a A What is personnel management? Introduction: four models pr coined in he Introduction, is Bonk onsen sth contradictions and paradoxes in personnel ra Farados. The question "Wh frard enough B steal answer” oe ted FIRM, Hence its Bing to stat with & ad management?” ray appear straighter eee ois rominscet of he old Pilowophy de here i tht what a st sight peas # Et CONUS OTS a of queons ~ about what costes the snd the substance of the a ‘managemen Tow we ace using the notion of what i vonnel management Immediate factory answer tat reveals ies. To achieve a answer equites the unpacking of he, sequites consideration rer that “personel manage ‘The ‘pessonnel from the system's! tionalised amomymus with the ‘Personnel e are not identical, even if they 80 eset as an avn personnel management mes ESE spread beyond the °confines ofthe pend depurment nine ne Wetine nag, sttig anc ted wn leds cen forthe mo empresa Sin of wing he Woslac Intl eatin Srey (WS) ‘company to company, reBecting philosophy and style of personnel (eee, for example, Tyson and Fell, ‘of thee models in ture Normative model" 44 Hunan Rewoure Management resources in pursuit of organisational goa, Here is ¢slectin, frst, of some US definitions: a pent ss ot eng ef esl wih people personas administrations SCavty permeating all levels of management in 25) isation is ongciing and tenting invidals at sb ceaiation of hi nti bile, has ventas mun efisency fr theses and ir group and thereby ging the eae af which they afe 2 par te determining cmmpettive advantage and ‘otimam resus Megginson (1972) Mespired thatthe most giant aspect of pctnne management 0 e fund eerie deco and conte fhe human resources of orpnzaton in ts ly ‘RatRbar the ocean of th person ncn eet ha sere ct hms wt iru busines covrnment inorder to Blac tbe are canztional progas and objectives (Note the et language! 4 people to the jobs that mast be ents define hea follows: The fl of management which Bas functions of procuring ecves for which the company i esublshed are asin economic and tively “fal level of pecionnel are srved to the highest possible degree. (@)_ Objectives of society ae daly considered and sre Compare these with the asic definition of the (then) Institute Management (IPM) (now Insitute of ersoanel and Development 1s (1969) Faaae anagement i espns of those who manage people wel Beng «description ofthe work of th aaa eere bic is concred with ole t work and with hi rations within genta imst achieve oth icine and juste met aly without the other ¢ secs to ring fogetbr and What is perzonmel management? 45Analysing these statements, it would a iin ac atin, wll pes ht noma ode of ei entifies the necessary function of regulation. is about selecting, developing, rewar tion is necessiry ~ and hence is the prime ad directing employees in such a way Critical-evaluative model mong the definitions provided of personne management is thet of sumed to be not only peefectly com Imam ficiency for themes tnd ir group, be organisation’ achieving its contrasting ficiency and ance becomes even mi descriptive functional models, eae meagre is concerned wih ani thse who run wok npn © Ting of the work efos of human beings the they a pointed vwhea we look at the position of Tet cost. atson (1986, p. 176) himself admits, he crested Descriptive-functional model management poicy agement is, tend to appear the organisation and that their ‘he does not se the management of the imployment fltioaship as one of regulation of equal inter etnjeaon, fom a deliberately oaded™ perspective ron invites us to consider tionship is essentially the three models of, personnel rare aiferent world view. The normative models (particu the America o eee unitary perspective; the desciptve-uncional models on # Prat re pve, andthe ca-evauatve model ona radial perspective (= Buel nd Morgan, 1979; Morgan, 1986). Descriptive-behavioural model sf we have identied what personnel management idaly sims t0 do, and what tually seven what, i practice, are the behaviours of personne enact ether of these models? Here, (perhaps signalled by Wation’s defini cath with Latpaons of what personnel speci actully do a best conrey am ait of discipline suggest that icpne sot hat elo ad lye il 2a erly ie ot we same goals or means of achievement, The existence of diferent for many of the 46 Human Resource Management What is personnel management? 