Changing Roles and Responsibilities of HR Manager in Globalized Business Environment - Essay Example

? Changing roles and responsibilities of HR manager in Globalized business environment Table of Contents Introduction 4 2. HR perspectives in globalized business arena 5 3. Role of business ethics and spiritual intelligence in proper accomplishment of expectation of globally diversified employees 6 4. Importance of different HR perspectives in appreciating and managing international workforce 8 5. Critical evaluation of Role of HR managers in existing globalized business environment 11 6. Conclusion 14 7. References 15 1. Introduction In existing scenario, conditions of business environment have become changed quite intensively. High level competition and business environment fluctuations prevailing within the existing business environment has made the role of an employee’s performance quite vital in the long term success and sustainability of the business organization. In order to cope up with such external environmental problems, adoption of globalization has become one of the one of the suitable options for different business organization. However, the proper application of this strategy is not an easy task for the management of the organization as there are a number of different issues related with the handling cross cultural business practices. This expansion of business at international level also enforce the organization to face some critical issues related with its human resource management such as conflicts among its employees, decreased morale and productivity of the employee, lack of proper co-ordination and team work within a culturally diversified team, and so on (Harzing, and Pinnington 2011). In regards to above discussion, the paper aims to find the role of a HR manager in managing and appreciating well diversify workforce render by an organization in existing highly globalized business environment. The paper work is focused on checking the viability and effectiveness of different HR related perspectives related with cross cultural workforce management in the success and sustainability of the international business of a business organization. 2. HR perspectives in globalized business arena In existing business environment, norms and practices undertaken by business organizations have been changed quite significantly. Due to liberalization across the world’s economy and increasing usage of advanced information technologies, the international business expansion has become quite preferable strategy undertaken by business organizations for addressing different business related issues. However, adoption of international business expansion strategy has also bring some intensive changes in the human resource related practices and strategies of the organization. Nowadays, the span of HR practices and responsibilities has become quite comprehensive. The main reason behind this trend is the increasing diversity in its workforce (Boone, and Van Den Bosch 1997). When a business organization expands its operations in a new geographical region, it becomes quite essential for them to use the local resources as it helps the management to be acclimatized with new business environment and reduce the total operating cost. In this context, the organization also has to hire human resource from the domestic market to undertake a better management and commencement of different business activities. The prime problem faced by the organization in this cross cultural hiring is that the working style, and cultural norms pursued by hired employees from local market is quite different with that pursued by the organization. As there are significant differences between organizational culture and practices followed by the employees, it becomes the prime aspect of HR practices to fill this gap. Due to the differences between what employees do and what the organization wants from them, the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the organization hampers quite intensively. In this regard, it becomes an utmost responsibility of HR department of the organization to manage the internationally diversified work force in the manner that all the expectations and desires of both, the employee and the organization can be accomplished and their efficiency can be enhanced in the most effective manner (Mendenhall, and Milhouse 2001). 3. Role of business ethics and spiritual intelligence in proper accomplishment of expectation of globally diversified employees The proper accomplishment of expectation of globally diversified employees has become one of the major HR responsibilities in existing business environment. For an organization it is quite essential to put some intensive attention over some of the crucial aspects of the business practices and operations undertaken within international market place. In this regard, business ethics and phenomena of spiritual intelligence are quite important for the organization to be understood and implemented within its operational framework. In the light of discussion made earlier, business ethics can be understood as one of the most crucial factors that can support the HR manager of the organization to manage the expectations of its globally diversified workforce. Business ethics can be understood as the manner in which, the organization should behave in the real business world. Business ethics is a guide for an individual’s behavior in order to align their self interest to achieve a particular target in the most appropriate manner. In this context, with the help of employing different norms of business ethics, HR manager of the organization can also tackle a number of different contradictions as well as conflicts arisen due to well diversified workforce of the organization. When an organization operates within a globalised business environment, some problems related with self motivation and self interest of employees from different cultures and backgrounds. The cultural background of different employees induces them to pursue different types of needs and wants. The HR manager of the organization needs to possess an ethical approach for the purpose of accomplishing different needs and wants of its different employees from different backgrounds. The ethical approaches lead to HR managers to have unbiased and non discriminating decision in the favor of its employees. Discrimination is the major problem which is generally found out in culturally diversified organizational environment. This problem leads to enhance employee dissatisfaction and inter organization conflicts, which directly result into decreases productivity and efficiency of the organization in a different market place. In addition to business ethics, the notion of spiritual intelligence is one of the major additives within organizational operational framework. Spiritual intelligence is the phenomenon that induces a person to alter the outlook and perception of employees towards their jobs. The development of spiritual intelligence within employees will be helpful for HR managers in order to