Human Resource Change Management

(5008-1st)

By

USAMA JUNAID
STUDENT ID: 19PNS00779

Administrative Sciences

Semester Autumn- 2022

Department Of Business Administration

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

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Q. 1 What are the reasons to consider humans as a resource in modern business?
Discuss with arguments. (20)

Human resources is important to organizations in myriad areas, ranging from strategic

planning to company image. HR practitioners in a small business who have well-rounded
expertise provide a number of services to employees. The areas in which HR maintains
control can enhance an employees’ experience throughout the workforce while
strengthening business operations.

1. Strategic Management

HR improves the company's bottom line with its knowledge of how human capital affects
organizational success. Leaders with expertise in HR strategic management participate in
corporate decision-making that underlies current staffing assessments and projections for
future workforce needs based on business demand.

2. Wages and Salaries

HR compensation specialists develop realistic compensation structures that set company

wages competitive with other businesses in the area, in the same industry or companies
competing for employees with similar skills. They conduct extensive wage and salary
surveys to maintain compensation costs in line with the organization's current financial
status and projected revenue.

3. Analyzing Benefits

Benefits specialists can reduce the company’s costs associated with turnover, attrition and
hiring replacement workers. They are important to the organization because they have the
skills and expertise necessary to negotiate group benefit packages for employees, within the
organization's budget and consistent with economic conditions. They also are familiar with
employee benefits most likely to attract and retain workers. This can reduce the company’s
costs associated with turnover, attrition and hiring replacement workers.

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4. Safety and Risk Management

Employers have an obligation to provide safe working conditions. Workplace safety and
risk management specialists from the HR area manage compliance with U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration regulations through maintaining accurate work logs and
records, and developing programs that reduce the number of workplace injuries and
fatalities. Workplace safety specialists also engage employees in promoting awareness and
safe handling of dangerous equipment and hazardous chemicals.

5. Minimizing Liability Issues

HR employee relations specialists minimize the organization's exposure and liability related
to allegations of unfair employment practices. They identify, investigate and resolve
workplace issues that, left unattended, could spiral out of control and embroil the
organization in legal matters pertaining to federal and state anti-discrimination and
harassment laws.

6. Training and Development

HR training and development specialists coordinate new employee orientation, an essential

step in forging a strong employer-employee relationship. The training and development
area of HR also provides training that supports the company's fair employment practices
and employee development to prepare aspiring leaders for supervisory and management
roles.

7. Employee Satisfaction

Employee relations specialists in HR help the organization achieve high performance,

morale and satisfaction levels throughout the workforce, by creating ways to strengthen the
employer-employee relationship. They administer employee opinion surveys, conduct focus
groups and seek employee input regarding job satisfaction and ways the employer can
sustain good working relationships.

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8. Recruitment and Onboarding

HR recruiters manage the employment process from screening resumes to scheduling

interviews to processing new employees. Typically, they determine the most effective
methods for recruiting applicants, including assessing which applicant tracking systems are
best suited for the organization's needs.

9. Hiring Processes

HR professionals work closely with hiring managers to effect good hiring decisions,
according to the organization's workforce needs. They provide guidance to managers who
aren't familiar with HR or standard hiring processes to ensure that the company extends
offers to suitable candidates.

10. Maintaining Compliance

HR workers ensure that the organization complies with federal state employment laws.
They complete paperwork necessary for documenting that the company's employees are
eligible to work in the U.S. They also monitor compliance with applicable laws for
organizations that receive federal or state government contracts, through maintaining
applicant flow logs, written affirmative action plans and disparate impact analyses.

Overall Responsibilities of Human Resource Managers

Human resource managers have strategic and functional responsibilities for all of the HR
disciplines. A human resource manager has the expertise of an HR generalist combined
with general business and management skills. In large organizations, a human resource
manager reports to the human resource director or a C-level human resource executive.

In smaller companies, some HR managers perform all of the department's functions or work
with an HR assistant or generalist that handles administrative matters. Regardless of the
size of department or the company, a human resource manager should have the skills to
perform every HR function, if necessary.

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Compensation and Benefits

Human resource managers provide guidance and direction to compensation and benefits
specialists. Within this discipline, human resources managers develop strategic
compensation plans, align performance management systems with compensation structure
and monitor negotiations for group health care benefits.

Examples of human resource manager responsibilities include monitoring Family and

Medical Leave Act compliance, and adherence to confidentiality provisions for employee
medical files. Human resource managers for small companies might also conduct open
enrollment for employees' annual elections pertaining to health care coverage.

Training and Development

Employee training and development includes new hire orientation, leadership training and
professional development. Human resource managers conduct periodic needs assessments
to determine when training is necessary, and the type of training necessary to improve
performance and productivity. They examine employee performance records to identify
areas where employees could improve through job skills training or employee development,
such as seminars or workshops on leadership techniques.

They also play an integral role in implementing employee development strategy and
succession planning based on training and professional development. Succession planning
draws on the manager's knowledge of employee development, training and future business
needs to devise career tracks for employees who demonstrate the aptitude and desire for
upward mobility.

Effective Employee Relations

Although the employee relations specialist is responsible for investigating and resolving
workplace issues, the human resource manager has ultimate responsibility for preserving
the employer-employee relationship through effective employee relations strategies. An
effective employee relations strategy contains specific steps for ensuring the overall well-
being of employees. It also ensures that employees have a safe working environment, free
from discrimination and harassment. Human resource managers for small businesses
conduct workplace investigations and resolve employee complaints.

