INTORDUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Chapter no 1
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Q1: Explain what human resource management is and how it relates to the management
process.
Answer:
Human resource management (HRM): The process of acquiring, training, appraising, and
compensating employees, and of attending to their labor relations, health and safety, and fairness
concerns.
Aspects of management:
o Conducting job analyses (determining the nature of each employee’s job).
o Planning labor needs and recruiting job candidates.
o Selecting job candidates.
o Orienting and training new employees.
o Managing wages and salaries (compensating employees).
o Providing incentives and benefits.
o Appraising performance.
o Communicating (interviewing, counseling, disciplining).
o Training employees, and developing managers.
o Building employee relations and engagement.
Organization: A group consisting of people with formally assigned roles who work
together to achieve the organization’s goals.
Manager: Someone who is responsible for accomplishing the organization’s goals, and
who does so by managing the efforts of the organization’s people.
And what a manager should know about:
o Equal opportunity and affirmative action.
o Employee health and safety.
o Handling grievances and labor relations.
Managing: To perform five basic functions: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and
controlling.
Management process: The five basic functions of planning, organizing, staffing,
leading, and controlling. Some of the specific activities involved in each function include:
1. Planning. Establishing goals and standards; developing rules and procedures; developing
plans and forecasts.
2. Organizing. Giving each subordinate a specific task; establishing departments;
delegating authority to subordinates; establishing channels of authority and
communication; coordinating the work of subordinates.
3. Staffing. Determining what type of people should be hired; recruiting prospective
employees; selecting employees; setting performance standards; compensating
employees; evaluating performance; counseling employees; training and developing
employees.
4. Leading. Getting others to get the job done; maintaining morale; motivating
subordinates.
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5. Controlling. Setting standards such as sales quotas, quality standards, or production
levels; checking to see how actual performance compares with these standards; taking
corrective action as need.
Q2: Why human resource management important to all manager?
Answer:
Avoid Personnel Mistakes: you avoid the personnel mistakes you don’t want to make.
Examples:
o Employees not performing well.
o Hiring unsuitable candidates.
o High turnover rates.
o Discrimination lawsuits.
o Unsafe workplace citations.
o Ineffective due to lack of training.
o Unfair labor practices
Improving profits and performance: To boost profits and performance, managers must
focus on hiring and motivating the right people. Even with great plans and tools, poor
staffing can lead to failure.
o For instance, at a Ball Corp. plant, clear goals and training led to major gains in
production, fewer complaints, and higher profits. Good people management is key to
success.
You may spend some time as an HR manager: you might spend time as a human
resource manager.
o For instance, big companies sometimes make non-HR managers top HR leaders. Most
top HR execs have HR experience. For HR careers, visit SHRM.
HR for small business: you may well end up as your own human resource manager.
Q3: Line and staff aspect of human resource management?
Answer:
Authority: The right to make decisions, direct others’ work, and give orders.
Line authority: Traditionally gives managers the right to issue orders to other managers or
employees.
Staff authority: Gives a manager the right to advise other managers or employees
Line manager: A manager who is authorized to direct the work of subordinates and is
responsible for accomplishing the organization’s tasks.
Staff manager: A manager who assists and advises line managers.
Q4: Line manager’s human resource management responsibilities?
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Answer:
1. Putting the right person in the right job.
2. Onboarding new employees.
3. Training for new tasks.
4. Boosting job performance.
5. Encouraging teamwork.
6. Explaining company rules.
7. Managing labor costs.
8. Developing employee skills.
9. Keeping department morale high.
10. Ensuring employee health.
Q5: The human resource department?
Answer:
In small organizations, line managers handle all HR tasks. As companies grow, they need a
separate HR team for specialized help.
Examples of job duties include:
o Recruiters: Find and attract job candidates.
o EEO Representatives: Handle EEO issues and reports.
o Job Analysts: Create job descriptions.
o Compensation Managers: Manage pay and benefits.
o Training Specialists: Organize employee training.
o Labor Relations Specialists: Advise on union relations.
New approaches to organizing HR.
HR departments are evolving. Many companies use central teams for daily HR support, and
specialized teams for strategic issues and expert advice.
Q6: Briefly discuss and illustrate each of the important trends influencing human resource
management?
Answer:
Workforce demographics and diversity trends: he workforce is becoming more diverse with
more women, minorities, and older workers. By 2022, fewer younger workers will be available,
and many employers are hiring foreign workers or using nontraditional workers, like part-timers
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and freelancers. Millennials, while challenging for some employers, offer strong skills in tech
and collaboration.
Trends in how people work: Most new jobs are in services, not manufacturing. By
2020, 87% of U.S. jobs will be in services.
o On demand workers: Companies like Uber and Airbnb use freelancers instead of full-
time employees. This shift requires new HR policies. Critics say these jobs can be
insecure and undervalued. Some workers are suing to become regular employees.
o Human capital: As jobs become more high-tech, employers focus more on workers'
skills and education. Even traditional jobs now require tech knowledge. Managers need
new HR practices to train and empower these skilled workers effectively.
1. Globalization trends: Globalization drives companies to expand abroad and face more
competition. Firms, like Toyota and Apple, move operations to save costs and access new
markets. Managing global workforces is a big HR challenge.
2. Economic trends: The global economy boomed from 2001 to 2007, but then crashed in
2008 due to high debt and risky lending. The U.S. saw a sharp decline in GNP, home
prices, and rising unemployment. Recovery has been slow, with ongoing debt issues and
cautious spending. Economic growth is improving, but challenges remain.
3. Labor force trends: U.S. labor force growth is slowing due to an aging population. This
may lead to slower economic growth. Companies are prioritizing talent management to
address these issues.
4. Unbalanced labor force: Unemployment is down, but fewer are job hunting. Job
demand is uneven, with grads in lower-skilled roles. Employers need to address these
imbalances.
5. Technology trends: Technology is reshaping HR with new tools and methods, impacting
recruitment, training, and job roles.
o Talent Analytics: Using data to improve HR decisions.
o Co-Working Sites: Shared workspaces for freelancers.
Five Main Technologies:
o Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook for recruiting.
o Mobile Apps: Monitor location and manage clock-ins.
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o Gaming: Enhances training and performance appraisals.
o Cloud Computing: Tracks goals and provides feedback.
o Data Analytics: Analyzes data to find ideal candidate traits and predict employee
turnover.
THE END
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