UNIT – I Lesson 1 HRM – AN OVERVIEW Lesson Outline Nature of ...

• every opportunity for advancement and knowledge should be provided
• they should be guided but their liberties should not be curbed
• they should be chosen to the right job and right place
• they need adequate salary, perquisites and comforts.
Managing people is an art. A wrong handling may lead to conflicts. A dissatisfied
worker may absent or quit labour absenteeism and labour turnover are costly to
the organization.
Organization does not represent assets and money alone. Every organization is a
social institution. They have a responsibility to their employees, society and the
government which gives protection and infra-structure.
The core of any organization is its people represented by workers. It has as much
responsibility to them as they have to the shareholders. This art of managing men and
women in organization has led to the birth and development of HRM.
People Management – Indian Scenario
In the 50’s there was a strong belief that employees were recruited not to question
‘why’ but only ‘to do and die’. In the 60s, terms like manpower, staff and personnel came
to be used and instead of controlling the employees, it became more and more acceptable
to manage personnel as it was felt that the productivity of the workers could be improved,
if they were organized for the work. While hierarchy, status, authority, responsibility and
accountability are structural concepts, in the Indian context, emotions, feelings, empathetic
perceptions, impressions influenced people more than anything else.
The Indian organizations are experiencing some, transitions and changes. The
workforce of the 50’s and 60’s have retired. The middle level is now at the top with the
hangover of all middle class values. The new generation of MBAs are pouring into
industrial organizations. Young executives in their mid 30s are heading HRD/HRM
divisions in big companies. Moreover due to very great strides in information technology,
there is a need to manage this tradition and give a direction to this change process. The
HRM strategies in India in the 21 st century is focusing on individual organization interface
and greater emphasis on organizational effectiveness than on personal success.