European human resource management at the crossroads

What are the prospects for human resource management in the ten countries joining the European Union on May 1st 2004? In the second of a series of briefings on EU accession, the Federation of European Employers (FedEE) examines the development of the HRM approach and contrasts the different reporting relationships and functions to be found in typical human resource departments throughout Europe.

(PRWEB) April 8, 2004 -- Across the ten EU accession states there are few signs of the strategic, business-orientated approach that sets HRM apart from the routine activities of traditional personnel management roles. Many eastern European countries joining the EU are adopting the top-heavy German two-tier board structure and find it hard to shake off their past bureaucratic approaches to HRM.

Companies operating in the accession states face management tasks that are vastly different from elsewhere in the EU. The working week is longer than in the established EU states, with more than twice as many people employed on shifts, working on Sundays and having second jobs. The typical worker in an accession country has less autonomy and more years of service with their current employer than their counterpart in an established EU country.

According to Robin Chater, Secretary-General of FedEE, "the prospects for human resource management in countries such as Poland and the Baltic states may well be influenced by the sharp drop in unionisation that is taking place throughout eastern Europe and the need to manage individual work commitment as the economies grow rapidly to reach western European levels."

To read the full briefing please visit http://www.fedee.com/accession2.shtml

The Federation of European Employers (FedEE) is the leading organisation for international employers operating in Europe. It was founded in 1989 with financial assistance from the European Commission, and operates today on an independent basis with corporate members located throughout the world. The popular FedEE website is at http://www.fedee.com

The ten accession countries are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

If you would like any further information, or to interview the Secretary-General of FedEE, please contact Jane Gulliver at the Federation of European Employers (FedEE) in London on (44) (0)207 520 9264 or (44) (0)870 241 6102. Email: info@fedee.com