TABLE OF CONTENTS By the end of this chapter you will be able to:
Understand some of the influences on the business environment that has changed the approaches to employing people.
Explain the origins of human resources (HR) and their development over the last 100 years.
Evaluate a selection of HR models and appreciate their inherent contradictions.
Identify the roles and purpose of HR in today's environment.
Comprehend the links between HR management (HRM) practices and high performance.
Describe ways in which the effectiveness of a HR department can be evaluated.
Sarah was waiting anxiously in the reception area of the head office of Meteor Telecoms. It was her first day with the organisation as a Trainee HR Officer and she was not sure what to expect. Her 2(1) degree in Business Studies had pleased her with an especially good mark for her final year dissertation on the 'learning organisation'.
She had enjoyed the selection process 3 months before, which had involved an assessment centre spread over a very long day and had been overjoyed by being offered the position. This had sounded exciting with considerable opportunities for personal development and promotion in a quickly growing organisation, although the actual job description seemed a little vague. She had been told that her work load would have considerable variety, joining a number of project groups as well as getting involved in head office recruitment and training. She was to work for David Martin, Personnel Director who joined...
