Different HR Roles Presented in Armstrong 2006 - Assignment Example

Key words: Human Resource Managers

How do frameworks for different HR roles presented in Armstrong 2006 compare with the roles of HR leaders you have encountered in your professional experience?

Introduction

Employees are a fundamental resource for the organisational success. With plausible and skilled employees, profitability and continuity of operations are bound to prevail. Therefore, the human resource management department is imperative since it enables effective and plausible management of employees. Nonetheless, in the recent years, the HR function has been evidenced by distinctive models towards successful management of employees. It is through the different roles that successful operations are bound to prevail.

The different role presented by Armstrong present an overview of the dynamism in the human resource sector in regards to employee management. As compared to personal experience in the organisation, the roles are holistic and focus on mutually beneficial outcomes for organisational human resource management (Keegan and Boselie 2006). Therefore, as compared to individual professional experience, Armstrong’s HR roles are current and highly comprehensive since they present:

The HR roles present various human resource managers with a plausible model in the analysis of the full scope of business activities. As such, through the roles, there is clarity in description of the corporate objective and organisational boundaries that HR managers need to conform or implement

An environment in which there is a need for the inculcation of avenues in which the HR managers can match the activities of the organisation to the dynamic and daunting environment in which the employee operate. HR managers form a connective role towards successful organisational operations. Therefore, they are fundamental to successful operations (Armstrong 2006).

Distinctive roles that the HR managers need to meet in ensuring that the various internal structures, practices and steps to successful output by employees prevail. As such, through ensuring proper internal operations, organisational success in meeting the different objectives is bound to prevail

An enabling environment that is important for the HR managers to match activities of the organisation to the resource capability hence successful outcomes in output by the employees (Snell, Morris and Bohlander 2015). As a case example, in the organisation of operation, the HR managers need to evaluate the extent of the sufficiency of resources to ensure that human resource alignment prevails.

The transformation process of an organisation requires an in-depth implementation of human resource management. Accordingly, the focus on the HR roles developed by Armstrong (2006) present a noteworthy theoretical perspective that managers can implement. Therefore, an evaluation of the value that emanates from the distinctive roles is as follows.

The frameworks emanating from Armstrong are highly effective in the support for the transformational change in a given organisation. Accordingly, from the analysis of Lussier and Hendon (2015), the framework as per Armstrong are highly effective in defining the role of the HR leader since it presents a comprehensive evaluation of the distinctive expectations of an organisation in the periods of transformational change. As a clear example, from the evaluation of the production company, the framework is effective since it necessitates an overview of the different roles that are critical for successful management of human resource. The prospect that distinctive challenges will be evident in the implementation of changes calls for the implementation of a comprehensive approach that entails ensuring a strategic focus on the employee welfare coupled with the operational dynamics of the business.

Conclusion

The transformational change process of an organisation is extensively daunting. However, through the roles presented by Armstrong, as examined above, an organisation manages to distinguish itself through effective human resource policies. The implementation of formidable HR policies results into a comprehensive management of the employees. Human resources are important in the management of business operations. Therefore, from the above examination, human resource managers need to cultivate and implement the distinctive roles for successful outcomes. It is through the implementation of the distinctive roles that an enabling environment for the employees is bound to prevail.

Question 2

Retail Organisation on Downsizing, Restructuring, and Retraining

Introduction

Organisations face instances of crisis and challenges that are bound to impede on operations. Most specifically, from the analysis of the case retail organisation, it is evident that the declines in sales pose the need for emphatic decisions to sustain operations. Downsizing, restructuring and retraining are three approaches that the human resource management will have to implement to sustain profitability to the organisation. Therefore, an analysis of the distinctive approaches to the implementation of the earlier mentioned tactics is important for the HR managers.

A HR manager has to grapple with several challenges in the running of operations in an organisation. The HR manager is charged with the role of managing employees, which is critical for successful outcomes. Therefore, from the analysis of the retail organisation that is the experienced downturn in sales, there are distinctive approaches towards downsizing, restructuring, and retraining. Firstly, the organisational HR should comprehend that the approaches of either downsizing or restructuring are mainly long-term and do not entail a single program as compared to retraining that can be abandoned by the business (Dickmann, Brewster and Sparrow 2016). Therefore, the tactical approach to downsizing and restructuring should be viewed as a highly critical activity. Homberg, Vomberg, and Bornemann (2015) emphasize that in undertaking the activities such as downsizing and restructuring, the top management and HR managers should view their employees as assets as opposed to liabilities (Knies, Boselie, Gould and Vandenabeele 2015. Thus, retraining should be an outcome that emanates from the decision to opt out of downsizing and focusing on restructuring. Through retraining, the development of employees to suit to the organisational performance dynamics will be evident. HR managers especially at the retail organisation that sells CDs should be prepared for a daunting environment in their operational facets. Their approaches to restructuring and downsizing should be a novel opportunity for improvement, and Vomberg, Homburg, and Bornemann, (2015) assert that the two strategies should not be viewed as crisis or threats to the organisation. Admittedly, pundits such as Armstrong (2006) emphasize that for successful approaches to the three options for the retail business, there are various tactics that a HR manager can implement. The distinctive tactics are as follows:

