Human Resource management 1

Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi Department of Geography Makerere University Kampala

 HRM concerns the human side of the management of enterprises and employees relations with their firm (Bennet, 1998). The intention of the employer would be to obtain the greatest possible benefit from their abilities. The employees obtain material and psychological rewards from their work You should note that every one in a firm

What is Human Resource Management?

What is Human Resource Management?

HRM emerged from Personnel Management in Britain Developed from activities of industrial welfare of workers Later half of 19th century One common factor is about the need of the people at work Stage One: championed by employers and philanthropists who wanted to better workers physical working environments and quality of life.

 This led to the systematic study of employer-employee relations and the human aspects of industrial work. Led to emergence of personnel officers role. Third Stage: advancement in 1930s and 40s of studies into general social science and later in 1960s when specializations developed within the personnel function and hence a discipline in its own right.

What is Human Resource Management?

What is Human Resource Management?

HRM applied to all forms and sizes of business and work situation with functions such as; Compiling company personnel policies and procedures Recruitment and selections Training and development Industrial relations Labour planning Salary administration Employee appraisal Staff motivation Performance management Worker empowerment Total quality management Organizational modification

Personnel Management
Personnel management is that part of management concerned with people at work and with their relationships within an enterprise. Aim
Bring together and develop men and women that make up an enterprise into an effective organization Having regard for well being of an individual and working group To enable workers make a contribution to the organization success

Personnel Management
Personnel management is concerned with the development and application of policies governing:
Human resource planning, recruitment, selection, placement and termination Education and training: career development Terms of employment, methods and standards of remuneration Working conditions and employee services Formal and informal communication and consultation both through the preventatives of employees and employers and at all levels of the firm Negotiation and application of agreements on

Personnel Management
Other responsibilities of personnel management
Conducting research into local wage levels to ensure that the firms reward system is competitive with other firms Incentivating i.e. devising remuneration systems to stimulate workers into enhanced effort and efficiency Administration of superannuation schemes and advising employees about their pension and other entitlements Maintenance of personnel records and statistics Preparation of accurate job descriptions and

Personnel Management
Management training, development and succession planning Employee communication, transmitting information of interest to employees via newsletters, notice boards, briefing sessions etc Personnel management can therefore be defined as a range of policies, institutions and procedures which enable the principles of work psychology to be put into practice. Its purpose is not only to make effective use of people at work and develop satisfactory relationships among them but to motivate

Personnel Management
Personnel management can also be redefined as management which deals with people at work as regards
Utilization recruitment, selection, transfer, promotion, separation, appraisal, training and development Motivation job design, remuneration, fringe benefits, consultation, participation, negotiation and justice Protection working conditions, welfare services, safety, implementation of

(a) Personnel management is a practical, utilitarian and instrumental, and mostly concerned with administration and the implementation of policies while HRM conversely has strategic dimensions and involves the total deployment of human resources within the firm and considers such matters as;
The aggregate size of the organizations labour force in the context of the overall corporate plan How much to spend on training the

Differences between Personnel Management and HRM

PM Vs HRM
The desirability of establishing relations with trade unions from the view point of the effective management control of the entire organization. Human asset accounting the systematic measurement and analysis of the cost and financial benefits of alternative personnel policies e.g. (monetary consequences of staff development exercise, the effect of various salary structures etc) and the valuation of the human worth of the enterprise employees.

PM Vs HRM
(b) HRM is concerned with the winder implications of the management of change and not just the effects of change on working practices. It seeks proactively to encourage flexible attitudes and the acceptance of new methods. (c) Personnel management is reactive and diagnostic. It responds to changes such as employment law, labour

PM Vs HRM
(d) HRM determines general policies for employment relationships within the enterprise and focuses on the need to establish the organization culture that conductive for employee commitment and co- operation. PM on the other hand has been criticized for being concerned primarily with imposing compliance with company/organization rules and procedures among employees rather than loyalty and commitment to the

PM Vs HRM
(f) HRM approach emphasizes a need;
For direct communication with employees rather than their collective representation To develop an organizational culture conducive to the adoption of flexible working methods For group working and employee participation in group decisions To enhance employees long-term capabilities, not just their competence at current duties

(f) HRM is a unitaristic approach to people management while PM is a pluralistic orientation to people management.

