Thirty percent adults who are working or looking for work, have dipped in to their own pockets during the recession to pay to learn new skills in their own time to help them get new jobs or keep their current one. The fact that millions of people have invested their own cash during the recession was discovered in a new poll by elemense, the recruitment process outsourcing company.
The survey, part of an annual study into the various key elements of the world of work, also found that the 35-44 age range (38%) and 18-24 year olds (34%) were most likely to self fund skills development to make their job or prospects more secure. Regionally, workers in Scotland (36%) were most likely to pay to gain new recession-busting skills, followed by the Midlands at 33%, the North, South West and Wales at 30% and the South East least at 26%.
Keith Sammons, managing director of elemense said: ‘It’s interesting that many of the people who were most likely to spend their own money and time on skills development would have probably not been of working age during the last recession. It shows a major change in the nature of the workforce and how much personal responsibility people now take for their career now the concept of a job for life has gone. The regional differences are also interesting. While people in the South were least likely to spend on personal skills training they were also least confident in their job security despite the news that the recession is easing. This survey and the other activities we are undertaking throughout the year will give us valuable insight as we work with our many clients in various sectors across the UK to help them get best value from their people management.’
‘Investing your own money in up-skilling can be a wise investment according to leading City wealth manager Lee Robertson of Investment Quorum. Many people have taken a very pragmatic approach to this recession and the wider financial instability. At one level, privately funding an executive MBA may be beyond the reach of many of us, but spending several hundreds or maybe thousands of pounds to stand out from the pack at work or in interviews can bring a return many times greater. For someone not working, just six months off work could add up to £10,000 in lost salary and a reduction in pension on retirement. And for someone working, staying in work and maybe even gaining a promotion, can pay back many times over in return for a modest investment in self development.
elemense is a professional, well established organisation with an excellent track record of providing bespoke RPO services to clients.
Employee lawsuits against employers have almost doubled in the last six years. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), if an employer is found to be in violation of the Wage and Hour laws, the Secretary of Labor may bring suit for back pay and an equal amount as liquidated damages, plus attorney’s fees and court costs. Small businesses are feeling the burden and must be cognizant of complying with all laws.
To understand the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA), you have to first learn what jobs are exempt from the requirements and which are not. This is not as easy as you think, and there are numerous penalties that can come out of noncompliance with the law. The federal statute enables an employee or former employee to go back either two or three years to collect for unpaid overtime compensation. In the case of willful violations, a three year statute of limitations applies. Also, criminal penalties may be imposed for repeated violations. In addition to back pay, fines can range from $1,100 per minimum wage or overtime pay violation, or $10,000 for each child worker employed illegally. The Wage and Hour investigations can be very broad in scope and not limited to the circumstances surrounding a single complaint. As a consequence, an employer opens the door to a total review of the company’s payroll in these situations.
As an employer, knowledge of the requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act is critical in order to avoid penalties for noncompliance. For more information, go to the Department of Labor’s website, Fair Standards Act Advisor*.
Employers who call their workers independent contractors merely to avoid unemployment, workers compensation insurance, and federal and state tax withholding etc. are headed for serious trouble with the Department of Labor (DOL) and/or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS announced in May of 2007 that worker classification cases would be a major area of emphasis in 2008. In March of this year the DOL investigated a Texas water company and found that over 200 employees had been incorrect misclassified as independent contractors. The company ended up owing nearly $600,000 for two years of missed overtime pay.
Is my worker an employee or independent contractor? Ask these questions:
1. Do you tell the employee when and where to report to work?
2. Is the employee given instructions on how the work is to be performed?
3. Is the work supervised by anyone on your staff?
4. Is the employee covered by any of your fringe benefit plans?
5. Have you issued the employee a company ID card?
6. Are you providing business cards, stationery or other company property?
If yes to the above, the worker more than likely is an employee, not an independent contractor.
The IRS recently updated its test for determining whether or not an employee is an independent contractor. The following information was copied from their website:
Facts that provide evidence of the degree of control and independence fall into three categories:
Behavioral: Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does his or her job?
Financial: Are the business aspects of the worker’s job controlled by the payer? (these include things like how worker is paid, whether expenses are reimbursed, who provides tools/supplies, etc.)
Type of Relationship: Are there written contracts or employee type benefits (i.e. pension plan, insurance, vacation pay, etc.)? Will the relationship continue and is the work performed a key aspect of the business?
After reviewing the three categories of evidence, if you are still unsure if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, the business can file Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding (PDF) with the IRS. The form may be filed by either the business or the worker. The IRS will review the facts and circumstances and officially determine the worker’s status. Be aware that it can take up to six months to get a determination, but a business that continually hires the same types of workers to perform particular services may want to consider filing the Form Form SS-8 (PDF).
