One of the most important resources of an organization is its people. Employees supply the talent, skills, and creativity and exert the effort and leadership that contribute to the level of performance of the organization.
Effective use of human resources leads to a number of consequences like helping the firm to achieve its objectives, increasing employee job satisfaction, providing the firm with well-trained and motivated employees and developing quality of work life which makes employment personally and socially desirable. Carnegie, the great U.S. industrialist, understood the potential contribution of human resource. This is apparent from his observation and remarks: “Take away all my machines, factory buildings, money, materials and all other assets but leave me my manpower, I shall be able to rebuild my business empire in a few years.”
Economists have long been stressing four factors of production namely, land, labour, capital and organization, in the recent past, management (i.e. setting corporate missions, goals and objectives and formulating corporate policy and strategy for action plans in order to achieve the desired results,) has emerged as the fifth facto of production. Concern of management is resource mobilization, resource utilization and resource protection in order to ensure highest possible productivity from a given quantity of resource. Socrates emphasized knowledge seeking. Einstein stressed imagination; Islam stresses knowledge seeking from cradle to grave while Hinduism stresses life-long education. Scientists have been conquering nature. Rockets have been landed on the moon, ballistic missiles destroy distant targets in minutes, E-mail message is exchanged between Dhaka and New York in seconds. These are the blessings of innovative, inquisitive and knowledge searching human mind.
Organizations are floated by human beings. Some rise to the heights of achievements; some rise but fall subsequently. Nations rise and fall in the path of civilization. McClelland in his study or achieving societies found that nations with people who get satisfaction by doing jobs efficiently and effectively stay on in this onward march towards progress and prosperity. Islamic thinkers noted, individuals who view assigned duty as ‘Ebadat’ are crowned with success. Allah, the Almighty, has endowed human beings with power inherent in them which if nursed, nurtured, cultivated, developed sharpened can unveil the secrets of nature. About 40% of the verses of AL-Quran are related to science and technology. According to Hirts, among the greatest leaders of mankind the world has ever seen, number one is the prophet of Islam (The Hundred) who emphasized upon the development of the horizon of knowledge of human resources.
Progress of nations occurs through developmental activities, initiated by governmental organizations, private business houses or welfare bodies. These are conceived, floated and managed by their sponsors who are human beings. They plan, organize, direct, lead, co-ordinate and control their activities designed to achieve their targeted goals and objectives. Success or failure is determined by the quality of policies and strategies formulated and followed by their captains. Significance of managerial competence is apparent but it is rare. English poet aptly remarked, “Water, water everywhere, but not drop to drink.” The poet indicated the water of all bodies is not drinkable. So is true for human beings.
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