Human Resource Management Programs and Their Impact on Efficiency - Essay Example

? Change all red editing and improvement words. 4000 words in red. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to take this chance for thanking my research supervisor Dr Gurjeet Dhesi and Martin Abram, family and peers who supported me and believed in my efforts. They encouraged me to do better and provided me guidance whenever I needed it. DECLARATION This is to be stated that all the content in this thesis/dissertation is a result of my own research efforts. The content has not been produced without any individual’s help, neither is it influenced by any individual’s work. The contribution of few researchers has been included in the thesis/dissertation, however, they have been given due credit at all instances. This thesis/dissertation has not been submitted at any other institution or organization. This thesis includes my views that are not associated with the university. Signature: Date: 09/05/2011 ABSTRACT Human resources bear great relevance in the attainment of success in any field. Employees are considered to be assets for organizations in the modern times; it is necessary to take measures to manage employees in an effective manner for the growth of the company. The field of human resources management lacks a set of standard practices that would lead any organization towards a valuable human resource management department. The lack of such best practices provoked this research study. This study aims to investigate the set of best practices that result in effective human resource management activities. The best practices have been described in this thesis, along with their benefits for the growth of the company. Table of Content ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i DECLARATION ii Table of Content iv CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION 1 Overview of the Research 1 Purpose of the Research 2 Aims and Objectives 2 Research Question 3 Reliability and validity 3 CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 Fifteen Best Practices in Human Resources Management 13 Safety of Employees 13 Selective Recruitment 13 Compensation Strategies 14 Performance Evaluation 14 Training and Development Opportunities 15 Reducing Status Differences 15 Exchange of Information 15 Promotion 16 Employee Ownership 16 Empowerment of Workers 16 Employee Suggestions 16 Job Rotation 17 Five Areas of Best Practice 17 Training and Development 17 Teams 18 Performance Evaluations 19 Communication 19 CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY 25 Project Progress 25 Research Design 25 Data Analysis 26 CHAPTER 04: FINDINGS 28 Regression analysis 28 Critique 31 Research and project plan 31 Analytical technique 32 CHAPTER 05: CONCLUSION 33 Conclusion 33 REFERENCES 42 Appendix B 51 Graphs from results 52 Appendix C 62 Fig. 2 63 CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION Overview of the Research Human resource management involves the management of people to achieve valuable performances, in the presence of a productive working environment. The focus of this type of management is to facilitate an accessible form of management; one which is not rigid and considers the employees as an asset of the organization. The main objective of the human resources department is to keep the employees motivated and committed towards achieving the goals of their respective departments and organization. Human resource processes include factors that influence the strategic decision making of the organization. Great stress is laid to promote a helpful and supportive culture in the organization, rather than a competitive one. Employee training and development programs bear great relevance for the growth and success of the organization; this aspect also encourages the managers to seek and hire talented individuals from within the company for required positions. Reward management and compensation are also important functions of the human resource department, such as entitlement to annual bonuses on the basis of appraisals and performance measures etc. These factors are considered to be amongst the most important requirements for the development and improvement of any human resource department. These factors have been influenced from the work of few researchers, such as Martel (2007), Brewster (2005), Jackson and Schuler (1995) etc. Brewster, Sparrow and Harris (2005) stated that effective management and strategic decision making is required to manage global human resources. Huselid, Jackson and Schuler (1997) explained that the prevailing frameworks focus on the alignment of the policies and procedures with the strategic decision making of the organization, alongside achieving the main objectives laid down by the top management. Such practices become overwhelming for the human resource management if global, as well as localized, human resources have to be managed according to their unique attributes. McShane & Glinow (2007) contributed in the respective field of study with the valuable notion that organizations should learn to broaden their cultural horizon. With the global expansion of the company, the needs of the customers also get diversified. It is due to this diversity that organizations need to change their cultures and modes of business operations. The main objective of this research study is to analyze the available literature for “best practices” in the field of human resource management. The mechanisms of the best practices shall be studied, along with their reasons of providing good results. Purpose of the Research The research study aims to highlight the importance of human resources and other related operations in the execution of a successful business. One of the main issues that have been witnessed in the field of human resource management is the lack of defined practices and procedures that results in effective management of the organization and employees; therefore the research study shall aim to investigate a defined set of practices that can attain success for any organization. Aims and Objectives The research shall aim to achieve the following objectives: • To investigate best practices in the field of HRM, along with the purpose and description of each practice. • To evaluate the importance of HRM best practices for the success of any organization. Research Question • Which procedures are considered as ‘best practices’ in the field of human resource management? • What are the probable effects of the application of the best practices of human resource management on the performance of any organization? Reliability and validity In the process of conducting research studies, it is common to face certain methodological and credibility issues; the most important ones are reliability and validity. Reliability assessment is considered to be a vital facet of behavioural research; it helps the researcher to assess the level of consistency that might be related to any measure. Social validation provides the answer to the following query: is the measurement being done on the factor that is aimed to be measured? Internal validity applies to the extent of approximation that can be used to develop causal relations in a research study, whereas external validity involves the limit to which the conclusion of a research can be considered valid for general cases. The external validity of the measurement processes may not be applicable in some scenarios in the chosen research study, if contrasting changes are present with respect to the demographics and structure of the company. The approaches that are adopted to measure the validity of any factor are as follows: To consult a set of skilled professionals, who would not be concerned with the research study. To have the measurement instrument evaluated by the participants in the research study, for example, the participants in a survey can be asked to provide their feedback (in a second questionnaire) about the effectiveness and validity of the questions present in the first questionnaire. Although, this method would be subjected to personal biasness or leniency from the participants’ side. Ethical Consideration The