*http://www.dol.gov/elaws/flsa.htm
Cathy Baniewicz has over 30 years experience in human resources. Her career began at Beatrice Foods Co., where she progressed to Assistant Director of Affirmative Action and Corporate Personnel Manager. Prior to joining EffortlessHR, Cathy was Assistant Director of Human Resources at Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc. (Budweiser). Cathy has her B.A. degree from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, and MBA from George Williams College, Aurora, Illinois. Cathy obtained her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in December of 2004.
EffortlessHR is an online Human Resources Program for small businesses. This program will guide you through the maze of human resource laws and issues. You will have access to your employee information anytime, anyplace. Federal and State laws, personnel forms, “How To” guides, posters and reports are at your fingertips.
For more information, go to http://www.effortlesshr.com/, or call us at (520) 546-3947. We now have business forms available at http://www.effortlessforms.com/
Cathy Baniewicz has over 30 years experience in human resources. Her career began at Beatrice Foods Co., where she progressed to Assistant Director of Affirmative Action and Corporate Personnel Manager. Prior to joining EffortlessHR, Cathy was Assistant Director of Human Resources at Golden Eagle Distributors, Inc. (Budweiser). Cathy has her B.A. degree from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, and MBA from George Williams College, Aurora, Illinois.
There are many common themes that run throughout the business world, but one in particular is fairly obvious: money. The earning of profit is, quite naturally, one of the primary reasons why many businesses even exist at all. As all management must realize, however, an organization’s dealings with money extend much further than simply the “big picture” concerns of the company. The average Joe Blow – you know, that typical, generic worker, clocking an indifferent nine-to-five – could very well have not even the slightest bit of interest in your company’s overarching objectives, but certainly he cares about the paycheck that he’ll be cashing in for at the end of the week.
With that in mind, a clever executive will realize just how important it is to the company to ensure that an effective payroll system is in place. A failure to pay employees accurately and on time can lead to resentment, discontent, and ultimately, disaster. Employees want – and deserve – to get their salaries in the correct amount, promptly at the time when they have been expecting them. By making use of the appropriate human resource payroll software, a business can ensure that its workers are receiving precisely that.
So how, exactly, do you figure out just which of the innumerable HR payroll software packages out there is right for you?
The fact of the matter is, in today’s market, the list of vendors for such software packages is never-ending. The majority of them all do have their own unique perks – but, as they say, “different strokes for different folks”, and what may work well for Company X might not be at all what’s good for you. The best HR payroll system will be the one that really works in sync with your company, tailored to fit the individual needs and demands of your business. Don’t limit your organization’s potential by merely settling on the first software package you come across.
So do your research. Consult your connections: your business associates, as well as other company owners, are an invaluable resource absolutely teeming with firsthand experience, advice, and suggestions. Find out what programs different people are using, and start to whittle down what might be useful to you in your line of business. The Internet, too, is a tremendous trove of information, allowing you to research the specific features of different payroll software systems and compare your results against each other. Buff up on your knowledge not only of the payroll package itself, but also the companies which aid in the product’s marketing and development. Look for a company which offers helpful customer support and can prove a good history in distributing this kind of HR payroll software.
Not only is it important to find a payroll system that’s well-suited to your company needs, but it’s also essential that you only buy in to a software package which you can legitimately work with. What good does it do you to have payroll software if, every time you launch it, you end up screaming and tearing out your hair in frustration? Seek out a system that you find comfortable to navigate and easy to understand. And make sure that the program can be implemented in such a way that if any of the HR folks in charge of payroll ever have to leave, their replacements will be able to take over fluidly, without too much stress or intensive training.
The ease with which you can integrate your payroll package into your existing software is also a necessary point of consideration. Ideally, your new payroll software will be able to work side-by-side with your established human resource programs, but if it can’t, at the very least go for a package that allows for quick and convenient data transfers between the different systems. Strong security features, too, are a major plus – look for payroll software that comes equipped with access-restrictive passwords and identification codes, so that there will be no unauthorized entree to the confidential information stored in your HR databases.
Finally, whatever payroll software you decide on, make sure that it’s a system with the potential to grow in tandem with your business. An HR payroll package is a considerable monetary investment, and the last thing you want is to discover, three years down the road, that your company has outgrown its payroll system’s capacity for information and processes, and you have to start the search again for a new one.
