The Ethical Context of HRM (Blog 10)

Definition to Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is the obligations of businessmen to pursue policies, to make decisions, or to follow action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society” (Bowen, 1953). Carroll (1979) defines CSR as the social responsibility of business encompasses the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time.
As stated by Lee (2008), CSR as a concept is quite modern and it has developed progressively over the years as a result of several pioneering studies. CSR takes decisions and functions of a company that go beyond financial and technical interests (Davis, 1960).

HRM role in Corporate Social Responsibility

The most obvious role HR has to play is as the expert on ethical employment practices, which is a core strand of corporate responsibility. But beyond this, HR is also the single function best placed to pick up on and develop organisational culture and values to embed corporate responsibility. HR’s remit for leadership capability, people management practices and employee behaviours means that it can add value to all aspects of the business, and it must be prepared to speak up on these (CIPD, 2013).

The role of HRM in implementing CSR is a part of the study focuses in implementing CSR goals.

Figure 1 : Ulrich Model of HR Roles

Role of HRM in implementing CSR is based on the key roles of Ulrich’s (1997) model:

• Strategic Partner role
• administrative expert role
• employee champion role
• change agent role

These roles can be kept the most relevant when evaluating the role of HRM in implementing CSR strategies, because these roles demonstrate the necessary actions required from HR unit to develop and implement CSR.

HRM Ethics

Video 1: Ethics Defined: Corporate Social Responsibility

Ethics have to be an inherent quality of an individual, whether in business or society for various reasons described below. Ethics is important to business in general and HR manager in particular. To be ethical all through life is a wish of everyone. This is a fundamental need of a human being after the satisfaction of physiological needs

Stewart and Rigg (2011) who see ethics as ‘the study of right and wrong as well as to a specification of what is right and what is wrong’. In a contemporary context, the increasing importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) associated with publicised scandals.

Figure 2: HRM ethics

Kew and Stradwick (2008), lists some of the distinctive characteristics of ethics to include:

• Nobody can avoid ethical decisions. We all make ethical decisions every day.
• Other people are always involved in ethical decisions. There is no such thing as private morality.
• Ethical decisions matter – they affect the lives of others.
• Although ethics is about right and wrong, there are no definitive answers. The philosopher can forward principles which should guide decisions, but the ultimate decision is always down to the individual.
• Ethics is always about choice – a decision where the individual has no choice cannot be considered unethical. 

References

• Bowen, H. (1953) ‘Social Responsibilities of the Businessman’, Harper, New York.

• Carroll, A. B. (1979) ‘A three-dimensional concept model of corporate social performance’, Academy of Management Review, Vol. (4), pp. 487-505. 

• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2013) ‘Sustainable organisation performance: The role of HR in corporate responsibility’, London: CIPD. [Online] Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/the-role-of-hr-in-corporate-responsibility_2013-sop_tcm18-9315.pdf [Accessed on: 02 October 2018].

• Davis, K. (1960) ‘Can business afford to ignore social responsibilities?’, California Management Review, 2(3), pp. 70-76.

• Kew, J. and Stradwick, J. (2008) ‘Business environment, managing in a strategic context’, London: CIPD. 

• Lee, M. P. (2008) ‘A review of the theories of corporate social responsibility: Its evolutionary path and the road ahead’, International Journal of Management Reviews, 10(1), pp. 53-73. 

• Stewart, J. and Rigg, C. (2011) ‘Learning  and talent development’, London: CIPD.

• Ulrich, D. (1997) ‘Human Resource Champions: The next agenda for adding value and delivering results’, 1^st edn., Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA.

•  Figure 1 : Ulrich Model of HR Roles (1997) [Online] Available at: http://editart.club/suntory.html [Accessed on: 02 October 2018]. 

• Figure 2: HRM ethics (2018), [Online] Available at: https://slideplayer.com/slide/4880861/ [Accessed 02 on: October 2018]. 

• Video 1 :  Corporate Social Responsibility (2018) Ethics Defined: [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d2XbOyU-EM [Accessed on: 02 October 2018].

