Human Resource Management in a Business Context - Essay Example

Human resource management (HRM) in a business context Executive Summary The program ‘The Secret Policeman Returns’” unveils racial discrimination and ethnic differences among police officers in UK. The program shows that police officers develop attitudes independently of their background, but their relatives and culture of origin are the foremost determinants of the initial diversity attitudes. The tendency of most police officers to hold the same attitudes toward cultural diversity as their significant others is so consistent as to make independent acquisition unlikely. In order to eliminate racial discrimination in police, it is suggested to introduce special training programs such as discussions and lectures to educate people about cultural and ethnic differences. Diversity-related attitudes are learned mainly from people who have high or low prestige. Interpersonal communication and positive culture are the main criteria for improvements and changes in police. Introduction Racial discrimination in police is one of the problems affected human relations and work productivity. The most insidious prejudices are negative attitudes directed toward groups of people. They take the form of assumptions or generalizations about all or most members of a particular group. This kind of in-group versus out-group hostility disrupts work unit interactions and subverts organization effectiveness. The behaviors, customs, and values of out-group people are labeled strange or weird. Verbal misunderstandings are frequently the beginning of problems between culturally different police officers. Most police officers fear things and people who are different and they often verbally strike out or physically lash out in an aggressive manner to protect themselves. This is actually a defensive mechanism designed to protect boundaries. Aggressive discourse occurs as dominant-group members verbalize negative feelings toward minority-group members, and vice versa. Attitudes and Their impact on Racial Discrimination The recent program implemented in UK reveals that racial profiling and discrimination take place in police. The program “Title ‘The Secret Policeman Returns’” uncovers that “In 2003, reporter Mark Daly went undercover to expose racism amongst police recruits in Manchester for the program The Secret Policeman” (The Secret Policeman Returns 2008). Discrimination takes place if police officers violate stereotypic expectations, even though police officers may be positive and their behavior patterns when considered objectively, can increase negative emotion. These negative emotional attitudes can increase discrimination, which favors ones own group over others. The program reveals that policemen attitudes of acceptance of culturally different co-workers are learned in much the same manner rejection is inculcated. Researchers (Armstrong, 2001) explain that people most often learn as children to reject culturally different people. The superiority or inferiority of a group (as contrasted to that of an individual) is not obvious; not many casual observers can perceive significant group differences. Besides, there are more differences within racial or ethnic groups than between them. Most police officers bring their racial baggage (hatred) to work with them--bags packed by other people. And very much like children, they were molded and shaped by peer pressure. There are, of course, exceptions. Some police officers will not shift their attitudes to match those of an admired person if the attitudes attributed to the latter are diametrically opposed to theirs. “Daly also hears disturbing allegations that police officers who speak out over race feel victimized by their own forces” (The Secret Policeman Returns 2008). Once attitudes have been learned, they are reinforced. After they are formed, attitudes serve various motives such as economic or nationalistic ones. The economic motives that reinforce antidiversity attitudes are obvious. In the short run, it is economically advantageous for one group to keep another group out of certain kinds of jobs or out of an organization entirely (Armstrong 2001). AntiDiversity There are several ways in which antidiversity attitudes are changed. Administrators who are aware of the following processes are better able to manage diversity. Attitudes are seldom changed by logic. It is difficult to find circumstances in which antidiversity attitude change has come about as a result of logical argument or additional information. When police officers who hold antidiversity attitudes are confronted by supervisors with logic or with new information, they usually do not change their beliefs. Instead, they tend to hide their attitudes and pretend to have been converted, particularly if their supervisors are monitoring the training. Prodiversity information alone is seldom enough (Armstrong, 2001). Therefore, not simply what is said but also who said it is an important variable influencing whether an argument or information will change attitudes. There is also the general finding that prodiversity attitudes acquired by logical arguments are seldom acted out very logically. For example, male managers attitudes toward female police officers may be tolerant during diversity training but show very little carryover into the workforce. They give lip service to being equal opportunity employers but maintain dual standards for