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The present trend of globalization, liberalization, technological advancement, and effective knowledge economy has created an emerging emphasis on human resources (HR) and their contribution towards organizational competitiveness and performance. Strategic HR development basically requires identification of suitable Human Resource Development (HRD) activities and programs and aligns those to the employees' performance, so that organizations can understand how strategic selection of HRD activities can rationalize HRD expenses and also benefit the organization, achieving its strategic intents. Strategic Human Resource Development (SHRD) activities when aligned with the individual employees' development and growth needs can also motivate them to perform and deliver the best results. SHRD practices also support the organizational initiatives to face the real challenges of globalization and competition, as they can continue to sustain their competitive advantage through development of requisite competencies of their HR.
The rising thought of Human Resource Development (HRD) puts people at the center of development because development is not only by the people it is also for the people. In the present dynamic business world, those are the successful organizations, which are in the forefront of competitions and are continuously maintaining sustainable competitive growth. The success behind these organizations shows that it is not the technology but the HR which makes the organization different and gives it a competitive advantage. Other sources, such as product, process, and technology, can also provide competitive leverage to an organization but its HR is more vital for its sustainability. To successfully face the increasing uncertainty and cut-throat competition, what is required today is performing employees to build performing organizations.
The present trend of globalization, liberalization, technological advancement, and effective knowledge economy has created an emerging emphasis on HR and its contribution towards organizational competitiveness and performance. HR is increasingly considered to have the potential to provide sustainable competitive advantage (Barney & Write, 1998; Harrison & Kessels, 2004). As organizations seek to grow and compete in the knowledgebased economy, HRD is expected to play a more strategic role in organizations (Garavan, 2007; Holland et al., 2007).
Strategic Human Resource Development (SHRD) has received an increasing research attention on account of liberalization, privatization, and globalization (Garavan, 1991; Horwitz, 1999; Garavan et al., 1995; Gilley and Maycunich, 2000; Grieves, 2003; McCracken and Wallace, 2000; Walton,...