What Does It Mean to Be a Human and to Be a Human Resource - Literature review Example

The “Human” in Human Resource Management Name Grade Tutor’s Name Date The “Human” in Human Resource Management What started as personnel management (PM) eventually became industrial relations (IR), and today, it is known as human resource management (HRM). While it may appear like the changes from PM to IR and later to HRM is simply a change in names, there are clear intellectual and vocational sides to the changes. Arguably, the development of HRM did away with the counterproductive, arbitrary and harsh standards of employing, training, and planning for the employees. Upon inception, the HRM concept was associated with the functions of selecting, compensating, training and labour relations management. Theoretically, the HRM philosophy is anchored on participative management and perceives employees as assets. The employment relationship is intended to be a positive-sum game, where mutual gains for the employer and the employees are attained. In reality however, the theoretical definition of HRM is not always applicable in real life since HRM is perceived as emphasizing the management’s role in commanding and controlling employees. Consequently, employees are perceived as a commodity that operates in short-run costs, and the relationship between the employee and the employer is perceived as a zero-sum game. Operationally, the new HRM though is perceived as seeking to contain costs and dissuade employees from joining labour unions; strategically, the new HRM thought seeks to negotiate and manage any adversarial relations coming from the employment relationship. This essay argues that the reality of HRM is that the human aspect of treating employees is lacking in most organisations. The essay will seek to prove that in most cases, a mutual-gain rewards system is absent and organisations do not optimally ‘get in touch’ with the human aspect in the employees. What it means to be human To be human simply means that an employee is a social actor capable of morally committing to a cause (Bolton & Houlihan 2007, p.7). Additionally, being human means that an employee is involved with the society, and that his/her activities occur within layered and multiple action frameworks (Bolton & Houlihan 2007, p. 7). Based on the foregoing explanation of what the ‘human’ in HRM is, it is argued that the sense that makes human beings capable of being situated within a community where commitment, moral sentiments and obligations exist cannot be questioned (Sayer 2005, p. 89, cited by Bolton & Houlihan 2007, p. 8). A different perspective of what ‘human’ is states that human beings have feelings, reason, needs, expectations, and preferences and are able to make decisions (Rasim 2008, p. 87). Notably however, and as Bolton and Houlihan (2007, p. 9) indicate, human beings are relationship-forming. As such, they shape their behaviours in order to fit into a specific social order and also for purposes of creating and sustaining social bonds. Being human also means that employees are constantly looking for ways through which they can form social bonds or good working relationships with their employer. As would be expected, not all organisations cater for the human aspect of HRM. For example, some organisations do not have open communication channels and this bars the employees from communicating effectively with the management and vice versa. In literature (Guest 2007, p. 129; Kaufman 2008, p. 45; Rasim 2008, p.87) however, it is evident that HRM is not entirely ignorant of the ‘human’ aspect in the employees. As such, HRM advocates for such practices as teamwork and empowerment. HRM also recognises that humans are irrational, and that in that same irrationality lays great potential which can be expressed in the employees’ commitment, energy and creativity (Bolton & Houlihan 2007, p. 9). Sayer (2005, p. 89) argues that moral expectations from both (employer’s and employees) sides go beyond the contractual agreement drafted by the HR department and accepted by the employee. Specifically, the employment relationship thrives in accommodation as opposed to conflict, and in most cases, it is the HRM function that ensures that conflict is minimised by accommodating the human aspect of each and every employee. The employment relationship is on its part defined as the psychological contract that involves individual beliefs, which shaped by an organisation, relating to the terms of a working agreement between employees and the organisation (Bowen & Ostroff 2004, p. 204). Based on the relationship that an employer forges with the employees, they can show commitment, compliance, competency and collaboration as has been indicated by Batt (2002, p. 580). What it means to be a human resource Being a human resource means that employees are perceived as human assets, and that the employment relationship is based on the need by organisations to obtain a competitive advantage based on the employees (Kaufman 2008, p. 34). As a human resource, employees are handled strategically with emphasis being given to the human capital investment, aligning labour management, employee involvement and reward systems in a manner