Human resource management is an integral component of any business related enterprise that incorporates in its production cycle a group of workers. The primary function of human resource management is to increase the effectiveness and contribution of employees in the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Human resource management refers to proper coordination and arrangement of the available labor force (employees), in the achievement of goals set by the organization. This reflective essay aims at identifying, in a deeper sense, the influence that the human resource management process has in the development of both organizational and individual behavior.
Through its various components, the broad section of human resource management specifically deals with boosting the employee’s confidence in line with the organizational goals. In so doing, a specifically desirable character is inculcated into the employees. Improved employee behavior sub consequently leads to the behavioral growth of the entire organization; a development that helps the organization to accomplish the set goals and objectives. The human resource management structure is such that it has other sub sections incorporated into it. These sub sections work hand in hand to realize the goals for which HRM sets out to achieve; increasing the effectiveness of the employees to achieve the organizational goals. These sections include the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA), Human resource planning, compensation and benefits, safety and health and lastly employee and labor relations.
EEO makes it possible for fairness to be achieved in as far as the process of hiring is. It limits chances of discrimination against the groups traditionally perceived as less privileged, for example, the females. By eliminating discrimination, all the eligible male and female employees are given equal chances to exploit their productive levels. This allows for a healthy competition among the employees leading to an increased output level for the organization.
In this way, HRM is useful in the attainment of set goals. Affirmative action, on the other hand, is a corrective process that makes amendments for any discrimination, which might have been witnessed in an organization. AA acts in a similar fashion as the EEO to bolster the employee confidence hence improve on the efficiency levels in as far as productivity is concerned. It acts to create a level playing field for all employees. In this way, the effectiveness of the employees’ production levels is increased.
Human resource planning in the other hand is a skillful process that deals with accounting for the available resource and weighing it against the expected or available job opportunities. It is actually, one of the most important aspects of the HRM process. It is through the planning process that the required amount of human resource is determined. It also helps the organization to put in place its financial avenues to meet the minimum levels of operation of the employees. This aspect helps in the HRM process in that it ensures the perfect match between the employees and the available jobs, while checking out for any excesses in as far as labor supply is concerned. The HR planning process is further divided into three categories that help its operations; forecasting the demand for labor, making analysis of the present levels of labor supply and striking a balance between the projected labor demand and supply.
Aspects of compensation and benefits act to improve the employees’ morale, efficiency levels and commitment levels. This in turn, helps to improve the productivity levels. As regards the safety and health issues, it is important to know that employees can only work best when in the right health conditions. It is important therefore, that the HRM process in any organization consider aspects and conditions that promote safe and healthy working environments.
Healthy employees would certainly add more value to the organization through higher productivity levels as compared to unhealthy individuals. HR development is another important section of the HRM process. The development process incorporates activities such as training that help the employees to be well acquainted with the organizational goals, and other aspects such as the culture that would be essential in the realization of the goals. The development process practically incorporates the employees into the organization by allowing them to understand, in a deeper sense, the requisite goals and available channels to achieve them. The development process allows employees to be more goal oriented, and as such, promote the whole idea of a profit making organization; achievement of set targets or goals.
Lastly, it is important to understand the employee and labor relations. This is the process by which manaers understand the laws guiding the working of the employees, to avoid any cases of misunderstanding, which would lead to a loss of commitment and effectiveness on the employees’ side. It is therefore, important that this relationship is well understood if the effectiveness and productivity levels of the employees is to be improved. Actually, none of these aspects can be said to be more important that the other, considering a fault in any would lead to an overall decreased in employee productivity. As such, the respective HRM departments ought to consider each aspect to optimize the levels of employee production. Remember, a productive employee is a satisfied employee.
In the best interest of the organization it is important therefore, that the employees are treated well if any meaningful results are to be achieved. It is also important to note that other aspect of organizational management, such as the organizational culture, would do more to improve the organizational and employee behavior but the basics have to be instilled by the HRM department. The optimization process is unification of all the possible aspects stated above in the realization of the set objectives. It is important that we take a closer look at the subject forming the discussion; improving or rather enhancing employee as well as the organizational behavior, embodying all the systems that occur in an organizational set up that enhances its prospects of achieving the set goals and objectives.
In other words, this behavioral nature of the organization can be easily compared to the culture. However, for organizational behavior to exist, it is important that the components of the organization define a common behavior. In this case, the components of the organization that would do much to influence the behavior are the employees. It, therefore, means that the behavior of the employees must be nurtured first if any organizational behavior is to be realized.The importance of this behavior cannot be overstated although it is very essential especially from a human resource management point of view.
Let us reflect on the contribution that proper behavior adds to the whole HR process. Remember, Human Resource deals with boosting the employees’ effectiveness, efficiency as well as commitments. It is, however, important that we understand that for employees to be committed, they must exhibit proper behavior. This behavior would include respecting the scalar chains present in the organization as well as the existing conventions determining the organization’s culture. It is therefore, very important to study the importance of employee behavior in both the realization of the set objectives as well as the organizational behavior.
