Perspectives of Human Resource Management for Line Managers and Employees, Flexibility in Workplace - Literature review Example

Managing Human Resources

Perspectives of Human Resource Management

Guest's Model of HRM

Guest explains that HRM model from a perspective of human resource that applies HRM strategy, practices, results, behaviour results, performance results, financial results (Sharma, 2009, 83). In his model, every managing employees must apply a strategy that should be a significant approach that will determine to place the right people for the right work from the word go. The way the practice is carried out should involve ethical and right treatment of the employees. In every perspective of managing the employees, the outcome must be realized to establish that the people under the employment are productive. The behaviour of the employees impacts significantly in ensuring that the necessary workforce is reaching the standards expected of them (Sharma, 2009, 83). The workers must be ready to perform to show that indeed they deserve the positions hold and the work they carry out in an organisation. Eventually, whatever the employees are delivering, they must receive the due pay that belongs to them. In the model, the writer implies that HRM differs uniquely from long-time personnel management. Therefore, the model specifically ensures that it focuses on the fundamental approaches of HRM.

Storey's Definitions of HRM, Personnel and IR Practice

Storey defines HRM as an approach to the management of employees that aims at achieving competitive advantage. Once a proper strategy is deployed, and there are committed, and capable people in the workforce, then the capacity for the organisation to accomplish its objective becomes more simplified (Ehnert, 2009, 46). Competitive advantage in an industry may demand more for the organisation, hence the need to be sure that one has the right team to be able to achieve it. In the definition of personnel, the writer mentions that it involves record keeping in the operational level of an organisation that involves establishing fair terms and conditions for the employees while making sure the activities if each department has been accomplished effectively. Terms and conditions affect how the individuals deliver their works and the motivation to work for a certain enterprise or organisation. Too harsh terms should not be implemented neither should they be too lenient to a point of the employees neglecting their work (Ehnert, 2009, 47). The definition of Industrial Relations (IR), it is termed as a relationship between an employer and employee or a group of employees that is based on maximizing the productivity of a company. The employer makes sure that the relationship is good and not compromising the capacity of employees to deliver.

Implications for Line Managers and Employees

Managers and employees have the capacity to make sure that the organisation succeeds or fails. That is why it is important to ensure that the managers stick to their line of operations, and the employees can carry out their duties effectively in the line of production and operations. Line managers make sure that whatever capacity has been placed on the operational lines have been accomplished. Once this is done, they make strategic organizing that involves the employees in his or her line to accomplish the set goals. It also makes sure that there is no interruption on a conflict in different scenarios where an organisation is big enough. For instance, when one is required to be in the departments of production, it will do a lot of harm when such a person is found in the supplies department (Kerzner, 2009, 167). The procurement line is not involved in the production. However, it is important to realize that every line of production needs the other in ensuring that the whole company can accomplish the reason for its existence. This is to mean that the procurement cannot purchase unnecessarily until they know what the production needs. Also, only what needs to be supplied will be produced in an organisation.

Developing Flexibility within the Workplace

Application of Flexibility Model in Unilever UK

Flexibility is the capacity of an organisation to be able to manoeuvre employees in accomplishing different duties in an organisation. The way people operate today cannot be applied ten years down the line, hence changing trends causes such moves. In a different situation, while trying to implement the flexibility, there are challenges which involve training, outsourcing and management difficulties (Christensen and Schneider, 2010, 53). The model of flexibility can be applied in Unilever UK in different ways. Since the company includes production and supply of different goods for home use, people can be placed in different departments at the beginning. However, as time goes by, the company moves people to different departments as a way of circulating and ensuring that they have gotten new experience in different production. The management positions can also be shuffled so as to offer new experiences. By so doing, everyone can work with different people in the location, and it adds the perspective of diversification in work delivery.

