A Short Guide to People Management: For HR and line managers (Routledge Focus on Business and Management)

As the title suggests, this book provides – in an easy-to-digest format – avery comprehensive analysis to the management of people at work for busyHR professionals and other line managers concerned with the managementof employees. Essentially, it seeks to outline the purpose and operation ofpeople management (PM) activities in the ‘real world’ by adopting a criticalperspective on the practice of human resource management (HRM). It aimsto provide the busy managers with an understanding not only of the potentialfor HRM to contribute to improved organizational performance and individualwell-being at work but also why it very often fails to provide suchpositive outcomes. The ultimate aim of this book is to raise the awarenessof HR and line managers on how to treat their employees as talents and asknowledge users and creators that will drive organizational success. Managers of a subject like ‘people management’, which draws upon severalof the social sciences, are likely to be helped by a concise textbook that bothgives adequate coverage of the subject matter and maps it out in an accessiblemanner. The idea throughout the book is to facilitate managers’ effortsto match their reading to their daily tasks and to provide them with materialto support their people-related activities. There is a plethora of information available for busy HR practitioners but what they really need is a clear, concise and comprehensive analysis of the theory and practice of people management within contemporary organizations. Indeed, much has been written about Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior, which rigorously explores each scientific field, yet there is a lack of an integrated examination of both fields. The author begins by describing the new world of business and management, which is characterized by continuous change and precarious employment. He examines the individual at work, group behavior, people resourcing, performance and development and the employment relationship and he concludes with a look at organizational change; i.e. the nature of the sorts of changes that take place in companies of all sizes and how the process of organizational development can be managed effectively through people management. This guide provides a thorough examination of the key areas of organizational psychology and people management and offers an easy to digest theory on each topic coupled with the latest empirical evidence. All the core theories of HRM and OB are presented in a methodical and critical manner, appealing to time-starved professionals who wish to acquire a detailed overview of people management rapidly. Throughout the book, several suggestions will be made to managers for ways of applying various HR theories to the workplace. The reader will uncover how to manage people but won't be offered prescriptions because the best way of managing people depends on the context. Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of tables -- About the author -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- 1 Organizations in the changing economy -- 2 People strategy and corporate culture -- 3 The individual at work -- 4 Group behaviour -- 5 People resourcing -- 6 Measuring people performance -- 7 People learning -- 8 People rewards -- 9 The employment relationship -- 10 Organizational change -- 11 Managing employee stress -- 12 Organizational communication -- 13 Measuring the impact of people management on organizational performance -- Concluding comments -- Bibliography -- Index. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of tables 8 About the author 9 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction 11 1 Organizations in the changing economy 12 2 People strategy and corporate culture 15 3 The individual at work 18 4 Group behaviour 21 5 People resourcing 25 6 Measuring people performance 33 7 People learning 38 8 People rewards 48 9 The employment relationship 56 10 Organizational change 61 11 Managing employee stress 64 12 Organizational communication 66 13 Measuring the impact of people management on organizational performance 69 Concluding comments 71 Bibliography 72 Index 74