The Strategic Positioning of Human Resources Management in a Property Management Company in Hong Kong

Transcription

1 The Strategic Positioning of Human Resources Management in a Property Management Company in Hong Kong Juni Chan* and John Burgess** The study builds on the process of evaluation of HR reporting conducted by Vuontisjärvi (2006) in Finland. Corporate documents (annual reports, web site, sales brochure, Human Resources (HR) documents and strategic plan) were analysed according to a pre set coding system for a publicly listed medium size property and facility management service provider in Hong Kong. In addition, two key corporate executives, the Chief Operating Officer and HR Director of the same company, were interviewed regarding the strategic position of Human Resources Management (HRM) within the organisation. Keywords: Hong Kong, Human Resources Management, Human Resources Reporting, Case study, Strategic Human Resources Management 1. Introduction Human Resources Management (HRM) as a strategic tool of organisation development has enjoyed remarkable attention amongst academics and practitioners since the 1980s (Becker and Huselid, 2006). Findings show a perceived organisational performance linking to Human Resources (HR) reporting (Pedrini, 2007). However, many corporate executives remain unsure of the strategic positioning of HRM in their organisations (Duan, 2006; Ozcelik and Ferman, 2006) and in some cases HR managers are seen to lack skills and incapable of contributing strategically to the organisation (Becton and Schraeder, 2009; Wright, Snell and Jacobsen, 2004; Ulrich, 1998). With the rise of interest in strategic HRM has come a global trend for more HR disclosures, often linked to corporate social responsibility reporting (KPMG, 2008; Moneva, Rivera-Lirio and Munoz-Torres, 2007; PwC, 2007; Baskin, 2006). Despite these trends in Western countries, Asian organisations are more conservative when presenting information to external parties (Welford, 2004) and have less transparency in their operations (Eldomiaty and Chong, 2006). *Dr. Juni Chan, Human Resources Management Consultant, Hong Kong junichan@yahoo.com **Prof. John Burgess, Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle, Australia. john.burgess@newcastle.edu.au

2 This paper reports on a case study on HR reporting and the strategic positioning of HRM in a medium sized property and facility management service provider, Property Management Company (a pseudonym, thereafter called the PM Co.) in Hong Kong. 2. Literature Review Disclosure is an important concept in developing effective corporate governance mechanisms for social reporting, including environmental and ethical aspects of a business (Balmer, Fukukawa and Gray, 2007; Fuentes-Gracia, Nunez-Tabales and Veroz-Herradon, 2007; Khanfar, 2007). KPMG (2008) illustrates an increasing demand for transparency and accountability of organisation. HR s contribution during mergers, cost control or downsizing is widely recognised (O Neil, 2009; Moss, 2008). Access to HRM issues assists in the investment decision of potential investors (Petty,Ricceri and Guthrie, 2008). Despite the increasing need for reporting on HR issues, the least reported item is employee matters (Zakimi and Hamid, 2005). This may arise since there is a lack of accepted metrics which limits the assessment of efficiency and effectiveness of HRM (Bechtel, 2007; Vuontisjärvi, 2006; Spanos, Zaralis and Lioukas, 2004; Sexton, 2002; Walker, 2001). Other checks on reporting HR issues include the positioning of HR within the organisation and the attitudes of the executive towards making information publically available. The competency of HR managers, trust between HR managers and the management affect the level and quality of HR reporting (Ghazali, 2008). In addition, Asian management style tends to report less and this makes Hong Kong corporate executives adverse to disclosure and reporting (Oxfam, 2008; Welford, 2005). In Hong Kong, 67 per cent of the annual reports of 43 constituents listed companies scored zero in HR reporting (Oxfam, 2008). Oxfam (2008) recommended an increasing transparency by providing information to stakeholders. A study of top 100 listed companies in Hong Kong illustrated the absence of reporting tools being adopted for external reporting (Petty et al, 2008). In this context this paper will examine the issue of HR reporting and the positioning of HRM within an enterprise in Hong Kong. It reports on a case study of the PM Co. 3. Research Questions & Methodology The research design follows three rationales: country-based, industry based and data triangulation for non-standardized and context sensitive, dependent on the subjective experience of researchers and respondents (Choudhuri, Glauser and Peregoy, 2004). This paper addresses the following questions: 1. What HR issues are included in the public reporting of the PM Co? 2. What are the details of these HR disclosures?

