Explain the key stages in strategy formulation and implementation and the role of HR

This document explains the key stages in strategy formulation and implementation and the role of HR. It discusses the deliberate and emerging strategies, steps for effective strategy implementation, and the Ulrich model for HR functions.

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2.1- Explain the key stages in strategy formulation and implementation and the role of HR
The strategy formulation is the process of selecting the most proper course of action for
realizing organizational goals along with the objectives for achieving the organizational vision.
There process of the strategy formulation has six main steps which are very rational. Two
approaches that can be adopted by HR to strategy formulation: deliberate and emerging
strategies.
A deliberate strategy is a top-down process driven by company’s mission and goals. Richard and
Thompson (1999) commented that a strategy’s success turns on combining vertical (external)
and horizontal (internal) fit. Vertical alignment ensures an alignment between company’s
policies and activities. Horizontal fit is achieved when the different HR strategies, plans and
actions are mutually supporting and harmonious.
Emergent strategies are not as carefully planned and more flexible. They are about learning what
works in practice and changing to meet those needs. This allows companies to adapt to changes.
The steps are:
 Setting the objectives for the organization
 Evaluating the environment of the organization
 Setting the quantitative targets
 Aiming on divisional plans
 The performance analysis
 The selection of strategy
For having and effective and successful strategy implementation, there are certain steps to be
followed:

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 Evaluation and the communication of the strategic plan( there are sub-parts such
as aligning the initiatives with the strategies, aligning the budget with the objectives and
the annual goals, communicating the strategies, objectives and goals to the staffs )
 Development of an implementation structure
 Development of the implementation –support programs and policies
 Budgeting and resources allocation
 Discharging the activities and functions
According to the views of Dave Ulrich, the human resource management is an important
business arm without which any enterprise cam function. The Ulrich model serves as the
benchmark for various HR professionals in their attempt to mobilize their multifaceted roles in
the HR, administrative and business partnership. The model specifically serves to organize the
human resource functions (Noe et al. 2015). As per this model, the functions must be
compartmentalized into four segments such as strategic partner, change agent, administrative
expert and the employee champion. The role of HR is simplified below:
 Ensuring the alignment of the business goals and the HR strategy
 Observing the HR strategy in Action throughout various departments
 Reviewing the goal-setting
 Deciding the requirement of an HR policy
 Establishing the HRM department
2.2 Examine HR’s contribution to business ethics and accountability
The significance of ethics in the workplaces is increasing every day and it is being
acknowledged too. The outcome is that the organizations have identified the need for guarding

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against major misconducts. The HR professionals can help to create an ethical workplace
through supporting clear ethical standards. The HR should be accountable /responsible for
driving ethical behaviour in the workplace and craft and ethical culture. This is because the HR
professionals do control, different aspects of organizational culture. They can understand the
human behaviours in the best possible way along with the workforce dynamics. Therefore, they
must understand the language of ethics and integrate in the daily works (Noe et al. 2017). They
should always ensure there is motivated environment and people are happy. The HR’S
contribution in promoting ethics is as follows:
 The HR provides a clear guide to for the behaviour through a code of values, conduct
along with the supporting policies.
 The HR ensures that foundation ethical aspects are updated, reviewed and understood
properly in the organization.
 HR also ensures that ethics programs work as an effective facet of the organization.
 The HR also monitor, assesses and report on the ethical performances. The HR to drive
the process forward also initiates the ethical awareness programs.
 The conduction of the ethics workshops are also ensured by the HR to emphasize on the
firm’s commitment to ethics.
 Under the domain of HR, the incorporation of various practices, systems and procedures
are done. It is done in the form of recruitment checks, promotion, remuneration,
discussion and decision , the performance management , employee award programs and
many others.
3.1 Evaluate business performance and the role of HR in business planning and the change
management agenda

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Role of HR in business planning and change management
 The HR is responsible for the selection and staffing
 Focuses on the organizational development
 Conducts training and development
 In managing the change, the HR contributes in overcoming the resistance ( they
communicate clearly about the change , help the employees in understanding the change
need, ensures the change champions are there and provides strong support for the change
environment)
 Conducts the employee engagement activities through a team approach, clarifies the
roles, increases focus on the workers, includes resistance leaders, understands the
motivational factors.
 The HR implements the change in phases
 Communicates the change and builds foundation for success
Business performance analysis:
The triple bottom line is a business performance analysis tool which evaluates how the
business is operating. It recommends the organizations to concentrate on the environmental and
social concerns. This tool has three parts such as social, environmental and financial. These lines
are referred to as 3 Ps such as people, planet and profit.
People- The selected organization considers the employee and the labour involved. It pays fair
wages to the people working.
Planet- The selected organization has invested heavily on the sustainability of the environment. It
uses renewable energy.

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Profit- The organization does not pursue financial profitability but considers it as a part of the
business plan. It recycles wastes into some useful products and then company has concentrated
on ‘zero waste to landfill’ throughout the world.
3.2 Assess and utilise different sources of business and contextual data for planning purposes
Business and contextual data for business planning
The business data is the information regarding people, things, places , the business rules and
events related to a business. The contextual data is something that provides context to a
particular person, entity or event (Sparrow, Brewster and Chung 2016). It is utilized by the
business organizations for the market research and prediction. It helps in establishing the
business planning. The sources are as follows :
 Organizational data
 Articles/books
 General survey
 Search –engines
 Internal records
 Annual report
 Financial and trade magazines
 Business analysis tools
The selected organization 6 Groups should focus on below mentioned areas that will help in
achieving the goals of continuous improvement.
 The management of stakeholder diversity – general survey and organizational data
 Employee turnover – annual reports and business analysis tools

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 Time to train the new staffs- article and books
The organization can gather HR statistics from different databases as time spent on hiring,
measurement of recruitment spend and the absence figures. Such statistics can be helpful to
benchmark against early days (Sparrow, Brewster and Chung 2016). .
It can also make use of online surveys as People Insight and Survey Monkey and technology too
for giving insight of both the organization and the HR. It provides insights of the employees to
the HR. The employees on the other hand, become engaged with the organizational businesses.
It also helps the employees in voicing their opinions.
The 6 Group can achieve its business growth through changing the role of HR. The HR must
introduce the HR model of Ulrich which will help them to have a huge impact on the
organizational effectiveness. It is also helpful for the senior managers to attain the business
strategies.

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Reference
Berman, E.M., Bowman, J.S., West, J.P. and Van Wart, M.R., 2019. Human resource
management in public service: Paradoxes, processes, and problems. CQ Press.
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. and Wright, P.M., 2015. Human resources
management. Instructor, 2015.
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. and Wright, P.M., 2017. Human resource management:
Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Sparrow, P., Brewster, C. and Chung, C., 2016. Globalizing human resource management.
Routledge.