Abstract

The case discusses the human resource initiatives adopted by Harley-Davidson Motor Company (H-D), the leading manufacturer of heavy-weight motorcycles in the US, to encourage greater employee participation and collaboration. In 1992, H-D adopted circle based organization structure in its efforts to foster teamwork among the employees and do away with the command-and-control leadership style of management. The case also discusses another major HR initiative that H-D implemented in 2004, the deploy-ment of ‘Accenture Human Capital Develop-ment Framework’ (HCDF). This initiative was undertaken by the company in order to bring about major improvements in its human resource functions, and thereby attain improved business performance. The case describes the HCDF in detail and the benefits reaped by H-D after its implementation.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the various HR initiatives undertaken by H-D to encourage greater employee participation
• Study how circle based organization helped H-D in fostering teamwork among the employees
• and Analyze the Human Capital Development Framework and how its implementation can bring improvements in various human resource functions.

Keywords

Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Human Resource Initiatives, Circle Based Organization, Employee Participation, Teamwork, Command-and-control Leadership, Softer Management Style, Human Capital Development Framework, Open Door Policy, Collaborative Culture, Decision-making, Leadership and Strategy Council, Human Resources Information Systems, Workforce Planning, Self-directed Work Teams