High-Performance Workplaces: A Review

This assignment delves into the concept of a high-performance workplace, analyzing the characteristics, best practices, and factors that contribute to its success. It draws upon various academic sources, including journal articles and books, to provide a comprehensive understanding of this topic. Students are tasked with reviewing and synthesizing information from these sources to construct a well-supported analysis of what constitutes a high-performance workplace.

Developing Individuals,
Teams and Organizations
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
1 Professional knowledge, skills and behaviors that are required by HR professionals........3
2. Analyze a completed personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and
behaviors.................................................................................................................................5
M 1. Below are my Strengths and weaknesses & opportunities and threats that shows detail
skills audit: - ..........................................................................................................................5
D 1 Personal professional development plans........................................................................6
3 Analyze the differences between organizational and individual learning, training and
development............................................................................................................................7
M 2 Difference between training and development: .............................................................8
4 Analyze the need for continuous learning and professional development..........................8
5. Demonstrate understanding of how HPW contributes to employee engagement and
competitive advantage..........................................................................................................10
M 3 Analyses the benefits of applying HPW......................................................................10
6 Evaluate different approaches to performance management.............................................11
M 4. Evaluation of different approaches..............................................................................12
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................14
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INTRODUCTION
High performance work places or organizations emphasizes on highly engaged and
empowered workforce. It has been determined that, these are those types of organizations that
heading towards less hierarchical structure, where employees work in teams with higher self-
sufficiency. To achieve success, employees should have better skills, motivation and more
chances to excel, when these high performance HR practices are aligned.
The report is about a scenario on Whirlpool HPW Case, it is an American
multinational company that deals in home appliances and as a HR consultant for the company
the report will cover annual Confederation of British Industry workshop highlighting ways in
which performance management, collaborative working and effective communication can
support high-performance culture and commitment. Apart from this it will demonstrate skills
required by HR professionals. Further it will analyze difference between organizational &
individual learning. Lastly, it will evaluate ways in which collaborative working can support
high performance culture.
1 Professional knowledge, skills and behaviors that are required by HR professionals.
In HR, as in many areas of work there are both practical and technical skills. For
example, a senior HR might be asked to be able to develop HR policies & strategies in a
number of areas. However, there are many skills that are important determinants of
performance. Further, these skills include the ability to manage yourself, teams and stress
(Zhong, Wayne and Liden, 2016).
Skills required by HR professionals are:
Communication HR has to be able to explain things both
verbally and non-verbally regarding all policies
of the Whirlpool company.
Conflict management He must have this skill to patiently listen to
both sides & resolve issues among employees
in a proper manner.
Decision making As HR makes number of decisions for a
company, therefore, it is essential for him to be
critical thinker in order to make decisions.
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Ethical As he handles lots of private information of an
organization; hence, he needs to be discrete.
Knowledge required by HR
Personal & human resource He must have knowledge of principles for
personnel recruitment, selection and training.
Customer and personal service Understanding of customer and personal
service to fulfill customer needs (Obeidat,
Mitchell and Bray, 2016).
Law and government Knowing of legal codes, agency rules,
government legislation, etc.
Public safety and security Understanding of relevant equipment’s,
policies, etc. for the prevention of customers,
property & organization.
Behavior required by HR based on CIPD model
Curious Changes that occur in business result in need
for HR to respond adequately and quickly to
enable the company to cope. Hence, having a
curious mindset allows him to take the business
towards success.
Decisive thinker HR is consideredthe driver of difficult people
decisions. He needs to be decisive thinker so
that he can weigh out information.
Skilled influencer Express the ability to influence to attain the
necessary commitment.
Personally credible He need to be a person that builds & delivers
professionalism through joining commercial &
HR expertise in order to bring value to
organization.
Collaborative Need to work effectively with number of
people, both inside and outside the
organization.
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Role model This behavior is about an image of HR that is
displayed, and that constantly leads by an
example.
2. Analyze a completed personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and
behaviors
Skills audit refers to a process that can be utilized for identifying the gaps in skills and
then identifying training filling those gaps. Basically it is a procedure by which HR can
record his behaviour. Further, through skills audit HR tends to advance his behavior towards
the company’s goals. The audit reflects the present ability & abilities to attain future
requirement.
Strengths Weaknesses
I have time management skills which are
required to complete a task in given time.
