HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZA nONS: THE CASE OF ING DIRECT

Increasing attention is being given to the role of human resource practices in the determination of organizational performance. In this paper, we discuss the human resource practices of ING Direct, a high-performing organization in the Australian banking sector. Despite increased competition and a great influx of foreign-owned banks, four major domestic banks have continued to dominate retail banking. However, ING Direct is an exception to a pattern of poor performance amongst the foreign-owned banks. It has emerged as a high-performing organisation, achieving strong financial performance and claiming significant market share. We suggest that the success of INCi Direct is in significant part due to the specific human resource practices that it employs.