Analysis of The Capability Building of Employees - Assignment Example

1. Performance management is often hindered by poor capacity of the human resources to perform its roles and functions and thus, affecting the desired targeted outcome and goals of the company. When the company’s workers are demotivated to perform its tasks, then it’s necessary for the company to conduct thorough assessment of company and HR’s needs. Training is maybe necessary to heighten the consciousness of employees about their roles and contribution in achieving the company’s goals. Aside from training, there is also a need to make some organizational developments, which may include structural adjustments. 3. The capability building of employees may include training them about business management, customer relation, financial management, reporting and organizational systems, and other related organizational development. Added to this which is also significant for systematic business operation is maintaining open communication between human resource and the management and among employees. Only through open communication that problem on conflicts and misunderstanding can be resolved. Moreover, training can only be considered effective when what is imparted in well understood, intellectually absorbed by employees, and is put into practice at the workplace. 4. There is general illiteracy when HRs are practically bereft of the capacity to read, write, analyze and understand even the most fundamental instructions. Functional illiteracy is a reverse of functional literacy which meant that the worker has the capacity to understand specific instructions and can perform them. Functional illiteracy therefore meant that the worker is impaired to understand and perform a specific job description but may be able to do other tasks that may fit his skills. 5. Having general illiteracy among workers of the company is a problem to bear. The company must understand that the company can only operate well if employees can function their roles with necessary understanding about where this contributing to. The HRM should necessarily conduct job analysis before posting a job to ascertain what are the attributes and descriptions \that fits best of an employee that should be hired for the company. Those employees that have attained formal education can be trained with diverse course for their empowerment. The training must be based on the needs of the employees and should be anchored on the intellectual capacity of the workers although it should be geared toward positive contribution for better organizational operation.. Creativity should be employed here to ascertain that the thematic course is understood well. 6. In the case of Simuflite, training must be both in theory and in practice. The management should know if the employees are capable of absorbing instruction via computer-based training (CBT). If they are not knowledgeable about the use of computer for instruction, training should be formally conducted in a traditional method. However, if the company is geared for the usage of information technology, it must underscore the need to equip its workers with knowledge on ICT first, before subjecting them on actual usage of ICT. Or, the maximum it can do is to hire workers that have earned units on information technology before subjecting them to a corporate training that requires basic computer use as a necessity. Otherwise, the training will become ineffective if workers will be subjected on IT-based instruction but are bereft of knowledge on the use of computer. HR can only learn with efficiency and effectiveness if they are technically equipped with basic knowledge on the use of computer. This can only happen when employees are molded under career development. Chapter 9.  page 304 Discussion Questions 1,3,4,6 1. Training is just supplementary in nature and is often part of coaching employees. Career development is a thorough educational system that is often sponsored by the company but is contractually embodying terms that require the employee benefiting this program for return service in the company. Most of the time, career development program has explicit stipulations in the agreement requiring employees to serve the company within specific year-duration. This is the reason why career development is better than training because it can control fast turn-over of staff using contractual agreements. 3. In the case of companies that do not offer career advancement to its employees, the management needs to undergo an assessment and evaluate their policy on human resource management. In case the company lacked the resource capacity to answer the needs of their employees on educative aspect, the company can undertake alternate measures by availing trainings and courses offered by state for human resource management or by association of corporations who are also engaged in human resource development program. On a significant note, for a company to evade expenditures for career development, the human resource office should have a thorough conduct of job analysis before posting a job to be certain that the employees hired are already equipped with necessary knowledge on business management operation and skills in customer relation. 4. If the company is interested for high performance management, it should consider the significance of employees’ career development to better appreciate their skills, talents, abilities, and contribution for business operation. It’s integral for the company to work for low turn-over of staffs and to determine and forecasts who amongst its employees that could qualify to avail for developmental experiences. Another significant reason for the company to uphold HRs development is about maintaining their motivational causes via promotions for them to enjoy better salary grade. 