Evolution of Management of Human Resources

Prepared by :Syed Aamir Hashmi2nd Semester,MBA (Marketing & IB)Jamia Hamdard,New Delhi-110062INDIA

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Evolution of Management of

Human Resources

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Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management can be described as "The comprehensive set of managerial activities and tasks concerned with developing and maintaining a qualified workforce - human resources - in ways that contribute to organisational effectiveness." (DeNisi and Griffin, 2004) 04/10/2023 3

The Industrial Revolution

• The momentum for the industrial revolution grew through the 17th century.

• Agricultural methods were continually improving, creating surpluses that were used for trade.

• In addition, technical advances were also occurring, for example the Spinning Jenny and the Steam Engine.

• These advances created a need for improved work methods, productivity and quality that led to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

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Adam Smith

Smith (1776) proposed that work could be made more efficient through specialisation and he suggested that work should be broken down into simple tasks.

• the development of skills • time saving• the possibility of using specialised tools.• Smith's suggestions led to many changes

in manufacturing processes.

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Rossouw (1994)

"According to the hidden hand approach, the only responsibility of business is to maximise profits according to the market principle and within the constraints of the law. If government interference in business is restricted to a minimum, society will benefit automatically from the activities of the business sector."

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Charles Babbage

In 1832, Charles Babbage examined and expanded upon the division of labour in his work, On the Economy of Machinery and Manufacturers. In this book Babbage offered, as an advantage to the division of labour, that the amount of skill needed to undertake a specialised task was only the skill the necessary to complete the task.

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Trade Unions

• During the late 1700's and early 1800's governments began to feel pressure from the working class masses who started to question and defy the power of the aristocracy.

• "There were also attempts to form general unions of all workers irrespective of trade. William Benbow (a Lancashire shoemaker), Robert Owen and many others looked upon trade unionism not just as a means for protecting and improving workers' living standards, but also as a vehicle for changing the entire political and economic order of society. Owen experimented with co-operative ventures and 'labour exchanges'; both attempts to bypass the existing order of wage slavery." (Trade Unions Congress, 2004)

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Frederick Winslow Taylor

In 1911, his seminal work, The Principles of Scientific Management was published. The book contains :

• Each part of an individuals work is analysed 'scientifically'.

• - The most suitable person to undertake the job is 'scientifically chosen' and is taught the exact way to do the job.

• - Managers must co-operate with workers to ensure the job is done in a scientific way.

• - There is a clear division of work and responsibility between management and workers. (Bloomsbury, 2002)

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The Hawthorne Studies

From 1927 to 1932, Groundbreaking set of experiments conducted at the Western Electric plant in Hawthorne, Chicago by Elton Mayo.

• Changes in the environment did affect productivity, but this was not the sole factor.

• The workers considered management to be showing an interest in them and this improved motivation.

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The Human Relations Movement

• It argues that people are not just logical decision makers but have needs for creativity support, recognition and self-affirmation.

• It presents an alternative and opposite approach to scientific management as it focuses on the individual and not the task.

• It boasts some of the world's foremost management thinkers and theories.

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Contemporary Human Resource Management

• In modern business the Human Resources Management function is complex and as such has resulted in the formation of Human resource departments/divisions in companies to handle this function. The Human resource function has become a wholly integrated part of the total corporate strategy.

• The function is diverse and covers many facets including Manpower planning, recruitment and selection, employee motivation, performance monitoring and appraisal, industrial relations, provision management of employee benefits and employee education training and development.

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CONCLUSION

• The history of Human Resource Management has progressed through the ages from times when people were abused in slave like working conditions to the modern environment where people are viewed as assets to business and are treated accordingly.

• The Human Resource function will have to adapt with the times as staff become more dynamic and less limited in their roles and bound by a job description.

• In future we may see employees being measured on the value they contribute to a business and not their cost to the business.

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Thank You

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