research study has been conducted after careful consideration of ethical issues that may be involved in the process. The author of the report is responsible for all the research findings and investigations for the research study. The participants in the research have been communicated about the steps that shall be taken to safeguard their privacy and integrity. The research topic has been chosen after careful analysis and adoption of scientific approach. The advantages of the research study were evaluated for its impact on the society and contribution in the field of human resource management. The researcher is aware of the potential harmful effects on ? such circumstances and the chosen method was used after consultation with colleagues and other experts. Full justification for the method chosen was given. The research was conducted in a competent manner ? as a scientific project objective and unbiased. The research was conducted in full conformity with ? and knowledge of local customs laws and regulations. The investigators are familiar with and respect the host culture. The principal investigators' own ethical principles are made clear to all involved in research to enable collaboration with other researchers said. The prevailing issues and confusions have been cleared before conducting the research study. The research process will not prove to cause any interference in the personal lives of the participants; neither will it have any adverse affect on the society. The safeguarding of the privacy of the participants will be considered no less than a personal duty. All the participants have been included in the research study on the basis of their own free will and consent. CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW After the analysis of the available literature, it has been found that there are no comprehensive and dependable descriptions of the most effective practices in the field of human resource management. Mess (2004) stated that no researcher has been able to produce a benchmark in the respective field that would be reliable enough to be followed by others. This creates a vacuum for a set of standard practices that can yield valuable human resource management results. However, there are several descriptions of effective human resource management practices in different papers that can be accumulated to form a standard set of best practices. Few worthy practices and approaches have been chosen from various sources to achieve a set of practices that shall be implementable in all types of organizations. Mitchell and Fetter (2002) explained that human resource management promotes an individualistic approach to be adopted in the relationship between the employer and employee. HRM encourages the adoption of individualism, more than collectivism, since the former approach directs the organization towards success through personal growth of the employees. Abella (2004) stated that HRM practices facilitate the management of the valuable assets of the organization - people. Caligiuri and Stroh (1995) stated that the value of human resources has been increased since the past few years because it has been realized that human resources skills and experiences tend to make a significant effect in the performance of the organization. It has also been agreed by researchers that human resources are one of the most powerful sources to gain competitive advantage in the market. Wright and McMahan (1992) agreed that it is vital for any organization to incorporate the human resource management aspects in the formulation of all strategic plans; such practices ensure organizational compliance with the policies and procedures of human resource management. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (1999) stated that the strategic decisions of the company should be done in accordance with the skills sets and experiences of the employees to facilitate effective execution of the plans. Human resource department takes extensive measures to introduce a suitable model for their organization; Youker (2004) however stated that cultural values should also be present to direct any organization towards success. These values include cultural diversity management and social inclusion to ensure that all employees are granted equal opportunities and are treated on the same grounds. Jackson and Shuler (1995) explained that human resource accumulates many domains under its ‘umbrella’; general HR procedures (including recruitment and performance appraisal activities), formal HR systems (procedures that monitor the implementation of compliant activities), employee attraction, retention, development and training strategies. All of these domains ensure that the organization and employees performs according to the needs of the environment and customers, in compliance with their own objectives. It has long been argued by some researchers that, those who are present at the workplace, be they managers, human resource specialists, supervisors, or shop floor employees are best placed to develop working arrangements that are most suited to improving efficiency and productivity of the business. (Adler 2009, 52) One way to this is through effective HRD activities. According to Cobb Gnyawali & Offstein effective human resource management and policies have, indeed, been linked to strategic outcomes, human resource management theory has yet to link human assets and HR practices directly to the building blocks of strategy and competitive behaviour. (Adler 2008, 10) Accordingly, their model of strategic human resources links both micro and macro literature streams. Jackson E. S., Schuler S. R., & Sparrow, P., in their study of, “Convergence or divergence: human resource practices and policies for competitive advantage worldwide” postulated that as traditional sources and means such as capital, technology or location become less significant as a basis for competitive advantage, firms are beginning to look into other innovative sources. (Banai 2007, 143) One of these is HRD. Jackson. Schuler, & Sparrow, went further and argue that while traditionally human resource was regarded as a personnel department function, it is now a collective responsibility amongst managers and non-managers, personnel directors and line managers. (Bartlett 2008, 10) “The resource base view of the firm infers that firms create competitive advantage by implementing unique combinations of resources and business practices that are difficult (or impossible) for competitors to imitate” from this viewpoint, HRD practices are key components of overall firm strategy. (Bonardi 2009, 101) In fact, the success of some well-known firms has been attributed to their HRD practices as a competitive advantage. According to Sveiby a key to retaining personnel in knowledge based-organization is ensuring that employees had the opportunities to work on interesting projects with interesting careers challenges clearly defined. Diversity involves recruiting and training personnel of different background, different needs and different career goals. (Dowling 2008, 4) Today most organizations tend to be more goals oriented and one can deduce that the management believes that conductive workplaces are an argument against competitiveness. Human resource development prepares the organization with a diverse workforce environment. (Dowling 2008, 7) According to Sveiby, organizations under such a situation should create and incorporate healthier psychological work environments. This was the same position echoed by Gilbreath when the researcher postulates that, healthy psychological environments contribute to career conduciveness. (Edstrom 2008, 248) According to Gilbreath, creating strong HRM policies requires creating a strong psychological environment in which employees can thrive. Such an environment requires conducting stress audit, monitoring the work of the environment, matching people and work environment and using teams of employees and researchers to study the work environment. (Kostova 2009, 403) Human resource development practitioners should eliminate unnecessary stressors (e.g., poor job design, ineffective supervisor behaviour, poor