HR Management - Dr. Wong - Case Study Example

HR Management Case Study Name: Course: Institution: Tutor: HR Management Case Study Introduction The following report presents findings about human resource issues arising from the case study. The case study is based on misunderstandings regarding terms of service. The report finds lack of communication to be the main issue arising from the case. Generally, employees play a critical role in any organization and hence should be adequately informed of any issues affecting their welfare. Withholding any information, no matter how small can be deleterious to the relationship between human resource managers and employees. Discussion Human Resource Management Issues in the Case There are two important HR issues evident in this case. These issues are related to communication and employee remuneration. The issue of communication arises from the fact that the university changed the terms of service without informing Dr. Wong in advance. It is highly likely that had DR Wong been informed of changes to the terms of service, he could have made whether to go to Australia or not. Essentially, the decision by Wong to relocate to Australia was based on the job offering. According to Martinez & Martineau (1998) communication is an important aspect in any employment relationship. The importance of communication gets more pronounced when it comes to recruitment because it helps in selecting the right candidate for the job. Communication also helps newly recruited employees to know what their jobs entail (Budhwar & Katou, 2005). Buchan (2000) has pointed out that timely communication about issues affecting employment conditions help achieve performance outcomes for employees in two important ways. First, it provides necessary information about employee needs, values, opinions and perceptions. This information in turn helps organizations in design and implementing programs that meet the specified needs of their employees. Secondly, well conceived communication can enhance utilization of specific workplace programs by making staff aware of their availability and by clearly explain how to access the services. The argument above is an important consideration in the modern workplaces where competitiveness is highly cherished. In the case study, the human resource manager in the university failed to provide a chance for the newly hired employee (Wong) to provide feedback about planned changes. Hence, there was communication breakdown, which could ultimately ruin the working relationship. Undeniably, good communication helps make the goals and expected outcomes of an organization clear to workers. It is therefore necessary for organizations to constantly communicate key deliverables, developments and issues affecting employees (Huselid, 1995). When an organization is implementing changes, good communication skills are required to get necessary feedback from all stakeholders. Essentially, good communication is a key ingredient in human resource management. In a way, timely and accurate communication helps create a workforce of loyal and motivated employees (Nyambegera, Daniels & Sparrow, 2001). In the case study, failure to communicate with Wong about the changes is what caused misunderstanding between him and the university and may therefore compel the university to look for other employees if Wong rejects the offer. This issue could have been avoided by informing Wong of the planned changes to the terms of service before implementing them. This issue could have been avoided by informing DR Wong of the planned changes to the terms of service before implementing them. This could have been easily achieved through communication planning in which case Wong could have been given an opportunity to give his opinions (Buchan, 2000). The issue of employee remuneration and benefits is also evident in the case study. As pointed out, the entire crisis has been necessitated by misunderstanding between Wong and the university over cancelled benefits. Wong will not only miss airfare but his children mill not benefit from his gratuity and medical insurance benefits. This is an important issue because in addition to forcing Wong to look for alternative health care benefits for his children, the decision will ruin his social security. In his book, Becker (1996) has argued that employee benefits are an essential component of any employment relationship. The benefits not only give employee the necessary motivation and morale to work but also create an impression that an organization values the welfare of its employees. The amount of salaries and benefits that employers give serve a major role in recruiting, developing and retaining talented employees (Mello, 2011). While it is the case that salaries and benefits are not the most important aspect in a job, they contribute to improved work relationships. It is therefore imperative that organizations design appropriate salary scales and benefits for their employees. Any variations in regard to the payment of these benefits should be communicated promptly (Dowling, Festing & Engle, 2008). In the case study, failure to honor its promises to pay necessary benefits is one of the factors that would strain the employment relationship. This issue could have been avoided by considering that since Dr Wong relocated from Hong Kong, it