male and female subordinates-with the females having to be better qualified than their male peers to be appointed to certain positions (Campbell, 1997). Not only is there little evidence that important antidiversity attitudes are changed by logical-information inputs, but there is considerable evidence that a great amount of information, particularly on controversial topics, actually hardens or freezes antidiversity attitudes. Opponents of diversity look for other sources to support their beliefs, such as biblical passages or antidiversity research findings. Techniques such as an exceedingly emotional appeal or carefully crafted experiential exercises focusing on cultural diversity often are more effective than highly structured scientific lectures. What is true and what is personally desirable are not always the same. Most attitudes such as those supporting racism, sexism, and ageism are seldom initially formed by logic; nor are they frequently altered by logic. Recipients of new information have several options open to them (Armstrong, 2001). Antidiversity attitudes are not always changed when training and work environments are desegregated. Merely placing culturally diverse people together in training or job situations can sometimes be counterproductive (Doyle and Stern 2006). The participants may observe members of the out-group responding in stereotypical ways (e.g., women crying when frustrated; ethnic minorities behaving as inarticulate, ingratiating people; older workers falling asleep during lectures). Attitudes can be formed or changed by personal experience (1) if the attitudes are not in conflict with more powerful motives; (2) if the experiences are carefully selected to place the participants in peer, egalitarian relationships; and (3) if the attitudes to be changed involve perceptions that are so simple as to be obvious examples of empirical contradiction. That is, all participants are placed in a win-win situation in which there are no losers when the diversity initiative is completed (Ulrich and Lake 2000). Cultural Differences and Discrimination Racial discrimination is a direct result of cultural and ethnic differences among police officers. Western-oriented cultures tend to define reality empirically by applying the concepts of science and rationality. Conversely, non-Western cultures, particularly Third World cultures, generally determine reality subjectively. From this latter perspective, there is no clear distinction between mind and body--spirits can determine human events. Third World peoples are high-context and multiple causal in perceptions, whereas Western peoples are low-context and unidirectional in perceptions. In high-context, multiple causal cultures social reality can be understood out of context: meanings may vary, categories may change, and causality is ambiguous (Gesteland, 1999). In low-context, undirectional cultures events cannot be understood out of context: meanings do not vary, categories do not change, and causality cannot be ambiguously established. Depending on their cultural beliefs, police officers are either comfortable or uncomfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty. For example, a low-context manager is likely to have difficulty accepting as sincere the statement of a high-context Hispanic who believes that the quality of her work is deteriorating because a neighbor put a curse on her (Campbell, 1997). Compared with other forms of discrimination, verbal attacks appear to be less harmful. However, though they differ from physical violence, the consequences of hateful words are no less painful Ultimately, the words would probably trigger behavior consistent with the epithets. If a manager chooses not to hire a minority applicant, the decision and motivation are expressed in words, but the result, unemployment for the job applicant, is concrete evidence that the verbalization did not end in words. The stories may, for example, influence legislative decisions to cut social programs or a citys decision to increase police surveillance in minority neighborhoods (Taylor, 1998). The stories also may perpetuate prejudices that form the basis for discriminatory acts, such as decisions not to hire minorities, not to allow them equal access to housing, and to treat minority workers with disrespect solely because they belong to an out-group. Indeed, although the texts and talk of such stories may seem harmless, they usually have very real and very harmful consequences. Most people want to know exactly what they must do. Different people will see different meanings in the proposed changes. There is a tendency for police officers to see in the proposed changes the things they want to see. Resistance can be expected when police officers in supervisory positions are caught between strong forces pushing them to make changes and strong opposing forces pulling them to maintain the status quo. Administrative coups must be thwarted. However, opponents must not be made to "lose face" during the change process. Resistance can be expected to increase to the degree that police officers influenced by the changes have pressure put on them to change and it will decrease to the degree they are actually involved in planning the diversity initiatives (Gesteland, 1999). It is true that employee behavior can be mandated, but it is also true that forcing people to embrace diversity leads to recalcitrant behaviors (e.g., sabotage, character