To See beyond the HRM Concept

Many critics have felt that HRM is like putting old wine into new bottles, i.e. it is merely changing the name from personnel administration to HRM, yet retaining most of the traditional personnel administration functions. In the context of the changing environment and changing profile of human capital is long overdue. Constructive suggestion or new concept to replace HRM The terms HRM and HRD are still in vogue and have, in fact, become much more popular then ever before. According to The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1982), resource is a means of supplying some want or deficiency, a stock or resource on which one can draw when necessary. In this sense, resource is something which can be manipulated or controlled by management or the organization at its wish and to its advantage. This itself seems to be undermining human beings, as a human is something that is opposite to animals, machines, mere objects, etc., because humans have superior mental development and power of articulate speech.

According to The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1982), the term potential means capable of coming into being or action. human beings by nature are full of energy, capable of thinking and equipped with superior mental abilities; therefore, they are capable of being proactive as opposed to being reactive; their latent energies can come into being. By using their potential, human beings are capable of taking charge of themselves. They need not be directed by external influences. In fact, external influences could actually kill potential (if not in all cases, at least in many cases). With the increase in the number of knowledge workers, employees today would most likely be inclined to develop and exploit their own potential unconditionally.

that the biggest motivational factor for knowledge workers is personal growth followed by operational autonomy and then by task achievement. Among the four major motivators, money was the least motivational factor. Modern-day organizations continuously have to look beyond these and create conditions for their partners (employees) in which they can achieve their full potential and thus facilitate the attainment of organizational objectives. Organizations have to adopt the approach of HPM rather than that of traditional HRM.

The human potential management (HPM) is an integrative and continuous process of enhancing human capabilities and capacities by enriching human beings existing potential and helping them to discover and tap their latent potential through micro-level human development interventions and macro-level systems and policy interventions to create and sustain an environment that facilitates individuals in achieving their full potential to their own as well as the organizations advantage. HPM focuses on self-management. It has an underlying belief that if human beings are provided with opportunities to use their potential, they can manage themselves.

This is contrary to the belief system underlying HRM which says that human beings have to be managed (utilized/used) to achieve organizational objectives. HPM does not use human beings as a resource, but recognizes their potential and enables them to utilize their potential. HPM is an integrative and continuous process of enhancing human capabilities and capacities. HRM has more of a "maintenance kind of mindset, whereas HPM follows a continuous-growth-oriented approach HPM focuses more on turning employees potential to their own advantage, thereby leading automatically to the organizations advantage. Given the current dynamic environment, HPM also focuses on the continuous updating of organizational policies, structures and systems in such a way that it helps employees to achieve their full potential and to contribute their best to the organization.