FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
HIGHER DIPLOMA IN HR MANAGEMENT (KNEC)
FULL SYLLABUS PROGRAMME
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 1
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. ......................................... 3
NATURE AND ROLE OF THE HR DEPARTMENT. ............................................................ 4
THE ROLE OF THE HR PRACTITIONER ........................................................................... 11
EVOLUTION OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. .............................................. 15
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN HRM ......................................................... 15
STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ......................................................... 19
HUMAN RESOURCE OBJECTIVES & POLICIES. .............................................................. 28
ESTABLISHMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HRM DEPARTMENT: ........................ 41
THE ORGANISATION & STRUCTURE OF THE HR DEPARTMENT .............................. 45
EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HR FUNCTION IN ORGANISATIONS.
.................................................................................................................................................. 51
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND EFFECTIVENESS .............................................. 58
JOB DESIGN ........................................................................................................................... 68
METHOD IMPROVEMENT .................................................................................................. 78
WORK MEASUREMENT ...................................................................................................... 85
ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. ............................................................................... 90
TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS ............................................................................................. 91
MOTIVATION ........................................................................................................................ 95
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 2
,TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT..................................................................................... 99
MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE ........................................................................................... 105
FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
COURSE OUTLINE.
1. Process Of Management
2. Evolution Of Management
3. Strategic Human Resource Management
4. HRM Objectives And Policies
5. Establishment And Responsibilities Of The Hr Department
6. HRM As A Profession
7. Evaluating Performance Of The HRM Function
8. The Changing Role, Emerging Issues and Challenges of HRM.
9. Organisation Structure
10. Job Design
11. Method Improvement
12. Work Measurement
13. Achieving Organisational Effectiveness
READING LIST
Armstrong M and Long P., The Reality of Strategic Human Resource Management.
(London, Institute of Personnel Management).
Armstrong M., Human Resource Management Practice. (London, Kogan Page Ltd)
Byars L. L., and Rue L. W: Human Resource Management. (Boston M.A. Irwin McGraw-
Hill)
Cole G. A. Personnel and Human Resource Management. (London, Continuum,)
Flippo Edwin; Personnel Management. (Boston M.A. Irwin McGraw-Hill)
Graham, H. T. and Bennett R: Human Resource Management. (London: Pitman
Publishing Company).
Heneman, Schwab, Fossum, Dyer: Personnel/Human Resource Management. (Boston,
Richard D. Irwin Inc)
Kandula R. Srinivas: Strategic Human Resource Development. (New Delhi, Prentice –
Hall of India)
Milkovich G. T. and Boudreau J. W: Human Resource Management. (Boston MA, Irwin).
Nzuve S. N. M and Singh K. D., Introduction to Manpower Management. (Nairobi, Veena
Exports Ltd,)
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 3
, Saiyadain Mirza S: Human Resources Management. (New Delhi Tata McGraw – Hill
Publishing Company).
Waweru E. M., Management of Human Resources in Kenya (Nairobi, Kenya Literature
Bureau).
NATURE AND ROLE OF THE HR DEPARTMENT.
Definition of Management.
Management is the process of setting and achieving the goals of the organisation, through
the functions of management; planning, organising, directing (or leading) and controlling.
Fayol Henri defined management as to forecast and plan to organise and to command.
Drucker Peter, saw management as the organ of society specifically charged with making
resources productive. Falk saw management as getting things done through people.
Brech defined it as a social process which constitutes planning, controlling, coordinating
and motivating. Koontz and O’Donnell saw it as an operational process initially best
dissected by analysing the managerial functions.
The above definitions indicate that management is a process involving people and
resources and has the following main functions; planning, organising, coordinating and
controlling.
Definition of Human Resource Management (HRM)
HRM concerns the human side of the management of enterprises and employees with
their firms. Its purpose is to ensure that the employees of a company (its Human
Resources) are used in such a way that the employer obtain the greatest possible benefit
from their abilities and the employees obtain both material and psychological rewards for
their work.
According to Armstrong, HRM is a strategic and coherent approach to the Management
of an organization’s most valued assets – the people working there who individually and
collectively contribute to the achievement of its goals.
Storey in Armstrong defined HRM as a distinctive approach to employment management
which seeks to obtain competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a
highly committed and skilled workforce, using an array of cultural, structural and
personnel techniques. HRM is concerned with the employment, development and reward
of people in organizations and the conduct of relationships between management and the
workforce.
