Why Do People Call Mr. Stephen Robinson the Father of HR? What Makes Him Stand Out?

Why is Mr. Stephen Robinson considered the father of HR?

Dear Naresh,

Who said that Stephen Robinson is the father of HR? Is there any proven material linking to the "Father of HR" information? NO. This was already discussed on citehr: https://www.citehr.com/119453-father...resourses.html

Don't you think the term "Father of HRM" should refer to the old chaps who have fought hard to redefine HRM as a new concept emanating from Traditional Personnel Management? Here we are talking about people like D. Guest, M. Armstrong, etc. Which means there is no one father but fathers............

After reading the above response, you should have had the answer by now. Please stop thinking that anything and everything that is asked during an interview makes sense. Have the boldness to reply with the right answer - "there is no such father of HR"!!!

Hello friends,

Yes, sometimes we do not have a clear answer to questions; that is, there are no exact answers. However, such questions fuel our curiosity. I did a quick search on the internet and found that Robert Owen (14 May 1771 – 17 November 1858) is considered the "Father of Human Resource Management." More details can be found at the link below:

WikiAnswers - Father of Human Resource Management

It is very informative and certainly proves that Robert Owen was a pioneer (among the first to do significant work) in the field of Human Resource Management. No doubt, he can be considered the father of HRM.

Nishikant

Dear Nishikant,

I really appreciate your efforts. Furthermore, on Robert Owen:
[Robert Owen: pioneer of personnel management. - Free Online Library](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Robert+Owen:+pioneer+of+personnel+management.-a099932542)

But please note that there is a difference between Human Resource Management and Personnel Management. [Is There a Difference Between Human Resources and Personnel Management?](http://www.wisegeek.com/is-there-a-difference-between-human-resources-and-personnel-management.htm)

It would be better for the candidate to mention during the interview that the Pioneer of Personnel Management is Robert Owen - whereas HRM has a wider definition and there are no records approving the existence of "Father of HR."

Dear Sonali,

Sometimes interviewers ask unconventional questions to test a candidate's knowledge. In these situations, it is important for the candidate to stay composed and think on their feet. Rather than answering incorrectly, the candidate can respond with a reverse or contradictory question to throw off the interviewer. For example:

"Sir, when you refer to Stephen Robinson, are you talking about the member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, or the Stephen Robinson who is a Mormon scholar and apologist?"

Alternatively, the candidate could say:

"Sir, unless the Nobel Prize Committee has recognized someone in HR with a Nobel Prize, no one can be declared as the 'father of HR'."

By responding in this manner, the interviewer, who asked the incorrect question, may become confused and move on to a different topic, considering the question successfully addressed.

P.S. Dhingra
Vigilance & Management Consultant
Dhingra Consultancy Group
New Delhi