The Transitioning Role of Hrm

The Transitioning Role of HRM

Amy Taylor

November 12, 2012

HRM/319

Marie Collins

The Transitioning Role of HRM

The following information will clarify the progression of Human Resource Management's primary role from an operational function to a strategic partner in today's business economy. In addition, an explanation concerning how technology has advanced this strategic-partner-concept and the overall influence of Human Resource Information Systems on organizational culture will receive discussion in the subsequent material.

Personnel Department's Role- Caretaker

The initial purpose of human resources in the early 20th century, referred to as the personnel department, pertained to the role of caretaker. During the pre-World War II era, unsafe working conditions and the use of child labor was a common occurrence. As Michael J. Kavanagh and Mohan Thite (2009) explain, "some employers set up labor welfare and administration departments to look after the interests of workers by maintaining records on health and safety as well as recording hours worked and payroll". This was the beginnings of documentation and advocacy for employees, now a determined role for any HR professional in present-day settings. As time progressed and World War II ended, an emphasis on social and psychosocial factors concerning productivity surfaced. It was during this time-period that the classification of worker, or the ability of said workers skill set, became an important function for hiring and recruiting personnel. Our nation's government recognized the need for categorization, safety, and suitable compensation by enacting labor laws that created the availability of labor union support. In return, increased paperwork for personnel department professionals and a way to report to government agencies created the need for a more streamlined approach versus the use of paper documentation only. Computer technology surfaced as a means to more efficiently process and retain information through automation. However, the early human resource personnel employee not operating in the defense industry was without computerized assistance.

The Birth of Human Resources- Protector

Post- World War II gave way to an era full of social and labor regulation that changed the functions, workload, and inherent need for the Human Resource Department versus the outdated personnel department version. In light of the new labor and racial discrimination laws, HR professionals of the period were now tasked with meticulous collection, analysis, and storage of employee information, such as the recruitment process, organizational training, labor compensation, and determined benefits under the penalty of monetary damages awarded for noncompliance. The need for advanced methods of data collection provided an atmosphere for technological evolution and developments in the field offered faster, more powerful, and less costly options for HRM to utilize. However, as capability and cost became less an issue, the bigger question of the time-period became how to implement the software efficiently. In addition to changing laws and evolving technological advancements, the price paid for labor increased causing the field of Human Resource Management to compare labor prices against an organizations productivity level in order to justify increased costs. Transitioning between the roles of caretaker to protector happened during this era by a shift in focus. Maintenance became a daily occurrence while employee development became a priority. All of the discussed instances modified the primary role