The Programme for the Management of Change - Research Paper Example

Introduction The management of change is one of the most important tasks that organizations have to undertake in order to bring in the necessary change with the passage of time. It is important to understand that the organizations often bring in the change in order to accommodate the current and future challenges and re-model themselves so that the organization survive and thrive in an environment that is constantly changing. The overall competitiveness of the current environment and significant challenges that have been faced by the firms in the midst of global financial crisis therefore require that the firms must adapt to the new environment and bring in changes that can provide them consistent competitive advantage to withstand their competition. However, in order to achieve the desired change, the role of HRM must be well defined and it must play a strategic role to accomplish such tasks. It is also critical therefore that the strategic role of HRM must be identified and executed through in the form of policies and procedure which can help the firms to align its different activities with its overall objectives. The case study provided also indicate towards the role that HRM can play in achieving and managing the process of change in BBC considering the fact that the organization as a whole is facing challenges to meet in the future. This essay will discuss two important models of HRM i.e. Harvard and Michigan model and will make an attempt to explain and discuss the case study by applying these two models. Strategic role of HRM Before discussing the case study and application of the two models, it is important to discuss the strategic role of HRM in an organization. It has been argued that a shift from the simple HR functions to HRM and more emphasis on the strategic role of HRM has resulted into an increase in the overall performance of the firm. The linking of the strategic role of HRM with that of the performance management, though is not considered as causal in nature, however, there is growing acceptance which indicate that the firms, through strategic management of the their human resources, can effectively achieve superior performance as compared to the firms which do not view HRM as a key strategic function. (Lisa & Pike, 2004). Over the period time, there have been a growing number of literature reviews which indicate that the organizations must align their HR activities with that of their strategic objectives. As such the overall designing of the different activities therefore must be re-aligned and re-designed in completely different manner so as to achieve and support the strategic objectives of the firm. What is also significant to note that though the overall change in the organization can be duly supported by the HRM however, there is greater emphasis on the changes that need to make within the HRM to further align the overall strategic change within the organization. This case study also indicates the overall need for bringing in change within the HRM to manage the change at organizational level. Harvard Model The Harvard Model is considered as one of the most influential models of HRM as it focuses on the four major areas which result into the so called Four C’s. The major emphasis therefore is on the human resource flows, reward systems to be designed for the employees, employee influence as well as the different work systems. However, through these four broader policies, the overall aim is to achieve the commitment, congruence, competence as well as cost effectiveness. This case study will therefore be discussed based on these four broader areas: Human Resource Flows It is obvious that the BBC’s new change management program will result into some changes that may be difficult for some of the employees to cope with. It is significantly more important to understand that there will be changes in the overall work flow and as such few jobs may be relocated as well as retrenched. This therefore will result into not only the retrenchment of the employees because of the introduction of new technology whereas there will be improvement in the placement and promotion of the employees which are retained. Since human resource flows mostly deal with the activities like placement, selections and promotion etc and such the changes that are being introduced with the relocation of the facilities to Scotland will result into the better placement of the employees. Since every change bring in internal resistance from the employees, it is therefore imperative that the HR department of BBC must highlight the significance of how the work of remaining staff will be streamlined and creation of further opportunities will result into better career prospects for the employees. It is also significant to note down that the better placement of the employees through this proposed change will bring in more commitment as well as more cost effectiveness for the firm. This is because of the fact that fewer employees and better placement of employees will bring in relatively more positive change as compared to the existing set up. Reward Systems This aspect of the model deals with the various pays systems as well as the employee motivation that is often driven from the various intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivations. Further the creation of better psychological contract between the employees as well as the employer result into the better commitment from the employees. What is evident from this case study is the fact that there will be relatively more intrinsic motivation for the employees as compared to any explicit change in the reward system for the employees. The proposed training programs, better work environment as well as the introduction of technology will lead the employees to significantly increase their motivation level as the different factors will result into the overall increase in the reward for the employees. The very fact that there is a gradual change in the overall attitude and perception of the people for joining BBC as an institution which provides better pension as well as higher length of service indicate that the reward systems of the organization are mostly intrinsic in nature. Employee Influence Employee influence basically reflects the power of the employees, the degree of relative influence as well as the delegation of authority to them. What is however, significant to understand that the employees’ overall influence may decline owing to the relocation to a more technological oriented environment? BBC is also bureaucratic organization with strong stakes of the British Government and as such its overall orientation and nature may not support a full job delegation. Further, there is no presence of any informal or formal mechanism which can potentially create resistance to the actions of the management. It is however, critical to note down that the management, through providing better work environment as well as the Work Systems Work systems often define the alignment of the people with the work as well as the design of work environment in a manner that facilitate the work of the employees. It is critical to note that the effective designing of work systems not only allow companies to become more efficient in nature but also allow employees to make them more productive through a combination of resources that facilitate their work. The new facility is dubbed as the state of the art facility with more work space as well as the better work environment will result into the better commitment from the employees as well as the overall productivity will increase. This aspect of change management will therefore probably be the most critical