47» snanagement groups whether inthe US oF UK: pete rma gers centre azound their perceived lack of invest seas eng ‘out of touch wit business end the res of Sear promising amore than they deve. Ritzer eb sample of American managers 6 the eyes of other ic book by reminding us repped the mark in the f spectng to, rates tha anticipating problems sialon. han being creative and atemping to exerie nia image of the {hey dike routine administration CT “Ramin') ut those aspects of the work that eotypes already denied by line manager A second joke (equally wel es disapointed expectations of what thei sated fuetions and asp 1m fom the personnel department and Iam hereto lp yo 48. Human Resource Management What is personnel management? 49credibly. 50. Huma Resource Monagement ‘The credibility gap Both Watson's personnel managers 10 be obsessed by the Franagement groups. In the 1980s, Thurley rahe UK wa a case for urgent treatment” while Tso selingy: al she manages wee to-wete in thei dares each day trae the business sucess” would the pe “eae entry vo make! Were we to belie athe ria fafa by personae! specials the ABW personnel fenction 'p.22) commented early 19805 di Kile to asst ad began 1 develop i the late fof successive Labour fof employee rising expectat 1988; Tyson and Fel, 1986). An envi and restrictive trade union and employ aa aes of macho manager wampling rougstod ove caefally constructed wah wade unions and progressive employee relations systems 9 as Manning's (1983) and offulure to deliver as ee pt the problem well when he stated that react po of aman resource sities arid ot with Title “Amanagement group that preaches one message but practices ano ly Bat this sonly the surface expresion of re model. Personnel manag cause of tensions Between signaled in Watsr fof employment regulation points What is personnel management? Starmtive aspirations and enacted behaviour. Both the activity and personnd that promote ambiguity of action. The chit on. However before shown $0, a little history is necessary to set the scene. fire then hee A short history of personnel management in the UK Reader seeking more d send here are referred to Nie Siar Peon Menge! 915s for ees y a sma , Tyson and Fal (1986), Lege (1978, 1988) and Torrington (1985) ‘mugen appsce enon Themaon 1979 ‘se Criomaon 1975) ere ig ve “tempest he a eee "or wliae sppontyTelonng Trapt (99) tiny and Ingen eh tee he emerge of S2_ Human Resource Management alist employer objective. Torrington also points ine specialist were beginning to ook tothe socal work, ‘with management vratve management (Fayoh 1949) and the Human Relations (hua. 1933) al finding ethos devotes among personne) "The choice of social science exemplars is it might be argued ows 2 growing concer with notions of ‘of management control and 2 he welfare and development of individuals at work A edo oe ng might sage Gat human rations conceiently EARS scream withthe search for efciency, s it proposed that cone fer een and lower cos, Teas of eficienythrovgh mnAEETSE sane conan oe the lot of the workers could come roe: a the TS se te easily ofa form of entrol through motivation. eas have enurfaced through certain models of HRM and ponsible autonomy’ (Fredmas, 1 Seed World Wat and its aftermath of relatively fll employes on (1989, pp. 8-8) terms ‘consensus Dee fon of labour and the prohibition of male Spm that men were beginning to take over the funtion, § izength of maleled and dominated evginng with trade unions was sen to be man's role. The fall employment and union recognition eremment, combined withthe etablshmet ofthe we Spportnitis for extending the crn undermining the importance of the “er TMployment ports che take of reerutment and cthancement of union density and power that of wage july in the gift of the employer ‘and some continuance of 8 W pment in some industries ry for the ‘consensus negotiator What is personnel management? 53om one saree ait owen orate Jaw that incoxporated certs opportunities) which override the S4 Human Resource Management wanes (heath and se sey at work, i interes five emplayers From te sro coasts esooe ees have deol wn mint 1 na clot wn ced by ata nS seein 197% Wen he elaine than bye Bs fel and de won tena EM Tee ge ep dng the ne mange var fom ME il fas "Teast oe Torneo 59) identifies, that of the ‘manpower sual ine ‘organisation roan’. The tight labour vray the economie turbulence ofthe of sboek of he » ap naon and ‘stop-Bo' government pay coleced the costs and beneSt nev technology, wed concetn for short-term efficiency Crean! managenest responsibilty came foe 655 Bef ft beeen numbers and sil requiem 0 ping was een asa pote press oe 3008 achieving