Module I

CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF HRD

INTRODUCTION
Development of human resources is essential for any organisation that would like to be
dynamic and growth- oriented. Unlike other resources, human resources have rather
unlimited potential capabilities.
Human Resource Development is a system of developing in a continuous and planned way
the competencies of individual employees, dynamic groups (supervisor and subordinate),
teams and the total organisation to achieve the organisations goals. It maximize the
congruence between the individual and the organisational goals of employees and develops
an organisational culture in which superior- subordinate relationships, teamwork.

Meaning and Definition of HRD

HRD concept was first introduced by Leonard Nadler in 1969 in a conference organised by
the American Society for Training and Development.

Leonard Nadler defined "HRD as those learning experience which are organized, for a
specific time, and designed to bring about the possibility of behavioral change".

Human Resource Development (HRD) is the framework for helping employees develops
their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities.
Human Resource Development (HRD) is the part of Human Resource Management which
specifically deals with the training and development of employees.
HRD helps the employees in developing their knowledge, skills and abilities to achieve
self-fulfilment and aid in the accomplishment of organizational goals.

Characteristics or Features of Human Resource development

The essential features of human resource development can be listed as follows:

1. Human resource is most valuable asset of the organisation.

2. It helps the employees of the organisation to develop their general capabilities.
3. Best utilization of the capabilities of individuals.
4. Better inter-personal relations.
5. It promotes team spirit among employees.
6. It providing healthy climate for development in the organisation.
7. It has several sub-systems.
8. It aims to develop an organisational culture.
9. It tries to develop competence at individual, inter- personal, group and organisational
level to meet organisational goal.
10. It is an inter-disciplinary concept.
11. It form on employee welfare and quality of work life.
12. It is a continuous and systematic learning process.

THE NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF HRD

HRD plays a vital role in the success and growth of an organization in the following ways:

Prepared By: Reshmith.K

 1. Improves the capabilities of peoples: HRD improves the capabilities of people by
making them to know the skills required for job performance ered by improving clarity
about performance.
2. Improves Communication System: HRD improves communication system in the
organisation. Every member better understands the expectations of other members
from his role.
3. Effective Utilization of Human Resources: HRD helps an organisation in procuring
the right people at the right time and in making their effective use.
4. Improves employee commitments: HRD improves employee commitment to the
organisation due to greater objectivity in the administration of rewards. Contributions
of employees are valued and rewarded in a better way.
5. Ensures all round growth of employees: HRD provides an opportunity of
continuous and all round growth of employees through succession planning and
career planning.
6. Improves teamwork: HRD improves collaboration and teamwork. Employees
become more open and trust each other.
7. Improves problem solving skills: HRD improves problem-solving and adaptation
shifts of employees; They become more innovative, proactive and risk taking
resistance to change.
8. Facilitates HR planning: HRD-generates a lot of useful data which facilitate human
resource. In short, HRD ultimately leads to higher productivity, lower costs and
successful growth in the organisation.
9. To Achieve Goals: People need competencies to perform tasks. Higher degree and
quality of performance of tasks requires higher level of skills. Continuous
development of competencies in people is essential for an organization to achieve its
goals... Competent and motivated employees are essential for organizational
survival, growth and excellence.
10. To Maintain a Level of Growth: Over a period of time, an organization may achieve
a saturation point in terms of its growth. Even to maintain such a saturation level of
growth employee competencies need to be sharpened or developed as organizations
operate in environments that keep changing requiring the employees to acquire new
competencies.
11. To Improve Effectiveness: Any organization interested in improving its services and
its effectiveness in cost reduction, reduction in delays, increased customer
satisfaction, improved quality and promptness of services, market image needs to
develop the competencies of its employees to perform the tasks needed to bring
about such improvements.

MULTIPLE GOALS OF HRD

People are the most important and valuable resources of any organization. Dynamic people
can build progressive and growth-oriented organizations. Effective employees can contribute
to the effectiveness of the organization.
HRD has multiple goals. These include:
1. Employees' competency: Employees need to have a variety of
competencies-knowledge, skills, and attitudes in technical areas, human relations
areas, and conceptual areas-to perform different tasks or functions. HRD aims to
identify competency gaps of employees and train them to perform present roles
effectively and create conditions to help employees bridge these gaps through

Prepared By: Reshmith.K

 development .The nature of jobs is constantly changing due to changes in the
environment, organizational goals, priorities, strategies customer expectation,
technology, new opportunities,new challenges and new knowledge-base.
2. Motivation development: Motivation development is also an aim of HRD. Motivation
means the desire to work or put in work effort. It is an involvement to the job and the
commitment to the organization.
3. Organizational climate development: This requires building and enabling
organizational culture-one in which employees use their initiative, take risks,
experiment, innovate, and make things happen.

