200175 Managing Human Resources and Industrial Relations
Assessment One
- Answer ALL three questions
- Each answer should be about 500 words (for a total of 1500 words)
- All answers must be completed ON THIS TEMPLATE, using the space provided at the end of each question. Use Calibri 11 point font (this is the default font so please do not change). This template is in editable Word format, so use additional space if required. LEAVE ANY UNUSED SPACE AT THE END OF EACH QUESTION BLANK.
- The completed templates MUST include (a) the completed cover sheet (b) answers to each question in the space provided (c) the included marking template for each question.
- The answers submitted via the Assessment One Drop Box and via Turnitin MUST be the same.
- It is expected that answers to each question will refer to at least the relevant required reading relating to each question. It is not an expectation that additional references will be used, however students are encouraged to refer to the additional references in the reading list or any other relevant material which they have found.
- Normal referencing using the School of Business Harvard system MUST be used in each question.
- Answers MUST be submitted to each Drop Box by NO LATER THAN midnight on Thursday 11 April, 2013
QUESTIONS:
- “Most contemporary Australian organisations are better suited to the adoption of a high, rather than low, commitment HR strategy. However, this should be underpinned by a set of particular HR practices tailored to each organisation’s circumstances, rather than any set of generic ‘best practices’”. Discuss.
Write your answer here (approximately 500 words)
HR Strategy Orientation
Most of the competitive business concerned strategies mainly emphasizes on improvement on management approaches and utmost strengthen importance on human resources management strategy that successfully links strategic planning and significant cultural shift in Australian society. Human Resource appears to be enhancing steadily but at the same time organizations not in Australia but globally are experiencing diverse inter-related phases of transformation. With expansion in business world, Australian organizations are engage in development of high commitment HR strategies, therefore high commitment HR strategies in Australia is promptly attaining greater attention (Bridgford, 1994).
Australia’s HR Strategic Experience
Australian human resource management practices enriches the knowledge of emerging regions and economies, where at the same time add value to international human resource practices. In international context state that international human resource management (IHR) is an emerging field of exploration. However it can be stated Australian Human resource strategy as a process through which personnel procures justified needs of workforce and motivates them to achieve higher business objectives as well as better profitability (Sanchez, 2006).
Human resource management practices and strategic development prominently in Australian organizations preferably developed through industrialization of region. However, Sanchez (2006) argues that in Australia this process begins with the arrival of foreign direct investment as they such high commitment transformation change is basically driven through economic objectives of Australia that are aimed towards survival in international competitive environment. In some of the countries around the globe the process starts after a shift from agricultural practices to manufacturing one. But for the economical expansion is characterized by higher generation of wealth, frequent alteration from closed to open economy system and oligopolies in Emerging Economies. In this section of the paper, the basic attributes of Emerging Economies organizations will be determined that are taken into consideration by multi-national organizations while developing recruitment and selection strategies.
The question here states that how Australian organizations either local or international recruit and retain new talent as well as existing one in organization. According to Marta (2006), Organizations in Australia use to find employees that show higher commitment and concentration on their management practices. In this regard it can be said that the most of the Australian organizations preferably look for individuals who can permit extensive time to their work and must take initiative to get enhanced profits and performance results a t the same time. But, organizations look for talent which does not have ideology to take risk at every step because in terms of cultural intervention supervisors are the ones who have greater knowledge and abilities to meet every consequence, on the other hand employees are preferably dependent upon decisions of supervisors.
In terms of attracting employees from other pools such as multinational organizations in Australia significant attract employees from global orientation or in regards with hiring employees from local orientation, Employee on-boarding before hiring they find more essential. Employee On-Boarding is a fairly new approach in talent management for Australian organizations, as the concept deeply refers to retaining new talent with high commitment rather than getting people to switch their jobs to new workplaces (Dowling & Welch, 2006).
Question One Comments:
Question One Mark:
- “The traditional approach to recruitment and selection might suit low commitment organisations or low skill jobs where staff are easily replaceable, but high commitment organisations which develop staff and encourage them to use extra discretionary effort need to develop a selection process based on the processual model”. Discuss.
Write your answer here (approximately 500 words)
Processual Model
The basic concept of selecting high commitment employees is to develop sustainable mutually beneficial relationship between employees and organizational officials. In terms of modern human resources management practices, Stephen Wood depicts that the high commitment human resource management is a concept that is preferably aimed towards acquiring elevated commitment so that the behavior of employers and employees will be self-regulated instead of controlled one. The behavior is mainly controlled through sanctions as well as involves distinctive external pressures that overlap on the individual. In the particular context the internal organizational association refers to be developed on higher degree of trust.
The concept of high commitment human resource management reveals that most of the organizations in preferably extensive international environment come out with management styles in which employees use to manage own activities as well as performance rather than operating distinctive functions in close supervision. In particular human resource management style the employees are responsible to plan and implement distinctive actions that not only results in their performance enhancement but also come out with elevated benefits for business as well as its potential consumers.
Seven Attributes of Processual Model
Here the question arises that what preferably results in best way to achieve higher commitment level between employees and their probable supervisors. At the same time, much has been presented and loads of is in process for the topic, but after closely analyzing authentic sources it has been discovered that that are seven basic attributes that secure positions of employees in business entity and ultimately stimulate commitment.
