A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Human Resource Management

by Irena Grugulis

Engaging and entertaining in equal measure,  Human Resource Manageme n t is a book about work, the people who do it and the way they are managed (and mismanaged). Raising issues that are often neglected in typical HRM texts, such as work intensification and unemployment; it explores the realities of work, workers, and the communities that are affected by HRM policy and practice. Grugulis draws on current research to provide a critical and reflective overview of the key debates in HRM today.

Conceived by Chris Grey as an antidote to conventional textbooks, each book in the ‘ Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap ’ series takes a core area of the curriculum and turns it on its head by providing a critical and sophisticated overview of the key issues and debates in an informal, conversational and often humorous way.

Suitable for students of HRM, professionals working in organizations and anyone with an interest in the nature of human resources.

144 pages, Paperback

Published February 4, 2017

Reviews

[Dario · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book, if somewhat depressing. Despite some positive analysis and commentary, the future of work looks grim, especially in terms of inequality between high-earning managers and low-earning skilled workers. It's also one of those books where the main topic is interesting in theory, but very difficult to apply in practice.

Grugulis writes really well and used some great examples and resources. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Pay and Rewards and the one on Service Work.

It's a book that has made me realise what previous workplaces I've encountered have been doing wrong, and what I will be looking out for in future jobs.

[Milan Jocevski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the references to academic works, the book was a bit too dry. I would have expected more discussions of opposing findings & more topics covered. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting perspective of what HR Management is & it’s definitely a short, fairly interesting book I borrowed from the library ;)