The Realities of Human Resource Management: Managing the Employment Relationship

Citation

Rowley, C. (2002), "The Realities of Human Resource Management: Managing the Employment Relationship", Personnel Review, Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 506-507. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr.2002.31.4.506.2

This short, ten chapter text builds on the authors’ earlier book and seeks to address both managers (in various positions) and students. The Chapters are:

1. 1.

   (1) Introduction: the story so far (spread of practices, the nature of the employment relationship, changing patterns of employment, business strategies and structures).

2. 2.

   (2) Managing strategically (resource‐based view, an array of models, developing a strategic approach).

3. 3.

   (3) Managing for high performance: organizational structure and processes (underlying developments, flexible and learning organisations, employee performance, balancing flexibility and security).

4. 4.

   (4) Involvement and participation: the key to success? (types, the case, evidence and practice).

5. 5.

   (5) Reshaping the wage/work bargain: pay and working time (issues in managing pay, flexible working, options).

6. 6.

   (6) Improving competencies and capabilities I: training and development (case, a renaissance).

7. 7.

   (7) Improving competencies and capabilities II: recruitment and selection.

8. 8.

   (8) Managing with trade unions (recognition, collective bargaining, conflicts, partnerships).

9. 9.

   (9) Managing the HR/IR function (nature of its contribution, auditing).

10. 10.

    (10) The key issues (balancing flexibility and security, managing individually and collectively, integration).

Overall, this was an interesting and useful book, full of insight and up‐to‐date data and references. Indeed, it is a powerful counter‐balance to many books in the area as it gives HRM a more industrial relations and collectivist type spin and support. Furthermore, for once, the preface should be read. Here it notes an important theme of not only the book, but also of the area more generally. This concerns the problems of prescription and universalism, lack of contextualization or empirical evidence and evidence that so‐called “best practices” can be counter‐productive. Such naïve and simplistic nostrums have taken root in the area. In short, there has been “ … the mistaken belief that practices have automatic effect … ” with cynicism when things go wrong (p. 31). Of more importance “ … is the way that practices are configured, i.e. fit together and make sense to employees in particular situations … ” (p. 31). If this point is remembered by readers, then the authors will have done all who research and teach in the area an important service.

Yet, there are weaknesses in this book. One specific point concerns Chapter 3, which needed a better and tighter conclusion section (other chapters had separate sections). More general problems concern the book’s aims and content. First, while it states that it is written for students and managers, it seems to be presented in the wrong style and format to achieve this. This does not distract from its qualities, but it is too “dense” in presentation, etc. for this sort of audience and it seems to be addressing fellow academics. Indeed, whether it meets its own objective of seeking an audience with managers, who are notorious in seeking the shortest and quickest “one best way”, the antithesis to this book’s approach, is debatable. Second, its content has a somewhat UK‐centric flavour with its research and literature, with only occasional glances elsewhere. Similarly, it is the “traditional” authors in the area that are referenced. Some greater spread of work would have been useful and given more balance.

Nevertheless, despite these issues, I will recommend this book for readers of the journal and libraries, and will add it to my HRM reading lists. My hope is that I am too negative in my above feelings on the book’s managerial‐“friendly” aspects, and that those managers who the authors are seeking to influence will also pick it up, read it and think about its content and their own perceptions, assumptions and beliefs.