introduction of human resource management essay

Human Resource Management: Functions and Features Essay

Introduction, distinguishing features of human resource management in ghana, human resource management theories, history of hrm in ghana, reference list.

Human Resource Management commonly known as HRM entails the use of human beings in a productive manner to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. Human resources management could be defined as a field of management that is concerned with planning, organizing and controlling the workforce in an organization.

It involves activities such as procuring, developing and maintaining workforce in an organization. The success of any business is largely dependent on the HRM due to the fact that, HRM affects the customers and the performance of the firm.

Successful organizations usually maximizes their human resources through such means as selecting employees with top talent, encouraging employees to raise issues in an open manner, encouraging teamwork, providing employees with guidelines on how to improve on their poor performance etc.

Though HRM has acquired some of the attributes of a profession, it has not yet emerged as a fully pledged profession i.e. it has not been able to achieve the global standards. This is because of several factors such as environmental factors, job attitudes, technological innovation etc. and these factors have thus made each country to adapt its own HRM practices (Dyck & Neubert, 2008, 357).

The following essay examines the distinguishing features of Human Resource Management in a developing country Ghana. The essay also examines the Human Resource Theories, history of Human Resource Management, function of Human Resource Management, distinguishing features of Human Resource

The following are the basic characteristics of Human Resource Management which are also evident in the Ghanaian human resources management; HRM supports the business strategy i.e. it helps in establishing the organizational plans, metrics and goals through the HR planning.

This is important as it allows the employees to prioritize on those Programmes that are important as far as the organization is concerned. Human resource management is all-incisive i.e. HRM covers and manages all the employees in the organization i.e. it applies to workers, supervisors, managers, top executives, and officers’ etc.

Human Resource Management is people oriented for instance, HRM focuses on individual employees and groups within the organization by enhancing human relationships. HRM aims at ensuring that the individuals carries out their tasks in an effective manner so as to realize the organizational goals.

HRM ensue that both the individual goals and the organizational goals are well met.HRM places great emphasis on the employees by empowering them i.e. it organize the employees for involvement by creating self managing work teams.

In their empowered roles, the employees are expected to look for ways to perform their jobs better and to improve organizational functioning (GRATTON, 1999, 123).

HRM is action oriented i.e. it focuses on an action rather than record keeping or procedures. It stresses on the solutions of personnel problems in order to ensure that both the organizational and personal goals are attained (Condrey, 2010, 38).

HRM is individual oriented i.e. under HRM, each employee ion the firm is regarded as unique and so, the HRM provides the employees with programs aimed at facilitating their growth and happiness (Gratton, 1999, 123).

HRM is development oriented i.e. it is concerned with developing the workers’ potential so that the employees can benefit as they work and in turn perform better so as to attain the organizational goals.

HRM usually take into consideration the interests, opportunities, capabilities of the employees and also seeks to help the employees in realizing their full potentials (Marinus, Kok & Kok,2003,23).

It perceives function i.e. HRM is present in every organization at various levels i.e. HRM is not common in one sector alone. HRM is thus equally important in government, sports, banking sector etc. also percolates all the functional areas of an organization i.e. production, finance, marketing etc. (Kumar, 2003, 4).

HRM is future oriented i.e. it helps a company to attain its future goals by ensuring that employees are well motivated and also competent.HRM thus enhances collaboration of employees in order to attain the organizational objectives (Heneman, 2002, 355).

There exist a number of theoretical perspectives of Human Resource Management among them General Systems, the Role Behavior, Institutional and Resource Dependence, Human Capital and Transaction Costs. The general system is concerned with the open and closed systems that interact with one another.

In this theoretical perspective of them the employees’ abilities and skills are deemed as inputs whereas the employees’ performance and satisfaction are considered as outputs. The role behavior perspective is concerned with the roles of individuals within an organization.

Usually, every individual is expected to behave in a certain manner to yield a positive outcome. The institutional theory is concerned with the internal as well as external influences that affect the performance of an organization.

Resource dependence theory is concerned with the relationship that exists between an organization on one hand and the organizations’ constituencies on the other hand. The theory emphasizes that this relationships is enhanced by the exchange of resources and the main source of power is the ability to control valued resources (Schuler & Jackson, 2007, 25).

The history of Human Resource Management in Ghana dates back to colonial days. Ghanaian organizations adopt Western systems of HRM, which were implemented by British colonials. The historical-political factors have been the driving force behind the Human Resource Management in Ghana.

The commercial enterprises and British colonialists introduced the Western labor practices into the country. In Ghana, the rights of workers are represented by the Trade Union Congress commonly referred to as UK. The TUC is concerned with coordinating the activities of affiliated unions and giving guidance on human resource matters.

The Trade Union Congress is usually represented on several committees and boards, which handle matters that concern the employees. The Government of Ghana has legislated trade unions to ensure that the fundamental rights of employees are safeguarded.

The Government of Ghana is has also emphasized on minimum education qualification and minimum desirable standards of performance to ensure that the human resource management in the country achieve professionalism.

The Government of Ghana has also set general and specific management policies aimed at establishing and maintaining suitable organizations that encourages cooperation. Faith-based organizations have also played an important role in Ghana’s Human Resource Management by enhancing staff retention particularly in health sector.

The Ghanaian Government has also enacted such Acts as the Industrial Relations Act that regulates the relationship between the employees and the employers. In Ghana, organizations have assumed bureaucratic forms of hierarchy and formalism.

Many organizations have adopted a centralized decision -making and therefore employees have become aware of maintaining good relationships with their employers.

However, this subordinate-superior form of relationship in Ghana has become more personalized rather than being contractual and this has implications on employee’s treatment (African Studies Association of the United Kingdom, 1979, 19).

Function of Human Resource Management in Ghana

Human resource in Ghana has been the main reason behind economic development as it helps the country to increase its productivity, eradicate economic backwardness, increase its entrepreneurship etc.

Ghana, HRM has the following roles i.e. performance and potential appraisal, training function, the compensation function, recruitment and selection function, integration function and maintenance function. Performance appraisal is among the most crucial roles of team leaders.

Performance appraisal enables the team leaders to evaluate the performance of the employees and thus to know areas that an employee requires to work on. Performance appraisal is done periodically and requires the team leader to impartially rate an employee concerning his or hare present role.

Performance appraisal plays an important role of providing a suitable database that allows the senior leadership team to make such decisions as transfers, promotions, salary increments, placements etc. Performance appraisal thus enables the senior leadership team to identify the employees’ potentials and weak areas.

This is important as it identifies the training requirements of the workers. Performance appraisal also motivates the subordinate workers by enabling them to plan their career paths. It helps in developing positive superior-subordinate relations and thereby reducing grievances. Performance appraisal helps to facilitate research in personnel management.

In Ghana, performance appraisal is done yearly and many organizations uses formal system of evaluating the performance of their employees. In Ghana the supervisor ratings plays an important role in enabling the personnel managers to make decision concerning employees’ transfers and promotions.

However, the adoption of hierarchical structures in Ghana implies that it is difficult to adopt newer modes of evaluating the employees e.g. the 360-degrees feedback (Budhwar & Debrah, 2004, 201).

The training function of Human Resource Management entails the act where employees are prepared mentally and it is usually performed far-off the normal working area. Employees are systematically trained to acquire new skills and to be able to carry out their tasks in effectively.

There are many forms of training among them executive development and career planning and development. The main objectives of employees’ training includes the following; to develop the employees so as to be able to carry out tasks of higher-grades, to rain new workers in an organization, to enhance the employees efficiency and performance standards among others.

In Ghana, the training activity of Human Resource Management has been practiced in public sector. The activity is also done in local organizations as well as multinational; organizations.

The Government of Ghana has sponsored several institutions for training the employees among them the Civil Service Training Institute, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration etc. This World Bank, UNDP and other development agencies have also played an important role of funding the employees’ training programs in Ghana.

Private organizations in Ghana such as the Barclays Ban, Standard Bank, Ghana Airways have provided training institutions where employees are trained on refresher courses. Senior workers in most of Ghanaian organizations are usually sent abroad particularly in a situation where the multinational company has a subsidiary in Ghana (Kamoche, 2004, 127-129).

Compensation is another function of HRM and it involves providing employees with financial payments as a means of motivating them to perform their duties enthusiastically. The senior leadership team should ensure that employees are fairly and equitably remunerated for their efforts in the company.

Organizations should also carry out surveys to determine the compensation structure within an organization. Organizations are required to offer such benefits as sick leave, annual leave etc. so as to enhance working life of the workers.

Other form of compensation includes bonus payment whereby, all the permanent staff members are appraised at the end of every financial year and their contribution towards the overall success of the organization is determined.

Appropriate bonus is thus given to each employee based on his or her contribution and his or her level in the organization (Kamoche, 2004, 127-129).

In Ghana, the determination of salaries and wages is comprised of benefits, allowances and basic wages. In case of semi-skilled and unskilled workers, their basic wage is determined on Ghanaian minimum wage by the Ghana’s Tripartite Committee on Salary and Wages.

The Ghana’s Tripartite Committee on Salary and Wages considers capacity of employers to compensate his or her workers as well as the economic state before deciding on minimum wage. In Ghana, most corporations have a wage and salary structure and thus the annual increments are the ones that the trade unions negotiate due to inflation.

The starting salaries for employees are based on such aspects as initial entry points and educational qualifications. The Ghanaian society is largely dominated by males but gender discrimination does not exist as far as earnings are concerned.

Women in Ghana are more focused with feminized occupations like nursing and teaching in primary schools but they usually earns same wages as males who perform similar jobs.

Allowances and benefits have been the motivating factors among the Ghanaian employees and many organizations across Ghana offers such benefits as housing allowance, medical benefits, maternal leave, annual leave etc.(Panford,2001,47).

Recruitment and selection is the other function of Human Resource Management. This function locates and encourages applicants to submit their applications for a new job opening. There are certain factors that the senior leadership team considers before decision on the kind of recruiting source to use e.g. the firm’s reputation, job attractiveness among others.

In Ghana, many organizations usually place their advertisements in professional magazines and local newspapers for professional and managerial positions. Other modes of recruitment that are used in Ghana includes written notices around organizations a, visits to colleges and university campuses etc.

Ghana, selection interviews forms the most widely used form method of selecting employees. Other methods of selecting employees include recommendation letters and academic qualifications. However, the psychological tests, work simulations and work samples are not widely used in Ghana.

The Human Resource Managers usually makes the hiring decision in Ghana. Decisions concerning hiring managerial and professional employees are usually made by the senior management team together with the Human Resource Manager (Kamoche, 2004, 127-129).

The other function of HRM is the integration function, which entails the act of merging the goals of the workers with those of the company.

Integration in an organization is enhanced through such activities as handling the employees issues, encouraging employees to participate in decision making, resolving conflicts in a fair manner, providing the employees with counseling services as and when they requires among others.

The Ghanaian constitution have set provides regulatory framework regarding Human Resource Management so as to address such issues as HRM policies, employees rights, working environments etc. (Greene & Kirton,2010,6).

The maintenance functions of Human Resource Management. This function of HRM aims at ensuring that the employees well being is safeguarded. In Ghana, the senior leadership team in most organizational ensures that there are safe and secure working environments and this is important as it enhances the employees’ loyalty.

The senior leadership team should set up workers assistance Programmes in order to assist employees in dealing with challenges. The preference among managers and the preference among the employees as to how they wish to be managed interact with the cultural dimensions.

If management attempts to enforce culture that is unacceptable to employees, there will be a reaction such as sabotage of work etc. management should thus ensure that employee’s preferences are put into place to avoid a culture of conflicts (Singh, 2009, 30).

Challenges facing HRM in Ghana

The main challenges facing Human Resource Management in Ghana are; In Ghana, the Structural Adjustment Programs i.e. SAPs has brought about challenges for Human Resource Management in Ghana.

The Ghanaian government has over the years attempted to woo the foreign investors and this has made the Human Resource Managers to work hard in order to enhance the Human Resource Management practice as many organizations operates in an environment that is highly competitive(Hodgson & Willem, 1994,11).

Ghana is a developing country implying that there is the scope for developing HRM further is little because of inadequate expansion of Ghanaian economy. Despite the introduction of structural adjustment programs, the country has remained a rural economy that depends on export of commodities such as cocoa.

Manufacturing industries have significantly reduced over the years as a result of high rates of interest, competition from Japan and China, limited foreign exchange and lack of adequate infrastructure.

Therefore, Ghana is mainly focused on agricultural economy and any meaningful Human resource Management in Ghana is limited about large companies in service and manufacturing sectors (International Monetary Fund, 2006, 46).

In Ghana, the traditional practices and colonialism influences also affects the Human Resource Management practices. These traditional practices and colonialism influences affects decision making in organizations leading to complex situations that undermines the performance in many organizations.

The traditional practices usually conflicts with the economic rationality and this has the effect of making operating levels to be costly and ineffective. In addition, the people of Ghana have a tendency to forgive one another and this affects management concerning punishment and transgression issues.

The forgiveness behavior among the Ghanaian society extends to modern organizations implying that one is usually forgiven if he or she violates the organizational rules. The forgiveness situation poses a major challenge as far as employees’ discipline in organizations is concerned.

Therefore, a Human Resource Manager is expected to forgive a transgressor and if he or she fails to do so, then he or she may be regarded as wicked and insensitive person. Also, the Ghanaian Human Resource Managers do not invoke the disciplinary actions against workers who violate the organizational rules as they fears incurring the employees’ wrath and in turn become unpopular.

The elderly people in the society are usually accorded much respect in the Ghanaian society and this provides young Human Resource Managers with difficulties of disciplining older subordinates.

In addition, many large organizations in Ghana pay increases based on matters of seniority instead of performance or merit and this poses a challenge as far as Human Resource Management is concerned (Towers, 1996, 488).

Time-keeping is another factor that provides a challenge in Human Resource Management in Ghana. In African culture, time keeping is not much emphasized about organizational life.

Thus, most Ghanaians have time-keeping problem and lateness in workplaces is endemic. This thus provides a major challenge for the performance of organizations and Human Resource Management in particular (Towers, 1996, 493).

Another aspect that poses a challenge to Human Resource Management in Ghanaian organizational life is masculinity. In Ghana, both masculinity and feminist exists but masculinity is often emphasized as far as organizational life is concerned.

Thus, the behavior of male chauvinist is prevalent among many Ghanaian organizations and this implies that women are discouraged on taking managerial positions that are mostly held by males.

This thus makes it hard for women to advance in their careers as finding a mentor or a role model is difficult. This also implies that Human Resource Management profession in Ghana is dominated by men (Budhwar, & Debrah, 2004, 199).

In addition, the recruitment and selection of employees lacks objectivity and this affects the Human Resource planning and job analysis. Many organizations in Ghana do not consider Human Resource planning to be important.

Furthermore, the economic environments and political instability in Ghana provides a challenge about HR planning. The Human Resource training departments in Ghana do not have adequate personnel who have statistics expertise and forecasting (Heeks, 2001, 137).

In Ghana, Human Resource Management is concerned with performance and potential appraisal, training, compensation, integration, selection and recruitment and maintenance functions.

Human Resource Management in Ghana is faced with such challenges as limited economic growth, lack of objectivity in the recruitment and selection of employees, masculinity in organizational life, time keeping problems, traditional practices and colonialisms and the introduction of SAPs, which in turn leads to global competition.

In order to enhance HRM in Ghana, the Human Resource managers requires to set up such policies as unbiased recruitment and selection procedures, time keeping among others.

African Studies Association of the United Kingdom., 1979. African research & Documentation. .Michigan: The University of Michigan.

Budhwar, P.S. & Debrah, Y.A., 2004. Human Resource Management In Developing Countries . London: Routledge.

Condrey, S.E., 2010. Handbook of Human Resource Management in Government . Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons.

Dyck & Neubert, M., 2008. Management: Current Practices And New Directions . Stamford: Cengage Learning.

Gratton, L., 1999. Strategic human resource management: corporate rhetoric and human reality . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Greene, A & Kirton, G., 2010. The Dynamics of Managing Diversity: A Critical Approach . London: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Heeks, R., 2001. Reinventing government in the information age: international practice in IT-enabled public sector reform . London: Routledge.

Heneman, R.L., 2002. Human resource management in virtual organizations : IAP.

Hodgson, H & Willem, V., 1994. Negotiating structural adjustment in Africa. Oxford: James Currey Publishers.

International Monetary Fund, 2006. Ghana: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper . Washington, D.C: International Monetary Fund.

Kamoche, K. N., 2004. Managing Human Resources In Africa. London: Routledge.

Kumar, R., 2003 Human Resource Management: Strategic Analysis Text and Cases. New Delhi: I. K. International Pvt Ltd.

Marinus, J., Kok, J. & Kok, P., 2003. Human resource management within small and medium-sized Enterprises . Hamburg: Rozenberg Publishers.

Panford, M.K., 2001. IMF -World Bank and labor’s burdens in Africa: Ghana’s experience. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Schuler, R.S. & Jackson, S.E., 2007. Strategic human resource management .Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell.

Singh, Y.K., 2009. Human Resource Manag ement. New Delhi: APH Publishing.

Towers, B., 1996. The handbook of human resource management. Hoboken: Wiley- Blackwell.

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Bibliography

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11.1 An Introduction to Human Resource Management

• What has been the evolution of human resource management (HRM) over the years, and what is the current value it provides to an organization?

Human resource management over the years has served many purposes within an organization. From its earliest inception as a primarily compliance-type function, it has further expanded and evolved into its current state as a key driver of human capital development. In the book HR From the Outside In (Ulrich, Younger, Brockbank, Younger, 2012), the authors describe the evolution of HR work in “waves”. 1 Wave 1 focused on the administrative work of HR personnel, such as the terms and conditions of work, delivery of HR services, and regulatory compliance. This administrative side still exists in HR today, but it is often accomplished differently via technology and outsourcing solutions. The quality of HR services and HR’s credibility came from the ability to run administrative processes and solve administrative issues effectively. Wave 2 focused on the design of innovative HR practice areas such as compensation, learning, communication, and sourcing. The HR professionals in these practice areas began to interact and share with each other to build a consistent approach to human resource management. The HR credibility in Wave 2 came from the delivery of best-practice HR solutions.

Wave 3 HR, over the last 15–20 years or so, has focused on the integration of HR strategy with the overall business strategy. Human resources appropriately began to look at the business strategy to determine what HR priorities to work on and how to best use resources. HR began to be a true partner to the business, and the credibility of HR was dependent upon HR having a seat at the table when the business was having strategic discussions. In Wave 4, HR continues to be a partner to the business, but has also become a competitive practice for responding to external business conditions. HR looks outside their organizations to customers, investors, and communities to define success—in the form of customer share, investor confidence, and community reputation. HR’s credibility is thus defined in terms of its ability to support and drive these external metrics. Although each “wave” of HR’s evolution is important and must be managed effectively, it is the “outside in” perspective that allows the human resource management function to shine via the external reputation and successes of the organization.

Catching the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Human resources outsourcing—entrepreneurial ventures.

Human resources is a key function within any company, but not all companies are able to afford or justify full-time HR staff. Over the last decade, HR outsourcing has become a good business decision for many small companies whose current staff doesn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to take on the risks of employee relations issues, benefits and payroll, or HR compliance responsibilities. This has led many HR practitioners to try out their entrepreneurial skills in the areas of HR outsourcing and “fractional HR.”

Human resources outsourcing is very commonly used by smaller companies (and often large companies too) to cover such tasks as benefits and payroll management. This is an area that has been outsourced to third parties for many years. More recent is the trend to have “fractional HR” resources to help with the daily/weekly/monthly HR compliance, employee relations, and talent management issues that companies need to address. Fractional HR is a growing industry, and it has become the service offering of many entrepreneurial HR ventures. Fractional HR is essentially as it sounds—it is the offering of HR services to a company on a part-time or intermittent basis when the company may not be able to justify the cost of a full-time HR resource. An HR professional can be available onsite for a specified number of hours or days weekly or monthly, depending on the company’s needs and budget. The HR professional handles everything from HR compliance issues and training to employee issues support. Also, for companies that are keen on development of employees, the HR resource can drive the talent management processes—such as performance management, succession planning, training, and development—for companies who require more than just basic HR compliance services.

How does a business leader decide whether HR outsourcing is needed? There are generally two factors that drive a leader to consider fractional HR or HR outsourcing—time and risk. If a leader is spending too much time on HR issues and employee relations, he may decide that it is a smart tradeoff to outsource these tasks to a professional. In addition, the risk inherent in some HR issues can be very great, so the threat of having a lawsuit or feeling that the company is exposed can lead the company to seek help from a fractional HR professional.

