History of Human Resource

Management: A Contemporary
Perspective in Bangladesh

EXECUTIVE SUMMERY

Today in the world, global competition is the basic element to define firms strategies as a result
industrial economy has been experienced to pass toward to knowledge economy. At an age
where total quality is of primary importance, efficiency can only be achieved by the successful
utilization of human resources. Human resource management is one of the necessary needs of
todays business. Human resource management department has a very important role for supply
of the human being to main resources of companies. Human resource management department
has fundamental role for personnel recruiting, orientation and performance appraisal and so on.
Human resource management issues to be addressed at the highest level in the organization and
management of strategic decisions are required. Impact of human resource management practices
has been a widely researched area for years. But unfortunately, very insufficient number of
studies has been conducted on this area in the context of Bangladesh and other developing
countries. This study explored the history of human resource management in a global
perspective. From where the idea has been raised up and how it has covered its importance over
the world. This study explored adoption of new HRM practices in the public and private sector
organizations of Bangladesh. Employees in the private sector organizations appeared to be more
satisfied than public sector organizations with organizational HRM. The research includes,
literature review, history of HRM in global view, history of HRM in Bangladeshs view and
recommendations too.

1. Introduction
1.1. Concept of Human Resource Management
According to Byars and Rue (2006), human resource management is the system of activities and
tactics of an organizational managers who triumphantly managing all levels of the employees to
accomplish the organizational goal. Again, a widespread and logical approach that the people
who are working as a part of the organization are individually and collectively contributing their
achievements that are the most value assets for an organization are known as human resource
management (Armstrong, 2006). Fisher, Schoenfeldt and Shaw (2006) said that HRM involves
all management decisions and practices that directly affect or influence the people or human
resources who work for the organization. When philosophy, policies, procedure and practices
these terms are related with an organization where the management of the people is working
together is known as Human Resource Management (French, 2003). Milkovich and Boudreau
(1997) described HRM as a series of decision which affects the relationship between the
employer and employees, affects many constituencies and planned to manipulate the usefulness
between them. There is an explanation of the whole HRM term and that is showing below:
Human: refer to the skilled workforce in the organization.
Resource: refer to limited availability or scarce.
Management: refer to maximize or proper utilization and make best use of limited and a scarce
resource.
Altogether, human resource management is the process of proper and maximizes utilization of
available limited skilled workforce. The core purpose of the human resource management is to
make efficient use of existing human resource in the organization. Every organizations desire is
to have skilled and competent people to make their organization more effective than their
competitors. Humans are very important assets for the organization rather than land and
buildings, without employees (humans) no activity in the organization can be done. Machines are
meant to produce more goods with good quality but they should get operated by the human only.
There is a great quote of Kenned (1965) where he says that The human mind is our fundamental
resource. This indicates that how important the HR practices are and how crucial it is to
maintain it properly.
So from all these definitions, it can be assumed that, human resource management is the process
of recruiting, selection of employees, providing proper direction and introduction, providing
1

appropriate training and development skills, providing proper compensation and benefits,
motivation, maintain proper relationship with labor and with trade unions, informing them about
the performance appraisal and maintaining employees safety, welfare and health by complying
with labor laws of particular countries.

2. Literature Review
In 1920s, the term Human Resource Management was known as Welfare (Armstrong, 2006).
He also mentioned that in 1940s, it has been upgraded by labor management and finally it
formed as Personnel Administration or Management in 1920s. Personnel management was
defined that the technical aspects of hiring, evaluating, training, and compensating employees
and was very much of "staff" function in most organizations. The lack of this field was that it did
not focused on the relationships of distracted employment practices on overall organizational
performance and the systematic relationships among them. Torrington and Hall (1987) defined
personnel management as a series of activities that include a mutual agreement about the
objectives and the nature of the working relationships between the employees and their working
organizations and the second part is that they have to ensure that the agreement has been
fulfilled. Elton Mayo (1933) has replaced the human relationship approach by his research
project named as Hawthorne studies where the member of this school believed that job
satisfaction and productivity are directly related with one another and if the respected people can
increase the interest of those working people, their output will be very high (Armstrong, 2006).
The term human resource management and personnel management shows a significant different
images and the difference is captured in a table below:
Factor

