Human Resource Management a Competitive Advantage : Concepts, Strategies and Challenges

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Human resource management in global environment. 2. Knowledge management. 3. Strategies for hiring talent. 4. Retention strategies: a. Retention policies and strategies. b. Innovative leadership role. c. Employment relationship. d. Work environment. 5. Career opportunities and development. 6. Performance management and its acceptance. 7. New approaches in compensation management. 8. Organisation context. 9. Industrial relations and welfare. 10. Summarizing HRM. 11. Annexures.

"Human Resource Management has undergone radical change during the last decade. It has acquired a central position in the overall management of organizations, and is now increasingly becoming an integral part of management strategy for developing and sustaining competitive advantage. In order to meet the challenges of human resource management, several new approaches and techniques have been developed to improve processes like recruitment and appraisal. Work teams have become essential part of the way business is done. Organization culture, team performance, cultural sensitivity, organization structure, systems, processes and technology have considerable impact on the new generation knowledge workers. HR philosophy, policies, and practices have to be at the forefront to ensure that the firm enjoys a competitive advantage over its peers.

HR's main task now is to play a strategic partner's role in actualizing business vision of an enterprise. HR has to align human resource objectives and strategies with business strategic plans. It also has to perform a leadership role in employee management through processes like communication, optimizing human resource productivity, creativity and innovation, competencies mapping and development, and making their organization the "employer of choice". More specifically, HR function has to become the advocate for innovative HR policies and practices that employees across the organization find attractive.

This book exhaustively covers all the stated concerns by providing separate units to focus on various important themes related to HR. The book is written in a simple and easily understandable language. It also gives useful examples and instruments for improving HR processes. It is a practical guide for enhancing competitive advantage and covers many concepts and innovative practices for easy reference. Practitioners, teachers and students of management and HR will find it a very informative and useful compendium for learning about the contemporary issues and developments in the HR field." (jacket)