HRM Contribution to Organisations and Society - Literature review Example

HRM (Ethical) Contribution to Organisations and Society Name: Professor: Course: Date: Table of Contents HRM (Ethical) Contribution to Organisations and Society.............................................. 3 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 3 The Ethics of Human Resource Management................................................................... 4 Definition of Human Resource Management with Regard to Ethics................................ 6 HRM Function and Role................................................................................................... 6 Contribution of HRM and Ethics to Human Beings, Organisations, and Society............ 9 Practical Implications of Ethics for HRM Development................................................. 10 Recommendations............................................................................................................. 12 Conclusion........................................................................................................................ 12 References......................................................................................................................... 14 HRM (Ethical) Contribution to Organisations and Society Introduction The ability bestowed in employees, or any human being is beyond our normal perception that, we have reached the maximum or optimum potential. Rather, as opposed to an exponential growth in performance, amassing of experience and ideas and subsequent undertaking of our designated duties, prior attitudes do veer us into this submission. Ethical HRM challenges are faced by organisations in their daily operation, and as they extend beyond their regional boundaries into the society. Business ethics can be described as the principles and practices undertaken by these companies to tackle moral and ethical challenges that any organisation may face in its daily operation brushing shoulders with the internal and external environment. The codes of conduct of the company are on the outside bring out reinforced and to the extent control their operations. According to Moon & Bonny (2005), business codes prescribe the philosophy and policies in the organisation and think on the initiatives objectives, for instance the leading objective of an organisation, is because it is a difficult endeavour to respect the right of each member and organisations. Based on the organisation as a whole, there exist a number of rules, which have to be adhered to in all circumstances, but their reference to ethics is in question (Kline, 2005). This paper takes significant effort to assess and evaluate the human resource management trends with respect to the need to ethics including the ethical, legal and health and safety requirements in light of the competitive challenges in the state of play of organisation and societies. The value of employees is indisputable and HRM should always recognize the competencies that the management needs to be ethical strategic planners to employees. This paper therefore considers advocates in the mind of Kantian Ethics that HRM fails to give regard to employee value. As such, HRM does not bring any pleasure to any number of people at work; instead it forces people into a managerial regime by manipulating human behaviour in organisational behaviour geared toward the bottom line. In fact Human resource management inflicts harm to people through failure to gain employment, low pay grades, alienating work designs, failure to prevent bullying at work, sexual harassment, effecting disciplinary actions like dismissals. The Ethics of Human Resource Management Various minds and ideas have compiled papers and pages of expressions just to say that the formation of mind-set of any human being will dictate his performance, pessimism, reactions, motivation, beliefs, values, and approach to mistakes and vices performed within the work environment or in the social sector. Human Resource management involves putting in place policies and systems, which have a significant impact to the staff behaviour, attitudes, conduct, and performance (Kramar et al, 2011, p. 4). A number of sources give reference to Human Resource Management as individual management. Of course, the topic of HRM has elicited arguments about its objective; either to the benefit of employees, solely to enrich the company or to build a transcendental relationship between the employees and the organisation. According to Kramar et al. (2011), Human Resource Management endeavours to attain an efficient outcome in terms of personality and finally organisational achievement of goals, these activities have to be integrated to the company’s goals and objectives as well as the organisational strategy. All these are attained by means of human resource practices, which continuously affect employee attitudes and behaviour in an effort to achieve organisational goals (Ethics and HRM p. 544-546). Furthermore, Kramar et al. (2011 p. 542) puts it that, human resource professionals are presently anticipated to perform their duties as advocates of ethical considerations, or rather, in a way that implicates a significant consciousness of the organisation. To bring the point home, the current human resource management experts are requested to support developments in the same sector in an effort to practice on the support of ethical awareness, knowledge of ethical theories as well as their application in the human resource practice (Fazey, 