alter the behavior of employee and make it more positive towards the environment in which, he is working. The proper implication of Spiritual intelligence in the organizational setting makes employee self competent and proactive regarding a number of different organizational challenges (Wigglesworth 2006). As per the concept of spiritual intelligence, the proper and effective application of the phenomena over organizational setting can be proved quite effective for HR manager in proper accomplishment of expectation of globally diversified employees. The expectation of globally diversified employees are also quite diversified, and highly influenced with their culture and background. In this direction, HR manager needs to develop a positive thinking and points of view of employees regarding the working environment because only thinking and perception is the most influential and driving factor, which induce the affection and loyalty within employees for their organization. The spiritual intelligence helps the HR manager to handle different expectations and desires of diversified workforce. Moreover the notion of spiritual intelligence also leads to develop a feeling of responsibility among different employees of the organization, which not only enhances their efficiency but also addresses different intra-organizational issues such as lack of coordination and team spirit among different groups, increase in the inter and intra group conflicts, non compatibility of employees from different cultures with organizational cultural and so on (Neal 1999). In this way, the discussion represents, different aspects of business practices such as business ethics, and spiritual intelligence plays a vital role in the proper management of different expectations of culturally diversified workforce of the organization. 4. Importance of different HR perspectives in appreciating and managing international workforce In order to be successful in its global business activities, it is quite essential for an organization align its different HR related activities in the manner that they can be able to appreciate and manage international workforce. There are a number of different HR related aspects such as Cross cultural management, holistic human relations or the “total person” approach to human relations, and so on, which can be proved quite helpful for the management of the business organization for the purpose of accomplishing different types of expectation of culturally differentiated employees. Cross cultural management is a comprehensive terms which denotes the abilities of the organization to be acclimatized with globalized business environment. When there is a difference between cultures pursed by different employees employed within the organization, it becomes quite hard for the management to coordinate them and utilize their full of efficiency. The cross cultural management can includes different HR aspects like communication, training and development, recruitment and selection and so on. The notion of cross cultural management allows the organization to create a friendly and competent environment in which, employees from different cultural can work together and can align their efficiencies with co ordination to achieve a common goal (Bowden, and Mulnix 2005). In addition to this, other HR aspects i.e. holistic human relation can also be considered quite contributing in the workforce diversity management related practices undertaken by the HR department of the organization. The notion of Holistic views of Human relation implies that the organization needs to understand the cultural norms of the local society to build some sustainable and holistic relationship with its employees. The holistic view of the human resource implies that Instead of maintaining only professional relationship with employees, the organization needs to maintain personal, social, cultural, and political relationship so that such relations can be sustained for a longer period of time. This holistic approach of the management towards human relation can be proved quite effective for the organization encourage and motivate its employees to undertake their roles and responsibilities in a quite effective and efficient manner. Holistic approach of the management also allows it to mitigate some critical problems such as workplace conflicts, lack of cooperation and co ordination and so on, which hampers the working efficiency and productivity of the organization at a new market place (Karsten, and Illa 2005). Total person approach is also one of the most intensive and effective HR related perspectives which can be proved quite effective for HR manager in appreciating and managing international workforce. As per this HR perspective, the organization should consider that it has hired a person, who has possessed some crucial skills for a particular jab. The organization should not consider the job skills only rather it should also put emphasis over other natural talent, responsibilities, roles and his personal life. The satisfaction level pursued by an employee heavily depends upon his personal life and related circumstance. The performance of the employee at work place may also get affected with his personal life problems. Owing to this reason, only job skills pursued by the employee should not be considered as a measure of efficiency of the employee at the work place; there can be some other personal life related factors that can be reflected in his performance for a specific period of time (Lussier 2006). As per the total person theory, for a HR manager, it is quite essential to maintain some close interpersonal relationship with its employees so that proper assessment of official and non official or personal problems and requirements of an employee can be retrieved in the most effective manner. This will help the manager to resolve different issues of different employees employed within the organization. Furthermore, in the context of internationally diversified workforce also, understanding of thinking and needs of every employee personally helps the HR manager to adopt better strategies and policies for keeping them fully satisfy and motivated towards their job. In the case of cross cultural organizational environment, in which every employee pursue different cultural background, it become quite crucial organization to understand professional as well as personal needs and requirement (Uba 2010). In this way different HR related perspectives can be proved quite effective and essential ingredients of the HR policies of the organization which operates in international market place with well diversify workforce. 