Mrs.

Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

UNIT -1
Human Resource Management
Human Resource is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization,
business sector, industry or economy. Among the various factors of production which are
used in an organization, human resource is the most important. Even the most efficient
machinery in the world will not produce at an optimum level unless the people who
operate the machinery know how to make it perform at its best.
In simple words, Human Resource Management is a process of making efficient use of
human resources so that the set goals are achieved.
The National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM) of India has defined human
resource /personnel management as “that part of management which is concerned with
people at work and with their relationship with enterprise. Its aim is to bring together and
develop into an effective organization of the men and women who make up an enterprise
and having regard for the well -being of the individuals and of working groups, to enable
them to make their best contribution to its success”.
Thus, HRM can be defined as procuring, developing, maintaining and retaining the
competent workforce in an organization so that the goals of an organization as well as the
personal goals of an individual can be achieved effectively and efficiently.

Definition of HRM
Pigors and Myers – “It is basically a method of developing potentialities of employees so
that they feel maximum satisfaction of their work and give their best efforts to the
organization”.
Ivancevich and Glueck – “Human resource management is the function performed in
organizations’ that facilitate the most effective use of people (employees) to achieve
organizational and individual goals”.
Byars and Rue – “Human resource management encompasses those activities designed to
provide for and coordinate the human resources of an organization Human resource
functions refer to those tasks and duties performed in organizations to provide for and
coordinate human resources”.

Nature Of Human Resource Management

1-A part of Management Discipline
HRM is a part of management discipline. It is not a discipline in itself but it is only a field
of study. HRM being a part of management process draws heavily from heavily concepts,
principles and techniques and apply these in the management of human resources.

2-Universal Existence
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

HRM is pervasive in nature. It is present in all enterprises. It permeates all levels of

management in an organization.
3-Concerned with people
HRM is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups. It tries to put people on
assigned jobs in order to produce good results. The resultant gains are used to reward
people and motivate them towards further improvement.
4-Action Oriented
HRM focuses attention on action, rather than on record keeping, written procedures or
rules. The problems of employees are solved through rational policies.
5-Directed towards Achievements of Objectives
HRM is directed towards achievement of organizational objectives by providing tools and
techniques of managing people in the organization effectively.
6-Integrating Mechanism
HRM tries to build and maintain cordial relation between people working at different
levels in the organization. It tries to integrate human assets in the best possible manner for
achieving organizational goals.
7-Development Oriented
HRM intends to develop the full potential of employees. The reward structure is turned to
the needs of the employees. Training is provided to improve the skills of the employees.
Every attempt is made to use their talents fully in the service of the organizational goals.
8-Continuous Process
HRM is not a one-shot deal. It cannot be practiced only one hour each day or one day a
week. It requires constant alertness and awareness of human relations and their importance
in everyday operations.
9-Comprehensive Function
HRM is concerned with managing people at work. It covers all types of people at all levels
in the organization. It applies to workers, supervisors, officers, managers and other types
of personnel.

SCOPE OF HRM
The scope of HRM is, indeed, very fast and wide. It includes all activities starting from
manpower planning till employee leaves the organization. Accordingly, the scope of HRM
consists of acquisition, development, maintenance/retention, and control of human
resources in the organization. The National Institute of personnel Management, Calcutta
has specified the scope of HRM as follows:
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

1-The Labor of Personnel Aspect

This is concerned with manpower planning, recruitment, selection, placement, transfer,
promotion, training and development, lay-off and retrenchment, remuneration, incentives,
productivity, etc.
2-Welfare Aspect
It deals with working condition, amenities such as canteen, crèches, rest and lunch rooms,
housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities,
etc.
3-Industrial Relations Aspects
This covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining,
grievance and disciplinary actions, settlement of disputes, etc.

Function of HRM
The definition of HRM is based on what managers do. The functions performed by
managers are common to all organizations. For the convenience of study, the function
performed by the resource management can broadly be classified into two categories:
• Managerial functions,
• Operative functions
Managerial Function
1-Planning
Planning is a predetermined course of actions. It is a process of determining the
organizational goals and formulation of policies and programmed for achieving them.
Thus, planning is future oriented concerned with clearly charting out the desired direction
of business activities in future. Forecasting is one of the important elements in the
planning process. Other functions of managers depend on planning function.
2-Organizing
Organizing is a process by which the structure and allocation of jobs are determined. Thus
organizing involves giving each subordinate a specific task establishing channels of
authority and communication, coordinating the work of subordinates, and so on.
3-Staffing
This involves deciding what type of people should be hired, recruiting prospective
employees, selecting employees, setting performance standard, compensating employees,
training and developing employees.
4-Directing
Directing is the process of activating group efforts to achieve the desired goals. It includes
activities like getting subordinates to get the job done, maintaining morale, motivating
subordinates etc. for achieving the goals of the organization.
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

