Human resources management

Human Resources Administration is a specialty that emerged due to the growth and complexity of organizational tasks. Its origins go back to the beginning of the 20th century, as a consequence of the strong impact of the Industrial Revolution; It emerged with the name of industrial relations as a mediating activity between organizations and people, to soften or lessen the conflict between organizational objectives and the individual objectives of people, until then considered as incompatible or irreconcilable.

It was as if people and organizations, despite being closely interrelated, lived apart, with borders closed, trenches open and needing an outsider to both to understand each other or, at least, to lessen their differences.

This interlocutor was an area that received the name of industrial relations and that sought to articulate capital and labor, interdependent, but in conflict.

It is important to mention that due to the vision that the human being had as an employee at this time, it was reduced to being one more element within the organization, such as raw materials or work processes, without taking into account their needs as an independent and thinking individual. The area called Industrial Relations was basically responsible for ensuring that people's interests did not stray from the interests of the organization.

With the passage of time, the concept of industrial relations changed radically and underwent a transformation. Around the 1950s, it was called personnel management. It was no longer just about mediating disagreements and reducing conflicts, but mainly managing people in accordance with current labor legislation and managing conflicts that arose on a daily basis. Shortly thereafter around the 1960s, the concept underwent a further transformation. Labor law became obsolete, while the challenges of organizations grew disproportionately. People were considered as the fundamental resources for the success of the organization.

Thus, starting in the 1970s, the concept of Human Resources Management emerged, although it still suffered from an old myopia of seeing people as productive resources or mere passive agents whose activities must be planned and controlled based on the needs of the organization.

People are not resources that the organization consumes and uses, and that produce costs. On the contrary, people are a powerful asset that drives organizational creativity, in the same way that the market or technology do. For this reason, it is possible to highlight three fundamental aspects:

People are different from each other: they are endowed with their own personality, they have a personal and particular history, they possess the skills and knowledge, skills and competencies essential for the proper administration of organizational resources. Individual differences should be highlighted and not eliminated or standardized not homogenized. That is, to consider people as beings endowed with intelligence and creativity, with initiative and decision, with skills and competences, and not as mere resources of the administration.

Based on this quality, human resource managers should take full advantage of these individual differences, which can greatly help to strengthen and bring innovation to the organization. Let's remember that the greater our differences, the greater the possibility of contributing creative and innovative ideas to the organization in general.

People are living elements: They are the drivers of the organization, capable of equipping it with the intelligence, talent and learning essential for its constant renewal and competitiveness in a world full of changes and challenges. As they are the only living elements within the organization, they are in charge of giving life to it; Imagine for a moment an organization absent of people, it could not exist.

People are partners in the organization: They are the only ones capable of leading it to excellence and success. As partners, people make investments in the organization, hoping to make a profit on these investments. We can understand investment as effort, dedication, responsibility and commitments. The returns from such investments would be in the form of wages, incentives, career growth, and career. Every human being is proactive, his conduct will be oriented to satisfy certain needs or achieve certain personal objectives, the human resources administrator must offer a platform of policies and incentives that guide and motivate the person to become a member of the organization and help achieve of organizational objectives in exchange for achieving their own objectives.

I. Stages of Organizations and ARH

In the course of the 20th century, organizations went through three different stages; which are indicated below:

1) Era of classical industrialization: It covers the period between 1900 and 1950. The typical organizational structure of this period is characterized by the pyramidal and centralizing phenomenon, functional departmentalization, the bureaucratic model, centralization of decisions in senior management, establishing internal rules and regulations to discipline and standardize the behavior of the members.

The predominant organizational culture was oriented to the past and to the preservation of traditions and values through time. People were considered production resources, along with other organizational resources such as machines, equipment, and capital. Due to this conception, people management was traditionally called industrial relations.

2) Neoclassical industrialization era: From 1950 to 1990. It begins at the end of the Second World War. The world began to change rapidly. Changes became faster and more intense and unpredictable. Business transactions went from local to regional, from regional to international, and became increasingly complex. The old bureaucratic and pyramidal model was slow and too rigid in the face of the movements that took place in the environment.

The old conception of industrial relations was replaced by the new vision of human resource management. People were conceived as living resources and not as inert factors of production. Technology went through a surprising and intense development and began to influence powerfully the life of the organizations and the people who were part of it.

3) Information age: It begins around 1990, it is the current era. Its main characteristic is rapid, unpredictable and unexpected changes. Technology produced completely unforeseen developments and transformed the world into a global village.

