【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 t and maintain a good work force that does constitute the bottleneck for production. I don39。t know of any major project backed by good ideas, vigor, and enthusiasm that has been stopped by a shortage of cash. I do know of industries whose growth has been partly stopped or hampered because they can39。t maintain an efficient and enthusiastic labor force, and I think this will hold true even more in the future At no time in our history has that statement been truer than it is today. As we39。ll see in a moment, intensified global petition, deregulation, and technical advances have triggered an avalanche of change, one that many firms have not survived. In this environment, the future belongs to those managers who can best manage change。 but to manage change they must have mitted employees who do their jobs as if they own the pany. In this book we39。ll see that human resource management practices and policies can play a crucial role in fostering such employee mitment and in enabling the firm to better respond to change. 2. Line and Staff Aspects of HRM All managers are, in a sense, HR managers, since they all get involved in activities like recruiting, interviewing, selecting, and training. Yet most firms also have a human resource department with its own human resource manager. How do the duties of this HR manager and his or her staff relate to line managers39。 human resource duties? Let’s answer this question, starling with a short definition of line versus staff authority. Line versus Staff Authority Authority is the right to make decisions, to direct the work of others, and to give orders. In management, we usually distinguish between line authority and staff authority. Line managers are authorized to direct the work of subordinates — they39。re always someone39。s boss. In addition, line managers are in charge of acplishing the anization39。s basic goals (Hotel managers and the managers for production and sales are generally line managers, for example. They have direct responsibility for acplishing the anization39。s basic goals. They also have the authority to direct the work of their subordinates. ) Staff managers, on the other hand, are authorized to assist and advise line managers in acplishing these basic goals. HR managers are generally staff managers. They are responsible for advising line managers (like those for production and sales) in areas like recruiting, hiring, and pensation. Line Managers39。 Human Resource Management Responsibilities According to one expert, 39。The direct handling of people is, and always has been, an integral part of every line manager39。s responsibility, from president down to the lowestlevel supervisor. For example, one major pany outlines its line supervisors39。 responsibilities for effective human resource management under the following general headings: Placing the right person on the right job Starting new employees in the anization (orientation) Training employees for jobs that are new to them Improving the job performance of each person Gaining creative cooperation and developing smooth working relationships Interpreting the pany s policies and procedures Controlling labor costs Developing the abilities of each person Creating and maintaining departmental morale Protecting employees39。 health and physical condition In small anizations, line managers may carry out all these personnel duties unassisted. But as the anization grows, they need the assistance, specialized knowledge, and advice of a separate human resource staff. Human Resource Department39。s HR Management Responsibilities The human resource department provides this specialized assistance. In doing so, the HR manager carries out three distinct functions: A line , the HR manager performs a line function by directing the activities of the people in his or her own department and in service areas (like the plant cafeteria). In other words, he or she exerts line authority within the personnel department. HR managers are also likely to exert implied authority. This is so because line managers know the HR manager often has access to top management in personnel areas like testing and affirmative action. As a result, HR managers39。 suggestions are often viewed as orders from topside. This implied authority carries even more weight with supervisors troubled with human resource/personnel problems. A coordinative function. HR managers also function as coordinators of personnel activities, a duty often referred to as functional control. Here the HR manager and department act as the right arm of the top executive to as sure him (or her) that HR objectives, policies, and procedures (concerning, for example, occupational safety and health) which have been approved and adopted are being consistently carried out by line managers. Staff (service) functions. Serving and assisting line managers is the bread and butter of the HR manager39。s job. For example, HR assists in the hiring, training, evaluating, rewarding, counseling, promoting, and firing of employees. It also administers the various benefit programs (health and accident insurance, retirement, vacation, and so on). It assists line managers in their attempts to ply with equal employment and occupational safety laws. And it plays an important role with respect to grievances and labor relations. As part of these service activities, the HR managers land department) also carry out an innovator role by providing 39。up to date information on current trends and new methods of solving problems. For example, there is much interest today in instituting reengineering programs and in providing career planning for employees. HR managers stay on top of such trends and help their anizations implement the re