One of the basic attribute is concerned to job safety, however, it is a fact that a job cannot be guaranteed. In the similar context it depicts that the commitment of employers in order to facilitate subordinates with a signed and compulsory consent regarding job safety, as it reflects to be foundation of particular form of human resource management. At the similar range, selecting one of the best employee from he pool is major task of employers preferably most of the most. In the context of processual approach, which suggests that the range of sophistication in terms of selecting as well as employee retaining practices will definitely results in permitting organization with highly skilled and capable human resources. Additionally processual model determines that more or less all of the employers must be prepared for analyzing attitudes of employees in recruiting process, as skills can significantly developed over time with high commitment of employee and their willingness (Kleynhans, 2006). According to processual model, educating and training employees is not only significant to equip them with necessary abilities and skills in order to carry out differentiated organizational goals effectively, instead the approach is also helpful to determine the level of commitment towards future development of employees. On the other hand, the approach depicts that sharing wide range of information regarding performance of employees in different situations comes out with higher results. It is due to the fact that employees use to focus on the most significant and occurring organizational issues and constantly engage in generating variety of innovative resolutions that will result in task improvement. In the specific context, information sharing with employees definitely results in trust enhancement.
Processual model of selection depicts that in reference to develop high commitment relation between employees, associates and bosses team management as well as development skills are highly required one as it tends to strengthen up the employee’s connectivity with the other prospective business functional. The team development capabilities also results in higher decision making and creativity idea generation aspects. Processual approach in the context reveals that compensations in terms of higher returns will definitely prove it as a great motivator but at the same time it must be based upon performance evaluation. It basic concept of the approach is to make employees feel that they are most important aspect for business expansion, and by far historical evidences reveals that they are. It depicts that employees must be facilitated with similar range of compensations and fringe attributes such as profit sharing plans and must be allowed to apply similar regulations, as the phenomenon of the new-flanged concept is to make positive decisions as the opportunities discloses.
Question Two Comments:
Question Two Mark:
- “If handled appropriately, teams can be used very effectively by contemporary high commitment organisations. This means having team leaders who are sensitive to the processes of group formation and development, having a flatter organisational structure with opportunities for team members to broaden their job range and responsibilities and an organisational culture which supports devolved decision making and initiative.” Discuss.
Write your answer here (approximately 500 words)
Team Working and High Commitment
Research sources reveals that transformational owners of organization turns the business venture into high commitment management organizations that preferably aim towards attaining higher level of commitment from distinctive employees. The natural concept of collaboration reveals that these team members is not only accountable for effectively managing the task but at the same time responsible to achieve organization of group. The approach also determines a fact that these group of members tends to develop their own objectives and functioning directions that underlying the capacities for learning as well as also reveals self-motivated changes (Ten Things We Know to Be True, 2002).
A number of observations depict that the respective team is make appropriate plans and implementation decision without any hesitation and at the same time tends to achieve business objectives beyond expected limitations. In the specific contextual framework that the team working and decision making capacities ultimately results in problem solving in reference to various unsatisfactory business situations, as according to the statement made by Roethlisberger who reveals that human association and working collaboration comes out with potential results in terms of most adverse business circumstances. The approach demonstrated that all of the team members comes out with different innovative ideas through which they significantly strive to achieve process improvement (Jim, & Oliver, 1991). The discussion depicts that all the members of certain team determines goals, processes and distinctive measure o deal will all situations with easiness.
Flat Organizational Structure
The examination as a whole depicts that high commitment human resource management practices refers to activities through which a collaborative relationship is developed in between employees and employers. It has been promptly observed that the particular set of environment help employees to deal with dissimilar situation with preferably easiness. At the same time, team working is also a essential attribute of high commitment management which helps in generating distinctive but competent ideas to come out with the most suitable solution in terms of adversity (Bratton & Gold, 2003). The main purpose of stimulating the concept is to improve business performance which ultimately comes out with mutually beneficial results for not only organizations but also the potential business consumers. In the context the flatter organizational structure is prominently the most significant component to general business success. As in flatter structure all of the individuals are responsible for their decisions, outputs and capabilities. The approach prefers the all of the associates of business firm are preferably managers at their own context, in contrary the integration of self-centered concepts and distinctive external pressures make them feel subordinates. It depicts that in organizations which use to develop flat structure not even try to distinguish in terms of structure.
Question Three Comments:
Question Three Mark:
Total Mark for Assessment One:
Bibliography
Sanchez, C. G. (2006). HR's strategic role within MNCs: helping build social capital in Latin America. The International Journal of Human Resource Management , 16 (12), 2189-2200.
Kleynhans, R., 2006. Fresh Perspectives: Human Resource Management. Pearson South Africa.
Marta M. Elvira, A.D., 2005. Managing Human Resources In Latin America: An Agenda For International Leaders. Routledge.
Dowling, P.& Welch D. (2004) International Human Resource Management, 4th Edition, Cincinnati, Ohio International Thompson Press.
"Ten Things We Know to Be True." Google Company. Google, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2012
Lowe, Jim, and Nick Oliver. "The High Commitment Workplace: Two Cases from a Hi-Tech Industry." Work, Employment & Society 5.3 (1991): 437-50
Bratton, J. & Gold, J (2003) Human Resource Management : Theory and Practice, London: Macmillan.
Bridgford J. & Stirling J. (1994) Employee Relations in Europe, Oxford: Blackwell