Organisational Culture (Blog 9)

What is Organisational Culture..?

Organisational culture is a pattern of beliefs, values and learned ways of coping with experience that have developed during the course of an organisation’s history, and which tend to be manifested in its material arrangements and in the behaviours of its members (Brown, 1998). Watson (2006) emphasises that the concept of culture originally derived from a metaphor of the organisation as ‘something cultivated’.

Handy (1985) described organisational culture by using four types of classification, namely power, role, task and person cultures. However Deal and Kennedy (1982) described the more visible levels of culture (heroes, rites, rituals, legends and ceremonies) because it is these attributes they believe shape behaviour. But it is the invisible levels that may be of more interest to public sector organisations in terms of their influence in progressing or impeding organisational change.

Models of Organisational Culture

Harrison (1993) presents a theoretical model for the purpose of diagnosing organisational culture. The organisational culture model indicates that the four dimensions of culture orientation are measured within two modes of operation, which are formalisation and centralisation. Both modes of operation can be measured on a scale of low or high levels.

Organisational culture can be diagnosed in four cultural dimensions,

1. Power oriented culture
2. Role oriented culture
3. Achievement oriented culture
4. Support oriented culture

             Figure 1: Diagnosing Organizational Culture 
Source: (Harrison, 1993)          

Power culture dimension

Power is centralised and organisational members are connected to the center by functional and specialist strings. A power-oriented culture organisation often has a top down communication approach.In this type of organisational culture a dominant head sits in the center surrounded by intimates and subordinates who are the dependents.

Role culture dimension

This role oriented culture defines as “substituting a system of structures and procedures for the naked power of the leader”. Organisations with this type of culture is characterised by a set of roles or job boxes joined together in a logical fashion.

Achievement culture dimension

Define achievement oriented culture as “the aligned culture which lines people up behind a common vision or purpose”. While using teams is an advantage, the main weakness of the achievement culture in this regard is that it overshadows individual performance.

Support culture dimension

Support oriented culture defined as an “organisational climate that is based on mutual trust between the individual and the organisation”. These organisations are normally small in size and people have worked together for a long time and have managed to build up personal relationships.

Levels of Organisational Culture

Schein (1985) maintains that culture has to be examined at the level of deeply held basic assumptions that members of a group share, and they are historically established structures, stored in the organisational members' almost unconscious realm, and which offer direction and meaning for man's relations with nature, with reality and in human relationships, while the artifacts are regarded as materialised expressions of the values and basic assumptions.

Schein (1985) proposes that the structure of organisational culture could best be thought of as consisting of three different layers,

 Figure 2: Organizational Culture and Leadership: 
Source: (Schein, 1985)

Artifacts 

What we see, what a newcomer, visitor or consultant would notice (e.g., dress, organisation charts, physical layout, degree and formality, logos, and mission statement.

Espoused Values

What they say, what we would be told is the reason things are the way they are and should be. This includes company philosophy, norms and justifications.

Assumptions and Beliefs

What they deeply believe in and act on Unconscious, taken for granted beliefs about the organisation and its work/purpose, about people, rewards etc.

References

• Brown, A. (1998) ‘Organisational Culture’, 2^nd edn., London: Financial Times Pitman Publishing.

• Deal, T. E. and Kennedy A. A. (1982) ‘Corporate cultures. Reading’, MA: Addison-Wesley.

• Handy, C. B. (1985) ‘Understanding Organizations’, 4^th edn., Facts on File Publications, New York, USA.

• Harrison, R. (1993) ‘Diagnosing Organizational Culture: Trainer’s Manual’, Amsterdam: Pfeiffer & Company.

• Schein, E. H. (1985) ‘Organizational Culture and Leadership’, 1^st  edn., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

• Watson, T. J. (2006) ‘Organising and Managing Work’, UK: Pearson Education Limited.

• Figure 1: Harrison, R. (1993) ‘Diagnosing Organizational Culture: Trainer’s Manual’, Amsterdam: Pfeiffer & Company.

