Running Head:BOOK REVIEW

Human Resources Management Policies And Practise

Human Resources Management Policies And Practise

Introduction

Today's organizations are confronted with increased global competition, which poses a difficult challenge for them in general, and for HRM specialists in particular. The HRM staff must try to develop HRM programs that improve organizational productivity and enhance its effectiveness. Attaining these goals will help ensure that UK businesses will be competitive in national and world arenas. (Torrington, 1998, 37)

The book “Human Resource Management: Principles and Practice” would be useful to MBA students and other post-graduate students of management who are specializing in human resource management.

The fundamental to a strategic perspective is that HRM policies and practices influence organizational performance. This new, more proactive approach to HRM represents a shift from a more traditional view of personnel that focused on micro issues such as an individual worker's performance and satisfaction to the new role of HRM that can be simply described as one of helping managers maximize the contribution of employees in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Organizations are increasingly becoming focused on being competitive on a national and global level. The importance of the recruitment and selection process is vital for organizational competitiveness and a failure to approach this function effectively will have consequences for future job performance. Numerous authors have emphasized the importance of integrating the recruitment and selection processes into organizational strategies and HR systems as well as the necessity to respond to changes in the organization's environment. (Foot, 1999, 82-89)

Discussion

Organizations have implemented incentive plans for a variety of reasons: high labor costs, competitive product markets, slow technological advances, and high potential for production bottlenecks. While these reasons are still offered, contemporary arguments for incentive plans focus on pay-for-performance and link compensation rewards to organizational goals. (Margaret, 1999, 164)

Learning objecties focus student attention on upcoming chapter content and shows what happens to the human resource manager or the organization. Cases at the end of chapters provide students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in making managerial decisions and recommendations. These case studies present current HRM issues that allow for critical analysis. Numerous review and discussion questions follow each chapter. These are designed to enhance learning and sustain interest.

The traditional role of the HR/personnel department has essentially been functional in nature and has revolved around specialized tasks such as HR planning, recruiting, job analysis, performance review, compensation, training, and legislative compliance. Certainly hiring, firing, and providing benefits to employees remain important tasks that must be accomplished in any effective organization. However, as a result of dramatic changes in the external environment such as deregulation, a new, more strategic approach to HRM becomes vital. (Armstrong, 1999, 95)

The organization is constantly changing to respond to changes in its environment, for instance, the structure of the organization may change and jobs redesigned to improve efficiency or reduce costs. However, one of the fundamental mistakes made by management is the failure to allocate "the right people to the right jobs" once these changes occur. (Torrington, 1998, 61-65) Such "economically" inspired" tactics ...