Human resource management: Past, present, and future

摘要

What is being called human resource management (HRM) today has had a long and checkered history. A number of key changes in the social and economic environment have affected the evolution of HRM, some of which we will highlight in the following sections. Although many of the historians of HRM begin with the 19th century, which was a period of rapid industrialization in the U.S., we start our review much earlier with the development of tribes and, later, apprenticeship and independent contractor systems of the late medieval period (Dulebohn, Ferris, & Stodd, 1995; Ling, 1965). One reason for this is that we want to highlight the changes in the employment relationship over time. This brief historical overview is not meant to be exhaustive; instead, it provides a context for appreciating the strides we've made in what we now call "HRM." In this special issue, we focus on HRM past and present. Note that there will be a companion to this special issue later this year that will focus on HRM present & future.