Human Resource Manager As The Social Intrapreneur

The role of the Human Resource (HR) Manager is in flux. The discourse, inside and outside the business, on strategic role of human resources is increasingly gaining momentum. This expanding role brings with it many possibilities, a critical but oft-neglected one of which is being a social change agent from within the organization.

Most organizations understand the need to be socially and environmentally responsible, bringing the discussion on business responsibility from the sidelines to the board room. Despite the interest, they struggle to formalize it within their organizations. This challenge presents an opportunity for the HR Manager to be the entrepreneur who integrates business responsibility with business strategy and in the process generates positive social change. I use the word intrapreneurs to describe those who generate innovation and change from within the organization, such that by being social intrapreneurs they diffuse the impact of the change to the community and environment.

HR managers can and in some ways, should be social intrapreneurs for a few reasons. First, the formalization of social/environmental projects generally asks for involvement of employees at all levels. With their understanding of the human capital of the organization, HR managers can be effective facilitators to rally employees for social projects. In addition, the involvement of employees in such projects leads to positive outcomes such as engagement, retention, productivity, and attracting potential employees[1]. By spearheading social projects, HR managers can achieve their broader goals of attracting, retaining, and ensuring performance.

The relevance of social intrapreneurship for HR managers is clear, but that does not eliminate the challenges that come with implementation. To adorn this role, they have to understand the structure of the organization and decide whether social/environmental projects should be formally in their repertoire of responsibilities, or they need to simply act as an advocate to strengthen the voice of those already playing this role. In both cases, a primary task facing the manager is to make business case to the top leadership for specific projects, and subsequently mobilize other employees for implementation.

Below, I build on the research on social intrapreneurship to suggest ways in which HR managers can perform the critical task of making a business case for social change:

• Framing: Selling a social/environmental project to top leadership requires not only highlighting the outcome for the business, but also highlighting it in a language that reflects the culture of the organization[2]. For example, the leaders of an organization that prides itself on being innovative can be better convinced by underscoring how social/environmental projects lead to innovation, so that the efforts involved appear aligned with what’s important for the organisation.

• Introducing ambiguity: Social/environmental projects are not only new for many organizations, but also different from other projects. Instead of clarifying the rationale of the project, HR managers as social intrapreneurs may be more effective by introducing ambiguity around it. This ambiguity will allow others in the organization to give their own meaning to the project, and hence connect to it[3]. Once the conversation on the relevance of the project begins, it will give the HR manager a foot in the door such that they can work with the organizational members to create shared meaning.

• Identify funders: Social/environmental projects, by nature do not have single home in the organization. They can be owned by any team — from finance to production. This means that to create change it is imperative to speak to the audience for whom the project will be relevant. By targeting specific audience and focusing efforts on garnering their financial support, the HR manager can act as facilitator for those who have the resources to implement. Additionally, they can look for funds outside the organization. Many social/environmental projects address the goals of government and funding organizations. As social intrapreneurs, HR managers need to find the right people within the organization who have the capabilities to convince the funding agencies to support the project.

• Recruit supporters:Most people within the organization are interested in making a positive difference but are constrained by their business unit/team budgets. It may be easier for internal teams to volunteer their time and efforts instead of money. Where possible, HR managers should identify what other resources can be substituted for the money required, and ask the teams to commit their time and skills to the project[4].

• Shift identity: At a broader level, the work of the intrapreneur does not end with issue selling and advocacy. To sustain the momentum, and more importantly to align social responsibility with the overall strategy of the organization they need to create a deeper shift in the identity of the organization. The identity of the organization is the answer to the question “who we are as an organization?” For example, being the forerunner and innovator is at the heart of Apple Computer’s identity. The task thus facing the HR manager is to include identity elements such as compassion, empathy, and responsibility in the answer to the question of “who we are as an organization?” Generating dialoguein different internal forums around why social responsibility is important, and highlighting in the internal and external communication of the organizationelements such as compassion and empathy can trigger the identity shift toward being a more responsible organisation.

In summary, one of the ways for HR to be a critical business partner is to be the champion of social and environmental responsibility. Such social intrapreneurship can not only enable HR managers to perform a tactical role by ensuring implementation of social/environmental projects but also perform a strategic role by deciding the future direction of the organization, in turn generating benefit for the business and its stakeholders.

[1]http://nbs.net/knowledge/business-case/valuing-sustainability/primer/

[2]http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/uploads/2003%20AME.pdf

[3]http://web.mit.edu/~jjay/Public/AMJ-Jay-Navigating-Paradox-final.pdf

[4]http://www.insead.edu/facultyresearch/research/doc.cfm?did=51663