Creating a Tipping Point (PDF)

In a turbulent, unstable era of severe financial pressures, thedevelopment of strategic human resource (HR) practices has becomean urgent mandate in higher education. With significant andwidespread institutional shifts resulting from globalization,heightened competition, and rapid innovation, educational leadersmust optimize their most significant resource--humancapital--and align HR strategies, structures, and processeswith organizational goals. Due to substantial cuts in stateappropriations and rapidly diminishing budgets, public institutionsof higher education in particular are struggling to realignresources and programs to fulfill their educational missions andmaintain academic quality, while simultaneously responding tocomplex external legislative and accreditation mandates.

In light of these challenges, Creating a Tipping Point:Strategic Human Resources in Higher Education breaks new groundby presenting a research-based approach that supports the evolutionof HR practices from siloed, transactional models to strategicoperations that serve the entire university. This monographprovides a concrete, progressive road map to developingorganizational capabilities in support of the university's academicmission and illustrates this pathway with examples drawn frompublic research universities. It offers strategies, tools, metrics,and action steps that support the development of an effective andefficient strategic HR operation in higher education. Forinstitutions seeking to implement strategic HR, this book is apractical and invaluable resource.