assassinations, resignations). Decision-making should be shared. Resistance can be expected if the changes ignore the organization culture. There are informal as well as formal norms within every organization. An effective change will neither ignore old customs nor abruptly create new ones. Timing is important. However, this does not mean that plans to implement diversity must drag on for months or years (“Successful Diversity Management” 2003). The conflict is heightened when white males learn about the cultural heritage and contributions of minority groups and women. Denial, guilt, anger, and values ambiguity are typical responses during the middle passage to cultural literacy. It is common for guilt-stricken white trainees to become prominority. Fewer white males become profeminist, however. When the pendulum swings the other way, white males retreat to whiteness. For most of them this is a period of information and they will experience digestion and redefinition of self. In the best case scenario, white males undergoing diversity training learn to accept themselves and peoples of other cultures as co-workers of equal human worth. Effective listening requires paying careful attention to not only the spoken words but also the speakers body language. Managers and supervisors can obtain a great deal of information by observing police officers facial expressions and body movement (Schuler, 1998). They should also pay attention to how an individual talks (i.e., inflections and pauses). And culturally bound experiences, values, and beliefs slant abstract thoughts and change the meanings of specific words or phrases of a particular language (Doyle and Stern, 2006). This is also true of corporate cultures, which have become a topic of great interest in the past decade. Business executives realize that a strong corporate culture coupled with effective business strategies can be powerful tools for organization success. If new business strategies need to be implemented, cultural road-blocks often arise if the police officers believe the organization’s current culture is incompatible with the new strategies. On a broader scale, corporate culture affects an organizations national excellence as well as its global business strategies. Comparisons of American and Japanese management styles reveal that much of the success of Japanese companies can be explained by their strong corporate cultures emphasizing police officers participation, open communication, security, and equality They utilize a high-context style of relating and communicating. There is growing evidence that North American companies are becoming more successful by emulating selective Japanese companies and developing internal corporate cultures that emphasize human values and life-long human resources development. Many Euro-American workers, continuing the illustration, have suffered stress attacks upon being told that some previously "white" jobs will be occupied by African Americans. In an extreme sense, there are times when "African American" or "black American" erroneously becomes a synonym for "rapist," "thief," "murderer," or some other socially defined scoundrel. We can safely conclude that the word African American has many connotative meanings--some positive, others negative. Of utmost importance is the fact that the meaning of the word depends greatly upon the processes of socialization (McDonald and Christopher 2003). Recommendations In order to improve culture and relations among police officers, it is crucial to introduce diversity training and initiatives aimed to eliminate conflicts and reduce ethnic envy. In order to establish a supportive learning environment, the manager and trainees may elect to adopt norms similar to the following: (1) Everyone who is here belongs here as long as he or she does not try to hurt other people. (2) What is true for each person is determined by his or her life experiences. (3) The first purpose is to get in touch with our feelings about diversity. (4) The second purpose is to make contact with each other. (5) We will try to be as honest as possible and to express ourselves as we really are. (6) What we say in this training is confidential; no one will repeat anything said here outside the workshop. (7) Everyone in the group needs to take part in some way in group decisions. The manager should not get upset when the participants withdraw during group activities (Mathews, 1998). Some people feel uncomfortable in group interactions and others will use any excuse for not cooperating. There are also instances when police officers will be confused by an exercise and withdraw. Of course, some individuals may believe that an activity is not related to their needs. When this happens, the manager should not become defensive. As an alternative, he or she should ask the withdrawing police officers to identify ways they might approach the aim differently, that is, to act as observers and give the rest of the group feedback, or alter the task to accommodate their concerns (Mayo 1998). Lectures are best when they are short, less formal, and well organized and well delivered. Lecturers should remember that most trainee attention spans are short, and for this reason lectures should involve trainees through interest-catching illustrations, make provision for trainee involvement, and not attempt to present too much information in a short period of time. Several other factors affect the quality of the