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 4
MANAGEMENT
HIGHER DIPLOMA IN HR MANAGEMENT (KNEC)
FULL SYLLABUS PROGRAMME
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 1
, TABLE OF CONTENTS
FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. ......................................... 3
NATURE AND ROLE OF THE HR DEPARTMENT. ............................................................ 4
THE ROLE OF THE HR PRACTITIONER ........................................................................... 11
EVOLUTION OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. .............................................. 15
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN HRM ......................................................... 15
STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ......................................................... 19
HUMAN RESOURCE OBJECTIVES & POLICIES. .............................................................. 28
ESTABLISHMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HRM DEPARTMENT: ........................ 41
THE ORGANISATION & STRUCTURE OF THE HR DEPARTMENT .............................. 45
EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HR FUNCTION IN ORGANISATIONS.
.................................................................................................................................................. 51
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND EFFECTIVENESS .............................................. 58
JOB DESIGN ........................................................................................................................... 68
METHOD IMPROVEMENT .................................................................................................. 78
WORK MEASUREMENT ...................................................................................................... 85
ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. ............................................................................... 90
TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS ............................................................................................. 91
MOTIVATION ........................................................................................................................ 95
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 2
,TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT..................................................................................... 99
MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE ........................................................................................... 105
FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
COURSE OUTLINE.
1. Process Of Management
2. Evolution Of Management
3. Strategic Human Resource Management
4. HRM Objectives And Policies
5. Establishment And Responsibilities Of The Hr Department
6. HRM As A Profession
7. Evaluating Performance Of The HRM Function
8. The Changing Role, Emerging Issues and Challenges of HRM.
9. Organisation Structure
10. Job Design
11. Method Improvement
12. Work Measurement
13. Achieving Organisational Effectiveness
READING LIST
Armstrong M and Long P., The Reality of Strategic Human Resource Management.
(London, Institute of Personnel Management).
Armstrong M., Human Resource Management Practice. (London, Kogan Page Ltd)
Byars L. L., and Rue L. W: Human Resource Management. (Boston M.A. Irwin McGraw-
Hill)
Cole G. A. Personnel and Human Resource Management. (London, Continuum,)
Flippo Edwin; Personnel Management. (Boston M.A. Irwin McGraw-Hill)
Graham, H. T. and Bennett R: Human Resource Management. (London: Pitman
Publishing Company).
Heneman, Schwab, Fossum, Dyer: Personnel/Human Resource Management. (Boston,
Richard D. Irwin Inc)
Kandula R. Srinivas: Strategic Human Resource Development. (New Delhi, Prentice –
Hall of India)
Milkovich G. T. and Boudreau J. W: Human Resource Management. (Boston MA, Irwin).
Nzuve S. N. M and Singh K. D., Introduction to Manpower Management. (Nairobi, Veena
Exports Ltd,)
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 3
, Saiyadain Mirza S: Human Resources Management. (New Delhi Tata McGraw – Hill
Publishing Company).
Waweru E. M., Management of Human Resources in Kenya (Nairobi, Kenya Literature
Bureau).
NATURE AND ROLE OF THE HR DEPARTMENT.
Definition of Management.
Management is the process of setting and achieving the goals of the organisation, through
the functions of management; planning, organising, directing (or leading) and controlling.
Fayol Henri defined management as to forecast and plan to organise and to command.
Drucker Peter, saw management as the organ of society specifically charged with making
resources productive. Falk saw management as getting things done through people.
Brech defined it as a social process which constitutes planning, controlling, coordinating
and motivating. Koontz and O’Donnell saw it as an operational process initially best
dissected by analysing the managerial functions.
The above definitions indicate that management is a process involving people and
resources and has the following main functions; planning, organising, coordinating and
controlling.
Definition of Human Resource Management (HRM)
HRM concerns the human side of the management of enterprises and employees with
their firms. Its purpose is to ensure that the employees of a company (its Human
Resources) are used in such a way that the employer obtain the greatest possible benefit
from their abilities and the employees obtain both material and psychological rewards for
their work.
According to Armstrong, HRM is a strategic and coherent approach to the Management
of an organization’s most valued assets – the people working there who individually and
collectively contribute to the achievement of its goals.
Storey in Armstrong defined HRM as a distinctive approach to employment management
which seeks to obtain competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a
highly committed and skilled workforce, using an array of cultural, structural and
personnel techniques. HRM is concerned with the employment, development and reward
of people in organizations and the conduct of relationships between management and the
workforce.
PREPARED BY MR. ANTONY AMBIA Page 4
