【正文】 west has won the airlines socalled triple crown (best ontime performance, fewest lost bags, and fewest passenger plaints — in the same month) nine times. No petitor has achieved that even once. The illustration of Southwest Airlines proves a vivid example of the role that people — human resources — play in determining the petitiveness and effectiveness of organizations in meeting the challenges of the 21st century. The success of Southwest Airlines es from managing people effectively, a bination of a number of important but less visible aspects of operations. From this example it is clear that most of the changes and challenges facing organizations have to do with their employees. In organizations as diverse as Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofit universities, NFL football teams, and local restaurants, CEOs are seeing the results of employee involvement, of having the right people to do the job, and of getting managers to care about their people. The successful organizations of the 1990s have adopted a professional approach to human resource management that will ensure continued success in the 21st century.EVOLUTION OF HR MANAGEMENT What traditionally were called personnel departments now are usually termed human resource departments. But more than the name has changed. The focus of such departments has shifted, and their responsibilities have expanded. Figure 1 highlights the major shifts that have occurred in the field. Before 1900, improving the working life of individuals was a major concern of reformers. Some employees attempted to start unions or strike for improved conditions. As far back as 1786, the Philadelphia cordwainers (shoemakers) went on strike to obtain a $6 per week minimum wage. The Inception of HRM HR management as a specialized function in organizations began its formal emergence shortly before 1900. Before that time, most hiring, firing, training, and payadjustment decisions were made by individual supervisors. Some organizations adopted programs to benefit some employees, such as American Express which established a pension plan in 1875. Also, the scientific management studies conducted by Frederick W. Taylor and others, beginning in 1885, helped management identify ways to make work more efficient and less fatiguing, thus increasing worker productivity. As organizations grew larger, many managerial functions such as purchasing and personnel began to be performed by specialists. The growth of organizations also led to the establishment of the first personnel departments in 1910. Work by individuals such as Frank and Lillian Gilbreth dealt with task design and efficiency. The Hawthorne Studies, conducted by Elton Mayo in the mid1920s, revealed the impact of work groups on individual workers. Ultimately, these studies led to the development and use of employee counseling and testing in industry. In the 1930s, the passage of several major labor laws, such as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, led to the growth of unions. The importance of collective bargaining and union/ management relations following the labor unions rise to power in the 1940s and 1950s expanded the responsibilities of the personnel area in many organizations, especially those in manufacturing, utilities, and transportation. Such work as keeping payroll and retirement records, arranging stockholder visits, managing school relations, and organizing pany piics were often the major tasks of personnel departments. The role of the HR department in the organization as a staff function to support operational (line) departments expanded during this period, and line/ staff issues grew to influence HR departments in the following decades. Increased legal requirements and constraints arising from the social legislation of the 1960s and 1970s forced dramatic changes in the HR departments of most organizations. HR departments had to bee much more professional and more concerned about the legal ramifications of policies and practices. Also, organizations took a new look at employee involvement and quality of work as a result of concerns about the impact of automation and job design on worker productivity. During the 1980s, the strategic role of HR management became essential as organizations reduced staff, closed plants, or restructured. The ability of foreign firms from Japan, Korea, and other countries to outperform manufacturing panies forced . organizations to bee more productive. Outplacement of employees and retraining of those kept became prime concerns of HR departments. Containment of the costs of healthcare benefits also grew in importance.For the 1990s, organizational restructuring has continued. Another major area of emphasis in HR management is workforce diversity. Computerization of HR activities, even in small firms, has received attention as well. Finally, growth in issues involving employee rights, such as drug testing and smoking restrictions, are affecting how HR activities are managed. The movement toward direct participation of HR executives in the strategic planning for the organization continues, with threequarters of HR executives in large panies reporting to the CEO. Further, many of those executives report major changes in their influence on strategic issues and organizational direction. TIME PERIODSUBJECT OF PRIMARY CONCERN TO MANAGEMENTMANAGERIAL PERCEPTIONS OF EMPLOYEESHR ACTIVITIESBefore 1890Production technologiesIndifference to needsDiscipline systems1890 to 1910Employee welfareEmployees need safe c onditions and economic opportunitySafety programs, Englishlanguage classes, inspirational classes1910 to 1920Task ef ficiencyEmployees need high earnings made possible with higher productivityMotion and time studies1920 to 1930Individual differencesEmployees’ individual differences consideredPsychological testing, employee counseling1930 to 1940UnionizationEmployees as management adversaries