This leads to a ‘map of HRM territory,’ the core of which Beer et al. refer to as the ‘four Cs’:
• Competence of employees: High competence creates a positive attitude towards learning and development.
• Commitment of employees: High commitment means that employees will be motivated to ‘hear, understand, and respond’ to management’s communication relating to the organisation of work.
• Congruence between the goals of employees and those of the organisation: Higher congruence is a reflection of policies and practices which bring about a ‘higher coincidence of interests among management, shareholders and workers.
• Cost effectiveness of HRM practices: ‘means that the organisation’s human resource costs – wages, benefits, and indirect costs such as strikes, turnover and grievances – have been kept equal to or less than those of competitors’.’
Beer et al. further say, ‘There can be no standard or universal “theory” or “method” of HRM but, rather, a need for analytical knowledge of basic principles and how these can be adapted and developed innovatively to meet a range of individual, organisational and societal outcomes.’