Evolution of HRM
Time Period HR Focus HR Activity
Before 1890 Industrial technologies Disciplinary systems
1900-1910 Employee well being Health and safety programmes
1920s Task design, efficiency and Time and motion studies
impact of work group on employee counseling and
individual workers testing
1930s Unionization of workplace Communication programmes
Passage of major labour anti union campaigns
laws Personnel becomes staff
support to operational line
units
1940s Employee benefits and Wage increase
compensation Cost of living adjustments
Pension, health and other
benefit plans
1950s Employee relations Training and development
specialization personnel Separate divisions within
functions personnel established
recruitment, labour relations,
training, benefits etc
1960s Employee participation Employee involvement
management by objectives,
quality circles, sensitivity
training
1970s Government intervention Employee rights issues now
regulated in areas of
discrimination, equal
opportunity, safety and health
and various benefit reforms
1980s Employee recognition Enrichment of employee
displacement knowledge, skills and abilities
through job rotation, formation
of integrated task teams and
outplacement
1990s Changing demographics of Diversity programs employees
work force rights issues global perspective
Information technology
2000 and Strategic HR planning Transition from service and
beyond support to consultative and
leadership role
Example Event
National cash register (NCR)
forms first personnel department
to handle employee issue.
Period of scientific management
Major labour relations &
legislations
General Motors and the United
Auto workers sign first contract
with escalator clause.
The Hawthrone studies from the
human relations movement find
widespread applicability
Peter Druckers encyclopedic
The practice of management
(1954) finds wide spread
applicability
Griggs V Duke power is first US
supreme court employment
discrimination case
William ouchis theory Z
examines the applicability of
japanese employment practices
to western companies
About 70 percent of married
women are employed more than
double the 1960 rate
Exemplified by David Ulrichs
book Human resource
champions which examines the
role of HRM in the twenty first
century