, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE ONLY
1. Using Clean & Fresh Laundry Services as an example, critically analyse the role of formal
HRM practices in small organisations. Apply Ulrich’s HR roles framework to explain how the
absence of a structured HR function impacts organisational sustainability and competitiveness
as well as how implementing these roles and formal HRM practices could improve
organisational performance.
Ulrich’s Four HR Roles
According to Ulrich (1997), the human resources function must deliver four distinct roles to create
value for organisations:
(1) Strategic Partner,
(2) Change Agent,
(3) Employee Champion, and
(4) Administrative Expert.
These roles collectively transform HR from an administrative function into a strategic driver of
organisational performance (Ulrich & Brockbank, 2005). In general organisations, these roles
support business success by aligning people strategies with organisational goals, facilitating
adaptation to market changes, ensuring employee engagement and well-being, and maintaining
efficient HR processes (Armstrong & Taylor, 2020).
Critical Analysis of Each Role at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services
Strategic Partner Role
Ulrich (1997) describes the Strategic Partner role as one that aligns HR strategy with overall business
strategy to ensure that people capabilities support organisational objectives. At Clean & Fresh
Laundry Services, the absence of this role is evident in Pumeza Nkosi’s failure to connect employee
treatment with business sustainability. She operates without any formal people strategy, believing
that small size negates the need for HR structures. This omission has severe implications for
sustainability and competitiveness. Without a strategic partner, Pumeza cannot anticipate workforce
issues such as the discontent brewing among her tenured employees. Her competitor, Keep it Clean
Laundry, has clearly aligned its HR practices with its business model, offering training, benefits, and
varied work environments that directly support its broader service offerings and competitiveness.
Clean & Fresh, lacking this alignment, is losing experienced workers who are integral to service
quality, thereby eroding its competitive position in the local market.
Change Agent Role
The Change Agent role involves managing organisational transformation and fostering a culture that
embraces adaptation (Ulrich, 1997). Clean & Fresh has operated with the same employment model
for fifteen years, with no evidence of adaptation to changing employee expectations or labour market
conditions. When Robert Mbeki reports that workers have compared their conditions to those at
Keep it Clean, it becomes clear that the organisation has failed to anticipate or respond to external
pressures. The absence of a change agent means that Pumeza is reacting to a crisis rather than
proactively evolving her practices. This reactive posture threatens sustainability because the
organisation cannot retain talent or adapt to competitive threats. As argued by Storey (2007),
organisations without change agent capabilities become stagnant and lose their ability to compete for
skilled labour, which is precisely the situation facing Clean & Fresh.
1. Using Clean & Fresh Laundry Services as an example, critically analyse the role of formal
HRM practices in small organisations. Apply Ulrich’s HR roles framework to explain how the
absence of a structured HR function impacts organisational sustainability and competitiveness
as well as how implementing these roles and formal HRM practices could improve
organisational performance.
Ulrich’s Four HR Roles
According to Ulrich (1997), the human resources function must deliver four distinct roles to create
value for organisations:
(1) Strategic Partner,
(2) Change Agent,
(3) Employee Champion, and
(4) Administrative Expert.
These roles collectively transform HR from an administrative function into a strategic driver of
organisational performance (Ulrich & Brockbank, 2005). In general organisations, these roles
support business success by aligning people strategies with organisational goals, facilitating
adaptation to market changes, ensuring employee engagement and well-being, and maintaining
efficient HR processes (Armstrong & Taylor, 2020).
Critical Analysis of Each Role at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services
Strategic Partner Role
Ulrich (1997) describes the Strategic Partner role as one that aligns HR strategy with overall business
strategy to ensure that people capabilities support organisational objectives. At Clean & Fresh
Laundry Services, the absence of this role is evident in Pumeza Nkosi’s failure to connect employee
treatment with business sustainability. She operates without any formal people strategy, believing
that small size negates the need for HR structures. This omission has severe implications for
sustainability and competitiveness. Without a strategic partner, Pumeza cannot anticipate workforce
issues such as the discontent brewing among her tenured employees. Her competitor, Keep it Clean
Laundry, has clearly aligned its HR practices with its business model, offering training, benefits, and
varied work environments that directly support its broader service offerings and competitiveness.
Clean & Fresh, lacking this alignment, is losing experienced workers who are integral to service
quality, thereby eroding its competitive position in the local market.
Change Agent Role
The Change Agent role involves managing organisational transformation and fostering a culture that
embraces adaptation (Ulrich, 1997). Clean & Fresh has operated with the same employment model
for fifteen years, with no evidence of adaptation to changing employee expectations or labour market
conditions. When Robert Mbeki reports that workers have compared their conditions to those at
Keep it Clean, it becomes clear that the organisation has failed to anticipate or respond to external
pressures. The absence of a change agent means that Pumeza is reacting to a crisis rather than
proactively evolving her practices. This reactive posture threatens sustainability because the
organisation cannot retain talent or adapt to competitive threats. As argued by Storey (2007),
organisations without change agent capabilities become stagnant and lose their ability to compete for
skilled labour, which is precisely the situation facing Clean & Fresh.
