A Study on Strategic Human Resource Management in Tea Plantation Industries: A Conceptual Review

Dr. Shibina. M

Assistant Professor,

PG Department of Commerce,

WMO Arts and Science College, Muttil, Wayanad Kerala

 Abstract: HR practices have not been able to solve the problems faced by the tea plantation industry, one of the oldest and most labour intensive agro-based sectors in terms of workforce attrition, ageing workforce and low level of motivation, lack of welfare and other problems. This conceptual paper constructs an argument that HR activities in tea plantations will not only be a prerequisite for their survival, but also for their competitiveness in the global market if they are used strategically to support the direction of the plantation. The study is conceptualized based on literature, and Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is considered a multidimensional construct with five key independent variables namely, Recruitment and Retention Strategies, Training and Skill Development, Compensation and Welfare Systems, Employee Engagement and Motivation, and Leadership and Industrial Relations Practices, which in turn affects the dependent variable, Organizational Performance and Sustainability of tea plantation. Tea plantations are a unique socio-economic system, as opposed to other service or manufacturing businesses, whose labour welfare, dependency of communities, and seasonal production patterns require a unique strategic HR approach and not the same approaches as other corporate organizations. This paper summarizes previous empirical and theoretical research to formulate a conceptual model of the relationship between these independent variables and sustainable performance outcomes, providing theory that may be used to validate it in the future. The review is anticipated to add value to the plantation management, policy makers and HR practitioners by creating context specific strategic interventions, and also to the limited academic literature that fills the gap between SHRM theory and agro-industrial labour setting. In conclusion, the study evaluates strategic HRM as a value driver, and not a cost centre, and suggests that it can turn into the tea plantation industry's human capital into a sustainable competitive advantage.

Keywords: Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), Tea Plantation Industry, Organizational Performance, Employee Engagement, Labour Welfare, and Sustainability.