Concept And Theories Of Organisational HRM

Background information on the critical concepts and theories

Discuss about the Concept and Theories of Organisational HRM.

Researchers describe the critical concepts and theories of organizational human resource management as a reaction against a normative concept concerning the functionality and performance of the HRM of an organization (Alam, Masum, Beh, & Hong, 2016). In other words, it helps in highlighting the inherent contradictions affecting the normative perspective of the HRM functions and performance. It is hence a perspective that espouses the available performance gaps in the performance of an organization. In a systematic study, Miles (2017) point out that while various organizations claim that the employees are an essential asset of the organization and are thus responsible for making many commitments for their development and welfare. The reality is that the employers often force a rigid strategic control giving the interest of the company the priority over the workforce of the organization (Greenwood & Van Buren, 2017). This essay reviews the literature on the various critical aspects of the HRM with a focus on culture, development and training, diversity management, and internal performance management. As a result, it gives background information on the normative theory of the HRM concerning No Name Aircraft as a case study organization. The paper then concludes with suggested recommendations that can be adopted by the company to ensure the business is sustained with improvement in quality.

Originally, the function of the HRM in an organization was a responsibility of the personnel management who had the administration, industrial relations, and welfare as the core functions as pointed out by Buren (2017). However, the personnel management was heavily criticized as it became the dumping site for other unwanted responsibilities, an aspect that made it less treated within the organization. As other management functions like marketing, finance, etc. enjoyed power, high remuneration, and prestige, the personnel management was treated as less important within the organization, an aspect that led to the emergence of the HRM. The HRM managed to encounter the criticism and gain credibility in the organizational management enabling the department to acquire strategic focus towards proper employees’ management and organizational performance.

According to Guinot, Chiva, and Mallen (2016), the HRM had its responsibilities on the basis of two critical theories.  These included the Michigan theory that adopted a strategic approach linking workforce management to the strategy of the organization and Harvard model that emphasized on the coordination and functionality of the human resources. The two models adopted a unitary perspective incorporating influence, mutual goals, respect, responsibility, and rewards that later resulted in employee commitment and better results for both the workforce and the organization. The unitary perspective of the theories postulated that what is essential for the organization should as well be vital for the employees, an aspect that changed the focus of organizational management to effective employment relationship towards the achievement of the set workforce and organizational goals.

Culture

According to Jackson (2012), the two models formed the prescriptive or the normative HRM theory or model as critical human resource concepts incorporating policy and organizational goals on the basis of the strategic integration as pointed out by Shen, Tang and D’Netto (2014). It is from the theories that focus on the culture of the organization; training and development, diversity management, and international performance management were given center stage in the effective and sustainable performance of the organization.  In the case study, the performance of No Name Aircraft has to be a worry to the CEO making it a center stage of concern to the employees, the customers, and all other stakeholders of the company. It is in working together with all its subsidiaries in China, Vietnam, and Singapore that will help the organization not only to work towards maximizing the return to shareholders and in its investments but also increase the quality of production and benefit to the workforce.

Organizational culture is defined as a conceptual share of values and beliefs within an organization that helps in shaping the pattern of employees’ behavior within the organization. Greenwood and Van Buren (2017) define it as the driving force that organizes the contribution and effort of the members within an organization while providing a holistic understanding of what needs to be achieved and how it should be done. It also focuses on how goals are interrelated within an organization as well as how every employee can attain the goals. In other words, it is the manner in which an organization keeps its workforce in line with the set objectives. In a systematic study, Shen, Tang, and D’Netto (2014) point out that human resource management often has a very challenging responsibility in ensuring the organization adopts a culture that is beneficial to both the employees and the business.

 It is the full responsibility of the HRM to employ the qualified personnel, help them to embrace the organizational culture with an aim developing their professional abilities for the benefit of the organization (Stone, 2016). For instance, it is the responsibility of O’Meara to ensure that the HR departments in all the subsidiaries of the company in Singapore, China, and Vietnam work towards achieving the set employment objectives that meet the employment policies within their location. In other words, the act of avoiding persons living with disability in China is against the law, an aspect that can cause the company dearly when it comes to the limelight of the persons involved. In other words, O’Meara as the CEO is responsible for the communication breakdown, teamwork, quality production, and integration of the organizational activities across the organization. He should hence ensure that the organization adopts a culture that coordinates the HRM departments across the subsidiaries to ensure improvement in the overall performance of the Aircraft.

Training and Development

A good organizational culture should ensure that any need of change within the organizational performance is carried out while involving not only the management but the employees as well Jackson (2012). The same study denotes that the basic HRM functions such as selection, recruitment, and training have a direct influence on the stability and performance of the organization. In support of the assertion, Guinot, Chiva, and Mallen (2016) denote that these functions are the major determinants of the employees’ behavior as well as the professional values they build that lead to the development of effective organizational culture. In other words, the effective performance of the aircraft as well as the employees is greatly determined by the HRM department. It has the responsibility of integrating the leadership, policies and standards, working environment, employees, and management to positively affect the behavior and improve positive thinking towards the initiatives of the organization towards the workforce thus leading to positive results and customer satisfaction. 

