Are all managers Human Resource managers

Are all managers Human Resource managers Executive Summary The report discusses the various aspects in relation to the question posed for the assignment All managers are HR managers, agree or disagree? The report is placed in relation to the questions raised for and against the topic, and my thoughts on the question. The report is structured in the form of my quest to answer the questions raised with regard to the topic. The fundamental theories concerning the topic provide some light for the discussion, followed by examination of the current trends in organisations. The other aspects discussed in the paper relate to the managers implementation of HR practices and its relation on employee performance, and thereby the productivity of the organisation. The effects of poor implementation of the HR practices are highlighted to comprehend all the facets of the discussion. The conclusions are based on the aspects from the points of discussion and its relation to the effectiveness of HR implementation by managers. The references which were vital to the development of the paper are included in order to substantiate research done related to the topic. Introduction Are all managers HR managers Agree or disagree? As I read the question for the assignment, I had mixed answers running in my head. Understanding human resources in the literal sense would refer to employees of the organisation, and there would be a person responsible for any particular section of employees, known as the manager. In this view, managers related directly with the employees, and so they needed to be HR managers. However, the Human Resources Department wherever I worked always seemed to be busy as they dealt with all levels of the organisation, be it employees, managers, stakeholders or government, and their paperwork (or rather e-work) seemed unending. If all managers were HR managers, why would there be a necessity of a HR department? Would it mean that all functions done by the Human Resources personnel were done by the managers themselves? Would that be feasible? Would that not restrict the day-to-day operations carried out by the manager? If all managers were not HR managers, would all issues relating to the employees be raised to the HR department? Since managers, in most cases, have a direct relationship with their employees, would they not have to deal with all concerns related to their human resources i.e. employees? What would organisations that do not have an elaborate HR department do? With relation to agreeing or disagreeing with the question for the assignment, the numerous questions for and against it, left me confused. So it was necessary to understand the fundamentals of the keywords managers and HR, given by various scholars in order to take a stand for the topic. Fundamental Views Management Managers Management, according to Henri Fayol (1949) consists of seven functions such as planning, organising, leading, co-ordinating, controlling, staffing and motivating within an organisation in order to accomplish the established goals of the organisation. Figure 1 Manager Roles (Mintzberg 1975) From among these, the four main managerial functions are described as planning, organising, leading and controlling. (Simmering 2010) Figure 2 Functions of Managers (Overton 2007) A manager is an individual with formal authority to make decisions and carry out the four managerial functions in order to achieve the organisational goals and objectives. Within most organisations, there are three levels of management namely top level, middle level and first/line level managers (Management Study Guide 2009). At each management level, managers require certain skills necessary for successful management. Robert Katz identified three skills namely technical, conceptual and human skills that vary as per the management level. (Katz 1974) Conceptual skills refer to the formulation of ideas. Technical skills involve the technique knowledge and proficiency. Human skills refer to the ability to interact and communicate with people effectively. (Pride, Hughes and Kapoor 2008) Figure 3 Management Skills (Overton 2007) Interestingly from the figure above, although technical and conceptual skills vary greatly, human skills remain rather consistent throughout the various levels. Considering that human resources would relate only to the manager-employee interface, it could be then inferred that all managers are HR managers. However, understanding HR functions would be necessary to make the conclusion to the question. Human Resource Definition Functions Human Resource (HR) refers to consideration of employee as the most valuable assets or resources of the organisation. The inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills represented by the aptitudes and talents of the people employed in the organisation could be referred to as the human resources of the organisation. (Aswathappa 2008) The strategic and coherent approach to the management of these assets in order to achieve individual behaviour and performance that would enhance the organisations effectiveness is termed as Human Resource Management (HRM).(Oxford University Press, Ed. Jonathan Law. 2009 ) The functions of HRM are broadly classified into two categories namely managerial and operative functions. Managerial functions include planning, directing, organising and controlling while operative functions are related to recruitment, compensation, employee relations and development. (Hales 2005) The vast scope and functions of HR brought doubts about it being incorporated with the operational activities of managers especially line managers. For the purpose of this paper, general managers and deputy managers have been defined as strategic level managers whilst first-line level managers encompass supervisors and departmental heads. Figure 4 HR Functions Current trends Contrary to the traditional views of management, current trends indicate devolution of the HR into line management. (Gratton, et al. 1999) Restructuring the organisational hierarchy to flatter systems within the organisation has arguably contributed to the convergence of HRM and managerial practices. (Whittaker and Marchington 2003) With the global economic crisis, downsizing has become the trend or the need of times, where even HR departments were dissolved as a whole; this would substantiate Whittakers and Marchingtons (2003) finding that HR took second place in comparison to other business sectors of sales and marketing and finance. The introduction of flatter organisations resulting from heavy job-losses could be traced back to the early 80s of Hewlett-Packard. There was an intensification of managerial responsibilities and predominantly people management claimed most of the efforts of the managers. (McGovern, et al. 1997) In the current scenario, the increasing de-layered organisations (Torrington, Hall and Taylor 2004) would