Organisation of the Human Resource Strategy at the Non-Governmental Organisation - Coursework Example

Organisation of the Human Resource Strategy Organizing the Human Resource Strategy Introduction Labour is a fundamental factorof production. Unlike land and capital, the labour component of production has evolved over the years from the archaic practice of slavery to the current more accepted form that is compensated labour. It is a sensitive component of production as it involves human beings. People are characteristically complicated and, therefore, make labour and its organisation quite sensitive (Ackroid, 2006). In order to succeed in business, a manager has to manage all factors of production so that the production process is optimised. Organisation of the labour component of production is important for the profit strategy of a firm (Nicolini, 2012). The paper seeks to discuss strategic implications to employees that arise as a result of the organisation of labour. It will also look at the impact it has on employee-management relations. It will do so by considering a non-governmental organisation that seeks to put in place fair working condition for employees. Organizing the Human Resource Strategy: The NGO The non-governmental organisation in question seeks to establish fair conditions where workers can be comfortable in their place of work and work best. Therefore, its strategy for organising the human resource aims at optimising the productivity of the human resource through positive enforcement and providing good working conditions. It is based on the belief that people will work best and be more productive while working under satisfactory conditions (Nicolini, 2012). For it to happen, certain elements have to be in place. The NGO aims at spreading good working conditions in organisations within the locality. The first part of the strategy is to analyse why organisation of labour is important for a company’s profit. Labour helps in establishment of an economy (Silver, 2003). When there is enough labour in the economy or an organisation, the body in question will be able to meet its productivity goals and turn a profit in the end. It is people who do most of the work in a firm. Labour is employed in almost all sectors. Even in industries that are highly automated, labour is essential in maintenance and micromanaging of machines and equipment. Without labour, no production can take place. It is for this reason that this strategy aims at ensuring that labour is conserved and optimised so as to maximise profits. The NGO, therefore, plans to spread this strategy to firms and to the government as a way of avoiding recession. The strategy was developed just after the Great Recession as a precaution to avoid a situation where a recession would recur. Without sufficient labour, producers will be unable to meet their quarters and will, therefore, lose money. It is the reason why labour is important. Its organisation is aimed at ensuring that the best is gotten from it. The fact, therefore, puts employees in a position to seek working conditions that favour them best. The next section of the strategy will outline elements of a conducive working environment as a means of directing employers on what employees expect in a good and conducive work environments. Safety is paramount in a good working environment. Employees, especially those in factories and mines and other potentially risky areas will not work well if their fear for their well-being all the time. The fear for their well-being, coupled by OSHA regulations on the safety in the work-place put pressure on employers to ensure that the workplace is safe. However, some areas of employment may require an extra step. If the working conditions are very dangerous, employers should consider insuring its workforce. This way, employees will work knowing that in case of anything their well-being or that of their family is covered. If the work environment is considered to be safe and healthy, employees will have no reason not to be productive. Injuries in the workplace may also be costly to the employer. Lawsuits may arise from accidents in the workplace or even OSHA fines. A safe working environment is, thus, beneficial to both employer and employee. It should not be limited to employment areas that are potentially dangerous. It is especially the case when it comes to medical insurance of employees and their families (Pergamon Felxible Learning, 2006). Employees will work best in the workplace that has transparent and open communication. Such an environment will address the employee’s needs to feel that their opinion is valued. It will also give them a sense of belonging to the firm or the organisation. In turn, this gives their work meaning as they feel that they are contributing to the success of the firm. The firm’s success will, thus, be their success. Hence, they will work for the firm. Not just for monetary compensation, but for a sense of fulfilment (Croome, 1999). The firm should also ensure that there is a good balance between work and the social lives of its employees. The saying “all work and no play” comes to play. The sense of balance is set to improve satisfaction of one’s job. It is because they will not feel like they are overlooking other aspects of their life because of work. Said aspects may be even more important than work to them. The balance will also give them time to unwind and in a way rejuvenate