3 3. To what extent does the HR reporting reveal strategic HRM in the organisation? 4. Do the corporate executives consider that HRM has a strategic role in the organisation? 5. What are the factors inhibiting or promoting greater HR disclosures and an improved strategic positioning of HRM within the organisation? Content analysis was conducted on public documents, that is, annual reports of 2007 and 2008; web pages; and corporate documents, that is, sales brochures, HR reports and the strategic plan provided of the PM Co. The coding was based on the research conducted in Finland by Vuontisjärvi (2006). There were follow up interviews with two corporate executives, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the HR Director (HRD). The interviews were semi structured, lasted for around 90 minutes, and were directed towards the research questions. The PM Co. is a medium size listed company with market value at HK$495 million (HKEx, 2008) and business turnover around HK$300 million every year with 5,600 staff in 2009 (PM web site, 2009). It manages over 270 different properties and facilities, which include more than 163,000 residential units, two million square metres of commercial, industrial and purpose-built properties. It also provides consultancy and management service to developers and real estate investment funds in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing in China (PM web site, 2009). PMC is located in a fast growing sector with many property development and opportunities available in China. Since the booming property market in 1990 s, there has been a demand for high calibre employees in the property management industry in Hong Kong; with an increased pressure on HR divisions to take a more strategic position within their organisations (Mak, 2006). The CEO, male, aged 54, joined the Company in He is responsible for the strategic planning, business development and overall operations of the company since The HRD, male, aged 56, joined the Company in He is responsible for the HR planning and organisation development activities. 4. Findings 4.1 Documentary Analysis Limited HR Public Disclosures The documentary analysis indicated a limited coverage of HR matters and for those matters listed there was no consistency in the content and format of the reporting. In the 2008 annual report, there was 11.6 per cent in HR coverage (6.25 pages out 54 pages) and without a designated HR page. On the corporate website, there were 9.1 per cent in HR coverage; one designation HR section out of a total of 11 sections.

4 In annual reports, the reporting mainly covered the biography of the boards of directors and senior executives, under the section of Management Discussion and Analysis; and biographies of Directors and Senior Management. Measuring HR s performance in terms of efficiency and effectiveness were not included in the corporate documents. HR metrics reported were the retention rate and HR awards received. In terms of the frequency of the word employees or staff throughout the annual reports, there were 39 words in 2007 and 37 words in In terms of content, there was no difference in the HR reporting in the 2007 and 2008 annual reports. The report structure was similar too; they stated: At 31 December 2008, the Group employed a total of 4,697 (31 March 2008: approximately 5,300) staff in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. (Annual Report, 2008:15) At 31 March 2008, the Group employed a total of approximately 5,300 (2007: approximately 4,700) staff in Hong Kong and the mainland of China. (Annual Report, 2007: 14) There was no change in reporting the key HR issues discussed for two consecutive years under the Management Discussion and Analysis (2008: 15, 2007:14). They stated: Competency based HR system: The Group has developed a competence-based HR system which is unique. Remuneration policy: The Group has formulated a performancebased reward system with a view to sustaining market competitiveness for attracting and retaining high calibre staff. On the web page, HR coverage was under sections such as About Us, Board/Management, Pursuit of Excellence, Learning and Development Team, Career Development and Staff Development. The Welcome page clearly identified employees as core of success. It stated: At the heart of the PM Co. is the drive by our people to make positive contributions to the communities where we work and live, and to advance the interests of all our company's stakeholders in a socially responsible manner. Most of the HR disclosures were found in the subsection, talent attraction and talent retention under Career opportunities. The HR guidelines illustrated its policies on talent acquisition, development and retention The PM Co. believes the quality and commitment of its staff is the single most important factor in sustaining its leadership position in the

5 market. (Web page) About us, it stated: The PM Co. has a long tradition of caring for its employees, a fact reflected in a number of the awards that have come its way. (Web page) On the web page, several quality management models were reported but this did not include the HR Competency Model in the section of Pursuit of Excellence. Under Pursuit of excellence, it stated: We believe that staff is our important asset and therefore we put great emphasis on their learning and development opportunities. (Web page) Frequently Reported HR Items In the annual reports and corporate web page, the most reported item was training. Training was the most reported item is a trend observed in other studies (Vuontisjärvi, 2006; Othman, Abdul-Ghani and Arshad, 2001). For other HR disclosure, the reporting varied. The second and third most reported items were values and principles, and employment policy in the annual reports. The second and third most reported items were pay and benefits, and employment policy and measurement of policies in web page. The PM Co. used awards as HR metrics and reported HR related awards such as the Caring Company award and Occupational Safety & Health Award. Other mainstream HR issues such as security in employment, equal opportunities and work life balance were not reported (as indicated in Table 1). Table 1 shows the HR disclosures in the annual reports and web page.

