CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Study

Global Human Resource Management is an important new series that examines human resources in its global context Lakshmi Pradha, (2021). Human beings are social beings and hardly in isolation. We always plan, develop and manage our relations both consciously and unconsciously. This relation is the outcome of our actions and depend on a great extend upon our ability to manage these actions. From childhood, each and every individual acquire knowledge and experience in understanding others and how to heave in every situation in life. Later on, we carry forward this learning and understanding in managing relations at our work place. Hertog (2010) and Levy (2007) has identified the role of the global human resource manager as the strategic business partner who understands and mutually supports the different areas  of the business with a proactive  attitude  to the  issues  and changes  within  the organization. The whole context of Human Resource Management revolves around the core matter of relations at work place.

Since mid-1980s, Human Resource Management has gained acceptance in both academic and commercial circle. Human Resource Management is a multidisciplinary organizational function that draws theories and ideas from various fields such as management, psychology, sociology and economics. There is no best way to manage people and no manager has formulated how people can be managed effectively because people are complex beings with complex needs. Effective Human Resource Management depends very much on the causes and conditions that an organisational setting would provide. Any organisation has three basic components namely; people, purpose and structure. The first world war accelerated change in the development of personnel management with women being recruited in large numbers to fill the gaps left by men going to fight which in turn meant reaching agreements with trade unions (often after bitter disputes) about “delusion” accepting unskilled women in to craft men jobs and changing mining levels.

The second world war brought about welfare and personnel work on a full time basis at all establishment producing raw materials because an expanded ministry of labour and national service insisted on it just as the government has insisted on welfare workers in munitions factories in the previous conflicts. By 1945, employment management and welfare work as had become integrated under the broad term “personnel management”. In the 1960s and 70s employment started to developed significantly at the same time, personnel techniques developed using theories from the social science about motivation and organization behaviour. Selection, testing became more widely used and management training expanded (Amstrong 2010).

In Europe, the subject of human resource management (HRM) and its development has been much contested in the literature. Most of the relevant theories originated in the United States of America. There is in the literature no distinctly ‘European’ approach to HRM and, indeed, our knowledge of comparative HRM practices in different European states is limited. This paper draws on a major new research project which has gathered data from ten European countries to argue that practices in these countries can be categorized, inter alia, by the degree of integration of HRM into business strategy and the degree of devolvement to line managers. Using these two dimensions gives a quite distinct picture of differences in HRM practices in the ten European countries. These differences are analysed and the validity of the model is discussed. Such a categorization raises the need to consider different conceptual approaches to HRM (Holt Larsen, et al. (1992).

In USA, Human resource management is a complex economic endeavor that requires planning, managing, and acting in an efficient manner. The global HR market is estimated to be worth $3 trillion and the opportunities are limitless. According to Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell, (2023), Human Resource Management is the process of managing people and their relations with others. It is a major component of management which deals with all aspects of people in organizations, their working conditions, benefits and compensation, job satisfaction, and employee retention. Human resource management is the administrative process of planning, organizing and allocating human resources to meet organizational objectives, mainly in the form of manpower. HR managers are primarily responsible for guiding, directing and motivating employees to achieve their full potential.

In Africa, the company with the access most to capital or the latest technology had the best competitive advantage. Today, companies that offer products with the highest quality are the ones with the leg up in the competition. But the only thing that will uphold the company’s advantage tomorrow is the caliber of people in the organisation. That predicted future is today’s reality. Most managers in public and private sector firms of all sizes will agree that people truly are the organisations important assets. Having competent staff on the payroll does not guarantee that a firm’s human resources will be a source of competitive advantage. However, in order to remain competitive, to grow and diversify, an organisation must ensure that its employees are qualified, placed in appropriate positions, properly trained, managed effectively and committed to the firm’s success. (Armstrong 2010). The history of personnel management begins around the end of the 19^th century when welfare officers (sometimes called welfare secretaries) came into being, they were women and concerned only with the protection of women and girls. Their creation was a reaction to the harshness of industrial conditions coupled with pressure arising from the extension of the franchise.  The influence of trade unions and the labour movements and the campaigning of the enlightened employees often quackers for what was called “industrial betterment”. As the role grew, there was some tension between the aim of moral protection of women and children and the need for higher output (Bekke 1966).

