Chapter 1: The Strategic Role of HRM

Question 1

Define (what) human resource management is

Answer 1

the management of people in organizations to drive successful organizational performance and achievement of the organization’s strategic goals.

Question 2

Analyze (why) the strategic significance of human resources management

Answer 2

Strategic Plan: is the company’s overall plan for how it will match its internal strengths and weaknesses with its external opportunities and threats to maintain a competitive position.

HRM can help businesses achieve their goals. HRM can help link the organizational strategy and objectives with the identity or purpose, their sense of community, and their intrinsic value.

Question 3

Describe (value) the value of HR expertise to non-HR managers and entrepreneurs (value added)

Answer 3

activities of employee management, empowerment, training, and guidance are often shared between managers in the organization and HR professionals.

Question 4

Describe the stages in the evolution of the HRM approach (Phase 1-4)

Answer 4

Phase 1: early 1900’s
- Personnel administration - paperwork - record keeping
- Hiring, firing, payroll, much paternalism

Phase 2: 1930’s-1950’s
- Union liaison, compliance with new laws
- orientation, performance appraisal, employee relations

Phase 3: 1960’s - 1980’s
- HRM (business orientation - people as resource)
- Outsourcing of many administrative functions
- Emphasis on contribution and proactive management of people

Phase 4: 1990’s - present
- Every line manager must possess basic HR skills (delegation of HR ) - actualize supervisors and managers
- Help achieve organizational strategic objectives
- New roles: activist, change steward, talent manager/organizational designer, operational executor, and business ally, trainer of others in the organization.

Question 5

Explain how HRM has changed over recent years to include a higher-level advisory role influence in the organization

Answer 5

The traditional HR organization tends to divide HR activities into separate ‘silos’, such as recruitment, training, and employee relations, and apply these the same way throughout the whole company.

Question 6

Describe the competencies and recognition of growing professionalism of the HRM function - HRM as a profession

Answer 6

HRM as a function: traditionally HR took a very accounting-oriented approach. Focused on activity and cost. Now, HR focuses on productivity, quality, sales, market share, and profits.

HRM as a profession: code of ethics, required training credentials, ongoing skill development
maintenance of professional competence.

Question 7

Discuss the internal environmental factors affecting HRM policies and practices and what influences HRM in an organization and explain their impact.

Answer 7

Internal Influences:
- Organizational culture, is the deep culture: values, beliefs, and norms of organizational members.
- Organizational Climate: this is the surface culture: The atmosphere’s impact on employee motivation, job performance, and productivity
- management practices: organizational structure and employee empowerment

Question 8

Discuss the External environmental factors affecting HRM policies and practices and what influences HRM in an organization and explain their impact.

Answer 8

• Economic conditions: affect supply and demand for products, impacting quantity and quality of employees required, and ability to pay/give benefits.
• labour market issues: changes to the workforce composition, including protected groups, generational differences, and contingent workers/tech
• Government: Abiding by provincial and national standards
• Globalization: managing the workforce in an intense, hypercompetitive global economy
• Environmental concerns: managing sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR)