Society for Human Resource Management

Society for Human Resource Management
Society for Human Resource Management · Public domain · source
Name	Society for Human Resource Management
Formation	1948
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Alexandria, Virginia
Region served	United States; global
Leader title	President and CEO

Society for Human Resource Management is a professional association for practitioners and scholars in the field of human resources that provides education, certification, advocacy, and research support for personnel management and workplace issues. Founded in 1948, the organization interacts with corporate entities, nonprofit groups, governmental bodies, academic institutions, and international organizations to influence workplace practices and standards. It offers conferences, publications, certification programs, and policy guidance to a global membership while engaging with legal and regulatory developments.

History

The organization was established amid post‑World War II labor realignments and industrial growth alongside entities such as American Federation of Labor, Congress of Industrial Organizations, Taft–Hartley Act, National Labor Relations Act, War Labor Board, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Early decades saw engagement with employers represented by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, collaborations with academic centers like Harvard Business School and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and influence from management thinkers associated with Frederick Winslow Taylor, Elton Mayo, Chester Barnard, and Mary Parker Follett. During the late 20th century the association responded to civil rights and employment law developments shaped by Civil Rights Act of 1964, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Global expansion connected the organization to multilateral institutions such as International Labour Organization and trade bodies including World Trade Organization. Landmark conferences and collaborations have included relationships with Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Academy of Management, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and International Labour Organization programs on workplace standards.

Structure and Governance

The association is governed by a board of directors and executive officers and operates with committees and advisory councils similar to governance models used by American Bar Association, American Medical Association, Project Management Institute, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Governance documents mirror corporate nonprofit practices informed by rulings from Supreme Court of the United States, guidance from Internal Revenue Service, and standards promulgated by Financial Accounting Standards Board and Securities and Exchange Commission for nonprofit transparency. Leadership transitions have involved figures with backgrounds at corporations such as General Electric, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, and Coca‑Cola Company, and engagement with university centers like Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Rutgers University.

Membership and Chapters

Membership categories include practitioners, academics, consultants, and students and are organized through national bodies, state councils and local chapters similar to networks run by Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, Junior Chamber International, and professional societies like American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The chapter system mirrors models used by National Association of Realtors and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners with volunteer chapter leaders drawing on training from institutions including Sloan School of Management, Kellogg School of Management, and Stanford Graduate School of Business. International outreach has involved partnerships with regional organizations such as European Council, Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation, African Union, and national associations including Canadian Human Resources Professionals and Australian HR Institute.

Certification and Professional Development

The organization administers credentialing programs and continuing education comparable to certification regimes like Project Management Professional, Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Society of Human Resource Management Certified Professional. Preparing candidates often leverages curricula influenced by textbooks and scholars associated with Peter Drucker, Michael Porter, Henry Mintzberg, Dave Ulrich, and training vendors used by Deloitte, Accenture, PwC, and McKinsey & Company. Professional development offerings include conferences, seminars, and online courses paralleling events such as World Economic Forum meetings, SHRM Annual Conference and Expo, and webinars featuring speakers from Harvard Kennedy School, London Business School, and INSEAD.

Publications and Research

The association publishes magazines, journals, white papers, and benchmarking reports similar to periodicals like Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Economist, and academic outlets such as Academy of Management Journal and Industrial and Labor Relations Review. Research themes address compensation, benefits, talent management, diversity, equity and inclusion, and workplace technology with data drawn from surveys akin to those by Gallup, Pew Research Center, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and OECD. The organization collaborates with universities and research institutes including Columbia University, University of Michigan, Syracuse University, and think tanks like Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation on policy briefs and workforce studies.

Advocacy and Public Policy

The association engages in advocacy on employment law, workplace regulations, immigration, and labor standards, submitting amicus briefs and policy positions similar to practices by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, American Civil Liberties Union, and National Labor Relations Board. Its policy work intersects with legislative developments tied to statutes and agencies such as Fair Labor Standards Act, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and judicial rulings from U.S. Court of Appeals panels. The organization participates in coalitions with business groups like Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, and international partners including International Organization for Standardization.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have addressed the association’s positions on labor relations, neutrality in collective bargaining disputes, and alignment with corporate interests, attracting commentary from labor organizations and scholars connected to AFL–CIO, Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, and academics at University of California, Berkeley, Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, and London School of Economics. Controversies have arisen over certification transparency, data methodology, and governance practices prompting comparisons to disputes involving American Medical Association, National Education Association, and regulatory scrutiny reminiscent of cases before Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission. Debates over diversity and inclusion initiatives invoked perspectives from advocacy groups such as NAACP, Human Rights Campaign, and civil rights litigators associated with ACLU.

Category:Professional associations in the United States