Personnel Management

Approach

Traditional
managing

Focus

approach
people

organization
PM focuses

on

administration,

in

Human

Resource

Management
of Modern approach of managing
the people and their strength in

the organization
personnel HRM focuses on acquisition,
employee development, motivation, and

welfare and labor relation, maintenance the organization,

production

and

satisfied effectiveness,

culture,
2

employees
Assume

productivity and employee's

participation
people as a input for achieving People as an important and
desired output

valuable

resource

for

achieving desired output.

Functions

Decisions

undertaken

for

employee's undertaken

for

goal

satisfaction with a routine achievement

with

strategic

function
functions
made by the top management decisions

are

made

as per the rules and regulation collectively after considering

of the organization

employee's
authority,

participation,
decentralization,

Concerned with

Personnel managers

competitive environment etc

all level of managers from top

Evaluation

Cost minimization

to bottom
Maximum utilization

Source:http://accountlearning.blogspot.com/2013/01/difference-between-personnel management.html

So, employee satisfaction by improves way can reduces the cost of employee turnover, construct
brand loyalty for the organization and position for attracting more talented people toward the
organization (Mahmud & Idrish, 2011). In one word, it works like grabbing talented people suing
talent management by satisfying the existing customers. It is also very important for managers to
upgrade their knowledge about the ways of employee motivation tools because sometimes
monetary incentives or using motivational tools may create employees working competencies as
a challenge. According to Werther and Devis (1996), providing competitive advantages to the
organizations for humanizing the dynamic contributions are the principles of human resource
management. Most of the developing countries circumstances of human resource management
are quite unimposing except South Korea and Taiwan because those countries have excelled in
industrialization (Budhwar & Debrah, 2001). Historically, Bangladesh is an agro-based country.
More than 50% of its population is employed in agriculture (Ministry of Finance, GOB 2007). In
1971, Bangladesh started its journey as an independent and sovereign nation. During that time
only 4% GDP came from industrial sector, most of which were mainly small scale industries
(Ahmed & Patan 1979). the public and the private sector industrial enterprises of Bangladesh
3

need to adopt sound human resource management practices. Weeratunga (2003) argued that
technological advancement and organizational change have progressively led employers to the
realization that success depends on the skills and abilities of their employees, which can only be
ensured through effective human resource management practices.
The main objective of our paper is to find out the history of human resource management is a
global and Bangladesh both sense. We have also HRM practices by public and private sectors
organizations in Bangladesh and made some recommendations how it could bring benefits for
them in the long-run.

3. History of HRM from Global Perspective

The history of Human Resources starts to be interesting with the evolution of the large factories.
The chronological histories are showing below:
3.1. The Origins of Workforce Management (18th century)
The earliest forms of human resource management were the working arrangements struck
between craftsmen and their apprentices during the pre-Industrial cottage-based guild system.
The apprentice lived in the workshop or home of his master, and the master took care of his
health and welfare. The Industrial Revolution of the mid-eighteenth century led to the emergence
of large factories and the displacement of cottage-based guild manufacturing. The unhygienic
and arduous work in factories led to many labor riots, and the government stepped in to provide
basic rights and protections for workers. The need to comply with such statutory regulations
forced factory owners to set up a formal mechanism to redress issues concerning labor.
The rapid development of new industrial approach to work changed the world dramatically. The
quick and cheap production became a priority for many industries. The factories hired thousands
of workers, who worked up to 16 hours a day. Soon, many entrepreneurs discovered that satisfied
employees are more effective and can produce more than depressed employees. Many factories
started to introduce voluntary programs for employees to increase their comfort and satisfaction.
On the other hand, the government started to intervene to introduce some basic human rights and
the work safety legislation.