overly emphasize the necessity of all managers to integrate the HR functions of recruitment, training, monitor performance and provide appropriate appraisals. (Marcic and Daft 2008) Line managers and Direct interface Theoretically, managers may not be able to incorporate all the functions of HR but line managers have always been the direct control over the human resources under their responsibility. The flatter organisations have not diminished the human skills required as seen in Figure 3, but on the contrary are a necessity to engage in good people practices, which is as important as implementing personnel policies. (Lowe J 1992) The direct relationship of the line managers with the employees favour the implementation of the HR practices by the managers themselves rather than other personnel. (Sisson and Storey 2000) Research conducted by Bath University for CIPD (2009) found that line managers played a pivotal role in implementing HR practices and policies. People management practices such as induction, training, performance appraisal, employee communication; work-life balance and employee recognition were exercised significantly by the line managers. As discussed in the research, the people management processes can be designed by the HR personnel, but would be implemented most effectively by the managers. (Hutchinson and Purcell 2003) In order to assess the immediate effectiveness of the HRM, scholars such as Dyer and Reeves (1995) and Becker et al. (1997) suggested monitoring of employee performance which would be the factor affected directly. Performance and HR In an ultra-competitive marketplace, it would be necessary to maintain a productive and competitive workforce to achieve organisational success. Successful organisations are reliant on managers competence to attain and maintain high levels of individual job performance. (Hosie 2009) Employee performance is maximized through motivation which would be associated with the manager. According to Dyer and Reeves (1995) rigorous selection mechanisms and ample training opportunities along with incentives such as peer pressure to perform, monetary and non-monetary rewards increase employee motivation. Commitment is another factor that would boost employee performance. Organisational commitment is highly dependant on employee assessment of the level of support from the management. (Sharkie 2009) Managers in IBM are expected to be responsible to the development and satisfaction of employees. Surveys, career planning, performance appraisal and compensation utilized by line managers encourage employee commitment to the organisation. (Marcic and Daft 2008) Effective implementation of HR practices in organisations such as in IBM, would lead to greater employee motivation. As discussed by Gillespie and Mann (2004), that the trust subordinates place in the leader is directly proportional to motivation that would lead to better employee performance. Consequences of ineffective application of HR In the decentralisation of HR processes, line managers are often tasked with responsibilities of setting the agenda, dealing with workplace issues and providing direction to employees. As discussed by McGuire, et al. (2006), a conflict between the organisational and individual values of the manager, could lead to a trust deficit between the employees and the manager. (Renwick 2003) Decreased workplace happiness would lead to diminished employee performance, which would cost the organisation heavily in both productivity as well as having to pay higher compensation and insurance claims for the health conditions of employees. (Lyubomirsky, King and Diener 2005) (Hosie 2009) The negative effects of poorly applied HRM practices accentuate the requirement for greater knowledge in HR practices for all managers. It would be possible to design programmes for managers that would enhance the understanding of HR, such as Esprit employed within Hilton (UK) Hotels. However, the two main barriers line managers faced while incorporating their HR role were heavy workloads and short-term job pressures. (Watson, Maxwell and Farquharson 2007) These add to the findings of Renwick (2003) relating to the constraints for managers in effective management of HR such as lack of time, lack of ability or knowledge in HR practices, and distractions from general managerial operations. Other than improper implementation of HRM practices and its complications within the organisation, Earnshaw et al. (2000) found that without HR expertise even large organisations could face legal challenges. This would emphasize the necessity of efficient HR systems and constant guidance by HR specialists. Considering the various factors, as suggested by Jackson and Schuler (2000) a partnership approach through a triad approach of HR specialists, managers and employees would allow effective integration of HR activities into the work of line managers. However, if line managers and HR are to work in partnership to improve organisational performance, a minimum number of experienced HR specialists would be required. (Ulrich 1998) Conclusion The discussions throughout the paper have led to a few conclusions. The functions of HR and managers are not entirely different from each other, but noted by Aswathappa (2008), HR is a managerial function with assists managers with hiring, motivating and maintaining employees within the organisation. Line managers implement most of these HR roles as they are in direct contact with the human resources of the organisation. Effective HR implementation would lead to greater employee motivation and thereby productivity. However, lack of understanding and poor execution of HR practices could cost organisations heavily ranging from employee productivity to legal action. According to Dave Ulrich (1996), HRM encompasses the roles of being an employee champion, administrative agent, a strategic business partner and assisting in change management. HR departments in most organisations are concerned with the former two roles, and in which case, one could conclude that all managers are HR managers. However considering the complete scope and roles of HR, it would not be apt to agree that all managers are HR managers. It could be then, concluded that all managers exercise HR functions irrespective of their department and level considering the high level of human relations. It would be extremely important that they have adequate knowledge in handling HR in order to become effective managers and achieve maximum productivity, which is essential for all organisations across varying industries. HR professionals would have to assist and guide line managers consistently in achieving the strategic goals of the organisation. Effective coaching to line managers on HR practices and policies would allow HR professionals to take on the vital roles of being a strategic business partner and play an effective role in change management. (Gaskell 2007)