Types of Flexibility for Organisation like Unilever UK

A company like Unilever UK can apply time flexibility in the workforce depending on the schedule and the number of workforce available. At the time, the employees are limited to the work that needs to be delivered. As a result, the company will need to adjust work time for longer hours so as the demand can be met. They can also be flexible enough to pool other department workers who can assist in meeting the set targets. As it does so, the company should be able to compensate for the additional time and workers in a monetary way. The company should also be ready to implement job sharing mechanism. This usually includes distributing work to the people whose department are not having a lot on their hands. Most of the time such is applied to the managerial departments in ensuring that the workloads are reduced in the desks of every department (Christensen and Schneider, 2010, 77). Also, the organisation can apply telecommuting when workload increases. Most of the time this is applied in work that can be carried off the offices and can be completed while away or while on holiday or vacation. Such work should be delivered without one being in the office especially when the employee is miles away. When the workload is too much to be delivered by the existing employees, Unilever should be ready to be flexible in employing part-time employees, or casual workers (Gospel and Sako, 2010, 1369). They work in increasing extra hands that will facilitate in meeting the current demands.

Effect of Flexibility on Employers and Employees

Employees have the capacity to express their skills in different ways, but they do not get an opportunity. However, once there is flexibility in a company, the employees get better chances to express their skills in the labour force. It always encourages an employee who finds that he or she is being recognized for his work which flexibility open opportunities for such. Flexibility is a concept that assists the employer in realizing the kind of a team he or she has in the organisation. It also helps them to realize the strength of the employees and their weaknesses (Christensen and Schneider, 2010, 119).

Employees also establish their capacity and what they are best at doing. Flexibility open opportunities to manage new skill, but at the time that managerial may be an opportunity for a future in the career. Also, the employee will establish what they are best in delivering and what they need to work better on (Christensen and Schneider, 2010, 136). The employer is also able to establish the qualifications of the workforce. This is since flexibility gives the opportunity to do new tasks which may allow the employer to know how qualified and at what capacity the people he or she has can stretch in delivering.

Changes in Labour Market Impacting Flexibility

Some of the conditions in the labour market have impacted on the flexibility of working in an organisation. First of all, people have specialized on specific skills in the workforce. Such people happen to be rigid when it comes to accepting to be reshuffled into a different department when the need arises (Christensen and Schneider, 2010, 260). The standards for employing people have experienced changes since only those needed are allowed by the labour law to be employed in the premises. This means the organisations are always fixed to chores to deliver hence lacking time for flexibility. Some organisations do not have time for flexibility since there is always no enough time to invest in such while so much is being waited for the company to deliver. Workers attitude towards flexibility also poses a challenge to the workforce of all organisations.

Understanding Impact of Equal Opportunities

Forms of Discrimination

When it comes to discrimination in the workforce, there are different means that this can be implemented in an organisation. One way is through the recruitment of employees or workers. Discrimination is expressed in such a form in different ways. An employer or the manager involved in hiring workers may be lenient in the kind of people he or she is recruiting in the workforce. Some may decide to employ more men and failing to recognize the set standard of balancing the gender in the employment sector (Banfield and Kay, 2012, 22). Others may balance the gender, but may be inclined in employing people from the same ethnicity, especially in a region where the mixed people of colour and people from the background are. Failing to give the opportunity to challenge physically in an organisation when they have the capacity can also be termed as discrimination.

Also, discrimination can be exerted whereby the top management of an organisation is substantially forming biased terms and conditions. When an organisation is not recognizing where to draw the line when it comes to generating terms of operations, then they may be missing the point in human resource management. It is very wrong for management who will make terms that will favour only a certain group of people. Making terms that are also beyond the legal requirement in the labour law may also be a means for discriminating workers. In addition to that, the dismissal procedures may be abused by top management. Sometimes how the management dismisses the people may be subject to scrutiny whether it is in the right way (Banfield and Kay, 2012, 29). For instance, dismissing people for a minor offence is subject to scrutiny. Also, summary dismissal without notice or compensation on some and others are allowed or paid is another example. When rules are bent while the employee is suffering, it is agreed that the condition is discriminative to the employee.

