Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Boddy (2008) defines Human Resource Management (HRM) as â€Å"the effective use of human resources in order to enhance organizational performance† (p.354). Human resource management is one of the core areas of organizational functions. Even though an organization has many resources such as manpower, materials, machines and money, manpower or human resource seems to the most important one. Context for HRM & key concepts and practices associated with HRM According to Torrington et al. (2011), â€Å"Human resource management (HRM) is the basis of all management activity†( p.4). In fact all the management activities in an organization start from HR. If HR fails to identify and post suitable talents, the organization may not develop properly. The right person at the right place at the right time will always bring benefits to the organization. Since human resource managers are responsible for recruitment, placements, training, development and retention of the employees; the performances of human resource department is vital for the success of an organization. It should be noted that most of the current organizations are operating internationally and diversity in the workforce is not a myth but a fact. Diverse workforce often brings different types of conflicts in the workplace. HR department is responsible for settling such disputes. Strategic HRM is gaining popularity at present because of the globalized nature of organizations a nd the workforce. Paauwe & Boselie (2005) mentioned that â€Å"HRM practices should focus particularly on employee development, the encouragement of learning and knowledge management†. Knowledge management is vital for organizations to stay competitive in the heavily globalized and competitive market. It is necessary to update the knowledge of the employees periodically to make them capable of dealing with the new challenges. Training and development are necessary for the employees to update their skills and knowledge. HR department is responsible for organising training for the employees. As mentioned earlier, majority of the organizations have diverse workforce at present. Diverse workforce often brings a variety of challenges to HRM. Work philosophy, attitudes, skill sets, ethics, values, language, communication means, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds of diverse workforces are extremely different. For example, many American companies are currently operating in China and these companies have many American employees along with Chinese employees. China and America are entirely different countries in terms of politics and culture. American employees may face lot of problems related to culture and politics while working in China. HR managers are responsible for providing necessary training to such employees before sending them to China. In short, HR management principles are changing as time goes on because of the huge changes happening in the global business world. The success of an organization depends on how well the HR department deals with such changes and makes corrections in its strategies. Along with employee recruitment, training and development, employee retention is another critical area handled by HR department. It should be noted that smart employees always get better opportunities. It is the duty of the HR managers to provide necessary motivation for work to the employees. Better remuneration and incentives alone may not motivate the employees to stick w ith an organization. Along with remuneration, current employees are particular about the work culture, organizational climate and work-life