In a turbulent, unstable era of severe financial pressures, thedevelopment of strategic human resource (HR) practices has becomean urgent mandate in higher education. With significant andwidespread institutional shifts resulting from globalization,heightened competition, and rapid innovation, educational leadersmust optimize their most significant resource--humancapital--and align HR strategies, structures, and processeswith organizational goals. Due to substantial cuts in stateappropriations and rapidly diminishing budgets, public institutionsof higher education in particular are struggling to realignresources and programs to fulfill their educational missions andmaintain academic quality, while simultaneously responding tocomplex external legislative and accreditation mandates.In light of these challenges, Creating a Tipping Point:Strategic Human Resources in Higher Education breaks new groundby presenting a research-based approach that supports the evolutionof HR practices from siloed, transactional models to strategicoperations that serve the entire university. This monographprovides a concrete, progressive road map to developingorganizational capabilities in support of the university's academicmission and illustrates this pathway with examples drawn frompublic research universities. It offers strategies, tools, metrics,and action steps that support the development of an effective andefficient strategic HR operation in higher education. Forinstitutions seeking to implement strategic HR, this book is apractical and invaluable resource.

Executive Summary viiForeword xiAcknowledgments xiiiSetting the Stage: Funding Realities and Talent Resources 1The Shifting Budgetary Equation 8Federal Funding and Public Research Universities 11Research Funding and the New "Business Paradigm" 13Endowment, Gifts, and Other Revenue Sources 15External Pressures on Talent Resources 16Concluding Perspectives 25Looking Beyond an Administrative Human Resources Department: HR and Institutional Performance 29The Evolution of High-Performance HR Systems 31The Empirical Link Between Strategic HR and Organizational Performance 34Strategic HR Constructs 36Application of Strategic HR Principles in Higher Education 40Concluding Perspectives 43Strategic HR and Talent Management in Higher Education 45The Contribution of HR Principles to Talent Acquisition 48Diversity in the Talent Management Continuum 52Total Rewards and Talent Management 54Concluding Perspectives 65Strategic HR and Organization Development: A Holistic Process 69The Counterpoint Between Organizational Learning and Organization Development 71The Crosswalk Between AQIP Principles and Organizational Capabilities 73The Psychodynamics of Organization Development 73The Contribution of Employee Relations Programs to Organization Development 78Performance Evaluation and Organization Development 80Leadership Development 83The Vital Role of Employee Assistance Programs 86Concluding Perspectives 88Building an Effective and Efficient Strategic HR Operation 91HR Analytics 92The HR Audit 96Entrepreneurial HR Strategies 98HR as Chief Integrative Leader 103Concluding Perspectives 105Recommendations and Implications for Practice 107Presidents and Boards of Trustees 108HR Leaders 108HR Departments 108Looking Forward 109References 111Name Index 131Subject Index 135About the Authors 143