Talk:Human resources
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The term "human capital" is very specifically defined in macro-economics but "human resources" is the thing they used to call "labor".
There is another whole literature of "human capital" that mirrors the literature of "natural capital", right down to the "resources" language.
A quick search on http://www.google.ca/search?q=natural+human+resources+capital&hl=en&meta= reveals the full complexity of all the issues raised in this debate...
This needs citations, and its view that the term is being replaced by "human capital", could be balanced by some quotes from mean old corporate Simon LeGrees saying that creativity and social contributions on the job are bad. ;-) I am sure there are a few left in the world.
It could also use links to the specialist literature which originated the term in the 20th century, e.g. Taylor and Taylorism, "Organization Man", etc. I am more familiar with the "transition literature" that defined the shift to the term "human capital".
The problem with such shifts of terminology is that they take place over generations, so you can find a lot on "human resources" that is basically saying the same stuff as the present "human capital" stuff.
"The Goat in the rug" uses a variant terminology referring to "natural, human and capital resources" which is nonetheless a good introduction - actually a great introduction.
"The Human Resources Benchmarking Association" is an extreme example of the instructional capital rigor that used to characterize the term... I am not sure these benchmarks would be accepted beyond the context of say ISO 9000 series - but it shows an extreme view of "human resources" as totally predictable manageable things.
"What is Natural Capitalism?" lays out the best intro of this 'capital versus resource' issue, and shows how the term "human capital" is now used in this modern global resource vs. ecology/society integrity debate. It's probably as extreme in its own way as the HRBA view... but is just as compatible with "the goat in the rug".
I still want an ISO 9000 link...