or contribution from HRM (Butler, Ferris and Napier, 1991: p. 67). Human resource strategy and corporate strategy need to be integrated so that strategic harmony is developed between HRM and the business plan (Armstrong and Long, 1994: p. 43). Certain human resource strategies, particularly the accurate projection of human capital needs, and employee selection and development, will lead to superior workforce performance. If a firm is able to excel at creating a highly productive workforce through effective HR management programs, they will gain a competitive advantage (Koch and McGrath, 1996: p. 337; Schuler and MacMillan, 1984: p. 254). This gives the corporation an advantage that competitors will find difficult to replicate, and can lead to an increase in market share and company profits (Schuler and MacMillan, 1984: p. 241). The human resource management practices will not exclusively influence the success or failure of an organisation, though they will be a critical factor. An increasingly large number of corporations are now using HR practices to support their long-range business planning processes. An Australian study in 1992 found that 32% of those companies that regularly develop formal corporate plans have considerable input from the HR function (Nankervis, Compton and McCarthy, 1993: p. 56). In the four years since then, there have been a number of changes in workplace arrangements, particularly in regard to enterprise bargaining (CCH, 1995). In this new economy, the expertise of each employee is regarded as a living asset, such that there is now much greater interest in the contribution of HRM to overall strategic planning. Since HRM deals with issues regarding people, it also has an ethical role to play. It is likely that any HR management will probably be influenced by the need for fairness and justice. If HRM is to contribute to the overall strategic planning within the organisation, any ethical issues related to the perso...
