Human Resource Issues - the Management of the Unmanageable - Essay Example

Running Head: HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES Human Resource Issues Name Institution Date Introduction The three perspectives on the nature of employment relationship ideally help us to understand why the management of human resource in education may sometimes appear to be ‘the management of the unmanageable’. Human resource in education comprises of equal magnitude of dynamism as that found in other areas of employment. Lumby (2003) notes that human resource sector is made up of different groups of people with contrasting personalities and views of life that make it a challenging task when it comes to human resource management. Having to study the management of human resource in employment relationship brings out the same correlation of what is happening when it comes to management of human resource in education. Owing to the complexity in the composition of the human resource in the education sector, it will sometimes appear as managing the unmanageable. Unitary perspective Unitary perspective refers to a mind-set of assumptions, a way of thinking, practices, values, and attitudes relating to organizational membership and management. The basic assumption of unitary approach of management is that staff and management, and generally all members of the organization share the same interest purposes and objectives. Naturally, the whole group in the organization work collectively striving towards common mutual goals. The kind of language used bind people together as a community, family or unit. All the members accept and are co-operative and bear the same attitude and values. There is the assumption that those that hold divergent views may be outsiders, recalcitrant and overly unreasonable (Bubb & Earley, 2007). Every individual works towards ensuring the achievement of the purpose of the formation of the group or the organization. There is consensus of purpose, values, and understanding. Overt conflict and disagreement, strike action or any obstructive behavior to those who agree to the unitary perspective is damaging, unnecessary and deviant to the spirit of the formation of the organization. The importance of pulling together it is more than the monetary aspects and disagreements. To a wide extent, there should be no issue to be the culmination of disagreement. The unitary perspective of management shows management as possessing the best interest of the whole the staff at heart during the decision making process and in the long run no one is left out. Every one should be happy and satisfied by what is agreed upon but if not the majority of the people will be incorporated in the utmost plan (Coyle-Shapiro, 2005). Owing to it being participative and effective makes everyone to remain cozy and warm. With good will from every side, sensitive communication, and reasonableness, consequently trade unions can successfully be kept at bay. According to Verma A. & Lansbury (1995), if any of the staff, members will join a trade union it may be because of inadequate management communication or practice. Like wise in the education sector there is also a belief that everyone work towards the achievement the goals and objectives pronounced in the formation of the school. There are fundamental reasons why schools have been put in place and generally, parents, students, teachers and all the stakeholders including the boards of governors have a common interest of ensuring that these purposes are achieved. All the stakeholders are bound by the common purpose of the formation of the schools (Freeman et al., 2009). In ensuring that the purpose and goals of unitary perspective are achieved there is a role to be played by both the employees and the employers as is the case of the collective responsibility when it comes to schools. The unitary stance has certain aspects that have been dedicated for the employees. It requires that working practices should be very flexible. Individuals should observe continuous quality improvement and business process improvement oriented, ready and multi-skilled to tackle with efficiency and zest any task that is availed to them. In the recognition of a union the role is the further means of communication between the company and group of staff (Tomlinson, 1997). Much weight is placed sound terms, good relationships, and comfortable employment working conditions and the reward package is agreed upon in consultation with the individual affected. The organization demonstrates its recognition and appreciation of their efforts and on the other hand the individuals and groups need to have clear rewarding for their specific contribution. The rewards should include both tangible and intangible rewards. According to Njoya (2007), staff participation in decision making workplace is enabled. Through this individuals are empowered in their roles and emphasize, innovation, teamwork, discretion in problem solving, creativity, improvement groups and quality. The managers must be visible and should lead by example. The same way in schools the head of schools and other people in the management position should be seen to lead by example. If for instance, a head of school is always absent from school, and then this will make other members of staff to adopt the same behavior of being absent. The managers should manage the institution by walking around. The staff should feel that the expertise and skill of the managers supports their endeavors fully. As the main goal of the business is to be sustained and succeed in its endeavors, each employee must appreciate the business competitive problem and take ownership of their contribution to quality and performance; this must be purely customer service focused (Verma & Lansbury, 2005). Employee has also a