Effective Human Resource Management is a key to continuous development of an organization: DAE as an example

 

Human resource management (HRM or HR) is the strategic and coherent approach to the effective and efficient management of people in a company or organization such that they help their business gain a competitive advantage. It is designed to maximize employee performance in service of an employer's strategic objectives. Human resource management is primarily concerned with the management of people within organizations, focusing on policies and systems.HR departments are responsible for overseeing employee-benefits design, employee recruitment, training and development, performance appraisal, and reward management, such as managing pay and employee-benefits systems.HR also concerns itself with organizational change and industrial relations, or the balancing of organizational practices with requirements arising from collective bargaining and governmental laws.

5 main areas of Human Resources

Human Resources manages 5 main duties: talent management, compensation and employee benefits, training and development, compliance, and workplace safety.

Human Resources important in business

Having a fully functional human resources department is important in business because it promotes overall employee satisfaction and loyalty. This leads to less conflict, better performance and longer retention, which saves companies time and money. Also, the HR department performs research to ensure competitive wages and develops cost-effective ways to negotiate better rates for employee benefits.

Purpose of Human Resources (HR)

The overall purpose of human resources (HR) is to ensure that the organization can achieve success through people. HR professionals manage the human capital of an organization and focus on implementing policies and processes. They can specialize in finding, recruiting, selecting, training, and developing employees, as well as maintaining employee relations or benefits. Training and development professionals ensure that employees are trained and have continuous development. This is done through training programs, performance evaluations, and reward programs. Employee relations deals with the concerns of employees when policies are broken, such as in cases involving harassment or discrimination. Managing employee benefits includes developing compensation structures, parental leave programs, discounts, and other benefits for employees. On the other side of the field are HR generalists or business partners. These HR professionals could work in all areas or be labor relations representatives working with unionized employees.

Agricultural extension help farmers

The role of agricultural extension is to help farmers make efficient, productive and sustainable use of their land and other agricultural resources, through the provision of information, advice education and training.

 Role of Agricultural Extension in Agricultural Development

 

An agricultural extension service offers technical advice on agriculture to farmers, and also supplies them with the necessary inputs and services to support their agricultural production. It provides information to farmers and passes to the farmers' new ideas developed by agricultural research stations.

 Objective of agricultural extension

Agricultural extension is aimed primarily at improving the knowledge of farmers for rural development; as such, it has been recognized as a critical component of technology transfer.

 

Extension work activities help you to contribute to the society

In society, extension work helps in increasing productivity, enhancing skills and abilities, focusing on growth, and helping people to work on their future development.

Macro-factors

Agro-ecological

Because the natural environment strongly influences extension planning and operations, the extension should respond to the technological needs of farmers in different agroecological zones. The variation represented by agroecological zones in a given country can be substantial. Differences in temperatures, rainfall, soil types, evapotranspiration, and so forth are reflected in the diversity of farming conditions and production systems found.

Extension planners face some difficult choices because of the need to respond to the diverse technology and information needs of farmers from many different zones and, at the same time, to satisfy a requirement for extensive countrywide coverage of the rural population. For example, extension resource investments can be determined by farmer population concentrations, the potential productivity of selected agroecological zones, or a combination of both.

Political-Economic

The political and economic environment affects extension in many ways. One of the most significant factors is a country's stage of economic development. Another is the level of government investment in public sector extension. This is influenced by the presence or absence of a structural adjustment programme, the degree of economic dependence on agriculture, and the proportion of the population economically active in agriculture as opposed to industry. The percentage of resource-poor smallholder farmers influences the type of technology to be transferred, particularly if government is concerned with the equitable coverage of all categories of farmers.

Socio-cultural

In many countries, socio-cultural factors are leading constraints to the effectiveness of extension. Language differences and illiteracy can impede the communication of improved technology unless they are taken into account. The division of labor between the sexes can differ along cultural lines and influence the nature of farming systems in different regions. In many countries, the men are employed off-farm, leaving the farm operations to women. In extension organizations, under-representation of women on the extension force means that the production responsibilities and needs of women at the farm level may not be adequately addressed.

