Strategic Human Resource Management - Coursework Example

Strategic Human Resource Management Identify the key features of either ‘Best-Fit’ HRM or ‘Best-Practice’ HRM and critically discuss the value and contribution of your chosen approach to corporate success. What problems might an organization face in adopting ‘Best-Fit’ or ‘Best-Practice’ HRM? Introduction The world economy has grown in recent years. International trade has been the motivating force behind it. But with the more recent technological developments as well as reduced trade blockades, growth in trade is definitely on the rise. Developing counties have also stepped on this bandwagon, extracting the best out of their own respective economies through trade internationally as well as locally - within the country. The integration of trade into the world economy has really proved helpful for the developing countries as they can promote economic growth, development as well as poverty reduction within themselves. Organizations which are ready to use upgrade their human resources regimes are thus the ones which have found success in all relevant quarters of their business. With this necessary incorporation, they have been able to look at the ethical side of things as well since the moral grounds have been set in a proper manner and there are as such no apprehensions to state the least in the present times. The importance of adopting best practices within the human resources unit has gained a lot of significance over the years and there are efforts being made now to have the said regimes in place before further new innovations and technological advances happen in the related management field. Best fit HRM practices are now much more needed than ever before as they seem to present the sort of practices which were not present in the yesteryears and which will have a marked difference within the realms of the HR departments that are working in different organizations all over the world. HR Culture in Organizations The work culture can be developed in a manner which suits the interests of the organization in the best form possible. For this to happen, it is necessary to understand that resources department has got an immense role to play in the related equation. We must understand that we live in a global world where human resources has of late been instrumental at dramatically changing the way we perceive the way in which people think, act and feel on the job. The basic dogma on which the dot com companies work is to reach out to the greatest amount of people and make those people as their clients within a short duration of time. This would be on the expense of not being at concern related with the loss in the stock prices. The culture which was adopted by these companies was of get large or get lost in the whole frame of things. Only the technological basis makes the very same possible and a work culture of this regime is necessary to put things into perspective. As far as the human resources function and that too from the best practices stance is concerned in the company’s cultural regimes, we see that in the present era the business world needs to have a lot of improvement within its ranks if it adopts the policy of working towards the establishment of a performance management system. This would guarantee them a lot of success as their employees and workers would dedicate their whole hearted efforts towards the well being of the company as well as towards their own individual capacities. Basis of Incorporation of Performance Management Measures in HRM It is necessary for the best practice HRM to have these performance management systems in place before any advancement could be envisaged at some point in time in the future. Once these performance management systems are installed and in place, we can have a proper check and balance mechanism as concerns to the people who are working in the company. Performance management systems make use of the fact that performance is increased on the part of all concerned and there is no shortfall as concerns to commitment, dedication and devotion when at work. What this performance management system does is to ensure that the right people get the bonuses, incentives and so on as well as point out the ones who have fallen short on the company’s expectations over a period of time. This would help in giving them rewards and incentives which will eventually make one and all happy at the end. Also this will continue their desire to achieve more and more within a specified period of time and thus come into the good books of the company. In return, they can be given all these rewards so that they could be encouraged in line with their work attitudes. Moreover, the people who lag behind with regards to their work schedules and dedication levels will stand up and take notice and thus would want to be counted as the effective and efficient ones within the company as well. The role of organizations in the maintenance of these systems is also very paramount since the underlying concern is to achieve best practices at all possible levels. Changing Times, Changing HRM Regimes to Attain Best Practices A firm needs to change its position with the changing times otherwise it will plainly fade away as far as its competitors and customers’ dealings are concerned. It must bring about certain efforts and endeavors which are geared up to make it sound, look and eventually feel different from the rest of the lot and in the long run, have a selling proposition in it and in its products that help it in winning the customers time and time again. For getting on to this track of success and achievement, it is significant to understand that having the most sought after employees and workers in the market is necessary since they will give the most productivity in the toughest times possible. Similarly to attain the best practices within the human resources unit, one of the most essential training programs is to make sure that all the employees learn to make use of the Information Technology tools and methodologies that are in line with the present day regimes. This would guarantee them success right away since they would all be on the same level as far as understanding of the IT world is concerned. Then they must be trained about the different sales force mechanisms like Sales Force Automation (SFA) methodologies and the like. If the workers hail from the procurement and business development side, then there should be training in the Just In Time (JIT) and Business Development Re-engineering modules. If the workers are from the IT department, there should be continuous training regimes in the IT sector whereby they are made to learn more and more about the firewalls, ever changing security issues and their remedies, different tools that