Internal Policies, Procedures, Systems, Assets and Capabilities of the Organisation - Assignment Example

Question 1: In a highly competitive environment, a strategy focusing on profitability may lead to short time benefits but also lead to long time harm to the organisation. It is important to note that workforce planning is the main source of competitive advantage. By planning the workforce the organisation will be able to identify its future needs as well as the skills required to fulfil such needs. The future success of the business cannot be possible if the planning of human resource is not based on the objectives of the organisation. This means that we must translate the plans of the organisation into particular workforce plan. This will lead to long time success of the business. This can be explained in Dell Company whose long term success was attributed to considering the importance of workforce planning. As a result, Dell’s market share price increased from $ 8.50 to $ 4812 for a period of 12 years. Thus, strategic objectives of the organisation must have a well defined workforce planning objectives in order to promote an internal and external fit. That is, to focus on organisational objectives and the changing external environment. Based on workforce planning, the long term competitive gain can be created by integration and complementation of internal policies, procedures, systems, assets and capabilities of the organisation. Proper integration of workforce planning into the organisation creates unique, valuable, non-substitutable and more valuable practices that are impossible to reproduce and duplicate for competitors. As a result, the organisation will be sure of both short term and long term benefits through achievement of organisation strategic objectives and a competitive advantage. Question 2: The observations in regard to the presence of contradictory organising forms don’t have some implications on the conduction of workforce planning. Based on bureaucratic and traditional organising forms, control and efficiency are the main benefits while based on new organising or fluid forms, innovation and flexibility are the hallmarks. Thus, the presence of relational and simultaneity characteristics such as acknowledging the importance of both logics as every business strive to ensure flexibility through their stability and in regard to workforce, a teamwork which is bound to the accountability of an individual. While it is clear that there is a mix of new structural and traditional configurations, organisations were also establishing a workforce of team-based workgroups while they retained their functional structures and existing products. In order to better understand as well as manage the changing forms of organising, the process elements while focusing on the workforce practices are the beginning of any effort of change. For instance, long term success in boundary changes such as outsourcing and strategic alliances are usually determined by skills, competencies in the workforce and systems that are developed and nurtured through process changes. In summary, while organisations strive to concentrate effectively on their change efforts in organising forms dimensions, it should also be understood that the need to reflect broadly what explains such changes, their impact on other features of organising forms and their management, such key processes reflect the criticality of dynamic and strategic response to the planning of workforce. This is important in highlighting of the centrality of workforce and other resources in regard to planning change and continuity. Thus, the based on bureaucratic and fluid forms, there is no contradiction rather than combination of efficiency, control, innovation and flexibility which are essential in effective workforce planning. Question 3: Changes in social or community group attitudes affect the manner in which workforce planning is conducted. By understanding the current social attitudes, it will be easier to employ the best skills required in the place of work, that is, a factor that will directly affect workforce planning. Without understanding of the needs, motivations and expectations of the current community, it will be difficult to move to achieve the expected business objectives. As a result, failure to understand social changes will affect the future development of workforce which is an important factor for ensuring increasing sustainability in business. A successful business will require new opportunities in terms of new thinking, service innovation and leadership but due to changes in social attitudes, the workforce required for delivering specific results will also need to be altered. For instance, in regard to the role of workplace and family, there are workplace conflicts that are manifested due to issues such as missed family or work activities and stress from work or from home. However, without recognition of the changes that leads to reduction of such conflicts which include reduction of working hours or part-time and working in different shifts among others, there will be poor planning of workforce which will lead to various outcomes such as lack of achievement of set goals due to shortage of essential skills, limited understanding of the available employee skills and waste of time, resources and budget. This call for an efficient workforce planning in order to ensure identification of skill shortages, staff development needs, placing of staff to match the needs of organisation and reduction of staffing costs. Question 4: Changes in national demographic have greatly impacts the way workforce planning is conducted. Demographic change present various challenges nationally which include the ageing population, geographic distribution, growth of population and projected rise in service demand, ageing careers, institutional reform as well as the existing landscape in industrial relations and retaining of skilled and experienced staff. For instance, the ageing working population has potential implications for employers, the overall economy and financial markets. Various workforce issues that influence the planning of workforce include shortages in labour due to retiring generations while ushering a new generation and soft landing due to disruptions of workforce as the outgoing generation continue to work past the described age of retirement. As a result of such demographic issues, the organisation needs to make changes in the planning of workforce