Over the past decade, the phrase work-life balance has been commonplace but in recent years, the term workplace flexibility has been gaining more popularity. Work-life flexibility is becoming more and more common these days as some employees, especially millennials and other younger workers, prefer work-life flexibility and not work-life balance. Work-life balance basically implies that staff members should not be totally consumed by work responsibilities. Business organizations that have adopted this workplace ideal tend to have generous, albeit still clear, vacation policies. Such companies encourage their staff members to work the normal 9-5 work schedule with very little flexibility. In addition, they discourage workaholics. On the other hand, work-life flexibility entails providing employees with flexible work arrangements or flexible schedules that allow them to have some flexibility so that they can easily manage the increasing overlap of life and work. With work-life flexibility, employees would be able to have flexible Continue reading
Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management (HRM) is branch of management that deals with people at work, it is concerned with the human dimensions of management of the organization. As organization consists of people, therefore acquiring them, developing their skills, providing them motivation in order to attain higher goal and ensuring that the level of commitment is maintained are the important activities.
Human Resource Management (HRM) in a Global Environment
As the organizations continue to grow globally at a rapid pace, nations are increasingly permeable to the international exchange of knowledge, capital, goods and services, giving rise to more complexities and uncertainties. Intensified rate of globalization is evident from the changing trends in foreign direct investment which is increasingly indicating a shift toward developing economies like China and India. Growing internationalization is breaking down organizational and geographical boundaries with business processes and structures undergoing complete transformation. This has brought the role of human resources to the fore as the competitiveness of these organizations is contingent on their ability to adapt and design human resource strategies that can sustain global nuances and dynamics. International human resource management (IHRM) from an organization’s perspective is defined as the effective management of human resources in global markets for multinational companies(MNCs), in order to gain a key source of competitive advantage and to be globally Continue reading
Uses of Performance Appraisal
Performance Appraisal (PA) can be described as a formal process of assessment and evaluation of the employees on an individual as well as group level. The word “formal” is crucial, as it is important that the managers or supervisors review the worker or individual on a periodic basis. Even though, performance appraisal is only an element of performance management, it is very crucial for the success of performance management as it directly relates to the strategic plan set by the organisation. It is critical to evaluate team performance in many organisations where teams exist but performance appraisal in most companies concentrates on individuals. As emphasized, achievements, objectives and strategic plans set for development can be examined and evaluated by an effective performance appraisal system. Although performance appraisal is somewhat considered as negative, unpopular and managers try to avoid the efficiency it provides. Not many Employers like conducting performance appraisal and Continue reading
Best Fit and Best Practice Approaches in Strategic HRM
The concepts of ‘best fit’ and ‘best practice’ are two well known approaches to human resource management. The ‘best fit’ perspective claims that HR strategy become more and more efficient when it is linked to its environment of the business. It explores the close link between strategic management and HRM by assessing the extend to which there is a vertical integration between an organizations business strategy and its HRM policies and practices. ‘Best practice’ approach claims that certain ‘best’ human resource practices would result in enhanced organizational performance, manifested in improved employee attitude, lower level of absenteeism and turnover, higher level of skills for higher productivity, enhanced quality and efficiency. That is why the ‘best practice’ model is also referred as high commitment models. Best Fit Approach The best-fit model is considered as a variant from precedent models of Harvard, Michigan and York and is called “matching model” for HRM. Continue reading
Marxist Perspective of Industrial Relations
The Marxists perspective of industrial relations is one based on conflict. Industrial and employee relations can only be understood as part of a broader analysis of (capitalist) society. In contrast to any implicit or explicit assumptions about a balance of power in the industry, Marxists emphasize the asymmetry of power between the employer and employee. Marxists see the role of employees as sellers of their labor and employers as exploiters of that labor. The whole Marxist perspective of industrial relations is based on the proletariat and the bourgeoisie and how the bourgeoisie have with the help of capitalism kept the proletariat down. The different firms in an organisation are a reflection of society and the class divide. Marxist believe there are structured inequalities within organisations that are there to maintain the status quo and that any worker resistance is systematically suppressed by the powers of the state. The Marxist perspective Continue reading
Some Attitudinal Training Methods
There are training methods related to the attitude of the participants of training programmes. The specific method should be selected according to the attitude of the participants in an organization. Some important attitudinal training methods are explained below: 1. Jigsaw Method The Jigsaw is a method of attitudinal training followed when there is too much information for one person to read or absorb. It encourages reading or listening salient points included in the training programme. Jigsaw method is helpful to develop effective practice for communicating critical points to others. Jigsaw provides different perspectives on information. It can be particularly helpful to second language learners. Jigsaw is a group structure that can be used across all content areas. Training starts with a home group. That group is responsible for learning the assigned portion of a task that is prescribed by the instructor. Then the instructor separates trainees into new groups – Continue reading