Human Resources Research as Pre-Condition of Sustainable Business Development - Term Paper Example

Research & Development How do they affect the labor industry' Table of Contents Definitions 4 4 The Industrial Perspective 5 The Flag Bearer 8 Conclusions 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 Introduction Today, it is a well-accepted fact that the only thing constant in this world is that of 'change'. Change is prevalent in every parameter of life and that too at the speed, never witnessed before. The lifestyles are changing, so are the work environments changing. The professional definitions, needs and solutions are experiencing paradigm shift. The communication channels and mediums have been boosted by the technological changes and innovation. In simple words, we can say the entire process of living our life is under constant change. To cope with the changing situations, the essence of research and development is increasingly felt. Constant research and development in almost every aspect of life is being continuously conducted to generate better value to its related factors. Like other sectors of industry (e.g. technology, communication, marketing and finance, etc), labor sector is also under the constant purview of research and development. The most important feature which makes labor industry significantly different from that of other functions is the psychological touch involved in it along with the technical expertise. The laborers of any industry are human beings in first place and so they have aspirations, goals, objectives and needs. Again these psychological factors differ from laborers to laborers depending upon their culture, backgrounds, perceptions and prejudices and other factors. In order to make the labor industry efficient in its functions and performance all the above factors are to be considered and continuous research and development should be initiated. So, it can be conferred that the research and development in the labor industry is critical and important, sometimes even more than other organizational functions. Definitions Research and development is initiated generally to upgrade any working system from its present condition or performance. Popularly known as R & D, research and development can be defined as, "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications" (OECD. 2008). Research and development generally can be subdivided into three sub parts namely basic research, applied research and experimental research. Basic research is a type of research activity where investigational and theoretical initiatives are undertaken basically to acquire knowledge base of the underlying facts and figures. This type of research activity is done generally as part of academic interests as there are not much application or usage of the results of basic research. Applied research is built upon the basic research and is also done to acquire new knowledge domains but with more specified and certain objectives. It deals with the core of the subject. In comparison to the first two types of research, the third component i.e. the experimental research deals with more application. It develops the research output from the basic as well as applied research and is concerned with development of new products or installation of new processes. It also deals with improvement of devices already installed or produced. Traditionally, labor has been classified as a person who sold his physical strength in order to earn his livelihood. The payment that he received for such a sale was known as 'wage'. So the laborers are also known as wage earner. But today the term labor has a more broad perspective. In the present world, laborers are generally classified under three broad heads i.e. the skilled labor, the semi skilled labor and the unskilled labor. It can be well presumed that the skilled laborers are those who have certain technical knowledge about the task they perform and so generally receives the highest pay among the three classes. Semi-skilled laborers are those who might not have any direct technical expertise but could have developed it either from fellow colleagues or from prior experiences The third group comprises the lowest strata in the labor class and is also paid the lowest wages as they generally do not have any specific skill set for the specific job. The Industrial Perspective Traditionally it has been observed across the globe that the objective of the employer, irrespective of industries, is to exploit the laborers and compel them to perform beyond normal limits. It was also experienced that at the slightest mistake of the laborers, the employers used to treat them inhumanly as they were not paid their remuneration and sacked from their jobs. In certain cases, they were known to be physically abused. But with time the scenario changed as the employers or the owner class understood that instead of hostile behavior with the laborers, if they can be taken into confidence, the outputs both in quantity and quality can be increased considerably. Consequently, several measures and theories commenced to understand the unpredictable human psychology of the laborers and employees (as the case may be). In the mid-19th century, Abraham Maslow derived the theory of hierarchy of needs. According to him, the need of any person has five stages and he longs for the next stage of hierarchy only when the need of the first stage is met. Following are the five needs according to the theory. Physiological Needs - These needs are the basic necessities of human life and comprises of air, water and food. These are the strongest needs and only when these are satisfies, a person looks for the next step. Safety Needs - After the basic necessities of life are met, people look for safety and shelter in life from. This need consists of having houses to protect them external factors. Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness - When people perceive that they are comparatively safe, they look for sense of love and belongingness among their fellow human beings. As humans are social being, the need for care and affection has a major role in his life. Needs for Esteem - The needs for esteem only becomes dominant when the first three classes of needs are satisfied. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person gets from others. With self-esteem, they are easily recognized and are confident but when these needs are frustrated, the person feels inferior and worthless. Needs for Self-Actualization - When all of the above needs are satisfied only then are the needs for self-actualization generated. This need helps the person to rise above his daily requirements and prosper in the fields of his interest (Simmons, Irwin, & Drinnien, 1987). Experts have analyzed earlier that the significant difference of labor industry with other industries is that of human psychology and with the advent of needs of hierarchy by Maslow, the research and development on this segment got a boost. The modern research essentially intends to develop the satisfiers in the work environment. There has been constant research on the safety and health measures of the laborers. The compensation has been duly increased with the consent of all concerned parties like the management, laborers, trade unions and the government. Collective bargaining via trade unions has been a major weapon to the laborers against exploitation. Also, research and development are taking place to improve the over all condition of the physical environment of work place so that it enhances the productivity. Apart from it, organizations are increasing incentives both on quantity as well as quality to motivate the work force. The working hours are becoming flexible. In occurrence, of any unfortunate accidents, laborers are provided with life assurances. The society and the human right activists along with number of voluntary organizations are keeping strict vigil over the entire framework. Even the companies are trying to provide best of the opportunities to its employees and laborers in order to merge their personal objectives with the organizational goals. Proper training and orientation are provided to make them skilled. Also they have more security of their job. So, it can be said that today more emphasis is being laid on the right combination of all the factors pertaining to the labor industry. All these positive outcomes have been achieved through constant research and development of labor relations. Though most of the research and development took place at the individual companies, also a great influence has been laid by International Labour Organization (ILO). The Flag Bearer Even though most of the research and developments were carried out with in the individual organization, the most positive part of it was that those developments were soon adapted by the other companies, more so, if the model increased productivity, revenue and profitability of the initiators. International Labour Organization has championed the cause of the laborers. They have undertaken number of surveys, research and development initiatives to improve the general health of the entire industry. It has dealt with the issues like forced labor, child labor, equality of opportunity and treatment, collective bargaining and industrial relations, employment security, wages, vocational training and guidance, employment policy and promotion, working time, occupational safety and health, social security and many other relevant categories. In addition to the environmental factors, ILO also has categorized laborers as migrant workers, seafarers, fisherman and dockworkers, etc. ILO, to safeguard the interests of the laborers, has certain conventions and recommendations (ILOLEX. n.d.). With the active support of the industry, International Labor Organization has been the accepted flag bearer of the cause. Conclusions Constant research and development has become one of the pre-conditions of successful survival and sustainable development today. Incessantly changing environment has left no other way but innovate newer means to beat the odds. Uninterrupted research and development are taking place throughout the world to find out the best combinations so that the most precious and treasured resources of an organization i.e. human capital can perform at its best. Also research and development is being conducted to find out the core competencies of organizational divisions and of the laborers and specialized jobs are described on the basis of the results of such research. It should be admitted without hesitation that with the process of continuous research and development over all conditions of the workers has improved significantly over the period of time. International body like International Labour Organization is also been dedicated to the cause of the laborers. In addition to it several non-government organizations are also serving the cause. Still, with so much development, yet lot more can be done and so the requirement of constant research exists. The research activities should be integrated with the same activity of other departments and combined should aim to meet and surpass the organizational goals. References ILOLEX. (No Date). Database of International Labour Standards. International Labour Organization. Retrieved May 28, 2009, from http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/subjlst.htm OECD. (2008). Expenditure on R&D - Definition. OECD Factbook 2008: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics. Retrieved May 28, 2009, from http://oberon.sourceoecd.org/vl=1297439/cl=14/nw=1/rpsv/factbook/070101.htm Simmons, Irwin, & Drinnien. (1987). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Intranet of Honolulu Community College. Retrieved May 28, 2009, from http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm Bibliography Research Assistance. (No Date). International Labour Organization. New York University Libraries. Retrieved May 28, 2009, from http://library.nyu.edu/un-govt/ilo/#sect5 Research Services and Sponsored Programs. (No Date). Definition of Terms. University of North Carolina Wilmington. Retrieved May 28, 2009, from www.uncwil.edu/orssp/documents/DefinitionofResearchInstructionOtherA_21.doc Read More