lecture, including room conditions, backgrounds of the police officers, and the tone and voice of the speaker. When a lecture is meant to spark discussion, the lecturer should not cover the points he or she wishes the trainees to develop. Generally the lecture method of teaching is most effective for clarifying issues, expanding knowledge beyond the trainees available resources, sharing personal experiences, and giving instructions (Doyle and Stern, 2006). The lecture method has the advantages of allowing the manager to bring specific ideas into immediate focus and to draw on his or her own experiences. It facilitates covering a large amount of material with a large number of trainees, helps trainees develop listening skills, and can supplement assigned readings. Disadvantages of the lecture method include the fact that it tends to be a one-way process, with police officers passively listening. Lectures also hinder the learning of individuals who are not effective listeners or note-takers, may be repetitious for some police officers, may limit the pace of learning to the pace of the speaker, may evolve around the interest of the lecturer rather than the trainees, tend to cause trainees to accept the manager as the final authority, and are inadequate for teaching diversity skills and attitudes (Lowell, 1999). Discussions may begin spontaneously or be planned by the trainer. In either case, sufficient time should be allowed for discussions. It is also imperative for the trainer to be familiar with the subjects being discussed. Groups of more than fifteen should be divided into small subgroups in order to permit each trainee the opportunity to actively participate. Whenever possible, the participants should be seated so that they can see each other. Trainers should not become unnerved by silence during discussions. Initially, police officers may be reluctant to speak their feelings (Doyle and Stern, 2006). Advantages of discussion groups are: police officers can become actively involved in the process of learning; participants pool their individual information and gain broader insights; individuals learn to organize facts, ask insightful questions, think reflectively on relationships with and among their personal ideas and the ideas of other persons; and participants can test, alter, and improve their beliefs and values. Discussion groups have disadvantages also. The process can be frustrating if meetings end with questions but no agreement about solutions. Discussions can degenerate into attacks on personalities of group members. This intervention strategy requires discussion skills on the part of all participants. If the trainer or group facilitator does not maintain an open mind, the process is not likely to be democratic. Also, a few members of the group can dominate the discussion, causing the other members to be bored (Lowell, 1999).. Work groups have the advantage of allowing, through a division of labor, the participants to investigate thoroughly an aspect of a subject and, by sharing their research, become familiar with the total subject. Each subgroup must be familiar with its purpose and the research steps to be taken. A team leader may be appointed by the trainer or one may emerge spontaneously. The trainer becomes a resource for the groups, checking their progress and clarifying areas of confusion (Doyle and Stern, 2006). Group reports should be presented in different forms so as to minimize boredom during the show and tell period. Problem analysis through on-the-spot reaction works best when participants feel free to share their feelings without the benefit of much time to collect their thoughts. By allowing themselves to be placed on the spot, the trainees are able to see a wide range of reactions and, ideally, alternative ways of viewing a situation. Answers that trigger negative reactions or laughter can serve as the basis for subsequent trainer lectures (Levine, 1998.). Conclusion Effective communication and diversity training initiatives are the main methods which help to eliminate racial envy and ethnic differences in police. The absence of positive conversations about particular minorities can usually be correlated to the absence or underrepresentation of these individuals in the workplaces in question. The representation of minorities in negative symbols tends to parallel the attitudes of the majority of police officers. The negative reaction potential of the words in the workplace may be equated to a red flag and bull situation or to the cry of "fire" in a crowded theater. Racial discrimination is unlawful and illegal so police administration should take corrective actions to avoid further dissemination and victimization of racial minorities. Bibliography Armstrong, M. 2001, Human Resource Management. 8th edn. Kogan Page. Campbell, D.J. 1997, Organizations and the Business Environment. Oxford: Butterworth- Heinemann. Doyle, P., Stern, Ph. 2006, Marketing Management and Strategy. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 4 edition. Gesteland, R. 1999, Cross-Cultural Business and Behavior 2nd edn. Copenhagen Copenhagen Business School Press. Levine, D.L. 1998. Working in the Twenty-First Century: Policies for Economic Growth through Training, Opportunity, and Education. M. E. Sharpe. 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Ulrich, D., Lake, D. 2000, Organizational Capability: Competing from the inside out, John Wiley, New York. Read More