Systems, Strategies and Types of Communication and Management - Essay Example

Human Resources Student’s Name: Course Code: Tutor’s Name: Date of Submission: Activity A Summary According to CIPD (2013a), the core of the professional area consists of insights, strategy & solutions and secondly leading HR. These two are integral providing a solid base for HR irrespective of stage of career, role or location. Insights, strategy & solutions as the first core layer empower an HR to be able to contribute to sustainable organizational performance whereby one is able to conceptualize the large picture, develop alternatives and then implement the appropriate strategy. On the other hand, the leading HR is that character the HR develops in terms of personal leadership, leading others and leading issues. These equally empower that individual to be to contribute to a sustainable organization. There are other eight professional areas and these are the thematic eight themes that a leading HR is expected to implement/ actualize depending on the band that one is at by applying Insights, strategy & solutions. These are service delivery & information, learning & talent development, employee engagement, resourcing & talent planning, organization design, performance & reward, organization development and employee relations (CIPD, 2013b). Since organization is composed of people, a leading HR should have various requisite behaviors that allow him to navigate the social world at work place, influence, gain followership, overcome resistance and ultimately lead so that the Insights, strategy & solutions proposed to be applied in the other eight professional areas are realized. Such behaviors include being decisive thinker, collaborative, acting as role model, being driven to deliver, personally credible, skilled influencer, courage to challenge and being curious (CIPD, 2013c). CIPD (2013bc) equally appreciates the fact that there four different tiers of HR ranging from the entry level to top most practitioners. A band one HR is expected to assist in HR administration function, manage data & information and be customer focused. At two, the HR is mandated to offer pieces of advice on matters pertaining individual or a team and is equally expected to have a grasp of assessment process and possible remedies. At the third level, the HR is in a position to lead in a professional as a consultant or partner. Thus, he is expected to undertake underlying challenges at the organization for mid to long term basis. At band 4, the HR has capability to head and manage a professional niche and or the whole firm. In this regard he is obliged to offer and implement organization and HR strategy. Comment At band two, the two activities are either advising and managing HR issues at team or individual level with the requisite knowledge being able evaluate processes and offer solutions. To me, the knowledge or ability to evaluate processes is what I consider the most essential to my HR role. The rationale for such reasoning is anchored on the fact that all solutions and activities should be grounded on thorough evaluation. Chandra, Krovi and Rajagopalan (2009, p.48) notes that the evaluation process is an important stage in decision making that allows an individual to churn out rational and well guided decisions which are the solutions in structured or unstructured scenarios. Since in a rational approach to solution formulation choice has to be among a set of alternatives, evaluation is critical as it forms the base for subsequent action (Hodgkinson and Starbuck, 2008, p.457). Bartos and Wehr (2002, p.20) affirms this concern by noting that anyone mandated in an organization to produce a solution, he or she must be able to churn out the solutions that lead an organization in attaining desirable situation. Evaluation as part of the HR professional area at band two is thus significant and forms the cornerstone of subsequent actions. For instance, an HR can apply evaluation techniques such as pay off matrix and SWOT analysis to determine desirability of an action. Activity B Types of customers Understanding customers’ needs are central in delivering value to the customers (Lilien, Rangaswamy & De Bruyn, 2007, p.28). Based on need and loyalty, we can have loyal customers, discount customers, wandering customers, impulsive customers and need based customers (Peppers & Rogers, 2004, p.144-147). Now, let us examine the needs of loyal customers, discount customers and need based customers. Loyal customers are a satisfied lot and keep on visiting frequently. Their need is for the organization to maintain that level or even improve it further so as to sustain the relationship. Moreover, such customers need personalized attention and expects a polite and respectful engagement. Discount customers are equally loyal to the organization, but only with the guarantee that they are offered discounts. Thus, their need is to be given discount whenever they visit the supplier. The last is the need based customers. These are group of buyers who only purchase when there is real need to buy a product (Lilien, Rangaswamy & De Bruyn, 2007, p.29). A HR consultant/ practitioner equally face such scenario/ different types of customers in the process of offering insights, strategies and solutions to customers/ client. The question that emerges then is how an HR can ensure the services they offer are timely and effective. The basis of the effectiveness would on how an HR is able to balance between the needs of the various customers who he is supposed to offer services to. For instance, for a loyal customer, the HR should give ample time and personalized service. Nevertheless, this should not imply that other categories should be ignored. Thus, while giving ample time to loyal customer, the discount one should be offered discount constantly. On the other hand, to avoid losing need based customers and retain them, they should be dealt with positively so as to encourage them to switch allegiance. Effective