Session 2 - Intro to HR

Question 1

What is HRM?

Answer 1

HRM is the design and implementation of formal systems that utilize human resources to accomplish organizational goals

Question 2

What are some of the HRM systems, practices and policies?

Answer 2

Promoting employee health and safety through organizational culture, Defining/analyzing and designing the work, Planning for recruiting and selecting employees, Orienting/training/developing employees, etc..

Question 3

Why study HRM?

Answer 3

Studying HRM will help you understand your work, responsibilities, and rights in an organization and how your contributions make the organization successful

Question 4

Why is the role of the manager so important?

Answer 4

Managers are responsible for implementing various HRM systems, practices, and policies and must therefore work with, and rely upon, HR professionals to ensure that they have the right knowledge, tools, and resources to do so effectively

Question 5

What is the HR professional’s primary role in today’s work environment?

Answer 5

To help equip the manager with the best people practices so that the organization can be successful

Question 6

How are HR professionals expected to fulfill their role?

Answer 6

By actively involving others in the organization, particularly managers, in the development and design of HRM systems, practices and policies

Question 7

How is HRM percieved?

Answer 7

• Primarily and administrative function (record keeping, payroll)
• HR is a cost center (adds to organization expenses but doesn’t generate revenue)
• Little strategic importance (not a source of competitive advantage)

Question 8

What are the 6 current business topics impacting HRM?

Answer 8

1) Global economy
2) Changes in firms and business sectors
3) Technology and quality
4) Sustainability
5) Developing human capital and talent management
6) Demographics

Question 9

How does the Global Economy effect HRM?

Answer 9

• When an organization decides to operate in a different country, HRM practices need to address the different legal, political, and cultural requirements within this new location
• Also need to identify capable expatriate managers who can live and work overseas

Question 10

How might changes in Firm’s and Business Sectors effect HRM?

Answer 10

• As companies change, so do the requirements for the capabilities of employees
• Companies attempts to lower labor cost through downsizing, outsourcing and the use of contract employees directly impact HRM

Question 11

What is Downsizing?

Answer 11

Downsizing is a strategic approach to decreasing the number of employees in a company (mostly occurs when the economy is poor)

Question 12

What are lessons companies have learned following their downsizing procedures?

Answer 12

How and why a company downsizes can create a negative image of the company, other lessons include communicating what is going to happen as soon as possible, being honest

Question 13

What is “survivor syndrome”?

Answer 13

Is the thought of paying as much attention to those people who will still be employed as to those who will be departing

Question 14

What is Outsourcing?

Answer 14

Outsourcing means hiring a person who does not work for the company (or hiring another company) to perform work that would normally have been performed by someone employed by the organization

Question 15

What is an “Independent Contractor”

Answer 15

Generally speaking, independent contractors are hired to do a specific job for a specific period of time and have more flexibility in relation to hours of work, work location, and how the work is done

Question 16

How is Technology impacting HRM and business’s?

Answer 16

Less processing forms(everything is online), unlimited amounts of data can be stored, processes have been improved, costs reduced

Question 17

What is “Telecommuting”?

Answer 17

Is when people can work from the office or from their desk at home when they desire

Question 18

How has Quality impacted HRM?

Answer 18

HRM is now required to hire staff that can work in teams, the necessity of having compensation systems that support quality objectives, and the need to have performance management systems that recognize the importance of customer satisfaction

Question 19

What are some programs that look to enhance Quality?

Answer 19

TQM, Six Sigma, Lean

Question 20

What was TQM based on?

Answer 20

A management philophosy that focused on understanding customer needs, involving employees, using fact-based decision making, communicating

Question 21

What is Six Sigma?

Answer 21

Six Sigma is a statistical method of translating a customers needs into separate tasks and defining the best way to perform each task in concert with the others

Question 22

What is Lean?

Answer 22

Lean is similar to Six Sigma but more is a more inclusive organizational system of improvements that maximize customer value and minimize waste

Question 23

What is “benchmarking”?

Answer 23

Benchmarking looks at the best practices in other companies, whether competitors or not

Question 24

What is “human capital”?

Answer 24

human capital is used to describe the value that employees provide to an organization through their knowledge, skills, and abilities

Question 25

What is “talent management”?

Answer 25

talent management is concerned with leveraging the competencies in the organization by first ensuring that the competencies are in the right places in the organization and then measuring their impact against goals

Question 26

What are some of the key demographic considerations?

Answer 26

employee background, multiple generations in the workforce, skills and labor shortage, gender distribution, and increasing levels of education

Question 27

What does the term “gig economy” refer to?

Answer 27

Gig economy is when employees have 2 or more part-time jobs

Question 28

What questions does Corporate Strategy deal with?

Answer 28

questions such as: Should we be in business? What business should we be in”?

Question 29

What are the 2 main types of Corporate Strategy?

Answer 29

1) Restructuring strategy

2) Growth

Question 30

What does Business Strategy focus on?

Answer 30

Business Strategy focuses on “how should we compete?”

Question 31

What does a human resources management strategy involve?

Answer 31

It involves the development and implementation of HRM systems, practices, and policies that enable the human capital to achieve the business objectives

Question 32

What are some key employee expectations?

Answer 32

• Rights, ethics, and privacy
• Fulfilling and meaningful work
• Balancing work and family

Question 33

What 3 constituent does HRM affect?

Answer 33

1) the organization (managers)
2) the employees (workers)
3) society

Question 34

In what ways does HRM help the employer?

Answer 34

Job analysis and design, recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation, performance appraisal

Question 35

In what ways does HRM help the employee?

Answer 35

Realizing performance ability, Career goals, Developmental opportunities, Fulfilling career

Question 36

In what ways does HRM help society?

Answer 36

Respect human rights, Legal compliance, Welfare, Financial security

Question 37

What are the 3 P’s of HR?

Answer 37

People, Profit, Planning

Question 38

What is strategic HRM?

Answer 38

Align HR philosophy, policies and practices with organizational strategies