Human resource management (HRM) is primarily concerned with the management of people within organizations, with a focus on policies and systems. Human Resources (HR) departments are responsible for overseeing employee benefits design, employee recruitment, training and development, performance appraisal, and reward management, such as managing pay and benefit systems.
This guide is best used as a starting place to help you find information on HRM in general. We'll connect you with a variety of information sources, including books, scholarly/research articles, news, articles, data and more that explore the many and varied aspects of human resource management.
Explore the other pages on this guide for resources specific to major topics within HRM.
Books and other resources such as videos or reports can be a very valuable resource in the research process; they are especially useful when you are looking for:
Brings together leading international scholars to address the fundamentals of applied human resource management; offers a critical overview with discussion of key debates and research.
Maps out the ideological evolution of HRM research and practices, with a particular focus on our contemporary era of multinational corporations. From the series, "Critical Management Studies."
An overview on different aspects of human resource management in 15 lessons, explained by experts in the field.
Focuses on theories and trends; legal and ethical issues; how to build HRM from recruitment, management, labor relations, to training and appraisal; as well as topics in diversity, technology, and paid versus volunteer workforce management.
Focuses on motivating, attracting and retaining global talent; includes cultural and institutional factors influencing multinationals' operation in the global marketplace. Based on qualitative and quantitative research approaches.
In addition to covering the functional areas within human resource management, this textbook discusses HRM topics not typically found in other books, focusing on modern techniques and practices.
Views innovation of HRM from two ends of one continuum, with HR practices and polices designed to support innovation at one end, and the application of new structures and new channels for delivery of the HR practices at the other.
Results from the Center for Effective Organizations' (CEO's) sixth study of the human resources (HR) function in large corporations.
Search Tips:
Use search words and phrases that describe more general topics or categories, rather than very specific ones. Try to discover the subject terms used within the database; here are some examples:
During the research process, we most often find ourselves looking for journal articles, as well as articles from other similar types of publications (aka "periodicals"). The value of journal and other articles lies in their specificity and their currency - they often explore the latest developments on a very small segment of a topic, and are best:
For more on the different types of periodicals and their value, see:
These are some of the top-ranked journals focusing on human resource management in general:
To find more journals on human resource management, search or browse the
We recommend starting with Find It, a general search service that covers a wide range of disciplines and provides access to most of the resources that the library offers.
In addition to using the Find It search, the following research databases are focused on business topics or related disciplines:
BC Stats is the central statistical agency of the Province of British Columbia with a BC focus on demographics and socio-economic conditions.
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Associations and other organizations often provide news, statistics, research, and other resources related to the focus of the organization. While some resources may be limited to members only, they often make some information available openly.