role to play to ensure that the unitary perspective of nature of employment succeeds. In the staffing policies the employer should ensure that there is unifying effort and that he inspires and motivates. The wider objectives of the organisation should be duly communicated and staff involved in their discussion. The reward system must be designed so that it encourages commitment and loyalty. The line managers should take ownership of their team responsibilities and should not rely on separated and distanced personnel department. A personnel support service that is specialized must focus on offering support to the line managers in the respect of legal or technical advice and other administrative supportive. Management-staff conflicts from the view of unitary perspective are seen as occasioned by inadequate representation of the policies of management and lack of information. During recruitment of staff efforts are made to ensure that their personal orientation and traits do not conflict with the culture of the organization. It is vital that through efficient communication, team activities, briefing and training that the individuals become integrated in the company’s ways and norms of performing certain things. According to Beardwel (1996), the personal objectives of each employee in the organization should be discussed and integrated with the needs of the organization. Unitary perspective is in agreement with MacGregor Theory Y of management. Supportive and development atmosphere is a crucial ingredient to the unitary perspective in the human resource management (Lumby, 2003). Pluralist perspective This perspective views disagreements and conflict of interest between workers and managers over the distribution of profits and other interests as unavoidable and normal. The organization is viewed as being made up of divergent and powerful groups, each possessing legitimate loyalties and with their own leaders and objectives. Specifically the major groups in the pluralist perspective are the trade unions and the management. It follows that the role of management will less be based on controlling and enforcing and be more based on co-ordination and persuasion. Managers who are realistic should look forward to conflicts occurring and there is greater chance of conflict rather than harmony. The managers should set procedures for settling disputes within the organization. The assumption by pluralists is that achievement of long-term stability and consensus in worker relationship is the best way of balancing the demands of different groups within the organization that are competing. Channels and mechanisms must be designed and introduced so that the anger and frustration that accompanies conflict can be vented out and relief arrived at as opposed to harmfully repressing them. Management must adopt policies and agree to procedures and codes that acknowledge the existence of conflicting interest. They should be ready and willing to negotiate compromises. Labour and management can resolve differences in an orderly way by means of collective bargaining. Through bargaining that is legitimized arrangement between union and employers can better distribute the profit gained. The organization should have personnel and industrial relation specialists who are responsible of advising managers and providing specialized services concerning matters relating to staffing and union negotiation and consultation (Bennett, 2007). An independent arbitrator of the external should be used in the assistance in the resolution of dispute occurring in the organization. Union recognition should be enhanced and union representative outlined the scope within which they should carry their various respective duties. Comprehensive agreements that are collective should time to time be negotiated with unions. These will involve: procedures assisting in dispute resolution of various types, terms and condition of work-wage bargain and procedures for the proper management of the relationship between the unions and the organization management. The application of the pluralist approach encourages consistency, orderliness and planning in the relation management of a workforce that is unionized (Da Costa 2003). Roles, procedures or steps for conflict resolution are largely understood. Any burning issue can be lawfully raised the representative of the workers. In recognizing the union, the management has agreed to listen. When a challenge to managerial action is encountered, the normal functioning of the organization will continue until comprehensive consultations have been concluded. Alternative points of view are entertained. It is argued that communication procedures and formalized consultation enhance the flow of feedback from the staff. Stability is often sought by means of compromises that are allowed to all the parties involved. The interests of the numerous stakeholders are consequently balanced (Stone, 2005). Radical or Marxist perspective This perspective looks at the nature of a capitalist society where there is existence of division of interest between labour and capital, and views work relation against this background. This approach views economic wealth and inequalities of power as having their roots in the nature of capitalism in an economic system. Conflict is consequently viewed as inevitable and trade unions are a natural response of workers to the exploitation by the capital. While they may be periods characterized by acquiescence, the Marxist view is that institutions of joint regulation would enhance as opposed to limiting the position of the management as they assume continuation as opposed to challenging it. This perspective point more to the inability of the system of the oppressed and oppressors to continue to function if the oppressor is forced to accept the need