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Human resource managers may also be the primary contact for legal counsel in risk
mitigation activities and litigation pertaining to employee relations matters. An example of
risk mitigation handled by a human resource manager includes examining current
workplace policies and providing training to employees and managers on those policies to
minimize the frequency of employee complaints due to misinterpretation or
misunderstanding of company policies.

Recruitment and Selection

Human resource managers develop strategic solutions to meet workforce demands and
labor force trends. An employment manager actually oversees the recruitment and selection
processes; however, an HR manager is primarily responsible for decisions related to
corporate branding as it relates to recruiting and retaining talented employees. For example,
a human resource manager in a health care firm might use her knowledge about nursing
shortages to develop a strategy for employee retention, or for maintaining the current
staffing levels.

The strategy might include developing an incentive program for nurses or providing nurses
with cross-training so they can become certified in different specialties to become more
valuable to the organization. Corporate branding as it relates to recruitment and retention
means promoting the company as an employer of choice. Human resource managers
responsible for this usually look at the recruitment and selection process, as well as
compensation and benefits to find ways to appeal to highly qualified applicants.

Q. 2 In large organizations, often managers fail in their job, but just survive; some
excel. Why so? Any research? (20)
Human resources management is a traditional, general perspective on the role of HR in an
organization. HR professionals have historically coordinated company recruitment, hiring,
training, compensation and assessment functions. The strategic planning role of human
resources emerged in the latter 20th to early 21st centuries as companies became more
interested in planning for talent needs.

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Management

The human resources function is generally responsible for overseeing all facts of a company's
employment system. This begins with the hiring and selection process, carries through
motivational programs and training and includes exit interviews or retirement programs when
employees leave. Ensuring companies follow all laws related to equal opportunities and fair
labor practices and developing HR policies and procedures for employees and managers are
key roles in the management function.

Planning

Administration and operations used to be the two role areas of HR. The strategic planning
component came into play as a result of companies recognizing the need to consider HR
needs in goals and strategies. HR directors commonly sit on company executive teams
because of the HR planning function. Numbers and types of employees and the evolution of
compensation systems are among elements in the planning role.

Process of HRD

Developing your small business's human resources strategies and tactics can seem an
especially daunting task. In many smaller organizations, the HR function is handled by the
business owner or by a senior manager without the support of a large team of professionals.
There are a number of tried and trued human resource development strategies that can enable
your business to manage its most valuable resource -- its people -- without overwhelming
your time or energy.

Human Resource Development is an organization's framework for improving and developing

their human capital. This framework includes any training, career development, evaluation
feedback, or tuition assistance that facilitates the continual improvement of employees; all of
these development efforts can be as formal as classroom training or as informal as constant
communication and coaching between supervisor and subordinate.

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Economic Development

As the human resources of a country develop, the country progresses and the benefits spread
all over the country. Better skilled and well-trained human resources attract a larger foreign
direct investment into the country and improve the brand image of the country
internationally. HRD for an economy is dependent on the economic policy of the government
and the effort by the institutions in the economy to actively participate in the development
process.

Increase in Entrepreneurial Activity

Human resource development may occur as a result of better education, training or

development of vocational skills for individuals. This activity results in an increase in
entrepreneurial activity due to the creative process that is encouraged by HRD. Moreover,
even in an economy faced by high levels of unemployment, vocational training can generate
substantial number of entrepreneurs who look for self-employment. Thus, HRD opens more
options and wider avenues of success for individuals.

Increase in Productivity

HRD leads to better and efficient utilization of the available resources. The same numbers of
individuals are able to improve their performance through training or learning of more
productive skills. This leads to an increase in productivity in the same company at the firm-
wide level and to an increase in the overall value of goods produced at the country-wide
level. An increase in productivity of employees generates high economic progress for the
country.

Counteracting Social Taboos

HRD can lead to a change in social perception of many people and can result in the
development of the society. Better educated and skilled workers can think and act more
constructively and result in a change of the social environment. Improved education leads to
self-awareness and prevents individuals from embracing superstitions.

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Methods

The most common methods of Human Resource Development are training and development,
performance evaluations, organization development, and career development. According to
Robert Rouda and Mitchell Kusy Jr., co-authors of "Development of Human Resources:
Beyond Training," training and development methods include any activities that aid
employees in "acquiring knowledge, developing competencies and skills, and adopting
behaviors that improve performance in current jobs". Performance evaluations attempt to
judge employee efforts objectively and provide useful feedback aimed at improvement.
Organization development methods include team-building activities, programs to improve the
quality of work life, organizational restructuring and/or reward system improvements. Career
development consists of any activities or programs intended for career planning between
employees, managers and the organization, such as tuition assistance.

Implementation

The implementation process for Human Resource Development activities and efforts needs to
be carefully mapped out. The first stage of this process is assessing the organization's needs
from its employees and what areas their employees could use development in to better serve
the company's needs. The next step is designing the Human Resource Development program
with the intended benefits, such as learning objectives, behavioral changes and performance
improvements in mind. The final aspect of implementing the Human Resource Development
program is the ongoing research, monitoring and evaluation of the employee and
development program.

Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees, but
many employers find the development opportunities expensive. Employees also miss out on
work time while attending training sessions, which may delay the completion of projects.
Despite the potential drawbacks, training and development provides both the company as a
whole and the individual employees with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile
investment.

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Addressing Employee Weaknesses

Most employees have some weaknesses in their workplace skills. A training program
allows you to strengthen those skills that each employee needs to improve. A development
program brings all employees to a higher level so they all have similar skills and
knowledge. This helps reduce any weak links within the company who rely heavily on
others to complete basic work tasks.

Providing the necessary training creates an overall knowledgeable staff with employees
who can take over for one another as needed, work on teams or work independently without
constant help and supervision from others.

Improved Employee Performance

An employee who receives the necessary training is better able to perform her job. She
becomes more aware of safety practices and proper procedures for basic tasks. The training
may also build the employee's confidence because she has a stronger understanding of the
industry and the responsibilities of her job. This confidence may push her to perform even
better and think of new ideas that help her excel.

Continuous training also keeps your employees on the cutting edge of industry
developments. Employees who are competent and on top of changing industry standards
help your company hold a position as a leader and strong competitor within the industry.

Structured Training and Development

A structured training and development program ensures that employees have a consistent
experience and background knowledge. The consistency is particularly relevant for the
company's basic policies and procedures.

All employees need to be aware of the expectations and procedures within the company.
This includes safety, discrimination and administrative tasks. Putting all employees through
regular training in these areas ensures that all staff members at least have exposure to the
information.

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Employee Job Satisfaction

Employees with access to training and development programs have the advantage over
employees in other companies who are left to seek out training opportunities on their own.
The investment in training that a company makes shows the employees they are valued.
The training creates a supportive workplace.

Employees may gain access to training they wouldn't have otherwise known about or
sought out themselves. Employees who feel appreciated and challenged through training
opportunities may feel more satisfaction toward their jobs.

Do not waste your time designing and developing a training course without first defining
specific needs. To determine the right approach, conduct an HR training training needs
assessment at the beginning of a training development project. Trainers tend to create
unsuitable lectures, games or other activities if they do not complete this important step.

Getting Stakeholder Endorsement

Most businesses have limited resources to devote to training and development. If HR

professionals do not qualify requests, they risk making costly mistakes. Gathering
requirements from clients, managers, employees or customers sets expectations, and when
stakeholders endorse the approach from the beginning, the scope of the project typically
remains clear throughout the project.

Validating Assumptions

Frequently, instructional designers receive requests to design training programs without any
background information. Although it might be tempting to rush in and solve a training
problem based on past experiences, better results occur when an analysis of the current
situation ensues. A robust training needs assessment takes time but typically provides
crucial details that influence training design.

Directing Activities

Career development programs typically focus on broad areas, such as project management,
business acumen or strategic planning. Employees have different skill levels, and

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conducting a thorough needs assessment allows the instructional designer to target the
performance gaps specific to the audience. For example, new employees usually need to
learn how financial and operational decisions affect the bottom line. They also require the
ability to read basic financial statements and use financial tools and models to make
decisions. More experienced staff members already have some knowledge and experience
of the subject matter and need to complete more complex tasks, such as calculating a return
on investment. If all employees possess foundational knowledge, implementing a course on
the basics does not meet the needs of the population.

Verifying Topics

Conducting an assessment helps an instructional designer define the learning objectives and
create the content outline. This instrument typically poses questions to participants, and
instructional designers interpret the results, validate what information to cover and decide
how to present course content. A needs assessment may reveal new concerns, too. In these
cases, running follow-up interviews or focus groups can help clarify what topics and level
of detail should be included to obtain the maximum benefit and impact.

Determining Demand

Conducting a formal needs assessment enables the HR function to determine the demand
for the training programs. With this information, HR can schedule classes, workshops and
other events to suit the population. Instruments such as questionnaires, focus groups,
interviews, exams and observation generate data. Careful analysis reveals the cause of
problems and helps determine who needs help. Assessments reveal organizational,
occupational and personal needs.

Q. 3 What indicators can help in measuring the effectiveness of internal communication

policies in an organization? (20)

Developing and evaluating communication skills in the workplace is essential for the
success of your small business. Effective communication can increase employee
engagement, drive productivity and reduce turnover. It also helps maintain a positive work
environment and may prevent conflicts. As a leader, it's your responsibility to set
appropriate internal communications metrics and take the steps needed to improve them.

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Employee surveys, email open rates, intranet analytics and focus groups are effective ways
to measure internal communications. Leaders can also track turnover rates and observable
behaviors, such as work performance, to get insights into their communications strategy.

Tools for Evaluating Communication Skills

Employee communication evaluation can improve your company's culture and overall
performance. Plus, it provides valuable insights into employee engagement, commitment
and work ethics. Individuals who express themselves clearly and feel listened to tend to be
more involved in their work. Team members who are struggling to communicate with
coworkers won't be able to reach their full potential and meet your expectations.

From performance management apps to staff pulse surveys, there are several tools you may
use for evaluating communication skills in the workplace. For example, you may create an
employee app that facilitates communication between departments and enables users to
share their feedback. This not only allows you to reach your employees more easily but also
makes it easier to assess their communication skills.

