Cross-cultural communication exists when people from differing cultures have reached a certain degree of understanding regarding their differences. For understanding to take place, both people must have some form of knowledge or awareness regarding the norms or customs that exist in each other’s culture. Verbal and nonverbal communications can contain implied meanings, as well as certain degrees of symbolism. For successful communication to take place, background knowledge concerning values, norms and perceptions is necessary in order for clear, effective communication to take place. The key to effective cross-cultural communication is knowledge. It is essential that people understand the potential problems of cross-cultural communication, and make a conscious effort to overcome these problems and important to assume that one’s efforts will not always be successful, and adjust one’s behavior appropriately. For example, one should always assume that there is a significant possibility that cultural differences are causing communication problems, and be Continue reading
HRM Concepts
Objectives of Sound Compensation Planning
The most important objective of any pay system is fairness or equity. The team equity has three dimensions: Internal equity: This ensures that more difficult jobs are paid more. External equity: This ensures that jobs are fairly compensated in comparison to similar jobs in the labour market. Individual equity: It ensures equal pay for equal work, i.e. each individual’s pay is fair in comparison to others doing the same jobs. In addition, there are other objectives as well. The ultimate goal of compensation administration (the process of managing a company’s compensation program) is to reward desired behaviours and encourage people to do well in there jobs. Some of the important objectives that are sought to be achieved through effective compensation management are listed below: Attract Talent: compensation needs to be high enough to attract talented people. Since many firms compete to hire the services of competent people, the salaries offered Continue reading
HR Strategy Formulation: Organization Mission and Goals Analysis
Even similar organizations often pursue different goals; a thorough organizational analysis of the organization’s overall mission and goals is a second integral aspect of identifying human resource strategies. All organizations exist to accomplish something in their larger environments. The mission — the purpose of an organization’s existence — should guide its strategic thinking. For example, two similar electronics manufacturers may have varying missions. One may want to “be a successful organization in the entertainment business,” while the other may define its mission as “occupying a technological leadership position in the industry.” The associated strategies are likely to show significant differences. Apart from manufacturing electronic goods used for home entertainment, the former firm may acquire video and film production firms and get into the music industry (e.g., producing music DVD’s); while the second firm may be more committed to innovative electronic products through research and development. The associated human resource strategies Continue reading
Quality of Work Life (QWL) – Definition, Scope, Principles, and Techniques
The term Quality of Work Life (QWL) aims at changing the entire organizational climate by humanizing work, individualizing organizations and changing the structural and managerial systems. It takes into consideration the socio-psychological needs of the employees. It seeks to create such a culture of work commitment in the organizations which will ensure higher productivity and greater job satisfaction for the employees. Quality of work life refers to the favorableness or unfavorableness of the job environment of an organization for its employees. It is generic term which covers a person’s feelings about every dimension of his work e.g. economic incentives and rewards, job security, working conditions, organizational and interpersonal relationships etc. The term QWL has different meanings for different people. A few important definitions of Quality of Work Life (QWL) are as follows: According to Harrison: “Quality of Work Life is the degree to which work in an organization contributes to Continue reading
The Importance of Human Capital in Business
Managers may ask the question what is the most important asset in their company? The greatest asset of a company is not its financial capital, the number of building or it’s properties, nor it is the equipment or products that the company own. The greatest asset that a company own is it employees. Then again, what exactly is human capital? The term human capital is recognition that people in organisations and businesses are important and essential assets who contribute to development and growth, in a similar way as physical assets such as machines and money. The collective attitudes, skills and abilities of people contribute to organisational performance and productivity. Any expenditure in training, development, health and support is an investment, not just an expense. The importance of human capital is rising tremendously since the last few decades. Human capital is now regarded as the most important factor in an organization Continue reading
Roles and Responsibilities of Human Resource Management
Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets of the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business. The terms “human resource management” and “human resources” (HR) have largely replaced the term “personnel management” as a description of the processes involved in managing people in organizations. In simple words, HRM means employing people, developing their capacities, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the job and organizational requirement. Human resource management (HRM) is based primarily on the assumption that employees are individuals with varying goals and needs, and as such should not be thought of as basic business resources, such as trucks and filing cabinets. The field takes a positive view of workers, assuming that virtually all wish to contribute to the enterprise productively, and that the main Continue reading