The Simple Life and the Corruption of Technology :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Simple Life and the Corruption of Technology "Let's take it home boys!" Not really paying attention to our altitude, we headed towards base after a flawless mission against an enemy tank. As we reached the jungles edge, anti-aircraft shells began exploding all around us. I ordered the formation to climb as fast as possible. Almost as quickly as I had given the order, my plane was hit. Luckily, the round didn't explode, but had traveled through the center of the fuselage. I realized my plane was fatally crippled, including my ejection seat. As my plane fell into the jungle, I woke up. Though I did not know what had drawn me from the dream, I had an idea it was the splitting pain in my leg. As the pain slowly crept up my leg, I became aware of my surroundings. I could now feel the perspiration on my face and faintly hear mumbled voices; I was not in my bed. As I opened my eyes to blurry vision, I made out dark moving objects among a background of fire. Listening closely, I realized it was people speaking a foreign tongue. Moving my eyes from the dark skinned, scantly clad humans to my leg, I found the source of my pain. Driven through my left leg was a sharp piece of metal from the wreckage that surrounded me. With a swift jerk from one of my assumed rescuers, my leg was free of metal, and I was passed out from the pain. I awoke in a hut made of large leaves, mud, and grasses. The light crackle of the fire outside could be heard over the voices of the people surrounding it. I asked my self, "Where am I? How did I get here?" With my questions I made an astonishing discovery: I could not remember who I was! Feeling myself panic, I did the best to calm down and analyzed the situation. I had been pulled from some type of wreckage, but of what? The people who had saved me were very primitive. They wore little more than a loin cloth of a cheap textile, and they had dressed me the same. They were eating some yellow muck from wooden bowls and again my ears greeted the new language. Trying to sit up, I flexed my leg and a crippling pain powered a scream from the bottom of my lungs. My scream had caught the attention of those who had been talking outside.

