Silverex - Efficient Human Labor at the Workplace - Essay Example

Essay: Human Resource Word count: 3,188 Introduction Silverex is a renowned international Corporation that deals with the manufacture and sale of glassware. It is one of the most successful business firms across the globe known for its quality and durable products that have since gained consumer loyalty and built a good reputation and brand in the market domain. However, owing to the increased competition and a high infiltration rate by other new firms into the industry, Silverex needs an able and efficient human labor at the workplace to give it a competitive edge above the rest. Issue Analysis In my assertion, I focus on motivating and empowering human labor to gain the capacity and skills needed to increase their productivity. Given that human labor is the main driving force towards attaining the core objectives of an institution, it is mandatory to ensure that they are acquainted with the skills and expertise needed to deliver quality services that meet the divergent needs of the international market. Recent research as documented by theorist Bassnet (2010) in his book: Statistical Data Analysis has sufficiently demonstrated that only about 25% of corporate business organization undertake regular capacity building through on-job training, workshops, international conferences and seminars that are geared towards instilling new insight and relevant skills within the labor force (Bassnet, 2010). The HR Director has been on the run to diagnose the cause of underperformance among a section of its employees and it has become eminent that the majority of them lack the required skills to match the current needs of consumers and meet the internationally set standards in the industry, demonstrating the scope of the study. Theory and Best Practice The best practice relating to employee performance lies in the ability of the human resource department to diagnose the problem and identify the specific areas that are lacking; and require reinforcement and empowerment to meet the needs of the organization. This ensures that there is a holistic growth in the organization and that all departments work cohesively together to realize high productivity and remain competitive in the industry. When one department lags behind, the whole system’s performance is essentially affected hence the need to ensure that all the sectors work optimally without one derailing the activities of the other due to incompetence and lack of capacity to deliver. According to McGeorge (2010, p. 121), capacity building fundamentally entails equipping the labor force with the technical know-how in as far as their duties and responsibilities in the organization are concerned. As such, it ensures that the labor within the organization experiences growth in tandem with the changing technology and trends in the market. The interesting bit with capacity building is that though the whole process is essentially expensive is more or less an investment on people’s lives and careers. It not only benefits the organization per say but rather both the parties involved (Pollitt, 2005). Many literature reviews seek to demonstrate how most firms fail to meet the obligation to empower their work force and yet expect tremendous results from them. It is evident that the core objective of any business organization is to maximize its profits hence the reason most firms fail to take undertake the noble course of empowering its employees through capacity building. In the paper review, we seek to demystify this perception as such an approach only works for the short term after which the business comes crumbling down. However, organizations that invest in their human labor are sustainable and remain relevant in the industry for a long to come. These sentiments were echoed by Professor McGeorge in his publication on business management journal where he demonstrated the how different organizations performed in the industry basing on the way they manage their employees. All top performing firms in the industry had one thing in common; their employees were handsomely compensated and empowered in terms of relevant skills acquisition. The study clearly showed the need for capacity building as a foundation towards excellence in business operations. In questionnaires distributed to human resource managers on the best approach used to ensure increased productivity among the work force, 70% of the respondents mentioned capacity building as a way of getting the most from employees and utilizing their potential to the maximum (McGeorge, 2010, p. 129). It is high time Silverex re-evaluates its human resource management strategy and focus more on establishing a strong, competent work force that will spearhead the goals and objectives of the company to a whole new level and give them propel the organization to the helm of the industry. In my analysis of the significant role played by the capacity building program in the business industry, I will require a number of essential HR data to assist in the analysis and this include: i. Department of operation ii. Time taken to execute job assignment iii. Compensation and rewards iv. Qualification skills and experience v. Job type vi. Job position vii. Customer feedback The data listed above plays a very crucial role in this project in the sense that it dictates the scope of the research review and works to clearly outline the relevant data needed for the study. The information that will be obtained from the essential HR data can then be compiled for subsequent analysis and assist deducing findings from the case study. Stakeholder’s analysis In the analysis of my project review, there is need to clearly identify who my stakeholders and other concerned parties are, in order to run a successful and viable project and these include: CEO HR Director Departmental managers Employees Motivational and capacity building professionals Training Program facilitators Consumers When identifying the most important party among the list of stakeholders, there is need to utilize the Power-Interest grid. This grid has been divided into several segments with each part representing the position of a particular stakeholder in the Silverex organization. For instance, in the ‘keep satisfied’ section of the grid will have the CEO of Silverex Company, the CEO will be largely interested with the feasibility aspects of the project. The recommendations arising from the analysis will be a very important facet of the Silverex Company more so in terms of performance and financial funding (Stredwick, 2005). The other segment is the ‘managing closely’ where we have the departmental heads and the HR Director. The two stakeholders take this position owing to the fact that they will require frequent updates on the proceedings of the project as they are directly concerned and the project itself touches on their departments. In monitor section we have the training personnel and employees. These