aspect of the overall management of change because the redesigning of work systems. Michigan HRM Model Michigan HRM Model is also considered as hard HRM as it deals with issue of HRM into an entirely different manner considering people as HRM. It’s because of this reason that this model is considered as less humanistic in nature despite the fact that it draws certain similarities with the Harvard Model of HRM. This is also because of the fact that human resource is viewed just another resource of the organization and as such the overall orientation of the program is relatively different from other models. Overall this model requires that the HRM must fit into the overall organizational goals and as such a best fit must be achieved between the organizational strategies and if both cannot fit together, it is most unlikely that the HRM can play a significant strategic role in the overall achievement of the organizational objectives. This model also emphasizes on the four broader areas and as such this case study will be evaluated based on the four processes outlined in this model: Selection This step requires matching the people with the overall job requirements and as such requires that the organizations must identify the job requirements before filling the positions. It is critical to note down that that the overall selection process is not well defined in the case study however, what is evident is the fact that the introduction of technology into the organization will result into more tough selection criteria which may result into the potential resistance from the employees. What is also important is the fact that the people will have to readjust to the new working trends and as such the overall fit between the people and the job may not be achieved and HRM must have to relatively find a middle way to accommodate existing Human Resource base. Appraisal: This step requires that the appraisal for the performance and as such will require the BBC to remodel its appraisal system in manner that reflects the overall performance of the employees as well as linking them with the overall achievement of the strategic objectives of the firm. Rewards Rewards deals with the overall importance of the rewarding of high performing employees and their overall contribution to the achievement of the organizational objectives. It is important to understand that the rewards need to be either intrinsic or extrinsic in nature and this situation, most of the rewards would be intrinsic in nature and as such the overall implications for the organization as a whole may be relatively more far reaching. What is also significant to understand that the overall tone of the HR policies of the organization indicate that there is greater emphasis on providing rewards not through the monetary benefits but through creation of work environment which will help to offer intrinsic rewards to the employees. Development Development is another important HRM process which undertakes to build up the skill level of the employees and prepare them for future challenges. It is important to note that with the introduction of new technology into the organization, there will be a gap between the current skill level of the employees as well as the skills required to operate the new technology. Thus the development will be an important aspect of managing the overall change process that has been initiated. Further, the process of development may allow HR managers to look into the overall skill base of the employees and the future requirements that may create the need for hiring new and external staff to successfully meet the future challenge. HRM Issues A closer analysis of the case will reveal many important issues that BBC as an organization may face give the fact that it has made a transition towards more technological sophistication and serving markets such as mobile TV etc. However, from the perspective of HRM, it is critical that the organization’s overall requirements for the skilled employees will relatively increase and as such the existing human resource base may not be adequate enough to meet the challenges of the future. Following two issues may be of importance: Resistance to Change It is critical to note that the relocation to new facility was not received well and the employees shown their apprehensions regarding this move. What is however, also critical to note down that the resistance to change will emerge mostly due to the skill shortages that will emerge as a result of this new implementation. The introduction of technology into the firm will make some jobs redundant and as such there will be relatively more informal resistance to the any move by the management. It is also implicit to understand that the employees may not welcome the new and better work environment if their overall job security is reduced. In order to overcome this, it is therefore critical that the BBC must involve its employees in the overall change management process. This process can be initiated through better formation of informal teams that can assist in the migration process etc. Employee Influence As a result of the proposed changes there will be reduction in the employee influence as there will be realignment of the jobs with the overall future requirements of the organization. The introduction of technology, more innovative work environment as well as lack of delegation therefore will reduce the employee influence and as such there may be relatively more resistance from the employees in this regard. It is also critical to understand that the overall change management required for this type of transition will also require reduction in the number of employees and further relocation of the employees on multiple assignments therefore the overall influence will gradually diminish. Comparison and Contrast The above discussion indicates that Harvard HRM model is relatively better to manage the change process within the organization. Since Michigan model is considered as hard HRM and view people as resources with more strategic emphasis on them however, this may not be an entirely a case for BBC. The current change management program is relatively straight forward in the sense that it provides better alternatives to the employees, more technological sophistication as well as the more informal decision making process may not assist the organization to achieve its desired objectives. It is also critical to understand that the Michigan Model is more of mechanistic in nature and require decision making in more rigid manner leaving relatively no space for creativity as well as flexibility. On the other hand, however, Harvard Model is relatively more flexible and allows organizations to adjust them into change environment by making necessary adjustments. Further, the overall decision making process is considered as relatively more complex than the one predicted under this model therefore, it is often argued that the Michigan Model may not suitable enough for the organization to manage the proposed change within the organization. Harvard Model on the other hand is more relevant because it focuses on the HRM flows and provides more focus on the work systems. This therefore often results into better employee commitment because the resulting changes are always perceived to be beneficial for the employees. What is also significant to note that the HRM model provides greater intrinsic benefits to the employees as compared to what is perceived under the Michigan model and as such organizational issues related with HRM may be better addressed through Harvard Model. References 1. Lisa, R & Pike, F (2004) Human resource management and business performance measurement. Measuring Business Excellence. 8 (1) 28-37 Read More