Human "Resource".. Whats in the name???

A thought that comes to my mind quite often is, why do we address the department with different names like Human Resource, Human Capital Management, Personnel Management, etc. If Human is not the resource then which resource it really would be? Material resource is producing results only through Human Resource. We are traveling back to stone-age if we do not believe the contemporary. Though should not they be considered as an asset, thus be named as human capital...

Any thing that mobilizes the input to the business to customize the output (whether commodity or service) is treated as resource. A resource like plant and plant and machinery becomes asset, since it has appreciation value. Any resource, including finance, which does not have an re-sale and/ or appreciation value is treated as resource only. Financially, the 'human factor' does not have any appreciation value. All we have is investment on them, on which we expect immediate returns. If we go by the ERP model, HR is at the center core of the model, driving other resources.
Human Resource can become and be treated as asset, provided you can establish long run business return, with adequate manpower planning, structured investment through developmental programs and clear cut ROI with increased potential output, for each position with appropriate retention strategy.

However, it all depends on the people value & practice of the organization, as to how do they want to treat this resource from the business perspective.

We make the prospective candidate feel good by using such jargons, best asset-everything revolves around humans-we invest heavily in humans etc etc. Once the person joins us then day two on-wards we make him an equipment with a tag (employee code). Human as a resource sounds good, that's all. People are resource creator / resource conservator / resource generator and I am not convinced they should be treated as resource. People themselves have to preserve / conserve their own creativity/innovation in order to be ahead of any thing. No external force can compel people to do so.

I think employees are resources on hire. The rent (salary package) depends on quality of the resources. Only difference is that this resource has authority to decide whether to enter into the arrangement and when to walk out of it, unlike other resources.