Symbolic management of human resources

Abstract

This article begins with the observation of three recent and interrelated trends in management: corporate advertising, internal marketing, and strategic management of human resources. The basic argument is that these trends indicate a shift in managerial focus, from the management of human resources to the management of symbolic resources. Symbolic resources are here seen as symbols, metaphors, images, etc., which in a condensed form represent complex organizational phenomena, and which can be developed and utilized to guide strategic corporate action. There are four types of “symbolic resources” that seem to be particularly powerful: historical resources (i.e., elements of the corporate saga or epic), basic values and ideologies (as expressed in the corporate policies), particular activities and events (as anniversaries and celebrations), and finally, the company lifestyle (or ethos).