HRM and Culture - Research Paper Example

? HRM & Culture Number: The issue of gender balance at the corporate level is still problematic and one that reflects the social dynamics that surround corporate or market environment. As one tends towards mature democracies, gains that have been made in this effort become more palpable. The reverse is also true with maturing democracies and developing economies such as South Korea. In South Korea, corporate gender balance has been still hard to come by, with very little progress having been made as late as 2005. In South Korea, leading organisations that excel in key sectors such as the telecommunication industry still have corporate leaders who fallaciously think that extending women employment opportunities can undercut organisational development. While this untrue standpoint may simply be dismissed as a sexist myth, the gravity of this standpoint is that it denies the corporate life, collective approach and plurality of views, and thereby subjecting an economy that practices it to underperformance. This may be seen in South Korea and the life and practices of leading organisations therein, such as SK Holdings. Introduction The mini case, Crack in Particularly Thick Glass Ceiling concerns the plight of women who have had to work in a male-dominated country which is South Korea. One of the women featured in the cases is Choi Dong Hee who was assimilated in SK’s research department in 2005. Hee was the only woman in the organisation and did not have major assignments being issued to her. After a yearlong study, Hee proposed the use of wireless portal for the company’s subscribers. Later, the company would give Hee’s proposal a chance and thereby changing SK’s attitude towards women’s perspectives. The case is critically important to the formation of tenable and efficient human resources, as shall be seen in the discourse that ensues forthwith. 1. Determining If and How the HRM Practices align With the Company’s Business Strategy It is not very obvious that the human resources management (HRM) practices of the company align with its business strategy. The practices that are mentioned in the case include the failure to incorporate gender equality in the company (Hee is the only woman not only in SK’s research department, but also in SK’s rank and file). It is possible that this bias towards women in the recruitment of personnel was not so much caused by unequal gender business strategies than the society’s gender bias. Because of the society’s gender bias towards women, SK’s might have imperceptibly maintained the culture of hiring more men than women. Conversely, it is also possible that SK’s HRM practice (of not hiring women) may have been deliberate and can therefore be regarded as part of the company’s organisational or business strategy. This may be the case, since in the details preceding the case, one of the senior managers of SK Holdings had confessed of having eschewed employing women simply because he believed that women lacked tenacity. He divulged on his belief to the effect that when deadlines are tight and many people are thus required to work overtime, women may not be as reliable as men. It is therefore plausible that SK’s HRM practice of sticking to men may have been a deliberate business strategy, as an artifice to keep organisational production optimal and to meet strict deadlines. 2. How Hiring More Women and Promoting Them Could Improve the Competitive Advantage of This Company A myriad of competitive advantages characterises the hiring and promotion of women. One of the advantages that come with the recruitment and promotion of women has to do with the entrenchment of plurality of ideas in the company’s efforts. It is a fact that women and men think and see things from different perspectives and angles. This means that incorporating women into SK’s workforce is bound to help the organisation come up with more efficient and strategic policies and frameworks. This is well seen in the case of Hee who like other women, are deeply concerned with the need to have subscribers benefit from efficiency in services provision. Hee’s insistent proposals and efforts to have subscribers use wireless portal is an apt exemplification of the efforts women have exerted towards the entrenchment of efficiency. This of course led to a higher extent of employee satisfaction and ultimately enabled SK’s to gain a competitive edge over competitors and to realise a larger market share. Secondly, the act of recruiting and promoting more women is likely to give an organisation such as SK to have a more democratic approach to HRM practices. This is because; democratic policies always use collective approaches. In the end, the presence of women in an organisation like SK is likely to give SK a good corporate or public image. Werhane (2007) observes that positive corporate image directly increases the number of both potential and prospective clients. According to Kulich, Trojanowski and Ryan (2008), it is well known that the inclusion of women and their promotion into higher offices also co-occur with meritocracy. This is because, the assigning of portfolios and emoluments, based on qualifications (merit) as the basic principles of meritocracy readily dispels gender bias and promotes gender balance in any organisational setting. Because of this, SK will be able to inculcate within its operation, competence and efficiency. This is well illustrated by Hee’s commitment which sees her working on her presentation for three weeks alone, as her male counterparts faithfully attend drinking parties almost on daily basis. That the same competence is likely to bring about better management practices and innovation in services production and administration, is indisputably illustrated by Hee’s contributions leading to SK’s adoption of the open policy (Grosvold, 2011). 3. Prepare a Recruitment and Retention Plan for This Company That Specifically Targets Women Employees There are several measures that are to be put in place to ensure that SK Holdings manages to recruit and retain women employees. One of the most important measures is the observation of meritocracy in HRM exercises. This means that the organisation should observe qualifications and the prerequisites that are relevant to a particular portfolio. Given that the attainment of the prerequisites is a virtue not distributed in respect to gender, it is likely that both women and men will be legible for the portfolios that are to be filled. Secondly, it is important that SK, like other organisations removes all gender based discrimination in income distribution. This measure will go a long way in encouraging women to apply for vacant positions, their rank in the organisation notwithstanding. SK will also have to introduce workshop drives and training programmes that aim at making its rank and file gain a positive perception towards women employees, and become more aware of the values that female and gender balanced workforce brings to the organisation and the society in general. The training programmes should go the length to highlight the positive relations between gender sensitive organisations and their success. This move is especially important for SK Holdings since one of its very managing directors believes in the fallacy that women lack the tenacity that is needed for beating deadlines. That this negative attitude towards women is problematic to SK Holdings is a matter that is underscored by its employees’ negative attitude towards Hee and her proposals. The attitude shown by the employees and the managing director also underscore the need for these workshop drives and training programmes. Above all, it is binding that SK begins the process of entrenching the presence of female employees by introducing policies meant at shattering the glass ceiling. This will have the organisation encouraging the presence of female employees into the organisation by putting measures that will stimulate female participation in place. Some of these measures may include: the lowering of the standards mentioned in the recruitment prerequisites, especially in societies where women are underpowered; specifying the male-to-female ratio that must be radically maintained in the organisation, and during the organisation’s recruitment drive. 