Ethical Considerations in Human Resource Management

This assignment delves into the ethical complexities within human resource management (HRM). It presents a collection of journal articles that address various ethical challenges faced by organizations, focusing on topics such as diversity, organizational learning, gender equality, stakeholder theory, mental health in the workplace, and employee growth. Students are expected to critically analyze these cases, identify key ethical dilemmas, and propose practical solutions for navigating these complexities ethically and responsibly within an HRM context.

Running head: CRITICAL CONCEPTS IN HRM
Critical concepts and theories of Organisational HRM
Students’ Name
Affiliate Institution

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Introduction
Researchers describe the critical concepts and theories of organizational human resource
management as a reaction against a normative concept concerning the functionality and
performance of the HRM of an organization (Alam, Masum, Beh, & Hong, 2016). In other
words, it helps in highlighting the inherent contradictions affecting the normative perspective of
the HRM functions and performance. It is hence a perspective that espouses the available
performance gaps in the performance of an organization. In a systematic study, Miles (2017)
point out that while various organizations claim that the employees are an essential asset of the
organization and are thus responsible for making many commitments for their development and
welfare. The reality is that the employers often force a rigid strategic control giving the interest
of the company the priority over the workforce of the organization (Greenwood & Van Buren,
2017). This essay reviews the literature on the various critical aspects of the HRM with a focus
on culture, development and training, diversity management, and internal performance
management. As a result, it gives background information on the normative theory of the HRM
concerning No Name Aircraft as a case study organization. The paper then concludes with
suggested recommendations that can be adopted by the company to ensure the business is
sustained with improvement in quality.
Background information on the critical concepts and theories
Originally, the function of the HRM in an organization was a responsibility of the
personnel management who had the administration, industrial relations, and welfare as the core
functions as pointed out by Buren (2017). However, the personnel management was heavily
criticized as it became the dumping site for other unwanted responsibilities, an aspect that made

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it less treated within the organization. As other management functions like marketing, finance,
etc. enjoyed power, high remuneration, and prestige, the personnel management was treated as
less important within the organization, an aspect that led to the emergence of the HRM. The
HRM managed to encounter the criticism and gain credibility in the organizational management
enabling the department to acquire strategic focus towards proper employees’ management and
organizational performance.
According to Guinot, Chiva, and Mallen (2016), the HRM had its responsibilities on the
basis of two critical theories. These included the Michigan theory that adopted a strategic
approach linking workforce management to the strategy of the organization and Harvard model
that emphasized on the coordination and functionality of the human resources. The two models
adopted a unitary perspective incorporating influence, mutual goals, respect, responsibility, and
rewards that later resulted in employee commitment and better results for both the workforce and
the organization. The unitary perspective of the theories postulated that what is essential for the
organization should as well be vital for the employees, an aspect that changed the focus of
organizational management to effective employment relationship towards the achievement of the
set workforce and organizational goals.
According to Jackson (2012), the two models formed the prescriptive or the normative
HRM theory or model as critical human resource concepts incorporating policy and
organizational goals on the basis of the strategic integration as pointed out by Shen, Tang and
D'Netto (2014). It is from the theories that focus on the culture of the organization; training and
development, diversity management, and international performance management were given
center stage in the effective and sustainable performance of the organization. In the case study,

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the performance of No Name Aircraft has to be a worry to the CEO making it a center stage of
concern to the employees, the customers, and all other stakeholders of the company. It is in
working together with all its subsidiaries in China, Vietnam, and Singapore that will help the
organization not only to work towards maximizing the return to shareholders and in its
investments but also increase the quality of production and benefit to the workforce.
Culture
Organizational culture is defined as a conceptual share of values and beliefs within an
organization that helps in shaping the pattern of employees’ behavior within the organization.
Greenwood and Van Buren (2017) define it as the driving force that organizes the contribution
and effort of the members within an organization while providing a holistic understanding of
what needs to be achieved and how it should be done. It also focuses on how goals are
interrelated within an organization as well as how every employee can attain the goals. In other
words, it is the manner in which an organization keeps its workforce in line with the set
objectives. In a systematic study, Shen, Tang, and D'Netto (2014) point out that human resource
management often has a very challenging responsibility in ensuring the organization adopts a
culture that is beneficial to both the employees and the business.
It is the full responsibility of the HRM to employ the qualified personnel, help them to
embrace the organizational culture with an aim developing their professional abilities for the
benefit of the organization (Stone, 2016). For instance, it is the responsibility of O’Meara to
ensure that the HR departments in all the subsidiaries of the company in Singapore, China, and
Vietnam work towards achieving the set employment objectives that meet the employment
policies within their location. In other words, the act of avoiding persons living with disability in