Philosophy †Religion Essay

Explain and illustrate two criticisms of the claims that the universe shows design Many philosophers have suggested that world shows design to the extent that there can be no other conclusion other than there is a God who created it. This argument has come to be known as the teleological argument (from the Greek ‘telos’ meaning ‘purpose’). The argument is an inductive one, a posterior (knowledge gained from experience) and is put forward to prove the existence of God. Design can refer to qua regularity and qua purpose. The former focuses on order and regularity in the world and the latter focuses on purpose and beauty but does this hold up to scrutiny? One criticisms was put forward by Hume in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion says that there is no evidence for order in the world. In fact the evidence given seems to suggest an evil creator; the arbitrary destruction in the world that affects everyone included innocents seems to suggest that there is no design or order in the world. Tsunamis, hurricanes and earthquakes can all be cited in Hume’s attack. This is made even more apparent from the fact that modern physics isn’t as ordered as the predominant supporter of the design argument, William Paley. Paley gave examples such as the planets and seasons and even gives backing from science saying that Newton’s laws govern the very body of nature. However this has been proved to be wrong by Princeton University and their study called ‘The Dome’, the study in itself shows that Newton’s law’s are non-deterministic meaning that a ball can drop from any apex (as did in the experiment) without a cause. This shows that even science isn’t ordered as Paley made out. Another criticism is which is also put forward by Hume is that Paley’s argument (that there is, indeed, design in the world) is that this is a disanalogy. Paley gave the example of watch stating that it had purpose (it could tell us the time), regularity (evident through second, hour and minute hand) and design (the mechanisms) and he claims that this is analogous to the world. However this is a clear disanalogy according to Hume; for we have experience of watches and we know that they have designers and thus know that they must be designed, we can not however say the same for the universe, as we only have one and we are contained within it. If we were transcendent and had access to more than one universe or even if we had witnessed them being designed we may have been able to accept Paley’s claims. Hume also says that it’s not analogous because a watch’s purpose is axiomatic but this is unlike the universe where it is subjective. For a Christian, the purpose of life is to create a relationship with God so that they can be eschatologically reunited and the universe allows this (it’s purpose) however a humanist would say that the universe has no purpose and that we are here to live our lives to the full. Thus Paley’s claims are left redundant. To conclude, these two criticisms have shown that there is question as to whether there is design in the world. Hume has shown that design qua (in relation to) purpose and regularity are merely positions which are nothing more than falsities. Explain and illustrate two claims that God’s existence is incompatible with the existence of evil Evil has come to pose one of the single largest threats to theism, indeed, many such as John Stuart Mill and David Hume concluded that God no longer existed because of the existence and the incompatibility of it. Evil has been defined to be the â€Å"absence of good† by Aristotle but it mainly refers to two types, either natural evil which entails natural disasters such as tsunamis or moral which refers to morally wrong actions and intents taken by humans such as infanticide or examples such as the Holocaust. Some try to reconcile the ideas of evil and God (in what has come to be known as theocies) but it is questionable whether they have succeeded. Hume puts the first criticism forward which is known as the logical problem of evil, a deductive argument, by first reissuing the statements as a theist would accept them; 1. God is omnipotent. Omniscient and omnibenevolent 2. Evil (and thus suffering exist) Hume claims that the one and two are incompatible. For if he loved us then he would stop suffering and thus he can not be omnibenevolent. Hume developed his argument through his ‘inconsistent triad’ which states that God is either unable to stop evil which means they he is not omnipotent; that he does not know about the evil which means he is not omniscient. This leads us to the conclusion that God’s existence is logically incompatible with the existence of evil and Hume to say that one of the sides of triangle (attributes of God, considering that evil objectively exists) and so Hume says that it is the â€Å"death† of classical theism. The answer to this could be that evil exists so that we can allow us to spiritually grow, for it is true that we can not become courageous unless an instance of danger arises, similarly we can not gain compassion without suffering. So the criticism is solved through God wanting us to experience suffering so we can go though a process of soul-making (this marks the basis for Iraneus’ theodicy). However this leads to the second criticism which is predominantly put forward by William Row, Charles Darwin and David Hume says that even if we were to accept that evil should exist and it is compatible, the sheer amount and the distribution of it shows that the existence of God and evil is less probable. This inductive argument cites points in history that show that the distribution doesn’t seem to amount justification for soul-making; it can accept the death of an adult, but what of the Gulag and Holocaust? Rowe also notes that there are evils which do not lead to spiritual growth such as people who never recover such as child who has had his whole family burned. Rowe also gives the example of a fawn who burns in a forest but no one is around to see it, who is growing spiritually, what compassion has been encompassed? This anthropocentric approach (by implication) also fails because it leaves animal suffering unanswered. Thus, the view that evil and God’s existence is compatible is made redundant not only in the face of the incompatibility of God’s very nature and the existence of evil but the sheer amount and distribution of it.

