“Evolutionary” and “revolutionary” events affecting HRM in Israel: 1948–2008

In Western countries, HRM strategies, policies and practices commonly develop in a gradual and incremental “evolutionary” way, but unforeseen domestic or external events can also engender “revolutionary” rapid changes. This paper reviews the major evolutionary and revolutionary changes arising from internal and external sources that Israel has experienced since the founding of the State in 1948, which stem primarily from the political, economic, societal and technological spheres. Israel's HRM has been required to take on new roles to adjust to these changes. A set of propositions derived from a 2-dimensional conceptual model associating source (internal/external) with nature (evolutionary/revolutionary) of change is put forward to account for HRM responses and operations in Israel.