it is strictly permitted by the law). The issue of the effectiveness of HRM practices followed in specific companies has been the study of many researchers throughout the years. In the particular case, Marks and Spencer have been a company with a long history in the British retail sector. The company which was found in 1884 operates currently worldwide with about 515 stores and several franchises. The current paper examines particularly the issue of application of â€Å"best practice/high commitment† model of HRM presented by Marchington & Wilkinson (2002, 179). The application of the particular model is examined in combination with other HR – related issues trying to identify the strengths and the weaknesses of the above model as well as the potential choices available to the company in a case that the above model does not produce the required result. In order for this research to be conducted more accurately a company of the UK market, Marks and Spencer have been used as an example.  Ã‚