Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Lecture Notes
Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Resource Management
Learning Objectives
1.1. Define Human Resource Management (HRM).
1.2. Articulate why HRM matters, giving concrete examples.
Chapter Summary
This chapter aims to provide readers with an introduction to the field of human resource management
(HRM). The chapter begins with an overview of the what HRM is and how it relates to decision making.
Then, the chapter addresses why HRM matters and how people and organizational culture affect HRM.
Annotated Chapter Outline
I. What is Human Resource Management? introduces the field of human resource
management.
A. This not only includes what HRM is but also the evolving context and landscape of HRM,
best practices, and some of the issues and controversies associated with HRM today.
iii. Human Resource Management: constellation of decisions and actions associated
with managing individuals throughout the employee life cycle to maximize
employee and organizational effectiveness in attaining goals
iv. Important implications of viewing HRM from a decision-making perspective
a. Helps overcome biases
a. Availability bias: tendency to rely more on information that is
relatively available, and thus discounting alternative
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
II. Why HRM Matters: Knowledge of HR is valuable not only for HRM majors, but also for
building managerial skills.
A. People Matter
i. Influence of individuals on workplace culture and organization accomplishments
ii. Attraction-selection-attrition framework
a. Human capital: knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics
B. Organizational Culture Matters
i. Organizational culture: shared, “taken-for-granted” assumptions that members
of an organization have that affect the way they act, think, and perceive their
environment
a. Influences and is influenced by decision making
ii. Types of organizational culture
a. Competing Values Framework: popular typology of organizational
cultures
C. How HRM Affects Organizational Culture
i. Close connection between company culture and HR practices
III. The Changing Context of HRM: This section outlines a number of important changes in the
contextual landscape that have major implications for HRM.
A. Changing Demographics
i. Aging population
B. Emergence of the Gig Economy
i. Gig economy: prevalence of temporary employment positions and individuals
are employed as independent workers rather than actual employees of an
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
iv. Disadvantages: inconsistency in pay and scheduling, lack of benefits, unclear legal
environment
C. Globalization
i. India and China are the fastest growing economies
D. Technology
i. Moore’s Law: Capacity of computer chips will double roughly every two years at
around the same cost.
E. Availability of Data
i. Big Data: data that is large in volume, variety, and velocity
F. Ethical Challenges and Corporate Social Responsibility
i. Business ethics: system of principles that govern how businesses operate, how
decisions are made, and how people are treated
IV. HRM as a Profession: an understanding of who is involved in HRM, the types of HR careers
available, and what the core HRM competencies are should be helpful to all those interested
in business
A. Who Is Involved in HRM?
i. Top management teams and HRM
B. HR Careers
i. HR specialist: attends to all aspects of one specific HRM function
iv. What Employers Look For In HR Applicants
a. Level of HR position and the importance of HR in the organization
C. HRM Competencies
i. Competency: cluster of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics
(KSAOs) necessary to be effective at one’s job
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
b. Eight behavioral competencies
a. Interpersonal competencies