
( 1 ) THE CONCEPT.
In any purposeful organized endeavour, productive and effective achievement of intended objectives has necessarily to be coordinated and controlled by conscious and concerted combination of the resource mix of Materials, Machines, Methods, Money, Men and Management.
Of these, Human Resource or “Men” is the most important factor; for men in turn manage other resources as above and depending upon the degree of dexterity and dedication of this resource, the outcome of organized endeavour can be made or marred in terms of extent of accomplishments.
Unlike other resources Human Resource can not be depreciated, disposed-off, allowed to deteriorate or simply devalued but has necessarily to be appreciated and advanced through value enhancement if it in turn has to help in value addition and nor merely contribute towards costs.
In other words, because Of this very volatile nature of composition of this crucial commodity. the management of this resource becomes the crux of organizational functioning and a central issue of concern that needs constant concentration. at the same time providing continuous challenge.
It will, therefore be worthwhile to understand, atleast conceptually, the worth of this resource in order to manage it more meaningfully.
“Human Resources have been defined aa from the national point of view, the knowledge, creative abilities latent talents and manifested attitudes and aptitudes obtained in the population; whereas purely from the view point of the individual enterprise, they represent the sum total of inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills as exemplified in the talent and aptitude of its employees.”
These resources can also be called as ‘human factors’, which refer to “a whole consisting of interrelated. interdependent and interacting psychological, physiological, sociological and ethical components“
It is this Human Resource which is of prime and paramount importance, predominantly because most of the problems and predicaments in any organizational setup or settings are human and social rather than merely physical, technical or economical. Failure to recognize this fact can indeed cause immense loss to any individual, enterprise or even the entire nation. Therefore no multinational organization can ill afford to ignore this important and influential entity.
In the words of Oliver Sheldon “No industry can be rendered efficient or effective, so long as the basic fact remains unrecognized that it is principally human. It is not the mass of machines and maze of technical methods or process but a body of men. It is not a mere complex of materials and matter but materially a matter or complex humanity. It fulfils its function not by virtue or some invisible, impersonal force, but by beautiful blend of synchronized human energy, the synergy. Its body is not an intricate maze of mechanical devices but a magnified critical mass of nervous systems”.
Managing Human Resource with tact must infact consider the fact that ‘work’ comprises of ‘work ethos’, consisting of various organizational elements as authority relationship, lines of communications and command, organizational goals and missions, set of rules and regulations, policies and precedents informed group dynamics, the work content and context that might have been deliberately designed and managed to be meticulously maintained.
0n the other hand, ‘work’ is conducted in a ‘workculture’ typical to any particular organization and may even differ drastically from that of other or ever deviate during the normal functioning.‘Culture’ in itself includes a complex set of individuals and their ideosynchracies.
In a multinational corporate culture such Human Resource is rendered operative by observing ‘unity in diversity, where every individual may show some characteristics and at the same time display many a dissimilarities, as each has an intrinsic and implicit set of needs, motives and motivation, emotions and experiences, impact of interactions with external environment, biological inheritance, family farthings, religious rigors, racial and cast consciousness, educational achievements, individual aspersions and aspirations.
Therefore maintaining a satisfactory and satisfied Human Resource becomes the stupendous task before the Management of multinationals where multifarious tasks are to be coordinated in multitudinous manners, making each a meaningful means towards the business ends.
( 2 ) THE IMPORTANCE.
This can be discussed after Yoder, Heneman and others from three stand point viz. Social, professional and individual in organization and distilled to depict in following description.
1) Social Significance – by enhancing individual dignity and offering opportunities to satisfy social needs through maintaining balance between jobs and jobs contenders through matchmaking expectations with expertise and experiences; by understandable parity between contributions and compensations; by eliminating human resource wastage (at any stage of age or wage) by conserving health and hygiene and enhancing energy; by helping human elements in making conscious choices and decisions, developing the sense of interdependence.
2) Professional Significance – by providing healthy, happy and harmonious work environment, (thereby promoting team Spirit); by providing ample opportunities for personal development; by providing healthy relationship between different workgroups and workteams ( thereby Team work and spirit of synergy and symbiotic efforts are inculcated towards effective performance of interpersonal and intrapersonal tasks).
3) Organizational Significance – by way of creating and maintaining the right internal environment congenial to uphold right kind of attitudes, foster right kind of motivation so that the tasks are perceived to be more meaningful; by way of placing and utilizing the right man in the right job and (providing the right type of job to any type of person in the organization) by securing, willing cooperation through better communication and comprehension thereby requiring only marginal degree of coordination and control; (by integration of individual aspersions and aspirations, aims and arms to the group goals in general and overall organizational objectives, in particular) by fostering friendship and feeling of freedom, fraternity (through free, frank and flexible channels of command and communicntions), enhancing cohesion and conformity.
( 3 ) THE OBJECTIVES.
As understood, objectives are pre-determined ends or goals at which individual or group activity in an organization is timed or targeted. Formulttion of HR Objectives are inevitable for the following reasons
1) Announcement of organizational goals activates the goaldirected humun resource thereby investing work with meaning and means of self-fulfilment, aswell.
2) They serve as standards and stand points thereby helping to measure performanco interms of extent of accomplishment of objectives and take stock and bearings, helping navigation.
3) Acceptance of goals gets voluntary commitment, compliance and cooperation, thereby cohesion and coordination is facilitated.
4) They help in establishing, the “character” of any organization, setting pace and pointers in cultivating desired “corporate culture”.
From the study of findings of various eminent experts in the field of Human Resource Management, it is possible to generalize the HRM objectives, that many a multinational has adopted to face its HRM policies and practices.
According to Armstrong Manor, Lancaster, “These HRM objectives, mainly ordained by multinationals are
a) To utilize human resources effectively,
b) To establish and maintain a productive and self-respecting relationship among all the members of the Organizations,
c) To bring about maximum individual development of the organizational numbers.”
According to HRM trio Scott, Clothier and Spriegel, “The objectives of Personnel Management, Personnel Administration or Industrial Relations in an organization are to obtain maximum individuel develonment, desirable working relationship between employees and employers and to effect the moulding of human resources as contrasted with other physical resources.”
Dirk opines that “the objectives of Human Resources Management should include the utilization of the human resources effectively, establishing and maintaining productive and self-respecting working relationship among the participants and attainment of maximum individual development of members of the organization.”
Pigors & Myres observed, “Managing organizational leadership, and one of its central task in effective coordination and utilization of available human resources to achieve the objectives of the organization. Such as maximizing profits, increasing business share in the market,to improve efficiency or expand the scope of services…”
The American Management Association has very succinctly summarized the objectives of Human Resource Management thus, “The purpose of a business enterprise is the profitable production of goods and services to fulfil economic needs in such a way as to provide satisfactory returns to both, economic and social suppliers, owners and members of the organization, under conditions which provide for the maximum conservation of human and material resources over a continuing period.”
In brief it will not be inappropriate to crystallize the objectives of multinationals with particular reference to Human Resource Management summarized as follows:
The fullest contribution of human resources for the achievement of organizational goals of long and short-term plans, and of operations of the organization in an environment of high morale and vitality consistent with Profitability and social millieu, with the ethical values of the society and with the policies and regulations established by the country’s legislature in general and laws of land in particular.