5. Critical evaluation of Role of HR managers in existing globalized business environment In contemporary business environment in which, globalization and international business expansion has become an integral aspects of business practices undertaken by a business organizations, the roles and responsibilities of a HR manager has become quite comprehensive and elaborated. Nowadays, the proper management of different needs and requirements of culturally diversified workforce has become the prime responsibility of HR managers of different business organizations, which are operating in a foreign market. There are a number of different some added responsibilities are needed to be accomplished by the HR manager in existing globalized business environment (Wigglesworth 2006). The evolvement of the IHRM concept within the business practices undertaken by business organization has made the span of activities undertaken by a multinational business organization more expanded. In order to meet challenges provided by the external business environment, business organizations undertake the measure of geographical business expansion. In new business environment, the organization needs to face new business conditions and culture which influence existing practices and norms of business organizations quite intensively. In such trans-cultural organizational environment, it becomes quite essential for the HR manager to adopt some new and effective strategies and policies, which is capable to align capabilities of the organization with business environment of the foreign market (Neal 1999). However, undertaking of such types of strategies requires some of intensive skills and focused attempts from the side of the HR manager of the organization. Only acquisition of just a few words of foreign language and superficial understanding of culture of the foreign country is not enough for HR managers of organizations in their international business practices. They are required to have some in depth understanding of the culture and business practices of the foreign. For this purpose, intensive understanding and a rational applications of alternative business management models of the culture of foreign culture is one of the most crucial and essential phenomena for HR managers (Elkin 2007). In this aspect, the approach and perception of HR manager regarding trans-cultural human resource leadership has become quite flexible as they have become quite lenient and positive regarding adoption of newer management style as per the demand of the new market. The main reason behind this change is the occurrence of a number of different complexities, contradictions, and tensions in the international business practices due to cultural differences (Elkin 2007). In addition to this, this changing role of HR manager can be sighted in a number of different HR related tasks and practices such as cross cultural communication, training and development, well diversified recruitment and selection, and so on. These all the functions can be understood as a backbone of the operational efficiency of different business organizations as these operational activities of the organization are directly related with the proper management of Human resource employed within the organization. As the human resource of the organization is the prime asset for the organization, the role of HR management has become quite vital and important for the organization in the long run. In the globalized business environment, the HR manager is required to have an open and adaptive approach towards different types of HR related policies and models prevailing within the host country. The prime reason behind this notion is that in the case of international business expansion, the HR manager is required to manage the workforce in which, majority of the employees belong to the culture and background of the host country. Owing to this reason, it is quite essential for HR manager to employ policies and strategies which are quite aligned with local cultural norms, so that employees can understand and adopt such HR policies easily (Harzing, and Pinnington 2011). There can be positive as well as negative roles of Human resource manager in existing highly diversify business environment. The first and foremost positive role of HR manager of a multinational concern is to develop a synergy between norms of external business environment of a foreign country and existing business practices of the organization. Proper and effective management of well diversified workforce of the organization can also be taken in account the top level management of the organization. In addition to this, enhanced efficiency and effectiveness of the globalized workforce can also be considered as one of the major positive aspect of the role of HR manager in existing highly challenging and globalized business environment (Nussbaum 2003) In the contradiction to this, there can also be some of critical risks and other negative aspects of role of HR managers in existence business environment. Increasing globalization has made the management of workforce quite complex for HR manager. Different additional roles and responsibilities of HR manager are putting a lot of pressure over him, which affects his efficiency to perform his core duties within the organization. In addition to this, the simulation of different cultures within the workforce of an organization sometimes lead to conflicts, and contradictions in the working style and points of views, which hampers the cooperative environment of the organization. This situation is not good from the perspective of the sustainability and success of the organization at foreign market. The effectiveness of HR Policies is the only factor that can address this adverse situation in front of the management of the organization. In the case of the failure of HR policies, the organization needs to pay intensively (Elkin 2007). In this way, the above discussion has highlighted the critical evaluation of the role of a HR manager in managing and administrating different needs and expectations of well diversified work force. The evaluation has presented the despite having some problems and issues, adaptive approach of HR manager can be proved quite effective in managing international employees within the global organizational milieu. 6. Conclusion The paper has shaded light over changing roles and responsibilities of a HR manager in existing globalized business conditions. On the basis of entire discussion made within the paper it can be asserted that there are a number of different human resource related problems which presents some critical issues in front of management of organization while undertaking their international business practices. In order to address, the role of HR manager has become quite expanded as they are required to manage different needs and wants of employees from different cultural background. In the light of this new role of HR manager, understanding and adoption of different aspects of business practices namely business Ethics and spiritual intelligence can be proved quite effective as with the help of such aspects of business, HR manager can change the perception and attitude of employees regarding their job. Owing to this reason, it can be understood that different HR perspectives are quite essential and irreplaceable ingredients for effectively appreciating and managing international employees. 7. 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