A contract of employment is essentially an agreement between the employer and the employee. It should have the purpose of outlining the specific terms and conditions of employment. This can be either verbal or in writing and it can be regarded as forming the basis of the employment relationship between employer and employee. The implications of different types of employment contracts can mean that there are different outcomes or considerations for the employer, depending on the type of contract. A full-time contract involves a set amount of working hours and terms and conditions including the minimum hours set by the employer, which is normally 35 hours or more a week. A full-time contract is also usually covered by employment laws and implies a permanent employment type. A full-time contract can also be beneficial for staff retention and be more attractive to loyal and committed employees. It is also more difficult Continue reading
Human Resource Concepts
Different Approaches to Industrial Relations
The industrial relations scenario has been perceived differently by different practitioners and theorists. Some have viewed it in terns of class conflict; some have viewed it in terms of mutuality of interest of different groups; some have viewed it as a consequence of interaction of various factors both within an organization and outside it. Based on these orientations, several approaches to industrial relations have been developed. One researcher has stated industrial relations in his research report as, “An economist tries to interpret industrial conflict in terms of impersonal markets forces and laws of supply demand. To a politician, industrial conflict is a war of different ideologies — perhaps a class-war. To a psychologist, industrial conflict means the conflicting interests, aspirations, goals, motives and perceptions of different groups of individuals, operating within and reacting to a given socio-economic and political environment”. Most important approaches to industrial relations are discussed as follows: Continue reading
Theories of Motivation: McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
Douglas McGregor who set forth in his book “Human Side of Enterprise” two pairs of assumptions about human beings which he thought were implied by the actions of autocratic and permissive managers. The first set of assumptions is contained in “Theory X” and the second set of assumptions in “Theory Y”. It is important to note that these sets of assumptions were not based on any research, but is intuitive deductions. Theory X: Theory X’ believes that autocratic managers often make the following assumptions about their subordinates. Accordingly, the subordinate in general: Has an inherent dislike for work and will avoid it, if he can; Is lazy and avoids responsibility. Is indifferent to organisational goals; and Prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility, has relatively little ambition and wants security above all. According to McGregor, this is a traditional theory of what workers are like and what management must Continue reading
External Recruitment
The sources of recruitment can be classified into two types, internal and external. Filling a job opening from within the firm has the advantages of stimulating preparation for possible transfer of promotion, increasing the general level of morale, and providing more information about job candidates through analysis of work histories within the organization. A job posting has a number of advantages. From the view point of the employee, it provides flexibility and greater control over career progress. For the employer, it should result in better matches of employee and job. In most instances, the jobs are posted on notice boards, though some carry listings in the company newspapers. The posting period is commonly one week, with the final decision for hiring being completed within four weeks. Internal applications are often restricted to certain employees, the guidelines for one company including (1) “good” or “better” on most recent performance review; (2) Continue reading
Uses of Job Analysis in Human Resource Management (HRM)
Job analysis is understood as the analysis of job-related activities in the organization. Job analysis collects and analyses the information related to jobs and various aspects of jobs. It is performed upon ongoing jobs only which contain job contents and the skill requirement to perform the specific task. It involves a formal study of jobs which is essential in determining the duties and the nature of the jobs in the organization. Job analysis is a very important function of HR, which is related with many activities of Human Resource Management (HRM). Theoretically speaking, job design, job analysis, job descriptions and job specifications and are all around “work” to be, but from the company’s current situation, the design work than not to change, the only way is indeed feasible that using job analysis to evaluate the value of work position, even reasonable analysis can achieve job enrichment and purposes of diversification. Continue reading
Role of Different Parties Involved in Industrial Relations
Role of Government in Industrial Relations In recent years the Government has played an important role in regulating industrial relations but the extent of its involvement in the process is determined by the level of social and economic development while the mode of intervention gets patterned in conformity with the political system obtaining in the country and the social and cultural traditions of its people. The degree of Government intervention is also determined by the stage of economic development. For example, in a developing economy like ours, work-stoppages to settle claims have more serious consequences than in a developed economy and similarly, a free market economy may leave the parties free to settle their relations through strikes and lockouts but in other systems varying degrees of Government participation is required for building up sound industrial relations. In India, the role played by the Government is an important feature in the Continue reading