HR entrepreneurs have taken full advantage of this important trend, which many say will likely continue as small companies grow and large companies decide to off-load HR work to third parties. Some HR companies offer fractional HR as part of their stated HR services, in addition to payroll and benefits support, compensation, and other HR programmatic support. Having a fractional HR resource in place will often illuminate the need for other HR services and program builds, which are generally supported by those same companies. Whether you are an individual HR practitioner or have a small company of HR practitioners and consultants, fractional HR and HR outsourcing can be a very viable and financially rewarding business model. It can also be very personally rewarding, as the HR professional enables smaller companies to grow and thrive, knowing that its HR compliance and processes are covered.

• What do you believe is contributing to the growth of the fractional HR and HR outsourcing trend? Do you expect this trend to continue?
• At what point should a company consider bringing on a full-time HR resource instead of using a fractional HR resource? What questions should the company ask itself?

Human resource management provides value to an organization, to a large extent, via its management of the overall employee life cycle that employees follow—from hiring and onboarding, to performance management and talent development, all the way through to transitions such as job change and promotion, to retirement and exit. Human capital is a key competitive advantage to companies, and those who utilize their human resource partners effectively to drive their human capital strategy will reap the benefits.

Human resource management includes the leadership and facilitation of the following key life cycle process areas:

• Human resources compliance
• Employee selection, hiring, and onboarding
• Performance management
• Compensation rewards and benefits
• Talent development and succession planning

Human resources is responsible for driving the strategy and policies in these areas to be in accordance with and in support of the overall business strategy. Each of these areas provides a key benefit to the organization and impacts the organization’s value proposition to its employees.

Concept Check

• How has the function of human resource management evolved over the years?
• In what way do you usually interact with human resources?

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Topic 1: Introduction to Human Resources Management

Human Resource Management was originally known as personnel or people management. In the past, its role was quite limited. Within any company or organization, HRM is a formal way of managing people. It is a fundamental part of any organization and its management.

The main responsibilities of the personnel department include hiring, evaluating, training, and compensation of employees. The human resources department deals with any issues facing the staff in their working capacity within an organization. HR is concerned with specific work practices and how they affect the organization’s performance.

Today, Human Resources Management deals with:

• Anything related to managing people within a company or organization. This means decisions, strategies, principles, operations, practices, functions, activities, and the methods used to manage employees.
• The type of relationships people have in their places of employment and anything that affects those relationships in a positive or negative way.
• Ensuring that employees are satisfied with the conditions of their employment. This leads to better services and production of goods and helps the company’s success.

When we talk about human resources in a business situation it means the workforce, i.e., the employees of a company and what skills and energy they bring. This includes any ideas, creativity, knowledge, and talents that employees bring with them and use to help the organization be successful. In other words, the resources a person has or the knowledge and experience developed over the years.

HRM focuses on bringing in (recruiting) new employees with new talents for the company and managing employees. Another function is to guide and help said employees by providing direction when necessary. In a large organization, with a lot of people, it is important to have a department that specifically focuses on staff issues. These issues are things like hiring, performance management, organizational development, training, occupational health and safety, motivation incentives, communication, workplace culture, and environment.

Human Resource Management is now a vital part of any organization. Every company or organization is required to have this department. It helps with increasing the morale of workers by working on relations between employees and their employers and constantly striving to make them better. The HR department also provides any support employees need to assist them improve their performance.

The HRM function extends to assessing the productivity and/or success of every department in an organization or business. It assists each department and helps them improve their work. It also intervenes

when necessary to help solve any problems that might arise with regards to employees’ work. Getting better results from the company’s workers is another job of HRM.

When a business has valuable, rare, and/or unique human resources it will always have a competitive advantage over other similar organizations.

Below are the criteria used in Human Resource Management – when using these effectively, a company can make an impact in its particular field.

– Value Building : People who try hard to decrease costs and to provide a service or product unique to customers, can increase their own value as employees and that of the company. Organizations also use empowerment programs, quality initiatives, and strive for continual improvement in order to increase the value that employees bring to the company.

– Rarity : When the skills, knowledge, and abilities of employees are not equally available to all companies in the same field, the company that has these people, has a very strong advantage. This is why top companies endeavor to hire and train the best and the brightest employees. This way they gain advantage over their competitors. In some cases, companies will even go to court to stop other organizations from taking away their valued employees. This proves that some companies have clearly identified the value and the uniqueness of certain employees.

– Incomparability : Employees give their companies competitive advantage when their capabilities and contributions cannot be reproduced by others. That is, the knowledge and skills that they bring to the organization are unique and not easily found elsewhere. Certain corporations such as Disney, Southwest Airlines, and Whole Foods have, over the years, developed very distinctive cultures that get the most from employees. These cultures are difficult for other organizations to imitate. Southwest Airlines, for example, rewards the employees who perform well. It is also able to maintain employees’ loyalty through offering free airfares and profit sharing in the company.

– Organized work force : People with unique talents can help a company achieve a competitive advantage when they can easily be reassigned to work on new projects without much notice. In order for this to happen teamwork and co-operation are needed and the creation of an organized system.

The criteria above show the importance of people power and also the link between human resources management and performance management. Many high-functioning organizations now know that their success depends on the knowledge and skills of their employees, or, their human capital. Human capital is aligned with the economic value of employees with the right knowledge, skills, and abilities. Their knowledge and skills have economic value. Managing human capital properly is imperative for any organization wanting to maintain a competitive advantage. In some ways it is the most important part of an organization’s human resource function.

The Objectives of HRM

The objectives of HRM are the goals of an organization. Individual or group activities are then organized in such a way so as to achieve those objectives or goals. Organizations and companies aim to secure and manage certain resources, including human resources, to achieve the specified goals.

Human resources must therefore be managed in a way that uses their resources to achieve the organizational objectives/goals. Basically, the objectives of HRM come from and contribute to achieving organizational objectives.

Objectives of HRM:

• To establish and use a workforce that is able and motivated, in order to achieve the goals of an organization.
• To create the desirable organizational structure and working relationships among all the members of the organization.
• To integrate individuals and/or groups within the company by matching their goals with those of the company.
• To ensure individuals and groups have the right opportunities to develop and grow with the organization.
• To use what human resources a company has in the most effective way to achieve organizational goals.
• To ensure wages are fair and adequate and provide incentives and benefits thereby satisfying both individuals and groups. Also, to ensure ways of allowing recognition for challenging work, prestige, security and status.
• To have continual high employee morale and good human relations by establishing and improving conditions and facilities within the organization.
• To improve the human assets by providing appropriate training programs on a continual basis.
• To try to effect socio-economic change in areas such as unemployment, under-employment and inequality by distributing income and wealth. This way society can benefit. Added employment opportunities for women and the disadvantaged will also be impacted in a positive way.
• To offer opportunities for expression.
• To ensure that the organizational leadership works in a fair, acceptable and efficient manner.
• To ensure a good working atmosphere and employment stability by having proper facilities and working conditions.

Functions of Human Resource Management (HRM)

Human resource management must plan, develop, and administer policies and programs that can make the best use of an organization’s human resources. This is the part of management’s role which deals with people at work and their relationships within the organization. Its aims are:

• To use human resources as effectively as possible;
• To ensure the best possible working relationships among all members of the organization; and
• To assist individuals to reach their highest potential.

In Human Resource Management, there are four major areas:

• Employee development, and
• Employee maintenance.

These four areas and any associated functions share a common aim. That is to have enough competent employees with the skills, abilities, knowledge, and experience needed to achieve further organizational objectives. Each human resource function (above) can be appointed to one of the four areas of personnel responsibility but there are also other functions that are designed for different purposes. For example, performance evaluation processes provide a stimulus and guide employee development. They are valuable for salary administration purposes also. The purpose of the compensation function is as a stimulus to keep valuable employees and also to attract potential employees. Below is a description of the typical human resource functions

Human Resource Planning

The human resource planning function serves to determine the number and type of employees needed to achieve the company’s goals. Research is performed in this function because planning requires information to be collected and analyzed for the forecasting of human resource supplies and the prediction of future human resource needs. Staffing and employee development are key human resource planning strategies.

Job Analysis

Job analysis is deciding on the job description and the human requirements that are needed for said job. The job description should include the skills and experience needed to perform the job. A job description clearly sets out work duties and activities that employees will be expected to perform. Job descriptions are essential because the information they provide to employees, managers, and personnel people influences personnel programs and practices.

Recruitment and selection of human resources (people) is what staffing is mostly concerned with. Human resource planning and recruiting is done before selecting people for positions. Recruiting is the personnel function of finding and hiring the best qualified applicants to fill job vacancies.

The selection function is used to choose the most qualified applicants for hiring from those attracted to the organization by the recruiting function. During the selection process, human resource staff are involved in assisting managers to decide which applicants to select for the given jobs and which ones to reject.

Orientation

Orientation is done in order to introduce a new employee to the new job and the employer. It is a way for new employees to get to know more intimate aspects of their job, including pay and benefits, working hours, and company policies and expectations.

Training and Development

Training and development is used as a means of providing employees with the skills and knowledge to do their jobs well. It must be provided to all employees. In addition to providing training for new or inexperienced employees, organizations often provide training for experienced employees as well. This may be because their jobs are undergoing change or the company needs them to work more effectively. Development programs are also done to equip employees for higher level responsibilities. Training and development programs are ways of making sure that employees can handle the stresses of their jobs and perform well.

Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal is an evaluation of an employee and his/her performance to make sure that said employee is working well and at acceptable levels. Human resource personnel are usually responsible for developing appraisal systems. The actual assessment of employee performance is done by supervisors and managers. Performance appraisal is necessary because the results of the appraisal can be used to motivate and guide employees’ performance. It also provides a basis for pay, promotions, and any disciplinary action if necessary.

Career Planning

Career planning is a process where an employee explores his/her interests and abilities and strategically works towards job goals. It has come about partly because many employees’ feel the need to grow in their jobs and to advance in their careers.

Compensation

It is the HR department that determines how much employees should be paid for certain jobs using a system of assessment. Compensation costs companies a lot so it is something that needs serious attention in the human resource planning stage. Compensation affects staffing because people generally want to work for an organization that offers more pay in exchange for the work done. It provides an important motivation for employees to achieve more in their jobs and reach higher levels. As such, it is related to employee development.

Work benefits are also referred to as fringe benefits. They are non-wage compensation that employees get in addition to their usual wages. Benefits are legally required items but employers can also more at their discretion. The cost of benefits is so high that they have become a huge consideration in human

resources planning. Benefits are mostly related to the maintenance area because they provide for many basic employee needs.

Labor Relations

Labor relations relates to the practice of managing employees who are members of a union. Unions provide employees with strength in numbers and have representatives who can advocate on their behalf if necessary, to deal with any discrepancies in pay, benefits, working conditions, and other work aspects. HR personnel are responsible for negotiating with unions and resolving any disputes.

Record-keeping

Record-keeping is essential and the most basic function of HR. Recording, maintaining and retrieving employee information when needed is done by the HR personnel. The type of records kept are related to the employees and include employment history, resumes, medical records, promotions, transfers, working hours, and lateness, etc. Keeping records up-to-date is a vital HR function. Employees today want to know what is in their personnel records and why certain things are there or not there.

Personnel records provide the following:

a) Up-to-date information about employees.

b) Procedures for comparing employees and their work to other employees.

c) Procedures for recruiting new employees, e.g. by showing the rates of pay.

d) Record of previous action taken regarding employees.

e) Statistics which check and guide personnel policies.

f) Information regarding legal requirements and how to comply with them.

Personnel Research

Research activities are an essential function of HR personnel. Research is done with the aim of obtaining personnel specific information in order to develop programs that work for an organization. Planning and reviewing are vital. Areas, such as recruitment, employee turnover, training, and terminations are all important areas to be researched. Employee opinions are also very important and can be obtained through surveys about wages, promotions, welfare services, conditions, job security and the like.

Even though research is so important, many companies neglect it because personnel people are too busy dealing with other more immediate problems.

Research is not done to deal with problems but to prevent them from occurring in the first place. The responsibility for research lies initially with the HR department but line supervisors and executives at all levels of management should assist. Trade unions and other organizations can give some assistance also and it should be made use of.

HR functions also include managing change, introducing new technology, innovation and diversity. Regular social audits of HR functions are necessary because of the large role HR plays within any organization. HR’s ultimate goal is to provide a link between the organization and the employees because the organization needs employees’ commitment. Employees need to be made aware of things like sales growth, restructuring plans, sharp price movements and any challenges facing the country and their organization in particular. This can be done by videos, films, lectures and booklets.

The main responsibilities of a human resource manager are:

– To fully develop knowledge of corporate culture, plans and policies.

– To initiate change where necessary and act as a facilitator.

– To actively participate in formulating company strategy.

– To be a consultant to change.

– To ensure communication remains open between the HR department and individuals and groups inside and outside the organization.

– To identify and advance HR strategies that match the company’s business strategy.

– To develop particular organizational teams and assist in the effective working relationships between the teams and individuals.

– To ensure the organization’s goals are achieved by effective co-operation of employees.

– To identify any problems, particularly in the HR area, and to find effective solutions.

– To contribute to the co-ordination and support services for HRD programs.

– To assess the effectiveness of HRD programs and to do research in order to find out how the HRD has affected (improved or otherwise) individual or organizational performance.

Pat McLagan is an award-winning author, speaker and coach of leadership development and management. She has identified nine new roles of HR.

• To bring the issues and trends concerning an organization’s external and internal people to the attention of decision-makers, and to recommend long-term strategies to support organizational excellence and endurance.
• To design and prepare HR systems and actions for implementation so that they can produce maximum impact on organizational performance and development.
• To facilitate the development and implementation of strategies for transforming one’s own organization by pursuing values and visions.
• To create the smoothest flow of products and services to customers; to ensure the best and most flexible use of resources and competencies; and to create commitment among the people who help us to meet customers’ needs whether those people work directly for the organization or not.
• To identify learning needs and then design and develop structured learning programs and materials to help accelerate learning for individuals and groups.
• To help individuals and groups work in new situations and to expand and change their views so that people in power can participate in leadership.
• To help people assess their competencies, values, and goals so that they can identify, plan, and implement development actions.
• To assist individuals to add value in the workplace and to focus on the interventions and interpersonal skills for helping people change and sustain change.
• To assess HRD practices and programs and their impact and to communicate results so that the organization and its people accelerate their change and development.

In recent years, Human Resource Management has received increasing attention. Its importance has been recognized and its role has changed from the traditional personnel management role to a more human resource management role.

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Essay on Human Resource Management (HRM): Top 6 Essays

In this essay we will discuss about ‘Human Resource Management’. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Human Resource Management’ especially written for school and college students.

• Essay on Human Resource Management

Essay Contents:

• Essay on the Functions of Human Resource Management

Essay # 1. Introduction to Human Resource Management :

Men, materials, machines and money are considered as the main factors of production. Out of all these factors, men are considered as an important factor. It is very difficult to handle the other factors of production with­out the efficient use of human resources.

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Several terms have been used by various management thinkers to represent human re­sources. These include ‘personnel’, ‘people at work’, ‘manpower’, ‘staff’ and ’employ­ees. Whatever may be the term used, human resource of any organization consists of all individuals engaged in any of the organiza­tional activities at all levels.

The importance of human factor can be judged from the point that some people consider management and personnel/human resource management as one and the same thing. Lawrence A. Appley observed that “Management and personnel administration are one and the same. They should never be separated. Management is personnel administration”. Of all the tasks of management, managing the human component is the central and most important task, because all else depends on how well it is done.

With the increase in number of employees in an organization, greater emphasis is being placed on personnel management and also on the adoption of standardized procedures and compensation plans. The personnel department helps management in using and developing appropriate manpower to achieve organizational goals.

Human resource management is responsible for how people are treated in organizations. It is responsible for bringing people into the organization, helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors, and solving problems that arise.

Essay # 2. Definition of Human Resource Management :

Human Resource Management (HRM) has come to be recognized as an inherent part of management, which is concerned with the human resources of an organization.

Some of the definitions of human resource management as given by various persons are:

Human Resource Management is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, management, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization.

Human Resource Management is the understanding and application of the policy and procedures that directly affect the people working within the project team and working group. These policies include recruitment, retention, reward, personal development, training and career development.

Human Resource Management is the effective use of human resources in order to enhance organizational performance.

Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training.

Essay # 3. Scope of Human Resource Management :

The scope of HRM is very wide.

It covers the following aspects:

(i) Personnel Aspect :

This is concerned with manpower planning, recruitment, selection, placement, transfer, promotion, training and development, layoff and retrenchment, remuneration, incentives, productivity etc.

(ii) Welfare Aspect :

It deals with working conditions and amenities such as canteens, creches, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities, etc.

(iii) Industrial Relations Aspect :

This covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc.

Essay # 4. Objectives of Human Resource Management :

Objectives are predetermined goals to which individual or group activity in an organization is directed. Objectives of human resource management are influ­enced by organizational objectives and individual goals.

Some of the objectives of HRM are:

a. To ensure effective utilization of human resources.

b. To ensure respect for human beings.

c. To identify and satisfy the needs of individuals.

d. To achieve and maintain high morale among employees.

e. To provide the organization with well-trained and well-motivated em­ployees.

f. To increase to the fullest the employee’s job satisfaction and self-actual­ization.

g. To develop and maintain a quality of work life.

h. To provide better conditions of employment.

i. To develop overall personality of each employee in its multidimensional aspect.

j. To enhance employee’s capabilities to perform the present job.

k. To provide fair wages to employees.

l. To inculcate the sense of team spirit, team work and inter-team collabo­ration.

Essay # 5. Nature of Human Resource Management :

Human Resource Management is a process of bringing people and organiza­tions together so that the goals of each are met.

The various features of HRM include:

a. It is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises.

b. Its focus is on results rather than on rules.

c. It tries to help employees develop their potential fully.

d. It encourages employees to give their best to the organization.

e. It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups.

f. It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results.

g. It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for competent and well- motivated employees.

h. It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at various levels in the organization.

i. It is a multidisciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from psychology, economics, etc.

Essay # 6. Functions of Human Resource Management:

Every manager in an organization has to perform the personal functions in one form or the other in order to get the things done through others.

The functions of human resource management can be classified as:

(i) Managerial Functions.

(ii) Operative Functions.

(i) Managerial Functions :

The managerial functions are mainly concerned with planning, organizing, directing and controlling the various activities of personnel management.

These functions are explained below:

(a) Planning:

Planning is deciding in advance what to do; how to do; where to do; and who is to do it. For personnel manager, planning means the determination in advance of personnel programme. Planning is concerned about present manpower positions, what number and kind of people are required for the organization.

(b) Organization:

After the establishment of organizational goals and objectives, human resource manager must design and develop organization structure to carry out the various operations. Organization involves identification and grouping the activities to be performed and dividing them among the individuals and creating authority and responsibility relationships among them.

(c) Directing:

Directing as a managerial function involves building sound industrial and human relations among people working in the organization. The direction function of the personnel manager is meant to motivate and guide the people to achieve organization goals. The employees can be motivated through salary administration, career planning, provision of health and safety requirements etc.

(d) Controlling:

Controlling function is concerned with regulation of activities in accordance with the personnel plans. It includes checking, verifying and comparing actual with the plans, identifying deviations if any and correcting them. Auditing, training programmers, analysing, labor turnover records, conducting separate interviews are some of the means for controlling the personnel management function.

(ii) Operative Functions :

Operative functions are those functions which are usually delegated to the human resource department as these require specialized skills and knowledge in their performance. All these operative functions are interacted by managerial functions. Further these functions are to be performed in conjunction with management functions.

Some of the operative functions of human resource management are:

(a) Employment :

It is the first operative function of HRM. Employment is concerned with securing and employing the people possessing required kind and level of human resources necessary to achieve the organizational objectives. It covers the functions such as job analysis, human resources planning, recruitment, selection, placement and induction.

(i) Job Analysis:

It is the process of study and collection of information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job.

It includes:

i. Collection of data, information, facts and ideas relating to various aspects of jobs including men, machines and materials.

ii. Preparation of job description, job specification, job requirements and employee specification which help in identifying the nature, levels and quantum of human resources.

(ii) Human Resources Planning:

Human resource planning involves fore­casting the human resource requirements of an organization and the fu­ture supply of human resources. It is a process for determination and assuring that the organization will have an adequate number of qualified persons, available at proper times, performing jobs which would meet the needs of the organization.

(iii) Recruitment:

It is the process of seeking and attracting prospective candidates against a vacancy in an organization.

After having determined the number of persons required for different jobs and requirements of different jobs, the recruitment process will begin.

The term recruitment may be defined as the process of searching the candidates for employment and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization. In other words, the term ‘recruitment’ stands for discovering the sources from where potential employees will be selected.