that benefits both the employees and the employer. As an asset, HRM advocates for the strategic treatment of human resource, with specific emphasis being put on employee empowerment, participation and on redesign (Cordery & Parker 2007, p. 202). According to Schneider, Hanges, Smith and Salvaggio (2003, p. 837), the recognition that employees are a human resource has prompted HRM practices to consider such things like extensive employee training, information sharing, performance-based compensation, and team-based systems, which are all meant to improve organisational performance (Kaufman 2003, p. 175). Kessler, Undy and Heron (2004, p. 514) further observe that as a human resource, employees are protected (in large part by HRM) from arbitrary treatment through formulating grievance procedures, which are meant to enhance fairness at the workplace. Relating the ‘human’ and the ‘human resource’ aspects of HRM The human and human resource aspects as used in human resource management relate to each other in that without attending to the human aspect of the employees, HRM cannot successfully use them as a human resource specifically for purposes of gaining competitive advantage. Additionally, it would appear that the human aspect of employees is what makes it possible for HRM to treat and value employees as a capital item from which an organisation can derive competitive advantage. Indeed, it has been argued that the human resource is the only aspect that competitors cannot copy because the skills set, the knowledge and even the emotional intelligence that employees possess cannot be easily copied or transmitted to the competitors. Orlitzky (2007, p. 274) observes that for strategic HRM to succeed, the HR practitioners have to understand the operational objectives of the company, and then match them with the human resource peculiarities at their disposal. On their part, Schuler, Farr and Smith (2013, p. 154) indicate that both the human and human resource aspects of employees have to be considered by HRM in the four basic HRM functions which are identified as personnel selection, performance evaluation, rewarding employees and training them. Finding employees with the right skills set, knowledge, expertise and experience are however not sufficient to guarantee the organisation HR-based competitiveness; rather, the organisation too has to create a culture that makes it possible for its employees to excel. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has established that the ‘human’ in human resource management means that one is a social actor who is capable of committing to a cause. The essay has also established that the term human resource is used in reference to the human capital in an organisation which has the potential to gain the organisation competitive advantage. Although the human in human resource management is often overlooked, it is a vital component because before a person commits to a cause, they usually need convincing that the cause is worth their effort and attention. From this essay, one can learn that much as an organisation would like to reduce differences among employees and treat them as an analogous group, it is almost impossible to do that. The foregoing can be explained by the fact that people need different motivators and even committing to a cause is inspired by different factors among different people. The first step that HRM should take in order to enhance the human resource potential in an organisation is to acknowledge the human in HRM. In other words, HRM has to acknowledge the need for employees to feel a sense of belonging, to feel appreciated, and to be acknowledged. One of the ways that employees gauge their employers is through communication channels. Employees often have creative ideas, which can be channelled to the management through an open communication strategy. In the absence of such, creativity would be crippled. Similarly, dissatisfied employees can make use of the open communication channels to voice their discontentment. The absence of such channels would however enhance dissatisfaction among employees, making it harder for the management to obtain any competitive advantage from them. Overall, and as indicated elsewhere in this essay, HRM should be a positive-sum game benefiting both the employer and the employee. However, being human, employees have the ability to pick any lack of mutuality or overly selfish interests by the employer and if such happens, their ability to commit to the common good of the organisation is compromised. As social actors, employees are also able to create resistance where HR practices do not support the mutual good of both parties, but can also be very accommodating and supportive in employment relationships that uphold the mutual good of both parties. 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Schneider, B, Hanges, P, Smith, B & Salvaggio, A2003, ‘Which comes first: Employee attitudes or organisational financial and market performance?’ Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 88, pp. 836-851. Schuler, H., Farr, J L & Smith, M 2013, Personnel selection and assessment: Individual and organisational perspectives, Psychology Press, Basingstoke. Read More