In the organizations most exposed to changes in the environment, the predominant structure was based not on stable areas but on multifunctional work teams with transitory activities focused on specific missions and with defined objectives. Human resource management gives way to a new approach: Human talent management. People stop being simple organizational resources and are considered as beings endowed with intelligence, knowledge, abilities, personality, aspirations, perceptions, etc.

Human resources management represents the way in which organizations try to alternate with the people who participate in them, in the middle of the information age. No longer as organizational resources that need to be passively managed, but as intelligent and proactive beings, capable of having responsibility and initiative, as well as equipped with skills and knowledge that help to manage the other lifeless and inert organizational resources.

It is no longer about managing people, but managing with people. This is the new spirit and the new conception. The currency of the future will no longer be financial, it will be intellectual capital. The most important resource of the organization will be in the head of the people.

II. People and Companies

To overcome their individual limitations, people group together and form organizations in order to achieve common goals. As organizations succeed, they survive or grow. Growing up, they require more people to carry out their activities. By joining organizations, these people pursue different individual goals than those. This gradually makes organizational organizations move away from the individual objectives of the new members.

In this way, both individuals and organizations have objectives to achieve. Organizations recruit and select their human resources to achieve, with and through them, organizational objectives (production, profitability, cost reduction, satisfaction of customer needs). Although individuals once recruited and selected have personal goals that they strive to achieve, they often use the organization to achieve them.

For this reason, it is imperative to have an administrative platform that takes organizational and individual objectives by the hand, otherwise an imbalance in one of the parts could lead to dissatisfaction on the part of the organization towards the individual or vice versa.

The interaction between people and organization is a complex and dynamic topic that can be seen from different points of view. Bernard makes an interesting distinction between efficiency and effectiveness with reference to the results of the interaction between people and organization. According to him, everyone needs to be efficient in meeting their individual needs through their participation in the organization, but they also need to be effective in achieving organizational objectives through their participation in the organization. Let us remember that the achievement of goals is understood as effectiveness, while efficiency is the ratio between the achievement of results and the inputs required to achieve them.

The psychological interaction between employee and organization is basically a process of reciprocity, the organization does certain things for and by the participants such as: remunerating them, giving them security and status; reciprocally, the participant responds with work and the performance of their tasks. The organization expects the employee to obey her authority, and for her part the employee expects the organization to behave correctly with her and to act fairly.

The organization reinforces its expectations through the use of the authority and power at its disposal, while the employee reinforces its expectations through certain attempts to influence the organization or limit its collaboration. The two parts of the interaction are guided by guidelines that define what is right and fair and what is not. Some psychologists refer to a norm of reciprocity, while other psychologists call this a psychological contract.

Every contract represents two fundamental aspects:

The formal and written contract is an agreement in relation to the position to be occupied, the content of the job, the schedule, the salary, etc. The psychological contract is an expectation of what the organization and the individual can do and earn with that New relationship.

What people expect from the organization:

A great workplace Opportunity for growth, education and career. Recognition and rewards: Salary, benefits and incentives. Freedom and autonomy Support: renewed leadership Capacity for employment and education Camaraderie and camaraderie Quality of life at work Participation in decisions Distraction, joy and satisfaction.

What the organization expects from people:

Focus on the organizational mission Focus on the vision of the organization's future Focus on the client, whether internal or external Focus on the goals and results to be achieved Focus on continuous improvement and development Focus on participatory teamwork. Commitment and dedication Talent, skills and competence Constant learning and professional growth Ethics and social responsibility.

III. Human Capital and Intellectual Capital

Throughout the Industrial Age, the organizations that were successful were those that increased their financial capital and made it grow and expand. The image of organizational success was represented by the size of the organization and its physical facilities, by accounting assets and, above all, by its financial wealth. The accumulation of resources (financial and material) was one of the most important organizational objectives.

Today, successful organizations are extremely agile and innovative, and for this reason do not depend on their size. Currently, the fact that an organization is large does not mean that it is successful. There are small organizations that are extremely successful and are more profitable than larger organizations. The reason for this reality is called innovation. Innovation is the ability of an organization to provide creative and innovative products and services that transform other products and services into obsolete and useless things. It is the ability of an organization to anticipate others and win customers and consumers sooner, by offering them greater satisfaction with their purchases.

