HRM Art - the Right People at the Right Time in the Right Place - Case Study Example

HRM Problem and Solution Executive Summary The success of an organisation depends on the people who work for it. Hiring the right people, developing their potential and holding on to those with ability and promise, is something that most organisations want to achieve, although their success in doing so varies. Human resource management (HRM) is the most vital segment of modern organizations because of the importance of human element in every aspect of the organizational functions. The strategies and the philosophies developed by the HR department drives an organization in the right path. Neither the machines or the materials, nor the money, can be effectively utilized without the supervision from the human element. Human Resource Management or HRM can be defined as the process of employing people, developing their capacities, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in accordance with the requirements of the organization. HRM has two important functions; one with respect to the organizational needs and the other related to the employee needs. HR department thus acts as the bridge between the organization and the employees. The right person, at the right place, at the right time, is always beneficial to the organization whereas wrong persons at the wrong places always create headaches to the organization. The needs of the organization and the needs of the employees may not be the same always and because of that conflicts between the organization and the employees can take place any time. In this paper, I briefly analyses an HRM problem faced by me, when I was working as an administrator in an organization. Description of the HRM-related work problem that I have encountered The HRM problem, I encountered at work was regarding two volunteers. Both of these volunteers came to my company with the intention of becoming project workers in the substance misuse field. Our company gladly accepted the offers of these volunteers since we were facing severe shortage of dedicated volunteers at that time. Since our organization was a non-profitable charitable organization, most of the volunteers worked for our organization as a service rather than a profession. Since, it was difficult to get service minded volunteers at that time; the offers of these two volunteers were accepted quickly without a formal assessment about their backgrounds or intentions. They were quickly introduced to other staffs and were told that in order to start working in this field they would have to start work primarily in reception answering calls, taking messages and greeting clients. Our organization always ask the fresh employees or volunteers to work in the reception initially since reception was the frontline and a great way of knowing whether or not this work was suitable for them. The receptionists are the ones who normally interact with the diverse clients. Some of these clients would be aggressive or impatient and the management of these clients by the newly appointed volunteers as receptionists can be evaluated by the organization to measure the job potentials of these volunteers. The administrator at times, spent a few hours with the newly appointed volunteers at the reception talking them through the internal email system and how to answer a call after that they were told they could start. One of the volunteers started his work as three days per week the other as two days per week. Out of the 5 working days, they were together on two of the busiest days. They were told that since they were volunteering, they could start at 10 am instead of 9:30 am and leave little earlier than the normal closing hour of the office. Initially, they have shown punctuality in their works; however, after few days, they started to create problems. They have started to come too late and leave too early. Moreover, they started to use the office phone for personal purposes frequently. Playing on their mobile, watching inappropriate material on the internet, and making clients wait too long etc were some other malpractices shown by these volunteers. They also started to welcome the clients in an improper manner and even while responding to calls, they started to use filthy languages. One of the two started to develop a love affair with a member of staff and created many romantic scenes inside the office. Our organization was fed up with the activities of these volunteers and asked me to find solutions to these problems after promoting me as the administrator. My organization asked me either to correct these volunteers or find some other volunteers after sacking these two. I decided to try my level best to correct these volunteers before taking a decision to sack them. Analysis Analysis of the problem using Maslow’s motivational theory According to Abraham Maslow, motivation is based on psychological need. When our needs are unmet, we experience tension that we try to put right. In other words, we behave in ways that satisfy our needs. Maslow believed that all people are motivated by the same things, but that there are different levels of need. When one set of needs in the hierarchy has been met, we work harder to fulfill the next level. A need is not effective as a motivator until the ‘lower level’ needs are met. A satisfied need is not a motivator. If you are safe and well fed, you turn your attention elsewhere. We have an inbuilt desire to work our way up through the hierarchy of needs. Not meeting these needs has a negative effect on our mental health. The experience of self- stimulates the desire for more. This cannot be satisfied in the way that the other needs can (Preston, 2010, p.11) The volunteers who joined in my organization were fresh graduates who came out from the colleges. They had not much previous work experiences. An organizational world was an entirely new thing for them. Initially they started to work strictly in accordance with the needs of the organization because of their unawareness about the organizational setup. They were not matured enough to overcome the temptations of their youthful energy. It was difficult for them to work strictly based on the tight organizational frameworks. Moreover, they started to think that since they were volunteering for the organization, it is not necessary for them to demonstrate much loyalty or sincerity towards their organization or profession. These people were not motivated towards my organization because of their service mentality; they were in search of some kind of work experience and that was their primary need which forced them to opt for the job. As Maslow suggested, when one set of needs in the hierarchy has been met, we work harder to fulfill the next level. Same way, after