Application of Human Resources Management Concepts to Problems That Managers Face - Literature review Example

REPORT By Course Tutor Institution Date Task Assessment 2 Introduction Management of Human Resource may be complex and can result to various issues, such as lack of fairness, when it comes to work relationships and ethical issues. In organizations some of these issues are best dealt with when the human resource department adopt flexible approaches that promote fair HR policies. The work of promoting flexibility in the organization rests as a challenge to the HR Director. Flexibility in the organization promotes profitability and the general organizational performance is increased (Becker and Huselid, 2006, p.899). Additionally, costs incurred in the organization are lowered, as flexibility establishes a business tool which is powerful and acts as the key component of management practices that are successful. In the case study provided in task assessment two, it is evident that work friendly policies have to be introduced in the organization. The notion of an “ideal worker”, as people believe in the organization, seems to be of great hindrance to the effectiveness of the firm’s operations. As the newly appointed HR Director in this organization, it has come to my attention that most of the part-time work policies have to be changed. The workforce is in excess of 3,000 employees, which is an indicator that the Human Resource department in this organization retains its old employees and hires more at increased rates. Another issue, is that there is an imbalance in how new employees are recruited. 80 per cent of the work force is dominated by the male employees. 72 per cent of the workforce is over the age of 35 years and above and the average employee age in the company is 44 years old. This evidently shows that the company retains most of its employees and most do not go for retirement. While working with the older employees who are mostly male, in a public utility organization is beneficial, it is crucial to remember that older workers do not necessarily fit in one profile as Lewis and Cho (2011, p.59) state. For a public utility company it is vital to consider whether the employees are in a position to perform certain jobs which require quick reflexes and general body strength. The other issue that is evident in the organization, apart from the gender imbalance when recruitment is done, is in regard to how work is organized. There are two work cultures which are based on the differences that exist between the white collar jobs and the blue collar jobs in the organization. The two work cultures are reinforced under certain conditions like award and non award staff. The employees view the “ideal worker” in the organization as a male employee, with a partner who can take care of the family at home. The employee is viewed as one who is capable of working for long hours. In the white collar sector, the “ideal worker” is viewed as a female or male employee who is a go-getter and can work for long hours. Application of HRM Concepts to problems that Managers face As the global business world is changing, so are the HRM concepts that are in the organizations (Nankervis, Compton, Baird and Coffey 2011, p.30). Managing a public utility organization such as the one in the case study may be difficult because 72 percent of the employees are older, which means that introducing change is a problem. For example, in the case study given, long working hours and pressure is the root cause of conflicts and stress in the organization. Hence, as a HR Director, it is my duty to communicate with the HR manager to identify the most appropriate response to such conflicts. Another excellent example of how the HRM concepts that can be applied to the problems experienced by the management in this public utility company, is by creating a balanced schedule of employee work and personal life. The human resource department in the organization has to do this by allocating flexible working hours for employees and paternity leaves. To avert all the issues in the organization, it is crucial for an organization to plan all its activities. Planning is a vital part of all the activities in an organization. The management should be aware that HR planning is valuable (Petri and Soublin 2010, p.24). In the chart below, various variables as indicated below show the relationship that determines how HR plans are developed. Chart Showing How HR plans are developed Source: http://goo.gl/OX03D The notion of an “Ideal worker” as expressed in the case study When it comes to building a productive workforce, the Human Resource department is tasked with the challenge of ensuring there is a smooth recruitment process (Buus 2005, p.187). Maintaining a workforce that enjoys increased levels of motivation is not easy, but worth accomplishing. It shows there exists job security and therefore, business goals are easily attainable by the workforce. Hence, the key objective of the HRM department in an organization is to carry out such objectives. These key functions of HRM department may be summarized in a chart as acquisition, development and acquisition among others. The chart below shows the HRM functions in an organization. Chart Showing the HRM Functions Source: http://goo.gl/63QVC In the chart given above, there are a number of activities which are in each of the functions, which a HRM specialist has to carry out. As shown above, the five key activities among the HRM personnel in firms are identified as shown as; planning and staffing, performance management and remuneration among other activities. In the case study given in the assignment, the employees do not seem to be satisfied with their jobs because of the set conditions that govern how work should be done. As aforementioned, the staff members in the organization view the “ideal worker” as a male who is capable of working for long hours, whereas, in the white collar sector, the “ideal worker” is a female or male who is a go-getter and can work for long hours. With such conditions set in the two different work groups, employees with skills in different areas do not get the chance to expand their skills. Hence, the notion acts as a limiting factor in the case study of organizational effectiveness. Walmsley (2007), states the having poor HR effectiveness in the organization is the product of having work policies that are poorly implemented. A policy is established in the organization, to create a standard which can be followed by all, consistently and capable of reducing the management’s tendency of treating certain situations distinctively (Sims, 2007). Poorly written policies such as the ones that exist in the part-time work schedule for this organization are damaging, rather than act as a source of protection for the employees. The existence of working conditions which are dictated by the employees’ view of the “ideal worker” is the evidence pertaining to the fact that the policies are not working. According to (Treviňo and Nelson, 2010), new work policies have to be developed when there is confusion about how certain activities are to be conducted in an organization. Hence as the new HR Director in the organization, I am tasked with the process of ensuring that new work policies are developed. What can be done to change the Notion in the Organization To change the notion in this organization as the HR director, the policies will not only need to be changed, but all the employee grievances have to be documented. 