The Changing Nature of Human Resource Management

. CHAPTER 1Changing Natureof HumanResourceManagementAfter you have read this chapter, you should be able to:q Identify four major HR challenges currently facing organizations and managers.q List and define each of the seven major categories of HR activities.q Identify the three different roles of HR management.q Discuss the three dimensions associated with HR management as a strategic business contributor.q Explain why HR professionals and operating managers must view HR management as an interface.q Discuss why ethical issues and professionalism affect HR management as a career field. 2. 3HR TRANSITIONSHR Management Contributes toOrganizational SuccessMore effective management of human functional work teams, and signifi- women employees, who composedresources (HR) increasingly is being cantly increasing training. To ease about three-fourths of the bank’sseen as positively affecting perfor- employee and managerial anxieties workers. As a result, several years latermance in organizations, both large and about the changes, GE Fanuc about one-fourth of all managers andsmall. promised that no employees would executives are women. Similar atten- A joint venture between General lose their jobs. Managers and supervi- tion also was focused on other diverseElectric and a Japanese company, GE sors affected by the elimination of lev- groups of employees. So that allFanuc is a manufacturer of factory els were offered promotions, transfers employees were given opportunities toautomation and control products. to other jobs in GE Fanuc, or early grow and learn, the Bank of Montreal’sHeadquartered in Virginia with 1,500 retirement buyouts. Additionally, Institute of Learning was establishedemployees, the HR department pri- employees were promised profit shar- at a cost exceeding $50 million. Themarily performed administrative sup- ing, which has resulted in up to three goal of providing five days of trainingport activities. But when Donald weeks additional pay in profit sharing and