In the information age, financial capital is no longer the organization's most important resource. Other intangible or invisible assets quickly take their place by relegating it to a secondary plane. The organization's intellectual capital is made up of intangible assets such as:

Internal Capital: Includes the internal structure of the organization, concepts, models and administrative and computing systems. The internal structure and people constitute what we generally know as an organization. In addition, the culture or the organizational spirit are an integral part of this internal structure. External Capital: Includes the external structure of the organization, that is, the relationships with customers and suppliers, as well as registered trademarks, patents and the prestige of the company. The value of these assets is determined by the degree of satisfaction with which the company solves the problems of its clients. Human Capital: It is the capital of people, talents and skills. A person's competence is the ability to act in various situations to create assets, both tangible and intangible.Having people is not enough. They need a platform that serves as a foundation and a climate that empowers people and uses existing talents. In this way, human capital is basically made up of people's talents and skills. Its full use requires an adequate organizational structure and a democratic and driving culture.

IV. Styles of the Human Resources Administration

If the organizational structure is important, the organizational culture is not less. The assumptions prevailing in the organization regarding human nature have a powerful influence on ARH. Similarly, organizations are designed and managed according to the dominant theories, using various principles and assumptions that determine the way in which their resources are managed. The application of these principles and presuppositions determines the conditions for human behavior that must prevail in organizations. Thus, it is essential to know some theories that limit and guide the vision of people in the organization.

a) Mcgregor's theory X and theory Y

Douglas Mcgregor distinguishes two opposite conceptions of administration based on presuppositions about human nature: the traditional one (theory X) and the modern one (theory Y).

Traditional conception of administration: Theory X

It was based on incorrect and distorted concepts and premises about human nature, which predominated for decades in the past, namely:

Man is motivated mainly by economic incentives. As these incentives are controlled by the organization, man is a passive agent that must be administered, motivated and controlled by the organization. Human emotions are irrational and should not interfere in the self-interest. Organizations must and can be planned in such a way that feeling and its unpredictable characteristics can be neutralized and controlled. Man is lazy by nature and must be stimulated by external incentives. Individual objectives are generally opposed to the objectives of organization, for which a more rigid control is necessary. By virtue of his intrinsic irrationality, man is basically incapable of controlling himself and disciplining himself.

Within this traditional concept of man, the task of administration is restricted to the application and control of human energy only in the direction of the objectives of the organization.

New conception of administration: theory Y

It is based on a set of assumptions from the theory of human motivation:

The use of physical or mental effort in a job is as natural as playing or resting. The average man does not innately dislike work. Under certain controllable conditions, work can be a source of satisfaction (and must be performed voluntarily) or a source of sanction (which should be avoided if possible). External control and the threat of sanctions are not the only means to obtain cooperation to achieve organizational objectives. Man has to lead and control himself to put himself at the service of the goals entrusted to him. Committing goals is a way of rewarding, which is related to their effective reach.The most significant rewards such as satisfying ego needs or self-actualization are direct results of efforts toward organizational goals. Under certain conditions, the average man not only learns to accept, but also to seek responsibility. The avoidance of responsibility, the lack of ambition and the importance placed on personal security, are generally consequences of the experience of each and not inherent and universal characteristics of the human being. The ability to use a high degree of imagination and Ingenuity for the solution of organizational problems is not scarce but is widely distributed among the population. In modern industrial living conditions, the intellectual potentialities of man are used only partially.

Within this concept, managing is a process that consists of creating opportunities, unlocking potential, removing obstacles, promoting growth, providing guidance. It is an administration by objectives instead of an administration by controls.

Note: Between theory X (autocratic, tax and authoritarian) and theory Y (consultative and participatory democracy) there are continuous and successive degrees.

b) Theory Z

Ouchi recently published a book on the Japanese conception of management and its successful application in American companies. He gave this eastern conception the name Z-theory, paraphrasing Mcgregor's contribution. In portraying Japan's cultural picture (typical values, styles, and customs), Ouchi shows that productivity is much more a matter of people management than technology; of human administration founded on adequate organizational philosophy and culture, than of traditional perspectives based on organization.

In Japanese companies the decision-making process is participatory and consensual (the entire team is consulted to reach a consensus), the result of a long tradition of participation and commitment of its members in organizational life. In Japan, employment is for life, there is stability in employment and the company functions as a closely linked human community, participation through teamwork. In this way, productivity is a matter of social organization: higher productivity does not come from more arduous work, but from a cooperative vision associated with trust. Unlike other countries where there is a relationship of mistrust between the union, the government and the administration of the organizations,Theory Z enhances the sense of community responsibility as the basis for organizational culture.

