Editorial : the changing local labour market and the changing HR professional

Abstract

It is never too easy to write up (yet) another book on the topic of Human Resource Management (HRM) and expect to make a significant readership impact, especially when there is so much literature around. A cursory look at Google Scholar lists around six million record hits on the topic. The Web of Science lists approximately 24,000 sources, excluding conference proceedings, over a period of 24 years. That is indeed a massive literature database. Also varied are the topics discussed and linked to HRM, which makes it even more cumbersome to write about; but also renders it such a widely varied and exciting subject. Armstrong and Taylor (2014), for example, list a number of important topics that are organised in eight sections in their landmark book; these represent perspectives emergent from the disciplines of psychology, geopolitics, macro-economics, ethics, education, industrial relations, strategy and policy. This makes it difficult for anyone to claim a tight grip or monopoly on the topic and confirms that HRM is multi-disciplinary in nature.