2010). Again, the situation calls for the human resource managers to enable for a favourable environment that will enhance good, comprehensive, and crucial comprehension of ethics. This will enable the employees to apply their knowledge and subsequently improve the practice with regard to human resource management (Leopold, Harris, & Watson, 2005). In this regard, various theories have been advanced to illustrate the significance of human resource management with regard to the justification of ethics as an important factor in this endeavour. In an effort to describe the role of ethics and human resource this paper advanced to review theories of Kantian Ethics, Consequentialism Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, and Justice Ethics (Klikauer, 2010). Furthermore, this paper will concentrate on an extensive and intensive review of Kantian Ethics. In this regard, the paper will advance to illustrate the key factors or contentious issues that encompass Kantian ethics theory with regard to the level it touches on ethics with regard to human resource practices and policies. According to Kantian Ethics theory human resource management revolves around the act of the human resource managers in such a way that they treat the employees with utmost humanity, whether in their own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end (Fazey, 2010). This paper will therefore take the definition as stated by Kantian Ethics theory. Definition of Human Resource Management with Regard to Ethics Various authors have advanced to explain the concept of HRM from different perspectives. Consequentialism Utilitarianism theory, the conduct of HRM with respect to ethics involves the greatest pleasure for the greatest number of people who can undertake any activity at their will so far as it does not amount to harm of others (within the organisation or society) (Mills, 2007). The virtue ethics theory defines human resource management in an ethical way as a state mostly translated from Greek as well-being, happiness, blessedness and in the context of virtue ethics, human flourishing (Aristotle). Kantian Ethics advances to illustrate the key factors or contentious issues that encompass Kantian ethics theory with regard to the level it touches on ethics with regard to human resource practices and policies. According to Kantian Ethics theory human resource management revolves around the act of the human resource managers in such a way that they treat the employees with utmost humanity, whether in their own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end. Ultimately, the justice ethics as coined by Rawls suggest that human resource management with concise integration of ethics is the distributive justice that concerns what is socially just with regard to the allocation of goods like wages and leave and working into extra time. HRM Function and Role Human resource management plays a significant role in any organisation that ensures the value of human capital is maintained or increased. The role encompasses the process that enables the organisation to keep up with a competitive edge with respect to the external market and internal effectiveness (Klikauer, 2010). The function of the human resource management ranges from organisation to organisation with respect to the theories by historical authors in human resource. The department role involves a significant contribution in the manufacturing company as well as distinctive function in the high technology (IT) company. The investments require one to maintain the present employees since high competition on the industry normally illustrate the playground for the Human Resource role. The Human Resource Management role is to develop its function in the company from the perspective of the process with the value added to both the company and the society. The usual route is to start with the perfect facilities in personal administration, recruitment, and staff as well as at the time the human resource role is in the overall defined as a reliable business partner to consistently contribute to other departments as leadership development (Leopold et al, 2005). The significant impact of human resource process has a more identified HRM role in the organisation or company. The human resource management function lacking the credibility has no opportunity to bring in values added practices and policies and it requires going back to the basic processes to create its own credibility among the management committees to gain trust. The human resource management is all about trust and loyalty, in respect to ethical issues. To create the trust within the management population calls for time. This is because it may not necessarily create over the night. The human resource management role has to make extensive effort with a vision (to be sold with regard to ethical issues of the society) in line with the management and employees. Furthermore, the human resource management role takes into consideration the time, as it may not anticipate the perfect result in a twinkle of an eye. To present an effective system of working Performance management calls for economic resources and time and will take up to 3 years to get the concise results. The human resource management has significant contribution to the department of finance and development of management staff. Fin these two; it advances to develop procedures, policies, and processes to enable employees to work with the organisation correctly and within their won departments. However, it has to be borne in mind