(iv) Selection:

Selection is the process of identifying and establishing the credentials of a candidate for a job to ensure success.

Recruitment vs. Selection :

Both recruitment and selection are the two phases of the employment process. Recruitment comes first and is followed by Selection.

(v) Induction and Orientation:

Induction and orientation are the tech­niques by which a new employee is rehabilitated in the changed sur­roundings and introduced to the practices, policies, purposes and people etc., of the organization.

(b) Training and Development :

This process aims to train and develop employees to improve and update their knowledge and skills, so as to help them perform their jobs better. The process also includes developing the attitudes, beliefs and values of the employees to match the organizational needs. This comprises of performance appraisal, training, management/executive development, career planning and development.

(i) Performance Appraisal:

It is the process of evaluating the performance of an employee on the job and developing a plan for improvement.

(ii) Training:

Training is the systematic development of the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to perform a job.

After the employee is selected, the most important part of human resource program is to impart training to the employee. Training plays a significant role in human resource development. Human resources are the life-blood of any organization. Only through trained and efficient employees, the organization can achieve its objectives.

Training is defined as “the art of increasing the knowledge and skill of an employee for doing a particular job”.

Since training involves time, effort and money by an organization, so an organization should carefully design its training program. The objectives and need for training should be clearly identified and the method or type of training should be chosen according to the needs and objectives established.

Need of Training:

Training is necessary both for existing and new employees. It increases the skill of the employees.

The need of training arises because of the following factors:

(a) Rapid Changes in Technology:

As the technology is changing at as fast pace, so employees must learn new techniques to make use of advanced technology.

(b) Frequent Accidents:

Due to increase in number of industrial accidents, an effective training program should be made for the safety of the employees.

(c) Quality Conscious Customers:

As the customers have become quality conscious, so there is need of training to employees for improving the quality of products.

(d) Increase in Productivity:

Effective training helps in increasing productivity and reduction in production costs of an organization.

(e) Supply of Trained Personnel:

Training ensures an efficient supply of trained employees at all levels of organization.

Benefits of Training :

Some of the benefits of training are:

a. Better performance of employees both in terms of quantity and quality of output.

b. Elimination of wastages which leads to reduction in cost of production.

c. Reduction in needs of supervision.

d. It helps in developing and improving the organizational culture.

e. Increase in morale of the employees.

f. Reduction in number of accidents.

g. Improvement in quality of work.

h. Reduction in machine breakdown and maintenance cost.

i. Increase in productivity which results in enhanced earnings for employees.

j. Increase in self-confidence.

k. More opportunity for growth/promotions.

(iii) Development:

It is the concept of developing the employees in an organization to meet future changes and challenges.

(iv) Career Planning and Development:

It refers to identifying one’s career goals and formulating plans of reaching them. It attempts to harmonize an individual’s career aspiration with organizational needs.

(c) Compensation :

Compensation function is concerned with securing adequate and equitable remuneration to persons for their contribution. Fixation of compensation or wage rates for different categories of employees is an important task of management. Function related to job evaluation, wage and salary administration, incentives, bonus and fringe benefits falls under this category.

Compensation is what employees receive in exchange for their contribution to the organization.

Generally, employees offer their service for three types of rewards:

b. Incentives.

c. Benefits.

Pay refers to the base wages and salaries employees normally receive. Incentives in the form of bonuses, commissions and profit sharing plans are incentives designed to encourage employees to produce results beyond normal expectations.

Benefits such as insurance, medical, recreational, retirement etc. represent a more indirect type of compensation.

So, the term compensation is a comprehensive one including pay, incentives, and benefits offered by employers for hiring the services of employees. In addi­tion to these, managers have to observe legal formalities for offering physical as well as financial security to employees. All these play an important role in any HR department efforts to obtain, maintain and retain an effective workforce.

(i) Job Evaluation:

It is the systematic determination of the value of each job in relation to other jobs in the organization.

(ii) Wage and Salary Administration:

The process of formulating and operating a suitable wage and salary program is known as wage and salary administration.

(iii) Incentives:

Incentives are the rewards an employee earns in addition to regular salary based on his performance or of the collective performance.

(iv) Bonus:

Bonus is primarily a share in the surpluses and is often directly related to the organization performance.

(v) Fringe Benefits:

Fringe benefits are monetary and non-monetary benefits including disablement benefits, housing facilities, canteen facilities, conveyance facilities, educational facilities, recreational facilities, medical and welfare facilities, post-retirement benefits, etc.

(d) Integration :

The basic objective of human resource management is to secure maximum performance from the employees in order to accomplish the objectives of an organization. This is possible through better integration between the organi­zation and its employees. The integration between the two can be achieved through three things-motivation, leadership and communication.

(e) Maintenance :

Maintenance function is basically concerned with the working conditions and welfare facilities provided to the employees. Morale and motivation of the employees is greatly influenced by these conditions. Working conditions include measures taken for health, safety and comfort of the employees. Welfare facilities include provisions of rest rooms, cafeteria, safe drinking water, education for children of employees etc.

(f) Industrial Relations :

It is the responsibility of human resource manager to maintain industrial peace in the organization. This can be done through collective bargaining, joint consultation and settlement of disputes, whenever they arise.

(g) Personnel Records :

Another function of human resource manager is to maintain the records of the employees. This is helpful in taking decisions relating to transfers and promotions, performance appraisal etc. These also help in identifying the weaknesses in the employees and the areas in which they need training.

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• Notes on Human Resource Management (HRM): Meaning and Nature

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Essay on Human Resource Management

Introduction

Human resource management is a sensitive matter that any organization has to take into consideration for all activities and operations to run flawlessly. Companies that ensure employees are well handled are more likely to do better in business as compared to firms that have no regard for their workers (Mankins & Garton, 2017). Studying human resource management is essential as it helps many understand various notions and concepts on the topic of discussion. The course has been interesting as it enlightens the society on the role of such departments within a working organization. A thorough analysis of the course indicates that three major insights are vital for the achievement of the desired results. The first idea is based on employees being an essential part of the business (Cascio, 2015). The second idea on human resource management that is evident throughout the course is that firms should invest heavily in their employees. The third concept that can be learnt from the course materials is the fact that human resource management should always apply the right strategies and ensure that decisions are made in a consultative manner (Mankins & Garton, 2017). The paper aims to examine the three insights, their practical application, and why they are valuable in establishing proper human resource management.

HRM Application

Human resource management is vital for every organization as it shapes the direction that operations take within the organization. It is important to examine critically how HRM influences employee relationships within the workplace. From the course materials provided, one can presume that employees of any company are as important as customers (Mankins & Garton, 2017). Employees form an essential part of the company as they spearhead various programs that are important for the continuity of company operations. Without a workforce that is committed to achievement of set objectives, a firm will fail in its quest to become a top company in the industry. Established human resource departments are always committed to ensuring that employees are kept comfortable and satisfied for better delivery during company operations. Employers must provide a conducive working environment for their employees, including safety and health conditions (Mankins & Garton, 2017). Learning of human resource concepts helps one gain essential skills of employee management, performance assessment, and proper supervision of operations. When an employer wants to introduce a quality product in the market, he/she should first provide quality employment.

The second idea that is evident from the course is the fact that investing heavily in employees pays significantly. For instance, companies that leave their employees demoralized and unsatisfied end up posting poor performance at the end of the day (Cascio, 2015). Investing in employees includes preparing training workshops and developmental programs that aim at improving the skills of each employer. There is a need for every firm to implement policies that aim to improve employee happiness as it is a prerequisite for proper performance. The course materials highlight the importance of motivation and commitment among employees that work for any organization (Cascio, 2015). Employee assistance initiatives such as therapy programs and other facilities within a workplace motivate employees to deliver their best. Constructing and availing such amenities to employees is capital intensive, and not all firms within the industry can be able to achieve such a status. Investing heavily in employee relations can prove helpful for any firm that intends to do better in business.

The third insight that one can learn from the course material is the idea of being open-minded and inclusive when it comes to decision making within an organization. Human resource departments should be at the forefront of ensuring that decisions are arrived at after a thorough consultative process within the organization (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Firms should consult their employees before implementing various rules that shape operations within the working environment. There should be a specific approach tailored to handle multiple problems that arise during work operations. Every HRM department must provide the best conditions that can lead to the achievement of set objectives. For instance, when an employee messes within the work setting, the HRM must apply the set guidelines to handle the matter. Procedures applied should be void from biasness and rigidity in a bid to ensure justice and inclusivity (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Studying principles of human resource management enlightens one on how to value employees’ opinions, especially within an organization with a huge floor area.

Learning assessment

Learning of HRM concepts helps one understand why treating employees better can help a company do better. For instance, through proper management of resources, one can come up with organizational structures and designs that promote performance among employees. Corporate design is also an essential aspect in the definition of roles that each individual should play within the work setting (Ugoani, 2020). The concepts learnt in class change one’s way of thinking and approaching of various issues within the community. From learning experience, companies lose a significant productive power to time-wasting, which has derailed improvement of operations. Firms must consider proper management of resources an critical factor that influences production activities.

Critical Analysis

Learning concepts on human resource management helps those in leadership positions to weigh what is essential for employees and organizational growth. Companies that have incorporated HRM principles in their workplaces do better as compared to those that are insensitive to employee issues (Nazir & Islam, 2017). Employee motivation and happiness evoke a sense of responsibility in an individual, prompting such employees to deliver even better. Ethical standards that are acceptable internationally must apply for the HRM department to serve effectively with purpose. In essence, it is through the learning of HR concepts that one can develop knowhow on the handling of various managerial predicaments that arise at a workplace. Inclusivity and open-mindedness are essential virtues that can help a leader implement a culture that aims to promote performance (Mankins & Garton, 2017). Practitioners in this field can learn a lot from the course as it directs individuals on basics that must be incorporated for proper human resource management.

To sum it up, HR management principles require high levels of ethical standards that regard employee happiness. Company goals should be aligned with resources that are present for disposal. Employees should be considered in every decision making process as they form an essential part of the business. Employee welfare should be prioritized to ensure they are comfortable to deliver professionally. Apprising employees and allowing them to go for vacation contributes significantly to employee happiness and eventual retention. Equally, investing heavily in employees can prove helpful in achieving the set goals for the firm. By borrowing theoretically from concepts learnt in class, HR departments have an obligation of ensuring that productivity is improved, given the available scarce resources. Decision making within an organization should be done through consultations, which include employees. The course is relevant to principles that encompass the concept of human resource management within any organization.

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017).  Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership . John Wiley & Sons.

Cascio, W. F. (2015).  Managing human resources . New York: McGraw-Hill.

Mankins, M. C., & Garton, E. (2017).  Time, Talent, Energy: Overcome Organizational Drag and Unleash Your Team s Productive Power . Harvard Business Review Press.

Nazir, O., & Islam, J. U. (2017). Enhancing organizational commitment and employee performance through employee engagement.  South Asian Journal of Business Studies .

Ugoani, J. N. N. (2020). Managing Employee Relations and its Effect on Organizational Success.  International Journal of Social Sciences Perspectives ,  6 (1), 1-10.

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17.2: An Introduction to Human Resource Management

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What has been the evolution of human resource management (HRM) over the years, and what is the current value it provides to an organization?

Human resource management over the years has served many purposes within an organization. From its earliest inception as a primarily compliance-type function, it has further expanded and evolved into its current state as a key driver of human capital development. In the book HR From the Outside In (Ulrich, Younger, Brockbank, Younger, 2012), the authors describe the evolution of HR work in “waves”. Wave 1 focused on the administrative work of HR personnel, such as the terms and conditions of work, delivery of HR services, and regulatory compliance. This administrative side still exists in HR today, but it is often accomplished differently via technology and outsourcing solutions. The quality of HR services and HR’s credibility came from the ability to run administrative processes and solve administrative issues effectively. Wave 2 focused on the design of innovative HR practice areas such as compensation, learning, communication, and sourcing. The HR professionals in these practice areas began to interact and share with each other to build a consistent approach to human resource management. The HR credibility in Wave 2 came from the delivery of best-practice HR solutions.

Wave 3 HR, over the last 15–20 years or so, has focused on the integration of HR strategy with the overall business strategy. Human resources appropriately began to look at the business strategy to determine what HR priorities to work on and how to best use resources. HR began to be a true partner to the business, and the credibility of HR was dependent upon HR having a seat at the table when the business was having strategic discussions. In Wave 4, HR continues to be a partner to the business, but has also become a competitive practice for responding to external business conditions. HR looks outside their organizations to customers, investors, and communities to define success—in the form of customer share, investor confidence, and community reputation. HR’s credibility is thus defined in terms of its ability to support and drive these external metrics. Although each “wave” of HR’s evolution is important and must be managed effectively, it is the “outside in” perspective that allows the human resource management function to shine via the external reputation and successes of the organization.

catching the entrepreneurial spirit

Human Resources Outsourcing—Entrepreneurial Ventures

Human resources is a key function within any company, but not all companies are able to afford or justify full-time HR staff. Over the last decade, HR outsourcing has become a good business decision for many small companies whose current staff doesn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to take on the risks of employee relations issues, benefits and payroll, or HR compliance responsibilities. This has led many HR practitioners to try out their entrepreneurial skills in the areas of HR outsourcing and “fractional HR.”

Human resources outsourcing is very commonly used by smaller companies (and often large companies too) to cover such tasks as benefits and payroll management. This is an area that has been outsourced to third parties for many years. More recent is the trend to have “fractional HR” resources to help with the daily/weekly/monthly HR compliance, employee relations, and talent management issues that companies need to address. Fractional HR is a growing industry, and it has become the service offering of many entrepreneurial HR ventures. Fractional HR is essentially as it sounds—it is the offering of HR services to a company on a part-time or intermittent basis when the company may not be able to justify the cost of a full-time HR resource. An HR professional can be available onsite for a specified number of hours or days weekly or monthly, depending on the company’s needs and budget. The HR professional handles everything from HR compliance issues and training to employee issues support. Also, for companies that are keen on development of employees, the HR resource can drive the talent management processes—such as performance management, succession planning, training, and development—for companies who require more than just basic HR compliance services.

How does a business leader decide whether HR outsourcing is needed? There are generally two factors that drive a leader to consider fractional HR or HR outsourcing—time and risk. If a leader is spending too much time on HR issues and employee relations, he may decide that it is a smart tradeoff to outsource these tasks to a professional. In addition, the risk inherent in some HR issues can be very great, so the threat of having a lawsuit or feeling that the company is exposed can lead the company to seek help from a fractional HR professional.

HR entrepreneurs have taken full advantage of this important trend, which many say will likely continue as small companies grow and large companies decide to off-load HR work to third parties. Some HR companies offer fractional HR as part of their stated HR services, in addition to payroll and benefits support, compensation, and other HR programmatic support. Having a fractional HR resource in place will often illuminate the need for other HR services and program builds, which are generally supported by those same companies. Whether you are an individual HR practitioner or have a small company of HR practitioners and consultants, fractional HR and HR outsourcing can be a very viable and financially rewarding business model. It can also be very personally rewarding, as the HR professional enables smaller companies to grow and thrive, knowing that its HR compliance and processes are covered.

Discussion Questions

• At what point should a company consider bringing on a full-time HR resource instead of using a fractional HR resource? What questions should the company ask itself?

Human resource management provides value to an organization, to a large extent, via its management of the overall employee life cycle that employees follow—from hiring and onboarding, to performance management and talent development, all the way through to transitions such as job change and promotion, to retirement and exit. Human capital is a key competitive advantage to companies, and those who utilize their human resource partners effectively to drive their human capital strategy will reap the benefits.

Human resource management includes the leadership and facilitation of the following key life cycle process areas:

• Human resources compliance
• Employee selection, hiring, and onboarding
• Performance management
• Compensation rewards and benefits
• Talent development and succession planning

Human resources is responsible for driving the strategy and policies in these areas to be in accordance with and in support of the overall business strategy. Each of these areas provides a key benefit to the organization and impacts the organization’s value proposition to its employees.

concept check

• In what way do you usually interact with human resources?

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Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, Essay Example

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Introduction

Human resources management (HRM) emerged together with the need to operate large numbers of workforce and fit the demands of the most valuable corporate assets, the employees, with the company objectives, and to ensure adequate conditions for workers of various kinds, types and categories. The HRM field reflects the major part of people management, i.e. coordination of all policies, processes and practices connected with managing people currently employed in a certain organization. The HRM has faced much criticism currently, and is even considered to be the barrier in building the flexible and supportive environment in an organization, acting as a restrictive tool for reducing payroll and contributing to the employee turnover (Mathis and Jackson 4).

Indeed, at times the activities of HRM executives seem to be more directed at activities than results; nonetheless, the importance of human resources and effective management thereof has long ago been recognized as a vital element of successful competition in the market. More than that, HRM is fairly considered to be one of the companies’ core competencies, under the condition of good coordination and organization (Mathis and Jackson 4). HRM also helps the company find the proper balance in the realm of legal requirements restraining  the work of organizations and protecting employees; it ensures compensation reconsiderations according to the employee performance, and serves as a driving force for employee motivation in performance increases.

The significance of HRM has been recognized as soon as the inner processes governing the activity of any organization have been detected. It is obvious that any organization has a set of assets it manages in the process of its activity: they include physical, financial, intangible, and human resources. Nonetheless, even being equal in row with other resources, the human resources really make the activity of any company work; they represent the ‘glue’ that combines and coordinates the resources, making them bring profit for the company. Logically, one should realize that there is no way to keep the company functioning without human resources, and even under the condition of poor functioning thereof (Mathis and Jackson 4). Proper HRM can help the company save considerable costs for recruiting and retraining, talent detection may help it educate its own leaders and managers etc. – there are numerous examples of the way HRM may benefit a company. They explain the current close attention to HRM and outline the main areas of research in the field of its improvement and successful implementation.

The modern focus on HRM and its implementation in business structures is explained by the wish to establish fast and responsive organizations that can quickly handle the changes in the external and internal environment. The HRM provides the company with the ability to recruit, train and retain employees, and to align their activities with corporate objectives. The traditional, isolated approach to HRM is no longer used, with the organization giving additional responsibilities and powers to HR managers in the overall struggle for better performance of the whole business unit.

Before defining the concept of ‘human resources management’, one has to track its evolution from the term ‘personnel management’ that emerged in the 20 th century to denote the response of employees to public policies and union activities and changed gradually under the pressure of the global change, socio-economic changes and tendencies etc. (Bratton and Gold 6). The full definition of the HRM concept looks as follows:

“That part of the management process that specializes in the management of people in work organizations. HRM emphasizes that employees are critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, that human resources practices need to be integrated with the corporate strategy, and that human resource specialists help organizational controllers to meet both efficiency and equity objectives” (Bratton and Gold 11).

However, even upon seeing the definition, one still may not have a clear idea of what management really stands for in the described situation, and what human resources mean in the given context. The human resources actually mean the human capital that represents one of the company’s assets (alongside with the physical, financial and intangible ones) (Mathis and Jackson 5). The human capital is viewed in the collection of all capabilities, knowledge, skills, life experience, motivation etc. that employees of a certain organization possess. Hence, management thereof refers to the proper distribution of positions, adequate rewards corresponding to the employee performance, training and staffing etc. Consequently, one may understand the definition as a way to manage the human capital in the most productive and efficient way so that the company could enhance its core competencies and ensure a firmer position in the marketplace.

Features and Characteristics of HRM

There is a set of features defining the nature of HRM and its place within the organizational framework. The first feature refers to knowledge management; it pertains to any aspect of creating, obtaining, sharing and utilizing knowledge of any kind (Armstrong 9). The key role of HRM concerning knowledge is to conduct activities to develop, generate, and preserve any knowledge specific for the needs of the company. It is also essential to note that knowledge in the focus of HRM derives from organizational learning processes (Armstrong 9).

The next feature is reward management; it results directly from the incentive of HRM professionals to increase motivation, job management, and commitment of employees towards their company. These practices can be achieved by introducing policies of showing that employees are valued and rewarded according to their performance (Armstrong 9). It is essential to implement various reward instruments and schemes so that they would suit the whole range of competencies and skills of the company’s staff. In addition, the successful HRM strategy should not focus on restrictive sanctions for employees who fall behind in their performance; instead, it should emphasize strengths and promote potentially creative and committed individuals.

Fostering constructive and supportive employee relations is another feature of HRM. Promoting the working climate with productive and harmonious relationships is made possible through positive partnership between management and workplace (Armstrong 9). Trade unions are also involved in the employee relations to ensure the comprehensive effect of HRM in building the coherent and mutually satisfied employee structure. The main challenge of this process is in the next feature of HRM: meeting diverse needs of all company stakeholders (Armstrong 10). Individual and group needs have to be taken into account to design equal opportunities for all employees disregarding the peculiarities of their working style, aspirations, and capabilities.