to negotiate for the co-operation of the hitherto oppressed or to resort to energy-consuming and time-consuming violent coercion at every turn. The management of the unmanageable The argument is developed that complex educational change, intrinsically, is relatively unmanageable. The effective management in education involves bearing with complexity over which control is limited. There are possibilities for ensuring modest maximization of control within the limits and tries to improve manageability focus is on them. Getting evidence from research on reorganization in schools, instigation of ambiguity in the dynamic process in the education sector is identified. Well known prescription for practice are viewed to have limited ability to guide practice since they underplay overplay and ambiguity the scope human agency. It has been portrayed that understanding the extent and the limits of the human agency gives a strong foundation for very realistic prescriptions. Features of complexity of reorganization as an intricate educational change are pointed out and likely pragmatic themes for the management of complex educational change are availed or made available. A point for research, policy, practical guidance, and theory is put forward for future development (Jerome, 2004). Having looked at the three perspectives in industrial relation then the complexity in the management of staff in education can be seen at a glance. The staff in education comprises of the different groups as portrayed by the perspective. Despite of this the management and all the stakeholders involved should work together at ensuring that the goals and the objective of the school incorporation are achieved in an amicable manner. Having to attend at the needs of every group in the education sector and still focus on the objectives and goals of the whole organization is what is being likened to the management of the unmanageable. With the lot there are those who hold unitary perspective, pluralist perspective and Marxist perspective. All these individuals with different perspectives of management of staff should be steered to a common direction, which makes their management to be a very challenging task. As it has been noted there will be people who will many a win-win situation and reaching a negotiated solution for them is not an option. These will apply to particular the management team where by they will set requirement perhaps for entry into the institution without consulting the other stakeholders for instance the parents. In this case they will be embracing the Marxist perspective of industrial relation. There will be a group there will believe in negotiation and reaching compromised solution to reach at decisions that will ensure that every person is on board and there is no one who is left out for one reason or another. This kind of a group will be embracing the pluralist perspective of industrial. Apart from the two, there will be another group that will not be expecting any conflicts or divergent views and that the organization will function entirely in harmony. This kind of a group will be practicing the unitary perspective in industrial relation. Whatever makes management of staff in education being such a complex and challenging task is that of the three kind of perspective, an individual could hold on to a certain perspective and be unwilling to conform to others. It would have been easier if it was a group of people with the same view but if there are different individuals with contrasting beliefs in conflicting perspective, then even reaching a compromised solution will be a very difficult task. Consequently at different times the management may adopt different kinds of perspective of industrial relation to be able to manage the staff and steer the entire institution to a common destination with shared values, objectives, goals and purpose. Harmonizing the conflicting interests and making the entire institution to move in one direction is the nerve-wrecking pre-requisite of the organisation top management in order to ensure success of the entire objective of the formation of the firm or the institution (Zagelmeyer, 2004). History of management Industrial relation has its emergence from the era of industrial revolution which resulted in the modern day employment relationship by creating free labour markets and industrial organizations which were large scale comprising of thousand of wage workers. As the society wrestled with massive social and economic changes, problems relating to labour came up. Long working hours, low wages, dangerous and monotonous work, supervisory practices that were abusive resulted into violent strikes, high turnover, and a general threat to social stability. Industrial relations were formed at the end of the nineteenth century as a middle ground between Marxist and classical economics. On the institution part John R. Commons incorporated industrial relation at the University of Wisconsin when he created the first ever academic industrial program. Financial support of the field came from John Rockefeller who championed progressive management of labour relations following the bloody strike that happened at a coalmine in Colorado owned by Rockefeller. In Britain Hugh Clegg and Allan Flanders formalized the discipline in 1950s with the formation of Oxford school. Industrial relation was formed with major problem-solving orientation that rejected both the Marxist solution of class revolution and classical economists’ laissez faire solution. Consequently, all forms of management of labour including the management of staff in education stemmed from these and it has grown in fit and bounds over the number of years that it has been in existence (Loosemore, 2003). Case study on staff absenteeism As it has been noted, the management of staff is