in order to prevent compromising the long term strategies of the business. Such strategies can be compromised due to shortages in the talents from exiting generation. As a result such national demographic issues call for more effective workforce planning in order to meet the critical needs for business in terms of workers, knowledge and skills in future. With such key demographic challenges of workforce in regard to business opportunities, there is a need to act swiftly in order to develop strategies in regard to talents, skills and knowledge which will align the key goals of organisations while ensuring effective management of risks and costs. With much attention in demographic changes, the practices and changes in such trends in regard to service delivery, there is more attention on the requirements of different abilities, knowledge and skills. This call for workforce planning that will help in anticipation of the requirements of skills and abilities in organisations in order to support the needs of the clients and work environments. Question 5: Strategic workforce planning ensures continuous planning of the business and involves a process of both shaping and supporting the workforce in order make sure that there is sufficient as well as sustainable capacity to deliver the objectives of the organisation currently and in future. As a result, the right people that is, with the necessary skills and capabilities for the required work are available in the right type, number, place and time for deliverance of business outcomes. Based on shaping and supporting organisation strategy, the two roles are complementary given that organisational leadership leads to development of strategic objectives. As a result, the planning of workforce provides a systematic alignment of priorities with human resources required in order to accomplish objectives. Thus from planning process and identified strategic objectives, the management can then develop plans of workforce for accomplishing these objectives. At the same time the same plans provide basis for requests in staffing since there exists a connection between the human resources and objectives required to accomplish them. Thus, based on supporting and shaping of strategic objectives, workforce planning must create awareness of the direction of organisation and in turn, achievement of organisational goals calls for a competence workforce. However, based on the two roles there exists contradictions during the creation and maintenance of workforce where the supporting role focuses on growing the business while the shaping role focuses on risks mitigation at the same time. Question 6: Scenario planning is important in long-term planning of an organisation through identification of reasonable business situations in order to have a better understanding of what the organisation needs currently and in future to achieve its objectives. The scenario planning allows the planners of workforce to position the business more quickly and intelligently for changing conditions. As a result the right people are put into place in order to execute the business strategy. In regard to scenario planning, there are various barriers within an organisation that may call for the relevance of workforce planning. These include lack of long term business strategy which is essential for planning for the requirements of workforce planning. This may lead to a disconnection between human resource and corporate executives. Other issues include the issue of transfer of knowledge and turnover of baby-boomers and taking workforce planning as an issue of recruitment only and not about management of talent and use of technology to cater for anticipated shortfall of talent. An example of the relevance of scenario planning in conduction of workforce planning is a firm facing challenge in carrying a workforce plan due to a continued turnover in the current staff. The retirement age of this organisation is about 35% of its workforce. Moreover, the situation is more complicated due to the fact that around 49% of the existing staff is either supervisors or managers which lead to about 75% of the top leadership. Such a condition within an organisation provides an example of where scenario planning is essential in planning of workforce in order to help this company to prepare for contingency. However, such a situation is contributed by lack of a line of insight between planning of human resource (an operation view of staffing) and organisational strategy which failed to provide guidance at the time when it was needed most. Question 7: The tradition focus in regard to the planning of manpower was centred on the department of human resource. However, there were other agents in addition to the above who could be involved in workforce planning. For instance, the top management was involved in making strategic decisions in regard to the management of human resource as well as influencing the entire approach of the management of workforce. Similarly, for line management, the traditional responsibility involved some operational features in management of workforce such as being involved in daily activities of management of workforce. This also applies to external human resource agencies that the organisation contraction to provide HRM services, or specialised and professional HRM solutions. However, in modern planning of workforce, there is higher tendency towards a higher input through distribution of HR department activities. Management of workforce has become a shared function among all the agents which means sharing of most of activities of human resources between them. The top management has a distinct input in regard to leadership activities and strategic decision making. They are also involved in other activities such as follow-up, monitoring activities and delivering training as well as technical and administrative activities to a lesser extent. In regard to the line management, there is also a continued increase in regard to the functions of HRM. In addition, they are also taking part in more specialised activities in management of the activities of HR. In regard to external HR agencies, the outsourcing of the activities of management of workforce is also on a continual increase. Hence, modern workforce planning is widely employing multiple agencies. Question 8: The circumstances in BHS have implications on how workforce planning is conducted. In regard to the available expertise, the CEO is trying to