Describing how the HR function supports the management of its resources both independently and in concert with other management functions
Human resource management is termed as a very significant position within an organization. This is the department that is involved in incorporating a number of strategies in the actual management of human, social/relational and structural/organizational resources. For an organization to succeed in its business operations, its strategy of human resource has to maximize on overall return from the human capital invested (Fisher, Schoenfeldt & Shaw, 2006).
Financial risk also needs to be minimized in such a way that the ultimate returns will be positive. In order to get a better understanding of human resource operations and the manner in which it applies its strategies in order to realize success, Wal-Mart HR is analyzed accordingly. Wal-Mart is considered as an organization whose HR department plays a very significant role in enabling effective development within the organization. Presented with the current situation in the business market that is considerably competitive, the company recognizes the importance of effective planning as well as development in the ultimate success realization.
The capacity to formulate business plans and then carry on with executing the strategy is normally dependent on people granted the role of decision making. The main function of HR within Wal-Mart is normally categorized into five different sectors including ensuring high quality of internal service (Graetz, Rimmer, Lawrence & Smith, 2006). The HR department undertakes a strategic selection as well as training of employees. The department also, ensures that there is provision of working conditions that are favorable and avenues that guarantee consumer satisfaction .Through the human resource department, effective measures are able to be implemented which enable the organization to have a competitive advantage over other organizations.
Another strategy incorporated by Wal-Mart HR department is the provision of service employees who are satisfied as well as considerably productive. That is, HR managers normally ensure that the selected employees are hardworking, satisfied as well as loyal to the organization. A high level of service value is also a constituent of Human resource management strategies applied by Wal-Mart. This is normally undertaken through creation of more effective customer value as well as the actual service delivery. Wal-Mart also plans to cultivate considerably healthy profits and also experience appropriate growth, all of which are dependent on the operation of HR department (Lawler, & Mohrman, 2003).
In order to realize service profits as well as overall growth, those that are accorded the responsibility of dealing with customers ought to be effective service providers in order to serve the customers successfully. This requires an organization’s HRM to go beyond conventional external marketing and adopt interactive as well as internal marketing. In this particular case, internal marketing involves heavy investment in the areas of employee performance as well as quality. It must ensure that employees are provided with necessary skills enabling them to work together and finally present customer satisfaction.
What follows is that each and every individual operation in an organization is mobilized towards being customer centered. This is because, there is minimal acknowledgement of the services being advertised when the staff is not prepared for its provision (Marrewijik, 2004). Therefore, service organization requires undertaking careful employee orientation as well as ensuring that their outstanding services are rewarded accordingly.
Although Wal-Mart does not serve as a completely perfect example of an organization whose HR department works in favor of both its customers as well as employees, it still has a role in showing effectiveness of functioning of HR within an organization. That is, HR department within Wal-Mart normally manages to make a good selection of employees who are normally placed strategically in their areas of specialization whereby they apply their particular skills in the actual operation of the organization.
It is through the efforts of Wal-Mart employees that customers are normally retained and make Wal-Mart the shopping mall of their choice. Wal-Mart’s, HR management normally ensures that it recruits a considerably large number of employees in order to fill all the necessary positions within the organization and its branches (Kossek, & Palthe, 2003).
Since customer satisfaction forms a major strategy through which Wal-Mart realizes its profits, it ensures that its employees are trained in the proper and efficient manner of welcoming customers in Wal-Mart. These employees are trained to be very courteous to customers in that they welcome them with a smile and always remember to assist them accordingly when shopping. Employees within Wal-Mart are also trained to ensure that customers are thanked after shopping and welcomed again. This kind of relationship between Wal-Mart’s customers and their employees is characteristic of relational strategy applied by HR management.
Although most of these employees have no motivation in terms of good payment packages and rewards to entice them in order to increase their overall performance, the fact that they want to retain their jobs makes them work considerably hard towards achievement of set goals (Shaw, & Lepak, 2008). It is through this strategic incorporation of organizational, relational as well as human resources that Wal-Mart has managed to maintain a high level of performance and this is expected to increase even more, if it undertakes several changes in the manner its employees are treated.
Strategies that can be used to maintain fit while allowing flexibility to cope with sudden changes in the organization’s environment and tradeoffs incorporated in these operations
It is evident that in addition to organizations’ dependency on HR strategies in order to attain success, optimization of internal alignment or fit between an organization’s human capital, HR practices as well as work practices is also recognized as an appropriate approach through which to achieve organizational effectiveness (Horwitz & Chew, 2004).