communication, mismatches between employee’s skills and job demands). (Lado 2008, 699)The Human Resource department of the brokers can also facilitate this through greater involvement, employee’s autonomy, physical comfort, organizational security and recognition. (Martel 2007, 27) Through these, HRD create a more diversify organization workforce, better placed to meet up with the increasing challenges of the global business environment. To be critically useful to management, Ellis et al argue that an overall HRD framework should capture and integrate various functions and also clarify how various aspect of HRM add value to an organization. (McKinley 2008, 32) Gilbreath supported this argument when the researcher calls for organization facing communication and job satisfaction problems to institutes good fit between employees and their work environment. (Michie 2008, 445) Under good fit theory, demand ability fit, suppliers value fit, self concept jobs fit and person group fit should be primary for workers integration and commitments. One factor that affects the implementation of HRM practices that has received significant attention is culture. (Poon 2007, 133) Culture can be defined at different levels that range from the group to the organization to the national level. Culture comprises standards and norms that guide individuals’ behaviour. Many view organizational practices and theories as culturally bound which would mean that the values of a country should be compatible with a management practice for it to result in employee motivation. (Pudelko 2008, 2045) Kotter, in his article “Why transformation efforts fail”, argues that, the bad outcome of most change efforts is caused by the management’s failure to take the company through a series of important change steps. (Rasiah 2008, 587) According to the author, these failures are caused by generally underperforming management rather the researcher postulates that, there is little experience out there when it comes to organizational change processes and as he states; “Even capable people often make at least one big error”. (Rowley 2008a, 52) According to Kotter, successful organization implementing change process needs to follow and adopt his eight-step model for transforming organization. This model includes establishing a sense of urgency, forming a powerful guiding coalition, creating a vision, communicating the vision etc. (Rowley 2008b, 90) According to Piercy, the larger the gap between a company's employees and customer's perception concerning both service product and service delivery the smaller the probability of satisfying the customers. (Rowley 2008c, 917) This indicates that organization in other to have a more profound understanding of their activities and shareholders’ value creation needs to align it HR management policies with the goals of the organization. (Rowley 2007, 703) Effective human resource policies and management then becomes critical, and as Mayson &Barret writes in their paper “the management of human resources becomes even more critical. Rapid growth can put a great deal of pressure on organizational resources and systems which, in turn, puts pressure on managers and employees to react to fast changing landscapes”. (Snell 2008, 445) This involve satisfying the needs of the major stakeholders, by creating a collective we environment without social exclusions, a diverse work force, where equal opportunity is defined through human resource development and everybody is a winner. (Sturdy 2007, 155) Marlow in her study “Human resource management in smaller firms”: A contradiction in terms? Postulated that human resource management was developed as managerial approach aim to put the employer employee relationship were strategically focused towards organizational performance and competitiveness. (Takeuchi 2008, 447) Marlow further contends that a lack of an effective human resource management system within the context of small firms will make HRM appears like a “fuzzy concept which in turn promote sloppy thinking”. (Adler 2008a, 12) What the researcher meant here is that, for a best fit and best practice effective human resource development should work towards aligning the interest of socially disable or who falls within social exclusion. (Adler 2009, 52) Marlow in her discussion argued that there seems to be an agreement that HR management has specific characteristics differentiating it from other analyses of the employment relationship with its underlying managerial list ideology articulated as shaping the employment relationship to either engender greater employee commitment, enhance productivity and so strengthen organizational competitiveness, or to treat labor as a resource. (Adler 2008b, 10) Marlow (2006) also referred to the hard side of HR management, which to her utilizes coercion and surveillance to motivate commitment to productivity. Huselid (1995), from his results based on a national sample of nearly one thousand firms indicated that human resource practices have an economically and statistically important influence on both intermediate worker conclusions (turnover and productivity) and short- and long-term assesses of corporate economic performance. (Banai 2007, 143) Support for propositions that the influence of High Performance Work Practices on firm presentation is in part contingent on their interrelationships and connections with comparable scheme was limited. (Bartlett 2008, 10) Cobb Gnyawali & Offstein refers to human resources as unique stores intangible assets that influence the way firms compete. (Bonardi 2009, 101) To support the importance and strategic role of an effective human resource planning Cobb Gnyawali & Offstein went further to postulate that human and social capital of a firm, particularly those at the upper level of organization hierarchy , contribute to the firm's awareness of the competitive environment, technical capabilities and its ability to undertake numerous, complex, and forceful competitive actions. (Dowling 2008, 4) By examining how human capital, intra-firm social capital, and executive compensation influence firm competitive, Cobb Gnyawali & Offstein advance strategic human resource policies as cornerstones for an organization competitive edge. (Dowling 2008, 7) Cobb Gnyawali & Offstein uses “competitive behaviour” of firms to refer to the way in which a firm competes within its sector by launching specific and observable competitive actions and moves to gain and sustain a competitive edge. (Edstrom 2008, 248) Effective human resource policies can effectively contribute to a firm’s competitive advantage. It can play an integral role in determining the organizational flexibility that is influenced by strategic human resource policies. (Adler 2009, 235) In it, these researchers argued that, an effective human resource policy is a breakthrough towards maximization of bureaucracies and inertia. (Bae 2008, 402) This is so because it can be changed quickly to meets the needs of a changing environment. In this regard, the workforce possesses a variety of skills and behavioural repertoires and the firm flexibility is increase. (Barney 2007, 99) According to Prof. TV Rao, HRD is a process by which employees of an organization are helped in a continuous and planned way to: achieve or improve the skills necessary to deliver various functions associated with their present and future role or advance. (Barney 2008, 49) Develop their abilities as individuals and discover and exploit his promise to the inside of their own development and organization. Have a healthy organizational heritage in which a relationship between a team and subordinates better, and an association between floors is powerful sub regional and experts contributing to the welfare of employees. (Becker 2009, 779) In short, human resource development is aimed at helping people to acquire the necessary skills to carry out its functions effectively and make your organization to do well. Human resource development is a process by which employees of the organization helps them help themselves so they can carry out their true potential and develop their skills and organization. (Bjorkman 2008, 853) Has the