It is also worth to note that there is a strong link between the organizational performance and proper HRM practices. This is seen in the way proper coordination between these two processes would lead to improved employee commitment, low absenteeism and turnover rates, improved skills hence higher productivity and lastly, enhanced quality and efficiency among the employees. It, however, came to my attention that the process of improving the employee and the organizational behavior does not rest on any specific individual managers. Traditionally, the aspect of employee nurturing (generally HR development), has always been a preserve for individuals in administrative positions for instance line managers or departmental heads.
However, with the dynamism that has been witnessed in the organizational structures and management as a whole, the role of nurturing employees is slowly but surely being diversified, such that every employee seems to be responsible for the actions of a fellow employee. This is what I mean; any responsible employee could take it upon his or herself to see to it that a fellow employee is headed in the right direction. Secondly, I realized that in the course of establishing employee behavior, ethical considerations, must be weighed first. Ethics is a very essential component in as far as the whole management process is concerned, and as such dealings in line with the management protocol must fully put it into practice and consider the ramifications thereof, in the event its application is not followed. Considering excellent behaviors stem out of ethically moral situations; the responsible parties might as well have to put into consideration, the ethical issues that may arise.
It is without any reasonable doubt that the lessons learnt stemmed out of an experience. The organization in question is a learning institution, and as such, the major employees who would provide any substantial basis for a lesson, would be the teachers. In the first case, it was incidence involving two teachers who apart from sharing the staff room, shared other things in life notably; friendship. While one of the teachers was the school hero judgiing by his high grades, the other was the school’s villain so to speak. Part of the reason could be the difference in the subjects handled by the teachers but all the same the teacher was still taunted as the poor performer.
It therefore, took the intervention of his friend to restore his image as a distinguished teacher. The friend taught him some of the teaching techniques that would help in improving the grade of his students. Sure enough, this strategy worked. It acted to teach me one thing; that in an organizational set up any employee could be of importance in the improvement of behavior in a fellow employee. In addition, nurturing an employee’s behavior could as well be a social responsibility.
The relevance of these lessons is very applicable in any workplace. (Storey, 2009) Let us consider a situation where the management through a line or departmental head is heaping pressure on an employee to deliver on certain issues. Most of the times we fail to recognize the fact that we could be of help to any affected persons especially at the work place until a tragedy befall them. Back to my situation, it has become a part of every one of us to assist any colleague who might be going through a difficult period.
The rationale behind this could be pegged to the ideal theme of social responsibility. Considering organization has a departmentalize design structure, we are grouped according to what we do such that it is normal to find a group of like-minded individuals bundled together. As such, it becomes easy to help in the event any work related problem arises. It is in the spirit of goodwill. As concerns, the issue of ethics, this aspect has become totally indispensable from any management related processes.
These issues range from sexual affairs at the work place, to aspects of favoritism that would act to dampen the morale of the employees, hence decrease the possibilities of achieving any set objectives. Aspects of sharing work related problems are aspects that are fully implemented in my area of work, specifically with the work mates with whom we share common characteristics. As for the ethical concerns, it is just important that every individual acts in ethically moral manner to improve the prospects of working and sharing a common agenda; that of achieving the organizational goals be it at the departmental or corporate levels. Even though, the future of the management structures seems to be a far-fetched idea, it is particularly important to acknowledge certain facts that would as well act as a pointer into what the future portends.
Basing my argument on the evolution that has been witnessed so far in as far as social responsibility is concerned, it is only in order for as to look at the possibilities that might as well bedevil the future. Seemingly, the slow but sure changes that have rocked the HRM process could as well mark the start of the end of a very important function held by the HRM function in days to come. This means that in the future, role of HR development could as well be a requirement of every employee. The ethical concern could however, find its best application when the issue of home is brought into the picture. This is specifically important in the upbringing of the children. It would be specifically important when a parent would be nurturing his children in the sense that he would never be expected to favor any of the children no matter how good some would be.
In the same manner, any individual in the position of responsibility should never be encouraged to show aspects of favor whatsoever to any employee in as far as matters about HRM are concerned.Conclusion It is important that we understand the influence that the human resource management process has in the development of organizational and individual behavior. Much of the discussions and relevant illustrations, tend to accentuate this proposition. In a far deeper sense, and as such any person interested in human resource management should realize, how important this department really is to any organization.
Logistics also seem to be in my favor specifically with the mention of the importance of the human resource department in any organization. In summary, an organization is made up of the employees. This is true considering no organization can operate without employees. The human resource department is the department that controls these important functions. This acts to cement the position of this department as the most important of all and as such all the activities carried herein, could as well have greater repercussions to the organizational stability at its highest levels. It is, therefore, particularly important for any managers to take notice of the dynamics that have characterized the contemporary management structures because it would help them to improve on their management skills.