5-Controlling
It is the process of setting standards for performance, checking to see how actual
performance compare these set standards, and taking corrective actions as needed.
Operative Functions
The operative, also called, service functions are those which are relevant to specific
department. These functions vary from department to department depending on the nature
of the department. The operating functions of HRM relate to ensuring right people for
right jobs at right times. These functions include procurement, development, compensation
and maintenance functions of HRM.
1. Procurement
It involves procuring the right kind of people in appropriate number to be placed in
the organization. It consists of activities such as manpower planning, recruitment,
selection, placement and induction or orientation of new employees.

2. Development
This function involves activities meant to improve the knowledge, skills, aptitudes
and values of employees so as to enable them to perform their jobs in a better
manner in future. These functions may comprise training to employees, executive
training to develop managers, organization development to strike a better fit
between organizational climate/culture and employees.

3. Compensation
Compensation function involves determination of wages and salaries matching with
contribution made by employees to organizational goals. In other words, this
function ensures equitable and fair remuneration for employees in the organization.
It consists of activities such as job evaluation, wage and salary administration,
bonus, incentives, etc.
4. Maintenance
It is concerned with protecting and promoting employees while at work. For this
purpose, virus benefits such as housing, medical, educational, transport facilities,
etc. are provided to the employees. Several social security measures such as
provident fund, pension, gratuity, group insurance, etc. are also arranged.
It is important to note that the managerial and operative functions of HRM are performed
in conjunction with each other in an organization, be large or small organizations.

Importance Of Human Resource Management

Human resources are the valuable assets of the corporate bodies. They are their strength.
To face the new challenges on the fronts of the knowledge, technology and changing
trends in global economy needs effective human resource management. Significance of
HRM can be seen in three contexts:
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

• Organizational
• Social
• Professional.

1-Organizational Significance
HRM is of vital importance to the individual organization as a means for achieving their
objectives. It contributes to the achievement of organizational objectives in the following
ways:
i. Good human resource planning can help in attracting and retaining the best people
in the organization.
ii. Developing the necessary skills and right attitudes among the employees through
training, development, performance appraisal, etc.
iii. Securing willing cooperation of employees through motivation, participation,
grievance handling, etc.
iv. Effective utilization of available human resources.
v. Ensuring that enterprise will have in future a team of competent and dedicated
employees.

2-Social Significance
Social significance of HRM lies in the need satisfaction of personnel in the organization.
Since these personnel are drawn from the society, their effectiveness contributes to the
welfare of the society. Society, as a whole, is the major beneficiary of good human
resource practice.
i. Employment opportunity multiplies.
ii. Eliminating waste of human resources through conservation of physical and mental
health.
iii. Scare talents are put to best use. Companies that pay and treat people well always
race ahead of others and deliver excellent results.

3-Professional Significance
Professional significance of HRM lies in developing people and providing healthy
environment for effective utilization of their capabilities. This can be done by:
i. Developing people on continuous basis to meet challenge of their job.
ii. Promoting team work and team spirit among employees.
iii. Offering excellent growth opportunities to people who have the potential to rise.
iv. Providing environment and incentives for developing and utilizing creativity.
Human Resource Development
The term Human Resource Development or HRD refer to the development of the people
working in an organization. It is a part of HRM; that aims at improving skills, knowledge,
competencies, attitude and behavior of the employees of the organization. The purpose of
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

