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Human Resource Management Notes Essay example

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MGMT 2718 Human Resource Management Notes

Introduction

People are our most valued resource
‘New’ emphasis on achieving organisational success through management of people
HRM as the ‘organisation’s conscience’ – where workers can expect to be treated with fairness
HR ‘Process’ – recruitment, selection, training and development, performance management, reward and motivation, redundancy
‘Hard’ – ‘military’ model – management as commander – dictates strategy, then HRM follows – quantitative emphasis on the numbers
‘Soft’ – HR managers may have influence on strategy
Conscience of the firm or a strategic partner

Issues of HRM

Often the benefits of HRM oversold
Employers may not be able to deliver on the promise of …show more content…

Yet it improves the image of the HR department and sees HR less involved in administrative work and more involved in strategic activities.

Two extreme theoretical approaches to HRM are instrumental (hard) and humanistic (soft). Instrumental HRM stresses the rational, quantitative and strategic aspects of managing human resources. Performance improvement and improved competitive advantage are highlighted. Humanistic HRM recognises the need for the integration of HR policies and practices with the organisation’s strategic objectives, but places emphasis on employee development, collaboration, participation, trust and informed choice.

Roles of a HR manager:

The HR manager is expected to understand the business as well as any line manager, and to be their equal in contributing to the organisation’s competitive success. They must develop and implement HR strategies that support the organisation’s business objectives, improve productivity, and enhance employee wellbeing. It is criticised for marginalizing employee-focused HRM responsibilities and downgrading ethical considerations. Also, it is too management focused, it creates role conflict, damaged HR credibility and challenged HR’s role as an employee advocate. HRM has become more business oriented and strategically focused.

Change and cultural transformation catalyst – initiate and monitor change and cultural info, promote and audit employee

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