Why We Should Update HR Education
Abstract
IDEAS, OBSERVATIONS, AND INQUIRY WHY WE SHOULD UPDATE HR EDUCATION Kevin Barksdale University of Memphis I left my graduate program with a great deal of enthusiasm because I believed I had a great deal to offer students in pursuing a human resources (HR) profession. I believed well-trained HR managers could provide the sup- port necessary for success in a highly competitive economic environment. After interacting with the business community, the local chapter of the Soci- ety for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the students at my uni- versity, I have developed a new sense of urgency with regard to the types of skills our students need to develop. Open most introductory management textbooks and you will find intense competition and the customer-driven marketplace identified as major forces for change in most organizations. These forces are dramatically affecting HR departments. HR managers are being asked to provide innovative solutions to performance and productivity problems. Successful HR managers are those able to understand the complex environment, and to provide innovative solu- tions that integrate their activities into the broader organizational goals. In graduate school, we discussed the integration of HR strategy and organ- izational strategy. Much of that discussion centered