According to Stone (2016), training and development are a general term for the activities that are aimed at developing the professional skills and knowledge as well as the abilities of the employees in the organization. In other words, training and development involve activities that equip the employees with the desired competencies with the aim of meeting both the future and the current goals of the organization. The human resource management within an organization often adopts such activities, and intervention strategies with the aim of assisting the organization to establish an active, engaged, and high-performing workforce. It is hence designed to help the workforce to adopt methodologies that will give them dynamic skills and knowledge for improved performance within the organization.

In many organizations, development and training of employees are a responsibility of the HRM as pointed out by Salas and Weaver (2016). However, the relationship often depends on the cooperation, effective communication, and clear set of knowledge and skills as defined in the organizational work description. In the case study, several gaps are evident within the human resource functions in all the subsidiaries when it comes to training and development of the company workforce. For instance, there is a need for training in the hierarchy of communication on challenges that are affecting the organization. The employees also lack concepts on the importance of teamwork within the various departments as well as between the three subsidiaries. The executives within every department of the company also need to be trained on how they can effectively integrate their management skills to coordinate the employees under them, an aspect that will help in ensuring there is a cross corporation, communication, and task integrations. It is hence evident that the HRM of the organization has failed to perform its duties as required. It means that the values of the organization should make the employees very eager to attain their professional goals, an aspect that requires the adoption of the employee’s development programs to ensure this is achieved as depicted by Dyer and Preston (2000).

In the global business arena, Hyuntak and Eugene (2016) define training and development as support provided by the internal human resource efficiency within an organization through extra education with the aim of improving the performance process. The two words development and training are intertwined but often reflect the aspect of continuously improving the skills of the employees towards better organizational results. Training and development are hence essential in helping the Aircraft to find solutions to both the employees and the quality performance challenges affecting its general performance. Meena and Vanka (2017) denote that traditionally, it was not viewed that training and development could help in improving the performance and creating value to competitiveness. However, with the advancement of new technology and its adoption in business, every organization requires training and development to adjust the knowledge and skills of the workforce in a manner that will enable the organization to benefit from the adopted technological strategies and systems.

The performance management is an essential aspect of HRM within an organization that applies an assessment of both current and previous results and performance of the team, employee, or the whole company as pointed out by Neuman, Schmidt, and Trafton (2017). It is hence considered a base of different business practices such as new recruitment, training and career development, and performance appraisal among other essential human resource functions. In many cases, performance management starts a month before the end of appraisal cycles and can be done yearly or semi-annually depending on the policies governing the activities of the organization. Browne (2011) also denotes that performance management can be conducted on the basis of the calendar year.

In the case study, it is essential that O’Meara ensure the company adopts strategies that can help in proper internal management operation. It is a step the will enable the Executive to evaluate and identify the areas within the organization that is not well coordinated. The process will help in identifying the performance gaps within the employee’s performance as well as the best and most relevant strategies that can be adopted to ensure customer satisfaction (Chopra, Lovejoy, & Yano, 2014). Identifying the existing gaps will help the organization not only to work towards maximizing the return to shareholders and in its investments but also increase the quality of production and benefit to the workforce.

According to Shen, Tang, and D’Netto (2014), discrimination within the working environment is a concept that affects the performance of different organizations. The same study denotes that various factors lead to discrimination within an organization. These include the composition of the workforce, the size of the organization, subsidiary status, affirmative action requirements, as well as the industrial sector in which the company operates. As a result, there is a need for the Aircraft to understand the concept behind the subsidiary in China discriminating qualified job seekers living with disabilities. In the process, the relevant executives together with the CEO of the organization will be able to understand the best strategy to adopt in addressing the issue.

In the context of the HRM function, Salas and Weaver (2016) point out that diversity management is concerned with a coherent set of principles that promote plurality and equal opportunities within the working environment. In other words, diversity management should adopt a strategy that includes selection criteria on the basis of valuing candidates without the favor of any pre-defined category and flexible career paths irrespective of the race, age, disability, and tribe of an individual. It should as well adopt various performance management practices that promote effective evaluation mechanisms and not weaken any biases towards the employees’ identity. A successful management of diversity within the company will require Aircraft management to understand that gender and race are just a few of the diversity factors, an aspect that will require them to expand their diversity perspective and adopt a diversity model that promotes a favorable working environment for all employees according to D’Netto, Shen, Chelliah, and Monga (2014).

Conclusion

In a systematic study, Hyuntak and Eugene (2016) denote that effective communication and sufficient engagement of employees is necessary to promote a higher encouragement, employee satisfaction, and quality production. In other words, an organizational culture that takes care of the interests of the employees helps in motivating their focus towards professional satisfaction and quality performance. In the end, the production will be of high-quality and will meet the needs and desires of the customers. However, various reasons might prevent the employees from speaking out their mind towards why they feel uncomfortable in their working environment. For instance, No Name needs to address the concerns that are likely to affect the performance of the employees, an aspect that when solved will lead to improved production, quality assurance, and more customer satisfaction.