V. Multivariate Character of the Human Resources Administration

ARH is a multidisciplinary area: it necessarily includes concepts of industrial and organizational psychology, organizational sociology, industrial engineering, labor law, safety engineering, occupational medicine, systems engineering, computer science, etc.

The subjects that are usually dealt with in ARH are related to an enormous multiplicity of fields of knowledge: there is talk of the application and interpretation of psychological tests and interviews, of technology of individual learning and of organizational fields, nutrition and food, medicine and nursing, social service, life and career plans, job and organization design, job satisfaction, absenteeism, wages and social expenses, market, leisure, incentives, fires and accidents, discipline and attitudes, interpretation of labor laws, efficiency and effectiveness, statistics and records / certification, transportation for personnel, responsibility at the supervisory level, auditing and countless other matters.

ARH techniques and their link with the internal and external environments

Techniques used in the external environment	Techniques used in the internal environment
• Study of the labor market	• Analisis and descripcion of impuests
• Recruitment and selection	• Valuation of positions
• Investigation of salary and benefits	• Training
• Relations with unions	• Performance evaluation
• Relations with professional training entities	• Life and career plan
• Labor legislation	• Social benefits plan
	• Salary policy
	• Hygiene and security

The situational nature of ARH

There are no universal laws or principles for the administration of human resources. ARH is situational, that is, it depends on the organizational situation:

Of the environment Of technology used in the organization The current policies and guidelines The administrative philosophy The conception that is taken in the organization about the man Of his nature Quantity and quality of the available human resources

ARH as line responsibility and function of STAFF

It means that the person who administers the personnel is each manager or boss within their area of action. The boss must be the one who makes the decisions regarding his subordinates: the one who decides on new hires, on promotions and transfers, on performance evaluation, on merits, training, etc. The boss should be the one who transmits to his subordinates the expectations and plans of the organization and who collects the expectations and feelings of his subordinates. Furthermore, the principle of unity of command or single supervision makes it necessary not to divide the authority of each of the chiefs. In this way, each boss has line authority over her subordinates, that is, authority to decide, act and command. Consequently, she also has line responsibility for her subordinates.

Thus, the ARH is a line responsibility, that is, the responsibility of each of the bosses.

However, for headquarters to act relatively uniformly and consistently in relation to their subordinates, a staff, advisory, and consulting department is required to provide headquarters with proper guidance, rules, and procedures on how to manage their subordinates. In addition to that advice, advice and consultancy, the staff department must also provide specialized services to provide proposals and recommendations to the heads so that they can make appropriate decisions.

Note: In these conditions, the ARH is a line responsibility (of each boss) and a staff function (advice that the HR department provides to each boss

SAW. HR Administration as a Process

There are five basic processes of ARH: integrating, organizing, retaining, developing and auditing people.

There are five intimately interrelated and interdependent processes. Their interaction means that any change in one of them will influence the others, which will feed new influences and so on, thus generating adjustments and accommodations throughout the system. Within a systemic view, the five processes can be considered as subsystems of a larger system.

Process	objective	Activities involved
Integration	Who works in the organization	HR Market Research
		Recruitment of people
		Selection of people
Organization	What people in the organization will do	People socialization
		Post design
		Job description and analysis
		Performance evaluation
Retention	How to keep the people who work in the organization	Remuneration and remuneration
		Social services and benefits
		Health and safety at work
		Union relations
Development	How to prepare and develop people	Training
		Organizational development
Audit	How to know what they are and what people do	Data bank
		Information systems
		Controls
		Constancy
		Productivity
		Social balance

Human Resources Policies

HR policies refer to how organizations want to treat their members to achieve organizational goals through them, by providing conditions for achieving individual goals. They vary greatly from one organization to another. Each organization develops the human resources policy best suited to its philosophy and its needs. Strictly speaking, a human resources policy must encompass what the organization has regarding the following main aspects:

Human resources integration policies. Human resources organization policies. Human resources retention policies. Human resources development policies. Human resources audit policies.

Objectives of the Human Resources Administration

The objectives of human resource management follow from the objectives of the entire organization. Every organization has as one of its main objectives the creation and distribution of a product or service. Thus, along with the organizational objectives, the ARH must also consider the personal objectives of its partners:

The main objectives of the ARH are:

Create, maintain and develop a contingent of people with skills, motivation and satisfaction to achieve the objectives of the organization. Create, maintain and develop organizational conditions for the employment, development and full satisfaction of people, and for the achievement of individual objectives.. Achieve efficiency and effectiveness through people.