Ayanaw Yeneneh Wongelu
Abstract
Human resource management is crucial for organisations because it involves the effective management of an organisation’s human capital, which includes its employees or workforce. The aim of this article was to comprehensively review the literature on human resource management (HRM) and define the concept, specify its practices, and determine its measurement techniques. For this purpose, 352 related articles and books were reviewed qualitatively, and their contributions were discussed accordingly. From the literature, it is clear that no consensus exists about the definition, which practices are involved, or measurement techniques when reference is made to HRM.
The results revealed that researchers seldom define HRM differently and list diverse practices and measurement techniques. As a conclusion, the core and most frequently used HRM practices are compensation management, employee training and development, performance appraisal and management, selection, recruitment, promotion, and career management, followed by job analysis and design, human resource planning (HRP), participation, and job security. The researcher would like to suggest that a clearer understanding of the concept of HRM, its subcomponents, and the measurement thereof will not only assist practitioners in focusing their actions on the comprehensive concept but will also assist researchers in adequately measuring and reporting on the concept.