Practical Implications of Equal Opportunities

Equal opportunities are usually termed to have been accomplished once people are treated equally and similarly in an organisation. A company like Unilever UK can have practical implications when they are fair in their form of recruitment. Once they can recruit employees as the stipulated standard, they may be able to have the right people on board who will also be resourceful in the delivery of the work. When it comes to the operations of the organisation, Unilever must ensure that the employees are not treated in a bias manner when it comes to the terms and conditions of operations. Friendly terms make the employees feel that they have a sense of belonging to an organisation (Gospel and Sako, 2010, 1377). The implication is that they will be ready to offer their best in comparison to when they have been treated discriminatively by terms and conditions set.

When it comes to the dismissal of employees, there is a right procedure that should be followed. A company like Unilever have all eyes on it, any chances of the company to be a bit strange in their forms of dismissal may mean a loss on it. It is, therefore, important for the company to be careful in such circumstances. No one should be dismissed differently just because of ethnicity or the skin colour. Equal opportunities must also be implemented in making sure that the employees have the right to expression of their working conditions. Failure to give such a room may cause the company to have that may affect its productivity (Gospel and Sako, 2010, 1371). Leadership opportunities are also another condition that builds or destroys a company’s reputation. Leaders must be satisfactory to all employees in Unilever UK is to expect full potential in production.

Managing Equal Opportunities and Diversity

Equal opportunities and diversity work together in the organisations’ human resource departments. However, both can be applicable independently but eventually they will supplement one another. Equal opportunity approach entails that one makes proper arrangements that make sure that there are no by any means persons left out in the employment as stipulated by the law. Most of the time it happens in the age differences and gender equality or balance (Banfield and Kay, 2012, 166). This approach makes sure a certain group is not superior to the other neither the other group is left feeling as if they do not deserve to be part of the organisation. Managing diversity comes in to compliment equal opportunities. Diversity comes into the picture when workers are a big number. Diversification will always include different qualification; sometimes age is included and most importantly different background, races and colour skin representation in the workforce. Also, it does not mean that only the poor need work. Diversification takes care of the social status of employees too.

Approaches to Human Resources Practices

Different Methods of Performance Management

One of the performance management is performance standardization. Every time one walks to work, there is that expectation that an employer is having on the worker. Standards of the performance assist in ensuring that employees remain loyal to their assigned duties. They also ensure that the work delivery does not compromise on the core reason for a company’s existence. Another method is rating scales that make the workers motivated to their work. An employee is termed as per the rating, and hence, everyone is allowed to know what rate qualifies one to work for an organisation (Varma, Budhwar, and DeNisi, 2008, 113). When the rating is too high, one will be able to receive the due glory while a very low rate may be a ticket home for an employee. Another method of performance management is a setting up objective. This is to see that the company’s goals are planned for, and procedures to achieve them are implemented. Achieving the core goals of an organisation serves in ensuring that the company cannot suffer out of the negligence of some workers.

Another method of performance management is an older one known as ranking. It has however lost its position in the human resource management. It involves arranging people in the workforces according to their capacity. The arrangement will be everyone to work with the people of like-minded and delivery (Varma, Budhwar, and DeNisi, 2008, 129). It involves setting a platform for high performance which is most of the time the 20 percentage of the total number. Such are given toughest or the tasks that could be a bit tricky. The second stage is the average level who are about 70 percentage of the workforce. Such work the most since they are in big number, but they are not given complex work. Finally, there are lowest in performance, and they are at 10 percent. Such are given minimal tasks, and they may stand a chance to lose their jobs once a company chooses to lay some employees off. Proper performance management is a guaranteed success of an organisation, and the opposite may affect an organisation's ability to yield results.

Managing Employee Welfare in Unilever UK

An employee is well catered for incomplete once their welfare has been taken care of. Managing employees’ welfare in Unilever UK applies different approaches. The company makes sure that they have placed the value for their employees as the priority. No employee is taken for granted in the work they deliver. Every individual is taken seriously and as part of the continued success of Unilever. They respect one’s religion, backgrounds, and ethical stands. When it comes to the individuals, they can care and respect one another. Employees know the boundaries that they can reach when it comes to each other’s relationships (Gospel and Sako, 2010, 1367). If one of them is a problem. The employees can stand with each other with an aim to show support and respect to each other. The management has ensured that these have been applied in the organisation’s branches. They assist in making it successful by ensuring that they are also supportive of the employees’ social needs that cannot be fulfilled by any pay rise or salary.

