In order to understand the role of the Human Resources department in the management training process, there must first be an understanding of the origin and true intention of the implementation of such department. Many business professionals may be under the impression that Human Resources is a modern institution created around the industrial era made famous by the teaching and research of Dave Ulrich. To a certain extent this would be a correct assumption. There are multiple perceptions of the modern Human Resources institution, some perceive the department to strictly be an enforcer of company policy, others might see Human Resources as a department focused solely on the maximization of human potential within the constrains of the law …show more content…
Fast-forward two thousand years into the 19th century and the world encounters the first industrial revolution. This was a period in time in which technology advanced with such posthaste that traditional manufacturing and trade was outmoded virtually overnight. Even with an influx in manufacturing technology the human element was not dispatched. As a matter of fact industry leaders recognized the value of employee productivity and the impact it had on business. In order to meet the ever-increasing business demand manufactures began to employ children. Unfortunately value was placed on work rate and not the wellbeing of these new employees. Many children worked in hazardous conditions and had no hope of receiving even a basic education. Child mortality and disfigurement was alarmingly high as these children were often working in mines or around large industrial machinery. Not soon after the employment of children became standard in the manufacturing industry did a new discourse begin to take place. Unions were formed, legislation was demanded and a paradigm shift took place propelling the issue of employee safety to the forefront of business dialogue. Unions as collective organizations seek to represent their members in relation to the flux and flow of labor–capital relations and in doing so inadvertently took
In analyzing the concepts discussed in Human Resource Management, I have found an interesting mix of education and forethought into the role of a human resource manager. Many of the aspect of human resource management such as HR planning, recruitment and selection, as well as, human resources development and labor relations all play a significant role in the success of any organization. There are many benefits to the learning that has taken place in this course that has helped me better understand HRM and its roll that will shape not only my position in business now but for future
Human resource is an appellation used in referring to the workforce of an organization or company. Human resource management is involved in the act of putting together employees in an organized manner to assure the objectives of the organization are achieved in a competent and experienced manner. Human resources are the most important services of any organization since they are the catalysts of non-human resources and the medium for developing competitive advantages and sounds of creativity. No organization can exist without a human resources department (Walsh, 2009). A company without an HR department would be reducing its operations and could collapse within a short amount of time.
Human resource departments today have a more distinct, calculated position within organizations, and human resource strategy influences the bottom line. “One of the challenges for HR leaders is convincing executive leadership teams that human capital is one of the most important resources in which the company can invest” (Mayhew, 2014, p.). Subsequently, “this return on investment is an essential part of the argument for including HR as part of an overall business strategy” (Mayhew, 2014, p.). Human resource departments utilize the information given to them from company executives and leaders, coupled with their respective expertise on all things personnel, and they plan and implement staffing concerns for the betterment of the organization. From preparing job analysis, to comparing inventory and forecasting, it is the responsibility of human resources to consider the objectives of an organization and fulfill those goals while operating the specific planning relative to HR.
Throughout history, children have always worked, either as apprentices or servants. However, child labor reached a whole new scale during the time period of the Industrial Revolution. Throughout the time frame of late 1800s-early 1900s, children worked long hours in dangerous factory conditions for very little wages. They were considered useful as laborers because their small stature allowed them to be cramped into smaller spaces, and they could be paid less for their services. Many worked to help support their families, and by doing so, they forwent their education. Numerous nineteenth century reformers and labor groups sought to restrict child labor and to improve working conditions.
During the industrial revolution in Britain, the usage of child labourers dramatically increased as it became a cheap and easy form of labour. This lead to the continued abuse of many children in textile factories. In 1833, the Factory Act of 1833 was put forth which dictated that no children under the age of nine would work. Children ages nine to thirteen wouldn’t work more than nine hours a day and children ages thirteen to eighteen wouldn’t work more than twelve hours a day. In addition it introduced the circulation of four factory inspectors who were to enforce the new legislation. They were to certify whether children had received their compulsory education of two hours each day and report conditions to the government. This act brought forth attention and sparked debates from the public which made stronger note of the working conditions for children.
The working conditions of the average laborer during the industrial revolution were oftentimes harsh and dangerous as seen in documents in 1,2,3 and 5. According to the Sadler Committee of 1832, men were forced to work excessively long hours and were whipped to stay awake. (Doc. 1) Additionally, the Sadler Committee revealed that many workers have suffered from infections, disease and muscle problems. (Doc. 2) This shows that industrial factory owners oftentimes exploited their laborers for profit. Andrew Ure’s The Philosophy of Manufactures reveals that children in the factory
Throughout the American Industrial Revolution, child labor in industries such as textiles, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, laboring, street work, and domestic work was endemic in the United States. Several factors, including mechanization, urbanization, industrialization, poverty, labor shortages, and lack of regulation were the primary causes for this increase in child labor. Children, as young as three years old, worked from sunrise to sunset in factories, mines, fields, and mills where conditions were excruciating. The arduous work resulted in myriad deleterious effects, namely, afflictive injuries, pitiful deaths, and bleak futures. In order to curtail the abusive conditions, numerous people championed the rights of child laborers and ultimately achieved their concordant goal of gaining federal regulation of minimum employment ages, permissible types of jobs, and duration of work hours for youths.
