Human Resource Development: Practices and Technical Framework

INTRODUCTION

Human Resource are the most important and valuable resource for every organization. It is the competent and motivated workforce that makes things happen and helps the organization to achieve its goals. In fact, effective employees contribute to the effectiveness of the organization. Organizations, therefore, need to contribute to the dynamism, competency, motivation, efficiency and effectiveness of the employees continuously. Human Resource Development is a continuous process which ensures the employee development in a systematic and planned manner. It aims at developing the competencies of the employees on the one hand and building organizational culture on the other, to utilize these competencies and contribute to the organizational growth. The history of HRM is said to have started in England in the early 1800s during the craftsmen and apprenticeship era and further developed with the arrival of the industrial revolution in the late 1800s. In the 19th century, Frederick W. Taylor suggested that a combination of scientific management and industrial psychology of workers should be introduced. In this case, it was proposed that workers should be managed not only from the job and its efficiencies but the psychology and maximum well- being of the workers. Moreover, with the drastic changes in technology, the growth of organizations, the rise of unions and government concern and interventions resulted in the development of personnel departments in the 1920s.

effectiveness in a systematic and planned way. In the organizational Context HRD refers to the improvement in capacities and capabilities of the personnel in relation to the needs of the organization. It involves the creation of climate where human knowledge, skill, capabilities and creativity can bloom. It involves the use of processes through which the employees of the organization are prepared to give their best for the achievement of corporate objectives and bring optimal effectiveness in their jobs as well. HRD is not training and development. But many personal managers and organizations view HRD as synonymous to training and development many organization in the country renamed their training department as HRD departments. HRD is the process of determining the optimum methods of developing and improving the human resources of an organization and the systematic improvement of the performance of employees through training, education and development and leadership for the mutual attainment of organizational and personal goals. The HRD aims at helping people to sharpen their capabilities and acquire competencies. The process of acquisition of capabilities and competencies is facilitated by HRD mechanisms like performance appraisal, training, feedback and counseling, potential development, job-enrichment, rewards etc. These HRD sub- systems help in developing a positive HRD climate indicated by openness, confrontation, trust, authenticity, pro-activity, autonomy and collaboration. It helps in developing competent, committed and satisfied workforce, an atmosphere of trust and authenticity and teamwork in the organization which ultimately helps the organization to achieve its goals of higher productivity and growth; efficiency and effectiveness; and more profit and better image. Human Resources Information System In an age of rapid technological changes, automation and computerization it has become necessary that information on human resources is stored for various purposes. A human resources information system (HRIS) can be defined as ―an information system that monitors, controls and influences the movement of human beings from the time they indicate their intention to join an organization till they separate from it (Chandrasekhar, 1986). It was ascertained by the researcher that many pharmaceutical companies are using human resources information system (HRIS) in their organizations as per their needs. Many organizations are using job portals, employee portals, e-recruitment, e-learning, e-training, HR software which are creating transparency and are building an atmosphere of trust and openness. Policies are now most clearly available through Human Resource Development assumes significance in view of the fast changing organizational environment and need of the organization to adopt new techniques in order to respond to the environmental changes. The changing environmental factor includes unprecedented increases in competition within and outside the country consequence upon the announcement and implementation of economic liberalization. HRD is comparatively of recent origin and is now used at both macro and micro levels. At the macro level HRD is described as the care of all developmental efforts in the sense of improvement of quality of life of people of a nation at the micro or organizational level.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Nadler (1984) has defined Human Resource Development as organized learning experiences in a definite time period to increase the possibility of improving job performance and growth. He defined organized learning experiences as intentional learning structures with objectives, a plan and provision for evaluation. Defining the term ‗A definite time period„, h has stated it as agreed upon and identifiable point at which a particular phase of learning has been completed. Further the term ‗To increase the possibility of‟ means HRD would provide the learning but cannot guarantee that learning experience will change performance. While explaining ‗Improving job performance‟ he stated that the most organization sponsored HRD aims at affecting job performance. Growth „helps individuals to grow so that they will be ready to move with the organization. Byrne (1999) is of the opinion that HRD is a function in an organization that provides opportunities for an individual worker to improve current and future job performance, while simultaneously best utilizing human capital in order to improve the efficiency of the organization itself. Ideally, well-developed and well-implemented HRD systems are integral to the company‟s strategic plan and benefit both the employee and the company. Rao (1995) human resource development holds the key for economic development by enabling people to become more productive, because economic development depends upon level of industrial activity of production, which onward depends upon the productivity of human resource. Yussof and Kasim (2003) asserted that the quality of human resources will determine the success or failure of any development effort, especially concerning industrialization, adopting technical profile of the proposed growth regions. Jain (1996) has made analysis of the impact of HRD sub-systems on individual efficiency, organizational efficiency and productivity. He has also shown the relationships of HRD sub-systems with HRD climate in BHEL and NFL. These relationships show that there is positive and significant relationship in HRD Climate and productivity, individual efficiency and organizational efficiency. But on the whole, little effort has been made in this direction. It is because of the fact that even leading Indian organizations do not take invest their efforts in management research. HRD systems are applied in their organizations more on the basis of their conviction rather than on empirical evidence.

