ABSTRACT
For many Human Resource practitioners, it’s an act of faith that
people management is a key factor in determining profitability.
Whether that view is shared by management team colleagues is a
different matter. The drive to achieve shareholder value or cost-
effective public services means that management teams typically
focus on widening the gap between revenue and costs, usually by
driving down costs in the short term. In recent years this has
often entailed restructuring, downsizing, delayering, revising
work practices and replacing human skills with technological
solutions.