6. Career development is significant in improving the competencies of the workers and in acculturating in them business leadership through better customer-focused services. Besides, all nations require companies to adhere to labor standards and such can only be effectively addressed if the company complies the terms too of the security and exchange commission or of government’s agencies pertaining with labor rights. Moreover, if most employees are well-trained and developed, succession of offices will not be difficult to internally address. Chapter 10. page 343 Discussion Questions 1,4,7,8 1. Happiness is relative. Those who earn more have higher purchase value in the market and can most likely enjoy leisure than those who earned less. Those who earned more are also able to avail of all products and services dreamed of while those who earned less need to budget finances to meet all needs. However, happiness cannot be measured by finances alone. There are numerous factors and necessities in lives that can’t be addressed by money. For instance, the preservation of the family cannot be done by financial abundance solely but by providing affection and love to its members. The cohesion of an organization cannot be also experienced through monetary values but by better relations. 4. All employees certainly needed to experience fair pay. But fair pay can be viewed from differing vantage, internally or externally. The management may view that the salary it could offer is fair enough based on management’s calculation but workers, on the other hand, perceived fair salaries based on the salaries offered by other companies on similar nature and job description. Experts recommended that to resolve this possible dilemma is to utilize either distributive or the labor market model approach or balancing equity mechanism (p. 313). 7. When compensation entitlement is going out of the window, this means absence of security of tenure amongst employees. This is because most of the companies opt to absolve themselves the impact as a result of labor unrest by not regularizing employees. The employee-employer relation is now governed by contractual terms and this reserve the company of the right not to renew contract in case they’d find the employee is incapable of illustrating expected performance. This situates employees at the disadvantageous position thus, those who wanted to adapt to changes diversify their options and make themselves more competitive to be able to see avail more opportunities in the market. 8. Salary is said to be generally based on the economic and market condition of a region. Companies follow standard salary rate as approved by the state and based on performance grade level. If there are variance in the salaries given to employees, this can be explicated via internal policies pertaining to salaries intended for managerial posts, for rank-and-file employees, and for incentives or perks that can be availed by those whose performance exceeded management’s expectations. As there is routinary accounting on company’s financial status, it cannot declare incognito or be silent about the amount of salaries disbursed to employees. Moreover, government, as a regulating body, also prefers companies to be transparent of their finances for reason of taxation. Chapter 11, pp. 386/387. D.Q. 2,6,7,9. 2. Pay-for-performance really drives motivation of employees to perform better of their respective tasks, although this can’t be true in general sense. There are employees who are interested to gain non-monetary values as rewards to excellence of performance. There are those who likes outdoor vacation, enjoyment of career development opportunities, and or enjoyment of healthcard value or insurance plans to hasten access of medical services in case the need arise. 6. Employing rewards by merit increases the commitment of the employees although there are instances when company adopted incentive program subject itself into a loss which happened to Century Telephone. This could happen especially if the company is reeling on financial instability. Those who adopt the policy of rewards-by-merit, increases too the expectations of all employees to gain it in exchange for better performance. But the behavior of the employees toward pay-performance scheme depends on the kind of values they championed about. Those who prefer services as reward may not enjoy it but those who are wanting for monetary value, for some reasons, will prefer monetary incentives. 7. Small companies may meet some difficulties in meeting pay-for-performance because these will depend on the financial capacity and of the support from the management. However, if targeted business performance management and goals are achieved, hence earmarked good profit within a business period, such company, albeit small, maybe able to practice pay-performance system. Otherwise, it can use perks and small incentives as remedial process of raising its workers’ motivation. 9. In the case of Landmark company whose customer survey depicted low trust to the statements of sales representatives about the firm’s products, the company must not only design a compensation system that will increase customer trust to its product. It must also train its sales representatives how to manage information pertaining to the quality of their products to its clientele. The company must also invest on advertising its products to generate more social acceptability, but such must be focused on its quality and how these products could assist its customers for quality living. The pay-performance must be designed in a graduated scale that accord high fees to those who have achieved higher number of sales. Chapter 12, page 428/429 Discussion Questions 1,3,5,7,8  1. The increasing diversity of workforce per se does not affect the benefit plan of the company provided the company was able to remit regularly the contributions of workers to their pre-needs plan. This is maybe exercised under the contribution plans. In the case of government employees or those regularized in private companies, the company is obliged to provide the retirement benefits of the worker after years of services. However, most of the large and medium companies can only provide pension plans for its employees for their retirement security. This is where pre-need companies became significant as partner in corporate management for workers’ social security. 