Evaluating levels of strategic integration and devolvement of human resource management in India

Abstract

This paper analyses the levels of 'integration' of human resource management into corporate strategy and 'devolvement' of responsibility for HRM to line managers in India. The findings are based on a large questionnaire survey run in 137 firms in six manufacturing industries. The survey results are further supplemented by twenty-four in-depth interviews in the same companies. Results show a low level of integration and devolvement practised in Indian organizations. A number of contingent variables and organizational policies were found to determine the levels of integration and devolvement in Indian organizations. India is mapped on the integrationdevolvement matrix of ten European countries, showing similarities with the UK, Italy and Germany.