Topic: Change Management, Strategic HR
Publication: Journal of Business and Psychology (JUN 2011)
Article: HR interventions that go viral
Authors: Yost, P. R., McLellan, J. R., Ecker, D. L., Chang, G. C., Hereford, J. M., Roenicke, C. C., Town, J. B., & Winberg, Y. L.
Reviewed by: Alexandra Rechlin
Why do some HR interventions fail while others succeed? In this article, Yost et al. (2011) attempt to answer that question by using three different methods: a literature review, a case study, and interviews with senior I/O and HR professionals. The authors provided a case study of a successful HR intervention. They noted five important characteristics of the intervention:
- It was strategic. Resources and tools were written in alignment with business strategy.
- It was systemic. The intervention complemented and enhanced other company initiatives.
- It was simple. Resources and tools were simple, easy to read and understand, and written in the language of business leaders (not that of HR).
- It was sustainable. The intervention was created with the explicit intent to sustain it for a long time.
- It was sneeze-able. It was designed to be interesting and passed on to others.
The authors also reviewed the literature and interviewed 16 senior I/O and HR professionals about both successful and unsuccessful HR interventions.