optimum Pat count, in developing this activity persone in present-day organisa- manpower control and “These ae the ‘letk of works the yeas jake abot architec, whe these ate Largely operating sties of rc mead to be interpreted contextually, 1 wil reserve ipation it may be useful at ions Tyson and Fell identify ted roles. The following loose aecountants end. pe personnel managemes Maple discussion of them until Chapter 2 But, this stage to draw some comparisons Between 5 istorically paral are suggested. The elerk of wo > roe, deriving fom the welfare tation, al pe cles of bneolenc” andthe “humane Care ‘The “contracts manager’ f industsial relations and manpower co tmaditions,mieros the ‘coms and ‘manpower analyst. The Gepending on organisational srateey ‘Crganzation man’ of the ‘manpower analyst Hee af HRM in ie historic evopment of the pon MAT todo 40, we fist need t0 Be se part fashion let ws consier personel management ore ctng the contradictions of capitalism and patriarchy. What is personnel management? 55Personnel management: i sont ment: instrument and victim of the dilemmas of capital? he et pe! pi ie ee hep faring nd ‘cont spc ofthe faction be ated their tole in mediating 2 major contradiction embedded in capitalist systems: the Peone management ext cing the om String te cmc fh ne i Surawoy, 1979, 1985; Hyman, 1987), In Weberian terms “te meine te rests on several astamptions: that i a wor “eon esto ld of competition for scarce resources, & boar isin cy oy creas a te th elim ain oe bees thea rau eer ant te eet teens or ups tle nou spsifcaton of work tasks evalvation, monitoving and asessment of perf sament of performances Stes So Shama srvision), technical (control built into the techno! nat Tinea heats anette sess and 156 Human Resource Management ea depending on elative costs the subst markets, particulary on the bass of gender and sal bur solidarity, though the creation of vested rae, eaft workers) and competition between workers spout asa varable cost through casvalstion, the relocation of plants to areas where, action, labour is dseropowere market strategy) Work intensiia- tek fom Tayorstic forms of work organisation with foe supervision (pessonal controls :ssembly line pacing (technical fo involved strategies of deskling ‘on of capital for abour (bureaucratic ‘on has traditionally pssoited tight externa incentive payment stems nto) and so on. Reds Sod technical conto). eet night wel be argued tht the picture pinta bee is eae t would be inappropriate to scrnanagement as one terest fa ous exploitation of about (or in aay monolithic STs) SO soe ence management is isl collective labour Pros internal Pre Se sumed pri Dire faetonal specasns Me ane edonal interests and proses Bren congue tS0 the same Gepartment may be in competion just a5 much = re terest of diffeent eves inthe ranagement Nery ate Toe, Organisation die too, As Thompron and MGS rot no al work orpietns ae bad on commen ol tn rat I prc, tose in he public wre SE (esueation, sani series) re (0 8 te) coneeatd wi SES ‘not ate Without the imperative to acamlate supe CY SF ‘have no cpotive to extract maximim susp ‘yp wo apoint all ths may be tae But spanagers ae generally in loose coalition ae eee torance of te tom line. Orzansains may difen 9 8° iis ‘eevtatae for public sector series to pursue imveerty POSE ‘and pay sere ehch would po them ouside the general met ns set by the operation, with each always erence of pate enterprise ad & market economy) the Peso apparent than sa Westergard and Reser, 197, ced yt pli sector esl wonder pressure fen cove public Wate gy and government contol of the pursesing) 10 POR formal as suc, Hkely to praise cast retucton andthe onan of re Ye aot the generation of surplus. The feroduction, of managerial pc it pita services nthe 19805 (Se Chapter 7) at ‘accentuated sich pressures. vaingxitque is contained within the Maras argument The Tevolies not just the purchase ofabour and the achievement What is personnel management? 