6 Table 1 Theme HR disclosures in the annual report and web page Frequency counts Frequency counts in annual report in web page Training Life-long learning or continuous learning Development discussions Competence appraisals Pay and benefits Incentive schemes (results, performance etc. including directors) Participation and staff involvement A personnel newsletter Values, principles (with or without reference to HRM) Values (full statement or summary) Mission (full statement or summary) Employee health and well-being Improving internal communication Measurement of policies Retention rate Employment policy Positive employer image Traineeships for students Security in employment 0 0 Equal opportunities 0 0 Work-life balance The Lack Of Strategic Alignment HR disclosures in the annual report did not align with the strategic development of the organisation. In 2008 the PM Co. undertook a major acquisition yet from the reports there was no sign of HR s involvement. The Chairman s Statement stated that the acquisition will have significant impact on the Company in the following years: I believe such business integration will greatly enhance PM scope of business and geographical delivery capabilities, and provide

7 significant growth opportunities for PM in the years to come. (Annual Report, Chairman s Statement,2008:5) It also stated: We will take significant steps to intensify our strategic focus, add further capability to our service mix and position the Company to capitalize on emerging growth opportunities in challenging market conditions. (Annual Report, Management Discussion and Analysis, 2008: 13) The only event that the HRD was involved in the PM Co. s events was a photograph taken from the donation for Sichuan Earthquake (Annual Report, 2008: 2-3). There were other significant events listed in the 2008 Annual Report such as the acquisition and new business contracts HR Reporting In Other Corporate Documents Other documents reviewed included internal HR reports, sales brochures and the corporate strategic plan. There was limited HR reporting in all of these documents. The HR reported focused on the training and development courses: Technical training: a monthly average of courses and 125 courses annually. Customer Services and management courses: 45 courses annually Management courses: 26 applications for the Educational subsidy on job related courses and 156 external courses. Management Trainees Programs: three to six months on site training Second, the objectives of the competence based HR system were reported in the sales brochure and in the annual report. They: (To) identify the critical competences and skills required for different jobs in different grades and apply it to all HR processes. Third, the sales brochure stated the importance of HR strategic functions: Driven by our people, the PM Co. will be the preferred brand. (Sales Brochure, 2008:12) Lastly, the strategic map showed that HRM is one of the departments to develop a healthy working environment and an effective HR process in the area of learning and growth by enhancing staff resourcing, reducing turnover and improving staff quality

8 4.2 Findings from the Interviews Views on Limited HR Reporting The annual reports and the web page may not be indicative of the extent and type of HR positioning. Both corporate executives considered that the existing HR reporting was limited. The CEO claimed that investors were not interested on the current reporting that focused on training or turnover figures. The investors don t need HR related information. Annual reports are mainly designed for financial disclosures. (CEO) The HRD wanted to report more information but said the HR department not yet ready to report their activities for strategic purposes. In addition, the HRD failed to present strategic information and seemed quite indifferent to HR reporting. It is rarely found that companies report their HR initiatives through their corporate documents. I prefer not to spend time on writing HR reporting in the website or the annual report. (HRD) The Lack of Strategic Positioning of HRM Findings suggest a lack of strategic values in corporate HR reporting that requires to be addressed through greater strategic undertaking from the HR division (RBL, 2009). The lack in linking HRM with corporate strategic direction was acknowledged. Both respondents agreed that the annual reports and corporate web pages performed a limited role in demonstrating the strategic positioning of HRM. Currently, we have not done much reporting on the HR issues because investors do not want the HR figures. (CEO) Investors prefer HR information in addition to the financial data. But the HR department lacks an observable result on HR activities. (HRD) Driving Forces For HR Reporting and Strategic HRM Both the CEO and HRD claimed that they needed more HR reporting and this could be done through updating the HR activities in the web page. The CEO wanted to increase the HR disclosures in the following months. The HR disclosure in website is an area to improve. We have decided to have more disclosure so as to give more information to stakeholders especially the job seekers. (CEO)

