Summary Human resource development
1). Introduction to human resource development
“What is resource development?”
• Richard Swanson: defined it as “a process for developing and unleashing human expertise
through training and development and organization development for the purpose of
improving performance”.
• Learning is the core of all HRD efforts
• Human resource development: can be defined as a set of systematic and planned activities
designed by an organization to provide its members with the opportunities to learn
necessary skills to meet current and future job demands.
THE PROGRESSION OWARD A FIELD OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Early apprenticeship training programs:
• The origins of HRD can be traced to apprenticeship training programs in the eiththeenth
century.
• Apprentices who mastered all the necessary skills were considered “yeomen” and could
leave their masters and establish their own craft shops; however, most remained with their
masters because they could not afford to buy tools and equipment needed to start their own
craft shops. See p. 4.
• Yeomanries were the forerunners of modern labor unions.
Early vocational education programs
Today, vocational instruction is an important part of each states public education system. In fact,
given the current concerns about a ‘skills gap’ (especially for technical skills), vocational education
has become even more critical at the present time.
Early factory schools
Scientific management principles recognized the significant role of machines in better and more
efficient production systems.
Specially semiskilled workers using machines could produce more than the skilled workers in small
craft shops→ marked the beginning of factories as we know them today.
Factories→ made it possible to increase production by using machines and unskilled workers, but
also created a significant demand for the engineers machinist, and skilled mechanics needed to
design, build and repair the machines.
Factories created mechanical and machinist training programs, which were referred to as “factory
schools”.
,Early training programs for semiskilled and unskilled workers.
- There were very few companies who offered programs for unskilled or semiskilled workers.
- This changed after two significant historical moments:
- First one was the Model T→ with the increased demand for this model, Ford had to design
more assembly lines, and this provided more training opportunities.
- Second historical event was outbreak of World War I. To meet a huge demand for military
equipment, many factories that produced nonmilitary goods had to retool their machinery
and retrain their workers, including the semiskilled.
The Human relations movement
- Human relations movement: advocating more humane work conditions.
- The human relations movement highlighted the importance of human behavior on the job.
- Among other things, the human relations movement provided a more complex and realistic
understanding of workers as people instead of merely cogs in a factory machine.
- The movement continued into the 1940s, with World war II as a backdrop.
- Maslow puclished his theory o humans needs, stating that people can be motivated by
economic and noneconomic incentives.
- He proposed that human needs are arranged in terms of lesser to greater potency (strength)
and distinguished between lower order (basic survival) ad higher order (psychological) needs.
The establishment of the training profession:
- In WW II the federal government established the Training Within Industry (TWI).
- Many defense-related companies established their own training departments with
instructors trained by TWI.
- In 1942, The American Society for Training Directors (ASTD) was formed to establish
some standards within this emerging profession.
Emergence of Human Resource Development
- During 1960s and 1970s, professional trainers realized that their role extended beyond the
training classroom.
- Training and development competencies therefore expanded to include interpersonal skills
such as coaching, group process facilitation, and problem solving.
- This additional emphasis on employee development inspired the ASTD to rename itself as
the American Society for Training and Development (ATSD).
- As a result ASTD approved the term human resource development to encompass this growth
and change.
- There was also an emphasis within ASTD on performance improvement as the particular goal
of most training and HRD efforts an on viewing organizations as high performance work
systems.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMNT AND HRD/TRAINING
- Human resource management: can be defined as the effective selection and utilization of
employees to best achieve the goals and strategies of an organization, as well as the goals
and needs of employees.
- HRM is shared by human resource specialists and line management.
- How the HRM function is carried out varies from organization to organization.
, HRM can be divided into primary and secondary functions.
Primary functions: are directly involved with obtaining, maintaining and developing employees.
Secondary functions: either provide support for general management activities or are involved in
determining or changing the structure of the organization.
• Human resource planning: activities are used to predict how changes in management
strategy will affect future human resource needs. These activities are critically important
with the rapid changes in external market demands. HR planners must continually chart the
course of an organization and its plans, programs and actions.
• Equal employement opportunity: activities are intended to satisfy both the legal and moral
responsibilities of an organization through the prevention of discriminatory policies,
procedures, and practices. This includes decisions affecting hiring, training, appraising, and
compensating employees.
• Staffing (recruitment and selection): activities are designed for the timely identification of
potential applicants for current and future openings and for assign and evaluating applicants
in order to make selection and placement decisions.
• Compensation and benefits: administration is responsible for establishing and maintaining
an equitable internal wage structure, a competitive benefits package, as well as incentives
ties to individual, team, or organizational performance.
• Employee (labor) relations: activities include developing a communications system through
which employees can address their problems and grievances.
• Health, safety and security: activities seek to promote a safe and healthy work environment.
This can include actions such as safety training, employee assistance programs, and health
and wellness programs.
• Human resource development: activities are intended to ensure that organizational
members have the skills or competencies to meet current and future job demands.
Secondary HRM functions:
• Organizational/job design: activities are concerned with interdepartmental relations and the
organization and definition of jobs.
• Performance management and performance appraisal systems are used for establishing
and maintaining accountability throughout an organization.
• Research and information systems: are necessary to make enlightened human resource
decisions.
Line versus staff authority
