Employee management in HM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employee management in HM - Essay Example The present-day HRM approach refutes this fallacy and asserts the view that employees can rightly be considered as very valuable assets which are the major players in the achievement of organizational goals. There has been a lot of controversy about the alignment of HRM practices and establishment of strategy with the goals of the organization (Caldwell R. 2004; Ulrich, 1997: 27). In theory, this sounds plausible, although in practice it requires a significant reorientation in the conventional remit of the personnel function. Ulrich has captured the scope of this new role when he argues that: 'HR professionals become strategic partners when they participate in the process of defining the business strategy, when they ask questions that move the strategy to action and when they design HR practices that align with the business' (1997: 27). Unfortunately, Ulrich is somewhat vague in describing how this 'role change' can be practically enacted and empirical evidence of the emergence of new strategic roles is often contradictory (Caldwell, 2003; CIPD, 2003; Gennard and Kelly, 1997). One of the distinguishing characteristics of HRM is that it seeks to transform the often disparate array of policies associated with traditional personnel management into a strategically co-ordinated or 'integrated' set of policies and processes that improve organisational performance (Caldwell R. 2004). Where this has been achieved there is empirical evidence that organisational performance can improve (MacDuffie, 1995). Conversely, when HRM is unable to affirm its integrative ambition, it loses much of its significance as a distinctive approach to people management and becomes old-style personnel management: 'a collection of incidental techniques without much internal cohesion . . . a hodge podge' (Druker, 1961, quoted in Sisson, 1995: 87). Main Functions of HRM All the models of HRM, whether American or European, are based on the three basic functions of HRM which are Recruitment and Selection; Performance Evaluation/Management and Rewards Management & Career Growth. These are discussed in detail in the following text: Recruitment & Selection Human resources recruitment and selection decisions are widely regarded as some of the most important decisions made in organizations (Ferris et al 1999). Furthermore, a principal focus of staffing decisions is the employment interview, so it is appropriate to examine this decision-making tool with respect to influence and politics. Research has continued on how influence tactics in the employment interview affect interviewer decisions, following some of the suggestions for future research proposed by Ferris and Judge (1991). Kacmar, Delery, and Ferris (1992) conducted an investigation that was designed to assess the relative effectiveness of two types of influence tactics used by applicants on interviewer decisions. They found that interviewers gave higher ratings and recommendations for job offers to applicants who employed self-promotion tactics than those who used ingratiation-type tactics (Ferris et al 1999). To illustrate this further, in a carefully conducted investigation, Stevens and Kristof (1995) reported evidence of

Improving Construction Safety in Saudi Arabia Dissertation

Improving Construction Safety in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example 1 Introduction It is rather unfortunate, but true, that the construction industry around the world had developed a reputation for being the industrial sector that presents higher statistics for industrial accidents, fatalities and deaths than any other (Coble, 2000, Pp. vii - viii). United States Department of Labour for the year 2006 indicated that construction fatalities represented about 21% of the total work force fatalities (Lambeck, 2009, Pp. 72 – 74). However, efforts directed towards continuous improvement in construction safety in many countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, etc. demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the incidence of occupational injury, serious accidents or deaths (Poon, 2008, Chapter 1). Statistics for construction industry accident frequency rates per million of men hour worked for Singapore suggest that with an accident frequency rate per million man hours of 3.5 for the construction sector in comparison to 1.9 for all other industries help to illustrate the notoriety of the construction sector (Poon, 2008, Chapter 1). However, results for Japan, Korea and Hong Kong demonstrate improvement with effort. Reports about the construction sector in Saudi Arabia suggest that it is possible to do more to bring about an improvement in health and safety for those working in the construction sector (Al Omani, 2008, â€Å"Does Saudi Arabia need a health and safety boot?†), (Migrant Rights, 2011, â€Å"FAQ†) and (Construction Week, 2010, â€Å"Construction sector must embrace safety culture†). Like in any other industry, accidents in construction lead to injury, possible loss of life, additional work and added costs (Li Wai Chung, 2006, Chapter 3). Time losses for the injured, delays in completion of construction, medical expenses, damage to... The intention of this study is the term ‘safety’, which refers to an absence of danger, as often partnered with the term ‘health’ within the context of work in general and for construction work. Because human health and welfare are of concern to the society, a corporate responsibility exists to ensure that minimal risks exist to the health and safety of employees so that individuals, families and the society at large receives protection and remains free from catastrophe. Thus, the legal system in England and in many other nations emphasises a duty to care, an absence of negligence and criminal responsibility for injury to ensure that those who use employees for business do so in a manner that will minimise harm to these individuals, especially when the business motive is to present profits. The law reflects values in a society and without values that emphasise health and safety it is likely that the risks associated with occupations will present undue harm t o individual members of a society and to society itself. Hence, a global concern exists for health and safety in construction and many nations around the world have enacted laws and regulations to emphasise health and safety in occupations, based on recommendations of international organisations, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and national values. However, a need exists to ensure that laws and regulations are effective and practical.