Faculty Publications

Perceptions Of Hr: An Analysis Of Millennial And Postmillennial Insights

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Human resources (HR), Millennials, Perceptions, Postmillennials, Stereotypes

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Organization Management Journal

Volume

18

Issue

1

First Page

36

Last Page

51

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of the human resources (HR) function from millennials and postmillennials who are either just finishing college or already in the early stages of their careers. Previous works have often revealed negative stereotypes toward HR, and this study serves to discover whether these perceptions are changing. Further, the study aims to address the origins of and reasoning behind these new perceptions. Design/methodology/approach: A two-study survey research design using a sample of 106 college of business students (Study 1) and an additional sample of 135 former business students who have graduated since 2011 (Study 2) is used. Findings: The results demonstrate that perceptions of HR are changing and quite positive, with the majority of these perceptions originating from personal experiences. In fact, the vast majority of respondents not only felt positive about HR but also like and trust their HR representatives. Originality/value: Results also suggest that there may be a disconnect between perceptions of the HR function and its actual purpose, suggesting that HR professionals need to better educate others about their important role as a strategic business partner.

Department

Department of Management

Original Publication Date

2-24-2021

DOI of published version

10.1108/OMJ-01-2020-0861

Repository

UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Language

en

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