Harvard Business Review states that employee apps can improve internal communications,
which may lead to greater productivity, efficiency and compliance. Moreover, they may
reduce wasted time and address inefficiencies that hinder work performance. Employee
service platforms, engagement apps and collaboration tools, such as Slack and Facebook
Workplace, can be just as effective.

Pulse surveys, for example, allow employers to measure staff engagement and determine
how people feel about their job prospects, work-life balance, corporate culture,
compensation and other areas of interest. As a manager or small business owner, you can
use this data to evaluate their communication skills.

For best results, send out pulse surveys to your staff at regular intervals, such as monthly or
quarterly. Include up to 15 open-ended questions related to the areas that interest you.
Depending on your business needs and budget, you may use pulse survey tools like Culture
Amp, Glint or Waggle.

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Measure Communication in the Workplace

Surveys can be a good choice for measuring internal and external communications, but they
are not your only option. You can also use website analytics, email click-through rates and
intranet data to better understand how your employees communicate. For example, intranet
analytics can reveal which areas have the most views, how your staff feels about current
issues and what they care about. Likewise, website analytics can offer new insights into
customer and employee behavior.

A research paper published by the East Tennessee State University indicates that surveys,
focus groups, management discussion groups and suggestion boxes can facilitate feedback
in the workplace. Suggestion boxes, for example, enable employees to anonymously
express their opinions about their colleagues, the management or the company as a whole.

Ethan McCarty, a former executive at Bloomberg LP, states on the Institute for Public
Relations website that business leaders should measure the desired behavioral changes
rather than internal communications. He recommends that managers track observable
behaviors, such as employee interaction, email open rates and work performance. If your
organization publishes an article featuring a new sales strategy and then the number of sales
goes up, that's a sign of effective communication.

Make sure you keep an eye on employee turnover rates, too. Strong communication
prevents turnover, notes Forbes. If your employees are leaving the organization, try to
determine the reason behind their decision. Surveys, face-to-face meetings, calls, idea
boxes and other feedback channels may help in this regard. Another option is to conduct an
internal communication audit every few months and draw conclusions from the data you
collect.

Organizations constantly communicate to external and internal audiences on subjects

ranging from a discussion on values and goals to marketing strategies and advertising
campaigns. Measuring the value and return of communications can be tricky, but it's a tool
that every business can use to gauge their effectiveness in reaching new customers or in
communicating the corporate culture to employees.

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Communication Objectives

Every message a business puts out to either its internal or external stakeholders can be
considered part of organizational communication. Businesses have many reasons for
communicating a message. It may intend for the message to affect visibility, product
positioning, issue awareness or employee behavior, or it may be designed to improve the
company's stock value, investment potential or investor perception. These general
communications objectives are often broken down into smaller goals or plans. If your
company seeks to bring awareness to a new product, for instance, it can do this by
advertising in traditional media, reconnecting with clients in the pipeline or by utilizing
new media. Each of these options brings with it additional objectives and action steps, with
the accompanying need to measure variables and their outputs in order to gauge the
effectiveness of that particular communications strategy.

Measuring Visibility

Bringing visibility to a new product or service often inspires organizations to engage in a

strategic communications effort. As one of the most widely used forms of communication -
- think TV commercials, radio spots and social media posts -- there are several ways to
measure visibility. For instance, before-and-after surveys can be conducted with target
audience groups, focus groups can be held to garner customer feedback or social media
conversations can be initiated to determine how potential customers are reacting to a
product's branding or messaging. Measuring website statistics, page hits and social media
likes and shares are more quantitative methods of measuring visibility.

Measuring Volume and Sales

Coupled with bringing visibility to a new product or service, most businesses desire to
translate that visibility into actual sales. Measuring sales is typically a more quantitative
task than measuring visibility, although the two tasks sometimes overlap. For instance, your
company can measure the volume of new and repeat sales before, during and after a
marketing campaign to determine the effectiveness of that campaign in helping you to
generate profit. You could also track media coverage of a product or service by checking
social media for discussion on your company or its products, or by keeping tabs on
newspaper coverage and industry or trade publications.

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Measuring Employee Satisfaction and HR Statistics

Apart from external communications to existing and potential customers, many businesses
desire to positively influence the perception of the company in the eyes of its employees
with its internal missives. Here, a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods are helpful.
Employees should be asked for their opinions on how well the company has managed to
communicate its mission, operations goals and policies and procedures. You may also wish
to track the number of unsolicited resumes you receive, as this says something about the
public perception of the company and its brand. Perhaps more important is the employee
retention rate. Employees that understand a company's internal messaging are more likely
to stay, as they understand the impetus behind the work they're doing. If employees are
leaving your company at a relatively fast pace, this might be a sign that you aren't
communicating a welcoming workplace or a conducive corporate culture.

Q. 4 Do high performance work systems really stress its employees? Discuss with
arguments. (20)

An employee's relationship with a manager is the most important indicator of success or

failure on the job. Managers have numerous ways to impact employee performance through
behavior modeling, constructive feedback, and performance reviews, among other methods.
However, these techniques won't succeed unless the manager tries to understand his
employees' motivations. Managers who follow a "command and control" leadership model
inspire lower loyalty and productivity than those who allow their subordinates some degree
of autonomy.

Behavior Modeling

Whether they realize it or not, managers influence the actions of those who work under
them. However, organizations don't change for the better, unless you model morally upright
behaviors of collaboration, inclusion and trust to your employees, an analysis by counselors
at Tampa Mediations states. Once these values take hold, employees feel empowered to act
when they see them being compromised. Managers who create this atmosphere inspire
greater loyalty and trust, and also serve notice that ego conflicts won't drive morale and
performance.