Leadership skills
Communication skills, that are essential to
have interaction within the team (Epstein, M.
J., 2018).
Risk analyzing skills
Listening skills, as these are required to lead a
team effectively.
Improved technical skills
According to me I can manage my work with
proper management of time.
Presentation based skills
I have an ability to organize different works
with proper management strategies.
Problem solving skills in difficult
situations.
Opportunities available to me Threats
Proper availability of probation period. Financial problem can act as a barrier in joining
proper training.
Expertise guidance within the company. Changes that occur in current market position
can affect over my present skills.
Joining various courses will be helpful in Moreover, changes in the organizational culture
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enhancing technological skills. can also affect my abilities.
Other courses from institutions or educational
centre can help me in boosting current skills.
Other barriers on training and development can
be lack of listening skills.
Attending seminars will be helpful to attain
presentation skills.
Skills Personal audit questionnaire 1 2 3 4 5
Communication Good to present in-front of
people
X
Problem solving Good in thinking wisely to
solve the problem and
handling situations.
X
Decision making Good in taking effective
decisions.
X
Management Good to manage the time
effectively
X
Conflict
management
skills
I am good at solving the
disputes between team
members.
x
Ethical skills As he handles lots of private
information of an
organization; hence, he
needs to be discrete.
X
Professional development plan
Objectives Criteria Action to
achieve
Resources Target date Assessme
nt
To enhance
technological
skills.
Acquiring
knowledge
regarding
current trends
in
Obtain
training on
technical
courses,
continuous
Course
modules,
online based
knowledge
Within 4
months
Feedbac
k from
superviso
r nad
team
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technologies
& also gain
the
capabilities to
implement
them.
improvement
through
practice.
members
Risk
analyzing
ability
Attaining the
ability to
measure the
risk
I will
participate in
various
difficult
situations
Handle
different
problematic
situations
2 months Feed
back
through
team
members
Presentation
skills
To be
presentable in
seminars &
conferences
Need to build
my
confidence
level
Attend
meeting &
conferences
3 months Apprecia
tion from
leaders or
audience
Problem
solver
Able to
handle every
problem
among team
members
Control
different
conflicts
among team
Feedback
through
seniors
2 months Self-
evaluatio
n
Ethical skills Avoidance of
ethical issues
I will use
internet for
gaining the
knowledge
about the
techniques to
avoid ethical
issues
2 month Self-
evaluatio
n
Decision
making skills
Good
decision
maker
I will
participate
more in
decision
making
Team Three
months
Self-
evaluatio
n
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process.
Conflict
management
skills
Increase in
ability to
handle issues
I will
analyze my
team leader
I will seek
support from
my seniors
support from
my seniors
Four
months
Self-
evaluatio
n
Increase my
legal
knowledge
related to HR
field
Increase in
knowledge
about the law
related to HR
field
I will read
the law
books
I will take
support from
the
government
sites
Law books
Internet
Six months Self-
evaluatio
n
Communicati
on skills
To improve
communicatio
n skills
I will enroll
myself for
personality
development
class.
I will seek
support from
friends as
well as
family
members.
Books Five
months.
Self
evaluatio
n.
Peer
assessme
nt
Increase in
knowledge
about Public
safety and
security
Increase in
knowledge
about Public
safety and
security
I will attend
seminars,
training
program and
workshops.
Six months Self
evaluatio
n.
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Curious and
collaborative
I need to
become more
curious
I will
increase my
participation
in group
activities
Six months Self
evaluatio
n.
Role model I want to
become role
model
I will
observe the
activities of
my role
model and
will follow
the same.
I will follow
all rules and
regulations.
Six months Feedback
or
positive
comment
s from
others
Personally
credible
I want to
become more
responsible
I will take
more
responsibility
and will take
high
initiatives for
fulfilling
same.
Six months Feedback
or
positive
comment
s from
superviso
r.
Skilled
influence r
I want to
increase my
influencing
power
I will observe
the
techniques
which is used
by leaders for
motivating
people to
increase their
participation
in business
Six months Self
evaluatio
on.
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activities.
Kolb learning theory, this hypothesis states that learning includes acquisition of
abstracts or concepts which are applicable to different situations. According to the Kolb
learning theory, learning is the procedure where knowledge can be gained through
experience. The four phases in Kolbs experimental learning style are :
Concrete experience:a new experience or situation is encountered which encourages an
individual to learn.
