Personeelbestuur - waar staan ons?

Abstract

Personnel management deals with the very important production factor, the human being. It pervades the whole enterprise and provides a most useful instrument to achieve company objectives. Yet in practice it seldom receives the attention, recognition and status that should be awarded to such an important function. This article provides a brief outline of the development of personnel management as well as the present position. According to the results of a recent survey, personnel management is definitely still lagging behind in South Africa. As far as the future is concerned, it leaves no doubt that personnel management will be subjected to greater challenge and more severe demands. At the same time it will have to be realised that the personnel function must be an integrated part of the top management and that the personnel manager will have to take part in the functions of general management. The main question, however, appears to be whether suitable personnel managers are available to meet the challenge. It appears that South Africa has a definite need for more specific training in personnel management - training which should include at least both the social and the economic sciences, so as to provide the versatile person needed for the very exacting task of personnel manager.