Critical HR capabilities in agile organisations a cross-case analysis in swiss SMEs

Abstract

The current agile management literature is missing insight about the challenges agile organisations face regarding human resource management (HRM/HR) – and how they may overcome them. Based on an exploratory case study design, we investigate the managerial challenges in seven pioneering companies, all of them medium-sized firms (SME) from the IT sector in Switzerland. The majority of the qualitative data gathered stems from interviews, that was coded along emerging themes. The results are divided into three sections: a proposed (1) typology for Business Agilists, (2) general challenges and (3) emergent agile HR capabilities. Following the proposition of agile HR as a distributed capability, we discuss several theoretical and practical implications. In essence, particular attention is to be placed on a cultural fit between employees and the agile working environment, which demands individuals to be highly self-reliant and autonomous. This entails the need for a flexible support structure to grow employees’ skills accordingly. The conclusion emphasises addressing the shared responsibility for HR work and the corresponding broad capability development of different role holders, resulting in the suggestion to replace the term HR with people management as a more inclusive bracket for integrative HR, culture and leadership work in agile organisations.