Clay C. Scroggin is President and owner of CompareHRIS.com, a web site dedicated to assisting HR professionals with their search, selection, implementation and use of HR software. CompareHRIS.com offers an extremely comprehensive HRIS selection tool to assist you with your HRIS, HRMS or HR software selection process. Make sure to download CompareHRIS.com’s free HR and Payroll Software Buyer’s Guide.
Becoming a Meaningful Specific
“IT SEEMS UNIVERSALLY TRUE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECTION IN THEIR LIVES GO FARTHER AND FASTER AND GET MORE DONE IN ALL AREAS OF THEIR LIVES.”
The typical person goes to work everyday because that is what he did yesterday. The sad thing is, many people who have been with a company for 5 years do not have 5 years experience. They have one year’s experience five times and no specific plans for making next year anything but a repeat performance.
Going to work daily, carrying out routine assigned tasks, reporting to the boss or seniors, getting the instructions and discharging the functions regularly will not give the position / status or the promotion you are looking for.
The methodology as drawn will help you to put your work life in its proper perspective thus making you BECOMING A MEANINGFUL SPECIFIC.
Deciding your ideal job and never stop striving until you get it, getting the right organization to work with so that you could make the greatest progress by committing yourself ceaselessly, selecting, getting and working with the right boss so that you could perform at your peak and at your best for him, developing an attitude and being the kind of person that others want to work with and help succeed, creating an image of a successful individual by dressing / grooming up well & look like a winner in all your work activities, starting your earlier, working harder and staying later after office hours thus looking for ways and means to go an extra mile, to do more than you are paid for, deciding and dedicating yourself to making the most valuable contribution you possibly can at every instance, speaking out clearly to the subordinates, colleagues, seniors and asking for more responsibility, more opportunities, by being devoutly honest, straightforward, and truthful in all your interactions with others in the organization, continually looking for ways to improve your company and your work in the weeks / months ahead, determine exactly what you want to achieve and working on your major goals totally aligning with the company’s goals, focusing all your mental and physical energies on getting the most results in your job, continually looking for better, faster, cheaper ways to solve problems / obstacles facing your company, practice tapping into your mind to come up with novel ideas to help your company get results faster, cheaper and easier than ever before, putting people first in everything and looking for ways to help your boss and others make their greatest contributions to the company, investing yourself continually by grading your skills, knowledge and attitude, resolve to become very good at doing those things that are really important and invaluable from the company and to your customers, placing the needs and well-being of your customers at the center of all decision making, treating every source of revenue and expense as if it were your own money and always look for ways to improve the financial results of your company, resolving and becoming the kind of person with the expertise and the personality to get ever greater results for your organization and developing a reputation for being the person who gets results faster and dependably than the competitor.
When you begin to put these principles into practice, you will be on a fast track. You will move ahead more rapidly than anyone else around you. You will move upward and onward and you will make your life and career into something truly extraordinary.
This is what is known as ‘BECOMING A MEANIFUL SPECIFIC.’
I have tried to write the said article in one single line without loosing the meaning.
The author of the said article is Iyer Subramanian working with Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ballard Pier, Mumbai. E Mail: iyerpdkgnm@yahoo.com Cell no. 9892523163.
My name is Iyer Subramanian. Working with Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ballard Pier, Mumbai. Has been involved in writing for several web sites, business magazines, journals, papers etc on Human Resource functions.
Enthusiasm is an Attitude
‘EVERY GREAT AND COMMANDING MOVEMENT IN THE ANNALS OF THE WORLD IS DUE TO THE TRIUMPH OF ENTHUSIASM.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson
A positive attitude will have positive results because attitudes are contagious. One such attitude is ENTHUSIASM. Elbert Hubbard said, “Nothing great has ever been accomplished without enthusiasm.” The difference between the good preacher and the great preacher, the good boss and the great boss, the good speaker and the great speaker or the good employee and the great employee is often enthusiasm.
The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek words en theos and simply means “God within.” If you look at the word “enthusiasm” the last four letters form an acrostic, “Iasm,” which can stand for “I am, sold, myself.” If you are sold yourself and if you truly believe in your cause, your company and your product, then you don’t have a “teeth-out” enthusiasm. You have an enthusiasm that comes from the well spring of all the resources within you.
Real enthusiasm is not something you “put on” and “take off” to fit the occasion, it is a way of life and not something you use to impress people. It has nothing to do with being loud or noisy; it is an outward expression of an inner feeling. Many extremely enthusiastic people are fairly quiet, yet every fiber of their being, every word and action, attest to the fact they love life and what it means to them. Some people who are enthusiastic are obviously loud, but loudness is neither a requisite for, nor is it necessarily an indication of enthusiasm.