Policy

The policy component of an agricultural technology system can enable or limit extension in ways beyond the reach of extension managers. The principal areas of influence are price signals to farmers and decisions by the government that affect public agricultural development organizations.

Agricultural Development. Policy-making bodies of government set development goals and objectives such as achieving food security or surplus agricultural production to stimulate economic growth, or providing health care and education for rural development. It is the task of government extension organizations to help meet these goals by formulating subordinate objectives and strategies to achieve them.

Market Intervention. Governments set policies on consumer and producer commodity prices, subsidies for inputs, credit availability, import substitution, export earnings, food self-sufficiency, and natural resource management. These send direct and indirect price signals to farmers and influence their production decisions. High fertilizer prices, for example, cause farmers to use less of this input. Extension organizations should be aware of market signals to ensure that they are recommending technologies that meet farmers' current needs. They also require feedback from farmers to ensure the continued relevance of their activities.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure, particularly the condition of transport, communication, and market facilities, affects both farmers and extension. The capacity to move people, inputs, and produce and send and receive information influences extension activities and capacity. The market infrastructure itself can be lacking or inadequate.

Transportation. There may be many areas that cannot be reached by road, or transport vehicles may be in short supply. In either case, farmers under these conditions are difficult to reach with improved technology, and they will have problems transporting inputs and farm produce. For example, input supply outlets can be far apart, and excessive transport distances can make it difficult or impossible for traditional farmers to adopt improved technology.

Communications. Communication infrastructure can impose additional constraints on extension organizations. Farmer access to mass media such as publications, radios, or television may be limited, thus reducing the options available to extension for communicating its messages. At the same time, the extension itself may have little or no access to telephone and radio services for long-range communications. This can severely hamper its ability to organize and carry out field operations.

 Institutional factors

Public agricultural extension organizations in most countries have the task of providing a two-way flow of improved technology and information between research and users, primarily farmers. They operate in an institutional environment that includes other public and private organizations active in agriculture. In particular, those other actors involved in generating and transferring agricultural technology must be examined and understood to improve the extension's effectiveness and efficiency.

Research

Agricultural research organizations are the extension's closest institutional partners in technology generation and transfer. While these functions are also undertaken by private organizations, public sector organizations have the task of generating technology relevant to all categories of producers and agroecological zones. The way research is structured and organized, and the planning and management of research-extension linkages can limit or enhance the extension's effectiveness.

Agricultural research organizations in developing countries confront many problems (Idachaba, 1987; Oram & Bindlish, 1984). These include a lack of financial resources, acute shortages of well-trained scientists, lack of farmer feedback to ensure the relevance of research results, lack of access to external sources of knowledge, inadequate research facilities and equipment, low staff morale, and inadequate operating budgets, staff incentives, and remuneration. Few of these can be addressed by extension managers, but they can impede the generation of technology, resulting in fewer research outputs for an extension to transfer. An understanding of the research's problems is an important step in planning extension activities and coordinating them with research.

Education and Training

Educational organizations that train extensionists are important elements in the institutional context for the extension. The work of universities and training institutes in particular has a significant impact on extension organizations. The content of their curricula as well as the numbers and qualifications of their graduates are limiting or enabling factors in any country. In many cases, communication between extension and education organizations is poor. As a result, extension commonly has staffing problems. It is not unusual for extension organizations to have posts that are either vacant or filled by underqualified personnel.

The situation can be improved by establishing staffing and training plans. The staffing plan inventories current human resources, identifies staffing gaps, and projects staffing needs over a specified time. The training plan identifies specific types of training (in-service and formal) required to fill skill gaps in human resources and to cover staffing needs for planned operations. The additional step of coordinating training needs with the educational organizations is needed.

