Changes in the Workplace and Their Impact on Human Resource Management Profession - Essay Example

CHANGES IN THE WORKPLACE AND THEIR IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROFESSION al Affiliation) Human resource management has evolved from personnel management. This evolution has led to various changes that have occurred in the relations and delegations, which human resource management oversees in the workplace. Personnel management involved the process of selecting, recruiting, rewarding appraising developing, handling of grievances, retirement, as well as registration. Human Resource management performs much the same functions in a more modern capacity. Human Resource Management is the process through which there occurs recruitment of human resources and subsequent mobilization in a bid to ensure that the organization’s objectives are met (Morley, 2006). Notably, personnel management was not actively involved or focused on bringing about mobilization of human resources, as compared to HRM. The primary concerns that HRM has are firstly, selection and recruitment. This is through careful consideration, evaluation, and incorporation of employees into an organization. This is followed by development and motivation; ensuring that they are adequately prepared for the roles that they are meant to fulfill. Lastly, HRM aims at maintaining the presence of the employees in question, through their fulfillment and satisfaction, within the organization. The mobilization of skills in HRM is primarily to ensure that the goals of the organization are fulfilled (Mondy, 2005). Human resource managers ensure that employee skills are utilized and bettered all though their stay with the organization. In this way, an employee achieves their highest potential level in order to contribute fully and positively to the organization. The four particular functions of human resource management are firstly, acquisition; the actual act of getting people. Secondly, development: preparing the persons in question for the tasks that they will take up. Motivation is the third function and it refers to ensuring that the persons in question are activated. The last function is the maintenance of employees within the organization. Human Resource management brings about the integration of strategic management into that of personnel functions (Stredwick, 2005). Every employee’s skills are used hand in hand to achieve a strategic aspect. The management specifies employees’ functions and coordinates them to achieve one final goal. As previously stated the goals in question must be directly related to the one that the organization has. For successful Human Resource Management, the organization should ensure that there is a proper HRM set up for resource planning, recruitment, process of motivation, development, and training, evaluation of performance, remuneration management, as well as industrial relations. If strategic management is instituted in all the areas listed out, then the success of HRM is a likely occurrence. The aspect of contractual management is an area of significance in Human resource management. This area too has evolved a lot with the onset of the 21st century. It refers to a relationship that is legally founded between two parties that are contracting. It involves laying out a proposal/offer, a valid period within which consideration is partaken and is concluded by acceptance of said proposal (Stredwick, 2005). A contractual relationship defines definitively the manner in which the two parties relate to each other within the time that the contract is valid. For most of the 21st century, contractual relationships were based on the use of collective bargaining. There was not a specific individual agenda that contracting parties were working towards. However, in the 21st century there is a very distinctive effort to protect individual rights in contractual relationships. Issues such as unfair dismissal, the allocation of paternity leave and protection from forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation have become a point of concern. Human resource in current day runs the risk of opening itself up to legal pursuit on many aspects; a factor that was not as common in the previous era. While the institution of this individual rights into contractual relationships was meant to see to it that the management has an increased prerogative in the workplace, it has instead increased the role that rules, regulations as well as litigations play in the workplace (Mondy, 2005). The workplace in the 21srt century is a much more socially constricted environment than that of the 20th century. The year 2004 saw the introduction of a three- step procedural prescription in the international business arena. This was aimed at reducing the number of cases that go on to face tribunals. It was in a bid to encourage organizations to solve disputes informally rather than taking up these lengthy procedures. However, the result is an increased number of entrenched employees in various regards in an organization. This has diminished the respect and prior stature that the Human Resource Management Department was accorded in most organizations (Raelin, 2008). There is frequent back and forth mode of argumentation between HRM and employees all in a bid to avoid legal action. There is an increased realization that organizations’ management are reluctant to engage in legal disputes so s not to damage their reputation. Employees have thus realized that in a way, they have channels through which they can frustrate an organization according them a “strong-headed nature.” It is therefore proving increasingly difficult for Human Resource Practitioners to motivate and retain employees in their organizational settings. Besides, the arising factors asserted previously, there are internal influences that have affected change in the workplace over time. The first is the difference in the kinds of mission statements that define modern day. Whilst previously, they were more subtle today organizations embody clarity in their mission statements. This allows HRM be able to identify the kind of individuals (those whose capabilities will assist in fulfilling the mission) they need with ease. Organizations are also stricter with ensuring that they have a defined image and brand. To achieve this they equally put in a strict organizational culture. If employees fall out of the said mode of operation, it becomes easier for HRM to identify that and take action. Arguably, today’s style of leadership is more involving as compared to the previous one. Employees have a say in the manner in which organizations are run. HRM cannot therefore be as constricting with employee exploration as Personnel Management was. In the external dimension, because profit generation is the main driver, customers are the most determining factor. Employees’ effectiveness is judged in their ability to meet the needs and concerns of the customers. In order to retain clients, organizations must also consider competition. Employees therefore are tasked with being up to par with their competitors’ strategies in order to better themselves. HRM employee development strategies are centered on ensuring that said employees are better than those of competing organizations. In the same light, they must work around the setting laid out by the economy they are working in. Today’s economy is fast evolving and therefore a lot is expected from employees and HRM in turn has to be highly supervisory as well as critical (Martin, 2009). Whilst in the precious century, technological knowledge was not as important in today’s it is mandatory. Employees must be well attuned with technological advancement in order to increase the quality and quantity of their performance. The factor has affected HRM in that through said technological devices, it is much easier to monitor the work rand and performance level of employees. Political reasons are also a viable influence in modern day business. The political aura (national and organizational) must be conducive to employees working within an organization. It affects their comfort, security, and motivation. In the same regard, social conditions such as discrimination on basis of class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion are fast becoming a point of focus (Raelin, 2008). Employees have to work around the existence of so many biases in a competitive domain. HRM has more issues to focus on in modern day as compared to the previous setting. In the 20th century, discrimination based on sexual orientation and religion was not as outstanding. All the influences above can only be a positive influence in an organization if the Human Resource Management Division employs the right models. The most effective HRM models are firstly, Harvard Framework Model. It asserts that employees are important stakeholders in an organization. In light of this, the model asserts that HRM should ensure that in their strategy they embody employee participation, organization of human resource follows (such as selection and appraisal), reward systems, and work systems (alignment of employees and their functions). The main aim of HRM according to the model is to ensure that the human resource body of an organization is committed, competent, congruent and cost effective. This model is only slightly different in comparison to The Guest Model. The Guest model focuses more on ensuring that practitioners understand the difference between personnel Management from human resource Management. It asserts that while PM focused more on external factors of influence, HRM focuses more on the internal factors of influence (Vance, 2006). HRM upholds internal factors as being more substantial in determining development. While employee relations in PM were collective HRM has it that employee relations are individually centered. The principles that an organization works around in PM were outlined in a top-down approach while HRM’s organizing principles take up a bottom-up approach. The policy goal for HRM is to ensure maximum utilization of human resource while those of PM were on effecting cost minimization. Moreover, successful HRM strategies also encompass the Best Practice Model. This model focuses on seeing to it that organizations lay out a set of practices that are conducive for high levels of commitment and performance. The practices should revolve around ensuring that there is; job security, sophisticated hiring procedures, decentralization and team-work, high wages to ensure quality and quantity in organization performance, extensive gaining and development procedures as well as effective communication and adequate employee participation. These elements are widely acknowledged and universally accepted hence giving them credibility. The last model of HRM is the Contingency Model. It focuses on ensuring that HRM works in synchronization with the environment. It recognizes the role that the environment plays in determining organizational success. It has two elements of importance- the external and Internal fit. The External fit focuses on ensuring that the organization competitive strategy is in sync with surrounding context (Martin, 2009). The Internal fit on the other hand focuses on ensuring HRM policies are comprehendible to the employee force. This is in that HRM is consistent in action with the policies it has laid out. In conclusion, the models outlined are meant to deal with the changes that have come about in the working place as time has progressed. Through these models, organizations are able to enjoy a fruitful relationship with their working force. References Martin, J. 2009. Human resource management . Los Angeles: SAGE. Mondy, R. 2005. Human resource management. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Practice Hall. Morley, M. 2006. New directions in the HRM function. Bradford: Emerald Group Hub. Raelin, J. 2008. Work-based learning : bridging knowledge and action in the workplace. San Francisco: Jossey-bass. Stredwick, J. 2005. An introduction to human resource management. Burlington: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Vance, C. 2006. Managing a global workforce : challenges and opportunities in international human resource management . Armonk: Sharpe. Read More