Human Resources Management in Context - An Essay Sample

Question One: Senior Managers and Line Managers Involvement in the Direction and Implementation of HRM Policies and Practices

Designated position Role in Implementing HRM policies and practices

Senior Managers They provide legal and other obligations such as safety and health.

Create and maintain performance management processes owned by other managers and employees to make a significant contribution, to development and performance of the employees.

They plan and implement HR development programmes such as training to keep up a skilled workforce.

Advice on the relation issues of the employees.

Maintaining of a developed and computerized HR management info system.

They prepare the requirement of people regarding competencies, numbers, plan, and skills for the recruitment so they can meet the needs

Line Managers They manage the organization's operational costs and budgets.

Monitoring of the work processes and the output quality.

They manage peoples daily activities.

They are responsible for providing technical expertise.

They measure the operational performance of the organization.

Performance appraisal, disciplining employees and performance related pay.

They engage employees in creating an organizational culture, i.e., encouraging open communication and focusing on employees strengths.

Professional human resource management (HRM) plays both roles of a strategist and operational function that ensures the firm's plan for its employees meet all the requirements and that it can identify the idea for and meet future organizational staffing and capability needs (Hayre, 2013). Small businesses with limited staff often have no HR specialist, employee management and recruitments are usually carried out by the line managers. More extensive business mostly has an HR department to oversee and coordinate employee. However, line managers are still responsible for the day to day responsibility for implementing HR initiatives. For this reason, the senior managers and line managers should corporate and work together since they all have a vested interest in ensuring the company achieves success. This will help line managers to become tactical in human resource functions and therefore freeing up some time for the HR department to devote more time to strategic HR management.

Line managers are more goal- and production-oriented, as their primary goal is to create or save the organizations capital. They are often referred to as supervisors; they are more hand on oriented and have the responsibility of getting the work done, handling employee discipline, and maintaining their performance. They are mainly at the lowest level of manager, employees directly report to them. On the other side, HR manager has a moral and legal responsibility to both the employee and the firm with a much broader scope. They are not directly involved in employee performance their work is to oversee that all issues are dealt with in a fair, legal and by company policy. Line managers often see senior managers as a hindrance more like a policy manual-thumbing' police department, where the latter sees them as walking lawsuits due to failure to adhere to employment laws that are caused by lack of training. Therefore the two managers can work together to achieve a common goal; senior managers should train line managers in legal and employee relations issues. Apparently, as work becomes more complex and laws more stringent, the two managers are working together with the aim of increasing line managers understanding of the business.

Personally, I feel like the HR managers are juggling and straining with all these duties from payroll to the wellbeing of employees despite their limited resources. Therefore they can bring the line managers onboard to ease the pressure. HR department has reduced the most staff to cut cost, at the same timeline managers depends on HR teams to give them directives on their daily decisions, therefore causing a strain in the department since most of them spend time dealing with a straightforward request from line managers that can be easily solved. The line managers could make better, faster decisions if the HR managers shared more info. Therefore if this info can flow freely between the two managers, it can free up senior managers for more strategic activities, resolving the tension between them and enabling companies to achieve their strategic goals more efficiently (Hayre, 2013).

The Storey model of human resource management is one of the theories that create cohesion between the line managers and the senior managers. Developed in 1989 by John Storey, the model takes HRM as a more human approach to employment management (soft approach). It emphasizes on commitment rather than compliance, revealing that human capability as what differentiates organizations. The model is based on four components: strategic qualities, key levers, beliefs and most importantly the role of line managers. People management is too critical to be left to personnel specialist since a secure link is required that is witnessed by employees and line managers. Thus line managers are left to perform HRM roles in their day to day activities. Line managers are today viewed as increasingly important in efficiently implementing HRM practices (Mushtaq, 2014).

Based on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) theory, prediction s that line managers performance will depend on their ability to incorporate HRM practices, their motivation and opportunity provided will enhance this effect. This theory elaborates that HRM should aim to enhance line managers abilities and provide adequate opportunities for them to carry out extended HRM duties. Based on the two theories the research reveals that HRM has no shortcut but to incorporate line managers and train them so that they can achieve the organizational goals together. On the other hand for the line managers to be more effective and successful in their duties they need to incorporate HRM practices in their day to day activities. Work performance depends on the ability, motivation, and opportunity for employees and lack of one makes them less effective. If the two managers keep on grudging over duties, then that means there will be loopholes in the companys management and the organizations objective will not be fully or maximally achieved.