Input Supply

Farmers need inputs to increase production, but access to these is often poor in less developed countries. While inadequate transport and marketing infrastructure are often at the root of the problem, certain aspects can be addressed by extension.

Genetic Technology. Among the major outputs of the technology generation subsystem is improved genetic material. New plant and animal varieties with higher yields or resistance to pests or diseases become available. However, farmers need to know when the variety is released, how it performs under farm conditions, and where to obtain seed or breeding material. The extension is responsible for disseminating this information through appropriate mass media and contact methods. But a common constraint on the flow of technology is the availability of genetic material. In some countries, extension is also involved in the multiplication and distribution of seeds. Establishing effective linkages with others involved in the process can also help ensure that genetic material is available for farmers.

Agrochemicals and Other Inputs. The performance of new varieties is often improved by, or even dependent on, the availability of agrochemical and other inputs at the farm level. Recommendations for fertilizer types and amounts suited to local soil conditions, for animal feed mixtures and practices, and the control of plant and animal pests and diseases constitute an indispensable part of extension messages. Lack of access to this information and materials prevents yield maximization, so extension organizations need to ensure that farmers are informed on availability and use. If access is limited because of external factors, the extension should plan its campaigns accordingly, with attention given to low-input recommendations.

Private companies and nonprofit organizations also provide advice to farmers on agrochemical and other input use. Extension organizations need to develop communication and coordination linkages with these actors because excessive use of agrochemicals can harm human health and the environment. Conservative recommendations and alternative approaches, such as integrated pest management, are in the interests of the public and can be promoted by extension through its farmer contacts and other linkages.

Credit

Access to credit is one way to improve farmer access to new production technology and increase productivity. Farmers' ability to purchase inputs such as improved seed and fertilizer is particularly important. If appropriate technology is available but not being used by farmers, then the way credit is handled by the government may be part of the problem.

Understanding the credit context - government and bank policies, availability of credit, and the institutional relationships involved in its delivery - is important for extension. At a minimum, the existing credit situation should be examined so that factors affecting the adoption and use of technology can be identified. These include inequitable access to credit, insufficient amounts of it, and overlap of transfer activities due to credit institution involvement in extension work. The knowledge is useful for extension managers in targeting farmers and in coordinating extension objectives with credit institutions.

 Farmer Organizations and Other NGOs

There is a growing involvement of the private sector, both nonprofit and commercial organizations, in agricultural research and extension. While such organizations may have limited research objectives and restricted regional coverage targets, they are partners in technology generation and transfer. Private corporations such as seed and agrochemical companies play a key role in developing some types of technology, providing inputs, and advising farmers on their use. Ideally, the extension should reach agreements with these actors so that duplication of effort is minimized and conflicting messages to farmers are avoided. At a minimum, their activities should be noted and an attempt made by extension to catalog and use their successful methods and outputs.

Farmer organizations, particularly grass-roots organizations, are part of the utilization component. They offer an effective channel for extension contact with large numbers of farmers, as well as opportunities for participatory interaction with extension organizations. Feedback on farmer needs, production problems, and the results of adoption from such groups will be increasingly important considerations.