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Constructive Feedback

Not all employees progress at the same rate. As a result, it becomes necessary that you give
constructive feedback to improve their performance. That process requires evaluating why
an employee isn't meeting your expectations, how you can help him, and working to find a
solution, an article on the Business Performance website advises. However, when you're
dealing with negative areas, it's best to couch your improvement suggestions in positive
terms. Otherwise, the employee feels little or no incentive to change his behavior.

Employee Recognition

Earning recognition for achievements is as important to employees as equity and

camaraderie. Smart managers stay attuned to these feelings and make a point of recognizing
individual contributions, instead of focusing on criticism. Employees who feel appreciated
and respected are more likely to perform at higher levels than those who only hear the
occasional compliment, as “Harvard Management Update" notes in its April 2006 edition.
However, such policies are no substitute for fair pay, which is an equally important
consideration for workers.

Informal Meetings

Without regular feedback from employees, it's difficult to determine the type of
performance that you expect. To counter this uncertainty, you should regularly meet with
your staff outside of the work setting. "Harvard Management Update" recommends getting
together over lunch, for example, which is more likely to encourage a relaxed discussion of
work issues. Even if you can't deliver on a particular request, your employees will
appreciate the opportunity to bring it up, which strengthens their trust in your leadership.

Performance Reviews

A semi-annual or yearly performance review provides an ongoing opportunity to measure

an employee's development within an organization. Your evaluation of that progress and
recommendations for improvement should be stated in clear, measurable terms, a 2007
article in "Entrepreneur" magazine states, so that the employee knows exactly what's
expected of him. In recounting the past year, you'll want to balance positive and negative

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statements, to give the employee a comprehensive picture. This approach reduces feelings
of defensiveness, while allowing you to identify areas that need improvement.

Employee evaluation is an important tool for businesses and benefits the employer and
employee. The human resources department plays a critical role in ensuring that evaluations
are done effectively and that the knowledge gained is used to aid in employee development,
as well as in HR processes, including recruitment and training. HR departments that
effectively design, implement, manage and improve employee evaluation processes can
have a measurable impact on the companies they serve.

Job Descriptions

The starting point for effective employee evaluation is the job description. The job
description outlines the duties and responsibilities for the employee in the position and lays
the foundation against which the employee will be evaluated.

Core Competencies

Employees must possess core competencies to be successful in their jobs. A combination of

the tasks outlined in the job description and the core competencies required to be successful
will provide a framework for evaluation.

Forms And Administration

Every evaluation process requires administration, which includes forms, policies and
procedures communicated to employees and their managers. An important part of these
systems includes the rating system that will be used to evaluate employee performance.

Training for Management

The most important aspect of ensuring an effective employee evaluation system is

providing training for the supervisors and managers who will be responsible for evaluating
employee performance. Too often it is assumed that managers will know how and what to
do. HR departments that provide specific training and access to resources for managers and
supervisors can ensure that the evaluation process will be effective.

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Monitoring And Making Improvements

No evaluation system will remain stagnant forever. Organizational needs change-- job
requirements change--and employee and manager turnover mean that training must be
ongoing. HR departments need to continually monitor the evaluation system to ensure that
it is meeting the needs of employees, managers and the organization as a whole.

The objective of human resource manpower development is to provide a framework for

employees to develop their competencies necessary for individual and organizational
efficiency and productivity as well as career growth. The employer is responsible for
devising programs geared toward an employee's career development and job skills
acquisition after employment through training, performance management and organization
development. Manpower development is typically a part of the organization's human
resource strategy and aims to maximize human capital potential so as to attain strategic
business objectives.

Training and Development of Manpower

Among manpower development's functions is to oversee the development of human

expertise in the organization to improve productivity and efficiency. Through planning and
monitoring of employee work results, development programs are designed to ensure
employees acquire pertinent skills and qualities required for working at higher levels. This
motivates the workers and enhances their career growth. Systematic training programs also
place the organization in a unique position to confront the growing and changing needs of
manpower, technology and diversification of business activities.

Performance Appraisal and Management

Performance evaluations and reviews are a crucial opportunity for employee improvement
in your organization. Manpower development should devise techniques for managers to use
in conducting meaningful and effective appraisals. Typically, these should help the
manager rate goal achievement and assess performance against some defined metrics such
as job-specific competencies and core company values. Effective performance appraisals
will allow your management team to identify gaps in employee productivity, which can
serve as the foundation for programs geared toward employee development.

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Manpower Planning and Strategy Development

Planning consists of getting the right number and right kind of people in the right place.
This ensures employees are assigned tasks for which they are well-suited to help the
organization achieve its goals. Human resource manpower development has to analyze the
current manpower inventory, make future manpower forecasts and determine whether
recruitment from outside or promotions from within are necessary to boost performance. By
identifying the different skill sets and talent required by respective areas of your business, a
human resources strategy can be developed that considers how existing and future
employees fit into your company’s overall business.

