Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management The focus of human resource management (HRM) is to manage people within the employer-employee relationship (Stone, 1995). However, such a broad definition is unable to distinguish HRM from its' predecessor' - Personnel Management. Some say that HRM "involves the productive utilisation of people" (Stone, 1995: p. 4), and is therefore more proactive than Personnel Management (Harrison, 1993: p.32). Others say that HRM is unique in that it seeks to strategically integrate the human resource (HR) function …

…eve. HRM is much more than the achievement of success through a chief executive with vision. The CEO of an organisation has "primary responsibility for insuring the corporation's short-and long-term profitability and growth" (Ginzberg and Vojta, 1985:p. 165). HRM is about coping with change, and places an emphasis on planning, monitoring and control (Armstrong, 1987: p. 35). It has also become the responsibility of all line managers (Ezzamel, 1996: p. 73). This is clearly beyond the role of the CEO.