Reflective observation of new experience: It assists an individual in analyzing inconsistency
between experience as well as understanding.
Abstract conceptualization : reflection helps in generation of innovative ideas. An individual
gain knowledge through their experience.
Active experimentation : At this phase, learner applies the learning in their routine activities.
3 Analyze the differences between organizational and individual learning, training and
development
Organizational learning is considered as a process of developing, keeping and
transferring knowledge within an organization. It is determined that, an organization
improves with time, as it acquires experience & by this it is able to develop knowledge. It
was described by Brown and Duguid that an organizational learning is the span between
innovation and working. Learning curve is considered as the most common way to evaluate
organizational learning. Curves are a graphical representation demonstrating how a company
produces more of a product or service. Learning is a critical resource shaped, developed &
maintained by the staff in a company, therefore, this proves that, people are the most precious
asset of an organization. It has been further determined that, organizations are distinctive
creators, with exclusive qualities, one of which is that they can root cause for knowledge
creation and learning (Dixon, 2017). For example, the Whirlpool team was aware that
reconstructing would require timely decision making, effective collaboration and well
informed since the company was relying on team for innovation. After the survey took place
in the organization, the team was able to accomplished its goal.
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Individual learning refers to self-governing, process based on work that results in
increased continuous professional development. Working & learning are interrelated,
monitoring employees at work, getting mixed up in daily activities, client interactions,
functioning under experienced staff, these all are important sources of learning at work. It is
achieved through activities & communication employees produce knowledge & learn.
Based on the work of Kolb, learning styles were developed by Peter Honey and Alan
Mumford and they recognized four distinct learning styles; Activist, Theorist, Pragmatist and
Reflector. Activist are those individuals who learn by doing & have an open minded
technique of learning. Secondly, theorist learners like to learn and understand the theory
behind the actions. Further, pragmatist employees need to be able o look how to place the
learning into exercise. Lastly, reflector workers learn by observing & thinking about what has
happened.
M 2 Difference between training and development:
There are various methods which can be utilized by manager in organization for
analyzing the training and development needs by the workers these are survey, observation,
interview etc. In addition to this, Delpi technique can be utilize by manager for analyzing the
training as well as development need by workers. Group v/s individual:- Training refers to an initiative designed by an organization and
taught by an expert. It has been determined that, the Whirlpool organizes the courses
by paying expenses and further decides what type of tools workers should use. It also
places procedure to be followed in all activities during training. However, the
importance is put on individual, with development. Employee in this company is
ultimately responsible for development programs that are frequently tailored for him.
In this case, it has been noticed that the most central focus is not on lessons given by
an expert, but relatively on the self-learning process and growth that must be taken on
by the professional. Specific objective v/s open objective :- Objectives are specific and clearly defined in
training such as; how to utilize a program, acquiring personal skills, etc. However, in
development objectives are much wider at all times & can cover all types of skills and
knowledge.
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 Number of people involves :- It has been determined that there are range of people
involved in training that is provided by Whirlpool managers and that is significantly
different from development, as in a development program it involves individuals.
Organizational training aims to make sure that, workers in a company are set with
skills & knowledge. Whereas in development, individuals are filled with skills in
order to develop an abstract framework.
o If an organization and individual will learn the result will be improved
business performance and high standard of working. The other benefit of
individual and organization learning is that high level of satisfaction among
employees, increased productivity, Enhanced ability for individuals and teams
to embrace and adapt to change. Other case if an individual and organization
don’t learn that result will be poor performance, high level of dissatisfaction
among employees in an enterprise.
4 Analyze the need for continuous learning and professional development.
Every successful company is aware about its one of the biggest asset which is its
employees. It has been determined that continuous learning is an important ability that
professionals need to develop for their organization to achieve success. Having the habit of
continuously learning can be a better approach, as it enables workers to shape their skills.
Therefore, if HR in Whirlpool Company will work effectively then the organization will be
known by talented individuals.
Need for continuous professional learning and professional development:-
 It enhances the ability of an organization, so that it can compete in this complex
marketplace. It has been determined that, as employees in Whirlpool organization
obtain new knowledge on their own, instead of guidance then changes of identifying
new ways are higher.
 Employees feel confident and happier at their jobs when seniors care regarding their
success beyond the organization.
