Torrington: Human Resource Management p10

Abstract

Peter Drucker, the early and highly respected management guru, once said that management was largely about making things difficult for other people. HR is a management function which many people regard as making life difficult for them. This text has evolved steadily over thirty-five years to this tenth edition. Our objective has always been to track the development of the personnel/HR function and its activities in a way that fits with the changing approaches to the teaching of the subject in universities. There is no doubt that academic research and teaching has an important impact on practice. We see our role as to help the teaching and learning process to assist those working, or aspiring to work, in HR or kindred roles. Our hope is that those who read this text will move on to work in a way that seems less like making things difficult for other people and more like making their employment more satisfying, and make a success of the jobs they share. At the same time, some people sometimes do need to have their working lives made more difficult!