HRD is to empower and strengthen the abilities of the employees so that their performance
will get better than before.
Human resource development involves providing such opportunities to the employees that
will prove beneficial in their all-around development. Such opportunities include training
and development, career development, performance management, talent management,
coaching and mentoring, key employee identification, succession planning and so on.
Nowadays, there are many organizations that work for the human resource development of
employees from the day they join the enterprise, and the process continues, until the end of
their employment term.
Differences between HRM and HRD in tabulated format.
Basis of
HRM HRD
Differentiation
The full form of HRD is Human Resource
The full form of HRM is Human
Development. It refers to continuous
Resource Management. It refers to how
Definition and development functions that are
the principles of management can be
full form implemented for improving the
applied to manage the employees
performance of those working in an
working in an organization effectively.
organization.
HRD is a sub-function of HRM.
Nature HRM is a management function.
The functions of HRM are reactive and The functions of HRD are proactive and
Function are usually applied to gaining holistic have to be applied consistently to enhance
organizational goals. the productivity of employees.
HRD goals are usually connected with
The objective of HRM is related to
skill development, knowledge
Goal improving the overall performance of
enhancement, and increasing the
employees.
competency of employees.
Most HRM processes are routine and
HRD processes are ongoing and not
Process have to be carried out as and when the
occasional.
need arises.
HRM is an independent entity in itself.
It comprises of different sections HRD is a subsystem of HRM and draws
Dependency inclusive of recruitment and retention, many functions, attributes, and processes
HRD, compensation, performance, from HRM.
appraisal management, etc.
HRD is concerned with the development
HRM deals with and has concerns for
Concerned of all aspects and people within an
people only. It handles recruitment,
with organization and manages its skill
rewards, etc.
development processes.
HRM functions are generally formal and HRD functions may be informal as in
Levels of
are applied via classroom/laboratory mentorships, employees receive coaching
formality
training, etc. from superiors, usually managers.
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

Strategic Human Resource

The term strategy is frequently being used in the present-day corporate world. It envisages
thinking ahead to survive and grow in a highly competitive environment’. Strategy is
concerned with determining which option will provide maximum benefits.
According to Jauch and Glueck. “Strategy is a unified, comprehensive and integrated plan
that relates the strategic advantages of the firm to the challenges of the environment. It is
designed to ensure that the basic objectives of the enterprise are achieved through proper
execution by the organization”.
Strategic human resource explicitly recognizes the threats and opportunities in each area
and attempts to capitalize on the opportunities while minimizing or deflecting the effect of
threats.
Characteristics of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)
1) Recognition of the outside Environment: Outside environment presents some
opportunities and threats to the organization in the form of-
• Laws
• Economic conditions
• Social and demographic change
• Domestic and international political forces
• Technology and so on
2) The impact of Competition: The forces of competition in attracting, rewarding, and
using employees have a major effect on corporate human resource strategy. Forces play
out in local, regional and national labor markets. Labor market dynamics of wage rates,
unemployment rates, working conditions, benefits levels minimum wages legislation and
competition reputation all have an impact on and are affected by strategic human resource
decisions.
3. Long-Range Focus: A strategic human resource management should be long-range
focus because this is not easy to change the strategic human resource policy.
4. Choice and Decision-making focus: In other words, the strategy has a problem
solving or problem preventing focus. Strategy concentrates on the question, “what should
the organization do and why?” this action orientation requires that decisions be made and
carried out.
5. Consideration of all Personnel: A strategic approach to human resources is
concerned with all of the firm’s employees, not just its hourly or operational personnel.
Traditionally, human resource management focuses on hourly employees, with most
clerical exempt employees also included.
6. Integration with the Corporate Strategy: Human resource strategy adopted by a
firm should be integrated with the firm’s corporate strategy.
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

The key features of SHRM are

• There is an explicit linkage between HR policy and practices and overall
organizational strategic aims and the organizational environment
• There is some organizing schema linking individual HR interventions so that they
are mutually supportive
• Much of the responsibility for the management of human resources is devolved
down the line.

Barriers to Strategic Human Resource Management

Nothing is free from obstacles. SHRM also suffers from some barriers. These barriers are
related to mentality, strategy and outcomes Barriers are classified into seven main types.
All these barriers to strategic human resource management are briefly discussed below
1. Short term mentality: Short-term mentality and focus on the current performance of
SFIRM is the first barrier. Every manager act, long-term focus, because the organization
has been established with long-terms objectives/focus.
2. Strategic inability: Very often SHRM does not think strategically. This type of
inability may arise for many reasons as lack of technical knowledge, insufficient training
and the like.
3. Lack of appreciation: Sometimes top managers do not recognize the activities of
strategic human resource management. So SHR manager does not get interested in doing
any innovative venture. A few appreciations may get them a substantial mental boost up.
4. Failure in understanding role: General managerial roles may not be fully understood
by be managers. This failure is due to lack of knowledge about the specialty of a degree of
responsibility. This failure may create distance between these managers.
5. Difficulty in quantifying outcomes: Many outcomes may not be quantified. But
SHRM tries to enjoy the contribution. This is not always possible. Participation, work etc.
type function cannot be quantified because of their intangibility.
6. Wong perception on human assets: Investment in human assets may be regarded as
high risk than that of technology and information. Though these technologies are run by
the human resources, this wrong perception may inhibit the progress.
7. Resistance: SHR Managers may be resisted because of the incentives for change that
might arise. The change implemented demand some incentives for efforts to execute the
changed program. If these incentives are not given, they may create barriers.
HR should take the lead in driving change management. Change is a given in today’s
competitive world, and the company that manages change best will most likely best its
competitors.
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

The HR staff should train the company workforce to figure out how to capitalize on a
changing business environment and train company leaders to embrace the opportunities
change can bring.

