Human resources in a draught: how managers construed the role and meaning of human resource management during the 2008 economic crisis in Slovenia

An empirical study of interpretive schemas regarding human resource management (HRM) and its social responsibility of selected manufacturers in the automotive industry and of financial institutions is presented. We were interested in how participants interpreted the role of the HRM department during the economic crisis of 2008. It was assumed that HRM is subjected to increased accommodation processes during economic turbulence. Interpretive schemas regarding HRM of three selected manufacturers in the automotive industry and of three financial institutions from Slovenia were studied. Over a three-year period, 31 interviews with their management, HRM, and union representatives were conducted. In addition, content analysis of annual reports was made. The results have shown that the current crisis has not yet been a factor of diminished roles and meaning of HRM. While the manufacturing companies are considerably homogeneous in their scope of adjustments to the crisis, the financial companies considerably differ from each other regarding their scope of activities and are going through schema change. Factors, discovered in this study, add to the knowledge framework of successful HRM change and explain levels of social responsibility towards employees working in the companies.