Lecture One Q. 1) Discuss the importance of Human Resource Management.

People have always been central to organizations, but their strategic importance is growing in todays knowledge-based industries. An organizations success increasingly depends on the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) of employees, particularly as they help establish a set of core competencies that distinguish an organization from its competitors. With appropriate HR policies and practices an organization can hire, develop and use best brains in the marketplace, realise its professed goals and deliver results better than others. Human Resource Management helps an organization and its people to realise their respective goals thus: i) At the enterprise level: Good human resource practices can help in attracting and retaining the best people in the organization. Planning alerts the company to the types of people it will need in the short, medium and long run. It helps in training people for challenging roles, developing right attitudes towards the job and the company, promoting team spirit among employees and developing loyalty and commitment through appropriate reward schemes. ii) At the individual level: Effective management of human resources helps employees thus: It promotes team work and team spirit among employees. It offers excellent growth opportunities to people who have the potential to rise. It allows people to work with diligence and commitment. iii) At the society level: Society, as a whole, is the major beneficiary of good human resource practices. Employment opportunities multiply. Scarce talents are put to best use. Companies that pay and treat people well always race ahead of others and deliver excellent results. iv) At the national level: Effective use of human resources helps in exploitation of natural, physical and financial resources in a better way. People with right skills, proper attitudes and appropriate values help the nation to get ahead and compete with the best in the world leading to better standard of living and better employment.

Q. 2) What is Human Resource Management? What are its functions and objectives? Human Resource Management is the planning, organizing, directing & controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance & separation of human resources to the end that individual, organizational & societal objectives are accomplished. The functions of HRM can be broadly classified into two categories, viz., (I) Managerial functions and (II) Operative functions. I. Managerial Functions: Managerial Functions of personnel management involve planning, organising, directing, and controlling. All these functions influence the operative functions. (i) Planning: It is a pre-determined course of action. Planning is determination of personnel programmes and changes in advance that will contribute to the organizational goals. (ii) Organizing: An organization is a means to an end. Organization establishes relationships among the employees so that they can collectively contribute to the attainment of company goals. (iii) Directing: The next logical function after completing planning and organizing is the execution of the plan. The basic function of personnel management at any level is motivating, commanding, leading and activating people. The willing and effective cooperation of employees for the attainment of organizational goals is possible through proper direction. (iv) Controlling: After planning, organizing and directing the various activities of the personnel management, the performance is to be verified in order to know that the personnel functions are performed in conformity with the plans and directions. II. Operative Functions: The operative functions of personnel management are related to specific activities of personnel management, viz., employment, development, compensation and relations. All these functions are interacted by managerial functions. 1. Employment: It is the first operative function of Human Resource Management. Employment is concerned with securing and employing the people possessing required kind and level of human resources necessary to achieve the organizational objectives. It covers the functions such as job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, placement, induction and internal mobility. 2. Human Resources Development: It is the process of improving, moulding and changing the skills, knowledge, creative ability, aptitude, attitude, values, commitment etc., based on present and future job and organizational requirements. This function includes Performance Appraisal, Training, Management Development, Career Planning and Development and Organization Development.

3. Compensation: It is the process of providing adequate, equitable and fair remuneration to the employees. It includes job evaluation, wage and salary administration, incentives, bonus, fringe benefits, social security measures etc. 4. Human Relations: Practicing various human resources policies and programmes like employment, development and compensation and interaction among employees create a sense of relationship between the individual worker and management, among workers and Trade unions and management.

The objectives of Human Resource Management may be as follows:

1. To create and utilise an able and motivated workforce, to accomplish the basic organizational goals. 2. To establish and maintain sound organizational structure and desirable working relationships among all the members of the organization. 3. To secure the integration of individual and groups within the organization by coordination of the individual and group goals with those of the organization. 4. To create facilities and opportunities for individual or group development so as to match it with the growth of the organization. 5. To attain an effective utilization of human resources in the achievement of organizational goals. 6. To identify and satisfy individual and group needs by providing adequate and equitable wages, incentives, employee benefits and social security and measures for challenging work, prestige, recognition, security, status, etc. 7. To maintain high employee morale and sound human relations by sustaining and improving the various conditions and facilities. 8. To strengthen and appreciate the human assets continuously by providing training and developmental programmes. 9. To consider and contribute to the minimisation of socio-economic evils such as unemployment, under-employment, inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth and to improve the welfare of the society by providing employment opportunities to women and disadvantaged sections of the society. 10. To provide an opportunity for expression and voice in management. 11. To provide fair, acceptable and efficient leadership.

12. To provide facilities and conditions of work and creation of favourable atmosphere for maintaining stability of employment. Management has to create conductive environment and provide necessary pre-requisites for the attainment of the personnel management objectives after formulating them.