 Further, Whirlpool manager must know that assisting workers for betterment is much
easier than replacing them. Moreover, it also enhances job retention, as through
continuous development works becomes easier and flexible. It also shows that
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company is keen to promote its employee’s professional & personal growth. Also, it
is ready to give the tools to make that happen.
 Operations at workplace are promoted through this, because workers become keen to
try new methodologies, rather than creating a conservative culture.
 Further, CPD makes sure that HR maintains & improve the skills and knowledge that
he requires for clients, team, and organization.
 For employees, it assists them to keep their knowledge and skills updated. CPD helps
to build their confidence level and also enables them to demonstrate their
achievements.
 Continuous professional development can be integrated into performance of
organization management and other processes of human resource.
 Professional development & learning programs are considered to be key tools for
training potential leaders in Whirlpool, instead of recruiting outside the business. It
can also decrease the knowledge gaps that are expected with income. By choosing
professional development, will assist employees to master skills they need to develop.
The continuous professional development enables workers to conduct personal skills audit
i.e. tracking own skills. It has been determined that, CPD add values to the workplace
through the ability of confidence.
Challenge for CPD is the way it is perceived, as people always look at CDP as top
down procedure generally run by organizations. Further disadvantages or barrier to CDP is
related to the quality. This is because to conduct CDP many companies bring in trainers from
outside who have very little idea of the objectives of the company and there is frequently lack
of planning in terms of CPD. The major barriers in continuous professional developments
are time , access and costs. Time pressures at work combined with the demands of home and
family, makes undertaking CPD a difficult task for an individual. Access to CPD activities
remains a problem for those people who are not living near or in a major city.
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5. Demonstrate understanding of how HPW contributes to employee engagement and
competitive advantage
High Performance work practice refers to those practices that enhance organisation’s
abilities to attract effectively and select, hire, develop and retain high performance
employees. Moreover, High-performing teams are individual groups that work toward the
attainment of a common goal in short & long term. They frequently demonstrate dedication
towards work and each other. Also, it has been determined that, they do better and effective
work when their roles are clear. HPWS is considered as a set of management practices that
effort to make an environment within an organization, where the worker has greater
participation and responsibility.
Employee engagement refers to a sense of commitment that they feel towards their
organization. Further, Hewitt Association explains employee’s engagement as three key
behaviors; Say, Stay & strive. In this Stay is expressed when employee constantly says
positive about company to peers, co-workers and customers. Secondly, Stay is demonstrated
when employee desires to remain a member of an organization, regardless of opportunities
work somewhere else. Strive is a point to which they apply extra hard work that contributes
to business success.
 Competitive advantage :- by implementing high performance workplace in the
organization, means better financial position, & it has been discovered that if the
company attains higher high performance organization score results in competitive
advantage in the industry.
 Lack of trust can be considered to be as one of the major barrier in developing the
high performing working culture within an organization. The other major barrier is
leadership problem which can create obstacles in developing the high performing
working culture. Poor interpersonal relationships among employees can create big
barriers in developing high performing working culture. Politics as well as lack of an
effective communication can create barriers in high performing culture within an
enterprise.
M 3 Analyses the benefits of applying HPW
A lot of research was conducted for HPW’s in recent years where performance of
organization is considered an important factor. Further, attention should be paid on High
performance work practice into action, as if it is not done correctly then organization’s
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reputation can be damaged. Therefore, HPW are considered as employee management
strategies that boost the productivity & profit of organisation. Following are some examples
of HPW’s :
 Making use of psychometric & validated employee assortment tool.
 Leadership development tactic & consistent supervising.
 Performance appraisal on regular basis.
 Employee suggestion or innovation programs.
 Payment based on performance.
 Employee Rewards & Award Programs (Mone and London, 2018).
It has been noticed that, barrier for Whirlpool is to have high quality products. For this,
organisation must have well performing and enthusiastic workforce which is motivated by
Human resource department that has High performance work practice in place. The above
mentioned HPW examples will help Whirlpool to increase their profit more rapidly
depending on their working context. Moreover, it has been discovered that HPW practice
model for this company will be a great impact as it targets with High commitment approach.
Therefore, this allows them to work more effectively to acquire more money. The reason for
promoting a high-performance approach is to provide the employees with incentives during
the job, further, tools and freedom is also given to make better decisions without help.
