Human Resources is a modern field of study that has only been
implemented since the early 20th century. What started as nothing
more than a few curious scientists surveying the behavior of employees in a
work environment, would spark an entire movement for better work conditions and
regulations for employee/employer relations. The evolution of Human Resources
as a discipline and science is a remarkable one. Strangely enough, by the time
there was enough theoretical evidence gathered to make a strong argument for
the advantages of implementing workforce management strategies, the entire
landscape of business and public policy surrounding it had changed completely.
There was a new employee/employer relationship that had forged a formal
industrial and labor relations union. One of the oldest known Human Resources
associations was called the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development,
which was founded in England under the name, Welfare Workers’ Association.
While these changes were occurring overseas, America had its own
movement, one where the world’s first institution of higher education would
dedicate a whole area of study to workplace and industry relations. This
happened at Cornell University in the middle of the 1940s. It also helped give
birth to one of the largest and most influential Human Resources association,
one known as the Society for Human Resource Management.
Progress like this would stoke the fire and get rolling a new
movement where people became increasingly aware of workplace environment needs
and advantages. This was a time for rights of the employee.
Patricia Cavalier is a professional Human Resources manager who
enjoys looking into the history of the field.
