3. diagnosing problems and implementing change; 4. advising and coaching line leaders and general facilitation; 5. disseminating learning. The core idea in a strategic approach to managing and developing human resources is that there is the relationship between business strategy, overall HR strategy, HR bundles (or HR architecture) and organizational performance. In other words, it is “a process that involves the use of overarching approaches to the development of HR strategies, which are integrated vertically with the business strategy and horizontally with one another” (Armstrong 2008, p. 30) There are several perspectives to the development of HR strategies defined as the ‘universalistic’, the ‘contingency’ and the ‘configurational’ by Delery and Doty (Delery & Doty 1996). Richardson and Thompson (Richardson & Thompson 1999) redefined the first two approaches as best practice and best fit, and retained the word ‘configurational’, meaning the use of ‘bundles’, as the third approach. From a best-practice point of view, certain HR practices exist that always exert a positive impact. For example, in 1993 the US Department of Labor prepared the list of such practices: careful and extensive systems for recruitment, selection and training; formal systems for sharing information with the individuals who work in the organization; clear job design; high-level participation processes; monitoring of attitudes; performance appraisals; properly functioning grievance procedures; promotion and compensation schemes that provide for the recognition and financial rewarding of the high-performing members of the workforce. Hence, from the ‘universalistic’ perspective it is necessary to identify the best practices and determine their unique influence.
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