Deck 2: A Strategic Management Approach to Human Resource

Question 1

Set Up the Exercise
1. Each student is to individually examine the various parts of Exhibit 2-1. Note the three main parts of HRM programs: activities, people, and criteria for effectiveness.
2. Set up groups of four students each. Each student is to take one of the following hypothetical organizational types: a large manufacturing firm, a medium-sized community hospital (350 beds), a government agency such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or a small mom-and-pop department store with 10 full-time and 15 parttime employees.
3. Each student is to develop an analysis of the type of environmental influences, and of the HRM activities, human characteristics, criteria, and results that pertain to his or her type of organization. Thus, each group will have four separate analyses to prepare. The analyses should use Exhibit 2-1 as the reference point.
4. Students will bring their analyses to a group meeting for discussion and to compare similarities and differences.
a. What are the criteria used in the different organizations?
b. What factors affect the end results?
c. What environmental forces are important for the various organizations?
A Learning Note
This exercise will require individual and group work. It should show that the ARDM model (Exhibit 2-1) can be applied to large, medium-sized, and small organizations.

Answer 1

not answer

Question 2

How is the work of HR practitioners and operating managers similar to that of physicians who conduct a diagnosis before treating a patient?

Answer 2

HR practitioners stand for the people who look after the human resource activities in the firm. While, operating managers stand for the people who look after and manage the operational activities of the firm.
The work of HR practitioners and operating managers is similar to that of physicians who conduct a diagnosis before treating a patient in a way that HR people diagnose underlying issues in the firm before offering a solution to them.
Work of a physician includes proper diagnoses of patient's disease and uneasiness, and if required the patient is sent for various tests. After evaluating the test results, the patient is prescribed with medicines and treatment. In the same way, if the firm persists a recruitment or any human resource related issue, then the HR practitioner will determine the problem deeply, and after evaluating alternative solutions, the best action capable of resolving the recruitment problem will be undertaken.
As per the ARDM model of HRM, A stands for acquiring, R stands for rewarding, D stands for developing, and M stands for maintaining and protecting the human resource. Practicing this model, HR practitioner diagnoses the problems that the firm faces in terms of employees and other processes, and then prescribes proper solution for it. After successfully implementing the prescribed solution, the HR practitioner evaluates the action taken by him looking at the achieved results.
Same is the case with operating managers, these people after checking the requirements in the operations department will determine work schedules and assign duties and responsibilities to the deserving employees ensuring effective management. Whenever things do not go as per plan, the operating managers make necessary changes and prescribes new ways of achieving results which shows that HR practitioner and operating managers work similarly to that of a physician.
This way working pattern of a physician matches with the working pattern of HR practitioners and operating managers.

Question 3

The productivity of the workplace is essential for the success of an organization. What HRM activities and programs can impact productivity?

Answer 3

Human resource management is the function of managing human resources or employees to improve their performance, so that they can meet the organizational objectives as they are the important assets of the business.
The HR activities and programs that can impact productivity of employees are training program, providing proper salaries and focusing on employee satisfaction. Human resource make sure that the performance appraisal is executed in a non-discriminatory fashion. This helps in improving individual's performance that will enhance the productivity of the organization.
HR helps the employees to improve their performance by
• Understanding the employees need.
• Recruit and train employees
• Management of employees relations
• Monitor employees' performance
• Handle discrimination at work
• Handle performance issues
• Ensure equal opportunities.
HR is an important aspect which helps the employees for their career development. However, these functions of HR are focused towards giving the organization the best employees so that they can help in meeting the organizational goal. Directly HR act as an advocate of employees, however indirectly they are the protector of the organization.
• They recruit and train best talents so that they can contribute to organizational success.
• They deal with discrimination to avoid conflict situation which may hamper organization performance.
• They monitor the performance of employees so that organizational performance is not hindered.
• They enrich the employees so that they can contribute to organizational success.
In order to make sure that employees achieve optimal level of productivity, managers must use diagnosis, prescription, implementation and evaluation steps effectively.

Question 4

Historically, HRM activities and tools were developed and implemented by a department or functional unit. Today however, operating managers are in the forefront in applying and modifying HRM tools and activities. Why has the shift in application occurred?

Question 5

What role does education playing in the fastest-growing occupations?

Question 6

Why must external environmental forces be considered in the design of an HRM program?

Question 7

Explain the reasons why today HRM is playing a larger role in an organization's strategy than it did 10 years ago.

Question 8

HR processes are designed to acquire, reward, develop, and maintain/protect human resources. What are the desirable organizational end results of such processes?

Question 9

Small firms, like large enterprises, must engage in developing clearly stated strategic plans. Why?

Question 10

What are the implications for a organizations with an aging workforce?

Question 11

Was Martha's leadership style at National Pancake House 827 effective? Why?

Question 12

What will organizations have to do to adapt to the influx of needed Generation Y individuals?

Question 13

Is Generation Y really that different than previous generations that entered the workforce in large numbers? Explain.

Question 14

Will Generation Y individuals have to make adjustments in their style, preferences, and interests to be successful in their careers?