HRM - Understanding “I”

In the earlier blog on HRM, we understood the relevance and briefly touched on how it could be used at securing a competitive advantage for the company. One of the foundation stones of HRM is the area of Psychology. In this science of the mind, we have a concept of Ego. Ego as a concept is psychology was introduced by Sir Sigmund Freud. We would keep dealing with the theory he proposed for a later date.

Ego, in its Latin origins, means "I". Simply, it is the image we have about our-self - this image is built by our notions about our self & our achievements. This in many ways forms the beginning of all HR issues and hence attracts a lot of interest from the Managerial community. All humans work with a commitment to realizing their dream – how ever big or small; and to realize this (s) he would create her/his own path towards achieving it. In this journey one achieves a phenomenal number of achievements minor or major and begins associating with his personal image.

Over a period of time, the individual moves in the reverse, begins assigning too much weight to past successes and creates a small imaginary sphere around oneself to protect the territory that is so personal. Entry for anyone into this territory is based on the proximity of the individual to the person. People begin clashing with other people when they try to protect this boundary. This is one of the major issues that the HR department faces while dealing with people and their aspirations.

Understanding this “I” that people possess is a great secret for effective management of the human capital.

Read in Kannada: http://somanagement.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post_9081.html