Human Resource Management in Familienunternehmen

In the practical guide *Human Resource Management in Family Businesses – A Guide to Developing a Holistic, People-Centred Management Approach* (2018), Marcel Hülsbeck, Christoph Plass and Judith Pohlmeier demonstrate how human resource management (HRM) can be effectively implemented as a strategic management approach in family businesses. The starting point is the observation that, whilst HRM is practised on an ad hoc basis in many family businesses, it is rarely embedded systematically and strategically within the corporate and family framework.

This guide develops an integrative understanding of HRM that is explicitly distinct from purely administrative personnel management. It focuses on the strategic derivation of HRM from the values and objectives of the entrepreneurial family, as well as its integration into the various governance frameworks of family businesses. Drawing on key HRM components – employee selection, performance and retention management, staff appraisal, staff development, and career and remuneration systems – the specific requirements of family-owned ownership and management structures are systematically identified.

A key feature of the guide is the close integration of theoretical foundations and practical implementation. A detailed case study of UNITY AG is used to demonstrate how a professional, values-based HRM system can be structured in practice. The guide is therefore aimed both at family businesses wishing to professionalise their human resource management and at those seeking to critically review and strategically develop their existing HRM structures.