Human Resources

HRM Guide

Introduction

HR Topics

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Human Resource Management in a Business Context
2nd edition

by Alan Price

Human Resource Management in a Business Context provides an international focus on the theory and practice of people management. A thorough and comprehensive overview of all the key aspects of HRM, including case studies, articles from HRM Guide and other sources, key concepts, review questions and problems for discussion and analysis.

The Concept of HRM

Chapter 2 of Human Resource Management in a Business Context looks in more depth at the development of HRM and a number of influential HRM models. The objectives of the chapter are to:

- Outline the variety of ways in which HRM is defined.
- Offer a working definition for the purposes of this book.
- Discuss the most influential early models of HRM.
- Review some of the evidence for the adoption of HRM

Defining human resource management
Many people find HRM to be a vague and elusive concept...

Maps and models of HRM This section begins with a discussion of various approaches to HRM...

The Harvard map of human resource management

HRM policies and their consequences

A harder approach - people as human resources

Adopting HRM

Professional certification

Different interpretations of HRM

- HRM in the USA

- HRM in other countries

Schools of thought

Summary

The meaning and prevalence of HRM are topics that continue to attract debate and disagreement. As a consequence, practitioners and textbook authors use a diverse and sometimes contradictory range of interpretations. We found that HRM has a variety of definitions but there is general agreement that it has a closer fit with business strategy than previous models, specifically personnel management. The early models of HRM take either a 'soft' or a 'hard' approach, but economic circumstances are more likely to drive the choice than any question of humanitarianism. The extent of adoption of HRM is also problematic, with many commentators disputing its prevalence and the evidence for adoption still slow in coming.

Review questions

Case Study for discussion and analysis - HRM at IBM

> Chapter 1 > Chapter 3

Human Resource Management
in a Business Context

2nd Edition 2004
by Alan Price
Published by
Thomson Learning
ISBN 186152966X

Preview contents of the second edition:
Human Resource Management in a Business Context

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