Personnel Management - 1

MEANING OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

The earliest roots of this branch of knowledge can be traced back to the eighteenth century to some of the writings of Robert Owen—a successful textile manufacurer in scotland. Robert Owen is regarded as the father of personnel management. Owen believed that the volume and quality of a worker's output were influenced by his total environment, i.e., by his conditions both on and off job. In this respect he reached the thresold of modern thinking though many of his practices were what could now be called paternalisitic. The work of a personnel department deals soecifically with procuring, hiring, training, placing, utilising and maintaining an effective wrok force that will aid in the accomplishment of the firm's objectives. This does not mean to imply that other members of the management team do not have a part in the management and development of personnel. Personnel management is not a one-man responsibility nor can it ever be achieved by one individual. It is corporate. co-operative endeavour that should stem from a common feeling and concept and should progress in a unified, coordinate manner. In other words, personnel management is concerned with getting better results with the collaboration of people

According to Jucius, "Personnel management is the field of management which has to do with planning, organising, and controlling various operative activities of procuring, developing, maintaining and utilising a labour force in order that the objectives and interest for which the company is established are attained as effectively and economically as possible and objectives and interest of all levels of personnel and community are served to the highest degree" Personnel management is responsible for maintaining good human relations in the organisation. It is also concerned with the development of individuals and achieving integration of goals of the organisation and those of individuals.

"Personnel management is an extension of general management that of prompting and stimulating every employee to make his fullest contribution to the purpose of a business" Personnel management is not something that could be separated from the basic managerial function. It is a major component of the broader managerial function and has roots and branches extending throughout and beyond the organisation.

According to Flippo, "Personnel management may be defined as the p(anning,organising, directing. and controlling of the procurement, development,compensation,integration and maintenance and separation of human resources to the end that individual, organisational and societal objectives are accomplished.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT.

The above definitions on personnel management reveal the following characteristics:

(i) Personnel management is a specialised branch of management and hence all the principles of general management (as well as functions of management) are applicable to personnel management.

(ii) Personnel management is basically concerned with human resources. Personnel management advocates the ways to get best possible results by managing the scarcely available human resources effectively and efficiently.

(iii) Personnel management is concerned with relationship between employer and employee; between employee and employee; and among employees. By the term employee we mean to include blue- collar as well as while-collar workers.

(iv) Personnel management concentrates on the development of individual and group in an organisation for achieving better results.

(v) Personnel management focuses on employment planning

(vi) Personnel management gives adequate direction to the developmental activities—of lower-level employees as well as executives.

(vii) Personnel management aims at providing the necessary guidance for improving performance (through performance appraisal of employees) of employees.

(viii) Personnel management aims at maintaining good human relations.

(ix) Above all, personnel management is concerned with recruitment, selection, training and placement of employees within work organisations.

(x) Personnel management provides for fair and reasonable compensation to employees.

Thus, personnel management is an approach (an approach to deal with human beings in organisation), a point of view (regarding the personnel policies and wage administration), a technique of thinking (as to how to motivate employees towards higher productivity) and a philosophy of management (of getting things done through people effectively and efficiently).

Robert Owen. Robert Owen was an outstanding pioneer of management thought. He started a factory at Manchester for the manufacture of textile machinery and in 1800, he became the managing directory of Chariton Twist Company. He carried out experiments in the group of textile mills he managed duringthe period 1800 and 1828 and introduced many social reforms. He also began cooperative movement in 1828 in Rochdale, England.

Robert Owen has been referred to as the father of personnel management. Throughout his life, he worked for building up of a spirit of co-operation between the workers and the management. he believed and practised the idea that workers should be treated as human beings. He made provision for reduced working hours, housing facilities, education of workers and their children, and a system of discipline combined with justice in the factories being managed by him. He also took active part in the introcuction of British Factory Act, 1819. fie was greatly admired for giving human treatment to the workers. He preached that personnel management pays dividends to the employer and is an essential part of every manager's job.

Charles Babbage. Charles Babbage was a leading British mathematician at Cambridge University from 1828-1839. He invented a mechanical calculator in 1822. He advocated work measurement, cost determination, and wage incentives in factories. He is best remembered adas the inventor of the 'analytical engine which was the force runner of the modern computer. In 1832, Babbage published his famous book "On the Economy of Machinery and Manufacturers." He stressed the importance of division of physical and mental labours, suggested the idea of profit-sharing, and began observing and timing work. His vision was that of irnoroving efficiency through the application of scientific techniques.

Daniel C. McCallum. Daniel C. McCallum tried to find solutions to managerial inefficiencies which were plaguing the railroads at that time. His approach to run the railroad was one of system, commonsense. reports and control He initiated job descriptions, made promotions on the basis of mei-it and insisted that those in charge of specific operations were both responsible and accountable for their successes and failures.