4. The three potential obstacles that this company could face in its quest to diversify its workforce in this particular culture include: high employee turnover; performance gaps; and opposition from SK’s male-dominated workforce. Nonetheless, it is expedient to restate that these shortfalls that will emanate from the quest to diversify the workplace do not stem from an inherent flaw in women, but from the dynamics of management and cultural surroundings. Particularly, the high employee turnover may stem from the need to carry out fresh recruitment drives as the pathways to the incorporation of female employees into the organisation. Conversely, the granting of equal managerial positions to women employees may not auger well with some of SK’s managers and thereby sparking discontentment and ultimately, the tendering of resignations. This will compel SK Holdings to carry further recruitments to fill positions that have fallen vacant, and thereby furthering more employee turnover. The aforementioned performance gap will also be realised because SK Holdings will have to expend time and synergy, trying to orientate and acquaint new recruits with the organisation and its policies. This may call for training, yet the new recruits will not have begun working yet. Likewise, naturally, some of these newly recruited employees may take time to conceptualise operational frameworks being introduced to them. SK Holdings may experience opposition from its personnel which is largely male dominated. This may happen imperceptibly, and not directly. At the moment, the world has become too sophisticated and accommodative to facilitate the outright display of opposition towards the employment of women in SK Holdings, or any other organisation. The import of this is that this resistance is likely to materialise in a very covert manner, with objections being made only in managerial boardrooms. Conversely, the junior staff may opt to act indifferently towards the incorporation of women into SK Holdings, and thereby not fully supporting the gender diversification efforts that the organisation is trying to ratify (Grosvold, 2011). 5. Recommending HRM Strategies SK Holdings Can Enforce To Improve the Visibility of Its Women Employees There are two main important efforts that SK Holdings can carry out to improve the presence of its female employees. This organisation can first move into action by practicing meritocracy. This involves the extension of organisational positions and privileges according to the qualifications that the applicants possess. This involves determining the work, duties and responsibilities which are due to a particular office or portfolio, and specifying the qualities, academic and nonacademic attainments, skills and experience that the putative occupant of the office must have in order to competently discharge the duties therein. The same also requires that during recruitment exercises, candidates who attend the interview are to be shortlisted according to how they meet the yardsticks that have been set in place and how these candidates fare in the exams. SK Holdings as the organisation under discussion must above all, integrate the observation of meritocracy to its organisational culture. The converse of this is that no sooner will SK Holdings’ efforts lack the structural apparatuses to maintain this culture, than for recidivist policies to be made, thereby paving way for the reversal of the gains that had been made in securing gender balance. Reputable scholars such as Villiers (2010) contend that the crux of the matter behind the adoption of meritocracy is that when merit is used as the basic and most fundamental benchmark for recruitment, then both the presence of women and men are equally likely to grace the face of the organisation. This is because, just like men, women are learned and possess the relevant skills and experience necessary for the discharging of roles and responsibilities due to any office. Another measure that must be put in place to prop up meritocracy and the catalysed presence of female employees in this organisation is the observation of performance evaluation and training programmes. This will have female employees like their male counterparts, having supervisors to whom they are answerable, can consult and from whom they can get guidance. Every supervisor is to keep track of every employee’s work, helping new female recruits to make correct work-related adjustments. At the end of the organisation’s fiscal year, the organisation through the help of its supervisors should assess the overall performance of the new employees. Employees who meet performance target are to be rewarded with promotions, higher perks, emoluments, grants and acknowledgements. Conversely, those who record performance gaps are to be cordially subjected to workshop drives and training programmes to help them fill the deficit which may be undercutting their performance. In the process, it is important that the organisation makes an effort to assure its employees that the training programmes are not punitive expeditions, but avenues through which they can interact, bond and share knowledge and skills that will help these employees scale upwards into successful careers. Likewise, it is incumbent upon the organisation to ensure that during this performance evaluation and performance adjustment, efforts are made to include both sexes. This will extirpate chances of women employees being seen as incompetent, or the performance appraisal exercise being viewed as targeting female employees. By following this second step (of performance appraisal and adjustments), the newly employed female employees will be able to get acquainted with their work and to grow professionally. References Grosvold, J. (2011). Where Are All the Women? Institutional Context and the Prevalence of Women on the Corporate Board of Directors. Business & Society, 50 (3), 531-555. Kulich, C. Trojanowski, G. & Ryan, M. K. (2008). Who Gets The Carrot And Who Gets The Stick? Evidence of Gender Disparities in Executive Remuneration. Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 4 (3), 1-6. Villiers, C. (2010). Achieving Gender Balance In The Boardroom: Is It Time For Legislative Action In The UK? Legal Studies, 30 (4), 533-557. Werhane, P. (2007). Women Leaders in a Globalized World. Journal of Business Ethics, 74 (4), 425-435. Read More