HRM-Xerox

Human Resource management is definitely one of theto analyse
most important branches of any organizations. In thisjudgemental data. Another important point to consider
article I will discuss how hr principles can bewhen dealing
implemented on practice using Xerox as an examplewith human resource planning is that it involves people,
of the successful strategy realization.In the 1980's thetherefore
concept of Human Resource Management (HRM)planners need to plan for what is acceptable as well
took theas feasible.HRM is considered by many to be a direct
management world by storm, and has represented afollow-on from Personnel
major changeManagement, so in order to completely understand
thereafter in the way personnel has been managed inHRM it is important
Britain. Thethat we now look at Personnel Management, trying to
terminology of HRM emerged in America first, whereanalyse some of
the politicalthe differences between them."Personnel
climate, partnered with the decline of the unionmanagement is a series of activities, which first
movement, allowedenables
managers to experiment with new ideas andworking people and the business which uses their skills
concepts associatedto agree about
personnel management. This led managers to look forthe objectives and nature of their working relationship
new ideas andand secondly,
workplace practices around the world, focusing mainlyit ensures that the agreement is fulfilled."The
on the positivephilosophy of personnel management has been around
example that was coming from the "Tigerfor a long
Economies", in particulartime, and has changed very little in that time. It
Japan. Japanese companies at the time were a goodoriginated in the
example for theirlate 1970's, as a way to better manage employees.
western counterparts, achieving strong economicWorkers were
success coupled withpersuaded to adopt new virtues regarding their
highly committed employees and high levels ofeveryday working
employee satisfaction.There is no universally acceptedpractices, for example, punctuality and obedience. The
definition of human resourcepractices of
management; however most people are inclined topersonnel management have followed the changing
suggest that "its corepatterns of employment
principles challenge both the traditional practice ofand, despite all the changes in the labour market and
personnelin the
management in Britain, and the traditional focus ofgovernment's approach to the economy; this seems a
academicrealistic and
industrial relations on collective employeeconstructive approach. It is based on the earlier ideas
relations"(Hollinshead etof Enid
al. 1999 pg8) Human resource management is theMumford (1972) and McCarthy and Ellis (1973).
responsibility of usingPersonnel management is
and developing the organisation's personnel in thegoing through the biggest change in its history. Many
most productivecommentators
way. This appears to be little more than restating thebelieved that the arrival of human resource
role of themanagement was to be a
personnel department, but Human Resourcegreat change in emphasis, but it was no more than
Management (HRM) has somerethinking the
distinctive features. It origins have been the successprocesses inside the organisation. Personnel
of the Japanesemanagement has grown and
at managing employees, even though their firms rarelydeveloped with the increasing size and variety of
have personnelorganisations.Personnel management is
department, so HRM represent a rethink by personnelworkforce-centred, which means its directed
professionals. Itmainly at the organisation employees. It encompasses
also places greater emphasis on development througha whole range of
training andtasks crucial to the effective management of
career planning. HRM hopefully has the potential toemployees, such as
persuade allfinding and training them, arranging for them to be paid,
managers that the development of their humanexplaining
resources is their job,management's expectations or justifying
not that of the personnel department.HRM is amanagement's actions. The
resource-centred style of management, which focusesstarting point is the people who work for the
predominantly on managements needs for humanorganisation; they are a
resources (notresource like materials and cash, but considerably less
necessarily employees) to be provided and deployed.flexible.Underpinning personnel management are the
It focuses ontwo ideas that people have a
planning, monitoring and control rather than mediation,right to be treated as dignified human beings while at
hoping thatwork, that they
problem solving is dealt with though other members ofare only effective as employees when their
management onjob-related personnel needs
human resource issues rather than directly withare met, and that this will not happen without
employees or theirpersonnel management
representative.In order for a company's HRM policy tointervention in the everyday manager/employee
be successful it is veryrelations. Personnel
important that the company establishes direct linksmanagers are involved in a more direct way in the
between its humanrelationship between
resource policies and its broader corporate goals.other managers and their subordinates, because the
Therefore it ispersonnel aspects
essential for a company to have a good humanof management are often perceived by line
resource strategy. Inmanagers as not central to
1994 Henry Mintzberg stated that 'the mosttheir role.In the next section of this essay I am going to
successful strategies areuse the case study of
visions, not plans', Mintzberg identifies the role ofXerox. During the mid-eighties
planning inXerox underwent serious changes in both in their
terms of programming the 'strategic vision', and also inworkforces, and
terms ofworkforce practices. In doing this they earned the
providing information that stimulates the 'visioningreputation as a
process'.Increasingly, in modern day management,leading case for "beating the Japanese at their own
there is a need forgame". Today, Xerox continues to dominate
organisations to combine the processes involved inthe photocopying market. Many elements of the
planning theorganisation have proved
numbers and skills of employees. This is done throughcritical in the implementation of this change, but more
trying to affectthan any the
employee behaviour and organisational culture,human resource department proved crucial. In terms
organisational designof outcomes, the
and the make up of individual jobs, through theperiod of 1981 saw a decline in the levels of salaried
creation of formal andemployees
informal work systems. These aspects are all criticalcompared with those involved in "direct" labour. This
in mouldingwas reflected in
individual employees behaviour and achieving theincreased levels of shop floor autonomy. In this period
company's vision.of change the
Planning an HRM strategy is different for everynumber of grievances actually declined. Therefore it is
organisation and it isfair to
crucial that it is done well. A good human resourcesuggest that, the interest of the employees, the union,
plan will coverand the firm
areas such as people supply, communications, trainingwere all being met. This is not to say there weren't
and development,conflicts between
appraisal, organisational structure and pay. Somemanagement and its employees, more that it was
organisations willpossible for such
place emphasis on all of the aspects mentionedconflicts to occur, whilst, at the same time the
above, planning themcompany achieving its
individually, while other organisations may plan forobjectives.Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay
some and othersWriting Servicecounselling department team and a
not at all. Human resource planning methods rangedissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free
from sophisticatedcounselling on custom essay writing.
statistical techniques to simple diagnostic tools in order