Key Concepts in Human Resource Management: A Critical Analysis

This paper critically analyzes two peer-reviewed journals on the connection between HRM and ethics, and the importance of meaningful work in HRM. The analysis includes key points, arguments, assertions, and assessment of the author's research.

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KEY CONCEPTS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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Article 1
Introduction
Human resource management (HRM) is globally well-thought-out to be a significant way to
improve operations and organizational performance. Human resource professionals usually play
a vital role in contributing to the success of a business or firm through effective development of
policies that align with the organization’s goals, mission and values Renwick, Redman, and
Maguire (2013). HRM mirrors a fundamental, partial perspective on nature of employment
relationship. This paper seeks to critically analyze the peer review journal ‘Human Resource
Management, Theology and Meaningful Work’ by Sandrine Frémeaux and Grant Michelson.
The critical analysis entails the key points, arguments, assertions, and assessment of the author’s
research.
Key Points
Major business HRM attempt to associate employee management practices and policies with the
organization effectiveness. HRM has been faulted that it is not vocal on the attitudes and
behavior of employees. Most of the HRM seems to emphasize on the notion that employees are
not humans but resources hence workers treated as merchandises. HR professionals should be
capable of creating an environment where meaningful work can take place, though they aren’t
able to produce meaning work to enhance involvement and motivation. Organizations are
considered to be worthy if it treats humanity in its employees as the end and not means, hence
the employees should have the appropriate independence to be able to enhance their desires. The
common understanding is that what several people share is being human therefore having human
nature is significant in HRM (Kramar 2014). Meaningful work has characteristics such as

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providing adequate salary, allowing employee’s independence, is not coercive and support moral
development. According to Renwick, Redman, and Maguire (2013), organizations should
practice the five levels of human quality treatment which includes maltreatment, indifference,
justice, care, and development.
Arguments
It is not reasonable to hold the HR single handed accountable for ensuring that there is
meaningful work because it is dependent on employee’s desire to meaningful work. Employees
may prefer to be paid large package of salaries with and less meaning. Meaningful work
experiences are beneficial to both the employees and the organizations. Employees who feel that
their work is meaningless are likely to quit their jobs since they don’t see a link between them
and the organization (Jonck & Swanepoel 2015). Meaningful work is linked to dignified work.
Dignified work is interconnected materially to reasonable salaries, job security and work-life
balance. The meaningfulness of the work is related to putting equilibrium between other
commitments and paid work. A spiritual view of meaning at work entails spiritual sources such
as becoming self, expressing self and serving others. Guerci (2015) assert that HR practitioners
commit to helping the employees and organization to achieve exceptional excellence.
Assertion
HR policies and other management practices that are perceived to be coerced have the likelihood
of causing meaningfulness in spite of its intention making HR practitioners to face challenges.
Thite (2013) denote that HR practitioners are role models and therefore have an influence in
developing an organization. It is possible for the HRM to create an environment where there is
meaningful work. Organizations that insist on creating meaningful work through their HR, the

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organizations must build for their employees, a meaningful work experience, be aware of how it
functions and manage it. Work is possible to state an employee’s social identity and aid in
overwhelming existing life challenges.
The research
The theology of work gives a profound meaning of meaningful work. Developing and becoming
self in Christian theology is derived from a God-like manner and not from an employee’s
actions. The research challenges the opinion of the rational man that individuals would act in line
with their interest to fulfill their personal needs. Theological reflection contests religion of the
process and reinstates confidence on employees. Theological perception provides an
interpersonal and optimistic view of work that it is okay when turned to others. It’s important to
note that human beings are not means to attain results within HRM but end in themselves.
Conclusion
The compulsion of work does not create a beneficial purpose for an organization. Those who are
believed to be workaholics as much as their organizations give them many considerations, it
results in them not giving meaning to their work. Embracing of meaningful work is emphasized
in varied ways though it is not possible for this to be executed outwardly. When meaningful
work is looked with an outward perspective, it depends on the person looking at it.