Hence, show up with all the enthusiasm you can genuinely muster. Be outrageously energetic and madly alive. See the best in people. Go the extra mile to delight your customers. See the opportunity for learning and personal evolution amidst a seeming setback. Embrace change as a chance to grow. Have a laugh with a teammate. Tell your employees you adore them. Spread some passion. It is a universal phenomenon that you can’t control what happens to you each day but with an abundance of enthusiasm, one has no doubt that whatever the coming hours bring, you will handle them with grace, strength and a smile.
The author of this write up is Mr. Iyer Subramanian. Presently, attached to Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Can be contacted by E Mail: iyerpdkgnm@yahoo.com
My name is Iyer Subramanian. I am quite passionate in the field of HR and have been writing a number of articles in various magazines, journals, newpapers.I have an overall experience of 25 years in the field of HR and other related fields.
Even when times are good and budgets are flush, it can be easy for managers to view training and development as a cost rather than an investment towards bottom-line returns. When the economy is tight, and your boss has ordered you to cut your 2009 budget by 15 percent, and across-the-board spending freezes are the order of the day, justifying programs can feel like an uphill battle.
When done right, people development pays long-term dividends for your organization: morale is better, turnover drops, your ability to recruit qualified employees improves–and that’s all above and beyond the resulting skills enhancement and performance efficiency improvements. Even in lean times, workforce development remains a “must-do” for forward-thinking organizations.
The question then becomes prioritizing possible initiatives and stretching the most that you can out of your training and development budget. Some practical suggestions for maximizing your resources include:
Identify high-reward programs that result in near-term bottom line impacts: Project Management, Six Sigma/LEAN, Sales and Negotiations, Finance for Non-Financial Managers, Time Management–each of these topics has a direct, immediate, tangible effect on employee skills impacting your organization’s bottom line.
Put your internal subject matter experts to work: Many topics (especially those related to your internal systems and processes) can be well-suited for training by existing employees. Identify subject matter experts and put them to work! Although topic expertise does not necessarily translate into training experience, you can utilize peer mentoring, coaching, and brown-bag sessions to make the most of internal resources.
Utilize technology in a variety of creative ways: E-learning courses and webinars remain popular and low-cost means of sharing knowledge, but today’s technology allows for many additional uses as well. Training can be conducted in Second Life™ or other virtual environment. Your intranet can function as a medium for asking questions and connecting employees with critical information. Social networking sites can be put to work for research and learning purposes. Opportunities abound for innovative and cost-effective knowledge transfer.
With some determination, creativity, and a willingness to explore new avenues of people development, you’ll make it through the budget crunch without giving up your training initiatives.
Ashley Andrus is President of Zoe Training & Consulting (zoetraining.com), a Denver firm since 1983 that offers customized, high-quality professional skills training, speaking, and consulting services on a national level.
Other training & consulting articles can be found here: http://www.zoetraining.com/training_consulting_blog
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It’s one of the signature conditions of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and by many accounts, a great deal of returning service members will be coping with the effects of PTSD as they transition to civilian life. For employers, that brings up some important questions – among them, what should they expect from employees with PTSD, and how can they support them in the workplace.
It’s true that veterans – and anyone experiencing the effects of PTSD – may face day-to-day difficulties in their work environment. However, employers can play a vital role in these individuals’ recovery by recognizing the challenges associated with PTSD and making adjustments and reasonable accommodations to help ensure workplace success. And disabled veterans aren’t the only ones that stand to benefit from the implementation of workplace supports. Veterans are known to make excellent employees, so helping them succeed on the job can not only contribute to the veteran’s recovery – it can positively impact a business’s bottom line.
People with PTSD may experience some of the limitations discussed in this article, however they seldom will develop all of them. The severity of the combat stress and degree of limitation will vary among individuals. Employers should be aware that not all people with PTSD will need accommodations to perform their jobs, and many others may only need a few accommodations. However, in many cases, simple, inexpensive workplace supports can make all the difference toward a successful employment experience.
Employers should also know that unless the employee reveals, or makes available information, that they have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, the employer will not necessarily know whether the condition is present. In fact, job applicants do not have to disclose a disability on a job application, or in a job interview, unless they need an accommodation to assist them in the application or interview process. Employers can learn more about their responsibilities under state and federal disability laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), by contacting the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) by phone (1-800-526-7234) or online at http://www.jan.wvu.edu.
Key Questions
Prior to implementing workplace accommodations for employees with post-traumatic stress, employers should ask themselves the following questions:
- What limitations is the employee with PTSD experiencing, and how do these limitations affect the employee’s job performance?
- What specific job tasks are problematic as a result of these limitations?
- What accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate these problems?
