Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are used to make professional help available to the employees. Typical Employee Assistance Programmes offer assistance to employees in such areas as alcoholism, drug abuse, emotional stress, family problems and financial indebtedness. Although research findings tend to vary, it is believed that EAPs are valuable contributors to both employees and employers. First of all, giving employee assistance is simply the right thing to do from the standpoint of humanity, and there are some cost-benefit arguments in favor of EAPS. Certainly, the resolution of personal problems tends to make the employee a more effective contributor to employer objectives. That is, money spent on abating alcoholism among the workforce is perceived to be cheaper than money spent on ineffective performance, lost time, illness and death on the part of employees suffering from the disease of alcoholism. Characteristics of an effective EAP The EAP should be staffed with competent Continue reading
Modern HRM
De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats: A Creative and Critical Thinking Model
Creative thinking has always been one of the main aspects in the successful implementation of any business strategy. In the prospect of business growth and development, it is necessary to establish an effective decision-making approach, which will help to outline the company’s strengths and decrease the negative impact of weaknesses. The Six Thinking Hats technique is a framework for thinking and decision making introduced by a famous expert in the sphere of creative thinking, invented in the early 1980s – Dr. Edward de Bono, and is licensed by Advanced Practical Thinking (APTT), of Des Moines, Iowa. Organizations such as Prudential Insurance, IBM, Federal Express, British Airways, Polaroid, Pepsico, DuPont, and Nippon Telephone and Telegraph use the Six Thinking Hats method. The six different hats represent six different modes of thinking. This technique was introduced in order to help in the process of solving problems. The method promotes fuller input from Continue reading
Three Models of Emotional Intelligence
The emotional intelligence field is a very new area of study in psychological research. The definition therefore is varied and is constantly changing. It was only in 1990 that Salovey and Mayer came up with the first published attempt in trying to define the term. They defined emotional intelligence as the ability to monitors one’s own and other feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide ones thinking and actions. Emotional intelligence to a larger extent involves “emotional empathy” which is the ability to concentrate on one’s emotions and recognize mood both of themselves and others. It further describes how well one is able to adapt to various life challenges like stress and difficult incidences. It also involves the ability balance “honest expression of emotions against courtesy, consideration and respect”. This would obviously involve possession of some level of good social and communication skills. Continue reading
Working Across Boundaries
During the last decade, the concept of working across boundaries has become a popular concept. The basic premise is that individuals and organizations need to traverse boundaries if they are to achieve their goals. Essentially earlier concepts of fixed organizational demarcation lines no longer apply in modern-day business concepts. Within the organizational framework, the concept of boundaries can become a reasonably complex issue. There still remains an active debate as to whether the definitions of boundaries are realistic, objective, or imagined. The concept has become more complex with the use of outsourcing and Public/Private partnerships in terms of lines of demarcation and authority. The concept of boundaries within organizations takes on different shapes and forms. Much of this has to do with social and knowledge boundaries. The explosion in technological and communication advances has simplified the concept of working across boundaries. Despite the fact that organizations still are challenged to Continue reading
Harvard Framework for Human Resource Management
One of the most important tasks that involve the personnel department in an organisation is human resources management (HRM). An organisation is only likely to achieve its objectives if their employees are used effectively. At the same time, planning how best to use human resources will help an organisation to achieve its objectives and goals. Human resources management has strategic implications. It means constantly looking for better ways of using employees to benefit the organisation. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) can be defined as a way of deciding on the plans and intentions of an organisation looking at the relationship between employment and the following human resource management processes and procedures within an organisation – development, recruitment, training, benefit and employee relations plans, performance management, strategies and procedures. It’s an approach to human resource management that has the goal of using people most wisely with respect to the strategic needs Continue reading
Organisational Values – Definition, Sources, Advantages and Disadvantages
An organisation is an artifact, social entity, has structured activities, nominal boundaries and it is goal directed. Values can be explained in few perspectives according to various sources. In ethics, value represents importance of physical and abstract objects which is ideal accepted by individual or group. It can be also defined as qualities that are considered worthwhile that represent an individual’s highest priorities and deeply held driving forces. Values are often admixture with knowledge, norms and beliefs. Beliefs can be proven right or wrong by one but not values. Beliefs may vary by cohort, time, geographical differences but values are universal, true for anybody at any time, whenever an individual is. Organisational values are ethical codes that guide behavior by putting assumptions into practice. It also serves as qualities that an organisation appreciates and would require members of the organisation to chase after. Organisational values are ideology of an organisation Continue reading