Foucault, Power/Knowledge and its Relevance for HRM

In order for any discussion of employment relations or HRM to be of value, debate must be theoretically grounded. Not only this, it must allow for consideration of specific employment practices, rather than being couched in very general terms. This paper examines the theoretical frameworks available for such an analysis. It takes as its focus the ‘technology’ traditionally associated with personnel management — job analysis, evaluation, appraisal, training and development etc.‐and tries to offer a framework of analysis which provides an analytical as opposed to a merely descriptive coherence. Only by doing so are the foundations laid for a comparative analysis, which allows statements to be made to the effect that changes have occurred in patterns of employer‐employee relations.