3. Workers are likewise accorded by the company of paid time off subject to internal policies and labor regulations. This is often enforced strictly by the company to be certain that this is not abused by workers who wanted to paid albeit absence and non-performance of job. In the case at bar, “mental health day” should be clarified because this is a kind of illness that should not be evident among company employees, otherwise, it can be misconstrued that the company is employing workers with mental illness. While companies are presumed advocate of human health, but this should note be subjected to abuses. 5. Younger employees should care about retirement benefits if they have the intention to stay longer in the company and earn retirement security. 7. Part time and temporary employees without health and retirement benefits will be affected most and will have difficulties achieving quality life. They will bear the brunt of meeting their health and hospitalization needs as well as the problems associated with geriatrics. They will be serious concerns of the state or government too. 8. Some experts opined that unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation benefits create a disincentive to work. This supposition logically followed the observation that some persons became disinterested to assume works because afterall, they are enjoying benefits and insurance. This means that they are earning and benefiting even if they decline to be part of the productive sector of the society. While this is relatively true, but from the government’s vantage, those unemployed should have their pre-need plans too, so as not to heavily burden the state and their respective family’s in providing them decent lives and services. Chapter 13, page 459/460 Discussion Questions 1,2,4,5,8  1. The three ways for HR to contribute positive employee relations in a company are: a. Sustain and promote open communication between employee and employer. This should be practiced amongst employees too. b. Provide a clear system of operation and distribution of roles or duties amongst workers with fair salaries and incentives. c. Develop teambuilding and reward system to recognize the contribution of workers who gave excellent performance of duties. 2. While it’s correct that employees should enjoy their privacy as person and as member of a social network, but such privacy seizes when the employee has violated the terms of the contract or when the employee behaved in such a way that distracts the moral and the integrity of the company. Managers can directly deal with these issues in proper feedback mechanisms and in openly discussing the company ethical policies. 4. It is expected that a supervisor knows the ups and downs of an employee and infact sometimes, uses psychology to understand what stresses them. In the given case, the employee has clearly articulated that she is stressed out in caring for her aged mother. Rob has just certainly given her some suggestion to consider. The ultimate decision whether Shelley should put her mother in a caregiver institution is still hers alone if she needed to sustain her work and deliver her services with efficiency. It is the role of the company supervisor to provide coping mechanism to make them effective in their performances. Although the supervisor may come into personal issues of the employee but the employee should be assured of strict confidentiality about these issues. The supervisor certainly implements EAP to save the employee from dismissal by ascertaining and resolving the causes of one’s poor performance. 5. The company must assure that employees are accorded with due process in feedback mechanism. While its true that those who are not used to constructive criticisms may find the process discomforting, but if the human resource office is able to explicate the objectives and contribution of criticism for better performance management, I believe that employees will be able to accede to adopt this process. This can also help promote better relation among co-workers. 8. Employees recognition is not only a way of improving the image of the company but also about rewarding those who have positively contributed to the development of the company. Rewards are given following thorough evaluations done by the company. Employee should understand that those who are awarded boost too their credibility as employees and thus, the reward system should not be misconstrued as a way of stripping those awarded of their cherished self-esteem. Award and rewards should be accepted as a value rather than viewing it as an ironic source of shame. Chapter 14, page 495 Discussion Questions 1,4,6,7  1. Emphasizing more on employees right is a strategic role of a company to maintain an image of business leadership. This is a result of lifelong struggle among workers to enjoy better working condition, enjoy comfortable salary, and labor standards. However, as an employee respect and upholds labor rights as a policy for human dignity but such is also calls the need for employees to reciprocally respect the management rights. Respecting workers right swill also mitigate labor disputes and unrest in the workplaces. 4. The medical profession is governed by their sacred oaths as health providers and practitioners. Their functions are limited by law and by ethics. Hence, when a hospital staff refuse admittance of a patient, that should be based not on emotional causes but by empirical illustration that the person is not ill at all and does not need medical attention. Medical practice has also a system wherein only those patients with sufficient referral should be admitted for hospital care. If the nurse dismissed a patient on the basis of emotional presumption, such deserve an administrative inquest and sanction for malpractice. 