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Article 2
Introduction
The connection between HRM and ethics has been a topic of discussion of recent times. There
have been various occasions as pointed out by Jack, Greenwood, and Schapper (2012), that
involved ethical scandals in several organizations globally that attract significant attention.
Several businesses are therefore made to adopt a variety of HRM guidelines and practices to
make evident their workforce contributions in line with similar arrangements. This paper seeks to
critically analyze the peer review journal ‘Agonism and the Possibilities of Ethics for HRM’ by
Carl Rhodes and Geriant Harvey. The critical analysis entails the key points, arguments,
assertions, and assessment of the author’s research.
Key Points
The ethics of HRM is dominated by two lines of attack which include one at macro level which
is associated with HRM embedded values and the second at micro level entailing HRM practices
related to ethics. HRM function is supposed to function in a manner that ensures organizational
morality as far as the organization workers are concerned. The HRM is the end resort where
harmony between the organization and employees are set. There is a notion that the HR should
be the organization’s moral guardian of the organization’s ethics.
Arguments
HRM is not only a practice but also a broad approach through which the HR experts can
appreciate and direct their training. Employees can be punished if their behavior breaks the
organization’s rules/ values. The ethics within HRM is positively and majorly linked to matters

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of employee control and performance. Employees should be compliant organizationally, and
complicit in how they behave at their workplace. Organizations are in a position to and should
try to control and influence individual ethics and ethical partiality.
Assertion
Hard HRM deliberates that HRM is an approach with the purpose being to achieve benefit for
capital from the human resource (Caldwell et al. 2011). The exploitation of the hard HRM model
has ethically raised questions that various organizations’ top managers endorse it. Morally, what
is believed to be ethical at the top management, mainly when it relates to work values, it then
automatically becomes ethical for the workers. Renwick, Redman, and Maguire (2013) assert
that HRM takes the obligation of making sure that morality of workers relations is unbiased in
that all that is not ethical is placed within a managerial function that is appropriate to direct and
control the ethics.
The research
The requirement for ethical action is presented when there is no agreement and when the
organization institutionalizes the subjugation of difference. In differentiating ethical consensus,
conflict is vital to the organization since it is essential for democracy if there are differences to
be expressed and opposed. Agonism towards HRM arises when there is a resistance to
organization’s power and authority and their enforcement of non-negotiable ethical values.
Conclusion
HR professionals are supposed to be familiar with the basic ethics both in their organizations and
nation. The familiarity enables the HRM to negotiate decisions that they make and other

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departments in their organizations. An ethical issue does not come out when the HRM tries to
administer their moral systems, but when they are questioned through outside resistance. There
are possibilities of correlation between HRM and ethics that does not put HRM as the cause or
arbitrator of organizational ethics, but a player in socio-ethical relations.

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List of References
Caldwell, C, Truong, D, Linh, P, & Tuan, A 2011, 'Strategic Human Resource Management as
Ethical Stewardship', Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 98, no. 1, pp. 171-182. Available from:
10.1007/s10551-010-0541-y. [3 April 2018].
Costea, B, Amiridis, K, & Crump, N 2012, 'Graduate Employability and the Principle of
Potentiality: An Aspect of the Ethics of HRM', Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 111, no. 1, pp.
25-36. Available from: 10.1007/s10551-012-1436-x. [3 April 2018].
Guerci, M, Radaelli, G, Siletti, E, Cirella, S, & Rami Shani, A 2015, 'The Impact of Human
Resource Management Practices and Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Ethical
Climates: An Employee Perspective', Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 126, no. 2, pp. 325-342.
Available from: 10.1007/s10551-013-1946-1. [3 April 2018].
Jack, G, Greenwood, M, & Schapper, J 2012, 'Frontiers, Intersections and Engagements of
Ethics and HRM', Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 111, no. 1, pp. 1-12. Available from:
10.1007/s10551-012-1427-y. [3 April 2018].
Jonck, P, & Swanepoel, E 2015, 'Exploring the theoretical link between cultural and emotional
intelligence: A system analysis for human resource management', South African Journal of
Business Management, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 77-83.
Kramar, R 2014, 'Beyond strategic human resource management: is sustainable human resource
management the next approach?', International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol.
25, no. 8, pp. 1069-1089. Available from: 10.1080/09585192.2013.816863. [3 April 2018].

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Renwick, DW, Redman, T, & Maguire, S 2013, 'Green Human Resource Management: A
Review and Research Agenda', International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 15, no. 1, pp.
1-14. Available from: 10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00328.x. [3 April 2018].
Thite, M 2013, 'Ethics and human resource management and development in a global context:
case study of an Indian multinational', Human Resource Development International, vol. 16, no.
1, pp. 106-115. Available from: 10.1080/13678868.2012.737691. [3 April 2018].