Henry The 8th essays

Henry The 8th essays Henry VIII was born on June 28th 1491, in Greenwich Palace, London. He was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Henry VIII came to the throne on the June 24th 1509, after his fathers death. Almost 18 at the time, Henry was interested in sport, dancing and feasting, than he was in governing his country. He left most of his ruling to his advisor, Cardinal Thomas Wosley. Henrys reign was often overshadowed by his six marriages, as he hoped to have a male heir. His greatest achievements include the development of the British navy, and the reformation of Roman Catholic churches, which resulted the creation of Protestant churches. When Henry was eleven, his life was transformed by the death of his elder brother, Arthur. He was now heir to throne. In 1509 Henrys father died, and he succeeded him. Shortly after he came to the throne Henry married his brothers widow, Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of the king of Spain. They had a daughter named Mary, who was born in 1516, and for most of the 24 years their marriage it was quite a happy one. But Henry desperately wanted a son to follow him on the throne believing that a male heir would be a better ruler, and to his mind this was a failure to his reign. He blamed this on Catherine. Although she was pregnant many times only, Princess Mary survived. Henry had affairs with ladies of his court until he fell in love with Anne Boleyn, a woman of strong will and political instincts. Henry decided to divorce Catherine in order to marry Anne. From 1527 Henry was looking for a way out of his marriage, arguing from accordance of the bible that the union with his brothers widow was invalid. Henry sent his Cardinal Wosley to Rome to present the English case before the pope; Cardinal Wosley was unable to secure the Popes permission for the divorce. Henry did not tolerate failure and dismissed the Cardinal, for failing. However, the divorce was politi...

Functional Equivalences

Functional Equivalences Functional equivalence refers to the role or function that behavior plays in different cultures. One cannot assume that behaviors play the same role or function across cultures; therefore, assumptions made about the function of behavior in a cultural group must be verified. This concept extends to include the differences in people's perceptions about, and responses to, a particular product or activity according to their cultural features. The value that is placed on products or social activities can be culture sensitive and the exact purpose that each serves across national and cultural boundaries should be thoroughly established in marketing research.To illustrate how perceptions of the sample population may vary across cultural patterns, we can consider two different countries, the Netherlands and the United States, and compare substantial differences in individual interpretations of products such as bicycles.Not that it's unknown in other countries, but the Netherlands is the coun try where almost everybody bikes.Working bicycleVirtually every mile of road is paralleled with its own bike lane. Bicycles are extended the same respect as cars, even having their own designated traffic lights. In the Netherlands, the roads are narrow and parking spaces are hard to come by and usually quite expensive. Whereas in Holland, hundreds of miles of lush green farmlands and shoreline are accessible only by bicycle, making it thus the most valuable mode of transportation among the Dutch, in the United States a bicycle can be said to serve solely as a recreational sport and seldom used as an equally comfortable and reliable means to travel within highways. Consequently, in the Netherlands, competing products would consist of other similar modes of transportation, while in the United States relevant means of recreation would be seen as different products that compete against bicycles.Another example that demonstrates how people...

Evidence-Based Practice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidence-Based Practice - Coursework Example The resources must include online search engines and access to patient’s history, which must be provided to the nursing staff for proper implementation of EBP. There is limited access to data, and the nurses do not have complete information about this practice. There is limited access to the analysis of the data for the nurses to work efficiently (Hockenberry, Wilson, & Barrera, 2006). Time allocation is a very important issue, which is one of the biggest obstacles to implementing EBP. In  order to promote the practice of EBP, some institutes pay the nurses to take a time-out and participate in the activities of EBP so that they can have complete knowledge about it, and it becomes easier for them to apply it in their work. Working environment of the institutions is important to support EBP. Some institutions have such an environment, which neglects EBP. For EBP to have the potential impact on patient care environment must be provided to motivate and implement EBP (Hockenberry, Wilson, & Barrera, 2006). The above-mentioned obstacles are very necessary to be removed in order to implement EBP for the facilitation and effective care of the patients. All the staff must work together to help each other and also help each other to implement the applications of EBP. The patient-care is the main motto, which can be achieved to a greater extent with the help of

1.How are many-to-many relationships addressed in the relational model Essay

1.How are many-to-many relationships addressed in the relational model Provide a specific example other than the one in your textbook. Illustrate your answer using IE Crows Foot E-R diagrams - Essay Example In a relational model, the many-to-many relationship cannot directly be modeled. Such a relationship has to be converted into multiple one-to-many relationships first. Therefore, a many-to-many relationship is represented in the form of three tables in the model; the two original tables and a junction table. For the country-language example stated above, the relationship is formed as shown in the figure below. The many-to-many relationship between country and language is converted into two one-to-many relationships between the two entities and the the junction table. In the junction table (CountryLanguage), the unique primary key is a composite key (CountryID, LanguageID) which is formed by the two foreign keys which refer to the primary keys of the ‘country’ (CountryID) and ‘language’ (LanguageID)