aw a need for those who could focus on a positive or more "pro-employee" direction. Some called them "union busters" but this was more union propaganda than it was fact. Then, as the Organizational Development activity found its way at companies like Digital Equipment, Lincoln Electric, and TRW, the fArguably, for the past 10 years, Human Resources has been the weakest of all business functions. It was not always this way. Back in the late 50's and through the 60's, the function evolved from "Industrial Relations" to "Personnel," reflecting an ever-so subtle shift in focus from Labor Relations to a more general overall activity. Up until that time, Labor Relations had been the functional straw that stirred the drink, for it was an activity that impacted the bottom line in a measurable manner. This pretty much continued through the mid-70's, but as union membership declined and high technology came into its explosive fore, the need for those experienced in the hard knock activities of collective bargaining was not as critical. When President Reagan called the Air Controller's bluff during his first year in office, this signaled an end to meaningful union growth in the private sector. Corporate negotiators went on the offensive and did a number on unions from which they have never recovered. Of course, in so doing, the negotiators subconsciously did a number on themselves, for they worked their way right out of being needed.

Indeed, companies like Texas Instruments, Xerox and IBM saw a need for those who could focus on a positive or more "pro-employee" direction. Some called them "union busters" but this was more union propaganda than it was fact. Then, as the Organizational Development activity found its way at companies like Digital Equipment, Lincoln Electric, and TRW, the fu

a more general overall activity. Up until that time, Labor Relations had been the functional straw that stirred the drink, for it was an activity that impacted the bottom line in a measurable manner. This pretty much continued through the mid-70's, but as union membership declined and high technology came into its explosive fore, the need for those experienced in the hard knock activities of collective bargaining was not as critical. When President Reagan called the Air Controller's bluff during his first year in office, this signaled an end to meaningful union growth in the private sector. Corporate negotiators went on the offensive and did a number on unions from which they have never recovered. Of course, in so doing, the negotiators subconsciously did a number on themselves, for they worked their way right out of being needed.

Indeed, companies like Texas Instruments, Xerox and IBM saw a need for those who could focus on a positive or more "pro-employee" direction. Some called them "union busters" but this was more union propaganda than it was fact. Then, as the Organizational Development activity found its way at companies like Digital Equipment, Lincoln Electric, and TRW, the f

came into its explosive fore, the need for those experienced in the hard knock activities of collective bargaining was not as critical. When President Reagan called the Air Controller's bluff during his first year in office, this signaled an end to meaningful union growth in the private sector. Corporate negotiators went on the offensive and did a number on unions from which they have never recovered. Of course, in so doing, the negotiators subconsciously did a number on themselves, for they worked their way right out of being needed.

Indeed, companies like Texas Instruments, Xerox and IBM saw a need for those who could focus on a positive or more "pro-employee" direction. Some called them "union busters" but this was more union propaganda than it was fact. Then, as the Organizational Development activity found its way at companies like Digital Equipment, Lincoln Electric, and TRW, the f

ate negotiators went on the offensive and did a number on unions from which they have never recovered. Of course, in so doing, the negotiators subconsciously did a number on themselves, for they worked their way right out of being needed.

Indeed, companies like Texas Instruments, Xerox and IBM saw a need for those who could focus on a positive or more "pro-employee" direction. Some called them "union busters" but this was more union propaganda than it was fact. Then, as the Organizational Development activity found its way at companies like Digital Equipment, Lincoln Electric, and TRW, the f

aw a need for those who could focus on a positive or more "pro-employee" direction. Some called them "union busters" but this was more union propaganda than it was fact. Then, as the Organizational Development activity found its way at companies like Digital Equipment, Lincoln Electric, and TRW, the function began an evolution toward a far more generic effort. Generalists replaced specialists. Labor Relations no longer was the big kid on the block. Sub-activities like Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Higher Performance work teams began to take shape (one could make a case that this later actually evolved from Industrial Engineering and the time and motion studies of the late 40's and the 50's). A required corporate focus on quality influenced these activities as well.

As this functional evolution continued, OD people abounded. They facilitated, mediated, worked issues of change management, helped to design more efficient organizations, and made a strong functional name for themselves. Meanwhile, training, except for executive development, was somehow absorbed into something called development, and the stage was now set for a functional name change. Personnel, which used to be called Industrial Relations and sometimes Employment, would now be called Human Resources. It still is. No one is quite certain, but this seemed to have occurred in the mid-80's, and by 1990, "Personnel" had become history.

Employers in the 90's faced new and far more difficult challenges. Continual chang