• Figure 2: Schein, E. H. (1985) ‘Organizational Culture and Leadership’, 1^st  edn., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

The Global Context for HRM (Blog 8)

What is Global HRM..?

The preliminary function of global Human Resource Management is that the organisation carries a local appeal in the host country despite maintaining an international feel. Globalisation of itself brings the HR function closer to the strategic core of the business and also leads to considerable changes in the content of HRM (Pucik, 1992). As explained by Ulrich (1998), Globalisation requires organisations to move people, ideas, products and information around the world to meet local needs.

Sparrow et al. (2005) identified three processes that constitute global HRM:

1. Talent management/employee branding
2. International assignments management
3. Managing an international workforce.

Traditionally, international HR has been about managing an international workforce – the higher level organizational people working as expatriates, frequent commuters, cross-cultural team members and specialists involved in international knowledge transfer. Global HRM is not simply about these staff. It concerns managing all HRM activities, wherever they are, through the application of global rule sets (Sparrow et al., 2005).

(Video 1 : International HRM) 

Three reasons are forwarded for its inclusion under consideration of global HRM (Sparrow et al., 2004),

• The corporate HR function is best placed to understand the new risks associated with employment-related behavior of contractors or firms that form part of the supply chain.

• HR has a historical strength in understanding the complexities of labor law. PR specialists often have a lack of understanding about labor laws where they relate to undesirable practices and the distinctly local and cultural context of people management. In making reputational promises that might not be capable of delivery as easily as assumed, they may make the firm a bigger target than before.

• Activity closer to the heartland of a global HR function, such as the attraction of global talent, is increasingly dependent on reputation management.

Perspectives on globalisation in HRM

International HR professionals need to adopt a broad view of globalisation. Their organisations experience a wide range of factors associated with it that are of an economic, political, cultural, regulations and Technical.

(Figure 1 : Factors affecting Global Human Resource) 

A true understanding of global operation must also incorporate learning from international family business units, overseas networks of entrepreneurs and even illegal gangs, all of which have found ways of operating more globally (Parker, 1998). Internationalization connotes an expansion of interfaces between nations, the flow of business, goods or capital from one country to another, that is, an action in which nationality is still strong in the consciousness.

A global enterprise, by contrast (Parker, 1998):

• draws resources from the world
• views the entire world as its home
• establishes a worldwide presence
• adopts a global business strategy 
• transcends internal boundaries (of people, process and structure) and external boundaries (of nation, time and space).

The growth of global enterprises leads to increased permeability in the traditional business boundaries, which in turn leads to high rates of economic change, a growing number and diversity of participants, rising complexity and uncertainty.

References

• Parker, B. (1998) ‘Globalization and Business Practice: Managing Across Boundaries’, London: Sage.

• Pucik, V. (1992) ‘Globalizing Management’, London: John Wiley.

• Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. and Harris, H. (2004) ‘Globalizing Human Resource Management’, 1^st edn., Taylor & Francis Group, London, p. 28.

• Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. and Harris, H. (2005) ‘Towards a new model of globalizing HRM’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(6), pp. 949-970

• Ulrich, D. (1998) ‘A new mandate for human resources’, Harvard Business Review, January-February, pp. 124-134.

• Figure 1:  Southwestern College Publishing (2002) Factors affecting Global HRM, [Online] Available at : https://www.slideshare.net/Nenemane/managing-global-human-resource-management [Accessed on: 30 Sept 2018].

• Video 1 : International HRM (2018). [Online] Available at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdgNbPluyr4 [Accessed on: 30 Sept 2018].

Employee Engagement (Blog 7)

The meaning of Engagement

According to Kahn (1990), engagement means to be psychologically as well as physically present when occupying and performing an organisational role. Also he stated personal engagement as “the simultaneous employment and expression of a person’s ‘preferred self’ in task behaviors that promote connections to work and to others, personal presence, and active full role performances”.

What is Employee Engagement?

