As a business function, HR has undergone perhaps more introspection and debate about its title, role, structure, and value than virtually any other department in the annals of business.

"The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable" (2002) is a bestselling business book written by Patrick Lencioni in the form of a parable (a narrative with fictional characters used to convey its main points).

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989) by Stephen Covey (1932-2012) is one of the highest-selling business/self-help books ever written.

Google, the company ranked no. 1 on Fortune’s list of best places to work for the past 6 years, has decided to share its HR knowledge with the world.

This article is an extension to our "In a Nutshell" series. To read our original overview of SWOT analysis click here.

The six thinking hats is Edward de Bono’s most well known model. It is a problem-solving technique used to explore topics, improve the quality and efficiency of decisions, and generate new ideas by examining an issue from a number of different angles.

The Peter Principle is named after Laurence J. Peter, a psychologist and professor of education, who co-authored the 1969 book entitled “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong,” with Raymond Hull.