Synthesis of Unit 6 Human resource

Management
Text A

The roots of people management and human resource management (HRM) trace back to
ancient societies, where the division of labor allocated tasks based on skill and tradition.
This historical practice, seen in family groups and diverse social structures, formed a
rudimentary foundation for HRM. Civilization came with gender roles established by social
customs while self-sufficient communities had limited labor categories as compared to the
modern industrial states. As civilization advanced, specialization expanded to include
skilled craftworkers alongside traditional roles.
Leadership, power, and organization have been subjects of study and debate through ages.
Even in ancient times huge numbers of people were involved into grandiose activities
which indicated certain problems faced by early organizations. The Farmer's Almanac, a
5,000-year-old Sumerian text was an ancient guide to HRM advising on supervision of farm
laborers.

In the sixteenth century Niccolò Machiavelli explored power relationships stressing the
necessity for a ruler to combine fear with love. Adam Smith in the eighteenth century
developed economic science by highlighting the importance of division of labor during the
Industrial Revolution period. By the end of nineteenth century there was a growth of
industries in terms of size and complexities hence this led to modern management
principles evolution from that time onwards Family-controlled businesses played a pivotal
role; influential figure
Text B

In the past 25 years, strategic human resource management has gained significant
attention as it is increasingly recognized in organizations for its role in achieving business
success. The term ‘HRM’ has come to be central in describing management activities within
the employment relationship. In contrast, international HRM is a more recent field than
emerged in the mid-1980s and was initially characterized as being “in the infancy stage of
development”. Up until then, research on MNEs had mostly been about international
production and marketing, leaving IHRM understudied.

Definitions of IHRM vary with early emphasis on expatriation. It addresses HRM challenges
arising from business internationalization and the strategies pursued in response. Core
activities encompass recruitment, selection, training, development, compensation, and
expatriate repatriation. Perspectives differ with respect to multicultural team management,
performance management across borders including international diversity and
organizational internationalization. Unlike comparative employment relations which focus
on understanding HR practice differences across nations.
New definitions take a more strategic perspective and focus on examining IHRM function
organization, headquarters-local units relationship, and adopted policies. They study how
multi-national corporations strategically manage their dispersed workforces across the
globe to gain competitive advantage in the international market. As a result of globalization
and cultural complexities, these definitions have been broadened to include such aspects
as management localization, international coordination, global leadership development as
well as cultural challenges in global knowledge management. The main difference between
domestic HRM and international HRM is that it involves multiple geographical factors which
make human resource planning, staffing, recruitment and rewards more complex across
national borders.