All categories - 1 February 2007

Modern analysis emphasizes that human beings are not "commodities"" or "resources", but are creative and social beings that make contributions beyond 'labor' to a society and to civilization. The broad term human capital has evolved to contain some of this complexity, and in micro-economics the term "firm-specific human capital" has come to represent a meaning of the term "human resources."

Advocating the central role of "human resources" or human capital in enterprises and societies has been a traditional role of socialist parties, who claim that value is primarily created by their activity, and accordingly justify a larger claim of profits or relief from these enterprises or societies. Critics say this is just a bargaining tactic which grew out of various practices of medieval European guilds into the modern trade union and collective bargaining unit.

A contrary view, common to capitalist parties, is that it is the infrastructural capital and (what they call) intellectual capital owned and fused by "management" that provides most value in financial capital terms. This likewise justifies a bargaining position and a general view that "human resources" are interchangeable.

A significant sign of consensus on this latter point is the ISO 9000 series of standards which requires a "job description" of every participant in a productive enterprise. In general, heavily unionized nations such as France and Germany have adopted and encouraged such descriptions especially within trade unions. One view of this trend is that a strong social consensus on political economy and a good social welfare system facilitates labor mobility and tends to make the entire economy more productive, as labor can move from one enterprise to another with little controversy or difficulty in adapting.

An important controversy regarding labor mobility illustrates the broader philosophical issue with usage of the phrase "human resources": governments of developing nations often regard developed nations that encourage immigration or "guest workers" as appropriating human capital that is rightfully part of the developing nation and required to further its growth as a civilization. They argue that this appropriation is similar to colonial commodity fiat wherein a colonizing European power would define an arbitrary price for natural resources, extracting which diminished national natural capital.

The debate regarding "human resources" versus human capital thus in many ways echoes the debate regarding natural resources versus natural capital. Over time the United Nations have come to more generally support the developing nations' point of view, and have requested significant offsetting "foreign aid" contributions so that a developing nation losing human capital does not lose the capacity to continue to train new people in trades, professions, and the arts.

An extreme version of this view is that historical inequities such as African slavery must be compensated by current developed nations, which benefitted from stolen "human resources" as they were developing. This is an extremely controversial view, but it echoes the general theme of converting human capital to "human resources" and thus greatly diminishing its value to the host society, i.e. "Africa", as it is put to narrow imitative use as "labor" in the using society.

In the very narrow context of corporate "human resources", there is a contrasting pull to reflect and require workplace diversity that echoes the diversity of a global customer base. Foreign language and culture skills, ingenuity, humor, and careful listening, are examples of traits that such programs typically require. It would appear that these evidence a general shift to the human capital point of view, and an acknowledgement that human beings do contribute much more to a productive enterprise than "work": they bring their character, their ethics, their creativity, their social connections, and in some cases even their pets and children, and alter the character of a workplace. The term corporate culture is used to characterize such processes.

The traditional but extremely narrow context of hiring, firing, and job description is considered a 20th century anachronism. Most corporate organizations that compete in the modern global economy have adopted a view of human capital that mirrors the modern consensus as above. Some of these, in turn, deprecate the term "human resources" as useless.

As the term refers to predictable exploitations of human capital in one context or another, it can still be said to apply to manual labor, mass agriculture, low skill "McJobs" in service industries, military and other work that has clear job descriptions, and which generally do not encourage creative or social contributions.

In general the abstractions of macro-economics treat it this way - as it characterizes no mechanisms to represent choice or ingenuity. So one interpretation is that "firm-specific human capital" as defined in macro-economics is the modern and correct definition of "human resources" - and that this is inadequate to represent the contributions of "human resources" in any modern theory of political economy.

2007-02-01 01:39:54 · 1 answers · asked by chosen2703 1 in Economics

medical transcriptionist
Surgical Technologist
Insurance clerk

also if you had to choose between these three which would you choose and why????

2007-02-01 01:39:51 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Polls & Surveys

2007-02-01 01:39:49 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Polls & Surveys

If he does, at least will be easy to get on/off. They're nice when we carry him in the back park, softer shoe to kick us with :)

2007-02-01 01:39:47 · 8 answers · asked by lillilou 7 in Toddler & Preschooler

2007-02-01 01:39:47 · 3 answers · asked by vidu 1 in India

What does it mean? Is it a fictional character like "Lil Miss Muppet" or "the old woman who lived in the shoe"?
Help?

2007-02-01 01:39:44 · 5 answers · asked by Topcat 1 in Mythology & Folklore

I would like to know how to get him to do romantic stuff like he used to without me asking. He's so into his friends, I feel neglected most of the time.

2007-02-01 01:39:44 · 6 answers · asked by Alyssia K 1 in Singles & Dating

I have a Mitsubishi Galant GTZ, the leather on my dashboard started peeling off, and I wanted to know what kind of glue I needed to use to fix it???

