THE STRATEGIC APPROACH TO HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN ROMANIAN COMPANIES - AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

The importance of human resources in modern companies has raised several research issues in the specialized literature. One of particular importance concerns the approach to human resources management practices. The research papers have revealed two main approaches - the administrative and the strategic one. The second orientation proved to be the one that generated different debates. The strategic perspective implies the existence of differences in practice concerning the development of specific human resources activities within the companies. The results of several specialised studies concerning the human resources management practices within Romanian companies were presented. We considered it necessary in order to understand the situation of this particular field and its specific approach in the companies located in our country. This paper aims to analyze the use of such approach in companies located in Constanta county, through an empirical study. It intends to investigate whether there are major differences concerning the assessment of the importance of specific practices (human resources planning, training, performance appraisal, and career management) between the companies having a human resources strategy and the ones without a human resources strategy. It also aims to investigate if the importance granted to the above mentioned set of practices varies function of the size of the company (number of employees). The research tool used was a questionnaire distributed to human resources managers or to other persons in charge of the specific human resources activities. A total of 75 questionnaires were distributed between October – November 2015, and 62 were returned filled in. The results of the study are in line with results of previous studies regarding human resources management practices in Romanian companies. Namely, the results indicated that the perceived importance of human resources planning and training was significantly different in companies having a human resources strategy from the ones without a human resources strategy. Moreover, the level of the perceived importance of the specific practices considered in the analysis (human resources planning, training, performance appraisal, and career management) varies significantly function of company size. The relevance of the present study is heralded by the interesting revealed facets of human resources management practices in Romanian companies, and represents a starting point for further research on the two main approaches on human resources management – the strategic approach vs. the administrative one