PHR®/SPHR® Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Third Edition

1.1. The Human Resource Profession

By the end of the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution had changed the nature of work—businesses were no longer small organizations that could be managed by a single owner with a few trusted supervisors. As a result, many support functions were delegated to individuals who began to specialize in specific areas. One of these functions became known as industrial relations or personnel and evolved into what we know today as human resources. As businesses continued to become even larger entities, standards began to develop as practitioners met and shared information about the ways they did their jobs. The need for more formal training standards in various aspects of this new function became apparent, and ...