The concept of human resources management first appeared in the 1980s and use of the term grew in the 1990s. Initially, writers in the field focused on trying to distinguish between personal management and HRM, but according to Boxall and Purcell (2003) HRM has, in spite of the lack of clarity over definition, became the most popular term to refer to the activities of managers in relation to people management
the major characteristics of the HRM approach to people management have been identified as follows:
•the importance of adoption a strategic approach is emphasized.
•line managers play a predominant role
•organizational policies must be integrated and cohesive in order to better project and support the central organizational values and objectives. Along with this, communication play a vital role.
•An underlying philosophy is adopted that emphasizes the achievement of competitive advantage through the efforts of people. This can variously be interpreted into actions that are known as hard HRM or those that are known as soft HRM
• A unitarist rather then a pluralist approach prevails in the relationship between managers and employees