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Pitfalls on the road to measurement: The dangerous liaison of human resources with the ideas of accounting and finance
Author(s) -
Pfeffer Jeffrey
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
human resource management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.888
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-050X
pISSN - 0090-4848
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-050x(199723)36:3<357::aid-hrm7>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , portfolio , process (computing) , human resources , function (biology) , accounting , politics , business , economics , finance , computer science , political science , management , law , artificial intelligence , evolutionary biology , biology , operating system
This article discusses the numerous pitfalls and measurement biases that need to be considered in building effective measurement systems to assess human resources. It presents arguments that there is little convincing evidence that existing measurement practices do very well in dealing with these issues and much to suggest they do not. One further issue is raised which potentially dwarfs the other concerns: the politics of the measurement process and its likely effect on the human resource function. An alternative perspective is also offered to that traditionally advanced by, for example, finance, which sees the firm as a portfolio of assets to be bought and sold. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.