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‘Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. Human Resource Management can also be performed by line managers. ‘ ‘It is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. (Susan M. Heathfield, 2000) HRM is vital to an organization, because it improves the overall performance by improving employees’ performances as well as training and giving them opportunities to be more effective and productive. It tries to satisfy the needs of the employees, so in turn; they are better equipped to be more productive in achieving the objectives of the organization. Gary Dessler and Tan Hwee Chiat (2009, p. ) states that, ‘Without HRM, organizations may find themselves in different kinds of unwanted situations, such as hiring the wrong people, getting fined by government ministries for unsafe practices, finding out that people are not giving their best, or even over/under-paying their employees. ‘ In any organization, the most important resource is its employees. It is through each and every one of them that its objectives are achieved. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that everyone is motivated by needs.
Organizations must satisfy their employees’ need in turn, starting with the first, which deals with the most obvious needs for survival itself. When the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied, they can begin to be concerned with the higher order needs of the employees’ influence and personal development. The five levels of needs are psychological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs.
When employees are happy with enough food and sleep, organizations can then move on to their next level ??? safety needs (security whilst at work), and so on. When employees are happy and satisfied with conditions at work, competency and productivity will also greatly increase. For example, workplaces where efforts are taken to realize everyone’s potential and helping to realize everyone’s potential (self-actualization) will also result in them committing longer, even when lures of better opportunities arise elsewhere; they might resist them to continue staying where they are.
Therefore highly-motivated employees are more ‘bonded’ to their workplaces, tend to approach work in a better manner, and have lower rates of absenteeism and/or resignation. An excellent Human Resource Management will result in a win-win situation for the organization and its employees. Organizations that know how to improve its manpower and take care of their well-being will result in their employees being in a better position to put their heart into work, and strive to improve their own performances. As a result, productivity will increase and this ultimately benefits the organizations.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Gary Dessler and Tan Chwee Huat (2009): Human Resource Management, An Asian Pespective, Second edition, Singapore: Pearson. Government of South Australia (2008): Human Resource Management, http://www. familiesandcommunities. sa. gov. au/Default. aspx? tabid=2358. [26 October 2008] Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, Father of Modern Management, http://www. abraham-maslow. com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs. asp. [01 November 2008] Susan M. Heathfield. 2000. What is Human Resource Management, http://humanresources. about. com/od/glossaryh/f/hr_management. htm. [05 November 2008]