3.2. Personnel Management (Early20th century)

By the early 1900s, increased competition and pressing demands to fulfill orders made factory
owners take serious note of productivity, and issues such as employee absenteeism and high
turnover came into focus. The dominant philosophy during this time was that employees would
accept rigid standards and work faster if provided training and more wages. This approach led to
Frederick W. Taylors scientific management theory that involved time studies in an attempt to
establish the most productive way to undertake a process. Most organizations introduced the
Personnel Management. The personnel department had large responsibilities. It was dealing with
issues, introducing the new law requirements. It had the responsibility for the implementation of
different social and work place safety programs. Everything was focused on the productivity of
employees. The regular productivity increments were the key measure for the management of
employees. The significant change was introduced after the 2nd World War because the military
developed many training programs for new soldiers.
After the war, the training became a respected process in personnel department. The technology
and the globalization have changed the rules of the game. Most HR Functions are running
complex HRIS solutions, which make information about employees available anywhere and
anytime to managers and HR Professionals. The economy of the wealthy western countries
shifted towards the services economy. The quality of services became the crucial competitive
advantage. HR became necessary because the structure of the workforce changed. The leadership
development was the right answer. Managers and leaders have to think global today; they have to
understand to different cultural backgrounds. The corporate culture cannot be country specific; it
has to reflect many nations working for the organization. This is a fantastic opportunity for
Human Resources. Human Resources Management is global today. The global HR policies drive
processes in different countries, but the processes produce comparable results. The employees
relocate from country to country.
3.3. Traditional Human Resource Management (Late 20th Century)
The post-World War II and post-Korean War era marked a distinct change in human resource
management history. This era witnessed well educated baby boomers influenced by ideas such as
human rights and self-actualization, taking the various behavioral oriented management
5

philosophies to heart and adopting management philosophies that encouraged incorporation of

worker ideas and initiatives.
The changes manifested as a spate of labor legislations such as the Equal Pay Act (1963), the
Civil Rights Act (1964), Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970), and the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act (1974). The need to comply with such legislation increased the
importance of the human resource function.
3.4. The evolution and background of HR Management
It is a paradox of the human history that best things evolve as the requirement of the army or the
sophisticated state administration. The history of the modern Human Resources Management is
not a deviation from this general rule of the human history. Army and navy were the first users of
advanced techniques to develop their staff. They defined required standard, and they made
successful career paths. They were built around the strong leadership. Just compare it to todays
HR Management. The motivation was the same as we use HR Management today. The
organizations and states of old days wanted to build a competitive advantage. They needed to
protect their interests. The specialized, trained and skilled workforce was a part of the success.
We can find several examples of the successful HR Management in the history of the modern
civilization. In ancient China, the emperors recognized the importance of an effective
management. China designed the first recruitment process in the human history. The government
defined the key requirements, skills and competencies of the public officer. The state followed a
simple recruitment procedure to identify the best talents among candidates. The education and
development procedures were in place to govern the country effectively. It was one of the best
tools to manage the satisfaction of citizens. These are two examples that a good HR Management
system evolved even in the past.
3.5. HR Managements Early Stages
For centuries, the agriculture was the leading economic sector. The factories did not exist. The
people were not free, and they could make a free choice of their career. The word career did not
exist as well. The industrial revolution changed the history of humans and nations. The mass
production allowed the significant decrease of prices. The people gained some freedom. Human
6

