al, rewards and development) are identified in this section at being at the heart of human resources management (Fombrun, et al, 1984, p. 53).
The second part of the book, the strategic role of the human resource systems, is the longest (13 chapters) and at the core of the text as a whole. Here, the various authors examine how the four human resources identified in the first part of the book can be used to further the strategic position of the organization as a whole. In addition to presenting abstract concepts, the editors have also seen fit to include examinations of specific companies in order to provide real-world examples of the ideas being discussed. Among the companies and issues profiled are staffing at Chase Manhattan Bank, reward systems at General Motors, the corporate culture at Hewlett-Packard and strategic human resource management in general at Honeywell.
Particular attention is focused on the performance appraisal, which is the subject of no fewer than three of the 13 chapters in this section. Setting goals and issuing rewards are also discussed at length, with the consensus of the authors and editors being that rewards are vital toward encouraging productivity. Rewards help define the type of person a company attracts and retains, and can be used to effectively motivate individuals. Reward systems are an integral part of a company culture, and they both define and reinforce formal and information structure within an organization. Reward systems can also be a major cost factor which an organization faces (Fombrun, et al., 1984, p. 128).
In the third part of the book, the articles take the concepts presented in part two and analyze how their implementation can vary from industry to industry and organization to organization. The product and market stage in which a company operates will have a great effect on the situation facing the human resources manager. Companies
...