Implications of Health and Safety Legislation

Health and safety of every employee in an organisation are of vital important for one to have a functional team. That is why every employee makes sure that they have their employees well covered when it comes to these two. Some and health and safety legislation are discussed.

It is important to have medical insurance for the employees and where the employees are involved in hazardous works, they should have a group personal accident attached to the cover medical insurance. The implication of medical cover is to save on the cost that can be incurred in case there is a medical condition for an employee or any incident that may cause the client to be hospitalized while on duty (Reese, 2008, 237). The employee gets immediate medical attention and where possible they can resume to duty earlier. The employer on his side, has saved on medical expenses. Another legislation involves installation of safety measures that will make sure that the employees are protected while on duty. The safety may be either in the form of security or being protected from any accident, especially on construction works. Security of the employees gives them confident that no harm can come to them while they are on duty. While wearing protective gear when working, employees know that they can be sure of safety from injuries while on duty.

It is also important to have an emergency arrangement that serves to offer a response to an incident. For instance, in case there is an emergency medical attention, there can be an evacuation ambulance under the company’s expenses. It provides a peace of mind when an employee knows they are well catered for when it comes to their rescue during emergencies. In addition to that, the management should consider that calamities or accidents happen and may leave one at a situation that may be devastating for the employer and the employees (Reese, 2008, 239). Therefore, the organisations make an arrangement so that they can have things like insurance cover on the properties so that in the case of such an event, the business will be restored to its right position hence the job security will be catered for. The main reason for health and safety measure not for the sake of when a situation happens, but it is for the sake of if it happens. Sometimes it may even take forever for an incident to happen, but it does not qualify an employer to withdraw all the safety and health measures for the employees.

Work-Life Balance

As far as work is important, too much of something is poisonous and so is the work. That is why a balance between work and life should be established. Those who work too much are termed in different words like busy bodies or workaholic Figueroa, 2016, 8). However, too much work can have an impact on one’s health. For instance, if one stays seated for long on a chair, after some time it may cause complication like back pain and some complicated diseases. That is why it is important to implement a recreation activity beyond ones work like doing exercises or belonging to a local sports team. Also, as far as people work, there is a family that needs attention. Some are parents; others live with their aged parents while others have fiancés that need their attention (Figueroa, 2016, 13). Too much working may cause a disharmony to one's relationships. A human being is a social person; therefore, employment should not limit the time one has to spend socializing. Also, most people are also spiritual in some way or another, when it comes to that, it is important to balance when to go to work and when to be in a spiritual event or service for the sake of the spiritual man to be catered for. The best way to have a good work-life balance can only be when one has organized his or her schedule at work and following it strictly in that where a break is involved one leaf and when the shift is over one goes back to his or her personal life beyond work.

Bibliographies

Banfield, P. and Kay, R. (2012). Introduction to human resource management. New York: Oxford University Press.

Christensen, K. and Schneider, B. (2010). Workplace flexibility. Ithaca: ILR Press.

Ehnert, I. (2009). Sustainable human resource management. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag.

Figueroa, M. (2016). Work–Life Balance Does Not Mean an Equal Balance. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 4.

Gospel, H. and Sako, M. (2010). The unbundling of corporate functions: the evolution of shared services and outsourcing in human resource management. Industrial and Corporate Change, 19(5), pp.1367-1396.

Kerzner, H. (2009). Project management. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.

Reese, C. (2008). Occupational Health and Safety Management. Hoboken: CRC Press.

Sharma, S. (2009). Handbook of HRM practices. New Delhi [India]: Global India Publication Pvt Ltd.

Varma, A., Budhwar, P. and DeNisi, A. (2008). Performance management systems. Abingdon [England]: Routledge.