Copyright © 2020 by Nelson Education Ltd.| 1-1
Chapter 1: The World of Human Resources Management
If nothing else, my students should learn that…
Human resources management (HRM) involves a number of policies and practices
(e.g., recruitment, selection, training, health and safety, etc.) that are designed to
provide employees with the ability, motivation, and opportunity to perform their jobs
well.
Effective HRM requires a consideration of the organization’s strategy, as well as the
social and political landscape. This requires the HRM department to be a strategic
partner and a champion of change. Further, human resources (HR) must partner with
line management, who are often the conduits of HR policies.
Learning outcomes
1. Explain how human resources managers and other managers can have rewarding
careers by helping their firms gain a sustainable competitive advantage through the
strategic utilization of people.
2. Explain how good human resources practices can help a firm’s globalization,
corporate social responsibility, and sustainability efforts.
3. Describe how technology can improve how people perform their work and how they
are managed.
4. Explain the dual goals HR managers have in terms of increasing productivity and
controlling costs.
5. Discuss how firms can leverage employee differences to their strategic advantage and
how educational and cultural changes in the workforce are affecting how human
resources managers engage employees.
6. Provide examples of the roles and competencies of today’s human resources
professionals.
Why is this chapter important?
The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint students with the importance of HRM and how it
contributes to the achievement of an organization’s overall objectives. In this chapter, we
discuss the following topics: how people can be a source of competitive advantage, the
competitive challenges facing firms, and the concerns of employees themselves. Students are
made aware of some of the important efforts that both large and small companies are making
to develop and utilize the talents of their people, as well as the changes taking place in the
work environment. We end the chapter with a discussion of the competencies that HR
managers and line managers need to possess in order to work together to make the most of
employees’ talents.
Why should students care?
The answer to this question is much the same, regardless of whether students plan on a career
in HRM. Organizations compete through people. Studying HRM gives students an
understanding of the systems and processes needed to develop and utilize the talents and
energies of employees for the firm to gain a competitive advantage. Staffing the organization,
Copyright © 2020 by Nelson Education Ltd.| 1-2
designing jobs and teams, developing skilful employees, identifying approaches for
improving their performance, and rewarding employee successes—all typically labelled
HRM issues—are as relevant to line managers as they are to managers in the HR department.
The HR professional supports managers as they manage their employees to achieve
organizational goals. Because employee skills, knowledge, and abilities are among the most
distinctive and renewable resources on which a company can draw, their strategic
management is more important than ever.
What can I do in this class?
This section includes ideas for how to start and finish the class. It also contains information
from the textbook that can be used as a basis for a lecture. Moreover, it contains numerous
suggestions for student engagement. Depending on your class size, the nature of the students,
and your desire for classroom participation, choose from these activities to enliven the
classroom.
Getting started
Begin the class with a brief overview of the strategic role of the HRM function. For instance,
emphasize these points:
Studying HRM gives students an understanding of the systems and processes needed
to develop and utilize the talents and energies of employees in order for the firm to
gain a competitive advantage.
Staffing the organization, designing jobs and teams, developing skilful employees,
identifying approaches for improving their performance, and rewarding employee
successes—all typically labelled HRM issues—are as relevant to line managers as
they are to managers in the HR department.
Explain that this is because organizations “compete through people,” and the success of doing
so depends on an organization’s ability to manage talent, or human capital, defined as the
economic value of employees’ knowledge, skills, and capabilities.
Chapter 1: The World of Human Resources Management
If nothing else, my students should learn that…
Human resources management (HRM) involves a number of policies and practices
(e.g., recruitment, selection, training, health and safety, etc.) that are designed to
provide employees with the ability, motivation, and opportunity to perform their jobs
well.
Effective HRM requires a consideration of the organization’s strategy, as well as the
social and political landscape. This requires the HRM department to be a strategic
partner and a champion of change. Further, human resources (HR) must partner with
line management, who are often the conduits of HR policies.
Learning outcomes
1. Explain how human resources managers and other managers can have rewarding
careers by helping their firms gain a sustainable competitive advantage through the
strategic utilization of people.
2. Explain how good human resources practices can help a firm’s globalization,
corporate social responsibility, and sustainability efforts.
3. Describe how technology can improve how people perform their work and how they
are managed.
4. Explain the dual goals HR managers have in terms of increasing productivity and
controlling costs.
5. Discuss how firms can leverage employee differences to their strategic advantage and
how educational and cultural changes in the workforce are affecting how human
resources managers engage employees.
6. Provide examples of the roles and competencies of today’s human resources
professionals.
Why is this chapter important?
The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint students with the importance of HRM and how it
contributes to the achievement of an organization’s overall objectives. In this chapter, we
discuss the following topics: how people can be a source of competitive advantage, the
competitive challenges facing firms, and the concerns of employees themselves. Students are
made aware of some of the important efforts that both large and small companies are making
to develop and utilize the talents of their people, as well as the changes taking place in the
work environment. We end the chapter with a discussion of the competencies that HR
managers and line managers need to possess in order to work together to make the most of
employees’ talents.
Why should students care?
The answer to this question is much the same, regardless of whether students plan on a career
in HRM. Organizations compete through people. Studying HRM gives students an
understanding of the systems and processes needed to develop and utilize the talents and
energies of employees for the firm to gain a competitive advantage. Staffing the organization,
Copyright © 2020 by Nelson Education Ltd.| 1-2
designing jobs and teams, developing skilful employees, identifying approaches for
improving their performance, and rewarding employee successes—all typically labelled
HRM issues—are as relevant to line managers as they are to managers in the HR department.
The HR professional supports managers as they manage their employees to achieve
organizational goals. Because employee skills, knowledge, and abilities are among the most
distinctive and renewable resources on which a company can draw, their strategic
management is more important than ever.
What can I do in this class?
This section includes ideas for how to start and finish the class. It also contains information
from the textbook that can be used as a basis for a lecture. Moreover, it contains numerous
suggestions for student engagement. Depending on your class size, the nature of the students,
and your desire for classroom participation, choose from these activities to enliven the
classroom.
Getting started
Begin the class with a brief overview of the strategic role of the HRM function. For instance,
emphasize these points:
Studying HRM gives students an understanding of the systems and processes needed
to develop and utilize the talents and energies of employees in order for the firm to
gain a competitive advantage.
Staffing the organization, designing jobs and teams, developing skilful employees,
identifying approaches for improving their performance, and rewarding employee
successes—all typically labelled HRM issues—are as relevant to line managers as
they are to managers in the HR department.
Explain that this is because organizations “compete through people,” and the success of doing
so depends on an organization’s ability to manage talent, or human capital, defined as the
economic value of employees’ knowledge, skills, and capabilities.