Employee engagement is a desirable condition, has an organizational purpose, and connotes involvement, commitment, passion, enthusiasm, focused effort, and energy, so it has both attitudinal and behavioral components (William and Benjamin, 2008). Harter et al. (2002) stated that engagement was ‘the individual’s involvement and satisfaction with as well as enthusiasm for work.

According to Robinson (2006), employee engagement can be achieved through the creation of an organisational environment where positive emotions such as involvement and pride are encouraged, resulting in improved organisational performance, lower employee turnover and better health.

It has also been argued that employee engagement is related to emotional experiences and wellbeing (May et al., 2004).

Best Practices of Employee Engagement

Most impactful best practices to enhance employee engagement as described by Henry S. Miller (2014):

• A Strategic Imperative - The Voice of the Employees

• Vision, Values, and Goals - Insuring that all employees are clear about these guiding principles for organizational success

• Leadership - senior executives need to be inspirational, enthusiastic, visible, clearly communicate and accessible.

• The Voice of the Employees - empowering people to share stories, exchange ideas, and disseminate best practices in accordance with achieving the vision and goals.

• Rewards, Recognition, and Career Path Development - Insure that formal rewards and recognition programs.

• Accountability - Companies and organizations with highly engaged workforces hold managers at all levels accountable for their team’s engagement that affects the team’s overall performance.

• Enablement and Empowerment - increase enablement of managers to give employees decision-making authority to contribute overall performance of the company.

• First Line Managers - make sure all first line managers and supervisors are trained to monitor, track, and act on employee engagement metrics and hold them accountable in their performance reviews for enhancing the levels of employee engagement.

Drivers of Employee Engagement

  

(Figure 1 : The top five drivers of sustainable engagement)  

Crawford et al. (2013) explain drivers of employee engagement ;

• Job challenge – this takes place when the scope of jobs is broad, job responsibility is high and there is a high work load. It enhances engagement because it creates potential for accomplishment and personal growth.

• Autonomy – the freedom, independence and discretion allowed to employees in scheduling their work and determining the procedures for carrying it out. It provides a sense of ownership and control over work outcomes.

• Variety – jobs which allow individuals to perform many different activities or use many different skills.

• Feedback – providing employees with direst and clear information about the effectiveness of their performance.

• Fit – the existence of compatibility between an individual and a work environment which allows individuals to behave in a manner consistent with how they see or want to see themselves.

• Opportunities for development – these make work meaningful because they provide pathways for employee growth and fulfilment.

• Rewards and recognition – these represent both direct and indirect returns on the personal investment of one’s time in acting out a work role.

References

• Crawford, E. R., Rich, B. L., Buckman, B. and Bergeron, J. (2013) “The antecendents and drivers of employee engagement” in (eds) Truss, C., Deldridge, R., Afles, K., Shantz, A. and Soane, E., Employee Engagement in Theory and Practice, London, Routledge, pp. 57–81.

• Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L. and Hayes, T. L. (2002) “Business-unit level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes”: a meta-analysis, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 87, pp. 268–279.

• Henry S. M. (2014) ‘The 10 Best Practices for Enhanced Employee Engagement’: The Henry Miller Group LLC, Los Gatos, CA. [Online] available at: http://www.millergroup.com/the-10-best-practices-for-enhanced-employee-engagement/ [Accessed on: 15^th September 2018].

• Kahn, W. A. (1990) ‘Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work,’ Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 33, pp. 692–724.

• May, D. R., Gilson, R. L. and Harter, L. M. (2004) ‘The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work’, Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, Vol. 77, pp. 11-37.

• Robinson, I. (2006) “Human Resource Management in Organisations”, London, CIPD.

• William H. M. and Benjamin S. (2008) 'Industrial and Organizational Psychology', Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(1), pp. 3-30. [Online] available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2007.0002.x [Accessed on: 15^th September 2018].

• Figure 1 : Willis Towers Watson (2018)The top five drivers of sustainable engagement:   [Online] available at: https://www.towerswatson.com/en-GB/Insights/Newsletters/Europe/HR-matters/2014/12/What-are-the-top-drivers-of-employee-attraction-retention-and-sustainable-engagement  [Accessed on: 15^th September 2018].

