Soft and Hard Models of Human Resource Management: A Reappraisal.

Two of the most widely adopted models of human resource management are

the hard and soft versions. These are based on opposing views of human

nature and managerial control strategies. The hard model is based on notions

of tight strategic control, and an economic model of man according to

Theory X, while the soft model is based on control through commitment and

Theory Y. We argue that because these assumptions are so divergent, they

cannot both properly be incorporated within a single model of human resource

management.

Eight in-depth case studies were carried out, involving questionnaires,

interviews and focus groups in order to find out whether organizations were

practising either form of HRM. We found that no pure examples of either

form existed. The paper concludes that the rhetoric adopted by Ae companies

frequendy embraces the tenets of the soft, commitment model, while the

reaUty experienced by employees is more concerned with strategic control,

similar to the hard model. This distinction between rhetoric and reality

needs to be taken into account in conceptualizations of human resource management.