The History of Human Resource Management
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The History of Human Resource Management
Human resource management is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations most valued assets – the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business. The terms “human resource management” and “human resources” (HR) have largely replaced the term “personnel management” as a description of the processes involved in managing people in organizations. Human Resource management is evolving rapidly. Human resource management is both an academic theory and a business practice that addresses the theoretical and practical techniques of managing a workforce. (1)
Human resource management has it roots in the late and early 1900’s. When workers jobs became less labor intense and more working with machinary. The scientific management movement began. This movement was started by Frederick Taylor when he wrote about it a book titled The Principles of Scientific Management. The book stated, “The principal object of management should be to secure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee.”(2) Taylor believed that management should use the techniques used by scientist to research and test work skills to improve the efficiency of the workforce.
Also around the same time came the industrial welfare movement. This was usually a voluntary effort by employers to improve the conditions in their factories. The effort also extended into the employees life outside of the work place. The employer would try to provide assistance to employees to purchase a home, medical care, or assistance for education.
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