following feature: • Human resource development is a system - This system has several interdependent parts or subsystems, such as hiring, evaluation, development, etc. (Benson 2007, 62) A change in any of the subsystems leads to changes elsewhere. This is a planned process - regarded as a systematic and planned development of skills as in the case of learning, and that is underway. (Caligiuri 1995, 494) Development of skills involved - basically, try to develop skills in four levels: On a personal level, as to how a person's work is important in achieving the objectives of the organization by improving and redesigning jobs so that it becomes more attractive to workers, professional level, most emphasizes the development of relationships based on trust, confidence and support. (Cooke 2005, 26) At the group level, working groups, cross functional teams are created to build relationships among groups. (Chow 2007, 626) At the organizational level, the organization is to create a development climate that does everything possible to harness the human potential, while the goals of the organization. (Drost 2008, 67) This is an interdisciplinary concept - Human Resources Development is a combination of several ideas, concepts, principles and practices from a variety of sciences such as sociology, economics, psychology, etc. Improves quality of life - With the help of HRD the employee discovers and uses his capabilities in achieving the organizational goals. He finds a new meaning to his work, where in the managers support such initiative through incentive plans and challenging work assignment. (Easterby 2005, 31) Fifteen Best Practices in Human Resources Management As stated earlier, many academicians have played their role in contributing relevant literature pertaining to the adoption of best practices in the field of human resource management. The following are some of the practices that have been witnessed in the work of different researchers: Safety of Employees Mess (2004) stated that employees need to be protected in the organization, in terms of their rights and privileges. Companies should develop formal contracts with the employees to provide benefits and protection in the required times. Protection and rights are mostly allotted to the full-time employees that are often referred to as ‘core workers’. The company is usually not held liable for any protection or provision of rights to the temporary employees. Selective Recruitment Every position has requirements for certain skills and experiences. The presence of job description for every position in the organization makes it convenient to identify the requirements for any position. Huselid (1995) stated that human resource department is responsible for the identification of the requirements and thus selective recruitment; this ensures that the most appropriate individual is selected for the position. Teamwork Ambler (2008) stated that team work is important for the success of an organization since any successful outcome is a result of coordination and cooperation between different individuals. Team work induces creativity in the work since it has the input from a diverse range of people. Compensation Strategies It is natural to have desires for compensation for one’s work, since otherwise, employees tend to get demoralized. It has been witnessed that employees tend to regain their commitment after being compensated for their work through financial means or some other incentives. Employees are usually compensated for their effective performance in a certain time period. Stites and Michael (2008) quoted a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management that took place in 2007. It concluded that compensation techniques are one of the top five ways to keep employees satisfied. Performance Evaluation This practice is also related to the formulation of compensation strategies since performance evaluation becomes the basis on which individuals are compensated. Preiser and Schramm (1999) stated that the performances are evaluated on the basis of some predefined measures. The result of the measures provides the level of performance of the individual. Performance evaluation is vital so that the underperforming employees can be identified and thus trained to do better. Training and Development Opportunities Mess (2004) stated that training and employee development opportunities bear more relevance than ever since the market trends and needs are changing more rapidly in the prevailing times. Employee development and training activities enable the employees to work more effectively and allows the organization to grow. Reducing Status Differences Youker (2004) stated that another important practice for the human resources department is to remove any status differences that might be present in the organization. All employees should be dealt with equality and to be held accountable for not following the policies and procedures of the organization. Exchange of Information Equality among the employees tends to increase the flow of information among the employees and directs the company towards the achievement of their goals. Mess (2004) stated that the employees should have knowledge regarding the vision and aim of the organization, policies and procedures. Human resource department should promote communication among the employees to fasten the pace of work and to reduce any chances of miscommunications. Grievance Procedures Human resources department are responsible for addressing any grievances from the employees. Duncan (2005) stated that the employees should be confident about the fairness and unbiased nature of decisions of the matter. This set of policies and procedures should be present in the organization to facilitate the resolution of matters in a consistent and fair manner. Promotion Mess (2004) pointed out that promotion of employees should be based on results of performance evaluations so that there is no room for any chances of biasness. All promotions should be justifiable to eliminate any chances of negative publicity of the management within the eyes of the employees. Employee Ownership Pfeffer (1995) stated that employee ownership technique promotes the possession of some share of the organization by the employees. This proves to be a good technique to make the employee strive harder for the success of the organization, since the organization’s gain and success will also mean success for the employee. Empowerment of Workers Pfeffer (1995) also explained that the empowerment of workers is an innovative technique of making the employees more responsible for their work and outcomes. This strategy induces more commitment and motivation within the employees since they are solely held accountable for their decisions, actions, execution and success of a project etc. Employee Suggestions MacDuffie (1995) stated that employees tend to operate at the front side of the organization therefore their level of interaction with the customers is more as compared to the top management. Their suggestions can be very productive for the company. Employee suggestions and opinions should be valued and considered as a positive element. Employee suggestions denote the level of commitment to their work and the organization. Job Rotation MacDuffie (1995) also pointed out that job rotation is an important function of the HR department since it makes the employees knowledgeable about the nature of job of other individuals and learn to appreciate the relevance of every position. It can be considered as a part of employee development programs. Another benefit of this technique is that employees are able to understand the overall operations of the company in an effective manner. Career Opportunities for Employees Mess (2004) stated that these practices involve offering the employees effective opportunities within the organizations so that they are not tempted to leave the current organization for greater prospects. It gives way for employee progression within the organization. Five Areas of Best Practice Training and Development International Labour Office Geneva (2004, 9) stated that human resources department should develop training and