Managing Human Resources
H1 Meeting Present and Emerging Strategic HR Challenges
HR Strategy: a firm’s intentional use of HR to help it gain an edge against it competitors.
Key HR challenges for managers:
- Environmental (external to the firm: industry changes, legislation, natural disasters)
- Organizational (internal to the firm: decentralization, downsizing, outsourcing)
- Individual (forces that deal with decisions concerning specific employees)
Challenges should fit with:
- Environment (uncertainty, change, complexity)
- Organizational characteristics (production process, market, structure, culture)
- Organizational capabilities (distinctive competencies, achievement)
- Organizational strategies:
1. Corporate strategies
2. Porter’s business unit strategy (cost leadership: efficient / differentiation: quality, performance)
3. Miles & Snow business strategy (defender: routine, stable / prospector: innovation, flexible)
Improves firm’s performance.
Role of HR department: to support the manager’s HR responsibilities and check the organization periodically how
effective the firm is utilizing its human resources.
H2 Managing Workflows & Conducting Job Analysis
Workflow: the way work is organized.
Ways to structure an organization:
- Bureaucratic organization (top-down command & control)
- Flat organization (decentralized management, partners, empowerment)
- Boundary-less organization (relationships with external stakeholders)
Workflow analysis looks at how work creates/adds value to an organization:
- How is work done?
- How flows work through the production process?
- Ways to improve workflow
Types of teams:
- Self-managed teams: responsible, cross-trained in skills
- Problem-solving teams: volunteers, limited period, improvement
- Special-purpose teams: examine complex issues
- Virtual teams: computer technologies, physical distance
Motivation energizes, sustains and directs human behaviour.
Theories that inform our understanding of motivation in the work place:
- Two-Factor Theory: motivator (responsibility, achievement), hygiene (salary, working conditions,
satisfaction)
- Work Adjustment Theory: fit between needs / abilities and the job
- Goal-Setting Theory: goals are clear, challenging and achievable, feedback)
- Job Characteristics Theory: different aspects of the job influences psychological state of workers and this
impacts job and personal outcomes.
Job Design: organizing work into different tasks, based on workflow analysis, business strategy and organization
structure. Types:
1
H1 Meeting Present and Emerging Strategic HR Challenges
HR Strategy: a firm’s intentional use of HR to help it gain an edge against it competitors.
Key HR challenges for managers:
- Environmental (external to the firm: industry changes, legislation, natural disasters)
- Organizational (internal to the firm: decentralization, downsizing, outsourcing)
- Individual (forces that deal with decisions concerning specific employees)
Challenges should fit with:
- Environment (uncertainty, change, complexity)
- Organizational characteristics (production process, market, structure, culture)
- Organizational capabilities (distinctive competencies, achievement)
- Organizational strategies:
1. Corporate strategies
2. Porter’s business unit strategy (cost leadership: efficient / differentiation: quality, performance)
3. Miles & Snow business strategy (defender: routine, stable / prospector: innovation, flexible)
Improves firm’s performance.
Role of HR department: to support the manager’s HR responsibilities and check the organization periodically how
effective the firm is utilizing its human resources.
H2 Managing Workflows & Conducting Job Analysis
Workflow: the way work is organized.
Ways to structure an organization:
- Bureaucratic organization (top-down command & control)
- Flat organization (decentralized management, partners, empowerment)
- Boundary-less organization (relationships with external stakeholders)
Workflow analysis looks at how work creates/adds value to an organization:
- How is work done?
- How flows work through the production process?
- Ways to improve workflow
Types of teams:
- Self-managed teams: responsible, cross-trained in skills
- Problem-solving teams: volunteers, limited period, improvement
- Special-purpose teams: examine complex issues
- Virtual teams: computer technologies, physical distance
Motivation energizes, sustains and directs human behaviour.
Theories that inform our understanding of motivation in the work place:
- Two-Factor Theory: motivator (responsibility, achievement), hygiene (salary, working conditions,
satisfaction)
- Work Adjustment Theory: fit between needs / abilities and the job
- Goal-Setting Theory: goals are clear, challenging and achievable, feedback)
- Job Characteristics Theory: different aspects of the job influences psychological state of workers and this
impacts job and personal outcomes.
Job Design: organizing work into different tasks, based on workflow analysis, business strategy and organization
structure. Types:
1