For objectives to be attained accordingly within an organization there is need to focus on effective implementation of HR practices considering their legal standing and ethical nature that in turn allows retention of support as well as respect for the entire organization’s workforce.
For an effective internal practice of HR diversity to be attained, there is need to integrate the various HR practices that are in a position to recognize the contribution of human capital towards realization of productive enterprise. That is, human capital is managed in collaboration with work contracts such that creativity, character, social connections as well as various business ethics are incorporated in such a manner that the entire nature of workplace is altered accordingly.
Among the very significant strategies applied by HR within an organization in order to ensure appropriate internal alignment of HR practices, work contracts and human capital is recruitment. Employee recruitment is regarded as a significant part of overall operational strategies that ensure identification and effective operations within the organization. It is of importance to note that recruitment activities require portraying responsiveness to the constant and competitive nature of the market such that it is in a position to develop and maintain suitably qualified as well as competent recruits at the various levels of organization’s operation (Jackson, & Schuler, 1987).
For these initiatives to be achieved fittingly, there is need to consider the appropriate time and approach through which internal recruitment can be established. Characteristic to proper internal alignment is the inclusion of organizational structures that are rather well defined in such a manner that they feature person specification, job design and selection processes that are versatile as well as robust task.
Additional strategies incorporated in proper alignment of HR practices, work contracts as well as human capital include employee engagement, employment relations, employer branding as well as reward practices directed to ensuring maintenance of competent personnel. The internal recruitment within the organization is well structured and enables the recruitment process to be carried out cost effectively (Huselid, 1995). This is most probable in a situation whereby capacity of available employees within an organization are enhanced through development, performance appraisal, training, succession planning as well as development centers that allow review of overall performance in a strategic manner.
Application of these internal alignment strategies also allows appropriate assessment of the various development requirements of employees as well as actual promotional potential. This is with respect to a situation whereby HR development is characteristic of actual human capital expansion. Ethical principles are also instilled through the human resource department. This is enhanced during the process of recruitment of the employees and the selection process. In this case, the competency level of the recruits is usually the focus by the human resource department.
Human capital expansion is also found to guarantee constant improvement as well as growth for an individual employee and the organization at large. Within an organizational context, incorporation of intersectoral linkages regarding employment, health as well as education is considered a rather strategic approach which in turn results to realization of actual alignment of organization’s operations.
Advancement in technology within the HR organization’s management has yielded some new operational strategies. This is exactly what Whirlpool Corporation has engaged in to ensure achievement of appropriate alignment and management of overall performance, succession planning and goal setting for the proper functioning of its internal workforce.
Whirlpool Corporation normally deals with appliance manufacturing and has proceeded to utilize demand software known as ‘Success factors’ in order to necessitate direction of internal strategic initiatives of an organization. The main function of this HR software is to support standardization as well as streamlining of organization’s management practices, development of competency assessment program that in turn fosters growth and further success of employees and the organization as a whole (Guest, 2007).
In this case, Whirlpool is undertaking alignment of its HR practices, work contracts and human capital by considering the nature of global market competition and then trying to incorporate it in the actual development of its internal alignment of organization HR operations. It is through this up-to-date practice that Whirlpool has attained a rather longstanding commitment based on the upcoming talent in response to excellent performance management practices. It is also through Whirlpool’s management alignment practices that there has been an outstanding performance.
References
Fisher, C.D., Schoenfeldt, L.F., Shaw, J.B. (2006). Human Resource Management, Houghton-Mifflin, pp 68
Graetz, F., Rimmer, M., Lawrence, A., Smith, A. (2006). Managing Organizational Change, John Wiley & Sons
Guest, D. (2007). Human resource management and industrial relations, Journal of managementstudies, Wileyinterscience, pp 12
Horwitz, F. & Chew, I. (2004). Human resource management strategies in practice, Asia pacific Journal of human resources, Sage pp 7
Huselid, M. (1995). The impact of human resource management practices on turnover and productivity, Academy of management Journal, Jstor pp 5
Jackson, S. & Schuler, R. (1987). Linking competitive strategies with human resource management practices, The academy of management Executive Journal, Jstor pp 6
Kossek, E.& Palthe, J. (2003). Subcultures and employment modes’ translating HR strategy into practice, Journal of organizational change, emeraldinsight pp 8
Lawler, E. & mohrman, S. (2003). Creating a strategic human resources organization, pp 18
Marrewijik, M. (2004). Social dimension of Organizations; recent experiences with great place to work, Journal of Business Ethics, Springer pp 14
Shaw, J. & Lepak. D (2008). Strategic HRM in North America; looking to the future, international Journal of Human Resource, infromaworld pp 16