Linking HR strategy with Business Strategy

When business owners and managers formulate business plans and strategies, they often
leave out an important component of these plans. Human resources staff are often not
consulted nor invited to participate in the planning process.
When marketing, sales, manufacturing or finance are asked to implement their strategies
and tactics for the coming year, they may find themselves short-handed, or worse, with
people with the wrong aptitudes.
Aligning HR with business strategies makes sense and helps ensure the company can
realize goals.
Function
With HR at the planning table, HR can forecast how many people will be needed and with
what skills. HR can inventory the current workforce to see who can be promoted to new
positions, who should be trained and how and what recruitment and outsourcing strategies
might be necessary to fulfill the plan.

Significance
HR should take the lead in driving change management. Change is a given in today’s
competitive world, and the company that manages change best will most likely best its
competitors. The HR staff should train the company workforce to figure out how to
capitalize on a changing business environment and train company leaders to embrace the
opportunities change can bring.
Potential
If employees are connected to company strategy and goals and are acknowledged for high
performance, the goals are more easily met. Engaged employees are vital to company
productivity. HR can be a key player at the strategy table if it develops performance
management goals based on company objectives.
Considerations
HR has a delicate balancing act to develop compensation strategies that balance company
finances with employee expectations. If compensation is too low, employees leave for
greener pastures.
If it is too high, the company income statement can be adversely affected. HR must be
included in product development efforts and ensure the right staff is on hand for this
function.
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

Effects
HR departments typically track data on the success of recruitment efforts or how many
people received what kind of training. But this is not sufficient. The better metrics are
those that establish the long-term links of HR to company success. A more important
metric might be how well the company does at retaining key personnel, those who
contribute most to the bottom line.

Roles and Responsibilities of HR Managers

With advancement in technology, conventional methods are being replaced by new-age
techniques. Globalization is on the rise and companies are spreading out all around the
world, no longer restricted by geographical barriers. Economies are rising and falling and
evolving continuously. Adding to the turmoil are stringent laws and regulations passed,
leading to a constant void waiting to be filled with effective policies that follow all the
legal guidelines and at the same time are not compromising on the organization’s survival.
In a quest to integrate the operations and strategies of a business across a wide array of
products, services, ideas, and cultures, the role of human resource managers is constantly
evolving. HR managers, who were once confined to handling basic data work and routine
record keeping amongst employees, are now exposed to an evolving nature of diverse
workforce complexities, legal obligations, and strategic management of the organizational
goals. With that background, let’s shed some light on the HR functions and the role of HR
managers:
1-Recruitment
This is the one function which is hand in glove with HR. Recruitment has been one of the
major responsibilities of the HR team. It is the job of HR personnel to plan and devise
strategic campaigns and guidelines for recruiting suitable candidates for a required job
description. They also have to serve as a mediator between the employer and the candidate
and communicate company policies and terms of the contract to the candidate before he is
hired.
2-Training
Not all is done once you’ve recruited a suitable candidate for the job. Many organizations
perform tasks a tad differently. Training employee is important to help the new hires get
acquainted with the organization’s work pattern. It is imperative for the HR department to
incorporate a training program for every new employee based on the skill set required for
their job. It will further also contribute towards employee motivation and retention.
For the training to be effective, every new employee can be subjected to an on-the-job
training for the initial days to get him in sync with the work guidelines of the organization.
This training will not only be of assistance to the employee but also give the HR team an
insight into the employee’s workmanship. On completion of the training, HR plays a
significant role in assessing the results of the training program and grading employees on
the same.
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

