Where's the ‘Human’ in Human Resource Management?

Michael Gold is Emeritus Professor of Comparative Employment Relations at Royal Holloway University of London. His work focuses on employee participation, industrial relations theory and self-employment, as well as on employment policies across the member states of the EU.Chris Smith is Emeritus Professor of Organization Studies and Comparative Management at Royal Holloway University of London. His interests are in labour process theory, knowledge transfer through the transnational firm, comparative analysis of work and employment, and professional labour.

"This innovative and refreshing new HRM textbook takes the point of view of workers who experience HRM rather than that of managers who are trying to implement it." Adrian Wilkinson, Griffith University"At last, an open-eyed and honest account of human resource management in contemporary society! This book dismantles the false binary between HRM and employment relations, which prevails in so many business schools, and shows why a sociological analysis of control and conflict in the employment relationship is essential. Gold and Smith provide a stylish and authoritative account, arguing that HRM is fundamentally shaped by labour cost and productivity pressures. The book threads through all the big contemporary issues of global labour market trends, digital technologies and inequalities, and also explores changing attitudes towards worker engagement, home working and fulfilling work. The stimulating company examples of HR practice provide further urgent and compelling reasons for students and practitioners to try to put the human back into HRM before it is too late!" Damian Grimshaw, King's College London"This is a highly stimulating book that provides structured knowledge about HRM, but at the same time makes academics and practitioners think outside of the box. The analyses and practical examples cover the core topics of HR strategy, as well as issues that are too seldom dealt with in textbooks, such as workplace conflicts or the potential and dangers of new technologies like artificial intelligence and HR analytics." Martin Krzywdzinski, WZB Berlin Social Science Center

• Detailed ContentsList of Boxes, Figures and TablesList of Abbreviations and AcronymsNotes on the AuthorsAcknowledgementsIntroduction: Where’s the ‘Human’ in Human Resource Management? Part 1: Where We’ve Been…1. What’s HRM Really About? 2. What’s So Special About HR Strategy? 3. The Employment Relationship 4. Conflict and Resistance at Work 5. Societal Contexts and Global Trends 6. Trade Unions 7. Management StylesPart 2: Where We’re Heading…8. The ‘New’ Unitarism 9. Flexible Working 10. Services and Aesthetic and Emotional Labour 11. Migrant Workers 12. Corporate Social Responsibility Part 3: What All This Means for HRM13. Recruitment and Social Networks 14. Discrimination and Diversity 15. Pay and Rewards 16. Employee Participation and Involvement 17. Training and Development 18. Work–Life Balance 19. Artificial Intelligence and HR Analytics With Yu ZhengSummary and ConclusionsCase StudiesList of Films About Human Resource ManagementGlossary of Key ConceptsReferencesNames IndexSubject Index