 Contemporary issues on HR management

In today's society, being environmentally responsible is more important than ever before. Numerous companies are attempting to include it in their products, but more recently, they are also attempting to incorporate it into the corporate management system. Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) is that initiative. The main definition of "Green HRM" is the contribution of HRM practices and policies to the company's overall environmental goal. It means utilizing each employee to support sustainable methods and raising employee commitment and awareness of the sustainability challenges. Short timeframes are met by carrying out GHRM activities such as using video recruitment or using online and video interviewing. It involves the implementation of eco-friendly HR practices that boost productivity, reduce spending, and enhance employee engagement and retention. Some of these projects include recycling, telecommuting, web-based learning, energy-efficient offices, vehicle and job-sharing, teleconferencing, and virtual interviewing. In consequence, they benefit businesses by lowering the carbon footprints of their workforce. Most Bangladeshi banks have already either completely or partially embraced the green notion, despite the fact that Bangladesh is still new to this green concept. The Bangladesh Bank, which regulates all banks, has put in place green workplace policies and encouraged both public and private banks to go green in their activities. Almost all businesses attempted to develop green policies during Covid-19, whether voluntarily or as a result of the circumstances, which is a feasible plan for us. Implementing GHRM will benefit the organization and its employees, and HR should actively make strategies for this. Another take in the corporate world is the Halal HRM which is widely known as IHRM or Islamic Human Resource Management in understanding Islamic Sharia regarding how to treat people in a company is necessary in order to comprehend human resource management from an Islamic perspective. According to Holy Qur'an, "We promote some of them to higher levels than others, so that some may order duty from others." [43:32] (Adapted from Hilali). This verse from Surah Al-Zakahraf briefly explains why Allah elevated some individuals above others in order to be able to work with them. This Ayat embodies the entire ethos and knowledge of contemporary management. Understanding Islamic Sharia regarding how to treat people in a business is necessary to comprehend human resource management from an HR Islamic perspective. They work with us; hence it is our organization's duty to treat them with respect as human beings. We must also identify certain Islamic moral precepts that are relevant to HRM practices and policy. Islamic HRM practices such as recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, training and development, and compensation are concerned with Islamic principles. In Islam, the hiring process should be transparent and honest, free from the typical elements of corruption, collusion, and nepotism. Islam advises candidates to only submit applications from sincere and qualified individuals. While listing the qualities, the manager should look for in religious candidates, such as prayer, zakat, and other Islamic principles. Every step of the hiring process has to be transparent and fair to all candidates. According to the equal opportunity concept, each employee should be given a fair chance to develop, contribute, and receive compensation proportionate to their efforts. Since each individual is unique in the abilities, temperament, and skills that they possess, it is crucial to avoid assigning someone to a task that is outside of his or her capacity to do. This is a key concept of modern company management. And like this way the other sector has also been dictated in IHRM. IHRM is not widely used but some of the factors surely match the ethical level of HR practices and their policies.

The writer is a student of NSU

 

Concluding observations

This overview of an agricultural technology system, and the place of the extension within it, has stressed the importance of understanding the dynamic context in which the system operates. The agricultural technology systems model given here places extension work in a conceptual framework that underscores the significance of contextual factors for extension planning and strategies. Systematic consideration by managers of the particular outside forces influencing an extension organization allows it to plan its resource use, approaches, methods, and linkages in ways that are responsive to farmer needs and the roles of other organizations.

References

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Gustafson, D. J. (1994). Developing sustainable institutions: Lessons from cross-case analysis of 24 agricultural extension programmes. Public Administration and Development, 14 ft.

Idachaba, F. (1987). Agricultural research in Nigeria: Organization and policy. In V. W. Ruttan & C. Pray (Eds.), Policy for agricultural research. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

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Röling, N. (1991). Knowledge systems in their political context. In Proceedings of the international workshop: Agricultural knowledge systems and the role of extension. Bad Boll, May 21-24, 1991.

Swanson, B. E., & Peterson, W. E. (1991). Strengthening research-extension linkages to address the needs of resource-poor farmers in rainfed agriculture. In C. Prasad & P. Das (Eds.), Extension strategies for rainfed agriculture. New Delhi: Indian Society of Extension Education.

Swanson, B. E., Sands, C. M., & Peterson, W. E. (1990). Analyzing agricultural technology systems: Some methodological tools. In R. Echeverria (Ed.), Methods for diagnosing research system constraints and assessing the impact of agricultural research: Vol. I. Diagnosing agricultural research system constraints. The Hague: ISNAR.

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Human Resource Management. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_resource_management. Published December 5, 2022. Accessed December 9, 2022.