Resources did not exist at that moment, but the new factories required people, who could take
care of the workforce. The first HR practices and the basic HR processes can be found in ancient
China. The Chinese government introduced first rules and procedures for the selection of the
government employees. The rules were straightforward, but they were working well for the
ancient society. HR had evolved before ancient Rome was ruling the known world. However, the
real revolution started with factories, which employed thousands of employees. Wages were
extremely low, and the labor force was cheap. The managers and owners simplified the
production and steps in production to reduce the induction time of the new worker. The working
conditions were terrible. The work and safety was nonexistent.
The large factories and industrialization were the foundation of the basic management of Human
Resources. The people were cheap, and they were easy to replace. They were far cheaper than
the machinery in the factory. The usual length of the working day was from 12 to 16 hours, at
least 6 times a week. The wage was low and allowed to fulfill just the basic needs of the worker.
The specialized function was not a basic requirement of the quickly growing factory. The salaries
were low, and the calculation of salaries was easy. The only worked hours were paid; no
overtimes or other salary items existed. Many factory owners used fear as the main motivational
tool. The factory was hiring tremendous numbers of new employees, and it fired everyone, who
was a troublemaker. No complaints were allowed. The employees were not motivated
positively; they were motivated to avoid certain behaviors. In the second phase of the
industrialization, the government stepped in the process. The basic health and safety laws were
introduced. The factories had to introduce basic safety standards for employees. The working
hours were shortened and employees got a right to have a break during the day. The smart
factory owners noticed the positive effects of the employees satisfaction on the productivity and
performance. They noticed first signs of the potential competitive advantage. The smart factories
started to introduce the new social programs for employees. The factories started to contribute to
social life and started to support communities essential for workers. Human Resources of the
modern age have begun as the social care of the employer. The factory invested into social
programs, because the programs had a positive return in the productivity. The roots of Human
Resources are purely economical.

3.6. Early HR Management in 70s and 80s of 20th Century

The developed world continued its phenomenal economic growth in 60s and 70s of the 20th
century. Organizations required large amounts of skilled and experienced employees; the
employment relationship changed its balance as employees gained their vote and power in
negotiating with employers. It was the moment when the personnel management started to
evolve into early HR Management. The commitment and loyalty were the words, which spread
quickly among managers and leaders of organizations. The loyalty of employees to employers
decreased in 70s, because workers realized they had a wide range of employment opportunities.
They stopped valuing the long term employment and loyalty with the organization, which offers
too little in return. Turnover and lack of know how began to be a serious topic for the top
management discussions. The new HR Department was tasked to find strategic and tactical
answers so that the loyalty of employees increases again. The decisive answer was in the
commitment of employees. The HR Department introduced new HR processes and policies,
which were aimed to increase the commitment and motivation of employees.
The beginning of the HR Management is connected with the massive introduction of the
performance management and career planning. Prior the introduction of the HR Management the
succession planning was purely based on observations of line managers. From this moment, the
practice changed, and employees were asked what kind of the job they wish in the organization.
The introduction of the performance management had a significant impact on productivity of
employees. The ambitious employees got a chance to highlight wish to be promoted and the path
leading to promotion was drafted to them. It was the first version of the succession planning.
Employees valued the opportunity to express their plans and agreeing next steps with managers.
The training and development processes were significantly improved because HR Department
was able to utilize information gathered during performance appraisals. The specialization of HR
jobs had a positive impact on professionalism of provided HR services to managers and
employees. Additionally, the career in Human Resources became a good option for many fresh
graduates.

3.7. Advanced HR Management

Today, we enjoy the scientific and data-driven HR Management and people management
practices in large organizations. However, the advanced HR Management was introduced in 90s
of the 20th century when the information technology was developed enough to support robust
HR processes. Most organizations build the HR Organization around a robust HRIS solution.
The advanced HR Management always starts with the HR Strategy, which is closely linked with
the business strategy. Moreover, the HR Strategy should be an inseparable part of the overall
business plan. The HR Strategy has to be owned by the top management of the company; the HR
Director should lead the design and development of the strategy, but he should not be the owner
of the strategy. The advanced HR Management builds on following HR priorities, processes and
procedures:

