Employees Perceptions about their HRM: A Thematic Analysis - Essay Example

? Employees’ Perceptions about their HRM: A Thematic Analysis 16th, May Introduction Apart from the sustainable competitive advantages and market realities, the success of a company also depends on the effectiveness of its human resources management (HRM). HRM in a company involves the strategic management of employees, who contribute to the achievement of a company’s goals and objectives. In fulfilling its mandate, the responsibilities of HRM in a company include attracting new employees, ensuring employee retention, and employee development. Therefore, for a company to be successful, the HRM must be effective in the execution of its roles. The HRM today faces new responsibilities and challenges; however, the use of proper HRM techniques helps overcome challenges and perform competitively. Nonetheless, research shows that the inclusion of views, perceptions, and understanding of HRM by employees facilitates the development of strategies, which are more effective. The purpose of this study was to explore the themes and concepts, which consist of employees’ understanding of HRM and its function in their company. Approach This study was qualitative in nature, and therefore the data collected is subjective. The qualitative research method of personal interviews was chosen, as this would be effective in providing the understanding and attitudes of people towards the HRM of the company and its functions. Each respondent was interviewed individually, and responses were recorded on tape. The participants in this study included the employees of the company only. These included twelve employees selected from different departments in the company. In addition, participation in the study was voluntary. The researcher conducted the interviews, and each lasted not more than one hour. The interview questions were open in nature, therefore, allowing respondents to give their personal views. Analysis of data collected was through thematic analysis. This is a qualitative method employed in the analysis of qualitative data, and involves identifying, analyzing, and reporting themes within the data collected. In the analysis, there was the coding framework for each personal interview. Therefore, the structure of this report is based on the main themes, which were identified during the interviews. Thematic Analysis During the personal interviews, each respondent described their understanding of the HRM in the company, with regard to control, strategy alignment, policy, criteria, and decision-making, and HRM processes. They described how the HRM of their company addresses these issues and executes its roles. In addition, each respondent gave his or her own views about the effectiveness of the HRM. This also included their perceptions about the HRM, and from this, it was possible to determine the employees’ attitudes toward the HRM. Respondents gave their views on the company strategies, and their opinions on whether the HRM processes are in alignment with company objectives. These also gave their views on the level of managerial involvement in the HRM processes. Overall, the views of respondents were based on the role, practice, and effectiveness of the company’s HRM. After the interviews, it was important to conduct a thematic analysis in order to determine the themes in the collected data. The interviewer transcribed the data that was collected from each personal interview, and each response to every question was noted down. This was the first stage of data analysis. The interviewer then read and re-read the data to ensure familiarity with the data. In addition, the interviewer listened to the interview recordings to ensure they coincided with the transcripted data. These processes were important to facilitate the interviewer’s data immersion and familiarity with the collected data. In the second stage, coding of the data was performed. The codes identified different elements in the data, which were pertinent to the research objective. Nonetheless, great attention was paid to the whole set of data in order to successfully give equal consideration to the themes or repeated patterns in the data. In the third stage, the researcher searched and identified themes in the collected data. These provided an explanation of the whole data, as they comprised various codes, which showed a high level of resemblance, or were considered a similar aspect with other aspects in the data. The researcher incorporated the codes that were relevant to the research objective, to make up a theme. In addition, thematic maps were employed by the researcher in order to determine how different themes related. In this case, the researcher disregarded any of the themes, which had insufficient data to support them. This stage therefore, involved the refining of themes, and was conducted on two major levels, as seen. First, the researcher ensured that the coded data were coherent, and secondly, the researcher considered the themes with regard to how they related. This was important, as it ensured that the themes identified were reflected in the collected data. In the next stage, the themes and were defined, given names, and analyzed in a detailed manner. The names developed for the themes had to be short, and which showed the essence of the theme. Finally, the researcher undertakes report production. This involves choosing different elements in the data to prove the themes. These could include extracts in the data, which relate to a theme and serve as an example of the point the theme makes. Results After the application of thematic analysis to the transcripts, different important elements were realized in the data. The themes realized are important in establishing