that rewards of wages, salaries, and other financial benefits are just but one motivator to employee performance. Other important factors that contribute to an ethically motivated performing employee are work safety and security, the intrinsic contentment in the assigned task. In itself, frequent acknowledgment that they are undertaking their job as expected, and appropriate further training to enable them to enhance their potential, which will in turn give back in high quality work. In overall, pay system that workers regard as good will definitely boost their morale. However, it is also clear, and quite submissive to fall to the admission that the degree of motivation will be relative to the type of pay system used. The state of less competing preferences among the HRM is likely to trigger a powerless, result in vacillating and inability to make a firm decision, taking into consideration an issue on which one feels strongly being contentious. Further, the mechanism to solve the issue, accommodating, ends up worsening the situation due to much obsequiousness and lax discipline. As such, system is ingrained with tendencies to lack of recognition of legitimate exception to rules. Over using of compromising mechanism has proved to open the windows for overlooking appreciation and awareness of the significance issues of the principles, standards, and long-standing objectives by the companies. There are a number of moral and ethical instances about multinational corporations, for example, the employment may lack the extensiveness as expected, and most working opportunities may stretch to skilled employees from other nations as opposed to the domestic workforce. However, presence of a limit may not be lacking in the impact to the local country economic and social situations. Particular multinational Corporations may categorise in a ten national sphere to obtain the tax or grant benefits, however, then move away the moment this facilitation runs out. Consequently, there exist tendencies to fail to for a long-term advantage to the nation. In case, the investment in capital-intensive operation capacities may not bear fruits, then, most jobs to parts that they hoped. Among the disadvantages and challenges that the multinational corporation faced is, pollution and environmental degradation hence, numerous short-term and long-term problems (Kline, 2005). Contribution of HRM and Ethics to Human Beings, Organisations, and Society However, the inflexibility and in-dynamicity of the democracy disempowers the workplace habits and encourages self-preservation, the escape of blame, and apparent desire to carry out tasks free of errors. The cultural context, therefore, has lead, the country human resource management aversion of risk, hence, denying opportunity to working out, valuing, and permitting discretionary workplace attitudes and habits. Consequently, the immense compromise of the enterprise outcomes for company in the context, for example, achieving revenue targets becomes a big obstacle. Ethical HRM challenges are faced by organisations in their daily operation, and as they extend beyond their regional boundaries into the society. Business ethics can be described as the principles and practices undertaken by these companies to tackle moral and ethical challenges that any organisation may face in its daily operation brushing shoulders with the internal and external environment. International business moral virtues not only matter of playing the regulations and laws. It is all a weigh between of the regulations and rules to make sure those he international economic and social standards to reach its full optimization and each person or party to receive a piece of the pie. The multinational organisations, therefore, have the task to build a stable, healthy international society form an untamed global frontier. Every upcoming commercial industry is a first-hand frontier and cyberspace is the desolate frontier of all times. Practical Implications of Ethics for HRM Development Daily headlines have expressed the increasing concern of on the critical matters of trust in the governance of the multinational companies. Allegations may bring down the very basis on which the globe’s greatest economic markets flourish. Nevertheless, through HRM ethical standards are established. The escalating public attentiveness, the significance of good corporate governance and confidence in the international economic markets has produced novel quest for corporate citizenship control in USA. Usually various number of practises in the human resources field like the job description and qualification, employment and laying-off workers, and capacity building, not to mention the security of the job, camouflage under this context (Stone, 2005). Today the value of employees in any organization is of increasing concern in the world; our societies are not an exception. Further, the increasing need to employ the best in the market should be backed up by a strategic effort to attract and retain the workforce, which calls for building human resource systems, developing human resources and rewarding human resources consistently over there tenure in the company (Stone, 2005). The influence of the modern management practices, however, has posed a challenge in incorporating those practices that are inconsistent with the cultural and social practises of the country. Some of the practices are taken as ethical as far as the stakeholders are concerned. At the same time, organisational change in all functions of the company has