- Has the employee with PTSD been consulted regarding possible accommodations?
- Do supervisory personnel and employees need training regarding PTSD and workplace accommodations?
Accommodation Ideas
Once they have considered these questions, employers and human resource professionals will be poised to identify appropriate workplace supports that can help those with PTSD succeed on the job. The following represents only a sample of the types of accommodations and/or adjustments an employer might consider for an employee experiencing combat stress.
Memory:
- Provide written instructions
- Post written instructions for use of equipment
- Use a wall calendar
- Use a daily or weekly task list
- Provide verbal prompts and reminders
- Use electronic organizers or hand held devices
- Allow the employee to tape record meetings
- Provide written minutes of each meeting
- Allow additional training time
Lack of Concentration:
- Reduce distractions in the work environment
- Provide space enclosures or a private space
- Allow for the use of white noise or environmental sound machines
- Allow the employee to play soothing music using a music player and a headset
- Increase natural lighting or increase full spectrum lighting
- Divide large assignments into smaller goal-oriented tasks or steps
- Plan for uninterrupted work time
Time Management/Performing or Completing Tasks:
- Make daily “TO-DO” lists and check items off as they are completed
- Divide large assignments into smaller tasks and steps
- Schedule weekly meetings with supervisor, manager or mentor to determine if goals are being met
- Remind employee of important deadlines via memos or e-mail
Disorganization:
- Use calendars to mark meetings and deadlines
- Use electronic organizers
- Hire a professional organizer or organizational coach
- Assign a mentor to assist the employee
Coping with Stress:
- Allow longer or more frequent work breaks
- Provide back-up coverage for when the employee needs to take breaks
- Provide additional time to learn new responsibilities
- Restructure job to include only essential functions
- Allow time off for counseling
- Assign a supervisor, manager or mentor to answer employee’s questions
Working Effectively with a Supervisor:
- Give assignments, instructions or training in writing or via e-mail
- Provide detailed day-to-day guidance and feedback
- Provide positive reinforcement
- Provide clear expectations and the consequences of not meeting expectations
- Develop strategies to deal with problems
Interacting with Co-workers:
- Encourage the employee to walk away from frustrating situations and confrontations
- Allow employee to work from home part-time
- Provide partitions or closed doors to allow for privacy
- Provide disability awareness training to coworkers and supervisors
Dealing with Emotions:
- Refer to employee assistance programs (EAP)
- Use stress management techniques to deal with frustration
- Allow the use of a support animal
- Allow telephone calls during work hours to doctors and others for needed support
- Allow frequent breaks
Sleep Disturbance:
- Allow the employee to work one consistent schedule
- Allow for a flexible start time
- Combine regularly scheduled short breaks into one longer break
- Provide a place for the employee to sleep during break
Muscle Tension or Fatigue:
- Build in “stretch breaks” during the workday
- Allow private space to meditate or do yoga
- Allow time off for physical therapy or massage therapy
- Encourage use of the company’s wellness program
Absenteeism:
- Allow for a flexible start time or end time, or work from home
- Provide straight shift or permanent schedule
- Modify attendance policy (e.g., count one occurrence for all PTSD-related absences, or allow the employee to make up the time missed)
- Consider allowing telework on occasion
Panic Attacks:
- Allow the employee to take a break and go to a place where s/he feels comfortable to use relaxation techniques or contact a support person
- Identify and remove environmental triggers such as particular smells or noises
- Allow the presence of a support animal
Headaches:
- Provide alternative lighting
- Take breaks from computer work or from reading print material
- Practice stress-relieving techniques
Information & Technical Assistance
Recognizing the needs of businesses that employ our wounded and injured veterans, the U.S. Department of Labor recently unveiled America’s Heroes at Work, a unique initiative designed to help employers support veterans who are coping with PTSD, as well as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). America’s Heroes at Work equips businesses and the workforce development system with free fact sheets, reference guides, training modules and a toll-free helpline (800-526-7234) designed to offer guidance on workplace supports that can help disabled veteran employees succeed on the job.
For more information, visit http://www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov.
Michael Reardon is a senior policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, and a manager of America’s Heroes at Work, a unique initiative designed to help employers support veterans with PTSD, as well as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). For more information and free technical assistance, visit http://www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov or call the Job Accommodation Network (800-526-7234).