Employee Welfare and Quality of Work Life

The ultimate objective of manpower development is to contribute to the professional well-

being, pride and motivation of the worker. Employee welfare refers to those efforts that
improve the living standard of employees and hence the quality of work life. The goal is to
provide good leadership, interesting and challenging jobs, safe working conditions and
good wages. Several benefits can be extended to employees as indirect compensation plans
to motivate them to perform better. In addition, you can implement an open-door policy or
allow your employees to participate in the decisions that affect them and their relationship
with the company.

It can be easy to overlook HR in an SME. Many entrepreneurs get their businesses off to a flying
start, but grapple with people management as the business starts to flourish. Managing
staff takes time and it requires specific skills. HR is an area of expertise many business owners
lack. Regardless of skills, the value of HR in business isn’t always immediately apparent. With
just a few employees, business leaders feel like they have their finger on the pulse when it comes
to the people they hire and manage. But as a business grows, leaders often find there just isn’t
time to deal with day-to-day people management and recruitment and the focus on people can
easily get lost. This is a costly mistake and can affect employee satisfaction, culture and long-
term success. Consider the consequences of poor HR. When employees don’t feel supported,
aren’t being given opportunities, work long hours, and so on, their motivation to perform is
impacted. Underdeliver on effective HR and you’ll see a knock-on effect on your bottom
line. People, culture and business success go hand-in-hand.

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Reputation as an employer is influential in attracting talent. It also impacts on customers. Take
Uber as an example; plagued by a string of HR catastrophes from sexual harassment cases to
ignoring employee complaints, the resulting bad publicity has undoubtedly deterred many from
working there or from using their ride-sharing services. Bad HR has destroyed Uber’s employer
brand.

Human resources is the set of individuals who make up the workforce of an organization,
business sector, or an economy. “Human capital” is sometimes used synonymously with
human resources, although human capital typically refers to a more narrow view (i.e., the
knowledge the individuals embody and can contribute to an organization). Likewise, other
terms sometimes used include “manpower,” “talent,” “labor,” or simply “people. ”

Human resources development (HRD) as a theory is a framework for the expansion of human
capital within an organization through the development of both the organization and the
individual to achieve performance improvement. Adam Smith states, “The capacities of
individuals depended on their access to education. ” The same statement applies to
organizations themselves, but it requires a much broader field to cover both areas.

Human resource development is the integrated use of training, organization, and career
development efforts to improve individual, group, and organizational effectiveness. HRD
develops the key competencies that enable individuals in organizations to perform current
and future jobs through planned learning activities. Groups within organizations use HRD to
initiate and manage change. Also, HRD ensures a match between individual and
organizational needs.

HRD as a process occurs within organizations and encapsulates:

1. Training and development (TD), the development of human expertise for the purpose
of improving performance

2. Organization development (OD), empowering the organization to take advantage of its

human resource capital.

TD alone can leave an organization unable to tap into the increase in human, knowledge, or
talent capital. OD alone can result in an oppressed, under-realized workforce. HRD
practicitioners find the interstices of win/win solutions that develop the employee and the

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organization in a mutually beneficial manner. HRD does not occur without the organization,
so the practice of HRD within an organization is inhibited or promoted upon the platform of
the organization’s mission, vision, and values.

The importance of HR in a pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate the way we do business. As part of this,
the HR function is taking centre stage. Companies are being increasingly measured by the
decisions they’ve taken and the way they treated their staff. What’s more, the impact of ongoing
economic uncertainty, remote working and an all-too-real impact on employees’ mental
health are forcing businesses across the UK to place human resources at the heart of their
operation.

From supporting managers with remote management skills through to sensitively

communicating the consequences of a downturn in business, HR is crucial to the effective
management of a business during a pandemic or other significant event.

Recruitment and onboarding

Finding the right people to work in your business can be difficult. The recruitment process can
take months and getting it wrong can be costly. Finding a good fit when it comes to recruiting
talent is one of the most important aspects of HR. Hire too many people, too few or recruit an
inappropriate candidate and your business will suffer.

The importance of onboarding is perhaps the most underestimated part of the recruitment
process. Not to be confused with orientation, onboarding refers to the whole experience of
hiring, welcoming, orienting and engaging a new recruit and helping them adapt to your
organisation’s culture.

Good onboarding maximises employee engagement and increases retention. In contrast, poor
onboarding can have a hugely negative impact and leave talented new employees disengaged
from the word go.

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Performance management and training

Performance management, training and development are a big part of HR. Almost all employees
have skills gaps. Performance management helps address those issues.

An effective performance management system enables managers to offer support to employees

who need it and identify future superstars.

It’s widely recognised that employee development contributes towards better employee
engagement, increased productivity, reduced employee turnover and a more positive culture.

Comprehensive training and personal development help strengthen any weak links in the
company (including managers). Investing in your employees strengthens your organisation and
gives your business a competitive edge.

Building and maintaining company culture

Positive business culture is no longer a nice-to-have. It drives employee engagement, job

satisfaction and staff retention, and it defines business success. HR plays a key role in
developing, reinforcing and changing the culture of an organisation.

Pay, performance management, training and development, recruitment and onboarding and
reinforcing the values of the business are all essential elements of business culture covered by
HR.

Getting culture right isn’t easy.

It requires a multi-pronged approach and needs consistent nurturing (read more about workplace
culture in The Culture Economy Report 2020). Essentially, HR plays a significant role in setting
the right tone when it comes to company culture.

Business communications

Businesses require effective communication to operate well. And so often, the way
communication occurs in a business is defined by HR.