a complex task that could sometimes be compared as the management of the unmanageable. However elaborate the school schedule will be, a long the way there will be backtracking that derails the hitherto set tempo at the work place. In this case we look at staff absenteeism at SJFCC institution in the United Kingdom. Members of staff commenced teaching at CJFCC on September 1st, 2003. The total number of working or teaching days each academic year in UK schools is approximately 195days. Despite the fact that people will staff on a right note they eventually, lose their track as the time goes by. In SJCC a member of staff works within the History department. After being appointed staff absence started to become a problem, and by 2006 the school realized it needed to do something about it. The breakdown in the day absent was as follows: 2006-2007-absent 54days 2007-2008-absent 52days 2008-2009-absent days 95days 2009-July 2010-absent 164days Looking at these statistics, it is understood that there is a big problem looming in the institution. It will be noted that the number of days the staff members were absent continued increasing gradually. If the individual members were to be analyzed, it would be found out that they are isolated cases and not that people will have the same reason of staying away from school. The absenteeism case had a huge impact within the department particularly regarding teaching and learning of the pupils especially at GCSE and A level. Pupils at this level require a lot of guidance from the teachers before they grasp the right path to follow. The head of department took the initiative and started keeping records, and from 2008-2009 Year 8 Spring GPP’s were not completed which affected four classes. 2009-2010 Year spring and summer GPP’s were not completed which also affected four classes. There is no year 8 reports that were completed that year for the pupils. 2009-2010 Year 9 autumn, spring and Summer GPP’s were not completed which subsequently affected three classes. There were no Year 9 reports, which were completed that particular year for the pupils. Throughout each academic term, which normally consists of autumn, spring and summer; pupils are meant to complete a KS3 History assessment that make up one each half-term; making up a total of six each academic year. There were no assessments, which were completed by the pupils. The member of staff was also absent for the Year 8 parents evening which is very crucial. This influenced the head of department’s role resulting in thirty minutes of extra planning each day to plan lessons and other routines. The staff within the department had a whole school OFSTED inspection and a History Department inspection; staff members had to give up their time during an inset day of 22hours to mark all pupils work. The member of staff responsible for organizing and coordinating a Year 7 History Trip to Warwick Castle had the trip cancelled. She was also involved in the school humanities day and this had to be done by other members of staff. Her absence had a lot of impact on the number of pupils wishing to take History as an option at the GCSE and A level. The pupils developed a negative attitude towards the subject. There were many complaints from the parents. In the Year that he did not teach Year 9, the department had 52pupils choose history as an option. Whereas when the school introduced early entry and options became available at Year 8, among the many pupils taught by this member of staff only fifteen opted to pursue history, and consequently creating a negative impact on the history department and the future teaching of history at GCSE and A Level. Following this, the school had to get someone else to do her job while still employing her. It had to do with cover supervisors and then supply a teacher. The process for her dismissal has taken a long time. The process started in March 2007 and Bradford Score has three stages. The member of staff was informed of the formal procedures commencing in May 2007. In the stage one meeting scheduled for June 15, 2007, the member of staff was absent. The meeting took place on 11 July 2007 where the occupational health referral was submitted. Arrangements were made for her to be given her own classroom on the ground floor. Another formal meeting was called and a stage 1 warning issued on 16 July 2007. Further absences continued the following year. Stage 2 meeting was held on 26 November 2007. The staff member was advised to attend. The human resource department was advised not to take the stage further and the school directed on an extension to stage 1 instead of stage 2 proceedings. The human resource referred the member for flu jab and asthma clinic. In May 2008 stage 2 warning was issued. In December 2008 she was referred to OH after a period of long absence. In Jan 2009, a letter was sent referring to stage 3 where there was a meeting to consider dismissal with HR and Union Representative. The member applied delaying tactics by deferring meeting to April 27, 2009. By March 2009, the OH report came back to school. The school decided to proceed with the dismissal issued with a stage 2 warning. The member of staff’s attendance improved briefly and then there was a significant period of long absence. In July 2010, the school applied for dismissal. Hearing and time to contest was in January 2011. The member of staff did not reply or contest; subsequently she was dismissed from SJFCC. This case clearly displays how the management of staff in education can some time be the management of the unmanageable (Sivarethinamohma, 2008). Conclusion As depicted in the perspectives of the industrial relation in employment, the management of staff in the education sector becomes more challenging. 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