1 Introduction
The veritable tomes which has been written on HRM testifies to its centrality in organisational life and its status as a determinant of organisational success, not to mention the capacity of corporations to successful attain their strategic objectives. An organisation’s human resource, and most definitely its management, plays an integral role in defining a company’s potentials and its limitations. Added to that, while the HRM model operative within an organisation is largely determined by the intra- and extra-environmental cultures, HRM tools and strategies can directly influence organisational culture and, indeed, may affect a transformation within it. As this research shall argue, however, contrary to the popular assumption that compensation schemes are the primary method for doing so, it is the collectivity of HR functions which impinge upon, and have the potential to transform the mentioned culture. In other words, while one cannot deny the fundamental role which compensation plays in affecting employee motivation levels, enhancing organisational commitment and, ultimately, transforming the dominant organisational culture, it would be fallacious and, consequently, indefensible to ignore a host of other HRM practices which, taken as a collectivity, effectively modify organisational culture and increase employees’ commitment.
2 Brief introduction of HRM
This section introduces several perspectives of HRM in both the U.S. society and the Western European society. In the management research literature in the United States of America, scholars are more concerned about the functions and roles played by HRM. The function of HRM has experienced an evolutionary process in business organisations. It used to be reactive, operational, and domestic. It was ‘personnel management’. After 1990s, human capital has become more and more important due to the emergence of the new economy. Both researchers and practitioners have realized the strategic role played by HRM. The resource-based theory (Barney, 2001) looks within the firm itself. This suggests human assets are one of the major sources bringing about core competence for the business organisations; HRM thus becomes an important issue. Huselid (1995; 1998) propose High Performance Work Practices (HPWP), Pfeiffer (1994) propose the best practice models. From American literature on HRM, one can see the strong inclination of universalism, the optimism on human potential development.
The European scholars, however, are more concerned about the contextual factors shaping the HRM practices of companies. According to Brewster (1996), the societal culture, ownership structures, government attitude to foreign investment, the roles of union are major factors determining HRM policies and practices in context-specific situations. Such perspective helps to understand the unique situations and differences between nations in their HRM practices as well as how MNCs try to adapt to local practices.
In international business literature, Evans, Tayeb (2001) argue that human resource management makes contribution to organisational performance by playing three roles. The basic role is building the foundations of attracting, motivating and retaining people in place. The second role is realigning it to the environmental change and reconfiguring the different elements as time evolves. As the competition becomes fierce and customer needs more demanding, HRM supposes to play the leading role in organisational change and innovation. The third role played by HRM is steering, which help to solve the dilemma always faced global companies: building the future into present.
Other researchers have argued that effective HRM practices affect the performance not individually but as interrelated elements in an internally consistent HR bundles or system. Employee knowledge about products, process and customers that is embedded in routine and social interaction can create organisational capabilities, which are more difficult to imitate than readily made purchased technological capabilities. The integration of HR practices can expand employee skills and involvement with productive activities (Blackburn and Rosen, 1996; Daley, 2001).
The question of convergence versus divergence debate has been an ongoing issue in HRM research for quite some time. This argument stems from strategy management. The convergence or best-practice perspective emphasizes uniformality and stability in HRM practices across organisations. Such a perspective may induce companies to imitate one another (Rowley, 1997). Thus competition may become a series of races down identical paths that no one wins. According to this school of argument, a firm’s HRM practice or competence should be seen in terms of resources or capabilities that enable it to exploit imperfect and incomplete factor markets and to generate returns and sustainable competitive advantages. Firm decisions about selecting and accumulating resources are considered economically rational within the constraints of limited information, cognitive biases and causal ambiguity (Rowley, 1997). Such argument is in line with the divergent or contingent theories of HRM. In direction correlation to the stated, Rowley and Bae (2002) argue that HRM practices will induce desired employee behaviors only when applied in the right contexts.
2.1 Specific HRM practices
Schuler (2001) proposed the core human resource management activities, which includes human resource planning, recruitment, selection and orientation, training, socialization and assimilation, performance and career management, compensation, employee welfare and communications. Kearns (1995) and Daley (2001) suggests that there are 5 major activities for managers when managing people. They are goal setting, staffing, communicating, training and performance evaluating.
2.1.2 Human resource planning
HR planning goes hand in hand with an organisation’s strategy. Strategic planning refers to an organisation’s decision about what it wants to accomplish (its mission) and how it wants to go about accomplishing it. HR planning involves both strategic and action decisions. Strategically, it includes forecasting demands, job analysis, and analysis of supply of employees. Tactically, it has to analyze the composition of the workforce, estimate of the shortage or surplus of employees. It usually covers four stages: situation analysis or environmental scanning, forecasting demand for human resources, analysis of the supply of human resources and development of plan action. Such a planning logic is a typical western logic. Cardy and Dobbins (1996) suggests that planning includes defining goals, establishing strategy, and developing plans to coordinate activities. This illustrates that the western or capitalistic style of planning tends to be formal, rational and quantitative-oriented. Most western-based firms rely on certain forms of forecast based on assessment of market needs. Planning tends to be empirically based on data from market and consumers’ needs.