communication Communication is an important tool in conveying massage. Equally it is the avenue that is used to influence and convince people under them (Vlasceva, 2011; Sims, 2002, p.136). Indeed, Cushman & Cahn Jr. (1985, p. 101) observes that effective organizational communication contributes productivity and employees satisfaction and a requisite skill for effective managers including HRs. Since HR plays the important function of offering insights, strategy and solutions in areas such as performance & reward, organization development and employee relations by being decisive thinker and role model, effective communication becomes mandatory. Thus, the automatic concern would be, ‘what are the different communication methods that can be used by HRs and what are their advantages and disadvantages’. The three communication methods are oral, written and body language. Oral communication involves the use of spoken words or what is known as verbal communication. This can occur through face to face interaction or over technological platforms such as telephone or video conferencing. The greatest advantage is that one can clarify grey areas, engage with the recipient and even establish the mood and urgency of the massage. Thus it’s a great way of building interpersonal relationship. On the other hand, if not well structure and one is influenced say with emotions, one can deliver a wrong massage which would bear some cost for one to retract (Foster et al, 1997). On the other hand, written communication involves written text that is then delivered on real time or over a period of time. The advantage is based on its ease as exhibit or reference material especially in official communication. Moreover, it is a method of delivering well structured massage because one has chance to edit all errors. However, as compared to oral speech the response is delayed and in case of vagueness, seeking clarification from sender is likely to take time (Foster et al, 1997). The last is the body language which entails use of signs, facial expressions and body movement. The advantage of this is ability to deliver an authentic massage because one can’t hide is body language as compared to written and oral speech. On the other hands, body language especially signs are not universal and thus decoding it becomes difficult or might mean a different thing to another person from a different cultural background and thus missing the essence of passing information (Foster et al, 1997). Effective service delivery Customers expect their needs for services not only to be met, but to be met effectively within the stipulated time and within the outlined budget. Moreover to enhance a customer relationship, employees have to be aware of how to deal with difficult customers and be in a position to handle complaints. This calls for effective service delivery strategy. Effective service delivery strategy thus, forms one of the competitive advantages in post and pre service delivery. One of the approaches that have been applied in effective service delivery is the lean management under Just-in-Time production. Lean management became an important route for improving performance by reduction of costs, improving quality, reducing lead times, and increasing market shares, developing new products and human resources (Emiliani, 2006). Just in Time system has emerged as one of the most reliable operation strategy in the manufacturing industry. The concept is driven by the need to make more with less, while making sure that quality, reliability and flexibility of the system is maintained (Clarke, 2005, p.93). The just in time model of operation allows a process to produce what is needed in the next process in a continuous flow. This model eliminates traditional processes where large inventory is required in order to push large volumes of products through a production line (Liker & Convis, 2012, p.185). References Bartos, O.J. & Wehr, P. (2002). Using Conflict Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chandra, A., Krovi, R. & Rajagopalan, B. (2009). Risk Visualization: A mechanism for Supporting Unstructured decision Making Processes. The International Journal of applied management and Technology, 6(4): 48-70. CIPD (2013a). The core of the Profession Map. Retrieved on 28 September 2013 from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/professional-areas/core-hr-profession-map.aspx. CIPD (2013b). Professional areas. Retrieved on 28 September 2013 from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/hr-profession-map/professional-areas/default.aspx. CIPD (2013c). The HR Profession Map. Retrieved on 28 September 2013 from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/hr-profession-map/. Clarke, C. (2003). Automotive Production Systems and Standardization. New York: Verlag Heidelberg. Cushman, D. P. & Cahn Jr., D. D. (1985). Communication in Interpersonal Relationships. Albany: University of New York Press. Emiliani, M. L. (2006). “Origins of lean management in America: The role of Connecticut businesses.” Journal of Management History, 12 (2), 167-184. Foster, I., Geisler, J., Kesselman, C., & Tuecke, S. (1997). Managing multiple communication methods in high-performance networked computing systems. Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, 40(1), 35-48. Hodgkinson, G.P. & Starbuck, W.I. (2008). The Oxford handbook of Organizational Decision Making. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Lilien, G. L., Rangaswamy, A. & De Bruyn, A. (2007). Principles of Marketing Engineering. New York: Decision Pro. Peppers, D. & Rogers, M. (2004). Managing Customer Relationship: A Strategic Framework. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Sims, R. R. (2002). Managing Organizational Behavior. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Vlasceva, M. (2011). Effective organizational communication–an imperative for creating higher business results in contemporary business trends (Doctoral dissertation, University, Goce Delcev,,-Stip). Read More