help in having security in the IT infrastructure and so on. When we speak of the management training needs and the same being so very essential from the best practices human resources regimes, we must make sure that they are being taught about the different software which keep a close look on the performance measurement aspects of the different employees and workers and this could include a number of different software as and when one goes on to research and eventually select them. Training for Employees and Workers Training needs are pretty central to an organization’s ever changing quest for achieving more and more, both in front of the channel members and customers but also the outlook that it creates for itself in the related industrial domains and the marketplace which has thus been established as a result of the stiff competition. What this means is the fact that competition would lead to more and more new training processes which would eventually be imparted to the employees and workers who would ultimately benefit the cause of the individuals by all means and extents. This step definitely comes under the proactive vision as laid down in the management aspects. Training of staff would only facilitate the basis of growth and prosperity within an organization and this must be ensured no matter what the organization is trying to achieve both in the short term as well as in the long run. Employee Motivation Aspects Similarly, continuing with the same discussion, it is a fact that employee motivation at workplace works to the advantage of the firm and the people at the helm of it since they know for sure that their employees would give in their best no matter how trying or tough the circumstances are. This means that they are assured of their commitment levels and the intensity of the hard work that they will put in, even under the most strenuous of routines. But this raises an interesting proposition, a stance which needs to be discussed by everyone. It has been seen that at times, the top line personnel present in offices delegate jobs and assignments to their sub-ordinates without even thinking that the same might not be the correct manner and mode of action as to go about carrying out the tasks and responsibilities. They think that delegation would prosper a sense of getting more work within the sub-ordinates who themselves are pretty much occupied with their already assigned tasks and jobs. This is hence not the correct manner in which things should be done and hence a need has to be chalked out to ramify the very same problem. The best possible diversity that could be made in this regard is to appoint top line managers who understand the psyche of the people working under him or her or on the same level as his so that he or she can get a grasp as to what employees usually are best suited at and what they do not prefer under certain strenuous conditions in the office place environment. As a consequence, being able to do more work is definitely considered a plus and an added advantage for an employee but this should not, under any level, exceed his or her capabilities and skill sets. In order to meet the best practices of human resources management, this employee must be assigned the amount of work which is proportionate with his pay, already set working conditions and more so the skills on the basis of which he was selected in the first place. Diversity within HRM Furthermore, as we understand the best practice requirements within the HR unit, we see that diversity could be pinpointed in the area of managing the people in a proper manner with the help of a manager who not only takes care of them but also acts as a person who is professional and knows how to get work done from his specialists, technicians and other sub-ordinates present at various levels within the very organization. The aspects of selection require stiff challenges on the part of the recruiters, the organization’s human resources department and top management since they need to make the right decision when it comes to employees coming from different professional backgrounds. There could be so many reasons behind a person’s leaving a job and coming to a new organization. He could state completely different reasons for doing the same but then again one cannot be sure as to what is right and what indeed is wrong when it comes to taking the final call of judgment. The reasons could be best ascertained by an able and competent human resources unit present within the organization so that it gives its very best for the positives that will eventually be gained by the organization itself. Problems that Organizations face in Adopting Best Practice HRM Continuing with the discussion at hand, one must understand that there are problems left, right and center when one speaks of the actual incorporation of best practice HRM within organizations. This means that there is a starting point as far as adopting the strategies which are laid down by the HR rule book. This happens due to the reason that there are inconveniences involved with the employees’ attitudes as well as the fact that they do not want to change for one small reason or the other. Change is always seen with an eye of skepticism and no one is indeed ready to cave into the fact that he/she will have to give up the space that he/she so dearly had and there would be modifications in the job nature and focus as such. Other problems could include the following: 1. Employees becoming frustrated with the jobs and eventually leaving them 2. Too much commotion within the workplace leading to strikes, bad moods, arguments and fights 3. Failure to complete work at a given time (deadline issues) 4. Not adhering to the general rules as laid down in the organization’s policies 5. Coming in late and getting up early And so on. Conclusion All said and done, it is very significant to understand that the best practices within the HR domain could only be achieved when there are serious efforts on the part of the HR unit within the organization and when their attempts and endeavors bear fruit, which at the end of the day is only possible in the wake of a clear-cut policy for treating the employees at the same level, commensurate with their education and experience. Thus keeping all these aspects in mind, it is significant to attain best practices in order to have a proper and sound regimes within the office place coming under the realms of any organization that aims to satisfy its employees and workers. BIBLIOGRAPHY Egan, Mary Lou. (2001). Workforce Diversity Training: From Anti-Discrimination Compliance to Organizational Development. Human Resource Planning, Vol. 24 Cooper, Cary L. (2004). Reinventing Human Resources Management: Challenges and New Directions. Routledge Word Count: 2,275 Read More