Human Resource Management Discussions Week 1-8

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Human Resource Management Discussions Week 1-8

Week 1: Introduction

An effective Human Resource Management (HRM) system can help facilitate an organization’s strategic objectives in various ways. The first includes the Recruitment of quality employees. An HRM system that can recruit quality employees whenever the organization requires them will ensure that an effective workforce is in place to increase workplace productivity (Khan, 2018). The second way is through the extensive training of new employees. The HRM is responsible for ensuring that the new workforce acquires quality training, which gives them the skills necessary to make sure that they are a success in the organization. The HRM also ensures the organization has satisfied the goal of diversity through designing diversity-related training to the current employees and setting up diversity-related hiring procedures. The fourth way is through looking out for employee needs. This usually includes issues related to payments or work schedules. When the needs are catered for, the employees become more satisfied with the organization, increasing productivity. The final way is through retaining of employees. This generally involves making sure the employees are committed to the organization on a long-term basis, thus not seeking employment elsewhere (Khan, 2018).

Reference

Khan, M. (2018). Strategic Human Resource Practices and its Impact on Performance towards Achieving Organizational Goals. Business Ethics and Leadership, 2(2), 66-73. https://doi.org/10.21272/bel.2(2).66-73.2018

Week 2: Employment Laws

Employment laws vary in a global environment according to the employment terms set by the countries or organizations, the severance policies in place, deliberations for employment, legal proceedings (litigation) for employment, human rights considerations, compensation packages, and statutory protection, etc. An example of a state with different employment laws is Canada. What particularly stood out in their laws is that since discrimination is forbidden, employers must accommodate workers with disabilities. Up to this point, the laws are a standard procedure. The difference comes whereby drug addicts and alcoholics are considered people with disabilities according to the Canadian Labor laws, and therefore employers must accommodate them as well (Honeyball, 2008). Accommodating drug addicts and alcoholics is no justifiable reason for the difference in the employment laws. This being the case, I disagree with the difference in the employment laws since accommodating drug addicts and alcoholics in an organization would only serve to decrease productivity as such kind of people are not in the right state of mind to work.

Reference

Honeyball, S. (2008). Honeyball & Bowers’ textbook on employment law (10th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Week 3: Interviews

The significant problems of the interview as a selection device include unfamiliarity with the job at hand whereby the interviewers do not know what the job involves, therefore, do not ask the right questions, Untimely decisions whereby interviewers develop a premature impression of the applicant, Stressing on negative information whereby the interviewers weigh more heavily the negative info issued by the applicant rather than the positive ones and Personal biases whereby the interviewers illustrate prejudice towards applicants. (Bolander & Sandberg, 2013).

What Human Resource Management can do to maximize fairness in the interview process includes avoiding the use of the interview as the only test for selecting applicants and using numerous interviewers to compare evaluations. Before the interview, the interviewers need to be trained and, in the process, given detailed job information to ensure the selection process’s effectiveness. The interviews should also be designed in a structured way whereby questions are drafted in advance and scaled. After the interview, evaluation forms are to be scrutinized to ensure there was no bias during the interview (Bolander & Sandberg, 2013).

Reference

Bolander, P., & Sandberg, J. (2013). How Employee Selection Decisions are Made in Practice. Organization Studies, 34(3), 285-311. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840612464757

Week 4: Cultural Training

The country where I could perform a foreign work assignment is Canada.

Employees and their families need to acquire cultural training before undertaking an overseas assignment because it intensifies cultural responsiveness and competence, which does away with miscommunication at a major scale. This would thus enable positive cross-cultural working relations. The employee’s family’s cultural training also ensures smooth overseas transition (Morris et al., 2014).

The specific cultural training for the employee in order to work in Canada includes training on intense teamwork, which is highly valued in Canada. Punctuality whereby the employee at all times has to keep time in organizational proceedings, Courtesy whereby words like “please” and “thank you” are highly rated and finally, a hierarchy where it is essential for the employee to follows levels of authority as stipulated. For the employee’s family, it is essential that they practice the culture of egalitarianism where every individual is considered equal and informality in the form of casual dressing and language. Respect is also an essential culture in Canada. The risks that might occur without this training are that the employee’s family might find it challenging to settle abroad, and as a result, the culture shock may lead to failure in the organization’s assignment (Morris et al., 2014).

