The records of the Human Resources Association of Greater Detroit have been arranged into one Organizational Records series. A History folder includes the constitution and bylaws of the Detroit Employment Managers' Club, a brief history of the early years, and several pamphlets explaining the purpose of the organization. The Minutes are probably the most interesting part of the record group. The minutes for the early period, 1918 to 1923, are fascinating. Although frequently rather cryptic (they mention only the general topics of discussion), the minutes still reveal the concerns of management. Researchers should note the occasional practice of having each member report on the situation in his plant (all members were male at this time) - how many people had been laid off, what wages were paid and what were the policies respecting African Americans, women, and aliens. There is not, unfortunately, a great deal of this kind of material. Minutes from subsequent years are less valuable, but they still clearly show the growing professionalization of a managerial class. From 1960 to the late 1990s, the issues of importance to the organization can only be gleaned from the lecture topics as the minutes reflect a new concern for organizational, rather than labor management, issues.
The Detroit Personnel Management Association (DPMA) was established in late 1916. At that time it was an ad hoc group of employers searching for ways to deal with the increased need for experienced labor due to the First World War. In 1918 the group adopted a constitution and bylaws, and took the name "Detroit Employment Managers' Club." The majority of the members represented the automobile industry. Topics of discussion at meetings included wage rates, hiring practices, working hours, and problems with workers, notably absenteeism, "Shifting" from shop to shop, unionization and radicalism. Entertainment was frequently featured at the meetings.
During World War II the club underwent a dramatic expansion. Automobile manufacturers, though still prominent, no longer dominated the membership. After the War the organization grew and evolved in response to changed conditions. In 1955 the name was changed to the Detroit Personnel Management Association, and in 1959 the group decided to affiliate with the American Society for Personnel Management. The nature of the organization was no longer the same. Instead of members discussing issues among themselves, outside speakers were brought in to lecture. The issues of this period likewise reflected the new context in which managers and employers were operating. Whereas previously the workers themselves were the main problem for the management, after the New Deal, employers increasingly came to resent the intrusion of the government into industry. The DPMA's major concerns at this time included larger issues of white collar unionization, affirmative action, arbitration and other labor-related legislation. At the same time, there was less emphasis on matters of a purely local interest. In 1988, the Detroit Personnel Management Association merged with the Industrial Relations Association of Detroit to form the Human Resources Association of Greater Detroit.