3-Professional Development
Closely related to training, developing your employees professionally is an added bonus
for the employee as well as the organization. Enrolling the employee to attend
conferences, trade shows, seminars etc. that may be in his personal interest will make the
employee feel cared-for and a vital part of the organization, thus increasing employee
engagement. It will be beneficial to the organization by way of the employee’s added skill
set.
4-Appraisals
Since HRM is a body meant for the employees, carrying out timely performance appraisals
is a given. Performance appraisals help in employee motivation by encouraging them to
work to their fullest potential. It also enables to give them feedback on their work and
suggest necessary measures for the same. This helps employees to have a clear view of
what is expected of them and what they are delivering. They can thus, work well towards
improving their performance and achieving targets. The role of HR (especially the HR
manager) in this would be to have a policy of generating timely appraisal reports and a
review of the same by the authorities. The HR team should communicate individually with
employees and give a clear feedback or suggestion on their performance. A system to
reward employees excelling at their work would help in employee motivation and thus
garner a higher degree of productivity and employee engagement.
5-Maintaining Work Culture
It is the duty of the HR to maintain a healthy, safe, and fun work environment to ensure a
level of comfort amongst the employees and eliminate any stressful or awkward
atmosphere that may hinder the performance of the staff. It is vital to have an efficient
work atmosphere, because an individual’s performance largely depends on the
surrounding, he’s working in. It would be great to have an open-door policy up to some
extent wherein employees can freely communicate and voice their opinions to be given
consideration. The HR department’s role is to be a friendly body with an open attitude. By
communicating and treating every employee as equal, the HR can build a rapport with the
employees. This goes a long way in increasing employee engagement and gives a higher
job satisfaction.

6-Resolving Conflicts
Where different people have different views, conflicts are almost inevitable. Whether the
dispute is amongst two or more employees or between the employee and the management,
an HR manager has the right to intervene and help map out a solution.
The HR should be available at the disposal of the conflicting parties and hear out their
issues without being judgmental. Prior investigations are a must before passing any
judgment. The HR head is not expected to discriminate or play favorites in this matter and
always deliver an unbiased and practical decision. A reimbursement in case of any loss
caused and strict actions against the defaulter should be practiced for effective conflict
resolution by the HRM.
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

7-Employee Relations
The Human Resources is called so because its major responsibility is dealing with the
human part of the organization and this involves having great interpersonal skills. An HR
manager who sits in the office all day will not turn out to be good at building connections
with the employees and thus fail to serve the purpose of being an HR head. As an HR
person, employees should feel comfortable coming up to you with their problems and for
that, it is important that the HR team builds a good public image within the organization.
The HR team has to be proactive and know their employees. An HR personnel’s job is not
a desk job altogether. The HR head’s role is to establish the trust and confidence of the
employees and not have a “don’t mess with me” demeanor. He should be looked upon as
both an HR expert and an employee advocate.
8-Rewards and Incentives
Rewarding the employees for a work well done imparts motivation and at the same time
induces a desire to excel at tasks in hope of obtaining rewards. It serves as bait for
inculcating a healthy competitive environment amongst employees to achieve targets and
meet deadlines. A reward need not be materialistic always. It could just be a word of
appreciation in front of all coworkers for a menial task done with complete honesty.
However, with globalization and evolving trends, compensations like holiday packages,
pay incentive, bonuses, and promotion are taking a backseat. If as an HR manager you are
wanting to reward your employees efficiently, it’s time you adapt new ways of awarding
benefits such as flexible work times, paternity leave, extended holidays, telecommuting
etc. These non-traditional rewards will prove fruitful not only in engaging existing
workforce but also as an added benefit to attract new talent to your organization.
9-Legal Knowledge
This may seem the least glamorous of all, but is an important aspect of the HRM. An HR
manager should always be in compliance with the law. Whether it’s drafting new policies
or writing terms of a contract, it is the HR department’s job to build guidelines keeping the
laws in mind.
This ensures an organization’s continued growth and existence. While drafting policies,
the HR should always ensure to be at an upper hand legally and keep the organization’s
practices in tune with the labor laws, tax laws, permissible working hours, minimum
wages, and a no-discrimination policy.
10-Organization
An HR head is responsible for organizing all functions of the organization. To start with, it
includes employee on-boarding, i.e. welcoming new employees. It is a must for every HR
head to carry out an induction for every new hire, and give them an orientation regarding
the company policies and rules.
The HR personnel should also introduce the new employees to their colleagues and assign
them a mentor. It also involves listing out job expectations and defining roles and
responsibilities, thus getting the new employees in tune with the working of the
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

