Best Fit Vs Best Practice

Topic: “Best fit is more important than best practice”. Critically evaluate this statement.

Table Of Contents

1. Introduction..……………………………………………………….………………………........2

2. Background………………………………………………………………………………………2

2.1. Best-fit model of SHRM………………………………………………………………2

2.2. Best-practice model of SHRM……………………………………………………….5

2.2.1. Best practice: Shareholder-oriented………………………………………6

2.2.2. Best practice: Stakholder-oriented………………………………………...6

3. Critical reflections and discussion……………………………………………………………..8

3.1 Best-practice model……………………………………………………………………8

3.2. Best-fit model…………………………………………………………………………10

4. References……………………………………………………………………………………..12

Introduction

The success of an organisation depends, to a significant extent, on the conformity of its HR strategies with its general corporate strategies and the industrial environment in which the organisation is active. This concept is known as 'strategic fit' (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014).

When choosing, evaluating and applying different HR strategies we usually classify them based on the three main HRM perspectives: the universalistic, the contingency, and the configurational perspectives (Delery and Doty, 1996). In this essay, I will be focusing on the universalistic and the contingency approach, also known as the ''best-practice'' and ''best-fit'' approach.

This essay consists of two more sections. Section 2, ‘Background’, explains and critically analyses the ''best-fit'' approach; Section 3, ‘Critical Reflections and Discussion’, and its subsections, cover the key aspects and critically analyse the ''best-practice'' and “best-fit” approaches, comparing the two and identifying the most effective