Module 1 Flashcards
Intro to HR Management
What is HR Management in simple terms?
The management of people.
Define HRM:
Human Resource Management is the management of people within organizations through systems, processes, procedures, policies and tools enabling employees to optimize performance and enhance organizational objectives.
What shapes HRM?
Internal Forces: organizational mission, organizational goals and objectives, organizational culture, choice of HRM strategies.
External Forces: economic environment, technology, demographics and culture, legal or regulatory constraints.
What are typical generic strategies for alignment with organizational mission, goals and objectives?
- Innovator/differentiator
- Cost leadership
- Focus
What are qualities of Hierarchical Organizational Culture?
- Top-down communication
- Many pay levels
- Rewards individual performance
- Autocratic decision making
What are qualities of Egalitarian Organizational Culture?
- Organic communication
- Fewer pay levels
- Rewards team effort
- Collaborative decision making
Are the Heirarchical and Egalitarian Organizational Cultures mutually exclusive?
No, they function on a spectrum/continuum. A business may have qualities of both organizational cultures at once.
How do businesses select their HRM strategies?
The complexity & sophistication of HRM strategies (and the HR department itself) will depend on organizational size, complexity, market, and their stage in the organization life cycle.
*HRM strategies are not static, they need to evolve with the organization and external environment.
What are some common HR Disciplines?
- Recruitment
- Compensation
- Employee benefits
- Workforce planning
- Training/Developement
- Inclusion and diversity
- Occupational health and safety
- etc.
What are the external factors that shape HRM?
- Economic environment
- Technological advances
- Demographics & culture
- Legal & regulatory constraints
How does the economic environment affect HRM?
The business cycle plays a huge role in HRM practices.
- In a bust: more layoffs, potentially more litigation, challenges motivating remaining employees, conflicts with unions.
- In a boom: challenges finding and retainning key talent, pressure on compensation and benefits, increased training and developement needs, higher attrition.
How does productivity & innovation relate to business competition?
How does Canada compare to the rest of the world in terms of innovation & productivity.
Productivity gain is essential to remain internationally competitive. (Productivity = output/input)
Globally Canada lacks behind on innovation and productivity gains.
What are promising trends in technological advances that affect HRM?
- Flexible work patterns
- “New World of Work” post-pandemic
- Everything data analytics
- Less exposure to hazardous work environments
What are worrisome trends in technological advances that affect HRM?
- Cybersecurity (lacking)
- Automation and related job losses
- Opposition from unions
- Augmented or autonomous AI and resulting impact on decision making
- Data privacy
How do demographics and culture affect HRM?
Demographic challenges include age, culture, skill and gender.
- Adjusting HR programs to an aging workforce
- Move to a knowledge based economy
- Increased cultural diversity
- Women in the workforce
What are federal legal/regulatory constraints that affect HRM?
- The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Canadian Human Rights Act
- Canada Labour Code
- Employment Equity Act
- Pay Equity Act
What are examples of federally regulated industries?
Air transportation, banks, most crown corporations, radio and television broadcasting, cross-provincial or international railway, port services & marine shipping, uranium mining, etc.
What are provincial (SK) legal/regulatory constraints that affect HRM?
- The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code
- The Saskatchewan Employment Act
- Occupational Health & Safety Regulations
- The Saskatchewan Employment Regulations
*The majority of employers are provincially regulated.
Outline the set up of the HR function:
The HR function depends on the size and complexity of the organization, it has to evolve with the organization.
The traditional rule of thumb is one HR resource per each 100 employees.
The rule of HR ranges from providing advice and administrative support to full decision-making authority on key HRM policies.
Define HR staff authority:
HR functioning to provide administrative support and advice.
Define HR functional authority:
HR functioning in full decision-making authority on all key HRM policies.
Define and explain the different stages of the business cycle?
- Expansion: positive increases in economic indicators.
- Peak: maximum limit of growth is attained and prices are at their peak.
- Recession: Demand begins declining rapidly, excess supply causes prices to fall, positive economic indicators start to fall. (Defined as 2 consecutive quarters of decline).
- Depression: commensurate rise in unemployment, economy growth continues to decline. (Depressions do not happen in every economic cycle, only during severe recessions).
- Trough: Growth rate declines to reach its lowest point.
- Recovery: Turnaround from the trough, the economy begins to recover, production, employment and demand begin to rise.