Question Two: Short Case Situation

Motivation Applying Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory

No one can be a satisfied employer without loyal employees, thus motivating people to buy into one's agenda is necessary. Motivation is what move individuals to act in a certain way, understating employees motifs of doing certain things is key to improving performance. Psychologist Abraham Maslow founded this theory that suggests we humans, are motivated to satisfy five basic needs that are arranged in a hierarchy (Jerome 2013). He indicates that meeting these needs begins from the lowest level to the highest level until all five are satisfied. These requirements are physiological needs, security needs, "Belongingness" needs, esteem needs and self-actualization respectively. This theory suggests how managers can lead their employees or subordinates to self-actualization. Every employee yearns for social needs, therefore, it the duty of the HR to help create an organizational culture with values and norms that will enable the smooth running of the organization. They need a safe environment, such as construction industries, recognizing employees achievements boost their esteem needs, either by financial means or spiritual means. Finally, leaders who satisfy employees self-actualization needs are the most effective. At this point, the organization utilizes the employees full ability and potential, which enhances overall productivity and effectiveness of the business.

The objective of this essay is to exhaust various ways in which the human resource management team can actualize the organizations objectives and goals by maximizing all the resources at hand. The primary focus is on employee motivation within a budget constraint. This paper will explore several ways in which employees can be motivated without necessarily having to give them a significant bonus or any factor that involves money. Several techniques that have been tested or applied by various organizations will be discussed, and a wide range of solutions will be offered. Employee motivation is necessary for any team. Everyone wants to increase retention at least no one want to train new employee every time, therefore being creative with how one rewards their employee can play a huge role in an organizations success. Too much monotony at the workplace can lead to boredom, lack of acknowledgment can kill a spirited soul, and the more these achievements go unrecognized, the more the employees wear out with time and therefore reduced their productivity. Hence employee motivation can go a long way to keeping the business running and thriving. These various creative ways to achieve these goals are discussed below.

Suggestions and Solutions

When budgets are tight, it is hard to justify a raise as rewards for high performing employees. Most people dread going to work for several reasons such as it is not their dream career or their routine are too monotonous, but if someone loves their job and executes all their duties cautiously making them feel appreciated is essential to job satisfaction and productivity in the workplace. Rewarding employees don't necessarily have to be informed of significant bonus checks, external rewards and extrinsic motivators aren't necessarily the most effective but rather intrinsic rewards with doesn't cost anything at all (Tanner 2017).

Some of the ways to motivate employees on a tight budget are such as supporting their careers this is through strategic work assignments and mentoring. Transparency is vital, sharing what one has learned and a course of action in addressing specific issues. Make work-life balance a priority, this way the employee their work time to work and stay focused, this means the employee feels connected to the organization. Promoting a positive work environment, this by publicly acknowledge accomplishments, reserving a prime parking space among others. Making employees' part of the big picture will keep them motivated to try and achieve the organization's goal; this is through clear and frequent communication on company happenings, department and individual directions, and the big-picture company direction. The most important know your employees; this creates a personal touch and a bond with your employee. It could be simple as valuing each employee for what they are or do; people feel more comfortable when know someone cares and notices. Be a mentor, tell them what they are doing wrong, praise them, at least know their talents and motivate them to achieve.

There are millions of ways to keep employees motivated at work as long as one is flexible and open to ideas, these ways will improve employees retention and productivity. Others are such as being compliant with the dress code unless customers coming in have to be met with professional attire, why not switch up the different style on the designated day, such as vintage dress day, pajama day, this will help ease and relieve some tension in the workplace. The whole idea is to reduce stress, to improve bonding and to keep the employees motivated all the time  (Shili 2008). Holding activities outside of work such as hiking can go a long way to improving employee performance.

Employee motivation is becoming ever more critical in the workplace as time goes on; it is common knowledge that motivated workforce is far more likely to be successful. The happier and more professional an employee...