HR MANAGEMENT IN THE 20TH CENTURY: Milestones and LESSONS LEARNED

Abstract

One of the major events shaping the world of work in the 20th century is the development of the personnel/human resource management function in business organizations. A hundred years ago only a handful of companies had any type of formal labor policy or centralized employment department. Today nearly all but the smallest companies have a human resource (HR) department and assign to it a plethora of activities and programs covering all aspects of the employment relationship. This article looks at the events and developments of HR’s first century and identifies and analyzes the major milestones in its evolution.