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Human Resource Management, 8th edition G. Dessler Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs, NJ 2000 699 pp. (hbk) ISBN 0-13-0141240 L31.99
Keywords Human resource management, Personnel, Performance, Strategy
Human Resource Management is divided into six parts. Part I, "Introduction", defines human resource management (HRM) as ". . . policies and practices one needs to carry out - the 'people' or human resource aspects of a management position, including recruiting, screening, training, rewarding and appraising . . ." and outlines the context of HRM and its strategic role in building the "highperformance organization". This chapter also offers an overview of HR activities and responsibilities, as well as giving pointers to research linking HR to organizational performance. The next chapter on "equal opportunity and the law" will be mostly inappropriate for those practising HRM outside the USA.
Part II, "Recruitment and placement", takes us through job analysis in great detail, though it relies heavily on the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, a US Department of Labor publication. The chapter on planning and recruiting has some useful guidelines for using HR information systems, and forecasting labour supply and demand, though again some of this information is not appropriate for non-US practitioners (guidelines on US Privacy Acts, reference to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and other US agencies). The chapters on selection and interviewing are comprehensive, and cover a range of techniques and devices, as well as offering brief examples of guidelines or pro formas which could be of immediate, practical use to HR practitioners. Again, however, these refer to US legislation and US regulatory bodies.
Part III, "Training and development", includes sections on the training process, individual development schemes and management development. The (largely revised) chapter on organizational change includes sections on TQM, business process re-engineering and running teams. The next chapter on appraisal in this section is likely to be a useful, quick reference guide to those conducting appraisals regularly, as well as outlining a wide range of techniques and methods (graphic rating, paired comparison, forced distribution, MBO, critical incident, etc.) allowing more experienced practitioners to broaden their skills, or experiment with new ways of appraising. There is also a chapter on managing careers and fair treatment", which made for interesting reading, although, again, some of this is irrelevant for...