57value at the poi of prodacion the make fe eto develop» prab ec Mur may wl abject the tpn of oma tens and condtons of employment od ‘et yg rin ig pion oe ca impede the efficient extraction o ality and Mares about the realisation 2 flloing Weer, ation (97 op so ty has to go hand in hand with material lity othe achievement of the employe’ ultimate goa through the wse of ‘of surplus value are nt 33-6) points out that formal invariably) realized in the marketplace. The techniques Bice Th subvert materially rationale the seeds of particu standards (s0 necessary to real exercise of employee discret Ms bier paying employe, beth ng ofp Fil dies nd inde puchsr of the goods end serves produced. Uns employees Wale cant be reed ‘quote Burawoy, employer wishes ‘obscure the commodity and realite ts of labour to achieve 188 Human Resource Mangement curing consent. Consent is generated by for example, in Snip, through compe ipatcipation serves fe in the process of production, Because ust a “Toston define the rules of the game, so the game playing these rales (Burawoy, 1979, pp. 81-6). Despotic, o¢ if not completely replaced, by “hegemonic ab ioivegume playing ora paternal employee rations stratee?) Te Soloyee inflbisy and conservatism, ficient labour end oer often eal for cohesive rations within 2 workforce and aan ation of thelr tems and conditions of employment, neotited though ‘emuatable to and for groups of employees. Yet sch cohesion and verae collective solidarity which employees may se aa the employer tress Hence all personel pols contsning he 8 ae gu decay, need continual monitoring, modification and, at tne radical 986, pp. 182-4) Tei aaa hs Bakcoth ofthe coniraicons of captaim and the esos enseMonmal and. material rationality that the functions and behaviours 9 ee pests canbe re-interpeted, It was not for nothing tat Bravery p87) refers to personnel departments ‘pracioness ions” ara sta paychology” sth maintenance cre forthe human machinery ‘The early development of the "esineided with ‘vith the period when Fine managements application plus value a the point of production was being to-ameliorate the effects and mask the he humane bureaverst’) emerged at a time vt ee verable rather than a fixed cost. The consequent “induction and eraining not only (have 3 and cond Sequent hiring and ietion perform this and related exploitative bas ‘peronnel specialists have adopted, notably that of he rE ‘wrangler may be seen, rather function as mediator of the personnel management? 59‘we consider the outcome person to look briefly at a related contradicto sok a 1m and source of further ambiguine the The problem of patriarchy hing ali the pene ner connotations of he wot evident, 1¢ origins would “The orgn of patie ae comple, Some wos age xin Sepa 0 txchnging unpaid domes ih che’ opep innit mariage cn (oc) 60. Human Resource Management eter an implicit contract through which men contol dcr Wbour and 90 “Qecly, Marsets maintain that pacha réatins ae rode by and serve Eee fe of aptly providing » cheap way of scoring day-to-dey of ther rodacng the nee geneain of works: However tis note Be meaprtal soi. Bot noon the el ory of Pena manne so feminine origins itis also soscepue to « feminist analyst See vagget that in avery eal sens, personnel managemer % pels ocaption, ied if as womens work No ol wee ts RODS of “eeand management women for example, Adelaide Ande 7 ‘Wood and aaa ey puta but a bandfl ofthe estimated sty wo evens Wai ‘workers in factories atthe outbre ry 1927 membership was 420 but fewer than oe Pobre were, men. Between 1916 and 1931, of che deve ee een sx wee women. hough in he teri iar we right be se vergung nen epresented in igherafcersdepropertiontely 19 Ses py i mou be ar 5a that women dominated the exiy Peso egy) mamitedy twas ten, ich a Seebokm Rowse, ES Sarre Googe Hargreaves hares Jacob and David Crehon tat payed ioe sponsorship roles in allowing spon Teatons But peraps itis ionic that thse champions of? Tagation and. welfeiam generally were very often non-Coni (eopecilly) Quakers who, excluded in easier frofesons and public ofce and diverted iota lover rr industry, might almost be regarded as “honorary wom ane ea that Hostede (1980) considers that Quakers represent a Feninng aa a the United Sates, promoting valves of “sevice, paciam and es from the ranel management may be also analyse from a feminist ‘pay be eeen to embody severa of what Lipman-Biumen aierol myth; that is “socal stereotypes about the “tue alind, serve as sef-contol (0984, p. 74) farang” of women and men {which] once mechanisms used by both genders to regulate el management arove out of 19th century factory leat vromen and clésen, not at that of men, conditions, Note here two implicit control What is personnel management? 