2007-02-01 01:39:42 · 1 answers · asked by Nonoss 2 in Maintenance & Repairs

My 6 y old daughter lost her 1st two baby teeth AND the new teeth that grew in place are VERY CROOKED!,Do you know at what age she can get braces? Doesn't she have to loose the rest of her baby teeth first?

2007-02-01 01:39:41 · 14 answers · asked by ~*meli$sa*~ 4 in Grade-Schooler

Peace and Love

2007-02-01 01:39:39 · 2 answers · asked by digilook 2 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-02-01 01:39:37 · 19 answers · asked by B-Rabbit 5 in Movies

My wife and son would love a kitten, I am looking for Bengal Kittens, but cannot afford to spend what breeders want $600 and up. Does anyone know where I can get a kitten for less, I assure you it will have a great home

2007-02-01 01:39:37 · 6 answers · asked by eldorado21 1 in Cats

i have tried every thing litter box, paper, puppy pads, etc.
can any one tell me how to train this puppy??

2007-02-01 01:39:31 · 5 answers · asked by mother of 7! 3 in Dogs

2007-02-01 01:39:24 · 8 answers · asked by pop 3 in Other - Society & Culture

and which is better for you? I just see alot of cooking shows like Everday Italian where Giada cooks alot with olive oil, and just wondered which is better and why.

2007-02-01 01:39:19 · 17 answers · asked by sweetme35 5 in Cooking & Recipes

I am only 14 and in high school I have never had a girlfriend. I have only talked to her a few times before. I really like her and she knows that but how can I tell if she likes me back. I need some help with body signs or something PLEASE help me. Please tell me a few things to help me and also if she does what should I do about it.

2007-02-01 01:39:14 · 5 answers · asked by The_Info_Ninja 2 in Singles & Dating

2007-02-01 01:39:06 · 31 answers · asked by pink_laura_21 1 in Friends

Does anybody have any suggestion on what sounds to use as white noise for my 11 month old? I'm trying something new to get him to sleep through the night (he still doesn't). I'm downloading them & I have rain drops on a rooftop & waves crashing on the beach. Any others that will calm him?

2007-02-01 01:39:01 · 15 answers · asked by starlightstarbright 3 in Newborn & Baby

2007-02-01 01:38:55 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous in Other - Health

I want to make some good deals out of my trip

2007-02-01 01:38:53 · 7 answers · asked by st 1 in Other - Africa & Middle East

2007-02-01 01:38:53 · 12 answers · asked by maskmanmikep@verizon.net 1 in Comics & Animation

I just got my ipod case but it smells like a combination of new car smell and permanent marker. I don't want it to make my ipod to smell like that, how can i get the smell out? Thanks for the help.

2007-02-01 01:38:49 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cleaning & Laundry

When reading people's replies, do you only rate the answers you agree with as a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down"? And do you even stop to think for a minute on what the person has said, or just rate the answer because you won't be swayed in what you have grown up believing in all your life, not giving them a chance by taking time out and seeing things from a different perspective?

2007-02-01 01:38:44 · 13 answers · asked by Lief Tanner 5 in Religion & Spirituality

so i am 25 my fiance 35 we have 4 kids 2 dogs and 1 cat both work full time and almost always have one kid inbetween us at night i always want sex him sometimes i like it wild rough and crazy him not so much.. so what can i do or not do to get him a little more excited in bed when we get the chance, ive offered other women with us he sd no i would get too jealous afterwards i dont know what to do please help!!!

2007-02-01 01:38:36 · 21 answers · asked by angela C 2 in Marriage & Divorce

2007-02-01 01:38:33 · 5 answers · asked by New football fan 1 in Family

avoid ? seems to me cant handle the truth

2007-02-01 01:38:32 · 3 answers · asked by shitsueu 1 in Other - Society & Culture

......Or are you sat at work bored like me? lol.

Ifso what would you rather be doing?

2007-02-01 01:38:24 · 14 answers · asked by Chuckles! 1 in Other - Society & Culture

2007-02-01 01:38:16 · 11 answers · asked by damon h 1 in Women's Health

When I first heard about the Boston scare, and Adult Swim's 'Aqua Teen' cartoon, I was annoyed that Adult Swim didn't make the necessary arrangements to place the ads. I'm still not sure if I want to go see the movie, and I'm a fan.

But after reading CNN.com, I am absolutely disgusted with the Attorney General's comments. She said, and I quote: "It had a very sinister appearance... It had a battery behind it, and wires."

A BATTERY?? WIRES?? What were the batteries connected to by wire? A bunch of LEDS?? This is how she categorizes a clear and present danger... batteries and wires? What if I lose my cell phone in Boston? Will I be suspect of criminal activity? What about a radio, or a wrist watch, what???

I think the government's response was despicably ignorant. The ads were tolerated by a dozen of other cities. I may be treading a slippery slope, but it sounds like Al Qaeda could bleed our economy dry by dropping components bought from the local Radio Shack.

2007-02-01 01:38:15 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Media & Journalism