Reference

Morris, M., Savani, K., & Roberts, R. (2014). Intercultural Training and Assessment. Policy Insights from The Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1(1), 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732214550404

Week 5: Performance Management Systems

The global nature of business affects performance management systems in two aspects, the technical and social aspects. Beginning with the technical aspect, the global nature which brings about business culture differences influences task performance elements. These include the elements that facilitate the organization’s fundamental technical ventures, such as software development (Cascio, 2012). Through the global nature, the task performance factors vary, which affects the evaluation and constant improvement of employee performance both individually and as a team. On the other hand, the social aspect is affected by contextual performance elements. These represent factors of the performance segments that reinforce the business’s social environs, for instance, cooperation with others, illustrating perseverance, and contributing extra effort to the job at hand. Through the global nature, social culture is different in each state, affecting evaluation and constant improvement of employee performance (Cascio, 2012).

Reference

Cascio, Wayne. (2012). Global performance management systems. Handbook of Research in International Human Resource Management, Second Edition. 183-204.

Week 6: Social Security

“Social Security should serve as a foundation for employee retirement programs. Therefore, CongressCongress should explore more extensive revisions to the program to ensure that the next generation of retirees will receive the benefit.”

I agree with this statement because social security would serve to ‘cushion’ employees at their retirement age with retirement benefits. Through social security, employees’ contributions are able to minimize taxable income (Ferreira & dos Santos, 2013). Another advantage is that these contributions towards social security are quite easy to make through payroll deductions. But perhaps the most crucial aspect is that the interests from these social security plans accrue across time, meaning that the little consistent contributions grow to become notable retirement savings that guarantee financial security during the retiral period (Ferreira & dos Santos, 2013).

Reference

Ferreira, P., & dos Santos, M. (2013). The effect of social security, health, demography, and technology on retirement. Review of Economic Dynamics, 16(2), 350-370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.red.2013.01.003

Week 7: Unions

Today’s unionizing efforts are focused more on the field of hospitality, which means less focus on conventionally unionized workplaces and organizations.

I agree with unions because of the role it plays in ensuring workers are satisfied with their working conditions. According to (Ahlquist, 2017), unions issue employees a robust, cooperative voice that communicates to the relevant administration their issues and concerns. Through unions, employees can broker better working terms and conditions, job security, together with equal opportunities, is guaranteed. Finally, unionized organizations are considered to have safer working conditions than those which are not unionized (Ahlquist, 2017). Basing on history, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) is arguably the most famous Union in America’s history. This Union, formed in 1886, was able to negotiate wage increases and safe working conditions for its over one million members. The AFL, together with the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, led to the CongressCongress passing an act that created the United States Department of Labor in the year 1913. Later on, in 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was implemented, which dictated the minimum wage to be offered to employees, laws against child labor, and extra pay in case employees work overtime (UNION PLUS, 2020).

References

Ahlquist, J. (2017). Labor Unions, Political Representation, and Economic Inequality. Annual Review of Political Science, 20(1), 409-432. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-051215-023225

UNION PLUS. (2020). A Brief History of Unions. Unionplus.org. Retrieved 16 August 2020, from https://www.unionplus.org/page/brief-history-unions.

Week 8: Review and Reflection

The most practical and easily applied lesson learned was the importance of an effective Human Resource Management to an organization in terms of achieving its set goals and objectives, which includes increased productivity and commitment to the organization. The hardest lesson to grasp was the performance management systems since the global nature of organizations currently is a bit extensive. Something else I need to know about Human Resource Management is the differences between the functions and the goals of HRM. On the aspect of Unions, Generally, today’s Unionizing efforts are focused more on the field of hospitality. I do agree with unions because of the role it plays in ensuring workers are satisfied with their working conditions. In conclusion, the concepts I can apply directly to my current work situation include employment laws and social security.