1) The first step taken will be to document the notion of the ideal worker according to the employees and identify if it is in violation of the organizational legislature. 2) The next step would be to share the documented notion with the other members of the management in the organization. This will allow the other HR professionals in the organization to view the notion with unbiased views, hence determining if an action has to be taken. 3) A meeting will be scheduled, where employees will be required to discuss the type of change that they would want to see. The employees will also be informed of the new policies that will take place. Employees will also be informed of how the notion of the “ideal worker” negatively affects the productivity of the company. 4) A plan for change will be developed, gaining assistance from the employees in the organization. A specific amount of time will be given to the employees to give the employees the room for them make the necessary changes and adapt to change. 5) As aforementioned, the work policies in the organization have to be changed. This will be done in six different steps. a) The values and work expectations will be communicated to all members of the organization. b) The employees will be reminded from time to time that the firm will be in compliance with the legislation. c) There will be documentation and implementation of the key practices that are appropriate for the firm. d) As the HR Director, I will assist the management to enact on decisions that are uniform and consistent. e) Lastly, all employees will be protected from unnecessary pressures in the organization. The other solution to the problem would be to get alternatives to deal with the employee surplus in the organization. The organization has a surplus of 3,000 employees. This means that the excessive employees are getting paid at an extra cost and as a result it is most likely to be operating at a loss. Source: http://goo.gl/OX03D To avoid this problem in future, there is need for proper On-boarding process from the human resource department in the organization. This means that both the head and assistant managers have to look at the on-boarding process in the organization closely and identify the loopholes. The problem with most organizations is that the hire new people giving little thought as to how they will cope in the organization. Newly Proposed Policies and Practices for successful Part-Time Work Policies The purpose of setting new part-time work policies in this organization is so as to promote the safety and compliance of part time workers in relation with the relevant part-time work policy legislation. a) All part-time employees will be entitled to similar benefits as those that the full time employees experience. b) Salary increases and the salary itself will be determined by the number of hours the part-time employees will work. c) All part-time workers will be entitled to public holiday pays which will be pro-rated, based on the number of hours that an employee will put in place. d) Part-time workers will be eligible for life insurance and group health similar to that of full time employees. e) The part time workers will be considered when it comes to promotion on the same equal terms as those of the full-time employees. f) Part Time female employees who are pregnant will be entitled to benefits such as the maternity benefits which will be under the Employment Act. They will be entitled to similar maternity benefits and protection as that of the pregnant female employees on full time basis. This will be possible so long as the employee satisfies certain conditions as stipulated in Employment act. The employee’s payment will be based on the number of days that she will be contracted to work in regard to her gross rate of pay. g) Employees who will be covered by the employment act will be entitled to annual leave whether par-time or full time employees. For the part time employees who complete 3 months of service, they will be entitled to payment which will be in proportion to the early entitlement with that of full-time employees. h) Part time employees will be paid for their overtime work on the basis of the employees’ basic hourly rate of pay. Conclusion According to Gramberg and Teicher (2006, p.200) improvement in the management has to take place for HR effectiveness to be noted by outsiders and the employees in the organization for competitiveness. As aforementioned earlier in the introduction, some of the issues that are evident in the case study can only be dealt with when the human resource department decides to adopt a flexible strategy which promotes HR resource practices that are fair. As evidently identified earlier, promoting flexibility in the organization, rests as a challenge for the HR Director, who cannot fully function without the help of other management professionals in the organization. In addition to this, the problems evidently portrayed in the organization that is in the case study are as a reflection of poor work policies in the firm. According to Sanders and Frenkel (2011, p.1616), work policies are the key to how decision making process takes place in an organization. In the case study given it is conclusive to say that the human resource department in the organization has to do this by promoting flexible working hours for both the full time and part time employees. In conclusion, the problem in the organization that has been given as an example in the case study shows that HR planning is crucial. If the organization had made appropriate plans from the start, the work policies would most likely be functional in compliance with the legislation and there would not be excess employees or grievances. Employees who have grievances and are not satisfied with their work affect an organization’s productivity, hence the rise of negative cost implications in the organization. Bibliography Becker, B. Huselid, M., (2006), "Strategic Human Resources Management: Where Do We Go From Here? “ Journal of Management, vol. 32. 6, pp. 898-925. 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