Analysis and Design of Work-HR and Operations Management - Coursework Example

Analysis and Design of Work-HR and Operations Management Executive Summary – Synopsis Purpose – The purpose of this report is to explore the types of method that could be used for the correct designing of a job, keeping in mind the humane approach to human resource management. Scope – While the innate idea in this report is to outline the mechanisms to be used in determining which methods work best for outlining work strategies, it will also focus on the challenges and complexities of providing that come in the process of creating such a model. It has to be understood that there are a number of factors which end up having an impact on the performance of individuals in an organization. Methodology – The report reviews the published literature on the effectiveness of performance management systems. Conclusions –  Besides and outcome centric approach, one of the best way to retain employees in a world where each one has many options lies in the idea that employees need to be treated with consideration. Also important is the fact that employees be trained and evaluation process be made transparent, all of which contributes to the biological and mental well being of the employee. Table of Contents Analysis and Design of Work-HR and Operations Management 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 2 Job Design: Model and Methods 3 Approach to Decision Making 4 Training Requirements 5 Recommendations 7 References 8 Introduction The purpose of the report is to explore a method under the humane model to come up with the best model of job designing from the available choices of motivational, mechanistic, biological, perceptual-motor approach as suggested by  Medsker and Campion (1997) in their study entitled “Job and team design”. In the ultimate analysis the report will look at how these factors are relevant in coming up with a job design which places importance on the humane model as opposed to the outcome model. The idea here is simple-the organization should treat its employees as assets and work towards getting the most out of them in their respective capabilities, as opposed to working towards a goal and stretching the employees irrespective of their wishes and abilities. The model lays stress of things such as decentralization, delegation of authority, feedback and better evaluation among other things. Research over the past decade has indicated that this is possibly the right way to do things as well Job Design: Model and Methods The logical sequence to job analysis is job design. Job analysis provides job related data as well as the skills and knowledge expected of the incumbent to discharge the job. Job design involves conscious efforts to organize tasks, duties and responsibilities into a unit of work to achieve certain objectives. A clearer way to define job design is as follows: It integrates work content (tasks, functions, and relationships), the rewards (extrinsic and intrinsic) and the qualifications required (skills, knowledge, abilities) for each job in a way meets the needs of employees and the organizations. The idea therefore is that work design is used to assemble the tasks into meaningful modules of work that can comprise of a job. According to Medsker and Campion (1997) a variety of methods can be used for the designing of jobs. These include the Mechanistic, the motivational, the perceptual or the motor and the biological. The first two methods of job designing are to do with the productivity and the motor aspects of the design while the last two approaches are to do with the human job designing aspects.  The perceptive or the motor approach is based on the body of knowledge is experimental psychology ad human factors, the perceptual/motor approach seeks an efficient and safe use of humans in the human machine system. The approach considers human mental and physical capabilities and ensures that requirements do not exceed the abilities of the least capable potential worker. The biological approach on the other hand, is based on the physiology and the ergonomics knowledge developed by such authors like Gibbons (2007), the biological approach deals with equipment and work place design as well as task design, the biological approach seeks to maintain the employee’s comfort through the improvements to the physical surroundings and elimination of work related aspects that may end up threatening employee well being. The reason the last two approaches become relevant has to do with the fact that these are based on an understanding of the biological and the psychological factors that affect the performance outgo of the employees within any given organisation. To this end, then, what transpires is that the training, the evaluation and the growth of the employees are kept in mind in coming up with a job design that would ultimately lead to the best possible outcomes for the organisation. Approach to Decision Making In keeping with the mental well being of the employee, it is essential that he/she feels like she is an important asset to the organisation in question. They therefore need to feel wanted and significant, while also having a role to play. The solution to this problem is simple. The decision making process needs to be made more interactive, diverse and democratic. By allowing for a ‘bottoms up’ process of decision making and management, not only is the problem of perception dealt with, it will lead to an increased level of employee participation and interaction thereby leading to greater job satisfaction and lesser rates of attrition. Further, it would give the manage met the benefit of access to information related to customer feedback that only the ones dealing with it on a day to day level can provide. This requires that the managers be converted from being theory X managers to theory Y managers who work on the assumption that employees are hard working and motivated rather than on a belief that they are lazy and self seeking individuals. This could b done by increasing interactions between employees and managers and by holding workshops to train managers in a better manner.   