Finally, the HRM feature is bridging the gap between rhetoric and reality. The company’s mission and vision, HR strategy and corporate responsibility are laid down in all written codes and regulations of the company, annual reports and presentations for shareholders. However, as soon as the planned HR practices are implemented, a number of barriers (including limited support, inadequate infrastructure, lack of resources etc.) preclude those strategies from being successfully introduced. Hence, the ability of HRM nowadays is in identifying such gaps and allocating proper resources for making HR strategies a commonplace organizational reality (Armstrong 10).

Drawing certain conclusions from the discussed HRM features, one can come to understanding the key HRM characteristics shaping its modern image and structure. They are as follows:

diverse (it is essential to encourage diversity in HRM practices because of the integrated, comprehensive and over-grasping focus of HRM aimed at creating a harmonious, homogeneous, and at the same time individually tailored structure of employee relationships with management) (Armstrong 9):

• strategically focused, with emphasis on integration (there is no place for an isolated approach anymore; HRM is embedded in all aspects of corporate functioning, striving to the creation of a coherent, interlinked employee system) (Armstrong 9);
• oriented on commitment (only under the condition of employee trust and loyalty towards the company, HRM can achieve the stipulated corporate goals and make the human resources act as a unifying and enacting force for other company assets) (Armstrong 9);
• HRM is based on the belief that working individuals should be treated as assets, i.e. the human capital (in other way common HRM strategies and assessment tools would not work) (Armstrong 9);
• unitarist and individualistic approach towards employee relations (the workforce should act as a unified, congruent force, but at the same time individual needs, wants, aspirations and ambitions should be taken into account and encouraged to ensure corporate growth and accumulation of intelligence and knowledge) (Armstrong 9);
• management-driven (HRM is seen as a line management responsibility, changing the nature of HRM delivery) (Armstrong 10);
• focused on business values (human resources are nurtured, developed and managed, but always with the proper respect to the company objectives; the HRM should always be consistent with business objectives) (Armstrong 10).

There are a large number of specific and general goals pursued by modern HRM, but considerable research and review have allowed to focus on the twelve dominant policy goals proposed by Caldwell (2004) and cited in Armstrong:

• People constituting an organizational workforce should be treated as the asset crucial for the creation of the competitive advantage for the company in the marketplace. The essence of the goal is to gain the competitive level of performance for the company to become a strong contender with a firm position in the market; it is vital to realize that even under the condition of having plentiful resources of other kind, the company will never achieve success because of the inability to utilize the resources. Without the workforce, there will be no tools for operating and manipulating the company’s resources for the sake of economic profit. Hence, the human capital is the most essential asset possessed by the company, and it has to be treated accordingly (Armstrong 10).
• The HRM policies have to be aligned with the business policies and corporate strategy of every given company. This goal explains the very purpose of HRM existence – through the effective and thoughtful management of the company’s human capital, the HRM department assists the company in gaining the competitive advantage in the market and increasing the employee performance through commitment and encouragement of creativity (Armstrong 10).
• The HRM system is aimed at developing a close fit of HR policies, procedures and systems with one another. Only under the condition of the close connection and alignment of all HR elements within the organizational structure, the successful implementation of HRM principles becomes possible and potentially profitable for the company (Armstrong 10).
• The HRM is responsible for creating a flatter and more flexible organization. The ultimate goal of that effort is to make the company more responsive to the changes of the internal and external business environment. The modern business world is characterized by a high level of turbulence and uncertainty, crises in all spheres of human activity, hence only the affluent and flexible business entities can survive in the harsh atmosphere of making business. The HRM effort can make the company stronger from the inside and reinforce its outer strengths (Armstrong 10).
• The HRM should encourage teamwork and cooperation inside the organization. The specific advantage of such efforts can be seen in the strengthening of the employee interconnection, mutual support and emotional intelligence (Armstrong 10).
• The creation of a strong customer-first philosophy throughout the organization is another policy goal of HRM; the main focus of HRM is driven on the individually correct but still corporately shaped system of employee management, training and rewarding. The employees have to realize their value for the company to be able to provide their respect and commitment to the customer in turn (Armstrong 10).
• Employees have to be empowered for self-management, learning and development. HRM creates the basis for corporate leadership programs to educate the company’s leaders, professionals and inspirers instead of hiring them from outside (Armstrong 10).
• HRM should develop rewarding strategies directly tied to employee performance. Despite the commonly known criticism of the approach, financial incentives still remain a powerful driving force in the increase of performance and commitment (Armstrong 11).
• Internal communication improvement is the goal for HRM effort because of its importance for employee involvement in the company issues. The better the employees are informed about the internal matters of their company, the more trusting their relationships with the employer are, and the higher the commitment is (Armstrong 11).
• A more general HRM is in building the greater employee commitment; it can be achieved by additional means other than financial ones, including strengthening the corporate culture, involving employees in extra-work events and promoting various activities exploring the employees’ talents, ambitions and abilities (Armstrong 11).
• Increasing line management responsibility for the HR policies is another major goal of HRM; as it has been already mentioned, HRM is growing in its importance and grasps others areas of company functioning. Therefore, HRM is equal in responsibilities with line management, providing more ties and interconnections between the internal aspects of management (Armstrong 11).
• Finally, HRM should empower managers in the role of enablers. This refers both to the allocation of financial resources for solving some urgent business matters, and to the empowerment of capable employees offering their potential and creativity to the company (Armstrong 11).

Strategic HRM

Strategic HRM is substantially different from the RHM process itself because it focuses mainly on the activities affecting the behavior of individuals in an effort to formulate and introduce strategic needs of the business (Armstrong and Baron 41). Hence, one can understand that the strategic HRM reflects not the real-time, but the future intentions of the organization regarding the HRM organization, procedures and policies. It includes the long-term people issues, defining the HR strategies that have to be identified for the future effort of the HRM department. In addition, the strategic HRM peculiarity is that it concerns the macro-concerns at the organizational level, including the structure, values, culture, performance, rewards, motivation etc. The aim of strategic HRM deriving from its features consists in the creation of the strategic capability for the company to possess the highly committed, skilled and motivated employees to enhance the company’s competitive advantage in terms of human assets. In order to achieve that aim, the strategic HRM needs to fulfill the individual and collective needs of the employees to further on implement coherent and practical HR policies and programs (Armstrong and Baron 41-42).

Before proceeding to the practical discussion of existing HRM strategies, one has to identify the modern approaches to HRM strategy; they include the classical, processual and systemic ones, having many proponents and followers in the global theoretical HRM thought. The classical approach defends the ‘cold’ analysis of organizational environment and the company’s internal resources, with the further identification of strategic options and final implementation of the chosen strategy (Wilczek 2). It is vital to remember that there is a clear distinction between the authorities responsible for strategy generation and implementation thereof. According to the classical approach, strategies are created by top management and implemented by operational managers (Wilczek 2).

The processual approach promotes the strategic flexibility of the company; it argues that strategies are formulated and implemented in an integrated, non-disruptive manner at all levels of an organization. The approach is more viable for the company in a turbulent environment, with the clear need for expertise and creativity at all levels of the organizational structure (Wilczek 3). The third approach, however, includes the socio-cultural and economic context of the countries in which the strategy is formulated into the strategic HRM process. The proponents of the systemic approach argue that cultural and geographical differences seriously affect the process of strategy formation as well as its outcomes (Wilczek 3).

Consequently, proceeding to the models of strategic HRM, one has to identify its nature as a search of the ‘best fit’ within the organizational structure. The strategic fit is the central concept of strategic HRM, also called the matching model. The essence of the model is in making the HR strategy aligned with business strategies of the company (representing the vertical fit) (Armstrong and Baron 44). The vertical fit is the integral part contributing to the business planning process in an organization; it has to match the life cycle stages of the company and be individually tailored to the dynamics of its development (Armstrong and Baron 46).

The horizontal fit is nevertheless as important as the vertical one, as the HR strategies have to be aligned from the inside, i.e. there should be a high level of coherence between the different elements of people strategies (Armstrong and Baron 44). The logical interconnection among the mutually supportive practices of the HR strategy can ensure the success of the horizontal fit, making the HR strategy the ‘best fit’, the chief objective of the overall corporate strategy. The resource-based approach to HRM strategy also provides a sound foundation for the development and implementation of strategic HRM within the organization; it dictates the resource-based approach to all tangible and intangible assets possessed by the company, and utilization thereof with the purpose of being competitive in the market (Armstrong and Baron 53).

Functions Reflected in Business Practices

The success of any organization depends on the allocation of proper human resources in proper positions to ensure their full engagement, job satisfaction and adequate rewards for the performance; however, the current review of staffing practices has shown much incongruence with the ideal objectives stipulated in each HRM department. The wrongdoings include hoarding professionals at the expense of the organization, fostering promotions on biased principles without consideration of organization-wide options, limiting individual opportunities and depriving them from feedback, promoting decrease of confidence etc. (Fombrun, Tichy, and Devanna 58). All of them lead to employee turnover and loss of intelligence, knowledge and expertise.

Introducing the strategic HRM practices in staffing now plays the crucial role in the success of the organization in the accomplishment of its business objectives. The key processes are the specification of qualification, identification of people possessing those skills, and relocating the employees to the positions that fit them the most (Fombrun et al. 58). The staffing policies are affected by the dominant corporate culture and the stage of business development (the start-up business will conduct recruiting activities to form the staff, while the business at a stage of decline can relocate the existing staff or even involve professionals from external resources to revitalize the organization). Some constructive modern HRM practices regarding staffing within an organization include job posting, management development, and succession planning for the sake of HRM integration in all fields of organizational functioning (Fombrun et al. 65).

Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal is another central element of successful HRM because it provides the assessment and identification of critical job behaviors of the management, specifying the objectives of each manage, and agreeing on the steps and resources necessary for the achievement of those objectives (Fombrun et al. 87). There is a high risk of selective focusing in the performance appraisal, especially concerning the top management, because of lack of subjectivity and absence of anonymity. Hence, the innovative HRM practices in appraisal have to be introduced to ensure the successful accomplishment of business goals and strategies.

There are several categories of measures that can be used for performance appraisal; outcome measures are a strong indicator, but they fail to support the appraisal system in full because of the focus on results depriving managers of the opportunity to assess the process of achieving results. This approach may cause the deterioration of the system instead of its improvement, so the behavioral measures should complement the outcome ones (Fombrun et al. 91). Behavioral measures help identify the critical behavior that may aid employees in completing the objectives stipulated for their position, and the critical incident technique may be implemented for the assessment of the employee correspondence to their positions. Behavior measures are also highly helpful in selecting employees and establishing monetary rewards (Fombrun et al. 94).

The job behavioral analysis is utilized to identify the activities top managers have to conduct to implement the strategic plan. Here two types of training programs have proven to assist in objective achievement: accurate recording of what is seen, and giving feedback as well as setting the performance goals. These programs ensure objectivity and enhance the development of self-management capabilities to promote business strategies on the organization-wide level (Fombrun et al. 100).

Compensation and Benefit

The reward system in any organization may play both functional and dysfunctional roles because of the motivation or discouragement that it may bring to the employees. However, it is essential to note that the compensation system, in case it is properly designed, may become the key contributor to the effectiveness of the HR strategy and employee commitment increase. The strategic role of the reward system lies within the behavioral effect it may produce on employees, hence it has to be thoroughly considered in order to estimate the drives and incentives to be used in the effective HRM system design (Fombrun et al. 127).

The first outcome a successful reward system may offer to the company is the attraction and retention of employees. It is widely known that the companies offering the highest monetary rewards still attract the largest numbers of employees and retain them stronger and longer than other companies do. Hence, the monetary motivation turns out to be fairly strong nowadays (Fombrun et al. 128). In addition, the motivation outcome is also the direct consequence of the properly designed reward system – employees who earn more are more committed to their company, they possess a higher level of loyalty and resourcefulness towards their employer.

The organizational culture is also affected by the reward system; the way rewards are developed, administered and managed affect the culture and shape its type, e.g. participant, entrepreneurial or other ones (Fombrun et al. 128). Reinforcement and definition of the company structure are also affected by the reward system – as usual, the hierarchical structure of corresponding rewarding systems for different levels of management (Fombrun et al. 128). Finally, the compensation to employees affects the cost structure of the company. The salaries to employees traditionally constitute a large share of the company’s operating costs; hence, the thoughtful design of rewards and appraisals may save the company a considerable sum of money and help it allocate resources more productively.

HRM now plays an increasingly important role in building the business strategy and achieving the competitive advantage in the marketplace. With the emergence of the innovative approach to human resources as the strongest company asset, a variety of HRM approaches has been developed to assist the company in aligning people management with the business objectives and strategies. Therefore, it is totally possible to state that the modern organizational structure welcomes an integrated HRM system having equal opportunities and responsibilities with line management and operating in a wide range of areas to sustain the company’s consistence with its strategies.

The basis of the HRM processes is successful staffing, planning, management, identification of reward systems, identification of the company’s internal resources etc. All these activities are called to enhance the company’s competitive position and to reinforce its human capital potential. Strategic HRM is focused on the future perspectives pursued by the company, so it is directed at the macro-environment of the organization. The key processes and functions of strategic HRM constitute effective staffing (that is, proper allocation of employees according to their potential and skills), performance appraisal (both according to the behavioral patterns and outcome measures), and design of effective reward systems that would assist the company in accomplishing its business strategy.

Works Cited

Armstrong, Michael. A handbook of human resource management practice . 10 th ed. London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2006. Print.

Armstrong, Michael, and Angela Baron. Strategic HRM: the key to improved business performance . London: CIPD Publishing, 2002. Print.

Bratton, John, and Jeffrey Gold. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice . 2 nd ed. New Jersey: Routledge, 2001. Print.

Fombrun, J. Charles, Tichy, M. Noel, and Mary Anne Devanna. Strategic human resource management. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, 1984. Print.

Mathis, L. Robert, and John H. Jackson. Human resource management . 12 th ed. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2008.  Print.

Wilczek, Tim. The “Classical Model” for Practising Human Resource Management: …or is There a Need for an Integrated Approach Including Specialised Human Resource Strategies? Norderstedt, Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2008. Print.

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Human Resource Management: An introduction

Learning objectives.

• Define HRM and explain its evolution over the years.
• Explain the role of HRM in organizations.
• Define, discuss and explain the major HRM activities.
• Explain the professional and personal skills needed to be successful in HRM.
• Understand the role of the Ontario HR professional – HRPA.
• Understand how the business context influences HRM.

Every organization, large or small, uses a variety of capital to make the business work. Capital includes cash, valuables, or goods used to generate income for a business. For example, a retail store uses registers and inventory, while a consulting firm may have proprietary software or buildings. No matter the industry, all companies have one thing in common: they must view people as intellectual capital. This will be our focus throughout the text: achieving organizational effectiveness through the use of people’s skills and abilities.

What Is HRM?

Human Resource Management (HRM) is an integrated set of processes, practices, programs, and systems in an organization that focuses on the effective deployment and development of its employees.  These processes include employing people, training them, compensating them, developing policies relating to them, and developing strategies to retain them. It is, by most accounts, one of the most critical functions of an organization, because for an organization to be efficient, it needs employees and systems that support them. Think of an organization that you admire (you can use Fortune’s ranking of the World’s Most Admired companies and Canada’s Top 100 employers , an annual ranking). If you look closely at these companies, you’ll find that they are all built, without exception, around efficient, strong, and innovative HR processes.

HRM: A Short History

As a field, HRM has a long history. It takes root in the study of psychology, organizational behaviour, and industrial engineering. The field has undergone many changes over the last twenty years, giving it an even more important role in today’s organizations. In the past, human resource management (HRM) was called the personnel department. This department was in charge of hiring people and dealing with the paperwork related to employment. More recently, however, the personnel department has been divided into human resource management and human resource development, as these functions continue to evolve. More recently, HR departments often contain “people” and “culture” in their nomenclature in order to broaden the understanding of the organizational influence of HR. HRM is crucial to an organization’s success and serves a key support role in a company’s strategic planning because so many businesses today depend on people to support their vision and accomplish their mission.

Figure 1.1. Examples of Differences between Personnel Management and HRM

In the book HR From the Outside In (Ulrich, Younger, Brockbank, & Ulrich, 2012), the authors describe the evolution of HR work in four “waves”. 1  (see Figure 1.2).

Early 1900s: Wave 1 focused on the administrative work of HR personnel, such as the terms and conditions of work, delivery of HR services, and regulatory compliance (e.g., payroll). This administrative side still exists in HR today, but it is often accomplished differently via technology and outsourcing solutions.

1970s: Wave 2 focused on the design of innovative HR practice areas, such as, compensation, learning, and sourcing. The HR professionals in these practice areas began to interact and share with each other to build a consistent approach to human resource management. The HR credibility in Wave 2 came from the delivery of “best-practice” HR solutions.

1990s: Wave 3 has focused on the integration of HR strategy with the overall business strategy. Human resources appropriately began to look at the business strategy to determine what HRM priorities to work on and how to best use resources. HR began to be a true partner to the business, and the credibility of HRM was dependent upon HR having a seat at the table when the business was having strategic discussions.

2000s: In Wave 4, HRM continues to be a partner to the business, but has also become a competitive practice for responding to external business conditions. Organizations get ahead of the competition with their HRM practices.

Although each “wave” of HRM’s evolution is important and must be managed effectively, it is the “outside in” perspective that allows the human resource management function to shine via the external reputation and successes of the organization.

Figure 1 .2. 

The Role of HRM in Organizations

HRM is an ‘umbrella’ term for many different and interrelated functions. It is necessary to point out at the very beginning of this text, that every manager has a role relating to human resource management. Just because we do not have the title of HR manager, it does not mean we won’t perform all or at least some of the HRM tasks. For example, most managers deal with the selection, compensation, and motivation of employees—making these aspects not only part of HRM but also part of management in general. Most experts agree on eight main roles that HRM plays in an organization. These roles are described in the following sections.

Legislation and Law

It is very important that human resource managers are aware of all the laws that affect the workplace and they ensure that the processes in place abide by them. An HRM manager will work under the following legal frameworks:

• Federal Government
• Provincial Government
• Health and Safety Requirements
• Labour Laws
• Employment Standards

The legal environment of HRM is always changing, therefore, HRM must always be aware of changes taking place and then communicate the changes to the entire management organization. In this textbook, we have decided to address these laws in each relevant chapter instead of presenting them in a single chapter.

Corporate Policies

In addition to having to comply with the requirements mandated by law, every organization may have their own set of unique policies. These policies can be set to ensure fairness (e.g., vacation policy above and beyond those legally mandated), to enhance effectiveness (e.g., internet usage policy), or simply to reinforce the culture (e.g., dress code). Some of the roles of HRM are to identify issues that can be addressed by implementing a policy; these can range from chronic tardiness of employees to a lack of decorum in meetings. HRM, management and executives are all involved in the process of developing policies. For example, the HRM professional will likely recognize the need for a new policy or a change of policy, they will then seek opinions on the policy, write the policy, and then communicate that policy to employees. The range of policies that can be designed is endless; here are a few examples of innovative policies that can be found in some companies, including giving time-off to employees to volunteer in community organizations (to promote well-being and group work) and eliminating job titles.

Job Analysis and Design

Organizations rely on the execution of numerous and varied tasks. These tasks, which are often carried by employees, have to be structured in such a way to maximize efficiency. They should be clear and distinct from each other. They should also be performed by capable employees. HRM supports the definition, documentation and organization of these tasks through the processes of job analysis and job design..