development programs in accordance with the short and long term goals of the company. The availability of competent staff members (with the required skills) is vital for the execution of any business plan. The training and development programs should not be limited to the nature of work of the employees, rather other important factors as well, that are important for developing a healthy organizational culture. Few examples of such programs can be time management, acceptance of cultural diversity. Teams The achievement of a well gelled team is more difficult than most of the responsibilities of the HR department. The differences in team dynamics makes the team member aim for different things and eventually produce ineffective products or services. Pfeffer stated that an effective team is considered to be a self managed team, whose employees are self-aware of their responsibilities and aim to keep the team as a single working unit with no conflicting interests. Wellins, Byham and Wilson (1991) defined some characteristics for self-managed teams: Self management Assignment of tasks to the team members on their own Development of schedules for the performance of the tasks Decision making power is held by the team Corrective actions can be taken by the team members Employee Selection Employees have the power to make a company successful or failure, but the question arises about the practices that should be involved to hire and retain the commendable set of employees that would possess the power to take the company to another level. Mess (2004) pointed out that this practice is only witnessed in large organizations since the small organizations cannot bear extensive costs of retaining the talented employees, can neither afford their excessive development programs. The medium that is selected to choose the employee, plays an important part in the potential of the selected employees, therefore the selection of the medium should be done with careful analysis. Performance Evaluations With reference to the current trends in human resource management, performance evaluation and compensation practices have been commonly adopted. These practices have been recorded to increase the motivation level of the employees. Messmer (2004) highlighted some of the performance evaluation criteria that are commonly used; Level of capability with which the employee executes his tasks Ability of the employee to work in teams Eagerness to execute tasks without being asked Level of communication skills (written and verbal) Level of awareness of the importance of ethical conduct and the level of actual implementation. Performance evaluation proves to be an effective practice to guide the employees to make their work better and direct their focus on the achievement of organizational goals, as well as personal aims. This practice is related to employee training and development, along with compensation techniques. Communication Last, but not the least, Katou (2008) gave great stress on the aspect of communication within an organization. It ensures effective flow of information within the organization. An effective two-way communication is desired to develop relations among the colleagues and to facilitate the conveyance of relevant information. Mess (2004) stated that communication also gives way to people to be vocal about their problems. Recruitment Strategies Recruitment involves scrutiny and analysis of the candidate to judge if his credentials match the requirements of the specific position. The definition of the requirements makes it easy for the recruitment managers to choose the right candidate. Competency level is also judged within the individual to ensure that he would be able to perform his assigned tasks in an ordered fashion. A competency profile is often used by human resource department in the selection process to judge the suitability of a candidate for the vacant position. It is vital for any organization to have competent and motivated employees working for them to direct the company towards success. Your talents individuals - whether in the field of management or the arts - combined your passion and your commitment to the arts, may have helped bring the organization where it is today. Consider the contribution of other members your team. (Chow 2007, 626) It is likely that most of them have put on the table a good dose of talent, energy and commitment. You can promote the evolution of your organization, or even accelerate, drawing high-level people. (Cooke 2005, 26) You can also avoid the pitfalls of poor decisions that could make you lose time and money, undermine the morale of employees you want to keep and expose you to prosecution. In following guidelines, you will find the key factors that will help you make informed decisions on recruitment. (Drost 2008, 67) Do not delegate the job to someone else. It is you who are familiar with the better what the objectives of your organization are and what kind of person help you best achieve them. (Gonzalez 2008, 56) Start by asking you if you really need to open the position, if there are ways to combine tasks or jobs to be more efficient use of financial resources for other purposes. (Huselid 1995, 635) Think about people who do well in this role and those who agreed succeeded in the past. If possible, talk to them about their work, ask them what they like and why. Find out what skills are most used. (Jackson 2007, 727) Ask them what they want from their employer and colleagues. Analyze what type of person will fit well in the workplace. Do you need someone who works well in a team or individual working alone? Do you need someone who is able to work with difficult people? Think about your own shortcomings and those of your team. (Adler 2009, 235) Can you find someone who could compensate for your weaknesses or fill these gaps? In the cultural sector, competition is very strong to attract skilled workers and dedicated. You want not only that your organization is a workplace extraordinary, but you want to know. (Bae 2008, 402) Examine your practices retention, motivation, commitment, accountability, reward, recognition, flexibility to balance work life and opportunities learning and growth. These key areas can make you an employer of choice in the cultural community. (Barney 2007, 99) You want your employees to make your voice and say that your organization is one of the best in the cultural sector and is very good work there. It is obvious that all cultural organizations want to attract the best people possible. But finding the best candidates can be time and money. (Barney 2008, 49) One major difficulty knows where to look. Whether you want to hire a full-time or part time, there are several sources of candidates possible. Where you looking for determines the quality and quantity of candidates you can attract. Several organizations are using increasingly approach the interview based on the behaviour. (Becker 2009, 779) They use previous behaviour of the candidate for predict its future performance. Depending on job responsibilities and conditions work, we could ask the candidate to describe a situation that involves skills in problem solving, flexibility, leadership, conflict resolution, versatility, initiative or stress management. Interviewer wants to know how the candidate will manage these types of situations. (Bjorkman 2008, 853) Managers often remake a second follow-up interview and sometimes a third or fourth. There are several reasons for this. Sometimes they just want confirm they have found the ideal candidate (the best). (Benson 2007, 62) Sometimes it is difficult to choose between several candidates. At other times, usually for senior posts, others in the organization want to know the candidate before hiring. Additional interviews may take different forms. (Caligiuri 1995, 494) When meeting the same interviewer, the candidate can use to strengthen relationships, better understand the objectives of the organization and how their own skills correspond to the vision and culture of the organization. It may also negotiate compensation. (Chow 2007, 626) In some cases, it must start over with someone he never met. In general, if you