Shen, Tang and D’Netto (2014) denote that companies have realized that training and development are necessary for internet e-commerce in business, increasing effectiveness, and reducing costs. As a result, training and development for the employs, training managers, as well as the human resource experts are essential in encouraging the employees to learn and as well share their professional experience with others within the company. For instance, No Name Aircraft requires creating conditions for learning through collaboration, traditional classroom training, and online learning across the subsidiaries, as well as a combination of all the methods.

In conclusion, No Name Aircraft is in a point of collapsing in case the management fails to timely address the challenges facing the employees as well as the overall performance of the organization. Aspects such as understanding the recommended organizational and federal policies that govern the aircraft industry, performance appraisal for the employees, effective communication, employees’ training and career development are some of the aspects that will ensure effective performance. With motivated employees, it will be easy for the company not only to achieve the set goals but as well provide quality products that meet the customers at their points out needs

References

Alam, M. R., Masum, A. M., Beh, L., & Hong, C. S. (2016). Critical Factors Influencing Decision to Adopt Human Resource Information System (HRIS) in Hospitals. Plos ONE, 11(8), 1-22. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160366.

Browne, W. P. (2011). Organizational Maintenance: The Internal Operation of Interest Groups. Public Administration Review, 37(1), 48-57.

Buren, H. h. (2017). Ideology in HRM Scholarship: Interrogating the Ideological Performativity of ‘New Unitarism’. Journal Of Business Ethics, 142(4), 663-678.

Chopra, S., Lovejoy, W., & Yano, C. (2014). Five Decades of Operations Management and the Prospects Ahead. Management Science, 50(1), 8-14. doi:10.1287/mnsc.1030.0189

Diversity Management Content in Introductory Human Resource Management Textbooks. (2008). Academy of Management Learning & Education, 7(3), 429-433. doi:10.5465/AMLE.2008.37029277.

D’Netto, B., Shen, J., Chelliah, J., & Monga, M. (2014). Human resource diversity management practices in the Australian manufacturing sector. International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 25(9), 1243-1266. doi:10.1080/09585192.2013.826714

Dyer, L. M., & Preston, J. C. (2000). Developing Internal Organization Development Consultants. International Journal Of Organization Theory & Behavior (Marcel Dekker), 3(1/2), 135-183.

Greenwood, M. m., & Van Buren, H. h. (2017). Ideology in HRM Scholarship: Interrogating the Ideological Performativity of ‘New Unitarism’. Journal Of Business Ethics, 142(4), 663-678.

Guinot, J. g., Chiva, R. r., & Mallen, F. f. (2016). Linking Altruism and Organizational Learning Capability: A Study from Excellent Human Resources Management Organizations in Spain. Journal Of Business Ethics, 138(2), 349-364.

Hyuntak, R., & Eugene, K. (2016). The Business Case For Gender Diversity: Examining The Role Of Human Resource Management Investments. Human Resource Management, 55(3), 519-534. doi:10.1002/hrm.21736

Jackson, T. (2012). Cross-cultural management and the informal economy in sub-Saharan Africa: implications for organization, employment and skills development. International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 23(14), 2901-2916. doi:10.1080/09585192.2012.671510

Meena, K., & Vanka, S. (2017). Developing an empirical typology of diversity-oriented human resource management practices. Journal Of Management Development, 36(7), 915-929. doi:10.1108/JMD-02-2016-0031

Miles, S. s. (2017). Stakeholder Theory Classification: A Theoretical and Empirical Evaluation of Definitions. Journal Of Business Ethics, 142(3), 437-459.

Neuman, M. J., Schmidt, E. M., & Trafton, J. A. (2017). Measurement-based management of mental health quality and access in VHA: SAIL mental health domain. Psychological Services, 14(1), 1-12. doi:10.1037/ser0000097.

Salas, E., & Weaver, S. J. (2016). Employee growth and development: Cultivating human capital. In M. J. Grawitch, D. W. Ballard, M. J. Grawitch, D. W. Ballard (Eds.) , The psychologically healthy workplace: Building a win-win environment for organizations and employees (pp. 59-86). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14731-004.

Shen, J., Tang, N., & D’Netto, B. (2014). A multilevel analysis of the effects of HR diversity management on employee knowledge sharing: the case of Chinese employees. International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 25(12), 1720-1738. doi:10.1080/09585192.2013.859163

Stone, R. D. (2016). Employee growth and development: Perspectives from the field. In M. J. Grawitch, D. W. Ballard, M. J. Grawitch, D. W. Ballard (Eds.) , The psychologically healthy workplace: Building a win-win environment for organizations and employees (pp. 87-110). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14731-005.