Talent Acquisition

You need the right people to perform tasks and get work done in the organization. Even with the most sophisticated machines, humans are still needed, therefore, one of the major tasks in HRM is talent acquisition.. Talent acquisition involves the entire hiring process from posting a job to negotiating a salary package. Within the talent acquisition function, there are four main steps:

• Talent Management Strategy
• Human Resource (Capital) Plan
• Recruitment Plan
• Selection Process

Training and Development

Once we have spent the time to hire new employees, we want to make sure they are trained to do the job and continue to grow and develop new skills. This results in higher productivity for the organization. Training is also a key component in employee motivation. Employees who feel they are developing their skills tend to be happier in their jobs, which results in an increase of employee performance, productivity and retention.. Examples of training courses and programs might include the following:

• Job skills training, such as how to use a computer program
• Training on communication
• Team-building activities
• Policy and legal training, such as sexual harassment training, safety training and ethics training
• Time management skills

Performance Assessment and Management

Employee performance is a support role provided by HRM to the organization and management. HR has the responsibility of designing, maintaining and administering an organization’s performance management policies and systems. Basically, people have to be good at what they do. In a coffee shop, baristas have to produce a great cup of coffee, within a certain amount of time, and serve it to the customer in a pleasant manner. Every job is different and quite complex when you think of the different ways in which performance is defined. It is the role of the HRM professional to devise systems to measure this performance with precision and use this information to help the employee and the organization. Performance appraisal systems may include:

• A 360 appraisal process
• A behaviour checklist
• A graphic rating scale
• MBO or management by objectives
• Annual employee performance appraisals
• Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)

However, assessing performance is only the beginning. Once a measure of performance is obtained, the HRM professional uses it for multiple purposes, including:

• Provide feedback for employees
• Determine compensation (e.g., bonus, raise, etc.)
• Take disciplinary measures
• Support career development

Compensation and Benefits Administration

HRM professionals need to determine that compensation is fair, meets industry standards, and is high enough to entice people to work for the organization. Compensation includes anything the employee receives for his or her work. In addition, HRM professionals need to make sure the pay is comparable to what other people performing similar jobs are being paid. This involves setting up pay systems that take into consideration the number of years with the organization, years of experience, education, and also considers the results of external salary surveys. e.g. Hays Canada.. Total compensation (package) may include the following:

• Group Life and Health Insurance
• Retirement pension plans
• Stock grants and purchase plans
• Vacation time
• Sick leave and benefits
• Tuition reimbursement

Labour Relations

A labour union, also called a trade union or worker’s union, is an organization that represents the collective interests of employees. HRM professionals are involved in the negotiation (collective bargaining) and management of union contracts. These contracts typically cover compensation, work schedules, benefits, discipline, and other work-related processes. Unions are very prevalent throughout Canada. As such, an understanding of labour unions is very important to be effective.

Health and Safety

• Chemical hazards
• Heating and ventilation requirements
• Use of “no fragrance” zones
• Protection of private employee information

HR Analytics

Like every function in organizations, HRM has been drastically affected by technology. Today, a vast amount of information is collected about employees via Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). This information, in turn, can be used to support management decisions using sophisticated analytical tools. For example, a financial institution can implement quarterly employee satisfaction surveys (ESAT) and investigate predictors of ‘dips’ and ‘jumps’ in satisfaction. It could uncover that those employees working on the investment side of the business tend to be very stressed during the preparation of end-of-quarter fund performance reporting. Knowing this, they could implement special communication efforts and improved processes or training for those employees during critical business cycles of the year. We take a closer look at this exciting and relatively new HR function in Chapter 11 “HR Analytics”.

HRM as an Integrated Set of Processes.

HRM relies upon a sophisticated set of integrated process to help the organization manage human capital. The effectiveness of HRM lies in how well integrated these processes are and how well aligned they are with the mission and strategy of the organization. For example, a new policy on workplace safety protocols will only be effective if employees are trained to understand and respect it. In addition, that policy has little chance of taking hold if it is not part of the performance appraisal process. Finally, in a unionized environment, any policy will have to be designed with the cooperation of the labour union so that it is integrated into the collective agreement.

Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W. and Ulrich, M. (2012), “HR talent and the new HR competencies”, Strategic HR Review , Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 217-222.

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Module 15: Human Resource Management

Human resource management, learning outcomes.

• Describe the core functions of human resource management
• Explain how the functions of human resource management contribute to business success

What do all businesses have in common regardless of the product or service? Employees! Unless you are a sole proprietorship, you will have to navigate the process of planning for, recruiting, hiring, training, managing, and possibly firing employees. These responsibilities all fall under the heading of human resource management.

Human resource management ( HRM or  HR ) is essentially the management of human resources. It is a function in organizations designed to maximize employee performance in service of an employer’s strategic objectives. HR is primarily concerned with the management of people within organizations, focusing on policies and on systems. HR departments in organizations typically undertake a number of activities, including employee benefits design, employee recruitment, training and development, performance appraisal, and rewarding (e.g., managing pay and benefit systems). HR also concerns itself with organizational change and industrial relations, that is, the balancing of organizational practices with requirements arising from collective bargaining and from governmental laws.

HR is a product of the human relations movement of the early twentieth century, when researchers began documenting ways of creating business value through the strategic management of the workforce. The function was initially dominated by transactional work, such as payroll and benefits administration, but due to globalization, company consolidation, technological advances, and further research, HR to day includes strate gic initiatives like talent management, industrial and labor relations, and diversity and inclusion.

Most companies focus on lowering employee turnover and on retaining the talent and knowledge held by their workforce. Hiring a new employee is a costly process and there’s always a risk that the incoming employee won’t match the performance of the person who previously worked in that position. HR departments strive to offer benefits that will appeal to workers, thus reducing the risk of losing corporate knowledge. Businesses are moving globally and forming more diverse teams. It is the role of human resources to make sure that these teams can function and people are able to communicate cross-culturally and across borders. Due to changes in business, current topics in human resources are diversity and inclusion as well as using technology to advance employee engagement.

In short, HR involves maximizing employee productivity. HR managers may also focus on a particular aspect of HRM, such as recruiting, training, employee relations, or benefits. Recruiting specialists are in charge of finding and hiring top talent. Training and development professionals ensure that employees are trained and receive ongoing professional development. This takes place through training programs, performance evaluations, and reward programs. Employee relations deals with employee concerns and incidents such as policy violations, sexual harassment, and discrimination.  Benefit managers develop com pensation structures, family-leave programs, discounts, and other benefits available to employees. At the other end of the spectrum are HR generalists who work in all areas or as labor relations representatives for unionized employees.

Core Functions of HR

Human resources (HR) professionals conduct a wide variety of tasks within an organizational structure. A brief rundown on the core functions of human resource departments will be useful in framing the more common activities a human resource professional will conduct. The core functions can be summarized as follows:

This includes the activities of hiring new full-time or part-time employees, hiring contractors, and terminating employee contracts.

Staffing activities include:

• Identifying and fulfilling talent needs (through recruitment, primarily)
• Utilizing various recruitment technologies to acquire a high volume and diverse pool of candidates (and to filter them based on position requirements)
• Protecting the company from lawsuits by satisfying legal requirements and maintaining ethical hiring practices
• Writing employee contracts and negotiating salary and benefits
• Terminating employee contracts when necessary

Training and Professional Development

On-boarding new employees and providing professional development opportunities is a key investment for organizations, and HR is charged with seeing that those efforts and resources are well spent and utilized.

Development activities include:

• Training and preparing new employees for their roles
• Providing training opportunities (internal training, educational programs, conferences, etc.) to keep employees up to date in their respective fields
• Preparing management prospects and providing feedback to employees and managers

Compensation

Salary and benefits are also within the scope of human resource management. This includes identifying appropriate compensation based on role, performance, and legal requirements.

Compensation activities include:

• Setting compensation levels to be competitive and appropriate within the market, using benchmarks such as industry standards for a given job function
• Negotiating group health insurance rates, retirement plans, and other benefits with third-party providers
• Discussing raises and other compensation increases and/or decreases with employees in the organization
• Ensuring compliance with legal and cultural expectations when it comes to employee compensation

Safety and Health

HR managers are also responsible for understanding and implementing the best safety and health practices in their industry and addressing any relevant employee concerns.

Safety and health activities include the following:

• Ensuring compliance with legal requirements based on job function for safety measures (i.e., hard hats in construction, available counseling for law enforcement, appropriate safety equipment for chemists, etc.). Many of these requirements are specified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
• Implementing new safety measures when laws change in a given industry
• Discussing safety and compliance with relevant government departments
• Discussing safety and compliance with unions

Employee and Labor Relations

Defending employee rights, coordinating with unions, and mediating disagreements between the organization and its human resources are also core HR functions.

Employee and labor relations activities include:

• Mediating disagreements between employees and employers
• Mediating disagreements between employees and other employees
• Investigating claims of harassment and other workplace abuses
• Discussing employee rights with unions, management, and stakeholders
• Acting as the voice of the organization and/or the voice of the employees during any broader organizational issues pertaining to employee welfare

In this module you will explore each of these core functions in greater depth and also learn about the main challenges facing today’s HR professional.

Practice Questions

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Human Resources Essay for A+ Student Guide

• Essay Writing Guides

Students of management departments frequently face the need to compose a Human Resources essay because they need to learn to manage both people and processes. Thus, if you’re a student of this specialty, you will face the need to compose a Human Resources school essay sooner or later. Here we explain what an HR essay is, what format you should keep to, how you can complete such a paper quickly and efficiently, and what topics are trending now in the sphere of HRM.

If you’re wondering how to write a Human Resources essay, read on to find all the details here. Experts of our essay writing service team have prepared a guide for newbies to instruct you on all the writing steps. Still, if you feel unable to compose this work independently, it’s probably a good idea to hire a skilled Human Resources essay writer from our team.

Don’t hesitate to contact us and get a well-written, properly structured, and polished paper deserving an A; we’ve got you covered and can help you with any academic emergency you might experience at an HR course. You can easily place an “ do my assignment ” order on our website and get an expert with years of industry-specific expertise assigned to your project in minutes.

Human Resources Essay Format

When discussing the Human Resources essay format, you need to keep in mind that it’s still an essay, differing from other works of this type only by the topic. However, all essays follow the same format and structuring, knowing which can help you complete such a paper hassle-free. You can see this universal structure in many Human Resources school essay examples available online.

Let’s recap the basic essay structure in relation to the HR specialization.

Introduction

The introductory part of your Human Resources plan essay should include a discussion of your area of focus. HRM is a broad sphere of professional practice and research interest, so you need to find a subtopic within that area and explain it to the readers. After describing the context, you need to specify the problem you’re going to explore and end the introductory section with a concise thesis statement.

The body of your essay should focus on the arguments you’ve elicited when researching the chosen topic. As you might see in any Human Resources essay example, the body is typically divided into paragraphs, each of which is dedicated to one specific argument. Follow this structure as well to enhance your essay’s readability and make it coherent.

A conclusion is the final part of any Human Resources essay writing process. You can’t do without a brief and precise summary of your content. You also need to revisit your thesis statement and explain how your knowledge progressed throughout this paper’s writing. A strong finale of any essay is a reference to the broader context and explanation of how your research informs the broader HRM field.

Write Human Resources Essay in 5 Steps

When it comes to essay writing, Human Resources is not that challenging. The only thing you need to remember is that following an explicit, understandable research and writing algorithm makes the task much more manageable.

Here’s the algorithm our pros recommend to students regardless of their level of expertise:

• Select a topic that speaks to you. It should be exciting and relatively new so that you can advance your knowledge and derive pleasure from examining a subject of your personal interest.
• Be clear about the outcome of your essay; you need to know what goals you’re trying to achieve, developing your content according to the predetermined scenario.
• Research the subject to collect reliable, valuable evidence on the subject.
• Produce an outline to have a roadmap and stay on topic during the whole writing process.
• Record all sources you have used in content creation and reference them correctly to avoid plagiarism accusations.

Need expert help with your essays, but also want to save some money?

Human Resources Essay Topics

Topic selection is one of the most widespread challenges students face when approaching an HR essay task. To help you cover this step quickly, writers of our essay service have formulated a handy list of Human Resources essay topics.

• How well are equal employment opportunities provided in the 21st century?
• HR planning and retention: implications for the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Essentials of strategic HR management.
• Has the traditional HR management survived the coronavirus pandemic?
• Key steps of job analysis.
• Training human resources in the conditions of remote work.
• Risk management techniques in the HR field.
• Different approaches to calculating paid leave.
• Workplace techniques for interpersonal conflict resolution.
• The role of HR in the company’s preservation of competitive advantage in the global market.
• Determining the right mix of monetary and non-monetary rewards for staff.
• The role of personality traits in team composition.
• Agile approaches to HRM.
• Modern techniques and approaches to international staff management.
• A goal-oriented approach to staff productivity and morale improvement.
• A variety of workplace violence manifestations.
• Implications of psychological counseling provision to employees in the workplace.
• Presence of gender disparities in work terms and pay.
• Various faces of workplace discrimination: examining the causes and responses to those incidents.
• What are the best methods of complying with the equal employment opportunity legislation?
• Managing diversity in the workplace: 21st-century implications.
• Leadership training and promotion among staff.
• The strategic benefits of in-house leadership training for business performance.
• New talent acquisition: innovative techniques and approaches.
• An ideal employee profile for SMEs.
• Experience vs. talent in new employee recruitment.
• The role of HR in fostering compliance with COVID-19 rules.
• Contribution of HR to compliance with health and safety recommendations.
• What steps can HR managers take to identify, manage, and prevent employee burnout?
• HR strategies directed at long-term staff retention.
• The contribution of AI to HR activities and functions.
• Is virtual onboarding as effective as offline one?
• Should businesses pay for their staff’s education?
• Soft vs. hard skills’ consideration in the recruitment process.
• Different approaches to compensation package design.

How to Start a Human Resources Essay

The final point we’d like to discuss here is the art of starting a Human Resources essay. It’s essential to give your essay a good start; otherwise, you may spend much more time on its composition than you initially planned, thus wasting the vital free time or the hours you previously allocated for other assignments. Here are the principles of a quick, easy essay start:

• Choose the right topic to simplify the writing process.

It should be relevant to your class material, engaging, and new to a certain degree. Expand your existing knowledge instead of trying to explore something entirely new for you.

• Research the subject extensively.

Don’t start writing before you’re sure that you have enough material for the whole paper. Students often get stuck in the middle of their essays because they haven’t conducted thorough research from the very beginning.

• Use practical examples.

HR is an applied sphere of human activity, so you can never produce a high-quality paper without referring to real-life evidence.

It’s also vital to choose argumentative Human Resources essay topics, as they are sure to give you more ideas and avenues for proving your standpoint and examining various evidence from multiple angles.

The paper  “Top Paint Limited – Theoretical Vis-a-Vis Practical Aspects of HR Factors” is an intriguing example of human resources case study. This paper is an evaluation of Human Resource (HR) faced by Top Paints Limited (TPL). This evaluation involves the evaluation of theoretical vis-a-vis practical aspects of HR factors.

Performance Management

The purpose of managing employee performance is not only to improve productivity. It is also to ensure that the employees find their work environment (e.g. in terms of culture, policies, style, systems of communication, etc) tolerable (Shore & Strauss, 600). The premise here is that if an employee finds the working environment to be in conflict with his/her career and other related expectations, then his/her performance is affected from the start, and no performance management strategies can help him/her. Besides specific strategies to boost the performance of the existing workforce, the first and most important performance management tool is strategic recruitment and selection.

The contemporary organization/company places emphasis on the organizational culture. This has led to the need for besides a written contract- psychological contract, i.e. an unwritten (psychological) understanding of the expectations that both the employee and employer have of each other, and that both parties will reciprocate each other’s efforts (Bratton & Gold 278). This is part of managing employee behavior. The premise here is that it is only those employees whose expectations are within the scope of the organizational culture and expectations who will have the right motivation for good performance.

What this implies is that the role and level of performance are not only in the hands of the employees. In fact, how employees perform primarily depends on whether the organizational structure and culture, as reflected in its leadership, helps it (Bratton & Gold 279). TPL’s structure, i.e. the traditional approach to command and control is a major impediment to employee freedom, creativity, motivation, and ultimately, performance. And while the organization uses performance appraisal for measuring employee performance, measurability being a major aspect of performance, it is not taken seriously. Instead, it is a mere routine.

Reward Management

The reward can be both monetary and non-monetary (e.g. psychological reward, the satisfaction of challenge, etc) (Bratton & Gold, 278). Indeed, reward management is a key tool for facilitating sound competition between employees, boosting employee motivation, and ultimately improving performance. Therefore, reward, as a tool for performance management, encourages and enhances positive employee attitudes and behaviors and financial gains.

TPL has established a reward system for its employees. This is especially through career development, e.g. promotion, and annual pay increment. Both of these are monetary forms of reward. For instance, promotion comes with a pay increase. Unfortunately, there are two key implications here. One, TPL does not seem to recognize the fact that, as Bratton and Gold (279) put it, financial rewards have bearing on cost-effectiveness and financial profitability. In other words, rewards mean expenditure. TPL’s profits have been on the decline for ten years so that the recent failure to make profits has or should have been anticipated. Yet the company still sticks by its monetary reward system, thereby adding more pressure to its already declining finances. This first implication leads to another, i.e. TPL has overlooked other reward methods and systems. In another word, it has failed to recognize that financial rewards are merely ‘superficial’ and must be accompanied by other rewards systems.

But all this equally raises one big question: if the company has been on the decline, then what has it been rewarding its employees for? Even further, why has the organization not realized that its rewards are not resulting in the reasons for which rewards are given?  This is not to say that the company should not reward its employees. Instead, it should also consider non-monetary rewards, .e. g. psychological contract through encouraging employee freedom and creativity. Equally, the company should recognize that rewards are not the only tools for improving employee performance. This must work in conjunction with other organizational and management elements. However, all this depends on the HRM.

Human Resource Development

This refers to strategic efforts by a company’s Human Resource Management (HRM) (Bratton & Gold 279; Torrington et al 599) to develop its workforce in line with its key business strategies. In other words, it involves strategic recruitment and selection of employees who will enhance a company’s chances of reaching its goals and objectives. The first step towards strategic human resources development, therefore, is to identify the strategies to be undertaken. Identifying strategies depends on proper study and understanding of both the internal and external organizational environment.

TPL, to begin with, seems to lack any key strategy. The company controls the whole value chain of its products all the way from inception to manufacturing and delivery. Considering the company’s financial troubles, it should be clear that this control is overwhelming for its capacity. In other words, it is about time that the company gave up some of its control(s) to other parties, e.g. distribution to other wholesalers and retailers. This would help it focus its workforce on specific strategies. This would facilitate the company’s strategic recruitment and selection, and retention of employees.

Part of strategic HRD is training. It is clear that the problem here is the approach used. While the company encourages training, it focuses mainly on a theoretical approach, i.e. the training does not subject employees to one-on-one interaction with job practicalities. In other words, employees lack on-the-job experience.

Equality and Diversity

Equality and diversity are part of strategic HRD. The external environment, unlike TPL’s internal environment, is made of a diverse population: men and women, young and old, able-bodied and disabled, people from various ethnicities, including minority groups, etc. Winning a competitive advantage in a diverse marketplace requires an equally diverse workplace (Kirton & Greene, 7). Unfortunately, TPL has failed in this. The company has fewer employees from minority groups and women. While some of these are in the technical and managerial levels, the company has provided and encouraged their career progress. Further, the whole Board of Directors is composed of white males, as are other senior managers.

Are you ready to get things finally done?

The paper  “Human Resource Development at Top Paint Limited” is an apposite example of human resources case study. The problems facing Top Paints Limited can be addressed by focusing on the root cause of the problems facing the individual employees. Statistics indicate that the company’s workforce is paralyzed and is characterized by such symptoms as low productivity, poor working relationships, and low morale. The decline in the company’s performance stems from the problems facing the workforce which would call for a change in the company’s HR policies for the company to regain its strength. This paper will refer to human resource theories and practices to help address the problems facing the company. Four areas of HR policy and practices will be evaluated: performance management, human resource development, and reward management.

Performance management

Performance management is an ongoing process in which an organization identifies, measures,s and develops the output or performance of individuals or teams and later compares this with the goals set by the organization. Performance management arises from the complexities arising from the world of business (Mabey, Salaman & Storey, 1999). Several models of performance management have been adopted but there is no one universally accepted model. Mabey, Salaman, and Storey (1999) argue that any model of performance management should include these elements:

• Feedback of performance results
• Setting objectives
• Amendments to activities and objectives
• Reward system based on performance outcomes
• Measuring of performance

The goal-setting theory was proposed by Edwin Locke (1968). According to this theory, individual goals that are established by an employee perform crucial roles in motivating the employee to have increased performance (Salaman, Storey & Billsberry, 2005). This assumption arises from the fact that the employees keep monitoring their goals; failure to achieve these goals call for the employee to increase their performance or adjust their goals so that they become real. The end result of setting the goal is thus to improve the employees’ performance.

According to expectancy theory, employees in an organization will adjust their behaviors based on the anticipated satisfaction of the goals they have set. As such, individuals will adjust their behaviors in a manner that will lead them to attain their goals. Employees of the TPL seem not to have these theories in mind since the company has employed a command and control management approach. As such, the employees cannot show their capabilities since they work under the instructions of their superior.

To address the problem, TPL should implement a performance management system instead of the command and control approach.

The system can work well if the employees are provided an opportunity to set their goals as per the company requirement. The employees should be allowed to work freely as long as they are able to achieve these goals; this can be determined by measuring the performance (Mabey, Salaman & Storey, 1999). Further, the performance management system should clearly set the rewards that an employee can get based on the expected outcome as mentioned in the expectancy theory; this helps to motivate the employee.