joining the organization, these volunteers found many things suitable to their next level needs. Computers and internet connections were good enough for them to communicate with their friends and relatives and also to access illegal or pornographic sites. Because of the youthful energy, they were fascinated by the pornographic sites and also found pleasure in establishing relationships with the opposite sex, working in my organization. In other words, the company of the opposite sex, and the facility to access interesting websites and playing internet games were some of the motivating factors for these employees to stick in my organization. They were struggling to achieve a balance between their personal or psychological needs and their professional needs. Because of their immaturity, they gave more importance to their personal or psychological needs. Analysis of the problem using Vroom’s theory Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory concentrates on the process rather than the motivation. It mainly targets the section of human action suitable for a particular problem. Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory was formulated based on the following concepts; Expectancy: If I tried, would I be able to perform the action I am considering? Instrumentality: Would performing these actions lead to identifiable outcomes? Valence: How much do I value these outcomes? (Preston, 2010, p.12) The following figure illustrates the expectancy theory more clearly. (Expectancy Theory of Motivation, n. d) From the above figure it is clear that effort leads to performance and the performance causes outcome. Expectancy is the belief that increased effort will lead to increased benefits. It is affected by things like; Having the right resources available (e.g. raw materials, time); Having the right skills to do the job and Having the necessary support to get the job done (e.g. supervisor support, or correct information on the job) (Expectancy Theory of Motivation, n. d). According to expectancy theory, Motivational force MF = Expectancy x Instrumentality x Valence Where expectancy based on the perceived effort-performance relationship, instrumentality is based on the perceived performance reward relationship and valence is the value individual personally places on the reward (Expectancy theory, n. d). “Some rewards come anyway, regardless of the effort put in, and are not likely to be effective as motivators” (Preston, 2010, p.12). As stated earlier, these two volunteers have not been taken their profession seriously. For them, even if they do not perform well, they will get the experience certificate from this organization which can be used for getting jobs in other organizations. So, their expectation out of this volunteering job was just getting some experience for their future professional assignments. In short, they took their profession less seriously and decided to enjoy the profession as much as possible. The resources available in the organization (computers, internet, opposite sex people) were suitable for them to satisfy their psychological and recreational needs and they gave more emphasize to such needs rather than the professional needs. Analysis of the problem using Employee expectations and the psychological contract theory A ‘healthy’ psychological contract is linked to outcomes such as positive employment relations, employee commitment, motivation and job satisfaction. This means that, if an individual feels that they are treated fairly and their expectations are met at work, they are more likely to feel committed to their employer and motivated to work hard for them. On the other hand, those who have a weak psychological contract with their employer will be less motivated and more likely to leave the business. Research has shown that the most significant factor associated with employees having a positive psychological contract is the existence of a larger number of fair and effective HRM practices in the business (Preston, 2010, p.15) Social and psychological needs are important for an employee apart from the professional needs. These needs must be fulfilled partly or fully in order to motivate an employee. For example, recognition is a psychological need most of the employees wish to achieve. Most of the organizations give incentives or promotions to the better performing employees in order to motivate them further. If the organizations failed to recognize such talents, their performance will be affected. Since my organization was a service or non-profitable charity organization, these volunteers had not much scope for career advancements. Our organization had given only the complements in the forms of appreciations or complements and the employees were failed to get any financial rewards. Rewards can motivate the employees intrinsically and extrinsically. Extrinsic reward is the one which is visible to others whereas the intrinsic reward may not be visible to others. For example, promotion is an extrinsic reward for outstanding performances which is visible to all. A cricket player, who scored a century, may derive great feeling as an intrinsic reward for his outstanding performance, which may not be visible to others. Expectancy theory is based on the assumption that good performances will be rewarded. However, in my organization, the expectations of monetary gains were limited and hence the volunteers were not motivated enough to their profession. The employees will set the goals only if they were able to achieve some rewards. Their motivation towards work will be based on the feedbacks they may receive in the form of rewards and punishments. Behaviours which achieve positive feedbacks will be reinforced while behaviours with negative feedbacks will be rejected by the employees. These volunteers had not much worry about the punishments since my organization was a service organization which forced them to work as they like. Proposed solution to the problem The solutions proposed for this problem is either to motivate these volunteers positively towards their volunteering profession or to sack them to save the organization. It is difficult for the organization to allow these employees to behave as they like. It is impossible to allow these employees to use the company resources for their personal needs. Moreover, it is undesirable to allow these employees to establish intimate unhealthy relationships with the fellow employees. As an administrator, my preliminary job is to seek options available to correct these employees. In my opinion, I should try to convince these volunteers about the importance of charity work or service organizations in the contemporary society. These volunteers may have little knowledge about the norms and regulations which should be