Implementation of Comprehensive Preparation

HR managers should be prepared for any outcomes in the operations of an organisation. As such, from the analysis of the case organisation, it is imperative that the HR organisational managers maintain a prepared set of mind in handling the downsizing, restructuring and retraining approach. Therefore, to maintain effective preparation, it is important that the organisation draws out the mission for the organisation, organisational structure and core competencies (Knies, et al., 2015). As such, from the evaluation of the CD retail business, setting up a mission should generate multiplicative outcomes in formulating the most effective approaches. Therefore, from the evaluation of the business, it is important that it downsizes some of its employees, retrains the highest performing and skilled and restructures its operations to maintain also an online approach to selling music, movies, and games (Snell, Morris and Bohlander 2015). Through the earlier mentioned three approaches, the organisational HR managers should set up a comprehensive deadline, objectives, and targets for downsizing, restructuring and retraining of the employees.

HR Involvement of Employees

The dynamism of operations in an organisation requires the involvement of employee. Most importantly, in sensitive matters such as downsizing, retraining, and restructuring, it is imperative that the HR managers implement an open and communication-centric environment with the employees. Admittedly, the prospect of disgruntled employees and gossip among the employees on the prospect of loss of jobs may result in the loss of the most valuable personnel. Therefore, the focus on involvement should entail the involvement of employees in the identification of what needs to be changed through the implementation of downsizing and restructuring (Knies, et al., 2015). Especially from the top to low tier employees, their involvement by the HR managers should ensure that everyone in the business is accountable for the downsizing and restructuring goals of the organisation. Therefore, the HR manager should ensure that the function of restructuring and downsizing are not seen as the duties of the top management. Furthermore, as the HR manager, it is critical that the distinctive stakeholders are involved such as suppliers and customers in the designing and suggestions on the improvements (Dickmann, Brewster and Sparrow 2016). For the retail organisation, the involvement of the employees is fundamental since a triple strategy is important to necessitate profitable outcomes. Downsizing of the employs should be in a temporary manner until the organisation returns to profitability (Dickmann, Brewster and Sparrow 2016). On the other hand, restructuring, as aforementioned should rely on extensive retraining of employees on the use of the internet in the generation of sales. Hence, the involvement of employees in the retail organisation should be for the basics towards a mutually agreeable path of operation.

HR Partnership with the Leadership

HR managers should focus on ensuring that the leaders are accessible, interactive and visible. The involvement of the leaders, by the HR managers, is imperative since it generates transparency in the process of changes to the business (Snell, Morris and Bohlander 2015). Furthermore, the leaders may assist in the elimination of the paranoid perspective that may be evident among the employees especially on issues of downsizing.

Provision of HR Support

The retail organisation exudes decline in sales that impact on the profitability of the organisation. As HR managers, it is evidently that comprehension of the cost impact of employees on the profitability of the organisation is extensive (Delahaye 2015). Hence as an imminent approach, the temporary downsizing of employees should be accompanied by ensuring equal attention coupled with support to both the casualties and those remaining in the organisation. Henceforth, in the analysis of the employees who will be downsized, it is important that the HR manager ensures safety nets are available for the employs. Armstrong and Taylor (2014) emphasize that safety nets entail the provision of adequate lead time, counseling, retraining for those interested in going to other organisations and outplacement services. Through the focus on support, a smooth transition is bound to prevail.

Measurement of the Strategy Impacts on the Organisation

As a HR manager, measuring the potential impact of the three approaches to the organisation is imperative. As such, it is through implementing a comprehensive evaluation that the organisation can measure the speed coupled with the time required to downsize, restructure and retrain the employees (Snell, Morris and Bohlander 2015). Additionally, the development of the specific measures in downsizing and restructuring such as the cost implications can provide the organisational HR managers a perfect overview of the resource needed by the organisation.

Coordinative Implementation

As the first approach, the downsizing process should be in an equitable and fair mandate. Accordingly, the retail organisation should ensure that there is no discrimination in the downsizing process. On the other hand, in the retraining approach, opportunities for growth and development should also be available to the downsized individuals in the business (Snell, Morris and Bohlander 2015). Lastly, the HR managers should ensure that in the restructuring process, employees trained to conform to the financial projections provided by the finance department.

Conclusion

Human resource management has taken a shift to a more comprehensive practice. Most importantly, the concept of inculcation of strategy in the practice has revolutionized the HR responsibilities. The above evaluations clearly present the highly holistic demands of the HR manager in ensuring organisational success in the retail organisation.