been inevitable in a highly globalised and competitive world (Strandber, 2009). The human resource challenge, therefore, is finding, in the organisation and society, if the workforce derives job satisfaction and gives quality services in return. The hindrances to this constitutes a combination of the institutional and sociocultural practices that defect from the assumed human resources practices, and are quite impossible to reconstruct into effectively boosting the human resource performance (Strandber, 2009). There is the existence of other Human resources practices that do not consider the cultural aspect of the country. The highlighting of career skills, as opposed to the organisational culture in choosing, the quest for enhancing the competencies while working with the companies, is better elaborated in the labour industry, legal and economic sectors. The effect of the modernised management practice and the quest to meet global competition, affect the implementation and assimilation of their practices, which are not in line with traditional culture. According to Adonis (2010), human Resource Managers must be bestowed with knowledge of the company and its strategies to have an impact in contributing strategically in the company competitive performance (Srinivas, 2004 p. 282). These competencies have a bearing with regard that they have to have understanding of the financial capacity, technological advancement, and additional facets of the market and the organization. For instance, in some companies the top Human Resource executive positions are in most cases being filled by managers who have been elevated from operations managers, however, they have in no way worked in Human Resources (CiteHR, 2011). Filled by managers who have been elevated from operations managers, however, they have in no way worked in Human Resources (CiteHR, 2011). Recommendation The Human Resource Management should endeavour to develop personal administration that facilitates employs to be regarded as reliable business partner to consistently contribute to other departments as leadership development. The significant impact of human resource role is should advance to create credibility among the management committees to gain trust through conducting its practices ethically. Trust and loyalty in respect to ethical issues requires time and understanding of the society, and background of employees. Such understanding will enable the company lay down relevant scanning, recruitment and delegation of duties to employees. HRM practices are valuable when they are in line with the ethical standards of the society, which may be motivating to the employees and vice versa. HRM practices and integration of ethics requires government intervention, international organisation contribution, and understanding of employees from various parts of the world since we are increasingly moving to a highly globalised world. Subsequent reference to theories of ethics and HRM are crucial in making decisions. Conclusion The economic, democratic, social, and environmental factors are fundamental as drivers or interrupters in the human resource management with regard to the assumption of powerlessness, empowerment, and equality of the workforce. Human Resource Management should endeavour to bestow knowledge to employees and develop the company and its strategies to have an impact in contributing strategically in the company competitive performance (Srinivas, 2004 p. 282). These competencies have a bearing to the fact that they have to understanding the financial capacity, technological advancement, and additional facets of the market and the organization. For instance, in some companies the top Human Resource executive positions are in most cases being Conclusion The value of employees is indisputable and HRM should always recognize the competencies that the management needs to be ethical strategic planners to employees. In the mind of Kantian Ethics, that HRM fails to give regard to employee value. I would therefore disagree to some extent that HRM does not bring any pleasure to any number of people at work; instead, it forces people into a managerial regime by manipulating human behaviour in organisational behaviour geared toward the bottom line. References: Kramar, R., Bartram, T. & De Cieri, H. (2011). Human Resource Management in Australia- Strategy, People, Performance (4th Ed.). Sydney: McGraw-Hill (chapters 1 and 5). Klikauer, T. (2010). Critical Management Ethics, Basingstoke. (UK): Palgrave. Moon C., & Bonny C., (2001). “The Economist: Business Ethics. Why Good Business is Good Business”, Economist Books. Kline J.M., (2005). Ethics for International Business. Routledge: New York. Srinivas RK (2004). Human Resource Management in Practice: With 300 Models, Techniques and Tools. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd: London. p. 214-320 Adonis, J. (2010). Corporate Punishment – Smashing the Management Clichés for Leaders in a New World. Milton: Jossey-Bass. Fazey, M. 2010. Human resource Policy: concepts, processes and applications. Prahran (Vic.): Tilde University Press. Leopold, J., Harris, L. and Watson, T. (2005). The Strategic Managing of Human Resources. Financial Times. Prentice Hall, Harlow. Stone, R. (2005). Human Resource Management, 5th edition. Wiley & Sons: Brisbane Strandber C (2009). The Role of Human Resource Management in Corporate Social Responsibility Issue Brief and Roadmap. Retrieved on 23rd Oct 2011 from www.corostrandberg.com/wpcontent/uploads/files/CSR_and_HR_Management1.pdf Read More