The conceptual literature strongly argues for the importance of developing a strategic partnership role for HRM, and empirical results indicate significant economic benefits for HRM. organization. So why is it so difficult to put these ideas into practice? Discuss, with specific examples and references to relevant strategic HRM literature.IntroductionAs the world becomes more globalized and competition becomes more intense, human resources become increasingly important to the success of a business . If we look at history, we can see that labor has been treated as a commodity in many businesses. Companies were only concerned with maximizing production, without taking into account human feelings and social needs. For most of its history, HR has been treated as a paper-shuffling, pencil-moving function or a hiring and firing department. With the growth of information technology and global competition, many practitioners and scholars have begun to believe that employee performance has implications for company output. A growing number of companies have realized the importance of their human resources (i.e. human resources) in gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage. For example, Barney's (1995) resource-based theory of the firm argues that a firm's human resources can provide a source of sustainable competitive advantage if they satisfy four attributes: ; value, rarity, inimitable and organization. Related to this point is Barney's assertion that "leaders must seek out rare and valuable resources within their company and leverage those resources throughout their organization." It is through highly qualified employees, a unique organizational culture, a unique system, processes and organizational structure that distinctive skills can be acquired. Organize...... middle of paper...... is necessary for this to happen? Human Resource Planning, 26(3), 15-29.9. MacDuffie, J. (1995). Human resource bundles and manufacturing performance: organizational logic and flexible production systems in the global automobile industry. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 49, 197-22110. Porter, ME (1985). Competitive advantage. New York. The free press.11. Smith, G. (2004). An assessment of Southwest Airlines' corporate culture. Measuring Business Excellence, 8(4), 26-33.12. Ulrich, D (1997). Human resources champions. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.13. Wright, P. M. and McMahan, G. C. (1992). Theoretical perspectives for strategic human resources management. Journal of Management, 18(2), 295-320.14. Wright, P. M. and Snell, S. A. (1991). Towards an integrative vision of strategic human resources management. Human Resource Management Review, 1(3), 203-225.