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The Challenges of Human Resource Management

IntroductionThe role of the HumanOtherwise, some employees will quickly
Resource Manager is evolving with theconclude that there is no future for
change in competitive market environmentthem in the company. As the HR Manager,
and the realization that Human Resourceit is pertinent to show respect for
Management must play a more strategicdiversity issues and promote clear and
role in the success of an organization.positive responses to them. He/She must
Organizations that do not put theiralso show a high level of commitment and
emphasis on attracting and retainingbe able to resolve issues of workplace
talents may find themselves in dirediversity in an ethical and responsible
consequences, as their competitors maymanner.Control and Measure Results-A HR
be outplaying them in the strategicManager must conduct regular
employment of their human resources.Withorganizational assessments on issues
the increase in competition, locally orlike pay, benefits, work environment,
globally, organizations must become moremanagement and promotional opportunities
adaptable, resilient, agile, andto assess the progress over the long
customer-focused to succeed. And withinterm. There is also a need to develop
this change in environment, the HRappropriate measuring tools to measure
professional has to evolve to become athe impact of diversity initiatives at
strategic partner, an employee sponsorthe organization through
or advocate, and a change mentor withinorganization-wide feedback surveys and
the organization. In order to succeed,other methods. Without proper control
HR must be a business driven functionand evaluation, some of these diversity
with a thorough understanding of theinitiatives may just fizzle out, without
organization's big picture and be ableresolving any real problems that may
to influence key decisions and policies.surface due to workplace
In general, the focus of today's HRdiversity.Motivational
Manager is on strategic personnelApproachesWorkplace motivation can be
retention and talents development. HRdefined as the influence that makes us
professionals will be coaches,do things to achieve organizational
counselors, mentors, and successiongoals: this is a result of our
planners to help motivate organization'sindividual needs being satisfied (or
members and their loyalty. The HRmet) so that we are motivated to
manager will also promote and fight forcomplete organizational tasks
values, ethics, beliefs, andeffectively. As these needs vary from
spirituality within their organizations,person to person, an organization must
especially in the management ofbe able to utilize different
workplace diversity.This paper willmotivational tools to encourage their
highlight on how a HR manager can meetemployees to put in the required effort
the challenges of workplace diversity,and increase productivity for the
how to motivate employees throughcompany.Why do we need motivated
gain-sharing and executive informationemployees? The answer is survival
system through proper planning,(Smith, 1994). In our changing workplace
organizing, leading and controllingand competitive market environments,
their human resources.Workplacemotivated employees and their
DiversityAccording to Thomas (1992),contributions are the necessary currency
dimensions of workplace diversityfor an organization's survival and
include, but are not limited to: age,success. Motivational factors in an
ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physicalorganizational context include working
abilities/qualities, race, sexualenvironment, job characteristics,
orientation, educational background,appropriate organizational reward system
geographic location, income, maritaland so on.The development of an
status, military experience, religiousappropriate organizational reward system
beliefs, parental status, and workis probably one of the strongest
experience.The Challenges of Workplacemotivational factors. This can influence
DiversityThe future success of anyboth job satisfaction and employee
organizations relies on the ability tomotivation. The reward system affects
manage a diverse body of talent that canjob satisfaction by making the employee
bring innovative ideas, perspectives andmore comfortable and contented as a
views to their work. The challenge andresult of the rewards received. The
problems faced of workplace diversityreward system influences motivation
can be turned into a strategicprimarily through the perceived value of
organizational asset if an organizationthe rewards and their contingency on
is able to capitalize on this meltingperformance (Hickins, 1998).To be
pot of diverse talents. With the mixtureeffective, an organizational reward
of talents of diverse culturalsystem should be based on sound
backgrounds, genders, ages andunderstanding of the motivation of
lifestyles, an organization can respondpeople at work. In this paper, I will be
to business opportunities more rapidlytouching on the one of the more popular
and creatively, especially in the globalmethods of reward systems,
arena (Cox, 1993), which must be one ofgain-sharing.Gain-sharing:Gain-sharing
the important organisational goals to beprograms generally refer to incentive
attained. More importantly, if theplans that involve employees in a common
organizational environment does noteffort to improve organizational
support diversity broadly, one risksperformance, and are based on the
losing talent to competitors.This isconcept that the resulting incremental
especially true for multinationaleconomic gains are shared among
companies (MNCs) who have operations onemployees and the company.In most cases,
a global scale and employ people ofworkers voluntarily participate in
different countries, ethical andmanagement to accept responsibility for
cultural backgrounds. Thus, a HR managermajor reforms. This type of pay is based
needs to be mindful and may employ aon factors directly under a worker's
'Think Global, Act Local' approach incontrol (i.e., productivity or costs).
