The first definition of HRM is that it is the process of managing people in organizations

in a structured and thorough manner. This covers the fields of staffing (hiring people),
retention of people, pay and perks setting and management, performance management, change
management and taking care of exits from the company to round off the activities

The second definition of HRM encompasses the management of people in organizations

from a macro perspective i.e. managing people in the form of a collective relationship between
management and employees. This approach focuses on the objectives and outcomes of the
HRM function.

According to Leon C. Megginson “From the national point of view human resources are
knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents, and attitudes obtained in the population; whereas
from the view-point of the individual enterprise, they represent the total of the inherent abilities,
acquired knowledge and skills as exemplified in the talents and aptitude of its employees”.

In simple words, HRM is a process of making the efficient and effective use of human resources
so that the set goals are achieved. Let us also consider some important definitions of HRM.

According to Flippo “Personnel management, or say, human resource management is the

planning, organising, directing and controlling of the procurement development compensation
integration, intenance, and separation of human resources to the end that individual,
organisational and social objectives are accomplished”

Personnel management is essentially “workforce” centered whereas human resource

management is “resource” centered. The key difference is HRM in recent times is about
fulfilling management objectives of providing and deploying people and a greater emphasis on
planning, monitoring and control.

Concept

Human resource management was previously known as personnel management which was
concerned with the activities of a single department. It was typically concerned with the
administration of human. The functions carried out by the department were recruitment and
selection, reward, appraisal, development, grievance handling, retirement, registration and so
forth. It was introduced and developed in the bureaucratic set up in which importance was given
on organization and administration of manpower.

1
Now, human resource management may be defined as a process in which human resources
are recruited and mobilized in such a way that it helps in achieving the objective of the
organization. HRM is concerned with the people dimension in management under which the
consideration is given towards recruitment and selection, development, motivation and
maintenance of human resources in an organization. It is one of the main functions of
management, which is related with the management of human energies and competencies.
Human resource management helps to ensure the right man,for the right position and at the
right time in a changing environment. The organizational performance depends on the efficiency
of human resource working in the organization. Hence, a proper set up should be taken for
manpower planning, recruitment, motivation, training and development, performance evaluation,
remuneration management and industrial relation.

Moreover, human resource management is concerned with the development of human skill,
knowledge and ability to perform the organizational tasks effectively and efficiently. It is a field of
study consisting of four functions- acquisition, development, motivation and maintenance of
human resources. The acquisition is related with getting people,development is with preparing
them for work, motivation refers to activating them and finally maintenance refers to keeping
them retained in the organization.

Therefore, human resource management is an art of managing and mobilizing people in the
organization. It is done through the application of different practices and policies which
ultimately values human resources as major asset of an organization. It integrates personnel
function into strategic management.

Objectives:
The primary objective of HRM is to ensure the availability of right people for right jobs so as the
organisational goals are achieved effectively.

This primary objective can further be divided into the following sub-objectives:
1. To help the organisation to attain its goals effectively and efficiently by providing competent
and motivated employees.

2. To utilize the available human resources effectively.

3. To increase to the fullest the employee’s job satisfaction and self-actualisation.

2
4. To develop and maintain the quality of work life (QWL) which makes employment in the
organisation a desirable personal and social situation.

5. To help maintain ethical policies and behaviour inside and outside the organisation.

6. To establish and maintain cordial relations between employees and management.

7. To reconcile individual/group goals with organisational goals.

Importance of HRM for Organizational

The practice of HRM must be viewed through the prism of overall strategic goals for the
organization instead of a standalone tint that takes a unit based or a micro approach. The idea
here is to adopt a holistic perspective towards HRM that ensures that there are no piecemeal
strategies and the HRM policy enmeshes itself fully with those of the organizational goals. For
instance, if the training needs of the employees are simply met with perfunctory trainings on
omnibus topics, the firm stands to lose not only from the time that the employees spend in
training but also a loss of direction. Hence, the organization that takes its HRM policies seriously
will ensure that training is based on focused and topical methods.

