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Learn more about the jubilant and the development of Norwegian HR

Only six years old, HR Norway celebrates its 50th anniversary. This apparently somewhat creative time conception is due to a fusion in 2002 between the two HR organisations in Norway, SPO (Centre for Personnel and organisational development, established in 1958) and NIPA. HR Norway represents the driving force behind HR development in Norway through 50 years,  its roots stemming back to 1958 and the inception of SPO.

Unique in Norway

The Norwegian HR tradition is unique by  its focus on employee competence development. HR Norway has indeed proved a forerunner to the current international HR trends by striking a sound balance between employers’ and employees’ needs.  A balance which, indeed, also has proved highly profitable.

As a jubilant, we are proud to present an organisation that has  reached the goal of becoming Norway’s most attractive HR arena. We will continue consolidating our role as a member based platform and network for HR workers and managers. HR Norway’s professional competence development will continue to strenghten Norwegian companies’ and organisations’ interests also in the future.

The history of Norwegian HR

1958: The Centre for Personnel and Organisation Development (SPO) is founded. The starting point is a study group of eight enthusiasts burning to professionalize the training of employees and leaders in Norwegian companies. The key idea was to provide organisations with the skills to train their own staff, thus avoiding extensive use of external consultants and programmes which the organisations were not able implement on their own. Gradually SPO grew and attracted persons working with or taking particular interest in personnel and organisation development.

1967:  Norwegian Institute for Personnel Administration (NIPA) is created. The organisation was established by a group of HR managers who wanted to professionalize the personnel function in Norwegian enterprises.  More than 100 companies and professionals soon joined the foundation, and the second important organisation for development of Norwegian HR was thereby a fact.

NIPA’s mandate was to promote the development of an efficient and future oriented personnel administration and management in the Norwegian private and public sector. Human resources were considered amongst the most important competition assets and the efficiency of the enterprises depended on how these resources were used. In other words: the overarching idea was that the integration of personnel development into the overall strategy of the enterprise was key to success.

NIPA’s main goal was to raise the competence of HR managers, because this was a precondition for integrating HR as a legitimate part of a company’s executive management. The principle of “profit by putting people first” was particularly stressed, as opposed to the purely economic principle  “profit by putting money first”. The former principle views an organisation from the perspective of its employees, its talents and compentece, the latter adapts the perspective of the account.

At the end of the 1990s, the concept of “HR” is first introduced in a leaflet for SPO, and thus becomes an integrated part of the Norwegian vocabulary on personneland organisation development.

2002: A merger between SPO and NIPA marks the beginning of HR Norway. This represents a turning point in the Norwegian HR history. A predominant focus on the employees perspective, is now balanced by an equally strong focus on the employers perspective.

Today, HR Norway is the country’s largest HR and management network, consisting of 1850 members and member organisations from both private and public sector.

Sources:

• Master of Arts dissertation by  Bodil Marie Berg: ”Managing people  – SPO, NIPA and HR Norway as  arenas for personnelmanagement.”