The Evolution of Human Resource Management (Essay Sample)

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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Human resource management involves the process of recruiting employees, training them, assessing their performance, giving proper compensation, and even motivating them. The process also involves ensuring the maintenance of employee safety and health in accordance with employees' laws of the country. The word human resource management splits into three important words. The word Human represents the all the skilled workforce found in an organization. Resource, on the other hand, represents the availability of a commodity in limited or scarce amounts. Management refers to the process of proper utilization of the limited resources available. The human resource management function has experienced a significant transformation from the industrial revolution to the present.
The evolution of human resource management began during the industrial revolution when firms formed departments to cater for the workers' wages and their welfare as well. The workers worked for long hours and in unhygienic conditions in addition to living in slums. These harsh conditions led to the occurrence of a number of labor riots. One of the most famous riots was the Ludds riots in 1811, which occurred in Nottingham, England. These riots were because of reduced wages. The riots stopped due to government intervention to provide protection and fundamental workers' rights. The riots led to the formation of statutory regulations that forced the factories to come up with mechanisms to look into the welfare of employees. The result is the inception of a profession known as personnel management.
The personnel management approach involved itself with several affairs that included:
* Keeping the records of the employees in the factories was an important task.
* Recruiting, training and administering wages to employees in accordance with the set state policies.
* Providing proper housing facilities, medical treatment, and other services like vaccinations
* Increasing productivity occurred by increasing wages, training and setting of production standards.
* The Solving of disputes by use of collective bargaining method and any other appropriate industrial approach method.
* Taking care of issues arising from trade unions
* Assessing workers to determine promotions and pay as well.
The personnel management approach entirely focused on solving the issues facing the staff. It focused on workers ability to have an interest in improving the business. The approach also focused on convincing the management to look into the interests of the employees. It never involves itself in the operation of the factories. It operated solely as a staff function.
The twentieth century came with significant changes to the profession of personnel management. Studies conducted by Elton Mayo show that non-monetary factors led to an increase in motivation and productivity in the factories. Theories like Theory X and Theory y by Douglas McGregor and Abraham Maslow's theory of the hierarchy of needs also emerged. Abraham's theory showed how individuals wanted to reach a level of self-actualization. The government also contributed to this change after enacting new legislations warranting more rights for the workers. These changes led to the shift from a passive Personnel Management function to an active Human Resource Management function. The new approach considered their workers to be valuable resources, contrary to the previous one. The human resource management function involved itself with the management and operations of the firms. The approach operated in contrast to personnel management that was an exclusive staff function.
The transition from personnel management to human resource encountered several changes that include:
* The employment and skill improvement of employees now had a direct effect on the profitability of the firms. Emphasis on commitment and loyalty by workers took priority.
* The organizations then focused on motivating the workforce. Creation of an energetic social community within the employees and even the issuance of free holidays occurred.
* The training of workers focused on core skills and attitude improvement, unlike the previous training technique that focused on job-related skills.
* The administration of salaries and wages increased in complexity due to the introduction of payment according to one's performance.
* Proper leadership took priority over management .leadership became the primary concern of the organizations.
Human Resource management evolved further at the end of the twentieth century. It became the most crucial function of any organization. The rise in the importance of human resources occurred due to a significant improvement in technology and an increase in global competition of free markets. The workforce became valuable assets for building competition, contrary to the earlier approach that considered them as resources.Human resource management now focuses on aligning both individual and corporate objectives and goals. It also encourages a participative tactic rather than a dictatorial one. These changes led to some changes in the functions of human resources:
* Employment focused more on short- term contractual basis to improve the performance of employees.
* Compensation of workers now depends on their performance and their contribution to the organization's profitability.
* Training and development now encourage the inclusion of creativity and innovation as well.
* Motivation occurs through the upgrading of the work experience
The future of human resource management may include a number of changes. There exists a possibility of a reduction in size of the human resource (HR) department and an increase in outsourcing. These changes are due to the emergence of new technologies and an increase in the participation of employees in HR processes. Another change would be the management of remote workforce. The process involves managing employees who are far from t