stakeholders fall in this category bearing in mind that they are not involved in the actual decision-making process but rather the implementation of the project after its approval by the top management organs. The employees may get to know of the project later on through internal communication or through staff bulletins. Finally, on the grid is ‘keep informed’. This category encompasses the prospective customers who were used as respondents in collecting data. They played a very integral role in the project analysis process in gathering consumer insight, preference and opinion in line with the product and services delivered by Silverex Company. Secondary Research Secondary data is essentially defined as data obtained from a third party and as construed by Home Learning College 2014, it is data obtained from literature reviews by other scholars and academicians in the same field of research. It is commonly used in research analyses to study the previous trends as documented in literature reviews and hence act as a very resourceful data for subsequent future deductions. In my research review, secondary data on HR systems obtained from the previous company reports and documentation, some data is obtained from other competitors in the same industry and statistics reports obtained from government institutions and commercial service firms such as ONS data. In this particular project, the secondary information gathered is used as a foundation upon which the subsequent analysis of the primary data is executed. It helps to identify areas where the primary research comes to in to cover up on the gaps left by the previous research work and hence develop a holistic, feasible project that will essential deliver the intended outcome and meet the goals and objectives of the corporate organization (Silverex Co. ltd). Secondary data also helps in establishing background information regarding the project and hence offer a sense of direction as the research builds up to the point of providing recommendations and findings in a logical yet analytical fashion. From such a detailed research review, we can easily make comparison with the report from other competing firms and hence draw viable comparisons to determine whether the problem under investigation is a national, regional or organizational challenge; and this forms part of the findings construed from the research study. Secondary data Secondary data can be categorized as either academic, professional, Industrial or company-based. Hence different types of secondary data fall in different categories basing of the issue being addressed. For instance elements falling under academic data include peer review and literature materials related to the topical issues under discussion. Professional aspects include the best practice and address technical issues of interest to the project. Industrial aspects of secondary data on the other hand attributes to elements such as industrial analysis, insights, ideas and thought process. Company data espouses the company’s analysis and the examination of its potential. There are elements that can move across two or more disciplines, such as idea and thought process, which can fall under any category and the tackling of current issues falls both on professional and industrial data. The significance of various data has been demonstrated below: Secondary Data Definition Significance Disadvantage of Secondary Data Academic Is a type of secondary data documented in literature review and business models that can be utilized by other researchers in the same field to practice for purposes of academic research, I will use academic data to obtain theoretical insight and information to build up on my research project. I will also use the academic data gathered to design potential strategies and ways of approaching the research problem under analysis. This is information is hence very resourceful in establishing a viable project with the potential to come up with viable findings and recommendations. There are business models that I can also make use of as an academic tool in the research project to assist in resolution making. a. Since the researcher did not collect the data by themselves have no control of what is contained in the data set. b. The researcher does not have the knowledge of how the data was collected and how effective the process was done. c. The researcher has no direct correlation with the data and the dynamics involved in the gathering and recording of information d. The data is predetermined and may not have direct correlation with the research in question. e. The data may also have different variable such as age, race and other already defined variables that may differ with the research under study. f. It may not answer researchers specific question g. There is possibility of collecting data from areas that were not within the area of research Professional This is essentially statistical data collected from the field and is compiled to give a market trend that can be used for future research Secondary data collected is used to review the best practice and hence offer the direction that the research process has to take in finding solutions to the challenge the organization is facing. It also offers secondary statistical data that is very critical in any research analysis required for critical thinking and in offering project reasoning theory. It will enable me to brainstorm on and have a wide perspective of the project and the underlying challenges. We can also study the trend in the industry using the data already gathered hence help in the ultimate decision-making process. Industrial This secondary data will be used to benchmark the overall performance of the project and the industry’s opinion towards the matter at hand Such data helps with the comprehension of the concept as it enables us to relate with the idea from an industrial perspective. Company Data Provides data and information in relation to the operation of the company. This provides insight into the company in question (Silverex Co. ltd) as it makes use of data from the company. It helps in establishing the core objective of the whole research process as it relates directly with the case under study. It helps in the identification of areas that need improvement. Qualitative Data & Quantitative Data Qualitative and quantitative data are both credible data sets used in research studies to draw conclusions from the analyzed data and substantially back up the recommendations put forth. In talking about qualitative data we allude to the data collected from interviewing respondents while quantitative data comprises of statistics and numbers, and forms the framework for the entire research work (Home Learning College 2014). Qualitative Data Quantitative Data Qualitative data can be harnessed using questionnaires or interviews from which the opinions, ideas, attitude, preference and behaviors of the correspondents can be ascertained. For qualitative data, I