A Review on the Past 100 Years of Human Resource Management: Evolution and Development

Abstract

Closely related to the changes in the business, economic and social environment, human resource management（HRM）has been an area of rapid research and practice development since the late 1970s. Over the past 40 years, entrepreneurs and managers have paid more and more attention to HRM, and HRM has emerged as a hot topic” in academic research. Based on differences in each country’s historical, social and economic environment, the development of HRM displays obvious differences in China compared to western countries. Based on the development of the human nature hypothesis, this paper reviews the evolution of HRM over the past 100 years to better understand the different stages of HRM, including the origins of labor management—the Hypothesis of Economic Man”; the mechanization of human resource management mode—the Hypothesis of Social Man”; the moderate humanization of human resource management mode—the Hypothesis of Self-Actualizing Man”; the highly humanized management of human resource management mode—the Hypothesis of Complex Man”; and self-independence of human resource management mode. Under the theoretical guidance of different human nature assumptions, how the corresponding HRM modes are developed and improved is studied. This paper also clarifies the relevant policies, theoretical development and practical applications affecting human resource management in different historical periods in China. We also analyze how the development of the HRM mode in Chinese enterprises has undergone a transformation from hard struggle” to opening up”. This paper details the development process of HRM in China, subdividing the different stages of human resource management of opening up” into the beginning, growth and maturity stages. Finally, in order to help entrepreneurs and managers to better perform the function of HRM, this paper addresses four major questions that Chinese enterprises face at present: management of new generation employees; HRM in the era of big data; human resource management in sharing economy; and human resource management of cross-cultural employees.By examining these four current situational problems, this paper analyzes the management problems related to each issue and puts forward corresponding HRM management measures. First, this paper proposes that in order to manage the new generation of employees with distinctive individuality, uneasiness and maverick behavior, managers should respect the needs of employees on the premise of conforming to corporate strategy and corporate culture. While helping employees to improve continuously, managers should formulate reasonable career development plans to give full play to the maximum value of employees, enhancing employees’ sense of belonging and identity to enterprises. Second, in the era of big data, the rapid development of the Internet not only changes the production mode of enterprises, but also impacts the management mode in enterprises. Managers are aware of the importance of developing new strategic human resource management methods, and the need to form a simpler and more efficient flat organizational structure by matching employees with resources and tasks. Third, the suppliers + sharing platform + consumers” sharing model makes the traditional human resource management mode no longer applicable to the development of enterprises. Scholars have put forward alternatives to accelerate the establishment of platform co-governance” organization operation modes, cooperation and symbiosis” labor contracts, investment and win-win” human capital, and open and co-create” enterprise cultures. Fourth, under the influence of globalization, many Chinese enterprises choose to go abroad. In the face of cultural conflicts, these multinational enterprises need to select appropriate management talents and establish human resource management organization systems adapted to global competition. This paper sets out a future research agenda.