In the year 1870, 739,164 children between the ages of 10 and 15 were employed in the United falling just short of 20 percent of the workforce. Thirty years later in the 1900 census, two million children were working in mills, mines, fields, factories, stores, and on city streets across the United States. But with increasing numbers of children being put into the workforce, the conditions in which they worked rapidly declined. Such rapidly declining conditions were due to “compulsory education laws, massive inflows of inexpensive immigrant labor, and technological innovations such as the widespread use of telephones instead of messenger boys.” Primarily being employed in the farming, factories, and transportation, industrial safety became a major issue. Around 1900, industrial jobs caused approximately 30,000 deaths and 1 million injuries per year, and factory owners seldom took any responsibility. The most dangerous industry was amongst the railroads where “Fires, machinery accidents, train wrecks and other misfortunes were common.” Because such a large portion of the work force was made up of children, the formation of “the child-saving movement” began, and started to gain some national momentum.
Today 's fast-paced, competitive business environment has resulted in "rediscovery" of the human resource management function as a group that may be able to enhance firm competitiveness and performance by being "strategic" (Dyer & Kochan, 1995; Ulrich, 1997). Strategic Human Resource Management is a term describing an integrated approach to the development of Human Resource Strategy that will enable the organization to achieve its goals (Armstrong, 2005). Whiles strategy is an action that managers take to attain one or more of the organization’s goals. Strategy presents a general direction set for the company and its various components to achieve a desired state in the future. This results from the detailed
Human resources involves workers who are in charge of the organization and responsible for implementing strategies and policies that relate to the management of individuals. It is a very important part of a company’s success and ultimately decides how much the company can grow and achieve (Vasquez, 2003). Human resource managers seek to achieve this success by arranging the supply
In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century of England, the Industrial Revolution occurred. It is marked as an important movement in history because it introduced steam-driven machinery, large factories, and a new working class. With new manufacturing, job opportunities opened up. As the demand for employees rose, that is when the working class also began to rise. However, it not only included adults but children as well. The main reason for children to work is because it benefits the employers and their families economically. Employers made profit by having children work for low wages, and the money the children made would go towards the family income and necessities to survive. The low adult wages would not suffice for a neutral family or extended, so children had no choice but to work and help support their family. Although in need of money, there were too many dangers involved when the children were working. As a result of this, the state legislation had Acts passed for the children’s safety. The Industrial Revolution had many upsides in modernizing England, but it also uncovered that children should not be seen as workers needing money, but as young human beings that need education and protection, and the only way to initiate this is with the involvement of the state.
Human resources are the most valuable assets of any organization, with the machines, materials and even the money; nothing gets done without man-power. In today’s business climate, businesses are faced with stiff internal and external competition. There are various human resource functions that give an organization a competitive edge, but most scholars argue that human resource functions becomes only operational when training has run through them all. This places training and development as an essential function in the survival of any organization. Increasingly, high performance organizations today are recognizing the need to use best training and development practices to enhance their competitive advantage.
(Laslett, 1970) Coupled with these innovations was the new concept of applying scientific methodology to industrial processes. (Laslett, 1970) All of these changes, while beneficial to businesses, did little to improve the lot of the industrial laborer. (Laslett, 1970) One of the key complaints of an entirely unregulated labor force in the late 1800s was the extensive use and abuse of child labor. In 1870, nearly three quarters of a million children between the ages of ten and fifteen worked in hazardous aspects of manufacturing, agriculture and street trade. (Laslett, 1970) By 1880, that number was over one point one million, or one in every six children in that age group. (Laslett, 1970) By 1900, that number doubled. The conditions under which children worked were very dangerous. They worked the same shifts as adults (about 12 hours a day, six days a week), denying them the opportunity for school and play. (Laslett, 1970) The factories, mills, mines and other work venues in which they labored were unsafe and unregulated. Children were also often used in the most dangerous aspects of industrial work, such as clearing jammed machines or working in confined spaces too small for adults. (Laslett, 1970) In 1881, only seven states had any kind of regulation laws for child laborer. Desperate for money to survive, immigrants and working-class Americans forged
The role of the human resources (HR) department can play a significant role in the success and achievements of an organization. The department, which has evolved from the
It is necessary for human resource management to have a proper human resource planning. “Human resource planning involves planning that assure a firm’s needs for employees”, says Madura. She also includes that human resource planning consists of three tasks which are forecasting staffing needs, job analysis (Madura, 2007). Recruiting and selecting the right employee is not enough. There is a necessity to provide continuous training and development to the employees to be more productive and efficient. With great training, it enables the employees to be more innovative, creative, motivated and thus increase their working performance. Training can be through various types such as on the job training, off the job training, job rotation and scholarships.