Research on the relationship between levels of strategic thinking and human resources approaches: A sample of ISO 500

This study attempts to clarify the relationship between strategic thinking and human resources management. Such a study is based on the assumption that levels of strategic thinking and human resources approaches in itself shows the differences rather than as homogeneous. In this context, after being reported how the levels of strategic management thinking how human resources management approaches show the differences that in itself, it is subjected to debate if there is a significant relationship between the differences in the level of strategic thinking and human resource approaches.The study consists of four sections. In the first section the conceptual framework of strategic thinking and the theoretical approaches on strategic thinking and in the second section HR approaches that take part on the HRM literature and point to differences in the application are examined. Also the third section examines the relationship of strategic thinking and HRM. The fourth section is related with the application that is composed of research findings, conclusions and recommendations.According to the main purpose of this, a survey is conducted that is consisted of two phases and a sample of ISO 500. The survey form was used as a means of data collection, that assumes the situation regarding the level of strategic thinking and HR approaches can be measured more accurately the terms that reflect the managers perceptions and values. Then the questionnaires gained from 127 companies are analyzed and the findings are evaluated.In the study two scales are used to determine the level of strategic thinking and HR approaches. The scale, that is created in order to determine the HR approaches, is based on the classifications about personnel management, human resources management and strategic human resource management that take part in the the existing HR literature and also is created in the light of the evaluations of expert opinions and the evaluations of HR managers as a result of pre-applications.The associations between the level of strategic thinking and HRM were made depending on the level of strategic thinking in areas such as the HR representative boards of the top of the business unit, organization, chart location, business unit strategy, the contribution of HR development, the degree of implementation of the basic HR functions. The main hypothesis of the study, that the presence of the relationship between the level of strategic thinking and HR approaches, and related sub-hypotheses are supported by research results. According to this, the participation of the businesses to HRM and strategic HRM approaches are increasing related with the higher level of strategic thinking while the participation decreases in personnel management approach.As a result; this study, considering the status of the strategic thinking implementation by managers and the development by academicians, draws attentions to the need for the development of applications that HRM will highlight the managers? strategic thinking skills.