Development Dimensions of Personnel Department

Personnel Management can be defined as “the function of planning, organizing, directing, and
controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance, and separation
of human resource to the end that individual, organizational and societal objectives are accomplished”.

A set of programs, functions and activities designed to develop both personal and competent people. It
involves the establishment of various policies to deal with employees and to retain them by bringing in
some rules regarding working conditions, designs, appropriate compensation plans and strengthens
employer employees’ relations. Edwin B. Flippo enumerated three functions of Personnel Management
which are the key development dimensions of Personnel Function.

a) Operative Development
b) Managerial Development
c) Organization Development

Operative Development: An operative is one who has no authority over other but has been given a
specific task or duty to perform under managerial supervision. These functions are known as service
functions and are concerned with activities like:Procurement, Development, Compensation, Integration,
Maintenance & Separation.

The development of operatives calls for specific increases in skill and knowledge to perform a particular
job which can be brought by using four basic methods: On-the-job Training, Vestibule School,
Apprenticeship, and Special Courses.

Managerial Development: All those who perform all or some of the basic functions of management to
some degree regularly or occasionally can be called as ‘Managers’. The conceptual skills are very
essential at the top level and Human Skills are important at all levels. As it is very rightly said, “Superior
workers do not necessarily make superior managers”, a systematic process of growth and development
by which managers can develop their abilities is an important development dimension for Personnel
Function.
The Personnel Department has to identify the existing level of skills, knowledge etc., of various
executives and compare with their respective job requirements and objectives, identifies developmental
needs and will establish specific Managerial Development Programmes by two types of techniques, one
is ‘On-the-Job Training’ and the other one is ‘Off-the-job Training’. The success of any Managerial
developmental programme largely depends on the selection of the technique.

On-the-Job Training Off-the-job Training

 The Case Study
 Coaching  Sensitivity Training
method
 Job Rotation  Incident Method  Simulation
 Understudy  Role Playing  Grid Training
 Multiple
 In Basket method  Conferences
Management
 Business Games  Lectures
 Organizational Development- It is a complex educational plan intended to change the beliefs, attitudes,
values and structure of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets and
challenges and rate to change itself. This development can be brought by: Team Development, Survey
Feedback, Intergroup Sessions etc.,

The Overall Development Dimensions of the Personnel Function

1. Analyzing the Role

 Task Analysis
 Key Performance Areas
 Job Evaluation
 Critical Attributes

2. Matching the Role and the Person

 Selection / Recruitment
 Placement
 Potential Appraisal
 Promotion

3. Developing the Persons in the Role

 Performance appraisal
 Feedback and Counseling
 Mentoring
 Career Development & Succession Planning
 Training & Development
4. Developing the Role for the Person
 Job Rotation
 Job Enrichment
 Job Re-designing
 Role Effectiveness and efficacy

5. Developing Equitability
 Salary & Amenities
 Incentives & Rewards
 Administering Procedures

6. Developing Self-renewing capability

 Communication
 Organizational Development
 Organizational Change Planning
 Organizational Training

 Developing Organizational Culture and Climate