Coming soon · Book Profile
Hr Scorecard Becker
A measurement-driven framework for transforming human resources into a strategic asset by aligning the HR architecture with firm strategy and quantifying HR's contribution to firm performance.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Drawing on more than a decade of academic research spanning nearly 3,000 firms and extensive consulting work, Becker, Huselid, and Ulrich argue that human resources can be a prime source of sustainable competitive advantage and a key driver of value creation—but only when firms stop treating HR as an administrative cost center and start managing the 'HR architecture' (the HR function, the HR system, and strategic employee behaviors) as a strategic asset. Building on Kaplan and Norton's Balanced Scorecard, the authors introduce the HR Scorecard, a seven-step measurement system that embeds HR within the firm's strategy implementation process and links HR results to measures line managers and executives respect—profitability and shareholder value. The book equips HR professionals with the tools to build causal strategy maps, distinguish HR 'doables' from strategic 'deliverables,' conduct cost-benefit analyses, measure alignment, master principles of good measurement, develop new competencies, and implement the Scorecard as a disciplined change effort.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- An HR manager or executive who wants to be recognized as a genuine strategic partner in the business—'at the table, not on the table'—and to demonstrate that HR creates measurable value.
- The problem
- HR's influence on firm performance is difficult to measure, so senior executives remain skeptical of HR's strategic role and HR risks being outsourced or marginalized. The HR professional feels frustrated, undervalued, and unable to prove that what they do makes a real difference to the business.
- The plan
- Clearly define the business strategy.
- Build a business case for HR as a strategic asset.
- Create a strategy map that describes the firm's value chain.
- Identify HR deliverables within the strategy map.
- Align the HR architecture (function, system, employee behaviors) with HR deliverables.
- The payoff
- HR is respected as a strategic partner that demonstrably drives profitability and shareholder value. · Managers throughout the firm understand exactly how people create value and how to measure that process. · HR investments are made wisely, balancing cost control with value creation, yielding a firm surging ahead of competitors.
See our guide
- Compensation Analyst →
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- Do Human Resources And People Management Well →
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- Recruiter / Talent Acquisition →
- Recruiter / Talent Acquisition →
- Recruiter / Talent Acquisition →
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Additional reading
- Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock Potential in Yourself and Your Organization · Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
This is the authors' previous book, which provides a deep dive into the ITC framework that is presented as a key tool in Chapter 6 and used by the fledgling DDOs in Chapter 7.
- In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life · Robert Kegan
This book lays out the foundational theory of adult development and mental complexity that underpins the entire DDO concept, explaining the 'adaptive gap' that DDOs are designed to address.
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success · Carol Dweck
The book explicitly references Dweck's work, contrasting the 'fixed mindset' (prevalent in ordinary organizations) with the 'growth mindset' that is fundamental to a DDO's culture.
- Organizational Culture and Leadership · Edgar H. Schein
Mentioned in the book, Schein's work provides a foundational understanding of organizational culture, which is the primary medium through which DDOs operate.
- The Functions of the Executive · Chester Barnard (1938)
Chapter 10 identifies this book as providing the seminal concept of 'willingness to contribute to the cooperative system,' which forms the theoretical foundation for the modern construct of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB).
- The Psychology of Careers · Donald E. Super (1957)
Chapter 3 cites this as a foundational work that established the concept of career stages, a model that has profoundly influenced career development theory and research for decades.
- Decision-making in the employment interview · E. C. Webster (1964)
Chapter 6 highlights this as the key report from the influential McGill University studies, which revealed the cognitive biases inherent in unstructured interviews and shifted the focus of research toward understanding the interviewer's decision process.
- Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures · Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
Multiple chapters (e.g., 13, 15) refer to this document and the related AERA/APA/NCME 'Standards' as the authoritative professional guidelines that define best practices and core concepts, like the modern unitarian view of validity, for the entire field of personnel selection.
- Managing Human Assets · Beer, M. et al. (1984)
This is a seminal book that introduced the 'Harvard framework' of HRM, emphasizing a multi-stakeholder approach that considers the interests of employees, not just shareholders. It provides a foundational 'soft' HRM perspective.
- Strategic Human Resource Management · Fombrun, C. J., Tichy, N. M. and Devanna, M. A. (1984)
This book introduced the 'Michigan framework,' which advocated for a 'hard' HRM approach focused on tightly matching HR strategy to the business strategy (vertical fit). It is a foundational text for the strategic alignment concept.