was necessary to pay for his airfares and also for the health insurance of his children. Ethical issues in the case In the case study, there are ethical issues pertaining to salaries and benefits and terms of service. Although Wong had his own plans for relocating to Australia, he had also been promise that his airfares could be paid by the university. This offer was however changed, after he had relocated, giving rise to the ethical issue of dishonesty. In order to develop good working relationships, the Human Resource manager in the case study is bound to honor the promise that the university had made early. Another ethical issue crops in when it is learnt that the benefit packages given by the university will not cover for the welfare of the children. In fact this is the most important ethical issue because it will compel Wong to look for an alternative medical cover for his children. Given that he has just relocated to Australia, it can be a daunting challenge to be accepted by the local medical insurance schemes. It was morally wrong for Sinclair to make offers on behalf of the university knowing vey well that she had no authority to make such promises. But owing to her position in the university, it can be assumed that this was a trick to get Wong move to Australia. Considering the inconvenience which it caused him, the whole issue was not only unethical but also too bad for the future of the university’s human resources. All the ethical issues in this case can be avoided by developing a sound employee selection and recruitment code of practice. Such a code should serve as the basis for all issues pertaining to employee recruitment and should be adhered to strictly by the university’s human resource personnel. Otherwise, absence of a standard code of practice is one of the reasons why the terms of service were changed without adequate notice (Walker, 2009). Advice for Dr Wong Since the university has asserted that it will not pay relocation allowance, airfares or the children’s medical fee, Wong has no a otherwise other than to accept the current offer as proposed by the university. This is based on the consideration that relocating to Hong Kong will not only inconvenience Wong and his family but will also be too costly. The other alternative that Wong can pursue is to look for another job in Australia. But given his situation, it may take him considerably long to get a job, which means that his family will be subjected to suffering. Another important peace of advice for Wong is that he should not accept employment offers based on telephone interviews. Although a telephone is a cheap and convenient means of communication, it dose not give any guarantee that any agreement that was reached will be implemented. Therefore, it could have been good for Wong to get an assurance about job security and terms of service before making the decision to move to Australia (Fields, Chan & Akhtar, 2000). Conclusion Human resource managers are faced with many issues. Most of these issues are related to recruitment and employee management. Failure to implement relevant appropriate recruitment procedures is a major issue affecting the university’s human resources. Because the recruitment process is not clearly defined, the university failed to adequately assure Wong about the terms of his employment offering in Australia. In the case, it also seems that there was no specific person who was in charge of the recruitment process. In light of this, it is recommended that organizations develop policies for recruitment and selection. Such policies should not be altered arbitrarily as this may cause employees to lose confidence in the organization’s management. References Becker B 1996, The Impact Of Human Resource Management On Organizational Performance: Progress And Prospects. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 39, No. 4, p. 779-801. Buchan, J 2000, Health sector reform and human resources: lessons from the United Kingdom. Health Policy and Planning, 15, p. 319-325. Budhwar, P. and Katou, A 2005, The effect of human resource management systems on organizational performance in Greek manufacturing: A mediating model. EURAM 2005 Conference, Munich. Dowling, P., Festing, M. & Engle, A 2008, International Human Resource Management (5th Edition), Cengage Learning, South Melbourne. ISBN 978-0-17- 013701-0 Fields, D., Chan, A, and Akhtar, S 2000, Organizational Context and Human Resource Management Strategy: A Structural Equation Analysis of Hong Kong Firms International, Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 11, no. 2, p. 264-277. Huselid, M 1995 The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity and corporate financial performance, Academy of Management Journal, 38(3), p. 635- 672. Martinez, J and Martineau, T 1998, Human resources in healthcare reform: a review of current issues, Health Policy and Planning, 13(4), p. 345-358. Mello, J 2011, Strategic Human Resource Management, 3rd.Edition, New York, Thomson Learning. Nyambegera, S., Daniels, K., and Sparrow, P 2001, “Why fit doesn’t always matter: The impact of HRM and cultural fit on job involvement of Kenyan employees,” Applied Psychology: An International Review, 51(1), 109—140. Walker, D 2009, Strategic human capital management: the critical link. The Public Manager, vol. 29, no. 5, pp. 3-6. Read More