1. To Determined the Need of Human resource Development. 2. To Explore the Basic Principles of Human Resource Development. 3. To Describe the Human Resource Development Technical Framework. 4. To Present the Strategic Human resources Development Practices

This research article has been developed from descriptive secondary information searched by reviewing literature about Human Resource Development (HRD) and Human Resource Management (HRM),Human Resource Information System (HRIS) published in research journals in the form of research articles, research reports of various organizations and books of Human Resource scholars on these topics.

All business and industrial organizations are dynamic. In fact, liberalization, privatization and globalization made the business firms further dynamic. In other words, they have been changing continuously in terms of technology, type of business, products / services, organizational strength and the like. The changes invariably demand for the development of the human resources. (i) Changes in economic policies: Almost all the governments across the globe have changed theireconomic policies from communistic/ socialistic pattern to capitalistic pattern. Even the government of India liberalized its economic policies in 1991. Liberalization, (ii) Changing job requirements: Organizational dynamism brings changes in organizational design and job design. The changes in the job design bring changes in job description and job specifications. These changes demand for HRD. (iii) Need for Multi skilled Human Resources: The changing trends in industrialization, structuring jobs and organizations demand the employee to take up multiple activities. The customer centered approach led to de-jobbing, flexible organizations and flexible work. (iv) Organizational viability and transformation process: Organizational viability is continuously influenced by environmental threats. If the organization does not adapt itself to the changing environmental factors, it will lose its market share. If the organization desires to adopt these changes first, it has to develop human resources. (v) Technological Advances: Organizations in order to survive and develop should adopt the latest technology. Adaptation on the latest technology will not be complete until they are manned by developed employees. Employee development is possible through human resources development. These are the days of information technology and high level production and service technology. Therefore, HRD is essential in the new millennium. (vi) Organizational complexity: With the emergence of increased mechanization and automation, manufacturing of multiple products and rendering of services, organizations become complex. Management of organizational complexity is possible through HRD. (vii) Human Relations: Most of the organizations today tend to adopt the human relations approach. This in turn needs HRD.

The major principles which should be kept in mind while framing the aspects of development of the human resource are as follows:

(a) Principle of Development of Organizational Capability: An ideal HRD system should be based on the principle of overall development of employees and the organization as a whole. The capabilities include overall development of the work force in all aspects, may it be technical, physical, psychological or moral development in an organized manner. (b) Principle of Potential Maximization: HRD system must enable their employees to identify their hidden potential and make them competent enough to exploit their talent in an optimum manner so that they could contribute their efforts in attaining organizational goals. (c) Principle of Autonomy Maximization: Autonomy is the degree of independence given to employees at work so that they could be able to tackle responsibility to some extent of what they are capable of handling. A proper HRD system must provide certain level of autonomy to its employees enabling them of handling duties on their own. (d) Principle of Maximum delegation: Delegation of responsibilities means sharing responsibilities of authorities with subordinates so that a cohesive and a congenial environment could be developed in an organization. (e) Principle of Participative Decision making: Participation of subordinates must be encouraged by top level managers in an ideal HRD system to create a comfortable working atmosphere where workers are free to discuss their ideas and always welcomed for suggestions. (f) Principle of Change Management: Change is the only permanent thing in this universe but usually people resists change. To beat the competition an organization and its human resource should be as much flexible in getting itself adapt to the changing scenario of 21st century. A Conceptual Exposition good HRD system must attempt to strike a balance between the organizational culture and the changing culture (g) Principle of Periodic Review: Review and renewal of HRD functions like training and development, career planning and development, performance and potential appraisal, counseling etc of employees should take place regularly in an organization at certain periodic intervals. organizational skills, knowledge and abilities. A set of systematic and planned activities designed by an organization or HR department to provide necessary skills to its members to meet current and future job demands. . 1. Training Training and development of employees is attracting increasing attention. The literature of recent years has stressed the importance of trying training to strategic business planning. The argument is convincing. Strategy linked training is essential to the success of contemporary firms challenged by increasing external and internal changes of organization. Instead of being activities peripheral to the achievement of corporate objectives, the human resources of the organization are seen as a vital factor in corporate planning, and training and development as able to make an important contribution to the achievement of business success. The process of training and development must be tied to the overall strategic objectives of the organization. 2. Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal may be understood as the assessment of an individual performance in systematic way, the performance being measured against such factors as job, knowledge, quality and quantity of output, initiative, leadership abilities, supervision, dependability, co-operation, judgment, versatility, health and the like. Assessment should not be confined to past performance alone. Potentials of the future performance must also be assessed. Performance appraisal is the cornerstone of an effective Human Resource system. It provides the information needed to make fully informed strategic decisions by assessing the fit between current Human Resource Systems and those systems required by a change in strategic direction. Performance measurement is crucial for business. A development oriented performance appraisal approach includes establishing performance goals and standards, monitoring progress, reviewing actual performance, comparing actual performance with the pre-established goals, tying rewards to performance, making developmental plans, and agreeing on future performance goals and standards. The primary reasons for implementing performance appraisal system in the organization are compensation, performance improvement, feedback, documentation, promotion, training, transfer, discharge, lay-off, personnel research, and manpower planning. the members of the organization, particularly potentials of executives and people to take up critical jobs, and potentialities of key executives to accept greater challenges. In view of the dynamic nature of business, development of new technology, expansion and modernization, diversification, market penetration, line expansion, new market development, and such other situation, potential people must be located in advance, trained and got prepared to take up greater responsibilities and challenges in future. Potential appraisal is needed in such situation. 4. Career Planning and Development No human resource development can be acceptable to the people of any organization, if it fails to provide opportunities for individual employees to have bright career prospects. It is for this purpose that human resource development integrates career planning and career development with it. Career planning is closely linked with both human resource planning and human resources development. HRD must therefore, incorporate career development too. Proper career planning also leads to career development. It develops the career of every individual executive, which results in adequate growth of the career of every employee. Hence succession planning is closely linked with career planning and development. 5. Management Development Development refers to those learning opportunities designed to help employees grow. Development is not primary skills oriented instead it provides general knowledge and attitudes which will benefits to employee in higher positions efforts towards development often depend on personal drive and ambition. Development activities such as those supplied by Management developmental programmes, are generally voluntary in short it may be stated that training is offered to operatives where as developmental programmes are meant for employee in high positions. 6. Job Enrichment There is five ways to enrich the job- (a) Formation of natural work unit: the job task should be clearly identified, workers have some control over the job etc, this leads to bringing a sense of responsibility among them. The formation of natural work unit contributes to two core job dimensions: task identity and task significance. (b) Establishment of workers-client relationships: Workers seldom come in contact with the ultimate user of their product core dimensions: skill variety, autonomy and feedback. Skill variety increases because a worker has a chance to maintain and manage a relationship with client. Autonomy increases because the worker is given responsibility to decide how to mange relationships with client. Feedback increases because direct contact has free movement of views and worker can receive both praise and criticism for his work. (c) Combination of task: A series of simple tasks are combined to form a new and larger work schedule. It also contributes to skill variety and task identity. (d) Vertical loading: It occurs when the gap between doing and controlling aspects of the jobs is reduced. The reserved responsibilities are now delegated to workers as a part of their job. It contributes to task significance and autonomy. (e) Opening of feedback channels: There are ways of opening of feedback channels so that each worker can monitor his or her performance. This principle helps to overcome the problem of failure to tell people how well they are doing.