their creativity and strength for optimal working. Thus, the strategy seeks to influence firms not to overwork their workforce to ensure that they be productive (Clerc, & ILO, 1985). Access to resources is very important if the work environment is to be considered as fair. Research has shown that in most top organisations, employees have access to all resources they require to complete their duties and tasks. When possible, the firm should even avail educational resources to help enhance the skills of the employees and make them more valuable. The aspect benefits both parties. The firm will have more able employees, and the employees will provide more value. Firms should strive to ensure employees fulfil their tasks with ease. It significantly facilitates the production process. Employees will produce high-quality work if accorded the right resources (Croome, 1999). Training in new technologies and new trends in production will help a firm keep abreast with the changes that are rampant in the modern world. For a firm to be successful in this era, it should be able to keep up with the latest trends in its industry. To do so, its workforce needs training and its equipment need to be updated on a regular basis. It will contribute to the optimisation of the production process (Clerc, & ILO, 1985). Performance appraisal is also important in making a good working environment. Employees like to feel like their work is appreciated (Frey, 2002). One good way to appreciate employee performance is to reward it. Performance appraisal involves assessing employee performance and recognising and rewarding it. Rewards can be monetary, through promotion or simply by recognition. Employees will strive for the said rewards by doing the best work that is timely and of high quality. This strategy will see more organizations start a system of appreciating employee performance. It is a good way to motivate employees. It is known as positive reinforcement in psychology. Rewarding good work will encourage similar behaviour in the future, not just for those rewarded but to those that aspire to be recognised (Ackroid, 2006). Ample compensation will also motivate the workforce. People will work well if they feel they are getting fair compensation. Getting underpaid is a great disappointment. Thus, employees will underperform or spend time seeking greener pastures (Braverman, 1998). Movement of labour has been seen to be greatly influenced by the amount of compensation employees receive in their place of work. They often move across organisations or job descriptions looking for a better pay. When employees receive ample compensation and benefits, they have a sense of owing their employer and will, therefore, strive to do better. However, one ought to be careful not to overpay as this may be a deterrent to profit and savings for the organisation. (Frey, 2002). Having discussed how a good working environment can be established, the paper will now look at the implications of organising labour to employees. In a bid to organise labour, this strategy has proposed the creation of a favourable working environment. The favourable environment will impact employees in several ways as will be discussed. Employees will enjoy working for their employer in a workplace where employees are well paid, receive recognition for good work, have all resources to work among other things. Loving what you do is a crucial part of been productive at work. Therefore, if employees enjoy their work, they are more productive. In an economy where employees are productive, the economy is seen to benefit significantly. A recession is characterized by underperformance by an economy’s workforce. It is, therefore, up to the management to ensure that the employees enjoy their job. It will make them work at their best, which impact the profits positively (Braverman, 1998). Employees will also strive to better themselves. Where performance appraisal is involved, all employees will strive to be recognised. They will in turn work hard in order to earn the recognition and benefits that come with performance appraisal. They will set goals for themselves that will no doubt benefit production and, therefore, there will be more profit. However, care has to be taken so that the system for appraisal is transparent and fair. If employees feel that there is an element of favouring some employees on the part of the management, it may bring laxity in the workplace as they will feel that they are working hard for nothing. If employees feel they are being cheated out of recognition for the good work they put in, it might demotivate them. The demotivation will in turn negatively impact production. Hence, the employer should ensure that the assessment is transparent and that only employees with exemplary performance are recognised (Frey, 2002). In a workplace where there is communication between employees and management, employees will feel free to give ideas and feedback on relevant matters. Employees are on the ground and can get information on the best ways to optimise production from their daily experiences. Such information is invaluable to the management as at the end of the day; this will impact profits. Employees will make use of a direct line to the management and are thus able to contribute to the betterment of the organization. Thus, they will be eager to share valuable information with the management. When the management and employees work