Strategic Human Resources Management
Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc377209795” STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PAGEREF _Toc377209795 h 2
HYPERLINK l “_Toc377209796” EXAMPLES PAGEREF _Toc377209796 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc377209797” THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES PAGEREF _Toc377209797 h 7
HYPERLINK l “_Toc377209798” CONCLUSION PAGEREF _Toc377209798 h 8
HYPERLINK l “_Toc377209799” REFERENCES: PAGEREF _Toc377209799 h 9
“THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSLATING THE ORGANISATION’S STRATEGIC VISION INTO REALITY THROUGH THE WAY IT MANAGES ITS PEOPLE”.
INTRODUCTION
In the operations of any organisation, it has been noted that one of the most significant focal point of all the activities and decisions would be its people, who are also regarded as its most valuable assets. The human factor, which has been noted as the only animate resource which assumes a vital role in the accomplishment of organizational goals, has been receiving growth in attention in the recent years. It is essential in increasing the productivity of the employees, which in turn, will be helpful in improving business performance for the long-term and to aid in the achievement of business goals (Goyal, 2005).
In this paper, the author will provide a critical evaluation of the statement which was mentioned in the beginning part of this paper. The discussions which will be provided on the remaining parts of this paper will be focused on the assumption that the human resource department holds the supreme responsibility with regards to the translation of the organisation’s vision into reality. Such, as stated in the statement which will be subjected into evaluation in this paper, is made possible through the human resource management’s capability of effectively and efficiently managing the members of the workforce who are highly influential in the success of their business performance. The evaluation of the abovementioned statement will be focused on the string link between Strategic Human Resource Management and the mission and vision of an organization. To be able to carry out such objective, the discussions will be focused on the applications of the statement mentioned above in the context of the operations of the hospitality and tourism industry.
STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The strategic approach towards human resource management has been regarded by many as a foundation for the development of practices related to enhancing the skills and competencies of people within an organisation. Strategic human resources management places a great deal of emphasis on the development of practices and activities which the management wishes for potential engagement in the long-term for the achievement of the integration in personnel and development which will allow the business to achieve its goals, more so, the translation of the organizations mission and vision into reality. Strategic human resource management, as a tool towards making the real the organisation’s vision and mission, would require significant changes and paradigm shifts with regards to culture and structure, organisational performance and effectiveness, making human resources fitted for future requirements of the organisation, development of intellectual capital and distinctive capabilities, and the management of change. Furthermore, strategic approach towards human resource management is given attention by many organisations basically because of the belief that it is an essential tool for the development of approaches in the management of the workforce in the long-term being vital in the achievement of success in business performance (The Association of Business Executives, n.d.).
The competitive environment of the businesses of the future will be all about the inclusion of human resource department as a strategic partner of the organisation and as a bottom-line decision- maker. In the future, the said department will not be solely focused on their task towards personnel administration. Rather, it will be highly supportive of the achievement of the competitive advantage of the organisation through the provision of a high quality workforce helping the management towards making possible strategic planning. By being a strategic partner of the organisation, it can be assumed that the human resource management will not only be able to provide administrative support to the organisation but it can also be a significant partner in charting business strategies (Rowden, 1999). Effective and strategic management of the human resources of an organisation will therefore be significant given the current challenging and complex competitive opportunities and threats which are confronting many contemporary firms. More than labour productivity, strategic approach towards the management of the organisation’s workforce will help in the implementation of business practices and activities which will help improve the firm’s performance in the long-term (Hassan et al, 2006).
It has been noted that the human resource management, in a strategic approach, requires the development of five core areas and activities, which will be given significant attention below:
Staffing – This is a decision-making activity which should be given emphasis by an organization in its strategic approach towards the management of the workforce. Proper staffing practices should be given priority by the organisation because of the fact that problems such as underemployment can lead into potential and significant lost of investment. In the tourism and hospitality industry, for instance, an untrained staff on the front desk and high employee turnover are some of the staffing problems which should be given attention. Failure to give emphasis on the solutions to such problems can lead into the eventual failure of the realization and achievement of the mission and vision of the organisation (Crystal Pool Resort, n.d.).
Rewards – One of the most important factors which should be highlighted with strategic human resources management would be the presence of employee motivation, and one of the things which can be done in order to possibly achieve such would be through the presence of rewards. A satisfactory wage, along with benefits and rewards, would be enough in order to energize the workforce and give them enough motivation to be productive at work. Keeping employees motivated through the deployment of appropriate reward systems can be regarded as a vital activity towards making the goals of the organisation real, basically because there are motivated and productive people who would be working towards the achievement of such goals (Kovach, 1996).
Employee Development – In the strategic approach towards human resource management, there is a need to analyse the training requirements of the employees in order to allow them to demonstrate satisfactory job performance and to allow them to advance within the organisation. There should be an identification of the skills and competencies which are needed and the management should be able to demonstrate an active involvement in enhancing learning activities of the employees towards making them relevant in the achievement of business and corporate objectives. The resources of the organisation should be devoted only to specific training and development activities which will be significant in the achievement of its mission and vision, more so, on employee development activities which would effectively promote its objectives (Fombrum et al., 1984).