ask someone to attend an interview more than two or three times, it is quite possible that you may not know as clearly as you thought what you want in a candidate or what you need. This can be a waste of time and resources for both you and the candidate. (Cooke 2005, 26) The interviews are time consuming and it is necessary to adopt a systematic approach and be disciplined to be effective. There is a flexible method for assess and select candidates at all employment levels. (Drost 2008, 67) These generate data that the interviewer can then analyze and obtain information which to decide whether the candidate matches the needs of the organization. By cons, information from different interviews can be difficult to manage. (Easterby 2005, 31) It could: • be difficult to pick consistently • be influenced by the biases of an interviewer • neglect certain areas of knowledge, skills and abilities • focus on one area while neglecting other • be subject to problems of interpretation and analysis. (Edwards 2007, 94) It is very important to choose the style and format that best match interview the needs of the organization and those of its prospective employees. Thus, you strengthen your team, you assign the right people at the right place and you're ready to move forward. In 2008, the defense began its modernization in significant reforms. (Finegold 2008, 21) Under the double pulse of the White Paper on Defense and National Security and Review General Public Policy (RGPP), the department has embarked on reorganization at several levels, designed to generate financial flexibility for the benefit of equipment and condition of the individual. (Gonzalez 2008, 56) Redefining the size of the armies to adapt to new constraints geopolitical environment described by the White Paper; - Reorganization of the military card and setting up the first defense bases experimental (DB) effective January 1, 2009 (eleven sites identified); - Streamlining and reorganizing the support of central government, that will complete implementation of all central services. (Huselid 1995, 635) This set of reforms will be implemented gradually over a period of six years from 2009 to 2014. In this process of reform of unprecedented proportions, the flap HR has a central position. (Jackson 2007, 727) In particular, the reform should lead a major downsizing and every effort should be mobilized to achieve. These movements of deflation called HR maneuver "based on a device highly developed HR metrics and a plan of restructuring which accompanying success will determine the success of the whole. (Adler 2009, 235) However, the HR operation, like the reform of the ministry cannot be summarized a reduction in size and manpower. It is part of a process of change concrete to enable the department to refocus on its core business, which is a common objective to all Defense personnel. (Bae 2008, 402) The levers are both HR management on "flow" (reduced recruitment initial and renewal contracts) and an incitement to and mobility (Incentives to start and mobility aids). (Barney 2007, 99) The economy of this maneuver is critical because it determines the maintenance of the overall balance between military and military career under contract and the perpetuation of the structural quality (pyramid hierarchical advancement) of hosts. (Kostova 2009, 403) The "HR maneuver" is based on measures of social support for encourage and enhance the mobility of military and civilian personnel, both internally (mobility geographical and professional) and external (job mobility and permanent departures). (Lado 2008, 699) Its success depends, in particular: - Upgrading the capabilities of military personnel in the civil service and geographical mobility devices or functional assistance departure and reorientation professional staff for both civilian and for military personnel; - The attractiveness of social support measures: facing a reform of this scale and to ensure the overall balance of the pyramid of armies, it is crucial that the measures implemented are likely to take the difficult decision to leave armies. (Martel 2007, 27) CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY Project Progress TASKS WEEKS 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31   Construct research proposal   Draw up questionnaires   Submit proposal   Timetable interviews   Begin interviews, observations, focus groups and hand out questionnaires   Analysis and redefine problem(s)   Implement findings   Prepare draft report   Begin full data analysis   Write 12,000 word dissertation   Research Design This research approached data gathering using the primary strategy, or the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Basically, the quantitative approach pursues facts and is employed when researchers desire to acquire statistical truth. According to Gall, Gall and Borg (2003), quantitative research assumes that the social environment has objective reality that is relatively constant across time and settings, while qualitative research assumes that individuals construct reality in the form of meanings and interpretations, and that these constructions tend to be transitory and situational. The fundamental objective of producing goods and services to meet the needs of the entire society, and employees of each organization to which resource management humans, the role of people in organizations is the only key factor in our country, you should consider a strategic change of thinking. But what would integrative thinking of the organization or management?, Since thought it would be wrong to say that integrates the human resources alone, if you really we are trying to conduct a systemic or integrative approach to the entire organization and not only part of it. According to Creswell (2001); quantitative studies are conducted by focusing on the research questions and hypothesis to direct the research towards a certain purpose. It is conducted with the help of experiments and surveys; the data is collected from these statements and evaluated on the basis of statistical methods. Qualitative studies are conducted on the basis of observations of the subject’s behaviour and attitude. Interpretive research and case studies are also used to collect qualitative data; the research findings and evaluations cannot be analyzed independently. Creswell (2001) also stated that quantitative research is preferred by some academicians because the results are concluded on the basis of numerical data and facts, rather than mere observations. The results are general and can be applied in numerous situations due to their objective nature. However, the qualitative research is preferred because of the inclusion of the research’s point of view in the conclusion of the research. These researches account for the interpersonal and social aspects of the participants. The researcher is able to provide a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of the results in a qualitative research as compared to quantitative research. Data Analysis Collins and Smith followed the approach of Bae and Lawler and used a composite measure of the practices of human resource management highest participation. This measure consists of four components of human resource management, high participation, highly selective staffing, extensive training, performance management, and empowerment. Highly selective staffing, extensive training and performance management is measured with the amended articles of Snell and Dean. Empowerment was measured with the amended articles of Bae and Lawler. In the sample, 14 companies were the companies SAOC. Of the 87 companies, 42 were in manufacturing, 22 were in services and 18 in banking, leasing, insurance and other financial services. CHAPTER 04: FINDINGS Regression analysis Reliability, summary statistics and correlations of the measures were calculated. The practical effect of human resource management in the organization's performance was tested using regression analysis. Organization size (number of employees), the type of company (if publicly traded or closely held), and the average price-earnings ratio of the industry were used as control variables in regression