6 Evaluate different approaches to performance management
Performance management consists of activities which makes sure that goals are
constantly being met in an efficient and effective manner. Performance of an organization,
department and employees is focused through performance management. Further, it has been
determined that managing the performance of employees and also aligning their objectives
enables the effective delivery of strategic goals. Its process is a shared understanding
regarding how employees contribute to a company’s goal.
 360 degree Feedback :- 360 degree feedback refers to a tool that gives each employee
the opportunity to receive performance feedback from their supervisor. This technique
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of performance management enables each worker to learn how their effectiveness as
an employee or staff member is viewed by others.
 Motivation :- make an agenda that focuses on meeting the motivational needs of the
employees. Therefore, keeping workers first by asking for their opinion before will be
motivating for them.
Feedback system : Under this, staff performance, their activities, behavioral and attitude is
monitored and critically observed so that mangers can rank their performance and manage it.
An Effective and timely feedback is a critical component of a successful performance
management program. This technique or approach is required to be utilized by manager in
conjunction with setting performance goals. If effective feedback is given to workers on their
progress towards their goals, it will lead to the improvement in performance of employees.
Continuous feedback by manager will assist them in identifying the area of improvement.
M 4. Evaluation of different approaches.
 Performance based conversation :- performance management approach forces
organizational managers to discuss performance matters with employees, as they get
busy in day to day working. It is a continuous process that affects behavior and
employees development (Shields, Brown and Plimmer, 2015). Employees get motivated :- this approach is essential for promoting and motivating
employees high performance. Moreover, a well applied PM boost the working of
individuals, teams and organization.
 Understanding of job responsibility :- If an employee gets continuous and high-
quality response, the will acquire more self-awareness of their behaviors and move
towards more growth and development. Such approach, give power to HR team
members to be an asset for workers & managers in goal setting and advancement
tracking.
Collaborative working at workplace refers to, when two or more employees work together by
sharing ideas to accomplish a common goal. Further, collaboration has become a more
productive way of doing work, as many changes in technologies such as web based programs,
high speed internet, video conferencing have occurred. Therefore, this kind of culture in an
organisation promotes innovation & creativity. Apart from this, to build a high performance
culture in an organisation is by developing positive work environment. Below are its benefits:
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 Develop employees skills :- Because of the collaboration, the organisation and
employees get benefited due to the sharing of ideas & working together. This provides
employees a better perceptive of how the business operates at a higher point rather
than just at their individual department. Further, the skills and knowledge can be used
by employees that they have acquired from others to make betterment or
enhancements (Duggan, 2018).
 Solve problem and innovate faster: - admittance to numerous employees with unique
knowledge and viewpoints will most likely let organization to come up with thoughts
and solutions at a faster pace.
Unit employees with companies value :- business values are significant to any performance
management method. They eventually affect each single feature of the business, as well as
whom they employ and keep in the team. It has been determined that, a company with a well-
built grip of its own values will in due course create a team of effective people who feel
integrated by a sense of harmony and community. Therefore, this makes group effort much
easier (Shirokova, Bogatyreva and Puffer, 2016).
There are many organizations, which have faced worst consequences of not having good
communication at workplace. It has been discovered that, if information is not spread in
correct and effective way and at the right time, then it can affect business productivity.
Following are ways by which effective communication can increase overall organization's
productivity: Less misunderstanding :- effective communication among staff members, leads to
less confusion. It is vital to have a high-quality communication system, so that
everybody understands the goals and can make effort towards success together. For
example, if Whirlpool create a new Facebook endorsement strategy for their
company, they must clearly communicate new responsibilities and goals with thier
workers.
 Healthy culture: - it has been determined that, effective communication results in
healthy and productive cultures within organizations (Ahmed, Bezemer and Shang,
2016).
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CONCLUSION
From the overall report it has been concluded that, to stay competitive, Whirlpool
Company needs to set in a capacity to constantly improve workplace performance. Apart
from this it also concluded that, organization with high performance, maintains trust relations
with people at all levels of an organization by valuing employees’ loyalty, viewing them
respect, developing & maintaining individual relationships with workers, promoting faith and
trust in others, and treating people fairly. Further, it sowed some skills such as; professional
knowledge, skills and behaviors that are required by HR professionals. Also, it demonstrated
that supervising the performance of employees in Whirlpool and also aligning their objectives
has allowed them for effective delivery of strategic goals.
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REFERENCES
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Epstein, M. J., 2018. Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and measuring
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