There are theories related to HR that have been developed over the years that focus basically on what is known as Employee Relations. Most of these theories juxtapose two basic variables: expected contributions and offer red inducements (Tsui and Wang, 2002). These are in essence spot contracts defined by relatively narrow sets of inducements offered by employers and low contributions expected from employees. This in fact is the culture in most firms around the world today. The problem with this kind of a set up is that there is no real bond that can be created between the employee and his work or the company that he is working for. It is this chain that needs to be broken in order to better the Employee Relations.   The approach therefore needs to be replaced with what is known as the mutual investment approach. From the very outset, there has to be a communication of the value of long term loyalty and commitment to not just the task but to the job (Losey et. Al., 2005). Every recruit needs to be made aware of the inducements that are on offer. This can be achieved by following a process initiated by peer recruitment and team based interviews. The idea is to ensure that the new comers fit into the organization and its culture and are not taken just in order to fill a vacant position. This in fact is the sum of the Demming principle.   Training Requirements The philosophy of training would be centered on not just the improve skills for the current job but also to prepare the employee for future responsibilities (Godwin and Gitell, 2011). Job rotation and participation in cross functional or cross divisional tasks can get rid of the feeling of stagnation and boredom that seems to have set in (Charvatova and Veer, 2006). The idea is to give the employee a new challenge, continuously helping him evolve thereby adding greater value to the organization’s resources with the same amounts of inputs. There is also a certain amount of stress that needs to be laid on promotion from within the organization itself, thereby help remove the feeling of alienation and disillusionment from the staff.    Also, it was found by Hunter et al (1990) that productivity difference between average and above average employees nearly double in high versus low complexity jobs. Specifically as job complexities tend to increase, above average employees become more and more productive. Above average employees productivity increases because their ability helps them effectively manage the discretion and autonomy that frequently accompany job complexities. Above average employees may be more effective at high organizational levels because employee discretion and autonomy which are correlates of job complexity increase by organizational levels (Bramel and Friend, 1981). Therefore at high organizational levels, the cost of above average employees may be justified because of difference in their organizational impact, compared to that of average of below average employees. Training means increasing the temporary and necessary skills of the new employees. it is two types on the job and off the job. Bohlander and Snell (2009) identify off the job training as training in which employees learn his work by attending seminar, meeting, conference or by viewing. He is not allowed to work on floor till he become expert in all the necessary field. These would include methods such as conference or discussion methods, classroom training, programmed instructions; computer based training simulation, closed circuit TV, tele-training and interactive e-learning. Off the job experiences include analysis of case studies, management games, role-playing and behavior modeling.   The final thread to the programme would be the implementation of the skill perfection session, in essence an extension of the repetition or the discussion session. The idea is the improvement of the overall skill set (Harley, Sergent and Allen, 2010). The idea here is to help the workers gain practicable knowledge of the skill that has been acquired, through implementation in practice that which has been taught in theory. This session, as all of the skills training sessions, should be modified and made culturally appropriate by working with language and cross-cultural trainers (Gould, 2010). As language skills permit, Trainees should be encouraged to record and describe their observations in the host language. The practice sections can take place throughout training; all of the practice should not directly follow the instruction. As skills permit, revisit parts of the session, teaching the structures of technology implementation and doing practical effort (Gould, 2010). Recommendations The recommendations therefore flow as follows: the process of decision making needs to be more interactive2 there has to be greater delegation of authority based on the employees capabilities and scope for growth the company has to invest in technology that makes the work load of the employee lighter training modules have to become part and parcel of the employee’s growth and outreach programmes. References Harley, B. Sargent, L. & Allen, B. 2010. Employee responses to ‘high performance work system’ practices: an empirical test of the disciplined worker thesis, Work, Employment & Society, vol. 24, no. 4, pp 740-760.  Gould, A. M. 2010. Working at McDonalds: some redeeming features of McJobs, Work, Employment & Society, vol. 24, no. 4, pp 780-802.  Bramel, C. & Friend, R. 1981. Hawthorne, The Myth of the Docile Worker, and Class Bias in Psychology, American Psychologist, vol. 36, no. 8, p. 867-878.  Bohlander, G., W., and Snell S., (2009). Managing human resources. Cengage Brain. pp 336 Charvatova, D., and Veer, C., G., (2006). Communication and Human Resource Management and its Compliance with Culture. International Journal of Social Science. 1(1).  pp 14-18  Das, H. and Wagar, T., (2007). Canadian Human Resource Management: A Strategic Approach (8th Ed.). McGraw-Hill Ryerson: Toronto, pp 31-48  Gibbons, J. H., (2007). Automation and the workplace : selected labor, education, and training. Diane publishing. pp 89-91 Stellman, J., (1998). Encyclopaedia of occupational health and safety, Volume 1; Volume 5. International Labour Organization. p21:32 Read More