6Lsihines satus Froth Mary ve ary Weod es ne of hr Bs dts which she hel ‘sented ‘was to curb rowdy behaviour in the dining room and, through ra “ soln fe a, ay ying tne tens sl aiingtnctine concen Tee, © ata mae reece rth aco xl pe ouneeent inate sci soe p89) Pathemore hs conte my ‘poor dis Sse characteristics desired in a direct labour 7 denied Sheen force by an economy dominated by has to the present day dogged th mere ‘advisers’ to line management. But, equally impo ya of personnel manager eae wane acer society, inevitably meant 62 Human Resource Management ‘peswnnel function is bore out by Jen Pret on discriminatory practices in reeritment and spenonne anager’ subordinate service rol Faure to ensure the implementation of form 9p, p. 62) notes kin the convendonalorpszational pecking order, ine manages Mri ipinpartanc ws ‘proven’ and producers of wath and Pe senna faction nay compan [8] downgrade, een demise ree woe tle i] bot confined 10 edminisraon, THe wrmmeri fine management could be said to rior the ignship Beoween personne ie) organizational ‘Raventonal domestic division of Ibou since the Semebwinner it vated above the “unproductive function. ‘the problem for personnel specialists i how “emergence of the different specialist roles ident Sanetional imperatives ~ the emerge “opportunities of the ime, with the strategy to background the feminine image, For male personnel ‘cater in an occupation wi uence’ but asa conscious of origin and create a male sible problem in developing oc “hati, when women have power within an occ the cave tht that occupation has yet co attain power (Das ove within organisations or oi (Smith 1982) When te si Pifor example, when the roles of consensus eee mapow “wrangler er seen to contribute to busin “converse holds: women’s postion in that occupation is teatened and ribution is downgrade. Fea tar appens to ave taken place atest from the end af the Second Weld iy decline, sgement, see Long, 1988 Legge, 1987). vp. 189-90), makes an interesting observation sbout male decline. He argues, from his own What is personnel management? 6yo Oe Termeni coneoed Lage, 3987), Bain ing, pes Sec on hyo lei. Te un nv canering pony the ket ofthe eg apport deal ay elton implement, This coud cate ct bie fen : ining ia ofthe cepation ota athe pel this iage i problema ee le deny hey oiling the works of capital “oiler ofthe works’. Denying: teingement groupe peta beset by Crpetnedambiguestntin condone now Conclusion: personnel managers as victims of ambiguity On a daily basis personnel mana m3 ah a gers are confronted by ambigu a negiocl th contin me om my ton Th Secs tm people, are proactive as well as re id cannot be shi Shae ‘organisational influences to the same extent as other re cute tae wis 64 Human Resource Management able than inanimate objec high labour productivity, low ‘cannot be demonstrated personnel management it may rellect vt asa neslt oftheir assessment of their ic environment ang soon. Dificulty i cxpistion’s boundaries, and ate es alm Hence, if ‘desinble bebavi in Tabour turnover and ‘unequivocally that thi win the adoption of surrogate mes ‘Sifcltes in demonstrating direct “suppose, in spite of the em that | 86 anemes defined as the absence of any "personnel pooth running of the oxgenisation, AS ‘Pgh ead to the speciaist department becoming we be saved of rexources and fet out of dec Au aepued, personnel departments and sr0ng Tegarded 6 having a symbiotic ncsive 8 measu king. As Batstone (1980) rilesome’ wions could be sonnel claim t0 sch gata). Indeed, the necessary difision functions, taken to its extret function needs a departm ned personne programmes of systems PY jer management departments and the success oF fare of & Jen removed from the direct cai aceesfly ine managers c2 velue evn aa result of poor non-specialist implementation, “epartment can be sapegoated. hand, the department chooses to enh by the number of activities and new sey ran the risk of collecting the ‘bodge-podee sa eo decried, and which may farther conse the question of ontbution to organisational succes era in. demons el management succes the “omnipresent” ‘Because all manages, in a sense, engage in g involving unigue koowdge and skis nahi Furthermore, potential exper Ymowledge tases hat eae bid by posonne pct ak compared 1 other mans (+ the What is personel management? 