Diversity Management and Equal Opportunities

Organizational Design

Engagement of employees

Change Management

Flexible Working Time and Work/Life Balance

Leadership Development and Career Planning

Social Media

HR Benchmarking and HR Data

HR Process Management

HR Information System

HR Roles and Responsibilities are a prerequisite for a successful modern HR Organization. The
advanced HR Management sets boundaries to managers; they have no freedom they used to
9

have. HR Business Partners are required to agree with managers the approach towards
employees in the department. The roles and responsibilities make it clear to line managers how
they should interact with Human Resources Department. The strategic imperatives for the
advanced HR Management are diversity in the organization and the leadership development.
Diversity is an imperative as most organizations employ a wide variety of employees with
different cultural backgrounds. Diversity management helps to introduce policies and practices
which enable smooth cooperation among employees and values all employees. Leaders are the
essential part of the success, and each organization has to prepare itself to grow. Most
organizations fail because they do not have a proper succession plan in place. The advanced HR
Organization runs succession plans and designs leadership development programs.
3.8. The future of HR Management
The future of Human Resources is backed by the advanced technology and the return of the
human approach to our management practices. The small and nimble start-up companies show
the future of HR. They do not implement robust HR processes; their approach is agile. The agile
HR is the right approach for the near future. Most upcoming trends require HR that is flexible,
and that will shape the HR Organization of tomorrow. The simplification is a trend that cannot
Human Resources ignore in the near future. Running a complex organization is expensive; the
sophisticated HR processes and procedures are expensive; the long decision-making process
makes organization uncompetitive. The company can become quick, lean and competitive if it
simplifies its processes. HR has to focus on the simplification of its complex processes.
Simplification hurts, but it is a part of the future of Human Resources Management. Moreover,
the simplification is closely linked to another future issue of Human Resources - the
globalization.
The globalization is a genuine challenge for Human Resources. The real global team is not just
about one centralized Head Quarter which sends out global policies. It is about the ability of the
company to manage the rest of the team from any place in the world. HR has to develop new
leaders who will act globally. They can operate from any place on the Earth, and they can lead
and manage global cross-cultural teams. They have to find the cost effective way to manage the
organization globally. One of the trends to build a sustainable competitive advantage are
10

innovations and the innovations management. However, most HR Organizations do not

understand how they should support changes in the organization. HR has to be able to connect
innovations with the traditional change management to design a true powerful weapon against
competitors on the market. In the future, we can expect a new era of agile HRIS solutions. Today,
we use the robust and full scope HRIS solution which fits all our requirements and needs.
However, in the near future our requirements will start to change rapidly. The new agile HRIS
solution will be simple, small, and it will support just the necessary administration of personnel
files. However, it will offer a rich connectivity to other systems around which will deliver HR
services with high frequency of changes. Times of old and complex HRIS solutions are over. The
history of Human Resources is not a finished book yet. Many new HR approaches and processes
will evolve as organizations will look for new ways how to be competitive on the market.

4. History of HRM from Bangladeshs Perspective

In the age of knowledge economy, human resource is considered as the most important resource
of the organizations and it became decisive for success of any organization (Moyeen & Huq
2001; Schuler 1990; Werther & Davis 1996). The more important aspects of human resources are
aptitude, values, attitudes and beliefs but only a few companies in Bangladesh have started
putting Human Resources Management systems in place that support this philosophy (Mahmud
and Idrish, 2011). To provide the competitive advantages to the organizations with improving the
productive contributions are the purposes of human resource management (Werther & Devis
1996). According to Budhwar and Debrah (2001), except South Korea and Taiwan, most of
developing countries circumstances of HRM are quite unimpressive. Both the countries, South
Korea and Taiwan, have excelled in industrialization. Although Taiwan lacks natural resources, it
has accelerated its economic growth by the means of effective human resources management
practices (Huang 2001).
Bangladesh is basically an agro-based country and it has been calculated that more than 50% of
the population is engaged in agriculture (Ministry of Finance, GOB 2007). In the year 1971 the
GDP rate was only 4% which came from mainly small scale industries (Ahmed & Patan 1979).
From December 1975 to till now all the governments have been emphasizing on the development
of the private sector industrial enterprises through the investment policy of 1975, and industrial
policies of 1982, 1986, 1991, 1999, and 2005. However, it is also found that the performance of
11