the perception and understanding of participant about the HRM system in their company. The themes in this data were identified as, “control of managers,” “structure of HR,” and “employee motivation.” Nonetheless, there were other aspects of the understanding and perceptions of employees about the HRM in their company. However, overall, these three could help interpret the understanding, attitudes, and perceptions of employees about the HRM in the company. Control of Managers All the employees interviewed showed their knowledge on how the managers in the HR of the company executed their tasks, as well as the boundaries of their control. The interviewed employees agreed that various managers were charged with different tasks and responsibilities. Therefore, these managers were not expected to influence decisions or participate in the execution of tasks in areas, which are not assigned in their dockets. For instance, employees were asked on how the HRM manages the issues of all employees in the company, and all showed consistency in their responses. On the other hand, the employees were required to name the HR personnel with the highest level of control. Similarly, these showed consistency in their replies, as shown below. Question: How are the issues of employees managed in the company? Response: There are different departments in the company, including the HRM department. Each department has its heads, managers, and senior administrators. In the HR department, there are different managers, who are charged with different responsibilities, therefore, each exercises control in the area they are charged with. Question: Who has the highest level of control and influence in the HR Response: Basically, all managers and administrators in the HR have different roles to execute. These therefore, practice control in different ways and levels. However, it might not be easy to determine the manager with the highest level of control, as they perform different roles, which can only be considered in their specific contexts. However, the Director of HR has the greatest mandate, as he oversees the performance of all other managers in the HR department. Structure of HR This theme was identified, basing on the ability of all the respondents to be familiar with the structure of the HR of their company. All the respondents were able to exhibit their knowledge on the internal structure of the HR, and how each of the HR functions and decision-making duties were distributed. Nonetheless, since the employees in the interview indicated that different managers in the HR department were charged with different responsibilities, it then becomes clear that the HR is further structured, and different managers belong to a different segment of the HR structure. In this case, also, since the employees accepted to the fact that the director of HR was the one with the highest level of control in the HR department, then it can be deduced that in the HR structure, the director of HR is at the topmost level, followed by the other managers. All respondents were able to identify the different roles of various administrators in the company’s HR. When the interviewer asked them about the role of the HR in policymaking and decision-making, most provided similar answers, citing the same responsibilities for various administrators in the company’s HR. This shows that employees fully understood how the HR in the company was structured, and the different roles of each segment. The following interview questions point to the element of HR structure, and the answers provided are a representative of other employees’ responses, as they were all consistent and in agreement. Question: Who is responsible for recrutitment and selection? Response: The recruitment manager is the only one responsible for the recruitment and selection process. He goes through the CVs and calls the right candidates to interviews. This way they decide who is the right person for the opening. Question: Who makes decisions regarding employee training and development? Response: The training and development manager monitors each department and its training needs. Sometimes they suggest appropriate training to further develop employee skills. From these responses, it is eminent that the HR of this company is structured, with each part of the HR having different roles and responsibilities to execute. In the HR department structure, there is the part that deals with recruitment and hiring, another deals with employee training and development, and another with rewards and compensation of employees, among others. This therefore, is evidence that employees have clear knowledge on the structure of the HR, including the roles and responsibilities of each segment in the structure. Employee Motivation The HR structure comprises different managers and administrators, who perform different responsibilities in the HR department. The roles and responsibilities of these managers and administrators directly influence the motivation of employees. If each of the HR segment performs and executes its responsibilities well, this results in the motivation of employees. On the other hand, if the HR segments perform poorly, this lowers the level of motivation of employees. Most employees that were interviewed admitted that overall, the HR of their company had a positive effect on their level of motivation. The following interview questions brought out the aspect of employee motivation from various HR processes. The responses by employees were also consistent. Question: Are there processes where employees are rewarded according to their contribution to achieving the organization’s goals? Response: The manager in charge of compensation and benefits is concerned with bonuses and other