Pluralistic and Unitary Frames

A frame of reference is the totality of all the attitudes, pre assumptions and psychological influences that determine how a person perceives and interprets issues and events A unitary frame of reference regard both management and employees as having identical interests and in consequence, believe that workers

Pluralistic and Unitary Frames PM Vs HRM

The above means that HRM needs to involve; The unification of effort The implementation of measures designed to inspire and motivate the workforce The communication to workers of details of the organization's wider goals The construction of policies for securing employees loyalty and commitment to the firm Problems of unitarism are: It cannot comprehend the motives of individuals who do not regard everyone in the organization as being in the same boat Arguably, it fails to recognize the inevitability of conflicts of interest in certain management/employee situations It can impair the efficient resolution of disputes

Pluralistic and Unitary Frames PM Vs HRM

Pluralism has therefore been suggested as a more effective approach Pluralistic frame of reference is one which sees conflicts of interest and disagreements between managers and workers over the distribution of firms profits as the normal and inescapable state of affairs Realistically, management should accept that conflicts will always occur

Pluralistic and Unitary Frames PM Vs HRM

Pluralism assumes that the best way to achieve consensus and long-term stability in management/worker relations is for management to recognize conflicting interests, To negotiate compromises To balance the demands of various groups This suggests a need for Grievance procedures Joint-negotiation committees, Union-recognition agreements Arbitration arrangements etc all mundane, practical and utilitarian devices that are associated with PM

New approach to HRM

A new approach to HRM emphasizes: Individualism rather than collectivism more than ever before, less employees today belong to trade unions Wage systems based on personal contracts involving individual negotiation with a firm as opposed to collective bargaining involving trade unions Increasing levels of casual and part-time employment The idea that managers and workers have common interest of management and workers in

New approach to HRM

Interpersonal relationships and management/worker communications systems appropriate for high-tech industries using the latest management techniques Flexible labour practices Teamwork, implementation of corporate values, company-wide learning, and the idea of putting the customer first. Pluralistic concerns with conflict management are put to one side, with HRM specialists

New approach to HRM

Much as the new HRM approach introduces a dynamic approach to people management, there are many close similarities that exist between HRM and PM with both recognizing that they occupy an advisory role in relation to line managers with both;
Concerned with the needs of people at work Dealing with the same range of practical

Criticisms of new approach to HRM

Although the approach reflects management hopes and aspirations, the fact that is that it is ambiguous and lacks concrete policy prescriptions. The mix up of directive management processes (performance management, quality control etc) with the traditional personnel management functions gives the latter a bad name, leading to downgrading of vital personnel activities The approach leads employees to perceive HRM as a little more than an unfair set of devices designed to make them work harder for less money. Power in employer-employee relationship situations in fact lies predominantly in the hands of management. Workers are expected to display commitment to their employing firms, but what in practice does not

Criticisms of new approach to HRM

Workers may become brainwashed into doing whatever the organization wants them to do, without question and regardless of what is best for the individual An employee individuality might be overlooked in a business dominated by strong corporate culture Constant exposure to management persuasion and propaganda could cause employees to feel that are being manipulated.

Criticisms of new approach to HRM

At the end of the day, production and profitability considerations are bound to override HRM considerations It is difficult to apply the ideas associated with the new HRM in organizations that lack a coherent strategic direction

HRM/PM Model
Economic forces Labour markets Laws and regulations Labour unions

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES HRM Outcomes

HRM Activities Support activities Analyzing individuals and jobs Assessing outcomes Human resource planning Functional activities
External staffing Internal staffing and development Compensation Labour relations

Individuals Ability and Motivation

Jobs Requireme nts and rewards

Attraction Performance Retention Attendance Satisfaction Other