ABSTRACT
This chapter locates the HR function as a central feature of business strategy. Human resource management (HRM) exists in order to achieve organizational goals through people resources. People management is perceived by most organizations as a key determinant of success. The changing role of HRM has reflected the growing awareness by senior managers of the importance attached to how people are managed. This is the ‘coming of age’ of HRM: the recognition that organizational effectiveness and performance outcomes are very dependent on the HR function of management, as discharged by line managers and specialists alike.