Reward management

This entails developing, maintaining, and establishing a system whose main aim is to reward employees within a firm or a business. This system provides a fair and equitable way of appreciating the values of the employees whose output to the organization is considered valuable. Various theories have been formulated in the field of human resources to address the issue of reward management. An example of such theories is motivation theory which calls for the motivation of employees for them to be beneficial or more productive to an organization. Salaman, Storey, and Billsberry (2005) consider the reward to be either monetary or non-monetary.

Victor Vroom’s theory referred to as “Vroom’s Valence x Expectancy Theory” better helps to understand the relationship between reward and motivation. According to Gellman (2009), this theory entails the mental process involved in the choices made by an employee. According to this theory, there is a direct relationship between the predisposition to act in a certain manner and the strength of the expectations or rewards that may come as a result of the act (Gellman, 2009). When the employees are assured that there is a better performance appraisal, they are motivated to improve their performance (Salaman, Storey & Billsberry, 2005). For employees to be motivated, this theory sets three conditions that must be met: additional effort would result in better performance, the well-done job should be associated with rewards like pay-rise or bonuses, rewards provided should be satisfactory to the employee.

TPL has not been able to retain its employees since it does not motivate the able employees to stay. To address this problem, the company should have a reward system through bonuses whenever performance is improved. The current company’s pay system is very inflexible since the salary is increased on yearly basis regardless of personal or company performance. With the current pay system, the employees do not need to work extra harder as they are not guaranteed any rewards. TPL should thus introduce a flexible reward system so that it can motivate the employee and retain them instead of losing and recruiting new ones.

Equity and diversity

Workforce diversity entails the inclusion of all types of persons in corporate performance. Today, many organizations view diversity as a competitive advantage which gives rise to economic advantage to the organization when incorporated into the strategic business goals (Bratton & Gold, 2003). In many countries, workforce diversity is streamlined in the policy and the legal framework that provides provisions for anti-discrimination cases (Thompson, 2003). According to Dickens (1999), diversity is the variety of cultural and social identities among people in a common employment setting. Various cultural and social attributes determine diversity: gender, race, education, beliefs, religion, age, disability among others. Various approaches can be employed in managing diversity. One such approach is the mainstream approach that refers to self-categorization and the self-identity theories. The self-identity theory entails group membership and behaviors. On the other hand, the self-categorization theory entails how individuals stereotype their attitudes and behaviors so that they can associate themselves with particular groups. These theories help to avoid any group conflict that may have a negative impact on workplace performance (Bratton & Gold, 2003).

TPL has failed to address the issue of equality and diversity since there are few women and people from ethnic minorities. Further, this group of employees does not progress in terms of promotion even when they are the very-able. For TPL to progress, there is a need for the company to create equal opportunities for all the employees. Failure to create such an opportunity for the minority people, disabled, and women would make them feel discriminated and thus their output is affected.

Human resource development

The concept of human resource development is considered as a theory that aims at developing human capital by developing the individual and the organization to improve their performances (Wang, 2004). Human resource capacities can be developed through further education. This can be done through career development and training. The outcome of HRD has increased competencies which ensure that current and future jobs are performed effectively (Wang, 2004).

TPL has been training its staff on how to carry out their functions whenever new roles and new technologies are introduced. It is thus expected that the accident rate below and performance should be improved. However, this is not the case since most training is done off-site. To avoid the problem, TPL’s consultant should train the employees at the site in order to improve efficiency. A paradigm shift from off-site to on-site would thus yield positive results towards improved performance since the employee would acquire real practical knowledge.

The paper  “The Human Resource Management  Difficulties Experienced by Top Paint Limited” is a dramatic example of human resources case study. Top Paints Limited (TPL) has been facing many challenges. It has experienced a steady decline from a relevant strong position ten years ago where it made no profit this year for the first time ever. The entire workforce in TPL has been creating a lot of dissatisfaction, which has led to low morale, low productivity, and poor relationships at work. This has also resulted in an increase in absenteeism, product complaints, and service complaints. Thus, this shows a flawed human resource activity in TPL and there is a need to give priority in the following areas to find a lasting solution to these problems in TPL; performance management, reward management, human resource development, and equality and diversity.

The employees in TPL lack the opportunity to be initiative since the top-level management is always acting on instructions. This shows a lack of cooperation between the employees and the top management that in turn reduced their morale in working and in turn reducing their productivity. This calls for the employment of management processes in order to manage individuals in an effective manner with an aim of achieving high levels in the performance of the organization. There is a need to close the gap between management and employees by establishing a shared understanding to develop a strong workforce for the achievement of TPL’s goals. As the employees have developed negative attitudes between them and management, individuals need to be guided in order to feel that work satisfying, fulfilling, and capable of development in any way. This can be supported by the application of the goal-setting theory in order to link the performance of the tasks with goal setting. Because the entire company seems to have lost its main objective, there is a need to set specific goals that are challenging in addition to appropriate feedback in order to come up with better performance. This will give the employees a path or a direction to follow on the needs to be done and the efforts required to achieve the goal. This will be achieved if the employees are also given the opportunities to be initiative. The main source of motivation for the job will be the willingness of the employees to freely work towards the achievement of goals. If the employees will be provided with clear and specific goals in addition to being open to their comments on work. With the provision of challenging and realistic goals, the employees will have the reason to work and feel proud and as triumphant as they achieve the goals. Another important thing that failed to work in TPL is the provision of appropriate feedback on employee’s performance. Feedback will be essential as a way of making clarifications, regulating difficulties in goals, gaining a reputation in a way that the involvement of the employees will lead to job satisfaction and being more productive. On the other hand, the managers should ensure that they should interact and behave in a way that promotes and allows better relationships in work. They should also be able to gauge themselves according to output such that, if the job is interesting, the performance should also be better (Armstrong, 1998)

From the case study, it is clear that the salaries earned by the employees are flat. The pay spine is very inflexible such that the talented people end up looking for greener pastures in better-paying companies while the less competitive are left due to lack of any other option. This leads to low productivity and low performance. In addition, there is no reward in case of any improvement in performance. Due to this, there is a need for a reward management process that will involve the development and implementation of the company’s strategies and policies. This will enable the firm to achieve its objectives as well as retaining its competitive employees in accordance with the needs of the employees through increasing their commitment and motivation. If the employees will be rewarded according to their value and their potential contributions to the company, they will feel comfortable working in a firm that recognizes their efforts. The management must also recognize each employee’s capability and set goals that match with their intuitiveness (Armstrong, 495). This can be supported by a broad banding structure or system that shows that the progress of employees is more dependent on improvement than promotion, the flexibility of the system, putting decisions on managers’ hands so that they have more responsibility towards the staff and finally employees increase their incentives in achieving their goals. This means that the success of the organization is dependent on the recognition of the efforts of each employee through rewards that later lead to more efforts and profitability (Stredwick, 13).

Although TPL carries through training of its staff, there are still complaints and accidents due to repetition of mistakes. In addition, there is hostility and disbelief in case one tries to bring change or being initiative. In this case, human resources development is very essential, as the success of TPL will depend on the management of the workforce. Thus, there is a need to develop strategies that will ensure an increase in manufacturing and gaining a competitive advantage through proper management and development of employees to be more productive. This is enhanced through the development of strategies based on informed decisions and the involvement of the employees. TPL needs also to develop a policy on recruitment and selection to ensure the selection of a competitive and diverse workforce (Beardwell, 197).

This is supported by classical approach theory, which ensures that the strategy process will involve a comprehensive understanding of the internal and external environment, selecting on strategic choices and implementation of the plans, and ensuring management decisions flow from top to down ensuring the involvement of all levels. This makes the employees initiative thus increasing the productivity and performance (Miller, 148).

Equality and diversity

This is also a major problem in TPL as there are very few ethnic minorities and women and the few that are recruited later resign. This shows a lack of comfort for the minorities in working in the TPL environment. Thus, management needs to ensure that everyone is treated the same as well as recognizing that various groups and individuals are different. To do this, the company must be flexible and observe uniformity in addressing the needs of its employees in order to change its culture. This is enhanced by making sure that the working environment will support women and ethnic minorities by totally involving them in decision-making. It is also important to consider the development of a new policy in recruitment that promotes diversity and equality. This is supported by a short approach that is similar to a liberal approach wherein advocates for the elimination of bias on sex in the practice of human resource management, increasing opportunities for women and minorities in management and technical fields, and being flexible in terms and conditions (Noon, 226).

The difficulties experienced by TPL can be associated with poor work relationships, lack of recognition of efforts made by staff, criticism, between management and employees and poor culture of the firm, and the entire management of the activities in the firm that has led to low productivity and lack of profits. These issues are addressed through performance management, equity and diversity, reward management, and human resource development. This will result in better utilization of human resources, a wide customer base, wider and competitive recruitment of labor, and a positive image of the company.

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Top 7 Examples of Essay on Human Resources

Table of Contents

Human capital is a valuable part of any business establishment, so the business must adapt to the growing need to invest in the proper management, development and retention of its people. Accordingly, many companies are now scrutinizing the science of human resource management. If you are a student in management or entrepreneurship, you will have to write at least one essay on human resources.

The main goal of this assignment for the student is to show his competence and ability to express his thoughts and information correctly. At first glance, it might seem like writing an essay on human resources is a daunting task because it involves a lot of effort. But if you stick to the guidelines, you can quickly and easily allocate time and effort to further write an essay on human resources. Find out how to do this below and get inspired by sample essays.

5 Tips on How to Write an Essay on Human Resources

Writing an essay on human resources can take you a lot of effort and time. Therefore, you need to know a few recommendations before starting work. They will help you make the process of writing an essay on human resources easy, fun and short-lived because you will learn how to allocate your energy and time properly.

• Choose a direction that is good and relevant to you about the essay on human resources. To not drown in this ocean of possibilities, first determine what is most interesting to you. What do you think about most often when faced with the study and writing essay on human resources? What gets your attention to the point where you forget about everything else? What would you like to improve in human resource management methodology?
• Once you’ve decided on the direction of writing an essay on human resources, find out what you like best. Depending on this, your essay will be descriptive, analytical, reflective, critical, or otherwise. Once you’ve combined a topic that interests you with the look of an essay on human resources, sketch out a few options for topics. At this stage, it is not the exact formulation of the important topic but understanding the essence of the problem and the potential for its solution when writing an essay on human resources.
• Remember that not every student can write a good essay on human resources without knowledge and information. Therefore, take the time to gather all the information you need to write an essay on human resources.
• When exploring the potential of an essay on human resources topic, pay attention to the availability of literary sources. In some cases, it is more logical to first find the necessary information in the sources, and then begin to form thoughts in the form of essay on human resources. And remember that this knowledge will help you write an essay and when performing other types of academic work.
• After selecting specific topics for an essay on human resources, evaluate each topic for how meaningful you can cover it. Do you have interesting observations and ideas on this topic? Can you surprise the reader with something? Do you feel inspired when discussing this topic? In writing an essay on human resources, you should understand that you will have to formulate a specific thesis and then prove it with arguments. Will you be able to do this for the selected topics?

7 Examples of Human Resource Management Essays

This selection of 7 essays on human resources will help you find the topic you would like to write an essay about in Human Resource Management. After reading, you will be inspired, and it will be easier for you to decide what you would like to write about because this topic touches on many aspects of this type of management. You will also acquire new and valuable write an essay and perform knowledge about human resources to later independently write an essay on human resources.

Human Resource Essay Example 1: “Do I See Myself as a Competent and Good Manager?”

A manager is a person who holds a permanent managerial position and is empowered to make decisions about specific activities of an organization. This person must have higher education and bear a huge responsibility for the success of the company or projects. I believe that a competent human resource manager should know how to correctly use management mechanisms, tools and management methods.

The relevance of these phenomena is due to several factors. Firstly, there is no doubt that the efficiency of the organization as a whole, the effectiveness of the labour activity of employees, etc. directly depends on the level of construction of the management system. Within the framework of the new paradigm of personnel management, the human resource is positioned as the most important resource of the organization, since it is the source of the formation of strategic competitive advantages. Therefore, the functioning of all systems of the organization directly depends to one degree or another on the human factor.

Secondly, do not forget that management in some countries has a rather short history of development in comparison with developed countries. And so every manager needs to constantly learn and experiment. And this necessitates the adaptation of foreign management experience to domestic realities. In our time, many authors have published a significant number of works within the framework of this discipline, and many management models have also been formed. I believe that according to the requirements a manager:

• must be confident in their decisions, be fair;
• must continuously learn and apply new knowledge in practice;
• suggest new good and proven techniques improve the outcome of the project;
• be able to competently and quickly analyze a large flow of information.

In modern conditions, a manager must have many qualities that will help him solve all the issues that arise. After all, a manager must be a purposeful, energetic and persistent innovator who knows how to manage subordinates. It is these qualities that I also possess, which gives me the opportunity to apply for this position.

It is also worth noting that in modern conditions, the correctness of the behaviour of a business entity in the market to a decisive extent depends on the adequacy and timeliness of managerial decision-making by the head. After all, the following points can be identified, which entirely depend on the personality of the leader, his business and human qualities:

• choosing the right direction of the business;
• the ability to anticipate the development of the market situation;
• the correct choice of development strategy;
• selection of team members;
• correct setting of tasks for team members;
• the ability to build viable plans;
• the ability to establish relationships with other entities: suppliers, consumers, governing bodies and others;
• many other points are related to the development of the organization in a constantly changing market environment.

All these aspects of the organization’s activities are understandable and important to me, therefore I am ready to make effective management decisions on them. Therefore, I see myself as a manager and consider myself a worthy candidate.

Human Resource Essay Example 2: “Purpose, Tasks and Functions of Human Resource Management”

Currently, in the age of information technology, when there is an active change in the structure of society and the consciousness of people, it is extremely important to carry out a process to improve the management processes in the organization. But first, every person who has to improve the quality of human resource management needs to understand the basic functions and tasks of such a complex and responsible process.

Human resources are all employees and their responsibilities in any organization. They include production personnel and management personnel. Throughout the development of mankind and civilizations, people had to regulate relationships for the sake of survival and improving the quality of life. Therefore, in our time, human resource management is a complex system that includes interconnected and interdependent subsystems for the creation, use and development of labour resources.

What are the types of definitions of such a phenomenon as human resource management? Human resource management is an approach to a person as the main factor in achieving the goals of an organization. This is an approach to a person as a source of income and an investment. This is an analysis of the organization’s human resource needs. This is an analysis of the situation with human resources in the environment external to the organization. And also this is the formation of the organization’s human resources and the creation of a system of employee interactions.

The main goal of this process is to ensure the use of company employees and their human resources in such a way that the employer can get the maximum possible benefit from their skills and abilities, and the employees can get the maximum possible material and psychological satisfaction from their work. This process is based not only on the ability to organize a team from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, but also on the ability to use psychological techniques.

Each manager should be prepared for the fact that personnel management is a more complex process than managing the technological part of the production. This is due to the high likelihood of conflict situations on both work and personal issues.

Depending on the line of business of a particular company, a human resource manager must perform the functions inherent in this activity. They are different and each of them gives a certain desired result if the process is established by the manager correctly and correctly. What are the most common and working functions of managers or people involved in human resource management?

• Forecasting the need for personnel working;
• planning the number and quality structure of personnel in the divisions of the enterprise;
• searching for qualified personnel;
• holding competitions for vacancies;
• certification of applicants for work;
• organization of the adaptation process for new employees;
• organization of personnel training;
• development of recommendations for professional development;
• organization of personnel retraining;
• organization of management training and a number of others.

Since the functioning of any enterprise is based on the human factor, there is an objective need to regulate this process. It can be argued that the final result of any project depends on the properly organized activities of the staff, be it a small project or a large-scale project to create an innovative product.

Human Resource Essay Example 3: “Staff and Manager Motivation in Human Resource Management”

As you know, human resources are the foundation of any production process, since it is on them that the effectiveness of a particular activity depends. Therefore, project human resource management is a process that results in the efficient use of human resources. The human resource management process of a project involves the organization, management and leadership of the team that directly implements the process. And I think that this should be given special attention.

In any organization, each person involved in the production process is endowed with certain responsibilities. Otherwise, they can be called project personnel. In my opinion, the basis of the project’s human resource management process is the motivation of the participants. The level of staff motivation is desirable for their high-quality and organized work, both with clients and within the enterprise, because their work directly affects the efficiency of the organization. And so we can conclude that employees are one of the key and important resources of the company.

But sometimes crisis situations provoke a difficult situation for the enterprise, due to which panic can arise in the state. Such an environment, naturally, demotivates employees, and the reasons may be different. This can be uncertainty about the future, a decrease or delay in wages, reductions, and increased workload.

The leader plays an important role in motivating employees. The leader is obliged to take part in all areas of the organization. Everyone understands that the market is now in stagnation and that no one has any illusions about this. But the employee must understand what is being done in the company to overcome the unfavourable situation. And to be sure that the management will not abandon them, that they are needed, they are engaged in important business and receive a worthy reward for it.

It is very important to correctly decompose the project and divide it into manageable stages, if necessary, into subprojects and other components. This procedure is performed at the initial stage of the project. Its purpose is to provide a good basis for sound planning. It ensures that plans are made for reasonably chosen time horizons.

When dividing the project, it is necessary to describe the goals of each component and, at least in the first approximation, estimate the resource requirements for their implementation. It is equally important to draw up a milestone achievement plan and milestone level charts prior to each project phase. Moreover, participants must agree on which milestones are particularly critical to the project and ensure that everyone understands the severity of the implications.

In order for the project to achieve its ultimate goal, it is extremely important to organize and provide for all possible nuances. It can be argued that the processes of organizing a project contain three components.

• The first is organizational planning, which involves drawing up a plan and analyzing all stages of work.
• The second link is the appointment of personnel, in accordance with the required tasks and goals.
• And finally, the third stage is team development. An important point here is the motivation of the personnel, the general focus, the team’s ability to work, and the fighting spirit.

Therefore, of course, the success of any project must be backed by a very competent and wise leader who knows the psychological characteristics of each employee, who knows how to properly organize the production process, is able to set incentives and motivation for the staff. Thus, the success of the project is ensured even in crisis situations.

Human Resource Essay Example 4: “Variety Management”

The structural basis of management in the field of various art consists of an organization (theatre, production centre, a philharmonic society, etc.), whose effectiveness will depend on the correctly found model, as well as the personality and professional training of the manager. Each direction on the stage has its own management models, together with the criteria for its effectiveness.

The main goals of management in the field of pop are such as the creation of the most favourable conditions for the promotion of creation and the dissemination of art, for creativity, as well as the professional growth of performers, the development of genres of professional art, copyright protection, and the achievement of optimal financial results. Management in the field of professional art is, in general, a combination of management of the artistic process, economic and organizational activities. The solution of these problems is inextricably linked with the improvement of the culture of serving the population and the formation of services for different categories of the population.

If you were to find yourself behind the scenes of any performance, you would witness total chaos. For example, there might be actors in one corner rehearsing their lines, while tailors and seamstresses hemming their suits at the same time. The background can swirl right and left while the team stands by, ready to carry furniture for the next scene. However, at the centre of all this chaos is a critical person and this is the leader. He coordinates all aspects of the production, from costumes, sets to actors and rehearsals, so that everything goes well.

Stage managers typically provide practical and organizational support to the director, actors, designers, theatre crew and technicians throughout the production process. I believe that such a position presupposes high professionalism and moral training, which will positively influence the work process during crisis situations in an institution or in a team.

Human Resource Essay Example 5: “How to Start the Process of Human Resource Development and How to Avoid Problems?”

Human potential tends to grow constantly. This is due to the fact that over time, an enterprise or organization begins to demand more and more efficiency from its employees. That is why the development of human resources is one of the key issues of the firm’s management.

One of the most difficult periods for any employee is his adaptation to the enterprise. Not only do newcomers have to familiarize themselves with all the organizational issues, but they also have to take a certain place in the team and go through serious psychological pressure. The introduction of a person into a new position is also of great importance, namely, acquaintance with official duties.

The policy of the enterprise management on these issues is of great importance in the course of these processes. A friendly atmosphere is also important, and methodological support is also required. For example, large firms have practices such as conducting lectures and seminars for new personnel, as well as introducing training programs. Thus, the development of the potential of each employee can be quick and beneficial for the company or organization.

But the enterprise can often face difficulties. One of the most important problems faced by the human resource of an enterprise is paying insufficient attention to this issue. Nevertheless, managing people requires specialized knowledge, as well as skills and mechanisms. So, the first thing worth paying attention to is the development of leadership in the team. Moreover, this should relate specifically to the working moments, and not to the personal relationships of employees. Unfortunately, this is often neglected by many businesses.

