This book prepares all feature managers with a business understanding of the need for human resource managemen skills. Since the first edition of "Managing Human Resources" was published, the general management perspective has become much more prevalent among practicing managers. Recent environtmental and organizational forces have contributed greatly to his trend.Organizations are becoming flatter. Technology such as the Internet fosters communication among all levels of personnel, and managers are expected to be generalist with a broad set of skills, including human resource management skills. At the same time, fewer firms have higly centralized, power ful human resource department that acts as monitor, decision maker,and controller of HR practices throughout the organization.
Most employees are now being asked to make difficult choices regarding benefit plans and often participate in HR decisions concerning recruitment and selection of new applicants, performance appraisals of peers and team members, enforcement of ethical policies, and the like. (text cited from Preface)