Human Resource Management: A Critical Review of Two Articles

This essay critically reviews two peer-reviewed journal articles on human resource management (HRM). The first article, by Alagaraja (2013), examines the relationship between HRM, human resource development (HRD), and organizational performance, highlighting the similarities and differences in conceptualization and the independent contributions of HRM and HRD. The second article, by Marler and Fisher (2013), explores the relationship between strategic HRM and electronic HRM (e-HRM), discussing how e-HRM can reinforce strategic goals and ensure compliance. The essay analyzes the authors' arguments, research methodologies, and findings, concluding with the advantages and disadvantages discussed in each article. It emphasizes the importance of these articles for future research in HRM and the strategic management of human resources, offering insights into key concepts and methodologies.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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The following essay attempts a critical review of two peer-reviewed journal articles
that deal with the study of the concepts involved in human resource management. The essay
stresses on the major issues and arguments that are discussed in the articles. The essay further
tends to focus on the key point that the author intends to put forth through the concerned
article as well as tends to comment on the veracity of the research that was undertaken by the
authors. The essay finally concludes with the advantages and the disadvantages that are
discussed in the articles.
Alagaraja, M., 2013. HRD and HRM perspectives on organizational performance: A
review of literature. Human Resource Development Review, 12(2), pp.117-143.
Key points
The concerned article by Alagaraja (2013) majorly deals with the role of the human
resource management or the HRM and the human resource development or the HRD in the
matters that pertain to the establishment of the linkages that exist between the human
resources of an organization and the organizational performance. The author, through the
article tends to put forth the fact that the organizational performance depends on the
contributions of human research development and the human resource management. The
concerned article concentrates on the similarities and the dissimilarities that exist in the
process of conceptualization of the organizational performance that are revealed by the two
variables like HRM and HRD. The author also throws light on the independent contributions
of HRD and HRM in the establishment of the linkage between the organizational
performance and the human resources of the concerned organization.
Arguments

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The author in this article argues that the HRM might be viewed both as a system and
as either a set involving various practices or as a single practice that is being followed within
the concerned organization. The author within the article further argues that though the
human resource management might not affect the financial performance of the organization
in a direct manner, however there exists several areas within the field of HRM that might
affect the business orientation and the organizational strategy that is followed by the
concerned organization.
Assertion
The article majorly focusses on the comparison and contrasting points that exist
between the almost similar notions of HRM and HRD. The author in this particular article
attempts a comparison of the two fields from the various viewpoints and factors such as the
epistemology, the understanding of the fields and the ontology. The article focusses on the
differences that lie between the two notions.
The research
The research conducted by the author appears to be convincing as it puts forth the
differences and the similarities between the concepts of HRD and HRM and the dependence
of organizational performance on both the factors. The author also points out the fact that the
article in discussion might also help the future researchers by providing them with insight on
the various similarities and the dissimilarities that exist among both the concepts of HRM and
HRD. The article might also aid the future researches by throwing light on the dependency of
organizational performance on both the factors related to human resource of a concerned
organization.

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Marler, J.H. and Fisher, S.L., 2013. An evidence-based review of e-HRM and strategic
human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 23(1), pp.18-36.
Key points
The article by Marler and Fisher (2013) majorly guides the readers and the other
future researchers on the relationship that exists between the strategic human resource
management and the electronic human resource management or the e-HRM. The authors put
forth the fact that the strategic human resource management is capable of providing
predictions on the outcomes that might succeed from the e-HRM. The authors further suggest
that these outcomes generally tend to depend on the concerned context. The authors of the
article put forth various theoretical viewpoints that relate to the concepts of e-HRM and
strategic HRM within an organization.
Arguments
The authors in this given article, deal with the ways that they might undertake in the
formation of the theories that pertain to the relationship that exists between the concepts of
strategic HRM and e-HRM. The authors of the article argue on the fact that the development
of the e-HRM that might help in the reinforcement of the strategic goals that have been set by
the management of the organization. The authors also lay stress on the fact that the e-HRM
might help in establishing the compliance that needs to be existent within the concerned
business organization.
Assertion
The authors of the article tend to employ the various evidence-based methodologies in
order to put forth the various existent literature in the fields of the e-HRM and the strategic
HRM. The authors rely on the methodologies that are based on the evidences that have been

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available to them in order to summarize and simplify the materials that have been available to
them. The authors use the integrative synthesis method in the analysis of the relationship that
exists among the concepts of the strategic HRM and e-HRM. The authors had taken into
consideration almost 85 articles that are relevant to the research and deals with e-HRM. The
authors of the article had focused on the empirical analysis of the available data on e-HRM.
The research
The researches that have been undertaken by the authors of the article tend to be very
relevant in the field of the strategic HRM and e-HRM. The research undertaken by the author
might assist the future researchers in the concerned field. The authors reveal the fact that the
earlier studies did lack the theoretical foundations that are necessary for the concepts of e-
HRM. The authors further reveal that the earlier literatures do reveal a lack in the attention
that needs to be given to the strategic outcomes. The earlier literatures, as observed by the
authors do fall short in the matters that pertain to the empirical examination of the e-HRM
from the view point based on the researches. The authors also reveal the fact that the
discipline of e-HRM requires more longitudinal quantitative studies on the macro levels.
In conclusion to the above essay it might be stated that the articles that have been
reviewed might help the future researchers to understand the key points that need to be
addressed in the researches and studies pertaining to the field of HRM. The strategies
discussed in these articles tend to focus on the various viewpoints that might help the
concerned management of the company to motivate the staff and thus increase the
performance of the concerned organization.

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References
Alagaraja, M., 2013. HRD and HRM perspectives on organizational performance: A review
of literature. Human Resource Development Review, 12(2), pp.117-143.
Marler, J.H. and Fisher, S.L., 2013. An evidence-based review of e-HRM and strategic
human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 23(1), pp.18-36.