the private sector industrial enterprises has not also achieved ultimate success (Aowrangazab
2005; Khan & Alauddin 1995; Sikder, 1996). The public and the private sector industrial
enterprises of Bangladesh need to adopt sound human resource management practices. Beardwell
and Holden (as cited in Weeratunga 2003) opined that some countries such as Japan, Germany,
and Sweden have immensely developed themselves through emphasizing on human resources
properly. They also argued that technological advancement and organizational change have
progressively led employers to the realization that success depends on the skills and abilities of
their employees, which can only be ensured through effective human resource management
practices.
4.1. HRM practices in Bangladesh
The concern for policy and action planning guideline for human resources development in
Bangladesh stems from the recognition that the economic progress of the past several decades,
notable as it has been, has not led to the eradication of widespread poverty in the country. This is
due, in part, to the limited attention paid to human resources as a crucial means as well as the
ultimate end of development. In Bangladesh, development programs touch on virtually all
aspects of human resource development, but the integrated approach has not yet been generally
adopted. There has been a tendency to emphasize either economic-dominated or social welfaredominated strategy -- the human capital approach or the human needs approach. In several cases,
a strong commitment to social development concerns has encountered serious budget constraints
associated with disappointing performance. Where there has been a strong human capital
orientation, failure to address the critical quality-of-life issues have contributed to manpower
bottlenecks, low productivity growth and social instability (Source: The Daily Star, 2015).
Human resources development activities were recognized to be most effective in the following
types of social environment: (i) when the impulse for individual or collective self-development
received stimulation under a favorable social estimate, such as in the aftermath of the war; (ii)
when the national leadership was responsive to the majority needs; and (iii) when the interest of
various sectors converge with overall development needs. The quality of human resources in
Bangladesh remained very low despite the fact that policy and planning infrastructures existed
and certain facilities were available. That suggested the necessity for a demand-oriented human
development strategy. It was necessary to ensure that the socio-cultural constraints on human
12

resources demand, particularly among disadvantaged population groups, be removed. The

question also arose whether capabilities development should always be subject to available
employment opportunities, which tended to turn servants of employers.
HRM practices have been researched in Bangladesh from different perspectives. Rab (1991)
explored HRM practices of 24 small enterprises operating in Dhaka and he identified that in case
of recruitment, personal contact was the primary means (58%) followed by advertisement in
newspaper (21%), walk-in (13%), and company notice board (8%). On-the-job training was
observed to be the most widely used one. Most of the enterprises (87.5%) paid one or more types
of allowances in addition to salary. The roles of human resources, and infrastructure in the
industrialization process of Bangladesh were examined by Shelly (1994). He observed that
ineffective human resource management was one of the major problems faced by industrial
sector of Bangladesh. Most of the HRM practices such as HR planning, recruitment, selection,
promotion, performance appraisal, compensation, incentives, and industrial relations were not
performed properly in industries.