In conclusion, the practice of HRM needs to be integrated with the overall strategy to ensure
effective use of people and provide better returns to the organizations in terms of ROI (Return
on Investment) for every rupee or dollar spent on them. Unless the HRM practice is designed in
this way, the firms stand to lose from not utilizing people fully. And this does not bode well for
the success of the organization.

Human resources are undoubtedly the key resources in an organization, the easiest and the
most difficult to manage! The objectives of the HRM span right from the manpower needs
assessment to management and retention of the same. To this effect Human resource
management is responsible for effective designing and implementation of various policies,
procedures and programs. It is all about developing and managing knowledge, skills, creativity,
aptitude and talent and using them optimally.

Human Resource Management is not just limited to manage and optimally exploit human
intellect. It also focuses on managing physical and emotional capital of employees. Considering

3
the intricacies involved, the scope of HRM is widening with every passing day. It covers but is
not limited to HR planning, hiring (recruitment and selection), training and development, payroll
management, rewards and recognitions, Industrial relations, grievance handling, legal
procedures etc. In other words, we can say that it’s about developing and managing harmonious
relationships at workplace and striking a balance between organizational goals and individual
goals.

The scope of HRM is extensive and far-reaching. Therefore, it is very difficult to define it
concisely. However, we may classify the same under following heads:

 HRM in Personnel Management: This is typically direct manpower management that

involves manpower planning, hiring (recruitment and selection), training and
development, induction and orientation, transfer, promotion, compensation, layoff and
retrenchment, employee productivity. The overall objective here is to ascertain individual
growth, development and effectiveness which indirectly contribute to organizational
development.

It also includes performance appraisal, developing new skills, disbursement of wages,

incentives, allowances, traveling policies and procedures and other related courses of
actions.

 HRM in Employee Welfare: This particular aspect of HRM deals with working
conditions and amenities at workplace. This includes a wide array of responsibilities and
services such as safety services, health services, welfare funds, social security and
medical services. It also covers appointment of safety officers, making the environment
worth working, eliminating workplace hazards, support by top management, job safety,
safeguarding machinery, cleanliness, proper ventilation and lighting, sanitation, medical
care, sickness benefits, employment injury benefits, personal injury benefits, maternity
benefits, unemployment benefits and family benefits.

It also relates to supervision, employee counseling, establishing harmonious

relationships with employees, education and training. Employee welfare is about
determining employees’ real needs and fulfilling them with active participation of both
management and employees. In addition to this, it also takes care of canteen facilities,

4
 crèches, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health
and safety, recreation facilities, etc.

 HRM in Industrial Relations: Since it is a highly sensitive area, it needs careful

interactions with labor or employee unions, addressing their grievances and settling the
disputes effectively in order to maintain peace and harmony in the organization. It is the
art and science of understanding the employment (union-management) relations, joint
consultation, disciplinary procedures, solving problems with mutual efforts,
understanding human behavior and maintaining work relations, collective bargaining and
settlement of disputes.

The main aim is to safeguarding the interest of employees by securing the highest level
of understanding to the extent that does not leave a negative impact on organization. It
is about establishing, growing and promoting industrial democracy to safeguard the
interests of both employees and management.

The scope of HRM is extremely wide, thus, can not be written concisely. However, for the sake
of convenience and developing understanding about the subject, we divide it in three categories
mentioned above.

Role of HR manager in Tourism sector

Ashraf and Pooja Mathur ( 2003) point out that there is an increasing demand of human
resources who can plan, design, develop, manage, promote tourism or even train manpower to
run agencies, to operate tours or even to act guides.

The customers are increasingly becoming more discriminatory and look for more quality
services. Globalization has added a further dimension of awareness amongst the tourists. There
is increased competition from all areas. A tourist expects to be guided on convenient travel,
places of destinations to be visited, comforts, care, social customs practiced to avoid annoyance
to the local population, availability of preferred food, use of scarce funds.