analysis. (Pudelko 2008, 2045) To improve performance and competitive position of their companies have no choice but to revise their ways of doing business in the traditional management of human resources, such as planning of the workforce working life personnel or management, but also to innovate in the development of effective management practices of human resources for the results to attract and retain business in a skilled workforce. (Rasiah 2008, 587) These requirements force many companies to review the entirety of their management, their organizational structure and work organization. Consequently, a growing number of researchers are interested in management human resources. (Rowley 2008a, 52) Various studies have sought to establish a relationship between practices of human resource management and business performance. (Rowley 2008b, 90) The vast Most of these studies have however been conducted with large firms, leaving a large place to explore this area of knowledge in the context of SMEs. Several authors have shown that even in the context of SMEs, where resources function human is less developed than in big business, simply to improve certain practices could be sufficient to confer an advantage competitor. (Rowley 2008c, 917) The project management companies are not immune to this call as they are also affected by the new conditions that currently characterize business world. In context of project management, engineering firms have often use many strategies which focus on innovation in the ranges products, rationalize (or keep the profits) and to save the company by out from the competition. (Rowley 2007, 703) It is clear that whatever the strategy, companies are forced to work with their staff. The theory of strategic resources provides significant support to the approach Universalist human resource management. (Snell 2008, 445) The upheavals that characterized the economy in recent decades have increased the difficulty companies implement business strategies based on external variables. (Rowley 2007, 703) The companies had no choice but to turn to the variables on which they can control such as financial capital, material (equipment, Raw Materials and Technology) and individuals. The growing interest in these internal variables contributed to the development of resource-based theory. (Sturdy 2007, 155) Under this approach, the resources of the company, to gain an advantage sustainable competitive, must be generating value, rare, difficult to imitate or substitutable. Subsequent work by Barney and Wright will clarify that if these criteria are essential for a resource represents a competitive advantage, it must also add a factor organizational support, that is to say that the company must have the ability to organize resources (including individuals) and the skills to generate an advantage over its competitors. (Takeuchi 2008, 447) However, according to Pfeffer and Ulrich, technology and Capital no longer able to secure a sustainable business, reasoning based on these resources is a logical short-term. Only the social structure, that is to say human, can now provide the competitive advantage sought. (Adler 2008a, 12) The management of human resources is more recognized as a dimension strategic business, the financial world increasingly considers factor risk on the financial performance of the company, (as) associated with a mismanagement of individuals. From a financial perspective, the practices of human resource management can be analyzed as multiple strategies to ensure optimal coordination of individuals and allowing the company to control its business risk and achieve the expected return on its assets. (Adler 2009, 52) From an economic perspective, the Universalist perspective of resource management Human can rely on arguments from the theory of human capital, theory of transaction costs and agency theory. According to the theory of human capital, knowledge, skills and competencies are held by individuals, as well as other corporate assets, a source of economic value to the firm, often greater than the assets such traditional machines, buildings, etc. (Adler 2008b, 10) Based on this principle, proponents of the universalist perspective argue that the implementation practices of human resource management, such skills development, provides a means preferred to increase the value of human capital and thus increase organizational effectiveness. Several theoretical studies justify the ability of management activities human resources to increase the value of human capital in any kind. (Banai 2007, 143) Some researchers have focused on a psychological approach to management human resources, have established that the motivation and employee satisfaction are factors that may influence their behaviour and therefore affect productivity and profitability. Apart from the practices related to compensation, practices encouraging interaction between individuals and the creation of long-term relationships may help boost their effort. In this sense, Fabi, Martin and Valois are reminiscent of the facilitating role played by the staff practices communication skills development, participation and recognition in the implementation of organizational changes requiring often adopting new attitudes. (Bartlett 2008, 10). Critique Many of the best practices of human resource administration have been recounted in the preceding consideration, encompassing minutia about what they are and how they fit inside the organization. However, it is furthermore absolutely crucial to delineate the inextricable connections between numerous of these practices. As cited overhead, there can be an additive result for the association if more than one best perform is conveyed out, in essence, supplying a composition comparable benefit to businesses that are adept to apply and effectively execute a sequence of best practices. Research and project plan The groups are an integral part of any association, because they may be connected through productive connection, as any or all groups should report their advancement or address, with the groups or subsequent, and / or administration or organizational to double-check that every individual in the association understands what is occurrence inside the organization. Like numerous groups are to blame and accountable for your workspace, groups can be connected to the teaching of workers and / or equipment. This in turn may be connected to productive connection, and that workers should realize the scheme of the association to make conclusions to advance the association, and broadcast these conclusions with management. Analytical technique Finally, we glimpse a connection between the security of workers, recruitment and grievance methods inside the organization. If the assortment scheme is sound, and permits the chartering of workers best matched for the job, then they require to re-hire in the beside future one can refute that advancing the general security of employees. complaint methods can furthermore be connected to the security of workers, as if there are prescribed principles and methods in location to lead the association and workers through the accusation method, then, rises the security of workers if the alignment to minimize the government of this phenomenon . CHAPTER 05: CONCLUSION Conclusion After the extensive study, it can be stated that human resource management practices bear great relevance in the successful operations of any organization. The success and growth of a company cannot be judged only on the basis of the annual revenues and global operating units, rather the effectiveness of the overall strategy of the organization is dependent on the best practices of human resource management. High scales of production of any organization do not necessarily mean that the organization would be taking extensive measures for the development of their employees. The reason for great stress on this discipline is that it manages the most treasured asset of the organization- people. In the changing modern times, people prove to be one of the most important forces for any organization to attain competitive advantage and greater market share. The best