organization. The HR personnel are also responsible for organizing and storing all
employee data efficiently and keeping it secure.
11-Management
Management is the most important job of an HR manager. It is what defines a good HR
manager. Management extends right from managing employees to managing the
employers and the whole HR department as well.
The role of an HR manager is to manage, create, implement and supervise
policies/regulations, which are mandatory for every employee and also have knowledge of
its appropriate functioning. Monitoring attendance and tracking leaves forms a major
chunk of the HR management function. There should be a proper management of the
clock-in/out time to avoid late arrivals and track overtimes and half-days.
As mentioned before, the HR as a department should also be well managed by the HR
head. If the HR department itself is in a state of chaos, it cannot serve as a peacemaker for
the other departments.
12-Payroll Management
Once all the attendance monitoring, leave tracking, clock in/outs etc. is tracked and
monitored, it’s time for the most important aspect–calculating the payroll. Efficient
calculation of salaries, wage-cuts, reimbursements, and generation of pay slips amounts to
the role of HR managers in payroll management.
The HR manager should maintain transparency and provide the employees with
information as and when asked. The HR should ensure not only accurate calculations of
salaries but also timely transfer of the same.
They also have an obligation towards exiting employees in settlement of dues and
compensations.
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS:
As the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) puts it:
“Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are tools businesses use to achieve organizational
objectives—tools that have profound impacts on the employees of the organizations at
every level as two organizations attempt to integrate into one. A merger is generally
defined as the joining of two or more different organizations under one common owner
and management structure. An acquisition is the process of one corporate entity acquiring
control of another corporate entity by purchase, stock swap or some other method”.

HR’s Role After the Merger or Acquisition

After the merger or acquisition, HR is now primarily tasked with making sure everything
continues marching forward. This involves a couple of things:

• New policies
• Key employee retention
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

• Downsizing and redundancy management

• Compensation, benefits, etc.
• Cultural fit overtime
• New policies
• Key employee retention
• Downsizing and redundancy management
• Compensation, benefits, etc.
• Cultural fit overtime

HRM Linkage with TQM

Link is very much clear when Human resources of the company are satisfied, they work
with their full extent through this the productivity of the company rises and reaches to a
higher point and if Human resources are dissatisfied, the productivity decreases. Making
quality improvements was once thought to be the sole responsibility of specialists (quality
engineers, product designers, and process engineers). Today, developing quality across the
entire firm can be an important function of the human resource management (HRM)
department.
A failure on HRM’s part to recognize this opportunity and act on it may result in the loss
of TQM implementation responsibilities to other departments with less expertise in
training and development. The ultimate consequence of this loss is an ineffective
piecemealing of the TQM strategy. Thus, HRM act as the pivotal change agent necessary
for the successful implementation of TQM.

HRM linkage with Productivity

As the business world continues on a ruthless drive to pick up the pace on a consistent
level, the notion of productivity becomes a greater cause for debate and concern. With
reports that most workforces run at about 9% capacity, there’s a real spotlight on how we
can stimulate greater productivity in order to keep in step with today’s faster and more
dynamic world.
It’s almost an irony that despite the plethora of new world technology making it
increasingly easy to keep in touch and connect with our co-workers, that in actual fact, the
majority of people consider themselves disconnected from the organization they’re a part
of. With this in mind, reinstating people as active contributors to a company has to be the
key in a demand for increased productivity.
Human resources teams are in a unique position to reach out to the workforce and design
measures to increase a sense of inclusion. Working towards bigger goals that relate back to
their own jobs along with appropriate reward, can effectively combat the problem of poor
productivity.
Numerous studies have focused on these points in recent years, and most come to the same
conclusion; that a combination of methods and incentives are required to really tackle this
 Mrs. Nisha Pandey Assistant Professor (Human Resource Management)

issue. Having a great rewards scheme in place as an example, may be effective to a point
and may appeal to a percentage of people, but on its own the cut-through will be limited.
Recruitment and training is undoubtedly another significant part of the puzzle,
appropriately, sourcing the right people for the roles and for the culture of the company in
question, but also placing serious emphasis on continual development.

How Does Technology Impact HR Practices?

Technology changes the way HR departments contact employees, store files and analyze
employee performance. Used well, technology makes HR practices more efficient. When
used poorly, it can get in the way of managing the company's human resources. Good HR
practices maximize the benefits and minimize the problems
• Recruiting Transformed by the Internet
• Ease of Communication
• Data Analysis of Employee Performance
• Too Much Data
• Security Practices
• Recruiting and Hiring
• Benefits Administration
• Staff Development and Training
• Workplace Investigations
• IT Security
• Management Strategies.