4.2. Recent HRM Practices in Business Sectors

HRM practices of 92 medium and large business enterprises (public and private sector) located in Dhaka,
Bangladesh was studied by Moyeen and Huq (2001). They found that only 62% of surveyed organizations
had an HR/IR department. About 96% organizations had training programs. 91% of organizations had
performance

appraisal

system

and

similar

percent

of

organizations

had

system

of rewarding the good employees. The least prevalent practice among the surveyed organizations was
employee pension plan. Islam (2003) in a study on the HRM practices of small businesses of Bangladesh
found that small businesses did not offer reasonable salaries and benefits, training and
development opportunities to their employees. The author mentioned that due to outdated HR practices,
the productivity and motivation level of the employees of small businesses of Bangladesh were very low.
A research study (Mamun & Islam 2001) examined the human resource management (HRM) practices of
the readymade garments (RMG) enterprises. The study emphasized on improving productivity of
garments workers through proper HRM practices to face challenges of globalization. They
discovered the reasons for the low productivity of laborers such as unsystematic recruitment and selection
of workers, unavailability of training facilities, inadequate financial facilities, and low motivation level of
workers. Two recent studies (Billah & Islam 2009; Billah, Prince and Islam 2009) found that HR practices
have significant association with employee turnover and organizational commitment.

13

Employees are the most important assets of an organization. In todays competitive global
business environment, hiring good professionals have become not only a difficult but an
expensive process as well. Training them about the values and skills they need to succeed,
ensuring they understand the organization's mission and strategy, and keeping them productive is
the most important priority of any management institution. Human Resource Management
involves recruiting personnel and their training, salary administration and handling union
management relations. Because of such a dynamic scope in any organization, Personnel
management or Human Resource management surfaced as a lucrative career option for those
qualified in managing the human resources for any organization. The concept of HRM is
relatively new in Bangladesh. This is only practiced in the multinational company and some
large local companies. In the governmental organizations there is no separate HRM department.
Some of the HRM practices are performed by few Governmental bodies. Therefore, though some
studies have been carried out in HRM fields, studies regarding career prospects of HR graduates
in comparison to other majors have not been done yet.
Public awareness concerning the people's participation as an aspect of human resources
development is relatively new in Bangladesh. Almost all government and non-government
agencies operating in the social development sector are currently organizing people at the
grassroots and even competing in their effort to enhance their delivery of service. This
competition is not necessarily promoting the people's welfare or self-reliance. In Bangladesh,
most of the development projects are financed through external assistance, so the role of
international support for human resources development is significant in terms of both funding
and of introduction of new ideas and strategies. Internal human resources development has
already made an important contribution to national capacity in realizing the potentials of human
resources (Kalam 2010).

5. Recommendations
Bangladesh is a developing country with significant socioeconomic development opportunities.
To maximize the outcome from those opportunities, business organizations need to attract, retain
and manage their human resources effectively by managing their expectations effectively.
Studying HRM practices in Bangladesh and how cultural and contextual issues affect them can
benefit MNCs in two different ways. First, it will help to identify and understand the impact of
14

these contextual factors on the Bangladeshi workforce. At the same time, the study may also
enable the MNCs HR managers to find out which HR practices lead to better individual as well
as firm performance in the Bangladeshi context. This will help the MNC top management in
implementing management practices in other South Asian countries with a similar cultural
orientation. Hofstedes (1980) study did not include Bangladesh; however, two significant
neighbors, India and Pakistan, were included. Despite some differences, Bangladeshi culture is
quite similar to Indian and Pakistani culture due to historical and religious bindings amongst the
people of these three countries.
The main objective of this report is to complete the course requirements but there are some other
objectives too. First, to identify the source of HRM from where is has been started its journey.
Second, the report findings would help the public and the private sector industrial enterprises of
Bangladesh in realizing the status of their HRM practices. The report findings would be also
useful for the academicians, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in recognizing HRM
practices in a developing country context such as Bangladesh. The study highlighted the
following specific objectives:

Tracing the overall status of adoption of new HRM practices in the public sector industrial
enterprises of Bangladesh
Tracing the overall status of adoption of new HRM practices in the private sector industrial
enterprises of Bangladesh.
Exploring the difference between public and private sector industrial enterprises of
Bangladesh with respect to overall status of adoption of new HRM practices.

15

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Mohammed Abul Kalam, PhD, is Principal Scientific Officer and Head, Department of Medical
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