observed in an organization. I should try to educate these volunteers about the necessity of professionalism in an organization irrespective of whether it is a profitable or non-profitable organization. I should reveal them the constraints in allowing these people to use the company resources for personal needs and also in establishing illegal or unhealthy relationships with the fellow employees. These volunteers may not have proper idea about the importance of clients or customers to an organization. I should explain them that, no organization can survive in the current world without taking care of the relationships with the customers. I should make them aware that the customers are the number one assets for an organization and hence treating them with proper respect and value is important for the betterment of an organization. I should also take immense care while educating these employees. They should never feel that as an administrator, I am trying to dictate them. In other words, my activities or dealings should never cause any de-motivation to them. De-motivated employees will be characterised by low productivity and poor quality of works. The breakdown of relationship between employees and the management may create severe problems at the workplace. The employees can cause severe damages to the organization deliberately without even violating the company rules. In other words, it is not necessary that the de-motivated employees always express displeasure, but they can engage in activities which can harm the interests of the organization. Better communication and understanding between the employees and their superiors are essential for the smooth functioning of the organization and I should communicate effectively and regularity with these employees in order to keep them in the right track. Career development is an important aspect which controls the motivational factors. If an employee feels that he/she may not have much career development opportunities in the organization, they will show less interest in increasing their productivity. As an administrator, i should make them aware of the importance of these volunteering jobs in shaping their future careers. Some useful information from the internet regarding the HRM issue I am discussing Personal feelings evoked by particular situations are explained by an individual’s upbringing, experience and societal influences. These values are often stable over time and prioritized into a ‘value system’ depending on how strongly individuals feel about each one. In the workplace, employees may think nothing of arriving late or leaving early (Individuals in leisure service organizations: attitudes, behaviour motivation, 2010,) In my organization, we allowed these volunteers to arrive late or leaving early up to certain extent in order to make them happier. However, they thought that such things are routine in organizations. Moreover, they assumed that they were privileged to enjoy all the organizational resources for their own personal needs. In short, they gave more importance to their personal gains or needs rather than the gains of the organization and that also using the organizational resources. They thought it is their right to use the organizational resources for their own personal needs as they are not getting any monetary gains from the organization. The article, Motivation Techniques for volunteers - Non Profit Organization, put forward the following suggestions for motivating volunteers in a nonprofit organization Ask their ideas on how to take this forward, then put your thoughts in front of them and try to marry those together. Let them know what your objective is in doing such a program and what kind of limitations you have in taking some ideas forward. Keep talking about the results of the activity that you will undertake as a team. Instead of always telling them what to do, tell what will happen by doing this. Keep telling them what a good job they are doing and appreciate them if you find them doing anything that is good and adds value. Give them whatever you can as an incentive - small certificate of appreciation, membership in any organization. After the entire show is over, do thank them over e-mail or in person and let them know the results of the show. (Motivation Techniques for volunteers - Non Profit Organization, 2007) The above observations seem to be useful in dealing with these employees. I should do everything possible to remove their feeling that working in a non-profitable organization is unimportant than working in other organizations. I should make them aware of the disadvantages caused by their activities to the organization. I should try to be as much democratic in my approach since my intention is to seek the ways of sustaining their services to my organization. If I fail to improve the performances of these volunteers, it is better for my organization to sack these employees and recruit new volunteers. Conclusions Fresh employees always have some concerns or misconceptions about their assignments in an organization. Fresh employees need some kind of training in order to make them capable of delivering the needs of the organization. The works in profitable and non-profitable organizations are perceived differently by most of the employees. In profitable organizations, since the employees are getting financial rewards, they will show more loyalty, discipline and professionalism in their assignments. However, in non-profitable organizations, employees often try to exploit the resources for their own personal gains because of the lack of motivating factors. Motivation is an integral part of increasing productivity at the workplace. Lack of motivation prevents employees from working hard for the organizational goals. References 1. Expectancy Theory of Motivation, (n. d), [Online], Available at: http://www.arrod.co.uk/archive/concept_vroom.php [Accessed on 27 December 2010] 2. Expectancy theory, (n. d), [Online], Available at: http://www.quickmba.com/mgmt/expectancy-theory/[Accessed on 27 December 2010] 3. Individuals in leisure service organizations: attitudes, behaviour motivation, (2010). [Online], Available at: http://www.hotelmule.com/management/html/61/n-2961-2.html [Accessed on 27 December 2010] 4. Motivation Techniques for volunteers - Non Profit Organization, (2007). [Online], Available at: http://www.linkedin.com/answers/hiring-human-resources/staffing-recruiting/HRH_SFF/28822-4236786 [Accessed on 27 December 2010] 5. Preston D. (2010). Book 2: An introduction to human resource management in business. The Open University business school. B 120, An Introduction to Business Studies. Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by The Charlesworth Group, Wakefield. ISBN 978 1 8487 3419 7 Read More