Human resource management in Cameroon has been evolving positively over the last three decades. A brief analysis of human resource management in the private sector reveals the type of assistance the Cameroon government has given to small and medium sized enterprises, so that they could expand and provide employment for Cameroonians. Next, the author looks at the situation in the public sector. It appears that the public service, which employs about 54,000 workers, has shown very little or no interest in the efficient management of human resources. This is evidenced by a number of factors: the lack of orientation exercises for new personnel and of training for employees; failing personnel policies with respect to training; the lack of research and consultancy with respect to training; the lack of opportunities for career development; incompetence of staff of personnel offices and a failing, out-of-date system of recordkeeping; wrong objectives with respect to performance evaluation of employees; the lack of established procedures for promotion and of incentives motivating employees; the fact that the need for centralization of the administration has not yet been met; the lack of interdepartmental and interministerial communication. Besides criticizing this situation, the author also gives recommendations for improvement. In conclusion, she uses the example of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) to show that some parastatals are becoming aware of the significance of a skilful use of human resources (Ndongko, Theresa M, 2023).

1.2 Statement of the Research Problem

It is important to really understand the system in which the staff works. Today, workers of the enterprise are no more passive like in the past. The dynamics generated by the organization, creation of station, change of recruitment strategy and competition to the stations pushed the staff to be more attentive to everything that happens at the level of the enterprise. Though pricing is important, there may be other valid reasons why people select and stay with a particular organization. BAPCCUL must try to distinguish themselves by creating their own images, especially in transparent situations with a high level of competitiveness.

In coming times, the very survival of credit unions would depend on customer satisfaction. Those who do not meet with customer satisfaction will find survival difficult. Credit unions must articulate and emphasis on the core values to attract and retain certain customer segments. Values such as sound, reliable, innovative, close, socially responsible, Cameroonian, etc need to be emphasized through concrete actions on the ground and it will be the credit union’s human resource that will deliver these values. It is about time Bamenda Police Cooperative Credit Union saw the role and impact of human resource management on performance and work towards properly managing their man power. It is in the phase of this existing state that the researcher seeks to establish the role on human resource management on organizational performance and how Bamenda Police Cooperative Credit Union can through appropriate human resource management practices improve performance. In many organisations in general and in Bamenda Police Cooperative Credit Union (BAPCCUL) in particular, the sufficiency of human resource management tools such as motivation, training and development, health safety, apprising and compensating employees, labour relation planning, staffing practices, incentive practices, and fairness concerns shows the sufficiency of human resource management.

Due to the emergence of globalisation, any organisations have increased in size and in performance towards achieving their objectives and goals. But however, any organisations still find themselves embracing crisis which has led to their collapse due to poor management of its personnel. It is therefore important to know the role of human resource management as a gateway to success in an organization. In an organization is good, the organization performs well because it is a strategic post in an organization. How does the human resource manage succeed in in increasing productivity in the Bamenda Police Cooperative Credit Union (BAPCCUL)? All those questions have motivated the researcher to find out the role of human resource management on organizational performance in Bamenda Police Cooperative Credit Union BAPCCUL. To carry out this research, the researcher came out with some objectives which will enable her to carry out this research.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

What is the role of HRM on the performance of Bamenda Police Corporative Credit Union (BAPCCUL)?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. a) What is the role of Training and Development programs on the performance of BAPCCUL?
2. b) What is the role of Recruitment and Selection on the performance of BAPCCUL?
3. c) What is the role of Compensation (Pay) and rewards on the performance of BAPCCUL?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

1.4.1 Main objective

To assess the role of human resource management on the performance of Bamenda Police Corporative Credit Union (BAPCCUL)

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

1. a) To find out the role of Training and Development programs on the performance of BAPCCUL.
2. b) To investigate the role of Recruitment and Selection on organizational performance,
3. c) To investigate the role of Compensation (Pay) and rewards on the performance of BAPCCUL