rewards, when employees perform well. This motivates employees, and it makes them more effective. Performing well and being the employee of the year will earn an employee a reward, and this makes an employee to perform better. It is about personal satisfaction! Rewards are like recognizing the accomplishment formally, and reinforcing successful behavior. It is very important. Question: Are Human Resource management processes aimed to develop employee skills? Response: There might be no formal process of training and development for employees, but, overall, if the training and development manager identifies gaps in the training and competitiveness of employees, including training gaps, this organizes for training of the employees. This keeps us motivated. For instance, I attended a training seminar last month, and this boosted my morale and motivation to perform better. This therefore, reveals that each part of the HRM in the company, which makes up the HR structure, affects the level of motivation in employees, when it executes its responsibilities in the most effective manner. In this case, most employees agreed to a positive influence of the HR and HR processes on their level of motivation. Discussion and Conclusion The results from this study show an important highlight of how employees perceive the HRM of their company, its function, and processes. This perception of the employees is obtained through their interaction with the HR personnel in the company. In addition, the employees participate in the HR processes, and this affects them, thus they develop their perception about the HR system. Nonetheless, the workplace setting is important in this case, as this is where the interaction between employees and the HR system in the company happens. In this study, the employees are shown to have diverse knowledge on the operations, structure, and role of the HR department, including the different managers and senior administrators in the department. With regard to the control of managers, it is evident that each manager in a company is charged with different roles; depending on the type of department, they are placed. Therefore, the control of managers varies. While some might exhibit a higher sense of control, others will show a less level of control. Nonetheless, this all is dependent on their roles and the level of influence they have in the company, with regard to the execution of their roles. In the data, there are various examples, which point to this case of varying levels of control among managers in a company. The main example is when all employees agreed that the Director of the HR is the one with the highest level of control, as he is in charge of overseeing the performance of all the other managers, who are under him. Nonetheless, it was hard for most employees to determine the manager holding the next high rank after the director of the HR. Therefore, some employees considered the recruitment and hiring manager, the training and development manager, and the rewards and compensation manager to hold the same rank, even though their levels of control varied, considering their different responsibilities. The control of managers in the HR is closely linked with the HR structure in the company. The different managers in the HR have different titles, meaning that these perform different duties, so hold different office. Therefore, from the data, this showed that these are charged with varying mandates; therefore, they had different influence in the company. From the data, the employees identified the Director of HR as the one with the highest rank in the HR department; therefore, this shows that in the HR department, there is evidence of hierarchy. Therefore, power and influence concentrate at the level of the Director of HR, and spreads downwards to the other managers, and then the employees. In this case, this shows the evidence of a structure in the HR of the company. It is interesting how the different themes interrelate. Apart from the control of managers, which links with the structure of the HR, employee motivation is yet another theme that was identified, and has close relations with the two other themes. Employee motivation is primarily based on the processes and functions of the whole HR system of the company. Nonetheless, each manager shows a different level of control, with regard to the HR processes they are charged with. On the other hand, the structure of the HR is also based on different mandates of different managers, such that managers hold different positions, depending on their responsibilities and HR processes they execute. From the data, it was evident that when the managers performed their roles effectively, this had a positive influence on the employees, with regard to their motivation and commitment to their job. One employee who had attended a training seminar before the study had shown a high level of satisfaction and motivation in her job. Nonetheless, this proves that effective HRM boosts employee job satisfaction and motivation level. In conclusion, the key finding of this study is that employees were satisfied with their job, and ranked the HRM of their company above average, and regarded it as sensitive to employee needs and effective in its operations. However, considering the number of employees that participated in this study, and the method of data collection employed, it is clear that this is was a small company. Therefore, a conclusion might be arrived at to claim that it is easier for smaller companies to manage the employees, due to different reasons. However, the major reason could be that the employees and managers form a closer relationship, therefore, making it easier for the HR to execute its mandate without major obstacles. Read More