The 1980s and 1990s have seen a substantial increase in the adoption of employee involvement techniques by employers. The main stress is to increase employee commitment to their work or to their organization in order to facilitate workforce suitably. By creating an environment in which employees could have greater control over their

Individuals, who form the organization, may have grievances against the organization. Certain needs or demands of organizations own members, which they feel legitimate to be satisfied by the organization, but not provided for by the organization, become their grievances. It may lead to discontentment and grudge on the part of the respective individual. In order to gain cooperation of organizations own people their grievances are required to be settled. Moreover, without settlement of the grievances, HRD programmes may not be effective. It acts as a safety valve since it helps to unearth and surface human problems in an organization. It helps the management to convince its people about its sincere intentions to redress their grievances. Even if the grievances are not sometimes settled in favors of the concern of the management about his grievances. His ego is satisfied when the management gives a patient hearing of his grievances He gets a sense of solace when he is convinced that the management recognizes his problems.

Counseling is an indispensible function of human resource development and management. Career planning, which is closely associated with human resource planning and development, is preceded by career selection. Very often individual executives and employees are in a dilemma to choose between various options and alternatives. This is particularly so when more than one career options are available before an individual.

SHRDP is a holistic framework encompassing developmental fundamentals and initiatives. SHRD fundamentals are those components of HRD, which have to be strong enough to ensure a congenial atmosphere in an organization for implementation of SHRD initiatives. There are similar to hygiene factors suggested by Herzberg. On the other hand, SHRD initiatives are similar to motivational factors and help in the success of strategic HRD. 1. Job Satisfaction: Low job satisfaction is one of the surest signs of deteriorations conditions in an organization. It may be the result of grievances low productivity, disciplinary problem and other organizational difficult. On the other hand high job satisfaction gladdens the hearts of the administrators, because it satisfaction. It furnishes a measure of the progress that has been mode in developing a sound behavioral climate in an organization. Job satisfaction is a part of life satisfaction. The nature of one‟s environment of the job does affect one‟s feeling on the job similarly, since a job is an important part of life job satisfaction influences ones general life satisfaction. 2. Compensation: One of the important aspects is to establish equitable pay practices in an organization, because these aspects have a great impact on morale, retention and ability to attract capable employees. Compensation levels determine employee‟s life style, status, self-worth and attitudes towards the organization. The design of an organizations compensation system may have a critical impact on the organizations ability to achieve its strategic goals. Some of the new and improved methods of pay suggested by Dell and Mc Adams (1987) are flex-benefits, gain sharing, skill-based pay, performance shares, two-tier wages, bonuses and lump-sum merit awards. An organization must consider internal equity and external equity prior to design compensation programs. External equity occurs when an employer pays wage rates that correspond to those prevailing in the external labour market. Internal equity is the objective of setting wage rates that equates the jobs internal worth. 3. Working condition: The changes in these two brings about a temporary improvement in morale, leading to increased productivity. This is supported by “Hawthorne Experiment.” The result of this study of the physical environment indicated that the design of office setting could have substantial effect to record reactions of people in offices. A well-maintained and designed office environment can promote individual well being and productivity. In the First Five-Year Plan of Government of India, it was observed that working conditions required to be improved to a large extent in order to get the best production out of a worker. The worker should at least have the means and facilities to keep himself in a state of health and efficiency. It was continued in the Second Five Year Plan recommending that due attention should be paid to the provision of welfare amenities to improve the working conditions of workers, and more importantly, to the effective 4. Family welfare: The employees and dependent family members are eligible for a number of benefits including medical assistance, children‟s education, and leave travel concession. Housing facilities are provided to all the employees in townships, which have civic amenities like super bazaars, parks, and approach roads. The medical assistance extended to employees and their families is unlimited. The HRD provides the schools for the benefit of employee‟s children, where fees are highly subsidized. Transport is provided at nominal cost for commuting between townships and the nearest town/city. Sports complexes, both for indoor and outdoor games, are developed for the benefit of residents of the township. 5. Safety And Health Issues- Since the hotel industry, is the service industry, hence the safety and health aspects of employee is concern for the organization, as employee are assets of service industry. The whole and soul responsibility of employee health and safety measures lie on the shoulder of HR department. Hence such types of measures reduce the chances of accidents.

