Human Resource Management and Development: HRM & HRD Roles

Introduction to HRM and HRD

Human beings hardly work and live in isolation because they are social beings who consciously and unconsciously develop, plan, and manage relations. These relations become the outcome of actions and greatly depend on the extent of an individual's ability to manage those actions. Knowledge and experience acquired during an individual's development help in understanding others and responding to various life challenges and situations. This learning and understanding can then be carried forward into the workplace, where managing existing relations becomes a central concern — and where the context of Human Resource Management comes into play.

Human Resource Management (HRM) is the activity carried out by the management of state-owned enterprises, commercial firms, and other organizations of all types and sizes to retain, recruit, and motivate their employees. In essence, HRM includes policies, plans, and programs adopted by organizations to make full use of their human resources — encompassing everything from selection and recruitment to training and appraisal strategies (Dessler 2007). A relationship is thereby initiated between a firm and its employees, shaped by rules governing how current employees are treated, policies on separation, and the circumstances of terminating employment (Boxall & Purcell 2011). As a multidisciplinary organizational function, HRM draws ideas and theories from fields including economics, management, sociology, and psychology.

The complexity of social beings has led managers to examine an organization's basic components — people, structure, and purpose — for effective management. Organizations seeking to diversify, grow, and remain competitive must recruit qualified employees and place them in appropriate positions. Employees must also be managed effectively and trained so that they are committed to the organization's goals. The functions of HRM, in order of functionality, include training and development, selection and recruiting, quality and productivity, succession planning, job satisfaction, compensation, globalization, and diversity. HRM maximizes employee contributions to achieve optimal productivity and effectiveness while simultaneously pursuing objectives at the individual level (such as providing challenging work and recognition) and at the societal level (including legal compliance and social responsibility).

Human Resource Development (HRD) is a process entailing the development and unleashing of human knowledge through training, development, and organizational development, with the sole purpose of improving organizational performance (Swanson 2007). HRD is therefore a set of systematic and planned activities designed to provide members of an organization with the learning opportunities and essential skills needed to meet current and future job demands. It focuses on expanding employees' knowledge, satisfaction, and productivity while emphasizing collective, rather than purely individual, growth (Jacobs and Park 2009, p. 134).

This paper gives an overview of the problems faced in the Highlands Ltd. case study and examines which of those problems fall within the remit of the HR manager to resolve. It considers the problems that HR personnel can and cannot influence, and analyzes the internal and external factors affecting the organization to understand the contributions of HRM and HRD. Solutions to the presented problems are discussed to show how HRM personnel contribute to the smooth running of operations by implementing HRD. Conclusions and recommendations demonstrate how important organizational strategies and interventions are when it comes to influencing change.