Task or Functions of HRD department:

1. HR planning: The human resources department is responsible for setting plans
regarding the company's future and its workforce. This responsibility impacts many
other HR functions, such as recruiting and hiring talent, performance management
and succession planning. HR professionals need to assess the company's goals and
objectives and determine workforce strategies that help accomplish them. For
example, they may increase hiring to meet production goals or recruit talent with a
specific skill set to complete a specific project or initiative.
2. Talent recruitment and selection: The human resources department plays an
essential role in attracting and recruiting talent to an organization. They may work
with managers to develop recruitment goals and identify the types of applicants they
want to reach or roles they need to fill. These professionals can also help create and
post job postings, find qualified candidates and conduct the initial screening process.
3. Compensation and benefits: The human resources department helps manage and
oversee compensation and benefits provided to [Link] system and is
responsible for ensuring that they get paid promptly according to the payment
schedule.
4. Health and safety: Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA),
employers must provide a safe working environment. The safety measures
implemented may be industry-mandated or ensure general safety, such as
harassment policies and emergency planning.
5. Labor law compliance: Maintaining compliance with such laws can help prevent
complaints regarding employment practices or workplace conditions. HR
professionals receive training on state and federal laws, such as the Fair Labor
Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the National Labor Relations Act and
the Family and Medical Leave Act.
6. Training and development: New employees typically undergo training to learn
company policies and procedures and the specific skills, tools or resources needed
to perform their job.
7. Employee and labor relations: The human resources department often oversees
the relationships between employers and employees and their managers. During
conflicts an HR professional may step in and serve as a mediator.
8. Performance management: Performance management often includes activities like
performance reviews between employees and their managers. These activities help
assess whether the workforce is meeting organizational goals and objectives.
9. Career and succession planning: When high-level positions are expected to
become available, the HR department can work with managers to identify
top-performing employees who could serve as replacements.

Prepared By: Reshmith.K

 10. Job evaluation: These professionals assess each job and identify its appropriate
title, tasks, responsibilities and the skills needed to perform it.
11. Administrative duties: The human resources department also manages day-to-day
administrative tasks related to the workforce. They are responsible for maintaining
personnel records and files and paperwork related to on- and off-boarding, insurance
policies and employee contracts.
12. Others functions: In order to achieve HRD objectives, the HRD department should
perform the following task or functions:
a) Develop a human resource philosophy for the entire organization and get the top
management committed to it openly and genuinely.
b) Inspire line managers to have a constant desire to learn and develop.
c) Constantly plan and design new methods and systems, or developing and
strengthening the HRD climate.
d) Be aware of the goals of the organization and direct all their HRD efforts to achieve
these goals.
e) Monitor effectively the implementation of various HRD mechanisms.
f) Work with unions and associations and inspire them.
g) Conduct human process research, organizational health surveys and renewal
exercises periodically.
h) Influence personnel policies by providing necessary inputs to the personnel/top
management.

HRD FOR ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OR IMPORTANCE OF HRD

HRD means a process which helps employees of an organization to improve their functional
capabilities for their present and future roles, to develop their general capabilities, to harness
their inner potentialities both for their self and organizational development.
The importance of HRD is as follows:
1. To prepare the employee to meet the present and changing future job requirements.
2. To prevent employee obsolescence.
3. To provide an opportunity and comprehensive framework for the development of
human resources in the organisation for full expression of their talents and manifest
potentials.
4. To develop creative abilities and talents.
5. To prepare employees for higher level jobs.
6. To impart new entrants with basic HRD skills and knowledge.
7. To develop the potentialities of people for the next level job.
8. To aid total quality management.
9. To promote individual and collective morale, a sense of responsibility, co-operative
attitudes and good relationships.
10. To broaden the minds of senior managers by providing them with opportunities for an
interchange of experiences within and outside.
11. To ensure smooth and efficient working of the organisation.
12. To provide comprehensive framework for HRD.
13. To enhance organisational capabilities.
14. To develop the constructive mind and overall personality of each Employee.
15. To create a climate that enables every employee to discover, develop and use his/her
capabilities to a fuller extent.

Prepared By: Reshmith.K

HRD IN INDIAN CONTEXT-PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS
HRD process might have existed to some extent in India earlier, but a professional outlook to
HRD began only in 1970s. Larsen and Toubro perhaps the first company in India to design
and implement an integrated HRD system in the 1970s. Later on this professional outlook to
HRD spread to other organisations. The first workshop on HRD was held in 1979. Since
then, several workshops and seminars have been held. A center for HRD was established in
the Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI). Jamshedpur, National HRD Network has also
been established in 1985. Now several public and private sector organisations have HRD
departments and HRD managers.
HRD practices are crucial for the growth and success of Indian industries. They help to
improve employee skills and knowledge, enhance productivity and efficiency, reduce
employee turnover, and create a positive work culture.

In the organizational context, human resource development may be described as a

continuous and planned process by which employees of an organization are helped to:

(a) Acquire or sharpen capabilities required to perform various functions associated with
their present or expected future roles.
(b) Develop their general capabilities as individuals and discover and exploit their own
inner potential for their own and/ or organizational development purpose.
(c) Develop an organizational culture in which superior- subordinate relationships,
teamwork and collaboration among sub-units are strong and contribute to the
professional well- being, motivation and pride of employees.

THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF HRD ARE:

1. Changing Workforce Demographics: Around the world, demographic changes
have already had a major impact on HR departments. The labour forces have
become increasingly diverse, and this has forced organisations to make considerable
changes to the way in which they approach people management because it is very
much required to cope with the dynamics of the market.
2. Competing in Global Economy: For competing in the global economy, it will require
more than educating and training workers to meet new challenges.
3. Eliminating Skills Gap: In order to bridge the skills gap, the organisations should
make systematic changes. These are required by most employers among other
factors.
4. Meeting the Need for Lifelong Individual Learning: With the rapid changes that all
organisations are facing, it is clear that employees must continue the learning
process throughout their careers in order to meet these [Link] example,for
semiskilled workers, it may involve more basic skills training to help them to build
their competencies.
5. Facilitating Organisational Learning: Organisations are going to make a
fundamental change, they must be able to learn, adapt, and change. Learning
organisation must accept the following five principles:
● Systems Thinking
● Person Mastery
● Mental Models
● Building Shared Vision
● Team Learning

Prepared By: Reshmith.K

The prospects of HRD include:
1. System of personalized evaluation
2. Future-forward HR leadership
3. Digital know-how
4. Human capital development
5. Playing for the win

HRD MECHANISMS OR VARIABLES MECHANISM OR SUB-SYSTEMS

There are many instruments that can be used to facilitate HRD. These instruments may be
called sub-systems or methods or mechanisms or variables.
The most frequently used HRD instruments are:
(a) Performance and potential appraisal
(b) Feedback and performance coaching
(c) Career planning
(d) Training-induction, on job, and developmental ban
(e) Organization development
(f) Honours and awards
(g) Employee welfare and quality of work life
(h) Self-renewal and institution building.
(i) Personal growth laboratories and worker education programme.
(j) Quality circles, task forces, and assignment groups
(k) Managerial learning networks

The HRD mechanism typically includes the following components:

1. Training and Development: This involves identifying the training needs of
employees and providing them with relevant learning opportunities. Training
programs can be conducted internally or externally, and they may cover technical
skills, soft skills, leadership development, and other [Link] activities
focus on long-term career growth and succession planning, such as job rotations,
mentoring coaching, and performance management.
2. Performance Management: HRD mechanisms include performance appraisal
systems that provide feedback. on employee performance, set goals and objectives,
and evaluate their achievements.
3. Career Development: Organizations facilitate career development by offering
opportunities for employees to grow and advance within the company. This may
involve creating clear career paths, providing support for further education.
4. Knowledge Management: HRD mechanisms also focus on capturing, sharing, and
leveraging organizational knowledge. This includes creating knowledge-sharing
platforms, conducting knowledge transfer sessions, and encouraging collaboration
among employees. By effectively managing knowledge, organizations can enhance
productivity, innovation, and problem-solving capabilities.
5. Employee Engagement and Well-being: HRD mechanisms recognize the
importance of employee engagement and well-being in driving performance.
Strategies may include initiatives to promote work-life balance, employee recognition
programs, wellness programs, and fostering a positive work culture that values
diversity, inclusion, and employee voice.

Prepared By: Reshmith.K

 6. Succession Planning: HRD mechanisms also encompass planning for the future
leadership and talent needs of the organization. This involves identifying
high-potential employees, providing them with development opportunities, and
preparing them for leadership positions. Succession planning ensures a pipeline of
capable individuals to fill critical roles within the organization.
7. Potential appraisal: Potential appraisal means the possibility of career
advancement. A dynamic and growing organization needs to continuously review its
structure and systems, creating new roles, and assigning new responsibilities.
Capability to perform new roles and responsibilities must continuously be developed
among employees. Potential appraisal focuses on identifying the employee's likely
future roles within the organization, and can be assessed by observing employees
perform different (usually higher level) functions.
8. Feedback and performance coaching: Knowledge of one's strengths helps one to
become more effective, to choose situations in which one's strength is required, and
to avoid situations in which one's weaknesses could create problems. This also
increases the individual's satisfaction.
9. Career planning: The HRD philosophy is that people perform better when they feel
trusted and see meaning in what they are doing. People want to know the
possibilities for their own growth and career opportunities. As managers have
information about the growth plans of the organization, it is their responsibility to
transmit information to their subordinates a to assist them in planning their careers
within the organization and In the HRD system, long-term corporate growth plans are
not kept secret but are made known to the employees.
10. Organization development (OD): This function includes research to ascertain the
psychological health of the organization. This is generally accomplished by means of
periodic employee surveys.
11. Honours and awards: Honouring and awarding employee performance and
behaviour is an important part of HRD. Appropriate honours and awards not only
recognize and motivate employees, but also communicate the organization values to
the employees.
12. Employee welfare and quality of work life: Employees at lower levels in the
organization usually performed relatively monotonous tasks and have fewer
opportunities for promotion or change. In order to maintain their work commitment
and motivation, the organization must provide some welfare measures such as
medical insurance, disability insurance.

Prepared By: Reshmith.K