9 When HR activities are integrated with recruitment, succession planning, or training activities, it is expected to give strategic values in the organisations. Such reporting on HR practices improves the company s image within the organisations (Bechtel, 2007). We have reported our HR Competency Model that identifies key job competence for HR activities. (CEO) Other research suggested that senior executives considered HR public disclosures that reflect the competitive advantage of an organisation could potentially increase the stock price (Petty et al, 2008). The HRD stated that the stakeholders, especially potential investors, seek financial information from annual reports. The investors or other stakeholders want to know how an organisation performs on its people management. (HRD) HR reporting is a manifestation of good HR practices which in turn may be an indicator of good company performance. It was believed that effective HR practices lifted corporate performance: HR reporting is necessary to the different stakeholders as people are one of key success factors. (CEO) Support from the Management is an important factor for adequate HR reporting and the development of strategic HRM. Support from top management is the driving force. The investors or financial analysts can investigate the quality of employees through HR reporting in annual reports. (HRD) The HRD also considered that he was taking a strategic role. He was listed as part of management team in the annual reports and website. There is involvement for HRD in the strategic process and the HRD attended the strategic meetings. A strategic HR function should enable productivity gain to achieve competitive advantage. Recently, the Line Department has invited me to give HRM presentation that demonstrates HRM s values. (HRD)

10 4.2.4 Challenges to Strategic HRM The CEO expressed his concern that the HRD sometimes failed to achieve the strategic role. The HR director is sometimes unable to translate the vision into action and should facilitate the Line Managers in staff management. (CEO) One of the factors that limited the strategic orientation of HRM was the focus on administrative functions by the HRD. HR functions in Hong Kong are rather administrative in nature and HR directors often focus on the administrative work. (HRD) There was a view that the HR division was not ready in terms of experience, expertise and support to undertaken a greater strategic role. Small medium enterprises do not have the resources while the HR professionals in major corporations usually do not have the credential to speak up in the strategic meetings. I have just been working here for a few years and still needs more time to gain the management s support and recognition. (HRD) 5. Conclusions This paper illustrates that in the case study organisation there was reluctance to report beyond required financial disclosures and on average HR department perform traditional administrative functions. There was often a lack of alignment between what strategic HRM meant and the strategic contribution of HRM to organisations. HR disclosures involved limited HR reporting. HR reporting in the annual report was not in alignment with the Company s strategy while internal reporting predominately focused on the training courses and the number of trainees. The interviews in this case study suggest that the relatively low ranking of strategic HRM stems mainly from the attitudes of senior corporate executives, the perceived competency levels of HR Director and the Chinese cultural characteristic of confrontation avoidance and the development of harmony. The HRD preferred a low profile with respect to HR reporting in order not to be placed under pressure to provide further information. The CEO was eager to achieve strategic HR functions in the organisation and perceived a need for more extensive HR disclosures and a strategic orientation for HRM; however, this vision was not matched by the view of the HRD who saw minimal disclosures and an administrative focus as continuing.