will interview HR Directors on their opinion concerning capacity building and its relevance to the organization. I will also send questionnaires to other HR Directors in the other companies and if they advocate for the same. This will essentially form part of my qualitative data. In quantitative data, the numbers are expressed graphically or in tables to ease the interpretation of data and to study the trends over time. For quantitative data I will make use of the company’s previous performance records. Quantitative data has no bias as it works with discrete, factual data obtained from the company’s previous business undertakings unlike qualitative data that is based on the opinions of the respondents (Al-Najjar, 2012). Primary Research This alludes to data that has been collected by the researchers themselves from a first-hand perspective. This is usually raw data that is yet to be analyzed and is in most occasions used to fill up the gaps left after undertaking secondary data analysis to gain authenticity and originality of the whole research in finding possible intervention for organizational challenges. Primary data needs to bear the following qualities: i. It must be current and recently collected from the field. ii. The collected data ought to be authentic, meaning that the information should be truthful to the best of your knowledge. iii. Reliability-the data should be reliable obtained from relevant sources. iv. Valid- the research data should be feasible (Home Learning College 2014). For my project to be viable and successful, there is need to abide by all elements and qualities of a reputable research project as this has a direct effect on the ultimate findings and recommendation given from my project. Collecting primary data can be achieved through: Conducting interviews Questionnaires and Focused groups. Each of the above data collection approaches have specific advantages and shortcomings that come with their use in data collection for instance: Interviews Questionnaires Focused Groups Interviews are very productive in getting peoples’ opinion because it is an interactive session Through interviews the facilitators can explore issues extensively. It is also flexible as it can be done over the phone or through Skype. We get in-depth data from interviews It is essentially timely and effective data collection strategy Questions further to ascertain the authenticity of the responses. Interview the appropriate sample group Avoid jargons The disadvantage however lies in the fact that the data may not be authentic affecting its validity aspect. It can also be difficult to collect and analyze information from interviews. It is very efficient owing to its affordability aspects Questionnaires can undertake comprehensive and extensive data collection basing on the way they have been designed and the objective to the research study It is very efficient in timely data collection. It also demonstrates its authenticity as it does not use jargons. It is up-to-date as it focuses on current survey analysis and It only samples a specific group, increasing the accuracy of data collected. The disadvantage of this data collection method is that it takes time to prepare and design the questionnaires to suit a specific individuals It can also be tampered with or influenced by the coordinator hence biased. Response rate may also be poor. Focus groups are essentially affordable and extensive data can be collected from the group of about 6 people. The data collected is current and reliable because of detailed data from the group. It uses the right terminologies demonstrating the validity aspect of data collection method The method ensures a recap of all the answers given by the focus groups to ascertain their authenticity. The disadvantage is that it may take quite a long time to arrange for the focus groups and the data can also be influenced by the facilitators. Questionnaires- My project will essentially use all these three approaches in the course of collecting my primary data so as to minimize errors and shortcomings that may come arise from use of a single data collection method. After data collection, the findings can then be expressed in a number of ways using tables, graphs, pie charts and oral presentation. I will make use of all these methods in expressing my findings from the research. This will allow me to have a wider scope upon which I can define my research project at length and demonstrate the trends and findings in terms of numbers and percentages (Stredwick, 2005). Presentation of Finding Method Type Benefits Features Purpose Table Narrative Collected data can be analyzed. Identify trends. Gives precise numbers. Columns and rows. Clear Titles. Easy identification of trends. Allows people to see raw data. Line Graph Diagram Effective for showing variables over time. Shows how a variable varies over time. Y and X axis. Will help display changes over time with leavers. Pie chart Diagram Effective way of communicating percentages. Slices representing percentages. Colour slices. To display percentages in a colourful and easy to read. Scatter Graph Diagram Good for displaying relationships Relationship analysis. Y and X axis To see if any relationships exist between; Length of service and age/gender. Conclusion From such integrated presentation I will be in a position to get the stakeholders on board and sufficiently convince them of the viability my project. A cost-benefit analysis will also be mandatory for very particular recommendation I present with the aim of clearly demonstrating the gains that come with the implementation of my project design. A section of my research review will be set out specifically for the stakeholders and related parties will demonstrate how I will effectively measure the viability and success of my recommendations and this will be done through ‘Key Results Areas’ (KRA’s). I will come up with ways to analyze the changes and provide updates within the agreed duration of 6 months References Al-Najjar, M.F. (2012). Translation as a Correlative of Meaning: Cultural and Linguistic Transfer in Data Analysis. Indiana University. Atran, Scott. (2014) Social Science Information / Sur Les Sciences Sociales. Ethnoscience Today 30(4):595-662. Bassnett-McGuire, S. (2010) Statistical Data Analysis. London: Methuen. Brislin, R. W., Lonner, W. and Thorndike, R. M. (2010) Cross-Cultural Research Methods. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Haines, V.Y III & St-Onge, S. (2012)‘Performance management effectiveness: practices or context?’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol.23, No. 6, 1158-1175 Martin, J. (2010). Key Concepts in Human Resource Management. London: Sage Publication. Pollitt, C. (2005). ‘Performance Management in Practice: A Comparative Study of Executive Agencies. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 11(2) 45-78. Stredwick, J. (2005). ‘An Introduction to Human Resource Management. London: Elsevier Ltd. Read More