Advance, Cornell ILR School's publication for alumni and friends.
Issue link: https://advance.epubxp.com/i/362921
8 In "Anna Karenina," Tolstoy tells us, "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." So it is, too, with major corpora- tions, which often face similar HR struggles, but experience them in unique ways. For the 70-plus partner compa- nies of the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS), research informs practice to give them the competitive edge. Now in its 26th year, CAHRS brings together top academic researchers in the feld of HR and the world's foremost HR practi- tioners. The result is intelligent, civilized discourse on issues of mutual interest. Most of CAHRS' partner compa- nies are Fortune 200 companies, such as IBM, General Electric, Microsoft, Amazon, American Express, Barclays Bank and Hewl- ett-Packard. Other partner companies, despite having smaller profles and reve- nue streams, share similar human capital issues with the Fortune 200. "We run the gamut from manufacturing-focused indus- tries all the way to high-tech and software," says CAHRS Managing Director Steve Miranda. "CAHRS exists to give practi- tioners access to research that can help them solve their problems," he says. "ILR faculty members form the nucleus of the value proposition to our partner com- panies." As partners, companies can participate in working groups con- vened to address a specifc topic. Themes typically revolve around globalization, technology, or de- mographics and social trends. Partner companies can also participate in university classes and executive education, use the world-class resources of the Cath- erwood Library, and network with other CAHRS partners. "Sometimes, companies are on the edge of the practice," Mi- randa says. "Other times, they're thinking about adopting the practice, and they get a chance to chat with people who have been through the gauntlet and are willing to share what they learned from the experience." "They get an affrmation that the track they're on is the right one, or a warning that the track they're going down may not be optimal." "It's almost as if they have access to a buddy network — a group of mentors and colleagues who have faced similar issues that they can instantly tap into to check on whether an idea, a program, an initiative, or a new system that they're about to put in place will work. They also learn to avoid the pitfalls." As a result, they're able to im- plement systems and programs quicker, with fewer errors than competitors without such a net- work, he said. Pamela Kimmet '80, senior vice president of human resources at Coca-Cola Enterprises and 2014 recipient of ILR's Groat Award, has been a member of CAHRS for 10 years and serves on its advisory board. Corporate leaders and ILR researchers share best HR practices The experience, she says, has infuenced her approach to "how we prepare the pipeline of HR talent." "CAHRS has spurred greater thought about how I invest in the development of my team at all levels of the organization," she says. "What's great about CAHRS is it's large enough to have a good range of thoughtful and sophisti- cated companies, represented by people who care about the hu- man dimension of their business and understand the role that can play in making their companies successful." "At the same time, it is intimate. It's not such a large group that it feels like some big conference or invitational. You can build relationships. Through the faculty, you get the kind of personalized advice and thoughtfulness that can help you gain new perspec- tive." THE HUMAN DIMENSION