HRD has emerged as a major factor to determine competitive advantage for tourism industry. A
trained right human resource enables to provide the right context to a tourist. The sub-system
has a role to create a resource of skilled, trained personnel for the range of tourism activity.
Tourism requires trained human resource as managers on one side, and staff to carry out both
front office and back office operations. Leaving aside some large organizations such as chains

5
of hotels which can afford to set up their own training schools, it becomes the responsibility of
the central regulators to create an infrastructure of training schools and provide a choice of
professional courses to create trained manpower.

New demands have emerged on tourism in this age of international traveler and internet. The
trained manpower needs to be exposed and educated in understanding the management
function, behavioural aspects of conduct and encounter, relationship management,
comprehensive understanding of the human nature, knowledge about the unique demands of a
customer coming from a foreign country, knowledge of IT, exposure to money transactions,
handling of grievances and professionalism.

A capable HR manager in tourism is instrumental to implement the central policy, create a

climate of trust, and openness through his professional conduct. Apparently when such trained
manpower is available, there is also going to be an impact on policy making. Professional
advice would now improve the quality of such policies.

HRD in tourism: a role for government

Government should be better to make good country then tourism come there and look beauty
and charming there. When tourism goes back to their country then they say another people
about beauty, charming and lover’s people. Government gets credit of our people and tourism.
Business is better than before. The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency for the formulation
of national policies and programmes and for the co-ordination of activities of various Central
Government Agencies, State Governments/UTs and the Private Sector for the development and
promotion of tourism in the country. This Ministry is headed by the Union Minister for Tourism
and supported by Minister of State for Tourism.

The overseas offices are primarily responsible for tourism promotion and marketing in their
respective areas and the field offices in India are responsible for providing information service to
tourists and to monitor the progress of field projects. The activities of IISM/GWSP have now
been revived and various Ski and other courses are being conducted in the J&K valley.

The Ministry of Tourism has under its charge a public sector undertaking, the India Tourism
Development Corporation and the following autonomous institutions:

 Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) and

6
  National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) National Council for Hotel Management and
Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and
 the Institutes of Hotel Management.

Constraints

The major constraint in the expansion of international tourist traffic to India is non availability of
adequate infrastructure including adequate air seat capacity, accessibility to tourist destinations,
accommodation and trained manpower in sufficient number.

Poor visitor experience, particularly, due to inadequate infrastructural facilities,

Poor hygienic conditions and incidents of touting and harassment of tourists in some places are
factors that contribute to poor visitor experience. Role and Functions of the Ministry of Tourism

What are the tourism and hospitality industries? Many academics, industrialists and policy-
makers have attempted to define the nature of the tourism industry – and the place of the
hospitality sub-sector within this broader conceptualization – yet there is still no one commonly
accepted definition. Hence, there are inherent problems seeking to define what is a large and
diverse sector, which means many of the activities may overlap, and could be described as
encompassing tourism and hospitality. For example, Lucas (2004) in her recent work on
employment relations in the hospitality and tourism industries chose to talk in broad terms about
the Hotel, Catering and Tourism Sector (HCTS).

Sector as a whole is made up of 14 sub-sectors :

Hotels

Restaurants

Pubs, bars and night-clubs

Contract food service providers

Membership clubs;

Events

Gambling

7
Travel services

Tourist services

Visitor attractions

Youth hostels

Holiday parks

Self-catering accommodation

Hospitality services.

The Ministry of Tourism functions as the nodal agency for the development of tourism in the
country. It plays a crucial role in coordinating and supplementing the efforts of the State/Union
Territory Governments, catalyzing private investment, strengthening promotional and marketing
efforts and in providing trained manpower resources.

The functions of the Ministry in this regard mainly consist of the following:

Policies of Government includes:

Development Policies.

 Incentives.

 External Assistance

. Manpower Development

. Promotion & Marketing.

Investment Facilitation.

 Planning. Co-ordination with other Ministries, Departments, State/UT Governments.

 Regulation. Standards. Guidelines Infrastructure & Product Development. Guidelines

 Human Resource Development

8
 Institutions

. Setting Standards and Guidelines.

 Publicity & Marketing: Policy.

State/UT Governments.

 Regulation. Standards.

 Guidelines

 Infrastructure & Product Development.

Guidelines Human Resource Development

 Institutions.

