About This Book

This book is based on the fundamental assumption that the effective management of human resources is critical for achieving a firm's goals and mission. A corollary to this is that HRM is central to shaping and achieving the strategic ends of a firm. Our experience shows us, however, that 'being strategic' does not come about by merely developing strategy, but by integrating strategy into practice. Hence, our text continues to take a functional approach, where strategy is inherently built into practice.

Structure of this text

The functional structure from the first edition is largely the same, although with some noticeable differences. First, we have now organised the chapters into four meaningful parts that take the reader through the functions logically. Second, we have changed the order of some chapters, so that they flow better. Third, we have added two new chapters, based on comments from users of the text.

Part 1 (Strategic human resource management in New Zealand) contains three chapters that set the scene for the strategic practice of HRM in New Zealand, conceptually (Chapter 1 'Introduction to human resource management'), contextually (Chapter 2 'The context of human resource management'), and historically (Chapter 3 'The development of human resource management in New Zealand').

Part 2 (Forming the employment relationship) contains chapters on the traditional practice areas of personnel and HRM that supply organisations with human resources, including identifying human resource needs (Chapter 5 'Job analysis' and Chapter 6 'Human resource planning'), attracting applicants (Chapter 7 'Recruitment'), and selecting staff (Chapter 8 'Employee selection'). Also included is a new chapter on employment relations (Chapter 4 'Employment relations'). Although we deliberately did not include such a chapter in the first edition, we now realise the centrality of such content and its importance to instructors. As such, we see the chapter as the basis for understanding many of the other functions.

Part 3 (Developing and rewarding people) includes chapters on the HR functions that facilitate the performance of human resources once they are in the organisation. These three chapters have to do with performance management and appraisal (Chapter 9), training and development (Chapter 10), and rewards and remuneration (Chapter 11). This last chapter is a combination of two chapters in the first edition.

Part 4 (Challenges for human resource management) concludes the text with two somewhat different chapters. As with the first edition, the chapter on evaluating HRM (Chapter 12) continues the strategic focus to the end by grappling with the key question of determining whether or not good HR practices make a difference. Chapter 13 is new. Faced with many relevant topics we could not cover in other chapters, we have created a 'contemporary issues' chapter, focusing on a small collection of current issues. Included here is the discussion on equal employment opportunity (EEO) previously found in the employee selection chapter, now expanded to include diversity as well.

Scope of this text

Some parameters should be set as to what we as authors mean this book to cover. First, we recognise that the strategic goals of firms vary widely. However, this book tends to focus on the financial goals of 'business'-that is, organisations where management's principal purpose is to ensure a return on the capital invested in the organisation. Second, we know that all firms contain multiple stakeholder groups. However, the focus of this book is explicitly managerial in both content and philosophy. Third, there is no doubt that firms are complex systems. The problems of HRM are therefore often complex and persistent. Attempts to solve complex problems by shortcuts or the simplistic application of fashionable 'techniques for all' increase the likelihood of failure. Indeed, much of what is currently touted as a pathway to better management, human resource or otherwise, 'seems at best unproven and, at worst, misleading and dangerous'.¹ In this book, HRM fads, management guru platitudes and homilies, and so on, are therefore excluded.

Finally, we see this text as forward-looking and based upon rigorous research. Throughout the chapters, theoretical and statistical material is presented when relevant. To be sure, some readers will see this as an imposition on their sensibility and the belief that 'it's irrelevant in the real world' or that 'it's not done that way'.² Granted, much of what is presented as cutting edge or best practice is unlikely to be used by many employers, but that is the point of this text: informing organisations and HR practitioners about the theory, techniques, and tools available that they may be able to use, taking into account their own contextual variables. As such, we unashamedly present such material and challenge practitioners to get beyond the excuse of 'it's just not practical' to see how it might just be so.

Audience for this text

Another parameter is the intended audience for this book. We cannot be all things to all people, so we intend that it primarily be used in undergraduate degree-level courses in HRM. As such, we have written the book with an academic focus, based upon research and theory. However, HRM is a practical subject and we also have tried to include a strong practical element in the tone and content of the book. Therefore, not only university and polytechnic programmes might use the text, but also degree-level 'post experience' courses aimed at existing managers with either limited exposure to HRM or HR practitioners looking to broaden their knowledge base. In addition, we think that there is sufficient depth that HR practitioners might choose to view the book as a New Zealand HR 'handbook', which they can use as an initial resource and as a stepping stone to more in-depth resources.

The potential content domain of the subject of HRM is wide indeed, including ideas, theory and research from fields as diverse as organisational psychology, sociology, organisation behaviour, labour economics, and management studies. In determining the content for the book, it has been assumed that students will already have had some exposure to the subject matter of organisation behaviour or organisational psychology, as well as to organisation studies and management subjects. We have therefore excluded material that, for example, might traditionally be included in courses on organisational behaviour (OB), such as leadership, communication, organisation structure and design, and employee motivation. These are important topics and are relevant to HRM, but we feel they are better dealt with as prerequisite knowledge via specialist OB courses and textbooks.

That the book has done so well and been picked up by so many institutions and courses as their chosen text warms us heartily, making us feel that we have fulfilled a significant need in the New Zealand HR educational community. We hope that the second edition continues to meet user needs and that the changes that have been made are appreciated. We look forward to a third edition, and continue to be open to suggestions and comments on what has been left out and should be included in the text and, conversely, what should be left out that has been included.

Keith Macky
Gene Johnson

Notes
1. Hilmer, F.G. & Donaldson, L. (1996). Management Redeemed: Debunking the Fads that Undermine Corporate Performance. New York: The Free Press, p. xi. For a superb critique of management guru theory, see Huczynski, A. (1993). Management Gurus: What Makes Them and How to Become One. London: Routledge.
2. We are in debt to Wayne Cascio's preface in (199?). Applied Psychology in Personnel Management (fifth edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall International Editions, for expressing our sentiments exactly.

2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
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