Managing Performance (Blog 6)

Introduction to Managing Performance

Performance management is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee that occurs throughout the year, in support of accomplishing the strategic objectives of the organization. It involves a never ending process of setting goals and objectives, observing performance, and giving and receiving ongoing coaching and feedback (DeNisi and Kluger, 2000).

Armstrong (2006) defined Performance Management as a systematic process for improving organizational performance by developing the performance of individuals and teams. It is a means of getting better results by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and competency requirements. Processes exist for establishing shared understanding about what is to be achieved, and for managing and developing people in a way that increases the probability that it will be achieved in the short and longer term. It focuses people on doing the right things by clarifying their goals. It is owned and driven by line management.

(Video 1: Process Performance Management)

Performance Appraisal Process

‘Performance appraisal has a reputation as a punitive, top-down control device, an unloved system. Performance Management is a holistic, total approach to engaging everyone in the organisation in a continuous process, to improve everyone and their performance, and thereby the performance of the whole organisation’ (Armstrong and Baron, 2005).

(Figure 1: Performance Appraisal process)

Wilson et al. (2000) research provides recommendations for conducting appraisals including training and development discussions should be held separately from assessment, promotion or pay discussions. Advance warning of an appraisal should be given to staff to allow sufficient time for preparation by both appraiser and appraisee.  Organisation and department business plans should be consulted when identifying training and development needs and plans should be reviewed regularly. Appraisal checklists should be provided and followed by appraiser and appraisee to ensure no areas of the appraisal are neglected.

Advantages and Disadvantages  of Performance Management System as explained by Herman (2005).

Advantages

• Self-insight, development are enhanced and motivation to perform and self-esteem increased.
• The job definition and criteria are clarified.
• Organisational goals are made clear.
• Employees become more competent and managers gain insight about subordinates.
• There is better differentiation between good and poor performers.
• Supervisors’ views of performance are communicated more clearly.

Disadvantages

• Self-esteem and motivation to perform decreased and employees may quit due to results.
• False or misleading information may be used.
• Time and money are wasted.
• Relationships are damaged and increased risk of litigation.
• Employees suffer from job burnout and job dissatisfaction.
• Managers are required to use an unjustified amount of resources.

There are many more advantages and disadvantages associated with the implementation of a performance management system which influencing the performance of organisations.

References

• Armstrong, M. (2006) ‘A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice’, 10th edn., London, Kogan Page, p. 495

• Armstrong, M. and Baron, A. (2005) ‘Managing Performance’, London, CIPD

• Wilson, J. P. and Western, S. (2000) ‘Performance appraisal: an obstacle to training and development?’, Career Development International, 6(2).

• DeNisi, A. S. and Kluger, A. N. (2000) ‘Feedback effectiveness: can 360-degree appraisals be improved?’ Academy of Management Executive, 14, pp. 129–139.

• freemanagementbooks (2003) [Online] Available at: http://www.free-management-ebooks.com/faqap/perfman-07.htm [Accessed on: 05 September 2018].

• Herman, A. (2005) ‘performance Management’, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK, pp. 6-18

• Figure 1:  LeraBlog (2018) Performance Appraisal process: [Online] available at: https://lerablog.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/gertgrtg.jpg [Accessed on: 05 September 2018].

• Video 1: softwareAG (2018): [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TY0ePoKZus [Accessed on: 05 September 2018].   

Team Development (Blog 5)

What is a Team and Team Work?

Team is a group of people work together who share responsibility for achieving specific performance goals. Katzenbach & Smith (1993) defined as ‘A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose , performance goals and approach for which they are mutually accountable’.

Teamwork is defined by Scarnati (2001), as 'a cooperative process that allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results'. Team members must be flexible enough to adapt to cooperative working environments where goals are achieved through collaboration and social interdependence rather than individualised, competitive goals (Luca and Tarricone, 2001).