2.1.3 Recruiting and selection
Based on HR planning, the companies often build a pool of candidates for the jobs by recruiting internal and external candidates. Recruiting and selection refer to organisational activities that influence numbers and types of job applicants. The success of companies relies heavily on the fact that whether they can get the right people in the right place at the right time. Terpestra and Rozell (1993) found significant positive relations between five staffing practices with the annual profits and profit growth, namely analyzing recruitment sources, validating selection tests, using structured interviews, using cognitive and aptitude tests and using biographical information for selection. Nowadays, companies utilize various selection techniques like tests, background investigations or assessment centres to identify viable job candidates. Interviews are most commonly used tool when recruiting. Different companies adopt different strategy of recruiting. The external factors like the labour market play a vital role in recruiting and selection too. For job market in the industrialized societies, there exist many agencies providing recruiting service and the level of professionalism is higher.
2.1.4 Training
After acquiring the right people into the right position, the companies have to equip employees with right attitude, knowledge and skills required by positions and organisational goals. Employee training and development is always regarded as a key element in HRM practices. The orientation, socialization, the on-the-job training, the rotation system, the enrichment movement are all the ways of training employees with the aim of inducing their skills, behaviors desired by the organisational goals. Two central issues that HRM function supposes to deal with are fostering skills or competence and inducing motivation from employees’ part. According to expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964), the relation between efforts and performance is influenced by two major factors: skills needed and role-played.
Evans and Barsoux (2002) indicate that the institutional elements have a great impact on employment practices and patterns of work organisation. In cross-cultural management literature, Concerned with the development of self-efficacy through differential training foci, the researchers found that self-focused training (i.e., that which emphasized individual skill development) had a greater impact on individualists than collectivists, and conversely that group-focused training (i.e., that which emphasized group coordination) had a greater impact on collectivists than individualists. Other studies (Earley and Erez, 1997) have found that those from individualist cultures perform in order to gain recognition, whereas those from collectivist cultures perform in order to benefit the larger group.
2.1.5 Performance appraisal
Business organisations in any culture rely on its employee performance. The performance process usually covers three major steps: defining the performance criteria, the process of conducting the appraisal and providing the feedback. Different cultures, however, call for different approaches. For example, the cultural force of individualism/collectivism is closely related to this practice through the means of self, because the feedback is inherently evaluative and related to another person. This is the issue of ego and social relation.
Daley (2001) proposed that individualists are more motivated to seek feedback about performance successes, whereas collectivists are more motivated to seek feedback about failures because distinguishing oneself through success is the cornerstone of the independent, self-concept while desire for failure feedback may serve the larger purpose of improving the group’s welfare, which is the cornerstone of the interdependent, self-concept. In fact, the collectivists can also behave in an avoiding way when facing feedback due to afraid of failures or losing faces.
Besides, the successful information and image is decided by the nature of competition in different societies. Mondy and Noe (2004) and Dessler (2004) argued in collectivist societies competition is more between individuals and standards (e.g. a passing grade on an entrance exam), or between various in-groups, than between individuals, and even then it is moderated by a cooperative interpersonal climate. Thus, failure feedback may be perceived as a critical attack by individualists, but as constructive advice by collectivists while in individualistic societies, the competition is often between individuals. In addition, they further pointed out that seeking successful feedback is consistent with the self serving norm of individualists, whereas seeking failure feedback is consistent with self effacing norm of collectivists. Doing otherwise in either culture could be deviant and risk sanctions (Mondy and Noe, 2004; Dessler, 2004).
2.2 Overview
As mentioned above, human resource practices can help to create firm specific competitive advantage by acquiring the skills needed and eliciting motivation. The reality often shows that even highly skilled employees will be less productive if they are not motivated to perform. By using compensating tools properly, it is possible for organisations to link performance tightly with incentive systems. Using internal promotion systems, organisations can develop employees’ maximum potential and elicit the discretionary effort from employees. The implication here is, or as the above literature and argument has tried to establish, is that HR practices are fundamental to organisational efficiency and effectiveness.
All of the practices outlined in the preceding are integral to organisational success and directly impinge upon the characteristics and defining features of an organisation’s culture. Indeed, and as stated in the introductory section, they can affect a transformation to the better in the said culture. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the value and important of compensatory practices. Accordingly, operating under the assumption that an organisation does utilise and exploit the above stated practices, the second part of the research will discuss the function of compensation therein and the manner in which its maximisation of employee motivation levels can enhance organisational efficiency and constructively impact upon organisational culture.