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Good communication mitigates misunderstandings, increases employee engagement, forms the
basis for better client relationships, encourages innovation and creativity and helps build a
positive culture.

Legal and regulatory compliance

HR professionals have a full understanding of employment law and the regulatory requirements
of a business associated with staff. This enormous area shouldn’t be underestimated; an unfair
dismissal claim can be an expensive mistake.

In summary

Employing a dedicated HR professional isn’t a luxury for SMEs, it’s essential. It’s common for
entrepreneurs to start out their business wearing the HR hat but looking after HR and the
complexities of employment law isn’t effective time management, and it’s costly for the
business when something goes wrong.

Outsourcing your HR needs or hiring a part-time HR manager, lets business leaders concentrate
on growing their business. Having someone to look after employee-related matters,
from absence management through to parental leave policies and beyond, will keep your
business compliant and your employees more engaged.

Q. 5 How to develop and measure the attitude of care, compassion and empathy among
future managers so as to promote employee engagement? (20)

We've all felt that familiar drag in energy level when we know we’re going into a meeting
with a nay-sayer who criticizes every idea on the table. We’re also familiar with how our
moods can be lifted when the office cheerleader comes by with a smile and a plate of
donuts on a busy Friday. While these may seem like no-brainers on the scale of negative-to-
positive energies in a workplace, deep down, attitude has a significant impact on a
workplace, including productivity levels and morale.

The Difference Between a Negative Attitude and a Bad Mood

It’s important to note that everyone has good days and bad days. Losing a client, flubbing a
presentation or even having a frustrating commute can put a generally kind and even-keeled
person in a bad mood. A bad attitude, however, is typically a state of mind, and it has the

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potential to permeate a workplace and drag everyone down with it. If you’re a colleague,
you may be able to steer clear of this personality type or steel yourself for necessary
interactions; as a manager, you may need to choose between redirecting behavior or letting
a bad attitude staffer go, rather than run the risk of alienating other employees.

How Negativity Impacts a Workplace

A negative attitude doesn’t just put others in a bad mood – it also has a tangible,
measurable impact on how an office functions. Here are some of the effects of an
unchecked negative attitude:

 Lackluster performance
 Unwillingness to work collaboratively
 Dismal outlook
 Unwillingness to try new things
 Reduced energy levels
 Depressive feelings
 Reduced quality of work product
 Poor customer engagement
 Difficulty overcoming obstacles

Negativity can breed contempt and create an environment where there’s no incentive to try,
colleagues don’t trust one another and people strive to get through the day rather than
thrive, succeed and take initiative.

How Positivity Impacts a Workplace

When there are positive attitudes in a workplace, there’s a feeling that anything can be
accomplished. Colleagues support each other and work in tandem, and a host of other
positive outcomes materialize, such as:

 Increased productivity
 Greater probability of collaboration and teamwork
 Improved morale
 Ability to overcome adversity
 Willingness to think creatively and try new things

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 Willingness to share information and ideas
 Lower turnover
 Increased sense of camaraderie
 Improved customer service

Positivity can be contagious, where everyone feels like they’re on the same team, the effort
is collective, and everyone’s ideas are valued and welcomed.

How to Decrease Negativity

Even one or two negative people can bring down a whole workplace attitude. Try
counseling these nay-sayers by getting to the heart of what brings out the poor attitude.
Perhaps it’s temporary, such as a life struggle or personal issue; conversely, it may be a
personality trait, hard-wired to be a vocal devil’s advocate.

In the former case, the staffer may need sympathy and redirection to get back on track; in
the latter example, if an employee doesn’t feel their attitude is “wrong,” there’s no
incentive to change. In this case, start tracking specific behaviors, take corrective measures,
and if circumstances don’t improve, move forward with your company policies for enacting
disciplinary measures for non-compliant performance.

Some high performers are simply not good “people” people. If this is the case, and you can
reassign a negative person to a position where he can be productive, but limited in staff
interactions, you may create a win-win for everyone.

How to Cultivate Positivity

You can go a long way in cultivating an attitude of positivity in your workplace by being
respectful, inclusive and supportive of staffers.

 Don’t allow gossip or cliquish behavior to thrive

 Express appreciation for a job well done
 Share credit
 Celebrate successes

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You can also increase the odds of having a positive workforce by hiring people with
positive outlooks. Question future candidates about how they handle disappointment and
setbacks and whether they enjoy team-working environments.

Cognitive dissonance refers to conflicting attitudes, behaviors or beliefs, according to Simple

Psychology. The theory of cognitive dissonance states that it occurs when someone holds two
or more conflicting attitudes or beliefs about one product or service. Cognitive dissonance is
most likely to occur after a consumer makes a purchase. Products or services that involve a
high level of commitment contain a greater risk for dissonance. Examples of products with
high levels of commitment include homes, vehicles and luxury vacations. Consumers may
also experience dissonance prior to making a purchase. Small-business owners should be
aware of why dissonance happens and ways they can help reduce it.

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological concept related to self-doubt when making decisions.

In marketing, it is often referred to as buyer's remorse, and relates to the uncertainty
customers feel after making a tough purchasing decision. As a business, understanding the
potential for dissonance and addressing it helps retain customers.

