Human Resource Management

HRM

1. The Early Days; Welfare Officers

History of personnel management began around the end of the 19th century. It began with ‘welfare officers’ or ‘welfare secretaries’ as a result of various harsh conditions affecting people. The matter of ‘welfare’ was started by the Quakers to achieve what was called ‘industrial betterment’.

Welfare workers were women and were concerned mainly with the protection of women and girls and supervision of moral welfare (e.g., ensuring women carried lighter loads, and other routine jobs.

The main aim then was the welfare and protection of women. Even today, some countries have strong protection for women and minors. Much of the benefits in workplace today, are geared towards women.

2. 1914 – 39: Growth in Personnel management

In the 1920s, jobs with titles of ‘labour manager’ or ‘employment manager’ came into being in the engineering industry and other industries where there were large factories, eg. shipbuilding. These persons dealt with absence, recruitment, dismissal and queries over bonuses and so on. (Think your concept of basically what ‘personnel development’ do – hire and fire; rule enforcer, etc.)

‘Employment management’ or personnel management began in newer industries and in the 1930s, organizations saw the value in improving employees benefits, e.g., holidays with pay and pension – this as a way of recruiting, retaining and motivating employees.

With the Second World War, more women were being introduced into the workforce. This required substantial re-training and shift working was extended. Industrial relations grew. Strikes were made illegal. There was a link between output and productivity and employment policies.

3. 1945 – 1979: Collective Bargaining and industrial Relations

In 1945, employment management and welfare work became integrated under the broad term ‘personnel management’. The role of the...