65‘often viewed suspiciously by management groups as a whole ences having the additional misfortune, in the light of eater dscuson, having a feminine’ ‘of image 6, p. 182) points out, the isue of expertise places personnel specialists into a double bind. If they ae able ty convince their managerial colleagues in industrial rations Jaw, frivance handing, counseling) they are lable 0 be dumped with meop personnel problems and proble ‘onnel decisions Personnel specialists then un the risk at best of being overiosde trying to ‘collect’ activites and appear Scapegoated. Furthermore, line managers are then like ‘own staff and are rendered less effective in their own Ie expertise do not end here bbe seen inthe light of the tensions and problematic nature of ips. AS has already been di egy that succeeded, (Legge, 1988). But the growth in Aepartments was not an unmixed blessing for enh Influence, Interpreting the results of the fist Warwi conducted in 1985, Purcell argues th ‘management of trade union celations, andthe and procedures of led to the personnel function becoming ‘segmented into an isolated departme: Pesonne is thus seen as an essential o earlier, Winkler (1974, pp. 2 made a very similar point in isolated from personnel and indus fons a defence mechaniem Fahour problems arise, the hs 3 double repository for Blame: not just recletant workers, bot the nates to whom he delegated the ttk of Keping them quia, 66 Human Resource Management comme sei’ potenti for Being sapegtd i ed Not tuprgiten Watson (97? 8) Mente hi epondnt eqont ese on he importance of voiding mistakes. “te contton cited with Big nomial a vor futon, ut being potted tovare cctv acon, do tend here. Aough in tery, seca Feroane depainents ae tere to ofr adit confi with thee inte faa of epg te orton ara whol ging on along tea bats through tantainng the stafing resource and coping with the conics and contains which ate whenever and wherever pope are empayel (Wt This demands nthe interes ofthe organ s «whol, inser someimes have to att ont Hie manag” ps itera that an cause frat prcetets ewes nthe 0 ing resentment at perceived ‘unnecrsary line managements tendency to scapegst their personnel ‘departments when opportunity arises, . “he pobien of denonseaing uni cnn option cs the employment of a unique experts, a wort, has resulted in seis of vicious ‘ iat for personne! departments to extreate themselves 1 perhaps most (see Fgut 1.1). The following is apical pattern that emerges, but perbaps tou in thon boar neve company whe he demand femptne product and labour marke, combined with highly inerdependent workflow fren the most narrowly traditional department, have to be coped with, often without fall knowledge of their causes, but with extreme urgency. Crisis management results, This may involve stop-gap measures, creating unfortunate precedents for future bargaining, while offering only a partial or inadequate {olution tothe problems involved. Line management then guins an unfavourable sonnel management? 67Ccesaton of human resoure pbloms sis manogemant Problem stents work ont Pesce Deparment | rl in personnel management is dificult to encourage the most pro! ‘mansgers to take over such a department, even the development for existing taf would not necesaiy by this occurred pd the departed o beak out fs ta «ct! function) the personnel the credibility and bargtining power to or from other departments (stl seing them in thelr tume new areas and modes of operation, without political support within the stereotype and the view ing with the personnel depa ‘operate in these areas anyway. lack of support and ered {If we compare, on the ane han tion ofa strong personnel department manag ith mandatory adie inthe interes (68 Human Resource Management Teudenhip then they are clever, ambitious powerseckes who want to run work narivations a hind of el-indulgent persona playground ‘To return to the main theme explored in this chapter, itis suggested that these ambiguities and paradoxes arise out of the contradictions of capitalism and patiarchy aleady explored, To a large extent they emerge from the tensions of seeking 10 achieve both control and consent, formal and material rationality, of holding balance between the ‘personnel’ and ‘management’ aspects of the function. They also reflect the fact thet, in attempting to mediate these situations, from which extraction is difficult, if not to say impossible. ofthe enterprise culture and into the 1990s human resource management is being presented as a model of managing people at work that is more credible than pewsonnel management. human reiource management really dif soyes in which ‘waditiona?” personnel manager ‘ongenstions Personnel management syle in context Notes 1. bve sted the term ‘normative to personnel management andy subseq management ideal shosld be. In order to make such prescriptions, sich normative nodes, with vaying depees of exlicines, ret on conceptual Rameworks, oF What is personnel management? 69