Employee Maintenance – Another important activity which should be highlighted in the presence of a strategic approach towards human resource management would be through the evaluation and administration of various activities of the firm towards the promotion of workplace safety, and the health and welfare of the employees. This is a vital activity which will be influential towards the achievement of the goals identified by the organisation. Employee maintenance has been highlighted as one of the most important activities which can increase the productivity of the employees and which can be able to make them more instrumental towards the achievement of expectations of the management and of the public from the business performance of their organisation (Dessler et al., 2007).
Employee Relations – This has been regarded as an important factor with regards to the relationship of the organisation with the members of its workforce. It is of utmost importance that the organisation should be engaged in the development of employee relation, through the promotion of an atmosphere of goodwill wherein there is an alignment among departments in the provision of assistance to each other with the goal of the provision of better customer service, which can be regarded as one of the many ways in which the strategic objectives of the organisation can be translated into reality (Dessler et al., 2007).
EXAMPLESOne of the most practical applications which would demonstrate the significance the strategic approach towards human resource management can be reflected from the case of Holiday Inn, a hotel chain known all over the world for the quality of its service and amenities. In the said hotel chain, the senior managements were trained on projects which involved spending short periods of time at operative levels. This has resulted into the realization that the members of the front-line staff of their hotels should be given the authority and autonomy to solve non-routine problems which are confronting their operations. Tis will be highly influential towards positively influencing the customer’s perception of service quality as experienced from their hotels. Because of this realization, the organisation has demonstrated the initiative to equip workers with training and education programs which shall allow them to partake on additional responsibility to solve problems which they are confronted, without the need for frequent consultation with senior managers (Johnson, 1999).
In addition, it has been noted that another importance of strategic human resource management in the tourism and hospitality sector is that such approach to the management of the organisation makes is possible to empower the employees and achieve a high level of commitment from the workforce in order to delight the customers through the demonstration of excellence in service. A total quality culture should be embedded on the organisation, and the way to achieve such would not only be through administrative support to the employees, but through a holistic management approach, such as through strategic human resource management. In addition, strategic management of people in the tourism industry, much like in any other nature of organisations, would entail a number of activities which will be vital towards the translation of the visions of the organisation towards something which is real or concrete. One possible way of doing so would be thorough through participation. In this regard, employees are given the authority to make their own decisions, such as what has been demonstrated in the case of Holiday Inn as mentioned in the earlier part of this section. Through increasing employee participation, which is an element of strategic human resource management, it would be more possible for the organisation to achieve the realisation of its operations and the achievement of the goals of the firm. Furthermore, another vital activity in the strategic approach towards human resource management would be triggering a higher level of commitment. This can be directly linked to the earlier discussions made on rewards and employee development, as those are some of the factors which will make it possible for employees to be motivated, thereby increasing their level of commitment to the organisation (Moutinho, 2011).
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
There are three theories which can be linked on strategic human resources management, each will be given a brief discussion in the succeeding sections of this paper:
Universalist Approach – This calls for the need for one universal approach towards managing the human resources of an organisation. Such approach can be regarded as the best practice and held applicable within the entire industry with results which are almost the same in the extent of its applications. It is related on the premise that a single model of labour management can be employed and it can lead into the realization of the goals of the organisation (Torrington et al., 2005).
Fit or Contingency Approach – This is based on two critical forms of fit – external fit and internal fit. The fit or contingency approach in strategic human resource management includes a wide array of activities which can prove to be highly significant in the unification and design of organisational practices to give support to the various strategies of the organisation. This approach is helpful for the management with regards to the fact that it aids in the selection, appraisal, development, and rewards which can be developed by the organisation in the management of its workforce, with the goal that they will be helpful in the realization of the organisation’s goals (Torrington et al., 2005).
Resource-based Approach – The resource-based model, as applicable in the field of strategic human resource management, is concerned with the linkages between internal resources, including human resources, strategy, and the performance of the organisation. This calls for the need of the development of human resources of the organisation, being a valuable investment fro the firm., as such can be a source of a sustainable competitive advantage which cannot be replicated by its competitors. Such approach towards human resource management also calls for the need towards capturing a stock of exceptional human talent, which should be managed strategically, and can lead into making real the mission and vision which guides the operations of the organisation (Salaman et al., 2005).
CONCLUSIONThe discussions which were provided in the earlier sections of this paper noted the significance of the strategic approach towards human resource management, specifically in the context of the tourism and hospitality industry. As the discussions have provided, today, more than ever, there is an increasing concern for new contemporary and more effective and efficient approaches towards the management of the workforce as one of the means towards achieving sustainability and competency in the firms’ business performance. The traditional approach in human resource management, mainly composed of administrative support and functions, are no longer sufficient in today’s context. In order to achieve the realization of the vision and mission of an organisation, there is a need to employ a strategic approach, one which is geared for the long-term and includes an extensive list of human resource functions which are significant in improving the workforce and making them more productive to be helpful in the achievement of business goals. A proactive management of people is needed, in the case of the hospitality and tourism industry, in order to trigger a higher level of customer satisfaction and to increase the customer perception and experience, not only on the basis of the amenities which were provided, but also on the service which were received from the people working for the organisation. Meeting the needs of the needs of the employees is vital towards having an assurance that they will perform in accordance with expectations and in accordance with the level of performance necessary in order to achieve organisational goals and objectives. With this, strategic human resource management is a significant component of a successful business performance.
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