Another important problem of the organization is paying insufficient attention or completely ignoring the need for human resource management. However, it should be understood that cadres do not have the ability to self-regulate. A clear policy should be developed on this issue.

Also, one of the most serious shortcomings of modern management is considering the organization separately from the staff. So, sometimes employees are not ready for changes in the work of the enterprise. Therefore, the manager must understand the main concept of personnel management. This category includes several aspects:

• economic component;
• strict subordination to a single leader;
• definition of a clear management hierarchy;
• development of discipline norms, as well as a system of rewards and penalties;
• clear definition of the area of ​​responsibility of each of the employees;
• development of organizational culture, thanks to which the personnel feel the unity of the work collective.

In conclusion, I can say that the biggest mistake can be considered an underestimation of the human component in the work of an enterprise, which interferes with the development of human resources. It is often this leadership oversight that causes serious economic problems.

Human Resource Essay Example 6: “What Recommendations Can I Give on the Management of Human Resources?”

In every enterprise or organization, the main motive for development is the competent management of human resources and their improvement. In order for the use of human resources in the enterprise to be effective, managers must be guided by a number of recommendations in their activities. For example, the best motivation for employees will be a clear demonstration of the career growth of senior management. Why is this done? Personnel must set specific goals for themselves and be aware of the reality of their achievement.

Another of the most important aspects is decent wages, even in the most difficult and crisis periods. Employees must receive the agreed amount in order to realize their value to the organization. In any case, the employee will leave the company if he cannot fully support himself and his family.

Also, employees must thoroughly know comprehensive information about their enterprise, as well as the mechanism for making a profit. The knowledge of employees should not be limited to a narrow range of their duties. It is important to note that in communicating with each of the employees, respect should be guided because each of them has the opportunity to leave for another organization.

But the main recommendation is that the manager thoroughly knows and learns new methods of human resource management in the organization. What it is? Methods are a way of influencing a team or an individual employee to achieve a set goal, coordinating his activities in the production process.

Administrative methods are based on power, discipline and punishment. They rely on the administrative subordination of the object to the subject, based on the existing management hierarchy. The main functions of administrative methods are to provide a stable legal environment for the activities of an organization, to protect a specific environment, to guarantee rights and freedoms. And economic methods are based on the use of economic incentives. With their help, material incentives for the team, individual workers are carried out.

By the mechanisms of the economic method, the state has a tax, credit and financial system, a price system, the size of the minimum wage, and plans for economic development.

Socio-psychological methods are based on the use of moral incentives to work and influence personnel with the help of psychological mechanisms in order to translate an administrative task into a conscious responsibility, an inner need of a person. This can be achieved through:

• building a team, creating a normal psychological climate and creative atmosphere;
• personal example;
• meeting the cultural and spiritual needs of workers;
• the establishment of social norms of behaviour and social stimulation of the development of the team;
• the establishment of moral sanctions and encouragement;
• social protection.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the role of human resources should be clearly understood at all levels. This is one of the most important elements of the functioning of not only a single enterprise, but also the state as a whole. It is important to remember that a person is of the highest value, and his abilities and intelligence are of the greatest economic interest. Therefore, managers should not neglect the trust of their employees.

Human Resource Essay Example 7: “What Are the Main Directions of the Psychologist’s Activity in the Human Resource Management System?”

The place of a psychologist at an enterprise is very important because it is this person with a higher education who can objectively assess many human qualities and ways of their development. I believe that the main focus of a psychologist is to create a reserve for the internal growth of a specialist, as well as to participate in career planning. This is done by describing the personal qualities of employees and their development strategies. Determination of opportunities and boundaries for growth and self-development is very important for the categories of specialists and managers.

Also, a specialist in the field of psychology, in my opinion, should be engaged in identifying factors that prevent the emergence and development of conflicts since conflicts cause enormous damage to the organization. It is possible to reduce the likelihood of conflicts by carrying out the correct selection and placement of personnel, taking into account not only professional but also psychological characteristics.

Other cases in which a specialist psychologist can help identify motivation and needs for changing the system of material incentives. In general, with any organizational change, a psychologist’s participation is necessary to reduce the resistance of employees. Latent resistance is especially dangerous. What other types of psychologist activities are there in the human resource management system?

Professional selection is a procedure that, in the case of professions with relative professional suitability, helps assess the effectiveness of an employee and establish a forecast of his professional development. Personnel selection – creating a reserve, completing departments following specific criteria (professional competence, specialization features, etc.) Personnel adaptation is the process of getting new employees acquainted with the organization, with new working conditions and changes in the behaviour and psychological climate of the organization.

Personnel assessment is one of the most critical areas of work with personnel. It is carried out constantly throughout all stages of the personnel life cycle: recruiting, adaptation, consolidation (stabilization), development, leaving (moving personnel to subsidiaries, branches), etc. Assessment is a method of a comprehensive assessment of personnel that every psychologist should know in organizations. It is based on using a system of complementary methods, focused on the real work behaviour of the evaluated employees and taking into account the specifics of the requirements of job positions.

Psychological support of human resource management is a set of technologies, activities, procedures, and application principles, involving the use of psychological mechanisms and patterns of human functioning, who acts as a subject of labour, a collective subject of activity and a social community. I think that the role of psychological support is to optimize the ergonomic, organizational, informational, hygienic prerequisites for the activities of the personnel of the enterprise.

Still, essential tasks for a psychologist are such procedures as psychological, educational activities and psychological examination. Increasing the psychological literacy of staff, creating a favourable image of both the psychologist’s activities in the organization and the tasks of psychological support, popularizing and explaining the latest psychological research, developing the need for psychological knowledge and skills among staff and the desire to use them in professional activities and other life situations.

Expertise is understood as the study of any issue requiring special knowledge, with the presentation of a reasoned opinion. For example, to establish the compliance of professionals with the requirements of the labour post. As well as a study of organizational projects, regulatory documents, workplaces, working conditions, work and rest regimes, incentive and motivation systems for work, systems for the distribution of labour functions, corporate culture, causes of conflicts and causes of injury.

Therefore, do not neglect a specialist in the field of psychology. In my opinion, he can best understand how to properly manage human resources and have the best influence on personnel to achieve better results in an organization or an enterprise.

As you can see, an essay on human resources can be a fun and educational assignment for you, which will open you up to important new knowledge in this area. With the right effort, you can write an essay on human resources well and then it will be easier for you to write more complex academic work while at university. So don’t be afraid to get started!

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If you study at a Management department, you will receive a Human Resources essay as a home assignment sooner or later. What is this type of task? How can you write it to impress your supervisor? Here we uncover all the fundamentals of HR writing to help you jumpstart the writing process and get a […]

If you study at a Management department, you will receive a Human Resources essay as a home assignment sooner or later. What is this type of task? How can you write it to impress your supervisor? Here we uncover all the fundamentals of HR writing to help you jumpstart the writing process and get a high grade for the academic paper.

Let’s start with a definition. A Human Resources essay is a type of academic work that approaches some subject related to managing a company’s staff, either public or private, and resolving issues arising in the process.

Thus, when you are tasked with writing an essay about HR, you can choose among various topics, such as hiring and retaining staff, resolving interpersonal conflict, organizing teamwork, and deciding on the proper staff rewards to keep them motivated and engaged. You can also choose among different approaches to analysis; it may be either a purely theoretical piece that examines various theories and methods or an applied case study considering an example of a specific company.

When you proceed to Human Resources essay writing, it’s vital to understand the principles and peculiarities distinguishing this piece of homework from other assignments you might face at the HR department. Here are the basics of competent and professional composition on HR-related topics:

• To sound competent and knowledgeable about the topic, you need to include practical examples and statistics to argue your point.
• Choose a theme to your liking and focus on something of personal interest; it will be much easier to write a paper on the topic you like.
• Study a couple of Human Resources school essay examples available online to see how others have approached this subject.

If you’re still unsure how to complete your home assignment, and the time of its submission is already coming, you can always hire a professional Human Resources essay writer from our team. We’ve here 24/7, always on standby to help you out with any academic task. Thus, you will always stay on top of the class in terms of grades and timeliness without overstretching yourself or draining your resources.

Human Resources Essay Format

Now let’s proceed to discuss the Human Resources essay format. It has some specifics to consider for the sake of meeting your professor’s expectations and getting a high grade for the assignment. First, we want to note that a Human Resources school essay has the same components as other essays possess, so you don’t need to invent the wheel when approaching this task.

All you need to do is compose an introduction of your paper, a body, and a conclusion.

H3: Introduction

In this part of your Human Resources plan essay, you need to indicate the overall topic of your study and the problem you’re going to examine. You should end this part with a detailed and concise thesis statement showing how you will approach the problem and from which angles you will explore it.

This is the central part of your Human Resources essay in which you present your arguments on a chapter-by-chapter basis. Keep in mind that every paragraph should deal with only one subject, which is typically reflected in the topic sentence. In this way, your essay will have a proper structure and will be readable.

This part of your essay should focus on summarizing the main points you’ve discussed in the paper’s body, restating the thesis statement, and drawing the readers’ attention to broader implications of the subject.

Write Human Resources essay in 5 Steps

Stumbling upon how to write a Human Resources management essay? Here is a simple algorithm that will help you cope with any assignment at hand, including HR writing:

• Study your course materials in detail to see what a professor wants from this assignment.
• Pick a topic from the list of available options based on your interest in the subject and the materials’ availability.
• Conduct in-depth research on Google and across several academic databases to identify credible, fresh literary evidence supporting your arguments and standpoint.
• Find a couple of real-life examples to illustrate your points and prove the applicability of your ideas in HR practice.
• Complete the writing piece according to all academic conventions (e.g., paragraph structure, essay format, grammar and style, originality, etc.).

Human Resources Essay Topics (250)

Choosing a topic is always the most challenging part of the essay composition process. You can’t move further until you’re clear with what to look for and in which direction to move. Thus, we’ve created a list of Human Resources essay topics to help you out and speed up your homework process:

• Does organizational success depend solely on the efficiency of HRM?
• Differences between HR management in public and private organizations.
• Personnel management and transition methods in HRM.
• Strategic HR planning: the essentials.
• HRM principles in healthcare organizations.
• Statistical methods of analysis in HRM.
• The Michigan model of HRM.
• The most significant barriers to effective HRM.
• Job evaluation techniques for HR managers.
• The HRIS technique in HRM.
• Four competencies necessary for career management.
• The variety of career planning techniques.
• The most important managerial competencies in the global HR marketplace.
• Staff competency development models of large corporations.
• Megatrends in the executive development via HRM.
• HRM and online training.
• Primary tenets of performance management practices.
• Approaches to employee recognition.
• What mentoring practices work in the period of COVID-19 distance work?
• Principles of Quality of Work Life (QWL) and HR managers’ role in staff’s work-life balance.
• How can HR managers recognize and promote charismatic leaders in the workplace?

How to Start a Human Resources Essay

Starting a Human Resources essay is not always simple, as you might have a clear plan and roadmap in mind. Otherwise, the process of working on this home task may transform into an unexpected challenge taking too much time and energy from you.

Here are some tips and recommendations from our pros on how to start an HR essay quicker:

• Find a topic that you like and know much about. This will be an excellent start for your essay writing process, as you will have enough background information at hand and will know what to look for online.
• Find a suitable Human Resources essay example in Google or your college library to see how other people have studied the subject of your interest. It may be a good idea to compare several essay samples and develop your own, authentic argumentation on that topic.
• Develop a detailed outline to guide your writing. If you have that roadmap for the whole process of composition, you won’t need to waste time consulting the prompt and double-checking whether you’re on-topic.
• Always opt for the argumentative Human Resources essay topics as they are debatable and offer a freedom of choice. You can study the available sources discussing that topic and choose your standpoint. Argumentative subjects also offer rich evidence on both sides of the debate.

As you can see, starting an HR task is not that hard. But anyway, if you don’t feel like spending another evening over books, maybe it’s time to contact our managers and get professional assistance with the assignment? You can take a rest and relax, dedicating some vital time to yourself and your needs, knowing that your HR home task is in good hands.

We provide all kinds of assistance with essay writing, Human Resources included, so you will never feel shortchanged when working with our experts.

The paper ‘The Recruitment, Selection and Induction Process ” is a great example of a human resources research proposal. This is a working document to focus on the purpose and structure of student essays, which reflects the intent and outlook of their research. It is quite likely and permissible that as students progress with their essays, several aspects of content, direction or emphasis of their essay will change.  It is vitally important that students keep their academic supervisor informed of any such changes – as such changes may require students to reconsider any or all of the content of this proposal form.

Section 1: Briefly describe your research topic for Essay 1

The research topic is to identify the recruitment, selection and induction process which organizations need to adopt so that they are able to determine the mechanism through which correct hiring of people takes place. The research concentrates on indentifying the basic things which need to be included in all the process and also stresses on the need of having different process based on the different needs of the organization. The research brings forward the different methods of recruitment, selection and induction process which forms part of every organization. This has helped to identify the different core factors which are part of the recruitment, selection and induction process and the manner in which business effectiveness and changes are witnessed in the hiring process. The research will help organizations to improve their recruitment, selection and induction process as it will garner a path through which different aspect will be included and will help to improve the overall mechanism of hiring people.

Section 2:  Briefly outline any frameworks, theories or models you anticipate using:

The research has looked to identify the different patterns which are globally accepted and the research is based on secondary sources. The findings from different research are bring used to find out the manner in which the recruitment, selection and induction process can be improved and changes can be made and moulded based on the different needs and requirements of the organization. The framework which has been followed is one where linkage has been developed between recruitment, selection and induction process so that one process leads to the other and provides a basis through which the different dimensions which impact the hiring process can be understood. The overall impetus of the research is thereby towards finding out the different areas and dimensions which will help to facilitate and improve the process of achieving better results and multiplying the overall effectiveness of hiring people.

Section 3:  Briefly provide the main authors and themes relevant to your topic. 

Some of the different sources which have been used and are relevant to the area of research are

Arnold, J. (2005). Work Psychology: Understanding human behaviour in the workplace 4th ed. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.

Cable, D. & Judge, T. (2006). Person-organization fit, job choice decisions, and organizational entry. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 67 (3), 294–311

Dipboye, R. (2002). Selection interviews: Process perspectives . Human Resource Selection (3rd ed.). Orlando, FL: Dryden Press

Hogan, R. (2001). Personality and personality measurement. In M.D. Dunnette & L.M. Hough (Eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 2 (2nd ed.) 873–919

Ryan, A. & Schmit, M. (2003). Assessing organizational fit in employee selection. Paper presented at the 8th Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology, San Francisco, CA

Thompson, P. and McHugh, D. (2009). Work Organizations: A critical approach , 4 th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

The different themes which the different authors and work provided are related to the manner in which overall changes and dimensions are being witnessed in the hiring process. This will help to understand the core areas which the different research has identified and will help to come to a conclusive conclusion regarding the manner in which different factors and aspect has an impact on the hiring process and different things which need to be included so that the mechanism which has been adopted improves and provides a better understanding of the different business environment.

Section 4:   Identify opportunities for further study in Essay 2 and/or gaps in research understanding that will refine your research questions.

The research has been carried outlooks to provides a general perspective of the different factors and areas which needs to be included while designing the recruitment, selection and induction process. The research provides a general idea of the different things which have to be included. This provides an opportunity where future research can be carried out by looking towards an organization or an industry where a specific process of recruitment, selection and induction process is being used. This is an area that can be further researched as it will provide useful information pertaining to a particular industry or organization and will show the different dimensions and aspects which needs to be included in the recruitment, selection and induction process. This will help to understand the application of the different methods in a real organization and will provide useful impetus regarding the manner in which the organization is able to gain due to it. This will thereby help to improve the understanding and having applicability in the real organization will magnify the overall value of the research.

The paper  “Performance and Reward Management” is a comprehensive example of human resources case study. Performance management in human resources refers to a holistic process whereby many elements are brought together to successfully manage people, enabling them to meet their goals and targets. It can focus on the performance of a Company, a section, or even an employee (Armstrong 2000).

TPL has a very traditional command and control approach to management across its manufacturing function, employees are not given an opportunity to demonstrate their ability and explore their talent and potential fully. The Management has an old type of leadership known as autocratic. According to Cameron and Green (2012), he described authoritarian is a style of leadership used by leaders who want to make decisions alone, having total authority. Negotiation and consultation are highly discouraged by these leaders. Whatever they say is final. This leadership style is good for employees that need close supervision to perform certain tasks. This simply indicates the organization applying theory X whereby the management feels and assumes that there are lazy and must be supervised closely. This theory has been proven to be counter-effective in modern practice. The management of TPL needs to change its style of leadership and management and come up with a more democratic approach. This will help the Company in giving the employees confidence and therefore increase productivity (Cameron & Green 2012).

Poor performance appraisal and review process can also be witnessed in TPL, where it is done so casually biannually as a chat between a supervisor and a subordinate. TPL should improve on the way it conducts the performance appraisal and review process, all the parties should be involved by aligning performance with the strategic goals of the organization (Armstrong 2000). For example, TPL supervisors should provide more specific feedback that will help them describe the gap that exists between actual performance and what is expected of the employees.

Reward Management

Reward management in human resources also referred to as a reward system means any financial reward that an organization gives to employees in return for their labor. The reward must not only be a material reward but also non-material rewards. The financial reward consists of basic pay and any other benefit to employees.  Non- financial rewards include promotions, recognition, and personal growth (Price 2011).

TPL has a very poor reward system; the pay system is very simple that technical, senior management, and employees earn flat salaries on a single payment. There is also a yearly salary increment regardless of their performance. This pay system is very unprofessional as it forgets the core reason for working. People work to be paid and if your system does not reward employees according to the effort they make.

TPL should adopt a reward system that is linked to performance; the payment should vary depending on the quality and quantity of work done by an employee. Attention should be given to employees’ achievement or success-oriented individual bonuses (Price 2011). For example, in a sales department, the salespeople should be paid on the basis of turnover. The salesperson who moves a large stock should be rewarded more than the one who moves little stock. TPL should also seize from using a profit-related bonuses element paid shortly before Christmas. This method can easily demotivate the members of staff if no payment is to be made at the end of the year as in the case when the organization does not make any profit.

Employee turnover in TPL is really high; this is due to a poor reward system and low morale. The organization is wasting a lot of money on recruiting new employees as well as training them to be conversant with the work to be done. David McClelland’s theory of motivation involving three basic needs: achievement, power, and affiliation. When employees achieve their target they are motivated, organizations should give power to employees to make independent decisions. TPL should employ theory Z that focuses on increasing employee loyalty to the Organization when treated well (Cameron & Green 2012).

Human Resource Development

Human resource development in the area of human resources can be termed as a curriculum used to help employees develop their careers by improving personal and organizational skills, abilities, and knowledge. It includes training employees, employee career development, and mentoring when planning for succession (Joy-Matthews, Megginson & Surtees 2004).

TPL staff training in terms of how to carry out the functions of their role is generally very thorough but surprisingly many employees are injured in accidents. What could be the reason for accidents occurring despite employees’ training? The main reason is that on-the-job training is not done appropriately; the reason being that it is provided by consultants off-site which is very expensive.

TPL should make training compulsory to the entire employee workforce in all the departments and it should be done on a quarterly basis. Re-training is very important as it refreshes the employee’s minds and improves their skills in their field (Joy-Matthews, Megginson & Surtees 2004).

Equality and Diversity

Equality in human resources refers to a situation whereby employees have an equal right to employment, payment, and equal access to training and development. The organization should put in place measures that will allow equality. Diversity is a situation whereby an organization encourages a diverse workgroup helping the Company to be more effective (Cornelius 2002).

TPL claims to be an equal opportunities employer but it is ironic that people from ethnic minorities are very few in the organization. This tarnishes the organization’s name as it is an indicator of discrimination leading to inequality. Gender imbalance can also be observed in TPL, fewer women are employed in the organization and therefore a form of discrimination. TPL should come up with a policy that will encourage people of all gender, tribe, and color to be employed.

TPL does not employ people with disabilities or those who are physically challenged. This is a very serious form of discrimination. The organization should come up with policies that will allow a certain percentage of employees to be disabled. It is so unfortunate that the organization does not cater to the dietary need of its employees, there is only one locker room and the TPL canteen does not appear to cater to any variety of dietary needs.

#3 Top Paints Limited- Human Resource Development and Reward Management

The paper  “Top Paints Limited- Human Resource Development and Reward Management” is a persuasive example of human resources case study. Top Paints Limited is continuously facing problems related to human resources and the matter has complicated to such an extent that the business has witnessed loss, increase in the number of casualties, increase in staff turnover, and problems that need to be addressed at the earliest. This report identifies the problems faced by Top Paints Limited and looks towards providing alternatives to deal with those.