repurpose one of the managers to do workforce planning. This is a challenge given that the manager has no previous workforce planning experience. BHS requires someone who has an expertise in regard to management of human resource. Although the CEO has a good plan for improving of technology, there is no good link between the business and the strategies required for management of human resource. There must be a clear understanding of what the BHS required and use centred process to response to what BHS needs. Although the CEO is trying to build the internal capabilities of BHS, there is a need for external HR agencies that will assist in transforming the strategic plans into business. Focus on change management is important for BHS because if the management wants to change the way business makes decisions in regard to human resource. This will ensure that the workforce component is more explicit in order to allow making of decisions after analysis. In regard to workforce, centralisation and decentralisation of workforce planning may be the most effective way. For centralisation of workforce planning, there will be development of the organisation’s policies and procedures which will align with the strategy of BHS. As a result, there will be flow of information on management of workforce from the top management down to other employees. This prevents the current situation where managers improvise their own policies and procedures. Part B: Case Studies Company ABC Step 1: Definition of ABC’s strategic direction Strategic direction involves foundation of workforce planning efforts. Strategic planning is driven by a comprehensive business planning process through all levels of the organisation. The branch managers are responsible for issues of workforce planning through identification of problems and conveying them to departmental managers. The long-term strategy is focused on expansion of capital city retail banking based on development of internet facilities. Step 2: Scanning of ABC’s internal and external environments The quality of workforce planning is on the grounds of customer satisfaction where the management identify and discuss ways in which the external environment will impact the business. Each branch prepares workforce planning for the head office executive. The senior managers in each branch lead their staff in external and internal exercise of environmental scanning where each branch requires projecting any possible changes in regard to the required quality of customer service, what is required to be done, how it will be done and the ones with the responsibilities of performing work. With briefing at departmental and branch level, there is easy identification of available opportunities for both short term strategies as well as development of long-term strategies in regard to the business as well as addressing the challenges in the planning of workforce. The implementation of workforce plan is hierarchical and begins from the head office, departmental, branches and to the workforce that deal directly with the employee. In regard to labour relations, the branch workforce providing services to the customers are in unions. Step 3: Current workforce model ABC has the ability to produce a list of employees, their management level or hierarchy and the locations assigned. The human resource data system does not provide the required data in terms of the skill set of individual personnel as well as readiness for advancement. Step 4: Assessment of the needs of future workforce and projection of the supply of future workforce The management section in ABC provides models for generation of revenue and the staffing needs. The management also involves the models of achievement of long term strategy of the business. The competencies are identified based on the structural planning of the staff in relation to the current pool of leadership. Step 5: Identification of gaps and development of gap-closing strategies At office level, department and head office and branch managers and their planning teams identify gaps where applicable as well as development of various strategies that require implementation at all levels in regard to the quality of service and achievement of long term strategies. Strategies for closing of gaps are developed at office levels. Company XYZ Step 1: Definition of XYZ’s strategic direction A comprehensive planning process of the business drives strategic planning through all organisational levels. The planning efforts of XYZ are designed to ensure that the business achieves its strategic objectives. Managers and supervisors are responsible for identification of issues of planning with provision of proposed solution for such issues as part of their plans. Senior management at the head office are responsible for identifications and conveyance of problem to the executive in case the solution require systematic change Step 2: internal and external environments scanning XYZ has full-time workforce planning effort and participates in relevant functions through managers. The managers in various outlets lead the employees in environmental scanning exercise where every outlet requires any possible changes in customer service and planning of workforce. In case of changes, the managers are responsible for providing direction in regard to what requires to be done, how it will be done and who to do it. In regard to labour relations, majority of workforce in all the outlets are unionised and the execution of workforce plan is delegated from the managers, to the employees in different outlets. Step 3: Current workforce model The current model is focused on turnover and profit margin where in grocery items, low margin is related to high turnover. XYZ have a better understanding in regard the anticipated number as well as the distribution of staff in all outlets. Step 4: Assessment of the needs of future workforce and projection of the supply of future workforce XYZ has developed models for determination of its market share in outer location as well as models for relating turnover with profit margin. It is also focused on long-term goals in regard to its expansion in stores and logistics. Step 5: Identification of gaps and development of gap-closing strategies The outlet managers and head office managers at their planning workforce at organisation level identify gaps and various strategies which need to be implemented based on the long term goals, expansion of the business as well as the turnover. Read More