as a team with the common goal of having the firm succeed, profits will no doubt be affected positively. It is also important that the management be seen as approachable. It is so, so that the employees will not have reservations about coming forward with valuable information. The management should drive to bridge the gap between employer and employee that has prevented success in the workplace for many organisations. Finally, employees will have a feeling of belonging if the management looks after employees’ interests. Employees will be comfortable in the workplace and feel like they belong there if the management looks after them. It is especially the case where communication between employer and employee is good and the opinion of the employee is respected. Belonging will in a way enhance employee performance that will in turn impact profit in the long-run. Employees will work to better their workplace due to the feeling of belonging. The next part of this paper will discuss the implications of the organisation of labour on employee-employer relations. Should the above proposals be put in place in a firm, relations between the employer and employee will be seen to change in various ways. Following the above steps, employees will empower the decision-making process. The empowerment will be a function of a direct line of communication between the employer and employee. Decision making is usually a job for the management. However, in the above workplace, employees are seen to contribute to the same. Although the final decision will, of course, be made by the management. Employees will have contributed valuable information to the process. They will be unified by their mutual want of success for the organisation. Employees will gather information about production from their daily experiences on the ground. The information can be used by the management in making decisions. All this will be made possible by the organisation of labour. It will result in better decisions and increased profit. Often, the very idea of employees and their superiors has often been a deterrent to productivity. Employers have often been viewed as slave drivers, profit-driven business people who take advantage of the labour force and are the biggest beneficiaries of the products of their hard work. However, through the organisation of labour, as stated earlier, employees and management are unified in the growth of the organisation. They both have a feeling of belonging and, therefore, work to benefit the organisation. In the end, all parties win in that the organisation will grow, and both the management and the employees will benefit from the growth (Clerc & ILO, 1985). In the past, employees have been approached by competitors and offered gratuity in exchange for classified information about their employer’s business. However, picture a scenario where the above proposals are in place. The employee will feel obligated to be loyal to their employer. Thus, they will not leak-out information about the employer. It will mostly be a function of ample compensation, good employer-employee relations and feeling like they belong to the organization. Loyalty is important in any workplace as it encourages the exchange of information without fear of betrayal. (Silver, 2003). The aim of this strategy is to ensure good working conditions for employees. Should the management make, this happen, both parties will experience job security. Employees will be assured of their jobs while the management will benefit from longevity of the organisation. The mutual benefit will enhance employer-employee relations in the name of survival and thriving. This common goal has been seen to be good for business (Silver, 2003). It is in contrast to organisations where employees thrive to keep their jobs and the management only cares about profit. Conclusion Longevity can be used to sum up the overall effect of the organisation of labour. Having discussed why the organisation of labour is important for profit, its implications on employees and its impact on employee-employer relationships, this strategy is left with the task of implementing the plan on organisations. As stated at the beginning of this strategy, the NGO creating this strategy aims at implementing it in firms and organisations around it. Implementing it will lead to fair working conditions for workers in the area. If put in place, the elements discussed will optimise the human resource and impact profit positively. References Ackroid, S., 2006. The Oxford Handbook of Work and Organization. Oxford: Oxford Universty Press. Braverman, H., 1998. Labor and Monopoly Capital; The Degradation of Work in the twentieth Century. New York: NY Monthly Review Press. Clerc, J. M. & Intrenational Labor Office, 1985. Introduction to Working Conditions and environment. Geneva: International Labour Office. Croome, D., 1999. Creating the Productive Workplace. s.l.:CRC Press. Frey, B. S., 2002. Successful management by Motivation: balancing intrinsic and extrinsic incentives; with 11 tables. Berlin: Springer. Nicolini, D., 2012. Practise Theory, Work and Organization: An introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pergamon Felxible Learning, 2006. Managing Health, safety and working environment. Oxford: Pergamon Felxible Learning. Silver, B. J., 2003. Forces of Labor: workers movement and golbalization since 1870. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More