 Setting Standards and Guidelines.

 Strategies.

 Co-ordination.

 Research, Analysis, Monitoring and Evaluation

 International Co-operation and External Assistance International Bodies.

 Bilateral Agreements.

 External Assistance.

 Foreign Technical Collaboration

 Legislation and Parliamentary Work

 Establishment matters. Vigilance matters.

Implementation of official language policy.

9
 Budget co-ordination and related matters

. Plan-coordination and monitoring.

Conclusion:

Tourism receipts are growing strong in Asia, contributing a considerable amount to GDP in
many countries. As the region looks forward to the next century, the challenges of infrastructure
development, environment protection policies and above all, the shortage of skilled manpower,
both at craft and management level in the tourism industry, loom large. The need for trained and
skilled staff is one of the most pressing issues facing the ASIA region at present. Each country
has developed strategies at regional and national levels. These strategies must be implemented
to alleviate the shortage of trained manpower for the tourism industry. "Travel and Tourism" has
always been an integral part of the Indian tradition and culture. `Atithi Devo Bhav' (The Guest is
God) and `Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is One Family) have always been the bywords
for Indian social behavior. The Improvements of tourism industry with the help of HRD is
possible along with the involvement of Government.

The Employee life Circle

The typical employee experiences five different stages during their employment with your
business:
1. Recruitment
2. Education
3. Motivation
4. Evaluation
5. Celebration
1. Recruitment
Growing your business starts with hiring the right people. Hiring decisions play a critical role in
turnover, productivity, and growth. In order to succeed in the recruitment phase of the HR life
cycle, your human resources department needs to:
 Create a strategic staffing plan that includes understanding positions that need to be filled, what
will be expected of an employee, a strategy for attracting the best of the best, and other hiring
concerns

10
 Analyze compensation and benefits packages to see if they’re competitive enough to attract the
top talent
 Develop an interviewing protocol, which may include written tests and multiple interview
requirements, as well as a focus on active listening
2. Education
Begin the education process from the moment employees start in their new
position. They should know their role in the company, your expectations, and their
responsibilities. During this phase of the human resources life cycle, it’s important for HR to
 Communicate your company’s culture and values
 Train new hires until they fully understand their job’s duties and responsibilities
 Assign a coworker to new employees to support their transition and help them feel more
connected with your company
 Introduce new employees to the rest of your staff, and make sure they have everything they
need to get started (including passwords, voice mail, parking passes, etc.)
3. Motivation
Turnover is highest in the first ninety days, which is often due to a lack
of motivation. Leaders who focus on building bonds with employees in the first ninety days
retain employees longer than those who do not make this effort. HR can effectively
motivate new hires.
 Keeping them engaged, performing at a higher level, and showing commitment to your
company
 Offering reasons to stay motivated, such as better compensation, benefits, and opportunities for
growth
 Providing recognition to employees who perform at a high level
 Appreciating their contribution to help make your business more successful

4. Evaluation
In this stage of the human resources life cycle, a supervisor evaluates and measures an
employee’s performance. The review gives leaders and the employee specific metrics and helps
determine if he or she is the right fit for the job. Focus on the following:
 Challenge, support, and evaluate employees while offering constructive feedback on a regular
basis (not just at evaluation time)
 Conduct performance conversations based on facts, not on feelings

11
 Spend more of your time discovering employees doing a good job rather than constantly
criticizing.
 Offer training and professional development to help employees reach their goals and move
further ahead in your company
5. Celebration
The fifth stage of the HR life cycle gives you the opportunity to reenergize your staff, thank
employees for their hard work, and recognize important milestones. Show your appreciation by
offering unique benefits (such as flexible work schedules, gift cards, and extra paid time off).
Great businesses find a way to motivate in such a way that employees want to follow them to
achieve company goals. A smart leader makes employees feel empowered by giving them a
sense of ownership.
The End of the Cycle
All cycles must come to an end—including HR life cycles. Sometimes it ends with retirement,
leaving to return to school, leaving for more pay or better benefits, to tend to family
responsibilities, or involuntary downsizing for economic or strategic reasons.

12