practices of human resource management encompass a wide range of activities and areas that need to be considered by the respective department. A healthy and amiable working environment needs to be created for the employees, which would be equipped to manage cultural diversity. Equity should prevail in the working environment where all the employees can be given equal opportunities and chances to voice their opinions. The teams in the organization need to be provoked to work together productively and effectively with each other’s support. Employee development, retention, training and recruitment are all accumulated under the management of the human resources department. Two-way communication should be encouraged within the organization to facilitate a smooth flow of information. A major strength of this study is the use of subjective and objective measures of organizational performance. Wall and Wood (2005) argue that an important limitation of studies of the practices of human resource management and organizational performance is that both variables are measured from the same source. This study addressed this limitation by using an objective measure of performance of the organization, besides the most commonly used measure subjective. In the regression analysis used the average price-earnings of the industry as a control variable. The average price-earnings of the industry is an indicator of growth opportunities. Using half the price-earnings ratio as a control variable, controlled by the variation in performance could be explained by good growth opportunities in the industry, making our results more robust. (Dowling 2008, 4) An even smaller number of studies have been conducted in the context of SMEs. This distinction is important because the human resource management in SMEs are a specific character. In fact, the work showed that the practices of human resource management are less developed and less formalized in SMEs than they are usually large companies. In addition, D'Amboise and Garand noted a general lack of knowledge on methods and techniques of human resource management in SMEs. Others have found that the introduction of management practices in human resources for SMEs is often a mere replica of the practices in other companies, especially large companies. (Adler, 2008a, 12) The study of Liouville and Bayad, made from 271 manufacturing SMEs French, meanwhile, examined the causal relationship between the practices of human resource management and social performance, SMEs and economic organization. The companies were divided into five different classes depending on the degree of importance that the leaders gave to the concerns of human resource management. (Adler, 2009, 52) Initially, the authors analyze and compare the observed variation in the performance of each class. The results show that companies have a strong orientation "qualitative" human resource management are also the best performance of the economy. According to these authors, a qualitative orientation means that individuals are perceived by society as a value to optimize and she is not afraid to invest in many practices, including those related to skills development, compensation, motivation, information, participation, recruitment and performance evaluation. In a second step, Liouville Bayad and then tried to verify the existence of specific relationships between different indicators of performance within each class of business. Their results indicate that economic performance (profitability, sales growth) is conditioned by the organizational performance (productivity, quality, innovation), even conditioned by the social performance (turnover, absenteeism and employee satisfaction). The study of Lacoste and others, SMEs in the manufacturing sector has to see a positive impact of certain practices of human resource management similar to that reported by different researchers in the corporation. Affecting working conditions, work organization, motivation and skill development, resource management practices are an important source of competitive advantage for companies. Allow authors to assert that there is a positive relationship between development practices of human resource management and performance of SMEs in their sample. Multivariate regression analysis was also used to assign specifically the effects of certain practices in various dimensions of performance of SMEs. Thus, the dissemination of information relates to the turnover rate and the rate of return on assets, training and productivity, recruitment and performance evaluation, growth in sales. Lacoste et al. There is also a negative relationship between participation in decisions and productivity of SMEs. In their study of 46 classes that establish a positive relationship between on the one hand, the presence of certain practices of human resource management, and secondly, various indicators of organizational management and financial performance, including employee satisfaction, the effectiveness of human resources (productivity), payments in excess (profits) and return on investment. In particular, the results obtained by these authors show that when introduced simultaneously in a regression, the variables of human resource management are significantly associated with all four performance indicators; the variance explained by the model was 41% total of satisfaction, 47% for overpayments, 50% for ROI and 37% for personal performance. Note, however, that this study was conducted in the services area, where the impacts of management practices could be more easily detectable in the manufacturing sector. Three other studies to measure the impact of the various sets of performance human resources practices deserve attention as it focused on the samples including SMEs and large enterprises. Measuring the effect of various management practices of human resources, Guzzo, Jette and Katzell found a positive relationship between on the one hand, the presence of practical training and performance assessment and, secondly, an increase in productivity. No significant effect was observed in the practices related to recruitment and incentive compensation. They found that the practices of human resource management study to explain the respective proportions of 18% and 19% observed variation in productivity and profitability (profits per employee). According to these authors, the proportion of variance explained by the practices of human resource management is much higher than that explained by other practices related to strategy, technology, research and development and quality, no explaining no more than 8% of the variance. Further analysis will allow the researchers to establish a set of practices, including recruitment and selection, socialization, training and performance evaluation would be the one that explains most of the observed variation in terms of productivity and profitability. The second set of practice that explains much of the observed variance could be related to work organization. Practices that owns the third game, or communication, quality circles and incentive compensation, do not contribute, in turn, explains a significant proportion of the observed variation. In a survey of 178 SMEs and 386 large UK companies Bryson shows that certain practices of human resource management differently affect the performance of SMEs and large enterprises. Practices held by the author for his work are meetings between senior managers and staff, dissemination of information by writing to all staff, the systematic use of the hierarchical chain of communications to all staff, incentive compensation program, the program suggestions and consultations with staff to resolve problems. The results indicate that only the systematic practice of the chain of command and the use of direct communication practices are associated with significantly better financial performance. This result is confirmed by SMEs, but becomes less obvious for large companies. However, some combinations of practices such as the systematic use of the chain of command associated with a form of direct communication with the staff is the best combination of practices in the contex Read More