Top Paints Limited is facing serious issues which have complicated the manner in which business was conducted and needs to be addressed so that a solution to those can be found out as it will help the organization to perform effectively. The issues are

• Top Paints Limited looks to compensate their employees through a model which is outdated. The employees have compensated a fixed salary and the perks are defined beforehand which the employees receive at the end of the year irrespective of the performance which has reduced the efforts made by the employees
• The hierarchical model of the passing of responsibility from the top management to the bottom has restricted the employees from taking initiative in completing the task as they have to follow the ways that have been prescribed to them is another problem that is making it difficult for Top Paints Limited to sustain
• An increase in the accidents rates which are consistent and similar accidents occur shows that lack of training and awareness has made it difficult to deal with the complex issue
• The organization has a dominance of male employees and fewer females and people from the backward class highlighting the fact that despite preaching that there has to be equality and diversity in the workforce the organization has resorted to differentiation making it difficult to conduct business smoothly

Performance Management

Top Paints Limited need to look towards moving away from the traditional system where employees have compensated a fixed salary to a flexible one where the performance of the employees acts as a major force in deciding the salary. Productivity should be measured and based on it employees should be compensated.

The performance-based approach should look towards identifying the performance measures, quality measures, and objectives and look towards control monitoring so that the actual performance is gauged which will facilitate in determining a performance-based pay for its employees.

This will also help Top Paints Limited to ensure that measuring the performance based on the manner the employees have achieved their task will help to understand the manner in which the business will be able to identify the future talent and will guide the management to deal with the future requirements better and have a pool to talent which are able to carry out their responsibilities in the most efficient manner

This is an aspect that Top Paints Limited needs to consider and needs to design the compensation package in such a manner that performance acts as a major point in securing a sound compensation. This would mean moving away from the traditional system where employees have compensated a fixed salary to a flexible one where the performance of the employees acts as a major force in deciding the salary. This would mean using the performance pay approach in compensating the employees. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory will help to design a compensation package where the organization understand the needs and requirements of the employees and based on its look towards package

While designing the reward package special care should be given to ensure that the compensation package has both fixed and flexible pay. Further, through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory Top Paints Limited needs to look towards ensuring that intrinsic reward is provided to the employees through recognition, promotion, and other ways so that the employees are able to associate themselves with the organization. Using the Herzberg theory of motivation and hygiene will also act as a mechanism through which accidents reduce and the organization is able to gain efficiency in gaining the maximum from the employees and will help to reduce the high turnover that the business is facing and will make the employees work for longer period

Top Paints Limited needs to identify the training tools and methods which will help to reduce the number of casualties that the business is witnessing. Top Paints Limited needs to identify the training requirements both on and off the job so that the employees understand the manner in which they should deal with different situations. They should look towards a processual approach that relies less on top-down strategy as it will help to reduce accidents and ensure better working conditions

Top Paints Limited through their process of training will also be able to motivate the workforce and ensure that all employees are able to come together and work towards a common purpose. They should look towards rating scales and surveillance to ensure that the workforce is able to learn during the training and don’t repeat the mistakes again. This will help the business to ensure that the inter-personal relationship between the employees improves and they are able to work as a team.

Equality & Diversity

Top Paints Limited needs to look towards having a mix of people from different cultures and backgrounds so that they are able to demonstrate diversity in the workforce. While recruiting and selecting employees they should look towards using informal contacts, formal contacts, notice boards, advertising, and external sources so that people from all backgrounds are picked in the organization. This will make the employees feel that the organization is looking towards all and will help Top Paints Limited to find new recruits easily.

Having equality and diversity in the workforce will ensure that the employees are able to associate with the company and will help to reduce the turnover rate. Special care should be taken through monitoring which will help to reduce discrimination through stereotyping, marginalization, and invisibilization. This will thereby help Top Paints Limited to prepare properly in the manner they will deal in the future and ensure that a strategy is developed through which the business can be developed.

Recommendations

Top Paints Limited needs to look towards bringing a change in which the compensation is provided by ensuring that performance is a key in determining the manner in which the employees will be compensated. Further, steps should be taken to ensure that turnover rates and accidents are reduced by taking steps where the business is able to ensure better results. Further, Top Paints Limited needs to look towards ensuring a restructuring in the manner the business is done by ensuring equality and diversity so that the business is able to ensure a strategy where they are able to work in all direction and ensure growth for the business

Top Paints Limited needs to work on different aspects of the business so that they are able to improve the manner in which business is conducted. This will help Top Paints Limited to ensure major changes in the manner work is done and will help to reduce the number of casualties and ensure better turnover rates which will help Top Paints Limited to ensure that the business is able to earn profits over a longer period of time.

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Essay: The importance of human resources management (HRM)

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Introduction

Organizations are made of among others, human resources (HR) which is the most valuable asset in today’s dynamic world. Indeed, it is people and not organizations that constitute an organization. Achievement of organization’s objectives depends on the individually and collective efforts put in by its work force. Human resources management (HRM) may be defined as the coherent as well as strategic maximization of human resources capital in an organization towards making a return on that investment ( Gold & Bratton, 2001 ).

The practice, in its efforts, effectively attempts to maintain a ‘fit’ between the employees and the organization’s overall strategic direction. Unlike technology and processes, people have a soul, aspirations, feelings and emotions. As such, the concept of people as an asset, do not indicate perceiving them as commodities. In managing people, the manager must practice disciplines based on psychology, sociology, industrial relations as well as industrial engineering and economics. In achieving an organization’s objectives, it is possible to adjust the technology employed by increasing production speed as well as reducing the machines’ downtime. For a person, who has a soul, ability to reason and act in response, it is hard to alter the person’s working speed as well as the duration. Proper management of human resources leads to a motivated workforce, a development to loyalty and an assurance of survival and success of an organization.

This paper pays a close look at the practice management of human resources in an organization. This will encompass the importance of the practice, functions within this office and some of the motivation techniques that can be used as well as their role in achieving organizational objectives. Furthermore, the paper will focus an attention to a reputable organization in determining the applicability of incentives and compensation in HRM. Every organization has its strategic future which is broken down into objectives that are measurable and comprehensible, so that the workforce can implement ( Snell & Bohlander, 2009 ). The sensitivity and value placed on organizational strategic plan cannot be left in the hands its employees if they are incapable or not motivated. The organization has a responsibility not only to invest heavily in technology and detailed professional processes but also on its workforce and strategic management policies.

Importance of HRM

HRM as a practice significantly offers support and advice to the line management within an organization. Management of human resources must ensure an attraction, preservation, loyalty and development of highly profiled caliber of people/workforce in order to provide a competitive advantage necessary for the survival and success of the organization. The image of an organization, which develops the goodwill, is largely dependent on how well its human resources are managed (McCoy, 1999). The management of the human resources assumes the following roles. First, HRM manages the demand for human resources. Economies in which organizations are based are dynamic. There are economical shifts of growth and decline that require counteractive measures within an organizations workforce. The said measures demands both quantitative and qualitative procedures within the workforce. The practices of retrenchments, hiring, early retirements and the contract renews for the experienced are all structural adjustments that responds to economical changes affecting organizations.

Second, HRM is responsible in managing social pressure in provision of the desirable environment for the workforce. The hygiene and safety of the working environment must be always maintained as it is a motivation factor in employees’ performance. The provision of appropriate protective gear while working, pollution free environment and other working conditions is a paramount concern for the HRM office Berger, 2008). Third, HRM is important in managing political pressure usually generated by calls to hire from local labor market irrespective of the resultant factors of cost and knowledge/skills. Though it is ethical to hire from the contextual economy, political pressure should not compromise the quality and quantity of organization’s production and a resulting failure in achieving the organization objectives.

HRM also manages the technology by hiring the right workforce or alternatively developing/training the existing workforce in response to technological change. Changes in technology can contribute to obsolescence of the working force which would spill over to the organization not achieving its objectives (Jackson, 2007). HRM office must always find the most appropriate method of counteracting a technological shift by either hiring people with the needed expertise or by training the existing one. In developing an organization culture the later would be more appropriate. If the earlier alternative is adopted, the competition pressure in compensation must be properly dealt with. HRM is also important in designing and management of strategic HR planning. Strategic HR planning is the informed projection of the organizations needs for the appropriate employees, both in quantity and quality, and balancing off this with the organizations ability to sustainably meet the demands of those employees for a substantial period of time in the future. As such, the budgetary constraints associated with right hiring are checked. HRM needs to make these projections in agreement with the line/functional management’s assumptions.

It is also the responsibility of HRM to initiate, alter and manage job design. Job design is the arrangement/rearrangement of work that is aimed at checking or overcoming employee’s job dissatisfaction and alienation resulting from repetitive tasks. In curbing this state, the HRM office should conduct job enrichment, job rotation, job enlargement and job simplification exercises. All these procedures are aimed at raising productivity levels which is the ultimate goal of the HRM’s office. In cases of mergers and acquisitions, it is the sole responsibility of the HRM’s office to rationalize, orient and harmonize the human resources in the involved organizations. The fundamental issues behind mergers and acquisitions are, more often than not, undesirable and unwelcome by employees ( Bilsberry, 2005 ). The task of making an otherwise unpleasant issue acceptable lies squarely at the HRM’s office. Moreover, since work environments are different across organizations, the HRM must orient the various workforces involved to the new objectives and/ or organizational culture.

Finally, the HRM is responsible in managing implementation of change. Change may be in terms of process, organizational structure, systems and culture among others. Changes are the inevitable twists that affect the normal and known paths through which an organization operates. Some of the aforementioned twists arise internally from the organization’s need to achieve new status. Others are externally experienced due to the shifts in the business environment. The issues aforementioned under the discussion are achieved through the functions of the HRM office.

Functions of HRM

Generally, HRM management can be subdivided into three interlinked phases. The practice functions include recruiting qualified human resources, managing the employees in the working environment as well as preparing and enforcing exit of the employees from the organization. The process of recruiting employees arises from the organization’s need to properly position itself in the economy. Ideally, recruitment should follow an order closest to; vacancy advertisement, selection of potential candidates, interviewing and contracting the successful candidate(s). Once in the organization, new employees are inducted and trained. It is during work performance that issues such as motivation, compensation development, disciplinary actions, performance appraisals, career planning / development, counseling, talent management, safety management and staff communication are conducted (Gold & Bratton, 2001).

The employees continuously offer their service to the organization under the existing HRM measures until they exit. Exit may result from retrenchment, obsolescence, retiring, resignation or termination of employment. The HRM at this phase has a responsibility to counsel and prepare the exiting employee for the challenges and opportunities awaiting the employee in the future. The office should ethically hand over all the legal documents and benefits to the exiting employee for positive development of the organization’s goodwill/reputation in the corporate world. If need be, the HRM should have a succession plan for implementation at this phase. Motivation as a HRM activity can completely change the perception of employees while in the work environment. Different people in the workforce are motivated differently across and longitudinally with time. Compensation and incentive is a major motivation element that is easily applicable in many organizations since, almost every employee joins an organization with a sole/major purpose of earning.

Compensation and incentives HRM

An incentive can be defined as any factor, that can be financial or non financial that accounts for preference or stimulates/enables a specific course of action. It can as well be said to be the bonus paid on successful achievement of performance objectives. Compensation is the art of offering/giving money or something else, which can easily convert to money, for purposes of paying for work done. In general, compensation and incentive can be referred to a compensation package. A compensation package is the value placed on an employee as presented to that employee. Compensation can be categorized into three categories. First, there is non monetary compensation. This is the benefit received by an employee which cannot be tangibly valued. Such can include social and career rewards. Job security, recognition, opportunity for growth, flexible working hours, subsidized housing, magazine subscription, laundry services, elder care, are some of the non-monetary compensations (Berger, 2008). Second, compensation can be direct which is the employee’s base wage/salary expressed as salary or hourly wage as profit sharing bonuses paid based on performance. Finally, compensation can be indirect. The later includes facilities like health insurance, paid leave, moving expenses and child care being provided by the employer.

There is a corporate general consensus insisting on relating pay with performance for effectiveness. This may not necessarily be applicable in sectors such as agriculture where many performance results are dependent on factors beyond organization and employee control. Whichever the compensation used, it should also be fair with the market and not discriminating against some employees (Campbell, 2006). A job evaluation should be conducted in placing a value on employee. In such an evaluation, compensable factors such as experience, education level and job responsibility should be considered. Moreover, employees should be involved when considering their indirect compensation needs such as paid vacation, retirement planning, childcare among others. The HRM officer should regularly review the compensation package from time to time to maintain its fairness, equitability and competitiveness.

Importance of compensation and incentives in HRM practice

Use of compensation and incentives is an importance practice in HRM as it has the following advantages. First, to many employees, the basic purpose for joining an organization is to secure a pay. The value placed in such a pay and not necessarily the amount/size motivates the employees more, and as result higher productivity levels are reported. Second, compensation facilitates hiring, retention, promotion and evaluation of the workforce. Without mentioning aspects of compensation, the HRM office might find it impossible to convince people to join the organization to work or even the existing employees to assume higher responsibilities (Armstrong, 2006). Third, compensation displays legality of a contract/employment. For a contract to be valid there has to be a consideration, which is partly what a pay or remuneration package serves. Compensation, especially bonuses, which practice sharing of profits with the employees, creates a sense of belonging to the employees. This is extremely important in securing employees’ loyalty during hard times in managerial practices.

In addition, compensation assists in valuing an organization as well as determining its future. Once the HRM office is capable of properly remunerating workforce, the employees are almost assured of their organization’s survival. Usually, when an organization is going under receivership, employees are the first victim as there is reduced employee compensation, which may in acute scenarios deny them their basic livelihood. Finally, compensation and incentives are the easiest motivational practices available for use by the HRM. This is because compensation is directly linked to employee’s welfare more than the improvement of working conditions (McCoy, 1999).

HRM at Coca Cola Company

Coca Cola Company is one of the leading beverage production companies. The firm that traces back its existence in 1886 ascribes to the philosophy that, it is people and not technology creates an effective organization. Employees are regarded as assets and as such their health and benefits are highly considered. Benefits compensations and benefits given at Coca cola company include a basic pay, medical facility, bonuses, picking and dropping of employees to and fro work station, gratuity fund as well as social security. The company has never performed downsizing exercise during its existence which displays a good relationship between the company and the employees (Berger, 2008). The company also practices an open door policy. Open door policy provides an opportunity for feedback from employees and vice versa. Compensation package review is objectively done from the annual performance evaluations. At the beginning of every year, HRM office communicates the objectives of the company and reviews their achievement at the end of the same period. The training policy for employees is well established to ensure that employees do not become obsolete. For example, new employees get a three month paid training while existing employees get a full free on new technology before they can use it. Training of employees is a non tangible compensation that assures employees of their job security.

As drawn from the evaluation above, effective management on human resources requires both scientific and a human relations approaches. The emphasis is both goal oriented as well as human welfare oriented. Any successful organization must invest sufficiently on HRM aspect failure to which the wrong organization culture will be developed. In order to effectively invest on the human resources modern firms ought to institute humane employee relations policies, reviews on package offered, appraise performance regularly, build motivation-oriented culture and possibly institute open channels to assist in participative management practices where employees are deliberately engaged during decision procedures. Conclusively, HR practices are crucial for organizational general performances levels and any move to drive the firms towards higher goals ought to be premised on attainable HR strategic goals. As evidenced, strategic policies crafts a decisive goals’ path for firm’s benefit whilst building effective workforce team.

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Essay on Human Resources

In this essay we will discuss about Human Resources. After reading this essay you will learn about: 1. Meaning and Importance of Human Resources 2. Importance of Human Resources 3. Role in Economic Development.

• Essay on the Role of Human Resources in Economic Development

Essay # 1. Meaning of Human Resources :

By the term human resources we mean the size of population of a country along-with its efficiency, educational qualities, productivity, organisational abilities and farsightedness. By human resource we mean human capital. Human capital implies the abilities, skills and technical knowhow among the population of the country. A country should introduce manpower planning for the development of its human resources.

Human resources must be considered both from the angle of assets as well as the liabilities connected with the attainment of economic development. For the attainment of economic development, proper utilisation of both natural as well as human resources is very much essential.

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Proper utilisation of natural endowments and the level of production of national wealth depend very much on the extent and efficiency of human resources.

But too much population will again eat up all the fruits of development. Thus from the point of view of economic welfare, it is quite essential to study human resources in detail. It should be equally stressed that human beings are the vital instrument of production and at the same time, fruits of all economic activities are rested on the betterment of conditions of living of human beings.

Thus in view of its importance, it is quite essential to know both in quantitative and qualitative terms, the size, rate of growth, the composition, distribution and all other demographic features of population of India.

Essay # 2. Importance of Human Resources:

(i) proper utilisation of resources:.

Human resources are considered important type of resources for attaining economic development of a country. Among various types of resources, human resources are the most active type of resources. Qualitative and quantitative development of human resources is very much required for the proper utilisation of natural resources of the country.

Thus the human capital formation according to Prof. Meier is “the process of acquiring and increasing the number of persons who have skills, education and experience which are critical for the economic and political development of the country.”

(ii) Increased Productivity:

Human capital has been playing an important role in the economic development of a country. Schultz, Kenderick and Harbison have made some important studies recently so as to point out that a major part of the growth of national output in USA can be attributed to increased productivity which has been mostly realised out of capital formation.

In this connection Prof. Galbraith was of the view that “we now get the larger part of industrial growth not from more capital investment but from investment in men and improvements brought about by improved men.”

(iii) Development of Skills:

Slow growth in underdeveloped countries is mostly resulted from lack of investment in human capital. These countries are suffering from lack of critical skills required for its industrial sector and also face the problem of surplus labour force in its farm sector. Thus human capital formation is very much required for the economic development of the underdeveloped countries.

In this connection, Prof. Myint observes that, “It is now increasingly recognised that many UDCs may be held back, not so much by a shortage of savings as by a shortage of skills and knowledge resulted in a limited capacity of their organisational framework to absorb capital in productive investment.”

Thus the underdeveloped countries are suffering from shortage of technically trained and highly skilled and educated persons and the developed countries are maintaining high level of investment on the development of manpower resources.

Accordingly Prof. Meier observed that, “While investment in human beings has been a major source of growth in advanced countries, the negligible amount of human investment in UDCs has done little to extend the capacity of the people to meet the challenge of accelerated development.”

Thus in order to attain an all round development of the country, the human capital formation through adequate volume of investment on human development is very much important under the present context of development.

(iv) Increased Volume of Output:

As a result of human resource development, the production increases as the knowledgeable and skilled workers can make a rational use of all resources at their disposal. With the imparted knowledge, workers try to increase his output and income. Attainment of vocational skills helps the workers and all categories of manpower to earn higher level of income in various professions.

The higher education and training at higher educational set up like college and universities usually enables workers to contribute liberally towards faster expansion of output in technical, engineering, machine building, accounting, management etc. Moreover, improved health facility can enhance physical capacity of workers. Thus all these factors positively contribute towards increased output.

(v) Addition to Productive Capacity:

Human resource development in the form of human capital formation can make necessary addition to the productive capacity of a country in humorous ways. By upgrading the technological scenario along with improved knowledge and skill can modernise the production technologies and thereby can add to the productive capacity of the country in general.

Transfer of technology from foreign countries can pave the way for adoption of modern technology into production and thereby can improve the productive capacities. Moreover, human capital formation can promote higher growth of the economy by adding physical stock of capital of the country.

(vi) Raises Per capita Income:

Human resources development can raise per capita income of the country through increased formation of human capital. Imparting knowledge can improve the productivity of workers and therefore, can raise the per capita income.

(vii) Tool for Economic Change:

Human resource development can make the people knowledgeable, skilled and physically fit. This can also change the attitudes of the people and improve the personal qualities of people.

Such changes are conducive to the development of innovative capacity and entrepreneurship which usually motivates people to work hard, take risks, do research and apply them to produce new products and also to develop new processes of production. All these can work as a tool for economic change.

(viii) Improving Quality of Life:

Human resources development can pave the way for improving quality of life for the people in general. This can be made possible through improvements in the three components of Human Development Index (HDI), i.e., rise in per capita income, higher educational attainments and increase in life expectancy.

Essay # 3. Role of Human Resource in Economic Development:

Human resources are playing an important role in attaining economic development of a country. Economic development of country involves proper utilisation of its physical resources by its labour force and other forms of manpower for the proper utilisation of production potential of the country.

Thus economic development normally involves achievement of three conditions:

(a) An increase in the per capita income to raise the level of living of the people;

(b) A fall in the magnitude and rate of unemployment and

(c) A consequent reduction in the number of people living below poverty line.

Although the labour force of the country is making positive contribution towards development but the rapidly growing population retards the process of development and thus considered harmful for economic development of the country.

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