Human resource constitutes the most valuable asset in the context of development and growth perspectives in any organization. Relative performances of nations, regions of economy, Industrial Sectors as well as corporate enterprises are critically linked to the quality of human contributions. Hence, it is the responsibility of the HRD strategists to have a farsighted vision in framing, formulating, and implementing such strategies which could exploit the opportunities available in present scenario to beat the competition. Human Resource Development being one of the most integral parts of Human Resource Management explains the need that the workforce/employees should be developed in such a manner that they prove an asset to the organization. With minimum resources and less wastages an optimum production can be carried out. HRD helps organizations to provide learning related activities to its employees and employers. The most important factors contributing to the HRD seems to be a general indifference on the part of employees to their own development through making efforts to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, employees taking training more seriously, top management„s belief about the importance of human resources, general helpful nature of employees, fairly objective performance appraisals and promotion decisions and tolerance for mistakes. It is the utmost responsibility of the HRD managers to look after the desired areas of concern for the persistence of development of cohesive manner.

1. Gupta, S. and Gupta, S., (2008), “HRD Concepts and Practices” Deep and Deep Publication Pvt.ltd, New-Delhi 2. Sheikh, A.M. (2009), “Human Resource Development and Management” S.Chand and Co. ltd, New- Delhi, pp.79-80 3. Singh, S.K. (2008), “Human Resource Development”, Atlantic Publishers. Pvt ltd, New-Delhi. 4. Swarajayalakshmi, C., (2005), “Human Resource Development In Public Enterprises”, Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi, pp. 38-39. 5. Tripathi, P.C., (1997), “Human Resource Development” Sultan Chand and Sons, New Delhi, p.5. 6. Stewart, J. and McGoldrick, J. (Eds 1996), “Human Resource Development: Perspectives, Strategies and Practice”, Pitman Publishing, London. 7. Jain, V.K., (2011), Human Resource Development Practices in Small Scale Industry in India‖, in Maheswari, S. and Marcarenhas, M. Changing Dynamics of Human Resources (ed.), Excel India Publishers, New Delhi. 8. Gist, Marilyn E. and Terence R. Mitchell, "Self-efficacy: A Theoretical Analysis of its Determinants and Malleability, n Academy of Management Review, April 1992 . 9. Blake, Robert R., "Memories of HRD," American Society of Training & Development, March 1995. 10. Larsen, Henrik Hold, Manuel London, Marc Weinstein and Sumita Raghuram, "High flyer Management-development Programs: Organizational Rhetoric or Self-fulfilling Prophecy?" International Studies in Management & Organization, March 22, 1998. 11. Marquardt, Michael J., "Cyber learning: New Possibilities of HRD, " American Society for Training and Development, November, 1996. 12. Tregaskis, Olga, "HRD in Foreign Multicultural Enterprises," International

Profession," Lakewood Publications Inc., April 1997 .

Disaster Management Punjab University, Chandigarh