most circumstances. The challenge ofGains are measured and distributions are
workplace diversity is also prevalentmade frequently through a predetermined
amongst Singapore's Small and Mediumformula. Because this pay is only
Enterprises (SMEs). With a population ofimplemented when gains are achieved,
only four million people and thegain-sharing plans do not adversely
nation's strive towards high technologyaffect company costs (Paulsen,
and knowledge-based economy; foreign1991).Managing Gain-sharingIn order for
talents are lured to share theira gain-sharing program that meets the
expertise in these areas. Thus, manyminimum requirements for success to be
local HR managers have to undergoin place, Paulsen (1991) and Boyett
cultural-based Human Resource Management(1988) have suggested a few pointers in
training to further their abilities tothe effective management of a
motivate a group of professional thatgain-sharing program. They are as
are highly qualified but culturallyfollows:A HR manager must ensure that
diverse. Furthermore, the HRthe people who will be participating in
professional must assure the localthe plan are influencing the performance
professionals that these foreign talentsmeasured by the gain-sharing formula in
are not a threat to their careera significant way by changes in their
advancement (Toh, 1993). In many ways,day-to-day behavior. The main idea of
the effectiveness of workplace diversitythe gain sharing is to motivate members
management is dependent on the skilfulto increase productivity through their
balancing act of the HR manager.One ofbehavioral changes and working
the main reasons for ineffectiveattitudes. If the increase in the
workplace diversity management is theperformance measurement was due to
predisposition to pigeonhole employees,external factors, then it would have
placing them in a different silo baseddefeated the purpose of having a
on their diversity profile (Thomas,gain-sharing program.An effective
1992). In the real world, diversitymanager must ensure that the
cannot be easily categorized and thosegain-sharing targets are challenging but
organizations that respond to humanlegitimate and attainable. In addition,
complexity by leveraging the talents ofthe targets should be specific and
a broad workforce will be the mostchallenging but reasonable and
effective in growing their businessesjustifiable given the historical
and their customer base.The Managementperformance, the business strategy and
of Workplace DiversityIn order tothe competitive environment. If the
effectively manage workplace diversity,gain-sharing participants perceive the
Cox (1993) suggests that a HR Managertarget as an impossibility and are not
needs to change from an ethnocentricmotivated at all, the whole program will
view ("our way is the best way") to abe a disaster.A manager must provide
culturally relative perspective ("let'suseful feedback as a guidance to the
take the best of a variety of ways").gain-sharing participants concerning how
This shift in philosophy has to bethey need to change their behavior(s) to
ingrained in the managerial framework ofrealize gain-sharing payouts The
the HR Manager in his/her planning,feedback should be frequent, objective
organizing, leading and controlling ofand clearly based on the members'
organizational resources.As suggested byperformance in relation to the
Thomas (1992) and Cox (1993), there aregain-sharing target.A manager must have
several best practices that a HR manageran effective mechanism in place to allow
can adopt in ensuring effectivegain-sharing participants to initiate
management of workplace diversity inchanges in work procedures and methods
order to attain organizational goals.and/or requesting new or additional
They are:Planning a Mentoringresources such as new technology to
Program-One of the best ways to handleimprove performance and realize gains.
workplace diversity issues is throughThough a manager must have a tight
initiating a Diversity Mentoringcontrol of company's resources,
Program. This could entail involvingreasonable and justifiable requests for
different departmental managers in aadditional resources and/or changes in
mentoring program to coach and providework methods from gain-sharing
feedback to employees who are differentparticipants should be
from them. In order for the program toconsidered.Executive Information
run successfully, it is wise to provideSystemsExecutive Information System
practical training for these managers or(EIS) is the most common term used for
seek help from consultants and expertsthe unified collections of computer
in this field. Usually, such a programhardware and software that track the
will encourage organization's members toessential data of a business' daily
air their opinions and learn how toperformance and present it to managers
resolve conflicts due to theiras an aid to their planning and
diversity. More importantly, the purposedecision-making (Choo, 1991). With an
of a Diversity Mentoring Program seeksEIS in place, a company can track
to encourage members to move beyondinventory, sales, and receivables,
their own cultural frame of reference tocompare today's data with historical
recognize and take full advantage of thepatterns. In addition, an EIS will aid
productivity potential inherent in ain spotting significant variations from
diverse population.Organizing Talents"normal" trends almost as soon as it
Strategically-Many companies are nowdevelops, giving the company the maximum
realizing the advantages of a diverseamount of time to make decisions and
workplace. As more and more companiesimplement required changes to put your
are going global in their marketbusiness back on the right track. This
expansions either physically orwould enable EIS to be a useful tool in
virtually (for example,an organization's strategic planning, as
E-commerce-related companies), there iswell as day-to-day management (Laudon, K
a necessity to employ diverse talents toand Laudon, J, 2003).Managing EISAs
understand the various niches of theinformation is the basis of
market. For example, when China wasdecision-making in an organization,
opening up its markets and exportingthere lies a great need for effective
their products globally in the latemanagerial control. A good control
1980s, the Chinese companies (such assystem would ensure the communication of
China's electronic giants such as Haier)the right information at the right time
were seeking the marketing expertise ofand relayed to the right people to take
Singaporeans. This is becauseprompt actions.When managing an
Singapore's marketing talents were ableExecutive Information System, a HR
to understand the local China marketsmanager must first find out exactly what
relatively well (almost 75% ofinformation decision-makers would like
Singaporeans are of Chinese descent) andto have available in the field of human
as well as being attuned to the marketsresource management, and then to include
in the West due to Singapore's openit in the EIS. This is because having
economic policies and English languagepeople simply use an EIS that lacks
abilities. (Toh, R, 1993)With this trendcritical information is of no value-add
in place, a HR Manager must be able toto the organization. In addition, the
organize the pool of diverse talentsmanager must ensure that the use of
strategically for the organization. Heinformation technology has to be brought
She must consider how a diverseinto alignment with strategic business
workforce can enable the company togoals (Laudon, K and Laudon, J,
attain new markets and other2003).ConclusionThe role of the HR
organizational goals in order to harnessmanager must parallel the needs of the
the full potential of workplacechanging organization. Successful
diversity.An organization that sees theorganizations are becoming more
existence of a diverse workforce as anadaptable, resilient, quick to change
organizational asset rather than adirections, and customer-centered.
liability would indirectly help theWithin this environment, the HR
organization to positively take in itsprofessional must learn how to manage
stride some of the less positive aspectseffectively through planning,
of workforce diversity.Leading theorganizing, leading and controlling the
Talk-A HR Manager needs to advocate ahuman resource and be knowledgeable of
diverse workforce by making diversityemerging trends in training and employee
evident at all organizational levels.development.



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