11 The broader evidence suggests that HR reporting can potentially lead to brand building, improve stock prices and talent management. There is a long way to go in developing and building on extensive HR reporting in Hong Kong. The findings from the single case study are reflected in larger studies of Hong Kong organisations (Oxfam, 2008; Welford, 2005) that indicate low levels of social reporting (including HRM). There is scope to extend the content analysis of public reports and conduct interviews with the senior executives of other Hong Kong based organisations to examine the reasons behind the reluctance to engage in HR reporting. References Balmer, J., Fukukawa, K. and Gray, E. 2007, The Nature and Management of Ethical Corporate Identity: a commentary on corporate identity, corporate social responsibility and ethics, Journal of Business Ethics, vol.76, pp Baskin, J. 2006, Corporate Social Responsibility in Emerging Markets, The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, vol.24, pp Bechtel, R. 2007, Calculating Human Capital: The Market Based Valuation of the Human Resources, Zeitrechrift fur Personalforchung, vol. 21, no.3, pp Becker, B. and Huselid, M. 2006, Strategic Human Resources Management: where do we go from there? Journal of Management, vol. 32, pp Becton, J. and Shraeder, M. 2009, Strategic Human Resources Management: Are We There Yet? The Journal for Quality and Participation, vol. 31, no. 4, pp Choudhuri, D., Glauser, A. and Peregoy, J. 2004, Guidelines for writing a qualitative manuscript for the Journal of Counselling and Development, Journal of Counselling and Development, vol. 82, no. 4. pp Duan, J. 2006, Strategic Human Resources and Strategic Organization Development: an alliance for the future? Organizational Development Journal, vol. 24, no.4, pp Eldomiaty, T. and Chong, Y. 2006, Corporate governance and strategic transparency: East Asia in the international business systems, Corporate Governance, vol. 6, no.3, pp Fuentes-Gracia, F., Nunez-Tabales, J. and Veroz-Herradon, R. 2007, Applicability of Corporate Social Responsibility to Human Resources Management: Perspectives from Spain, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 82, no. 27, pp Ghazali, N. 2008, Voluntary disclosure in Malaysian corporate annual reports: views of stakeholders, Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 4, no.4, pp Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx) 2008, Listed Companies, available at: esult&mkt=hk&stocktype=mb&ranking=bymc&searchmethod=2&pageno =1 (accessed 23 June 2008).

12 Khanfar, M. 2007, Visionary approaches to Management of Corporate Communication Strategy and its implication, The Business Review, vol. 8, no. 2, pp KPMG 2008, International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting, available at: (accessed 26 April 2009). Mak, J Ch 7 Human Resources Management in Professional Housing Management Practices in Hong Kong in by Chiu, R.(Ed,), Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong. Moneva, J., Rivera-Lirio, J. and Munoz-Torres, M. 2007, The Corporate stakeholder commitment and social and financial performance, Industrial Management and Data Systems, vol. 107, no. 2, pp Moss, B. 2008, Economic Crisis is a golden opportunity for OH and HR, Occupational Health, vol. 60, no.11, pp. 10. O Neil, L. 2009, HR s time to lead, HR Magazine, vol.54, no.5, pp.8. Othman, R., Abdul-Ghani, R. and Arshad, R. 2001, Great Expectations CEO s perception of the performance gap of the HRM functions in the Malaysian manufacturing sector, Personnel Review, vol. 30, no.1, pp Oxfam, 2008, Corporate Social Responsibility Survey of Hang Seng Index Constituent Companies, available at: (accessed 12 December 2008). Ozcelik, G. and Ferman, M. 2006, Competency Approach to Human Resources Management: Outcomes and Contributions in a Turkish Cultural Context, Human Resources Development Review, vol. 5, no.1, pp Pedrini, M. 2007, Human capital convergences in intellectual capital and sustainability reports, Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 8, no.2, pp Petty, R., Ricceri, F. and Guthrie, J. 2008, Intellectual capital: a user's perspective, Management Research News, vol. 31, pp PricewaterhouseCoppers International Limited (PwC) 2007, Market reporting in Asia's financial sector: Bridging the gap between perception and reality, available at: (accessed 3 September 2008). RBL 2009, Human Resource Competency Study, available at: (accessed 6 June 2009). Sexton, N. 2002, Becoming a strategic HR business partner, Hong Kong Institute of Human Resources, available at: (accessed 21 July 2007). Spanos,Y., Zaralis, G. and Lioukas, S. 2004, Strategy and Industry effects on profitability: evidence from Greece, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 25, no. 2, pp Ulrich, D. 1998, Delivering Results: a new Mandate for Human Resources Professionals, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.

13 Vuontisjarvi, T. 2006, The European Context for Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management: An analysis of the largest Finnish Companies, Business Ethics: A European Review, vol.15, no. 3, pp Walker, J. 2001, Human Capital: Beyond HR? Human Resource Planning, vol. 24, no.2, pp Welford, R. 2004, Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe and Asia: Critical Elements and Best Practice, The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, vol.13, pp Welford, R. 2005, Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe, North America and Asia: 2004 Survey Results, The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, vol.17, pp Wright, P., Snell, S. and Jacobsen, P. 2004, Current Approaches to HR strategies: Inside-out versus outside-in, Human resources Planning, vol. 27, no. 4, pp Zakimi, F. and Hamid, A. 2005, Malaysian companies use of the internet for investor relations, Corporate Governance, vol.5, no.1, pp