Managing People: Accomplishing More with Less Effort

Abstract

People management is the management of Human Resources in the organisations. The purpose of HRM is fundamentally to maximise the output of the organisation by augmenting the effectiveness of its employees. Employees are an essential factor of achieving competitive advantage in organisations. Advancement in technology has left a paltry room to maneuver in the quest to differentiate products or services hence the focus on people based strategies. A number of studies have attempted to address a question of people management as a vital tool to accomplishing more with less effort.  Nevertheless, most studies tended to be skewed towards specific areas leaving out a wealth of aspects critical to the subject. Accordingly, this study attempted to address the topic of people management using the 5W and 1H as an all-encompassing approach to achieving more with less effort in people management. This study is aimed at ascertaining essential elements in people management to achieve, augment and sustain employee output with less effort.A narrative review of literature was used in this study to get insights of the subject under investigation. A narrative review was used to fully explain concepts related to the subject and how they augment with the current study. A total of 38 journal articles on people management were reviewed, particularly from Elsevier, Science Direct and JSTOR.The study revealed that people management focus at all levels of HR in organisations. Behaviours, values, norms and habits should resonate with the organisation’s goals. Formal structural set up in organisations facilitated good leadership practices, for continuous and timely management of behaviours, habits, aptitudes and team effort. Further, the implementation of management systems, processes and principles which if intertwined with a suitable strategy enhance efficiency output and competitive advantage of the organisation.The study concludes that a sustained blend of appropriate human resource processes, strategies and leadership styles sprout a culture that differentiate the organisation’s competitive advantage for efficient output and ultimate success. The study set ground for further probe of some elements revealed.

Keywords: Managing People, Human Resource Management, 5Ws and 1H, Leadership Styles, Competitive Advantage, Management Systems, Decision Making

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-14-01

Publication date:July 31^st 2022