Rating: 
Summary: Ignore this
Review: The issue is to have an HR scorecard for the business. The book was disappointing since it continues with the theory that originated with "Balanced Scorecard". It should have focussed on the actual challenges and created a robust framework.The book missed the point and an oppurtunity. It might be interesting read but no practical value.
Rating: 
Summary: Timely book
Review: The main idea of the book is that HR strategy has to be matched to business strategy. This has been a view that HR people, dissatisfied with their traditional 'support' role have been hankering for. In this book Ulrich and company actually give them a tool to manage HR as a strategic asset, demonstrate HR's contribution to the bottom line, and to create and measure the degree of alignment between both the strategies. So in a way the book is a very narrow sense of aligning HR to business results...but does not look at the things Ulrich himself has spoken of in depth earlier like "HR as the employee champion" and the conscience keeper of the organisation, where the 'performance measures' are much more softer and fuzzier in any great detail.
Rating: 
Summary: An Important link between Strategy and It's Implementation
Review: The position advocated in this book is a revolutionary one -- that HR can/should be the engine of strategy implementation. Why is this important? Well, nnumerous studies have shown that strategies that fail tend to do so in implementation, in the domain of people capacity. The organization that is charged with developing human capacity throughout any organization is HR, hence the critical role that HR must play in implementing strategy. Yet, HR has not traditionally been up to playing this role. The book very intelligently describes what must be done by HR departments to play this new role. HR must develop new measurement systems, new architecture and new systems to meet the needs of the company's corporate strategy. And it can demonstrate its contribution and value by accomplishing specific measurable results that alter the CEO's way of even thinking about HR. These are groundbreaking ideas, though the book must be wrestled with somewhat to wrestle out its gems of wisdom. But it's well worth a good wrestle.
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Summary: BALANCING COST CONTROL WITH VALUE CREATION.
Review: The Scorecard approach enables the managing of HR as a strategic asset and demonstrates HR's contributions to financial success, A Scorecard helps put cost control (HR's efficiency measure) into balance with HR's value creation through focusing on: (1) the HR deliverables (e.g., providing excellent staffing) that leverage HR's role in achieving business strategy; (2) the High-Performance Work System (i.e., HR systems that enable deliverables); and (3) the HR systems' alignment with strategy. A central theme is that measures of efficiency do not sort out successful from unsuccessful firms; in contrast, the Scorecared emphasizes value creation tempered by efficiency. This book shows how to develop a Scorecard tailored for a specific organization. It also explores the competencies needed to implement the concept and provides guidelines. This book presents an important framework for understanding and assessing HR's role in the total context of business strategy and organizational performance.
While strongly recommending the "HR Scorecared," we at Stern's Management Review Online (HRconsultant.com) also strongly urge you to check out "The Workforce Scorecard" by Huselid, Becker and Richard W. Beatty, a sequel which focuses on workforce strategy and its linkage with business strategy execution. These two books form a natural duo!
Rating:
Summary: An integration overview between HR and company strategy
Review: This book has defined well in what should be linked between company strategy and HR functions. Especially, if readers know a lot about BSC this book will close the gaps between Strategy and Learning and Growth perspective. However, there are some areas which are not clear enough, like those in chapter 4 and 5. In all, a book worth to be kept by HR professionals.
Rating:
Summary: This plus the Beitler book!
Review: This is a good book. I recommend it in addition to "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler. That makes a great combination for managers.
Rating:
Summary: Leading the HR golden age
Review: This is what every HR proffesional must read and understand. It's a tool that helps and allows to make HR function as strategic partner to top direction.
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