Company XYZ Case Study
One of biggest challenges in the contemporary business environment is the globalization. There are various factors that are discussed in the context of globalization in modern academic and business literature. Some of the major effects of it on the organizations are the dramatically increased pace of change, international mobility of individuals and the organizations, growing diversity and complexity of the business operations by themselves. The truth is that the companies in the modern business environment have to face international supply chain, cross-border operations, and diversity in terms of internal and external stakeholder management. This places numerous pressures on the organizational ability to respond to change, ensure that internal capabilities in terms of specific skills, competencies, and experience, are adequate to build on sustainable in a given external setting (Swanson and Elwood, 2009. Pp.27-32). With that above in mind, the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) has transformed from a facilitator of the strategic processes to a change leader (Sims, 2007, pp.43-50).
Should Actual Work Experience be a Requirement for Higher-level Positions?
Given the changing landscape and organizational cultures, it is no longer possible to create a unique profile of a successful HR manager. It is possible, however, to argue that to be able to succeed in a real business environment as a change leader, HR managers should possess both, strong theoretical background as well as on-field experience. Beck and Harter (2014) note that if a candidate does not have an inner talent and theoretical base required for a job, no amount of experience will matter. This will provide them with specific experience and knowledge to deal with uncertainty and address change effectively and timely. That said, teaching HR cannot become a substitute for the actual work experience at HR department in a real business. It can, however, present a significant unique capability which, once brought to the organization, will provide it with an ability to see and analyze the situation from both perspectives. The experience of the XYZ illustrates that Laura Jenkins brought a lot of positive changes in the company and her leadership was positively received and seen by employees on various levels. At the same time, it is evident that her lack of exposure to "real life HR" makes her less responsive to change.
Should Female Staff Dominate the Workplace?
Organizations, which recognize the growing role of diversity in international business and are able to address through an effective strategic plan and operational performance, tend to build sustainable business models. It is proven by the experience of many multinational corporations (MNCs) that once companies build on diversity and use it internally to bring specific and unique knowledge and way of thinking to the company, they become more competitive and avoid imitability.That said, none of the companies should structure its employee pool based on similarity or specific quality of individuals. First of all, such approach will be more and more seen as discrimination and will receive the very negative response from internal and external stakeholders, such as community and government (Schwartz, 2011). Secondly, it will limit the organization from seeing and responding to the changing external environment, where companies should be able to recognize the differences rapidly to change their strategies. Finally, internal diversity of employees, if managed properly, can significantly improve the productivity of the company. By hiring 75% of female staff, the management does not allow difference of approach and "kills" innovation.
Should E-cigarettes Be Allowed at the Workplace?
There is the standartized answer about the allowance of e-cigarettes in the workplace. One can argue that allowing individuals using e-cigarettes promotes the "image" of smoking and can make it more attractive to others and even incentivise real smoking. Customers and visitors can have a wrong impression about eh company as they may believe that employees are allowed to smoke in the workplace. Finally, e-cigarettes can be seen as a factor of distraction for employees from their responsibilities. Others would argue that e-cigarettes are a great way to quit smoking and the companies should incentivise healthy lifestyle, thus, allowing smoking these devices at the workplace. One of the major counter arguments to the above statement is the lack of data on actual harm that e-cigarettes cause to the society. While there is not enough data, some research, focusing on indirect and direct effects allows concluding that “e-cigarettes emit harmful chemicals into the air and need to be regulated” (Offerman, 2014, p.44). They can support their argument that company that integrates healthy lifestyle promotion and the use of e-cigarettes for only those who are trying to quit can use this policy to promote their brand as socially-responsible. With that in mind, there are pros and cons for the use of e-cigarettes and it should be an individual decision, which fits into the corporate culture and philosophy of the organization (Sadler, 2003,pp.101-123). Critics argue further that e-cigarettes, which often have taste of chocolate and caramel seem to aim children and youngsters. Such product cannot be beneficial for the society and, therefore, should not be promoted on corporate level as well as directly to the public (Raschke, 2013).
Health Ramifications of E-cigarettes
Fast research of the contemporary views on the e-cigarettes outlines that numerous debates surround these questions. Some of the major considerations made by those professionals that find e-cigarettes not safe are that there is not enough empirical data to argue that these devices are completely safe. The risks are not analyzed in a long-term and the effect of secondhand exposure is not clear. The fact is that e-cigarettes still work with nicotine, the device works on batteries and the heating element with the cartridge, containing flavoring and liquid (Trtchounian, 2010, pp.905-906). With the above in mind, some experts suggest that e-cigarettes can incentivise non-smokers and even kids to try tobacco, as the device has become a "gateway drug" (The Lancet, 2013). Another important argument of those, who do not support e-cigarette smoking is the impact of the device on lung diseases, based on the growing number of calls to health centers, related to the e-cigarette exposure poisonings (Cameron et al., 2014).
What are Some Solutions to the Case Study?
Based on the given information, the use of e-cigarettes is still relatively new occurrence in the workplace and, thus, should deal with a lot of care from the HR management to avoid resistance and make individuals understand the underlining principles of decisions, made by the company. Given the fact that employees of the Company XYZ already started to use the e-cigarettes and given the fact that there is no legal basis for prohibiting it on state or national level, the company could have considered making an internal SOP and manual for the use of these devices. Some of the possible solutions would be to regulate smoking of e-cigarettes in the same manner as it is done for real cigarettes. For example, the management should allow smoking both types of cigarettes during the intervals and in specially allocated places outside the premises of the company. Secondly, it could allow employees use e-cigarettes, once an individual officially requested so, trying to quit smoking. These two solutions could become an alternative to totally prohibiting the use of these devices. It will not, however, offer a unique and functional solution as the diversity of opinions will always exist in the company.
References
Sadler Ph (2003). Strategic Management. 2nd Edition. London: Kogan Page Limited
Schwartz M.S. (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility: An Ethical Approach. Toronto:Broadview Press. Print.
Ronald R. Sims. (2007). Human Resource Management. Contemporary Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.
Swanson R.A. and Elwood F.H.. (2009). Foundation of Human Resource Development. 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Barret-Koehler.
Francis (Bud) J Offermann. (2014). The Hazards of ECigarettes. ASHRAE Journal, ISSN 00012491, Volume 56, Issue 6, p. 3844
The Lancet. (2013). E-cigarettes: a Moral Quandary. Lancet, ISSN 01406736, Vol.382, Issue 9896: 914915.
Raschke RA. (2013). Smoking, Epidemiology, and E-cigarettes. Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care, ISSN 21606773, Volume 7, pp. 41 – 45.
Trtchounian, A., Williams, M., Talbot, P. (2010). Conventional and Electronic Cigarettes (ecigarettes) Have Different Smoking Characteristics. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, ISSN 14622203, Volume 12, Issue 9, pp. 905 – 912
Beck B. and Harter J. (2014). Why Good Managers Are So Rare. Harvard Business Review [Online]. Retrieved 9 May 2016, https://hbr.org/2014/03/why-good-managers-are-so-rare/
