Book Review on Human Resources and Personnel Management Fifth Edition by William B.

Werther & Keith Davis 1996 Mc-Graw Hill

This book of human resource management is worth consideration for those who are new to this subject. This book provides and clears the basic concepts of human resource management by starting the each section from the scratch. Each section develops the understanding to HRM provided with real examples and case studies. The authors are quite coherent in writing which helps the reader to maintain attention. The purpose of authors was to develop understanding of the managers and HR professional roles to act proactively in making the human resources of organization as fruitful investment by their contribution. The book is characterized by its balanced coverage of both theory and practice. The content of the book are detailed which has five major parts which are further divided into sub categories. 1. Framework and challenges- explains all sort of challenges faced by human resource internally and externally to the organization and within which human resource function operate. 2. Preparation and selection- this part talks about the job analysis and demand for human supply which leads to recruitment and selection of the employees 3. Development and evaluation- this part lead towards the processes after the selection of employees that how to develop them for future and current jobs. 4. Compensation and Protection- this part discusses the valuation of employees by compensating them efficiently and to retain them through benefits and incentives. 5. Employee relations and assessment- this section provides legal framework for maintain the employer employee relationship. This chapter also explores the assessment of human resource management and future challenges. The contents are organized systematically and are well sequenced such that students can easily relate to them. It also determines the starting point of each process of HRM in the organization. The author exhibited the flow charts of each process which end in one section and also starts the new process in next section. At the end of each section summary of the topics, review all the

concepts and incidents or case studies which develop more understanding through analysis of the real cases. Summary points are listed, highlighting the key areas. The chapters included around 200 real examples of renowned companies to maintain the readers interest. It provides references from recent real life events to ensure latest coverage of information. Case studies provide an in-depth account of HR strategies adopted by organizations to cope with difficult situations. The authors have included some graphs, code of ethics, legal codes and other visuals like charts and statistical tables to make the book more objective and interesting that enhance the understanding of the topic. Each section introduced with the real examples to build up the scenario in mind for further comprehension. And chapter opens with the quotation relevant to the topic by some researchers or practitioners to boost the interest in the topic. It provides a depiction of current events that have affected or arise from HR. For teaching professionals the book has provided with the objectives defined in starting of each subject which can help them in introducing the topic and are actually the most essential topics to be covered. Moreover the authors gave some terms for review at the end of each chapter and discussion questions which helps teachers to clarify students concepts by asking such questions. Each of the sections concludes with a summary that shows how the findings of the study contribute to our understanding of human resource management. This also allows you to pursue your own further research. Part one which provided framework and challenges of human resource management critically analyze both the internal and external challenges which may help HR professionals and students who wanted to pursue career in HR to assess the opportunities and threats in the environment. Part two explores the most important functions of HR that is Job analysis and its outcomes, human resources planning, recruitment and selection. This section is vital for the organization growth as it determines all the aspects of job analysis and provided samples of job description and job specification. To avoid wrong channels of recruitment the book has identified merits and demerits of each channel similarly explanation of constraints of recruitment helps HR in starting the recruitment

process without any hindrances by proper analysis. Employers learn how to create a job ad, reach potential hires, review applications, prepare for and conduct interviews, check references, select the final candidate and make a job offer. It may help HR professionals to critically done it and hire most suitable candidate that can successfully done the job for organization. It Part three covers each facet of development and evaluation starting with orientation, placement, training and development and ends with performance appraisal. The authors have critically identified each area of employee development. Similarly this part also defines the training process which is a good source for HR professionals for conducting adequate training. Performance appraisal determines the evaluation of employees; this book covers the process and its implication in a systematic way. Furthermore it explains all the methods of evaluating performances of employee and identified their pros and cons. Part four of the book deals with compensation and protection of employees. It elaborate the objectives of the topic and critically evaluate its challenges. It provides the understanding of incentives, benefits, wages and salary and also identified different system for compensating employees with equity. This section helps HR professionals in designing a good system for compensation. The last part of the book elicit the legal framework for maintaining employee relations, it covers employee relations challenges and practices, union management relations and also explain the assessment and prospects of HR function. The Book addressed U.S. employers, where different laws affect employers depending on their location. It also identifies techniques and methods to deal and manage labor management and employee relations with the help of provided laws of government. Although the book has many aspects which determines the strength of it but also has some weaknesses too. The lacking areas of the book is its less concentration towards the contemporary issues such as workforce diversity, globalization and integration of corporate strategies to HR. Although they were not that much prominent but exist at that time. The authors defined the workforce diversity and its importance. Diverse workforce is the assets of an organization if manage effectively but authors did not describe the ways to manage and

retain them which is the major drawback. Diversity if not managed efficiently can be harmful to the organization. Similarly they have touched the area of globalization but it was very limited. The globalization is the most important for HRM; the topic did not elaborate the challenges of globalization to HR. as organization has to compete in global markets the HR must know the increasing challenges of international markets. The diversity in workforce is the one of the challenges of globalization which management has also didnt cover by the authors. Globalization has resulted into other alarming issues and challenges for HR which was not address in the book. The purpose of the authors to write book does not fulfilled in this particular area. Moreover the concept of strategic human resource management was found nowhere in the book. It is the most debating concept which gives a new paradigm to the HR. It is the alignment of HR strategies into business strategies which is good for organizational performance. Hence authors should cover this important topic in the book. The concept of line managers was also not found in the book, they play a vital role in employee relations. They with HR professionals bring a good change in the organization. They have direct link to the employees and better understood their needs and demands then HR. The overall book is quite impressive as it has basis for the new readers of the subject. The writing is more synchronized and coherent. The chances of distraction are less as the illustration of the scenario with examples and quotations retains the attention and interest of the reader. Moreover the selection of the topics in a systematic and logical sequence develops the idea of HR processes. The language is very reader-friendly and it is global in scope and examples. The book focuses on HRM within multinational enterprises from throughout the world The book is highly readable and packed with information which will provide HR professionals, students and academics with knowledge. With hundred of significant references as well as an extensive subject index and glossary the book is a healthy addition to the neglected field of the Human Resource Management.

The blend of theory and practice made this book as most acceptable to the students, lecturers and professionals of the HR field. The book is the great source for understanding the concepts and functions of Human resource management and its application in the organization.