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China is against the law, an aspect that can cause the company dearly when it comes to the
limelight of the persons involved. In other words, O’Meara as the CEO is responsible for the
communication breakdown, teamwork, quality production, and integration of the organizational
activities across the organization. He should hence ensure that the organization adopts a culture
that coordinates the HRM departments across the subsidiaries to ensure improvement in the
overall performance of the Aircraft.
A good organizational culture should ensure that any need of change within the
organizational performance is carried out while involving not only the management but the
employees as well Jackson (2012). The same study denotes that the basic HRM functions such as
selection, recruitment, and training have a direct influence on the stability and performance of
the organization. In support of the assertion, Guinot, Chiva, and Mallen (2016) denote that these
functions are the major determinants of the employees’ behavior as well as the professional
values they build that lead to the development of effective organizational culture. In other words,
the effective performance of the aircraft as well as the employees is greatly determined by the
HRM department. It has the responsibility of integrating the leadership, policies and standards,
working environment, employees, and management to positively affect the behavior and improve
positive thinking towards the initiatives of the organization towards the workforce thus leading
to positive results and customer satisfaction.
Training and Development
According to Stone (2016), training and development are a general term for the activities
that are aimed at developing the professional skills and knowledge as well as the abilities of the
employees in the organization. In other words, training and development involve activities that

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equip the employees with the desired competencies with the aim of meeting both the future and
the current goals of the organization. The human resource management within an organization
often adopts such activities, and intervention strategies with the aim of assisting the organization
to establish an active, engaged, and high-performing workforce. It is hence designed to help the
workforce to adopt methodologies that will give them dynamic skills and knowledge for
improved performance within the organization.
In many organizations, development and training of employees are a responsibility of the
HRM as pointed out by Salas and Weaver (2016). However, the relationship often depends on
the cooperation, effective communication, and clear set of knowledge and skills as defined in the
organizational work description. In the case study, several gaps are evident within the human
resource functions in all the subsidiaries when it comes to training and development of the
company workforce. For instance, there is a need for training in the hierarchy of communication
on challenges that are affecting the organization. The employees also lack concepts on the
importance of teamwork within the various departments as well as between the three
subsidiaries. The executives within every department of the company also need to be trained on
how they can effectively integrate their management skills to coordinate the employees under
them, an aspect that will help in ensuring there is a cross corporation, communication, and task
integrations. It is hence evident that the HRM of the organization has failed to perform its duties
as required. It means that the values of the organization should make the employees very eager to
attain their professional goals, an aspect that requires the adoption of the employee's
development programs to ensure this is achieved as depicted by Dyer and Preston (2000).

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In the global business arena, Hyuntak and Eugene (2016) define training and
development as support provided by the internal human resource efficiency within an
organization through extra education with the aim of improving the performance process. The
two words development and training are intertwined but often reflect the aspect of continuously
improving the skills of the employees towards better organizational results. Training and
development are hence essential in helping the Aircraft to find solutions to both the employees
and the quality performance challenges affecting its general performance. Meena and Vanka
(2017) denote that traditionally, it was not viewed that training and development could help in
improving the performance and creating value to competitiveness. However, with the
advancement of new technology and its adoption in business, every organization requires
training and development to adjust the knowledge and skills of the workforce in a manner that
will enable the organization to benefit from the adopted technological strategies and systems.
International Performance Management
The performance management is an essential aspect of HRM within an organization that
applies an assessment of both current and previous results and performance of the team,
employee, or the whole company as pointed out by Neuman, Schmidt, and Trafton (2017). It is
hence considered a base of different business practices such as new recruitment, training and
career development, and performance appraisal among other essential human resource functions.
In many cases, performance management starts a month before the end of appraisal cycles and
can be done yearly or semi-annually depending on the policies governing the activities of the
organization. Browne (2011) also denotes that performance management can be conducted on
the basis of the calendar year.

