HRM is an essential and vital function for organizational success.
Areas within HRM like Manpower planning, Job analysis, Selection and Recruitment, Compensation and Benefits, Performance evaluations, Contract negotiations and Labor legislations are parts of hard HRM
whereas functions like Organizational development, conflict management, human resource education, leadership development, organizational culture, and relationship building are components of soft HRM.
The hard HRM can be categorized as the basic functions and soft HRM as advanced functions. In today's knowledge economy, where human capital determines the growth and success of an organization, both hard and soft HRM are significant.
Hard HRM a very instrumental, practical approach *people seen as a passive resources to be used,deployed and if necessary diposed of *hr planning is seen as a factor of production *incompatiable with trade uions-may necessitate confrontation to implement concepts
Soft HRM sometimes known as development humanism *stresses human side *entails trust,collabration, skill development *place for unions in this model where unions are marginalised and by passed on many issues or alternative forms of employee repersentation are initiated *above all, about commitment and partnership
Storey (1989) has distinguished between hard and soft forms of HRM, typified by the Michigan and Harvard models respectively.
'Hard' HRM focuses on the resource side of human resources. It emphasizes costs in the form of 'headcounts' and places control firmly in the hands of management. Their role is to manage numbers effectively, keeping the workforce closely matched with requirements in terms of both bodies and behaviour.
'Soft' HRM, on the other hand, stresses the 'human' aspects of HRM. Its concerns are with communication and motivation. People are led rather than managed. They are involved in