Nine Models of Belbin Team roles : Belbin, R. M. (2004).

                    (Figure 1 : Belbin Team Roles)

1. Resource Investigator

Strengths: Outgoing, enthusiastic. Explores opportunities and develops contacts.

Allowable weaknesses: Might be over-optimistic, and can lose interest once the initial enthusiasm has passed.

2. Team worker

Strengths: Co-operative, perceptive and diplomatic. Listens and averts friction.

Allowable weaknesses: Can be indecisive in crunch situations and tends to avoid confrontation.

3. Co-Ordinator

Strengths: Mature, confident, identifies talent. Clarifies goals.

Allowable weaknesses: Can be seen as manipulative and might offload their own share of the work.

4. Plant

Strengths: Creative, imaginative, free-thinking, generates ideas and solves difficult problems.

Allowable weaknesses: Might ignore incidentals, and may be too preoccupied to communicate effectively.

5. Monitor Evaluator

Strengths: Sober, strategic and discerning. Sees all options and judges accurately.

Allowable weaknesses: Sometimes lacks the drive and ability to inspire others and can be overly critical.

6. Specialist

Strengths: Single-minded, self-starting and dedicated. They provide specialist knowledge and skills.

Allowable weaknesses: Tends to contribute on a narrow front and can dwell on the technicalities.

7. Shaper

Strengths: Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure. Has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles.

Allowable weaknesses: Can be prone to provocation, and may sometimes offend people's feelings.

8. Implementer

Strengths: Practical, reliable, efficient. Turns ideas into actions and organises work that needs to be done.

Allowable weaknesses: Can be a bit inflexible and slow to respond to new possibilities.

9. Completer Finisher

Strengths: Painstaking, conscientious, anxious. Searches out errors. Polishes and perfects.

Allowable weaknesses: Can be inclined to worry unduly, and reluctant to delegate.

(Video 1: Introduction from Dr Meredith Belbin)

Bruce Tuckman’s (1965) Team development Model

(Figure 2: Tuckman model)

Professor Bruce Tuckman first implemented four stages of group development - Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing and later he added a fifth stage Adjourning. Forming involves the introduction of group members exploring acceptable group behavior and the evolution of individuals to group status. Storming is group members are confronted with the realization that the tasks to be undertaken are different and sometimes more difficult than they had anticipated. In the Norming stage, the group becomes more cohesive as members recognize and adhere to group-developed norms and rules and assume the roles and responsibilities required for members. Performing is characterized by the group’s increased capacity for problem solving and implementation of changes that lead to task accomplishment. Later Adjourning brings closure to a group by the ending of a process, assignment, or other task.

References  

• Katzenbach, J. R. and Smith, D. K. (1993) ‘The Wisdom of Teams’: Creating the High-Performance Organisation, Boston: Harvard Business School.

•  Scarnati, J. T. (2001) ‘On becoming a team player’, Team Performance Management: An International Journal, vol. 7(1/2), pp. 5-10.

•  Luca, J. and Tarricone, P. (2001) ‘Does emotional intelligence affect successful teamwork?’, Proceedings of the 18th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education at the ASCILITE, pp. 367 – 376, Melbourne: University of Melbourne.

•  BELBIN Associates (2018), [Online] available at: https://www.belbin.com/about/belbin-team-roles/ (Accessed on: 05 September 2018).

•  Tuckman, B. W. (1965) ‘Developmental Sequence in Small Groups’. Psychological Bulletin, 63, pp. 384-399.

• Video 1: BELBIN Associates (2018) Introduction from Dr Meredith Belbin. [Online] available at:  https://www.belbin.com/about/dr-meredith-belbin/   (Accessed on: 05 September 2018).

• Figure 1: Educational-Business-Articles.com (2016) Belbin Team Roles. [Online] available at: https://www.educational-business-articles.com/belbin-team-roles/  [Accessed on: 05 September 2018].

• Figure 2: Mullins, L. J. (2010) ‘Management and Organisational Behaviour’, 9th edn., Harlow: Pearson Higher Education.