A Fatal Embrace? Assessing Holistic Trends in Human Resources Programs

As business practices increasingly move to humanize the workplace, boundaries between private and public life are undergoing redefinition. Nowhere in contemporary business are the boundaries shifting more rapidly than in the area of human resource services. In the past decade, the growth of corporate programs to address social needs among employees has been explosive. A Fatal Embrace? defines reasons for this phenomenon, which has become a significant trend in professional management in Western societies. A Fatal Embrace? is directed at the current proliferation of personal development programs to improve and spur growth in employees' capabilities. Such services include health benefits, family-care arrangements, employee assistance programs, and leadership training. This trend reflects an underlying assumption that the corporation is responsible for promoting a symbiosis of person and economics. By helping employees become healthier, more relaxed, and more creative, the corporation develops stronger economic performers. A Fatal Embrace? will serve as a catalyst for further research and analysis in the area of human resource programs and is an important book to be read by economists, sociologists, and professionals in business and management.