This book is designed for management students interested in the conceptual background and content that is essential for understanding the relevant issues in human resource management (HRM). It emphasizes a general management approach to HRM to meet the challenges which organizations face in using their human resources effectively. It is structured around key terms stressing the need for proactive HRM to accomplish a competitive edge, and discusses in detail several changes that have taken place in the field of people management especially over the last two decades. It also embodies several old concepts as they provide a sound historical background to understand the new version of personnel management and industrial relations, that is, HRM.