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In the case study, it is essential that O’Meara ensure the company adopts strategies that
can help in proper internal management operation. It is a step the will enable the Executive to
evaluate and identify the areas within the organization that is not well coordinated. The process
will help in identifying the performance gaps within the employee’s performance as well as the
best and most relevant strategies that can be adopted to ensure customer satisfaction (Chopra,
Lovejoy, & Yano, 2014). Identifying the existing gaps will help the organization not only to
work towards maximizing the return to shareholders and in its investments but also increase the
quality of production and benefit to the workforce.
Diversity Management
According to Shen, Tang, and D'Netto (2014), discrimination within the working
environment is a concept that affects the performance of different organizations. The same study
denotes that various factors lead to discrimination within an organization. These include the
composition of the workforce, the size of the organization, subsidiary status, affirmative action
requirements, as well as the industrial sector in which the company operates. As a result, there is
a need for the Aircraft to understand the concept behind the subsidiary in China discriminating
qualified job seekers living with disabilities. In the process, the relevant executives together with
the CEO of the organization will be able to understand the best strategy to adopt in addressing
the issue.
In the context of the HRM function, Salas and Weaver (2016) point out that diversity
management is concerned with a coherent set of principles that promote plurality and equal
opportunities within the working environment. In other words, diversity management should
adopt a strategy that includes selection criteria on the basis of valuing candidates without the

CRITICAL CONCEPTS IN HRM 9
favor of any pre-defined category and flexible career paths irrespective of the race, age,
disability, and tribe of an individual. It should as well adopt various performance management
practices that promote effective evaluation mechanisms and not weaken any biases towards the
employees’ identity. A successful management of diversity within the company will require
Aircraft management to understand that gender and race are just a few of the diversity factors, an
aspect that will require them to expand their diversity perspective and adopt a diversity model
that promotes a favorable working environment for all employees according to D'Netto, Shen,
Chelliah, and Monga (2014).
Conclusion and Recommendation
In a systematic study, Hyuntak and Eugene (2016) denote that effective communication
and sufficient engagement of employees is necessary to promote a higher encouragement,
employee satisfaction, and quality production. In other words, an organizational culture that
takes care of the interests of the employees helps in motivating their focus towards professional
satisfaction and quality performance. In the end, the production will be of high-quality and will
meet the needs and desires of the customers. However, various reasons might prevent the
employees from speaking out their mind towards why they feel uncomfortable in their working
environment. For instance, No Name needs to address the concerns that are likely to affect the
performance of the employees, an aspect that when solved will lead to improved production,
quality assurance, and more customer satisfaction.
Shen, Tang and D'Netto (2014) denote that companies have realized that training and
development are necessary for internet e-commerce in business, increasing effectiveness, and
reducing costs. As a result, training and development for the employs, training managers, as well

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as the human resource experts are essential in encouraging the employees to learn and as well
share their professional experience with others within the company. For instance, No Name
Aircraft requires creating conditions for learning through collaboration, traditional classroom
training, and online learning across the subsidiaries, as well as a combination of all the methods.
In conclusion, No Name Aircraft is in a point of collapsing in case the management fails
to timely address the challenges facing the employees as well as the overall performance of the
organization. Aspects such as understanding the recommended organizational and federal
policies that govern the aircraft industry, performance appraisal for the employees, effective
communication, employees’ training and career development are some of the aspects that will
ensure effective performance. With motivated employees, it will be easy for the company not
only to achieve the set goals but as well provide quality products that meet the customers at their
points out needs.

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