6. The company will benefit from whistle blower because they often provide the leads where corruption is happening. Such can be the basis for conduct of investigation and formulate resolution for corporate decision-making. The company deserved to protect its vested interest from greed and illegal acts done by any person within its employ. The company must protect the security of the whistle blower and assure of confidentiality so as not to expose them to further risks. 7. HR staff can contribute to judiciousness of disciplinary measures in the company by ensuring that due process is observed. To help reduce the incidences that needs disciplinary actions, the HR should clearly explain to the employees the corporate business and ethical principles/policies. Chapter 15, page 532/533 Discussion Questions 2,5,6  2. To reduce the number of grievances, the HRM must (a) uphold and promote labor standards; (b) make contractual agreements that prohibit union organizing within the company but encourage workers to openly raise their requests and demands to the company whenever necessary; (c) develop a friendly and conducive working environment; (d) in case, union is present, develop cooperation between union and government. In some company, they offer stock sharing with senior and competitive employees, thus, virtually, making them co-owner of the company. This latter is actually one of the strategic ways to reduce labor dispute. 5. Union generally affects the management especially in decision-makings. Experts posit that in company where union is present, staffing will be based on seniority instead of competence and of merit. Sometimes, the performance appraisals are discouraged and trainings are constantly asserted. While unions help improve the compensation and benefits of workers, it will also compromise the finances of the management. And since a union is an organization, their relation is structured and they co-relate with the management often in an adversarial pattern that gives rise to possible conflict. 6. To opt for union avoidance, the management should make contractual agreements that prohibit union organizing within the company but must however, encourage workers to openly raise their requests and demands to the company whenever necessary; maintain open dialogue and discourse with employees; uphold labor laws and standards; and develop collaboration with employees by engaging them in corporate management. Aside form reward and merit system, the company must adopt labor unrests to mitigate complaints and unrest amongst employees. I believe this is less costly but require critical management of human resource. Chapter 16, page 561 Discussion Questions 1,2,6,7  1. The objective of workers compensation is to remunerate them of the services rendered for the company. The objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is tp require company to develop a safe quality control or working condition, specially for critical jobs in the mine sites. Workers that are most exposed to vulnerabilities and risks should be compensated well and company must make it as incentive to provide health care benefits for their employees. 2. To prevent violence and conflict in workplace, the company should adopt labor standards, maintain open communication for understanding, and nurture a working a working environment that promote better working relations. 6. The management can make use of reward system for safety by recognizing those who are observed to have adhered to company’s quality control and safety. This can be modeled to other employees so that they too will adopt and practice safety against hazards and risks. 7. Wellness program is worth the cost of the company. To achieve better business performance, the company must be employees who are conscious of their health and safety. This is also an emerging requirement of companies based on laws of some states to ascertain the well-being of employees thru comprehensive safety programs.. Chapter 17, page 600 Discussion Questions 3, 4, 8 3. Since globalization is the current economic trend, operating in other countries may reduce the business cost if the labor capital permeate low salary scheme and if the market is conducive for competitive pricing for profit. The company may face issues on employee’s separation concern and the employer will also face new political, economic, legal and social concerns offshore. This is because if the company prefer to operate its business abroad, the management needs to consider whether to sustain or to close the small company. If the latter is preferred, then the management needs to attend to the closure and dismissal of workers. They should be paid accordingly if necessary and legally required. 4. The high returns can be attributed to the fact that expatriate employees can be paid with lower salary grade based on the dollar exchange rate. Thus, MNCs can truly lessen its operational costs in emerging nations. To resolve these concerns, the company and management must adopt hedging policy to protect its vested interest against forex and must uphold diversity of employees with sufficient salary and income. The company may also promote cultural training to prepare employees on their areas of works and their assignments. 8. To cope with political risks, the management must regularly conduct political analysis and to practice better change management. The company may also consider enjoyment multi-national staffing pattern with international skills and may also conduct joint venture with domestic business sectors. References Mejia, L., Balkin, D., and Cardy, R. (2012). Managing Human Resources 7th Ed. Pearson Education Inc, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, pp. 1-669. Read More