Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) As a strategic partner.
Exam Relevance: HRM exams, MBA exams, SHRM exams
Difficulty: Moderate
Concept notes: In Ulrich's HR model, the roles of HR include being a strategic partner, an administrative expert, an employee champion, and a change agent. The question focuses on which role, when not performed well, does not create significant issues.
Common Mistakes: Students may mistakenly believe that all roles are equally critical and that neglecting any one of them would create significant issues.
Explanations: The role of HR as a strategic partner involves aligning HR strategies with the overall business strategy. When this role is not performed well, it can lead to misalignment and inefficiencies, but it does not create immediate operational issues like those caused by neglecting administrative functions or employee relations. Therefore, the strategic partner role, when not done well, does not create a lot of immediate issues compared to the other roles.
Option Analysis: - Option A: As a strategic partner. This is the correct answer because the strategic partner role, when not performed well, does not create immediate operational issues.
- Option B: As an administrative expert. Neglecting administrative functions can lead to significant operational issues.
- Option C: As an employee champion. Neglecting employee relations can lead to low morale, high turnover, and other issues.
- Option D: None of the above. This is incorrect because the strategic partner role, when not performed well, does not create immediate issues.