Post-Purchase Evaluation

Cognitive dissonance takes place during the post-purchase evaluation, the final stage in the
typical consumer decision-making process. This is the time that a customer spends assessing
a purchase after using the product or implementing it. A positive evaluation leads to repeat
business and, eventually, loyalty. A negative experience or strong feelings of doubt increase
the potential that the customer will select an alternative product or service the next time, or
even seek to return a product for a refund where that's possible.

Importance

The potential for cognitive dissonance after a purchase is amplified when a purchase is
important. Highly emotional purchases, big-ticket items, and those related to deeply held
interests tend to be the most involving. In these instances, consumers are more likely to have
doubt when selecting one alternative over another. Post-purchase services such as installation

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or strong technical support can help offset the likelihood of doubt about the value of a
purchase.

Close Substitutes

The propensity for dissonance increases in highly competitive industries where buyers spend
more time analyzing options before making a purchase. If a customer chooses your brand
over 10 others, for instance, he is more likely to think about missed opportunities than if you
have the only option, or one of just a few. In cognitive dissonance psychological theory, this
is a natural tendency of people's minds to wonder about what might have been.

Overcoming Dissonance

Along with strong post-purchase support, it is important for your business to follow up with
customers to see how they are doing. Follow-up calls or emails with surveys can help you
find out whether customers are enjoying the product or having trouble. This helps you
improve things going forward, but also address that customer's issues. You can also use this
time to offer incentives for buyers to repeat the purchase in the future and eventually become
loyal.

Choices

In a competitive market, consumers usually have two or more choices when it comes to
selecting products and services. Your potential customers may weigh the pros and cons of
each choice. Cognitive dissonance -- conflicting beliefs held simultaneously about a product
or service -- tends to increase with the amount of attractive choices available. Product
categories, such as health and beauty items, have a number of brands that consumers can
choose from. In some cases, a company may market several different product distinctions
under the same brand. Toothpaste is an example of a product with this level of competition.
Brand switching is one of the results of cognitive dissonance.

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Returns

A customer may try to get rid of her cognitive dissonance by returning the product. Since
dissonance causes uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and regret, getting rid of the source
often cures it. A feeling of having paid too much may lead to remorse and prompt a return.
Finding a more attractive alternative after purchasing the product could also be a reason for a
return. A high return rate for a product might indicate that it is not living up to customers'
expectations. High return rates also reveal that the product is failing to compete in terms of
price or quality.

Research

Cognitive dissonance may cause the customer to rationalize her decision. One of the ways
she might accomplish this is through research. A customer who has remorse will gather more
information about the product. Some customers will gather information that reaffirms their
decisions. Other customers will gravitate towards information that confirms they made a
mistake. Either way, the customer becomes more comfortable with keeping the product or
making the decision to return it. Customers may come back to your company for information.

Testimonials

Testimonials and reviews are methods you can use to reduce cognitive dissonance.
Advertising messages that highlight other customers' satisfaction and positive experiences
reiterate that your product is a good choice. Reviews and testimonials are especially helpful
for customers who do not have prior experience with your product or company. Intangible
services and high-risk products benefit from reviews as well. This is the reason why many
consumers look at reviews for appliances, hotels, and investment services.

Dissonance in marketing causes a conflict or tension within a consumer considering a product

purchase. This is usually an uncomfortable feeling for the consumer and usually leads to the
buyer taking her money elsewhere or experiencing remorse over the purchase. Marketers
seek to eliminate dissonance and encourage positive emotions when purchasing their
products. This leads to longer-lasting business relationships and raises the chances of repeat
purchases in the future.

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Cognitive Dissonance Definition

Cognitive dissonance occurs when tension arises between a person's attitudes or beliefs and a
decision that contradicts those pre-existing modes of thinking. The psychological
phenomenon also occurs when a person chooses between two equally attractive or equally
unappealing options. According to the Business Dictionary's website, the most common
example of cognitive dissonance in the business world is the occurrence of "buyer's remorse."
This happens when a consumer makes a decision to purchase an item and, shortly after,
experiences guilt over the choice, wondering if the other equally appealing item might have
brought greater satisfaction.

Marketing and Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance can occur across multiple product lines as well as a competitor's
products. Marketers work to combat dissonance by providing consumers with ways of
narrowing down product choices and separating products from the competition. Advertising
and promotional campaigns can help raise consumer confidence about making product
purchases and reduce the chances of buyer's remorse that may cause consumers to return
products in favor of those offered by the competition.

Dissonance-Fighting Tools

Marketing campaigns may seek to manage consumer doubts about making product purchases
with the use informative advertising. This allows marketers to bring in testimonials and
independent studies confirming the quality construction and features of a company's products.
Marketers may also use persuasive marketing, including humor or celebrity appearances in
commercials, as a means of encouraging consumers to associate positive emotions with
purchasing the company's products. When consumers feel good about purchasing a
company's products, there's a lower chance that dissonance will occur.

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Managing the Buying Process

A buyer can experience remorse over a product purchase at any point in the sales experience,
including well after the consumer makes the purchase decision. Marketers seek to prop up the
buyer's emotional status through reassuring post-purchase services, including a money-back
guarantee or free product service for the life of the purchase. For example, many auto
dealerships across the country maintain service departments to make vehicle repairs and offer
free safety inspections of vehicles purchased through the dealerships for as long as the cars
are on the road. These incentives can set companies apart from competitors and allow buyers
to make less-stressful purchasing decisions.

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