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The organization covers a basic list in that it is the life of office and the work in a company.
Go every day to the office and participate in activities, provide their work to the development of production along with others, creating a system that consists of people and technology working for a common goal.
The corporate behavior that arises as the interaction between technology and human resources gives life to that commonly called “office life” in which many of us are every day.
This is referred to most of the people, of the division of responsibilities and work well. Indeed it fully in the life the division of power and of control with the presence of that person that controls and organizes directives to play.
This raises so aims, common results, to be achieved through this organizational structure in which people compete for different mentalities and different lifestyles.
Logically, the organization is effective if it is able to achieve their intended purpose and at the same time must also be efficient because they should not waste resources and money or the work of individuals.
From here we can say that a company is well organized if it attain its goals and achieved good results using the least possible energy and wasting as little as possible.
The coexistence of hours worked in the community is never easy and the pursuit of efficiency often leads to confrontations and clashes in the workplace and difficulties with which to live every day.
Knowing how to live is never easy and the office life is among the most difficult because there are rivalries for the command and the desire to “make careers” often takes the upper hand on the rules of the common good living.
It remains a race to the efficiency and professionalism that every day you fight and pursue the working group trying to emerge and not to remain behind the scenes for a common purpose but also for a goal in life.
This article was written by Michele De Capitani with support from consip for any information, please visit cancelleria vendita or for insurance visit consumabili per stampanti.
There may be snow on the ground, but take a look at your calendar and you’ll see that spring is right around the corner – which means that summer internship season is not far behind.
If you’ve never had a summer intern before, there’s no need to be intimidated. Summer internships aren’t just for big companies with brown bag lunches and departmental rotations. We all know that growing companies provide hands on experience, valuable connections and an opportunity to build skills. Now, so do interns.
Ambitious students are using this time to prep for their internship search, so why not also use this time to get the wheels in motion? While you don’t need to formally start your hiring process now, there are several things you can do that will set the wheels in motion for down the road – especially if this is your first time hiring a summer intern.
Make a To-Do List – First, start thinking about the tasks that you could delegate to an intern. Do you have a one-time special project where you’ll need research help? Do you have ongoing weekly or monthly reports that an intern could generate? Start making a list of all of the tasks that an intern could tackle, and don’t edit just yet. Just get your ideas on paper and revisit it often in the coming months.
Do a Skills Inventory – Now that you’ve created a to-do list for your potential summer intern, it’s time to do a simple skills inventory. Take a look at your tasks and create a list of skills that would be an asset to someone who is completing the tasks you’d like to delegate. Think about the level and expertise of the skill level, too. Would someone with a major in accounting be helpful or are you OK with someone who has only taken Accounting 101? Your list of skills will help you plan now, but it will also come in handy when you start reading and evaluating resumes later.
Figure Out Timing – When you’re ready to look at your to-do list again, start assigning how much time you think each task will take your soon-to-be summer intern. Remember that your intern will be more likely to pick up speed as the internship goes on, but your intern won’t be able to complete tasks as fast as you – so give a little extra padding on your time estimates. When you finish timing everything, sort your tasks into weekly and long-term projects. Start seeing how many hours a week you would have work someone.
Look at Your Calendar – Now that you have a feel for how long your internship could last and how much work you are able to assign each week, take a look at your own calendar. You’ll need to dedicate at least some of your time each week to training, with the most time being spent at the beginning of the internship. What start date would potentially work best for you?
Figure out the Logistics – Not only do you need to think about when you bring a summer intern on board, but you also need to think about the logistics. If someone is coming into your office, figure out if you have the space and the equipment necessary. If not, when can you order new supplies and clear out an office? If you opt for a virtual intern, the offices supplies and set-up are less of an issue, but there are other best practices to consider like how often you’d like if you have specific hours you’d like your intern to work and the best ways to communicate, organize, and share information online.
After going through the summer internship planning process, you might realize that you’re ready to take on an intern sooner than you thought! If you’re ready to bring on someone this spring, take the first step now. If not, aren’t you glad you have one less thing to do as you great ready for summer?
Urban Interns is an online marketplace that connects high-growth companies with talented candidates looking for internships, part-time jobs, freelance work and contract positions.
Why?
-Small businesses are growing quickly, but full-time help is often more (or more expensive) than what they need.
-Talented people are looking for flexible, part-time work to gain experience, increase their earnings, or both.
-Technology makes it easy to accomplish many tasks from anywhere, anytime.
-Urban Interns was created to meet the needs of the new job market. The world of work is no longer just “another day at the office.”