C/M/177. A critical assessment of people management practices at the beginning of the 21st Century.

There is much debate concerning the need for a new approach to the management of people in order to reflect the way in which organisations are evolving at the start of the 21st century. This paper addresses the degree to which people management practices in organisations have evolved as we enter the 21st century, and the need for new approaches to managing people. This includes a discussion of Human Resource Management philosophy and practices, incorporating a critical discussion of the issues raised. The essay also focuses on the personal experiences of the writer whilst working at British Telecom PLC. A number of issues are raised with respect to how increased levels of globalisation and competition coupled with new technologies will change the way people work. The paper also considers the growth of the 'knowledge economy' and the management of 'knowledge workers'.