ABSTRACT
Strategic human resource management (SHRM) is based on the presumption that organizations' human resources are of critical importance to the success of the organization. This chapter positions idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) as a strategic choice within strategic HRM. It presents an overview of the benefits and costs of introducing i-deals as part of the HR policies in the organization. I-deals are negotiated employment arrangements at the level of individual employees. The strategic choice to add i-deals as an HR practice to optimize fit between individual needs and their job requirements depends on a number of considerations. First, the choice about the balance between standardization and flexibility in employment arrangements is inevitably contextually bound. The chapter describes how employment relationships include elements of idiosyncrasy on different organizational levels. I-deals pose a dilemma to HR managers. An important principle to fairly introduce i-deals is that managers must believe it is in the organization's best interest to grant the i-deal requested by the employee.
