Reasons as to why the roles and activities of the HRM functions changed over the past 20 to 30 years (Coursework Sample)

Reasons as to why the roles and activities of the HRM functions changed over the past 20 to 30 years.
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Human resource management is a strategic approach undertaken by organisation to manage the most valuable asset of any organisation ‘the employees' who are the human resources (Harris, 2002).The Human resource department is believe to be one of the key department in any organisation as it performance affects the overall performance of the entire organisation. The roles and functions of the HRM department have been changing over time. There has been a drastic change in roles carried out in a period of the last 20 to 30 years (Caldwell, 2003).
The human resource department (HRM) has diversified it roles and has become more relevant to organisation structure. Today no business can perform without a well-established HRM department. Therefore, the HRM becomes the most-valued assets as it helps in the management of human resources. Irrespective of the size of a business or the extent of its resources, the company survives and thrives because of the capabilities and performance of its personnel (Farnham, Horton & White, 2003). To ensure that organisations enhance efficiency, effectiveness and better management roles and functions of the HRM have been developing and drastically changing especially over the last 30 to years.
The role of HRM professional has been evolving overtime, and there has been a shift from personnel department to Human resources that have gone a long way in transforming companies perspective of HRM (Chadwick & Cappelli, 1999). The drastic changed in the functionality of the HRM have been propelled by economic challenges, increased competition for best practices, improved working conditions, improvement in employment laws and better HR skills.
Human Resource management is developing swiftly. It is both a business practice and an academic theory that discourse the real world and theoretical techniques of workforce management. Function of the Human Resources Management comprises a range of activities (Truss, 2001). Main among them is determining what staffing need one has, whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, training and recruiting the best employees, dealing with performance issues, ensuring they are high performers and ensuring management and your personnel practices conform to various regulations (Jaconelli, & Sheffield, 2000).
Features of Human Resource Management (Caldwell, 2003)
1 HRM entails management functions like organizing, controlling, planning and directing.
2 It involves development, procurement and maintenance of human resource
3 It helps to achieve organizational, individual and social objectives
4 It is a very disciplinary subject. It comprises the study of management sociology, psychology, economics and communication.
5 It involves teamwork and team spirit
Human Resource Management Goal
The goal of human resource management is to aid an organization to meet planned goals by maintaining and attracting, employees and to manage them efficiently. In the academic theory, the basic premise of HRM is that human being are not machines; consequently we must have an interdisciplinary examination of individuals in the workplace. Fields such as; industrial engineering, psychology, sociology, organizational and industrial psychology, industrial relations and critical theories: post-structuralism and postmodernism play a key role (Jaconelli, & Sheffield, 2000). Many universities and colleges offer both bachelor and master degrees in Human Resources Management. One extensively used scheme to refer to the role of HRM, developed by Dave Ulrich, explains four fields for the HRM function.
1) Change agent
2) Strategic business partner
3) Administration
4) Employee champion
Nevertheless, many HR functions nowadays struggle to get beyond the roles of employee and administration champion, and are perceived rather more reactive than deliberately proactive partners for the uppermost management (Farnham, Horton & White, 2003). Furthermore, HR organizations have trouble in proving how their processes and activities add value to the corporation. Only in the recent years, HR professionals and HR scholars are focusing to develop models, which can measure if HR adds value.
Scope of Human Resource Management
The Human Resource Management scope refers to the activities, which come under the banner of HRM. The activities include follows
1. Human resources planning: the Human resource planning or HRP is known as a process by which the corporation identify various jobs vacant, whether the corporation has a shortage of staff or excess staff and to deal with this shortage or excess (Truss, 2001).
2. Job analysis design: Job analysis is an important area of HRM. It gives a comprehensive explanation about each job in the corporation (Truss, 2001). On the basis of job analysis, the corporation prepares advertisements.
3. Recruitment and selection: Based on information gathered from job analysis the corporation makes and publishes the advertisements in the newspapers. This is known as recruitment. After the advertisement is published many applications are received, interviews are conducted, and the right employees are selected (Farnham, Horton & White, 2003). As a result, recruitment and selection are significant area of HRM.
4. Orientation and induction: After the employees have been selected, orientation or an induction program is conducted (Harris, 2002). This activity is another significant area of HRM. Information is provided to the employees about the background of the corporation, explain about the organizational values, culture, and work ethics then introduce to the other employees.
5. Training and development: Each employee goes under a training program that helps him to put up an improved performance on the job. Additionally, training program is conducted for existing staff that have scores of experience (Jaconelli, & Sheffield, 2000). This refers to refresher training. The activity of training and development is one of the areas where the corporation expends a huge amount.
6. Performance appraisal: After the employee has put in about 1 year of service, then performance appraisal is conducted. The HR department checks on how the employee is performing his/her duties (Caldwell, 2003). On the basis of these appraisal incentives, promotions and increments in salary are decided.
7. Compensation planning and remuneration: There are numerous rules concerning compensation and other welfares. HR department is responsible to look into compensation planning and remuneration.
8. Motivation, welfare, health and safety: Motivation becomes significant to sustain the current number of workers in a business. The HR department is responsible in looking for diverse methods of motivation (Harris, 2002). Besides this, health and safety regulations must be followed for the welfares of the employees. The HR department also handles this activity.
9. Industrial relations: Maintaining co-ordinal relations with the union members is another significant area of HRM (Jaconelli, & Sheffield, 2000). This helps the organization to avert strikes lockouts and ensuring smooth working in the corporation.
Responsibilities of Human Resource Managements development and implementation
While most companies have personnel or human resources department that implements and develops HRM practices, accountability lies with both line managers and HR professionals. The relationship between HR professionals and managers results to effective HRM practices (Caldwell, 2003). For instance, consider performance appraisals. The success of the firm's performance appraisal system depends on the capability of both parties to do their duties correctly. Managers provide the actual performance evaluations while HR professionals develop the system.
The nature of these roles differs from corporation to corporation, depending mainly on the organization size. This argument assumes a large corporation with a good-sized HRM department. Nevertheless, in smaller corporations without outsized departments of HRM, line managers need to assume an even larger role in effective HRM performances (Chadwick & Cappelli, 1999).
HR professionals classically assume the subsequent four areas of duty: establishing HRM procedures and policies, choosing/developing HRM methods, evaluating/monitoring HRM practices, and assisting/advising managers on HRM-connected matters (Chadwick & Cappelli, 1999). HR professionals usually determine what processes to follow when executing an HRM practice. For instance, HR professionals might determine what the process of selection should require that all applicants should make a complete application, take tests, and undergo interviewing process that the HR line managers conduct.
Generally, the HR professionals choose or develop specific procedures to implement a company's HRM practices (Jaconelli, & Sheffield, 2000). For example, in selection the HR professional might create the application blank, choose an employment test or develop a structured interview guide.
Additionally, HR professionals need to ensure that the organisation's HRM practices are appropriately implemented. This concern involves both monitoring and evaluating. For instance, HR professionals may assess the practicality of employment tests, the cost effectiveness and the success of training programs of HRM results such as recruiting, selection and turnover (Harris, 2002). They also monitor records to make sure that performance appraisals have been well completed.
Furthermore, HR professionals consult with management on a collection of HRM-connected topics. They may help by offering managers with formal training programs on topics like the law and s...