Hospital HR and Sustainable Practices

This assignment analyzes the crucial role of Human Resources (HR) in building sustainable healthcare organizations, using a case study of an Australian hospital with 400 employees spread across various branches. The report highlights the challenges facing the health sector and provides recommendations for improvement. The study reveals that the absence of an HR department and manager has hindered the hospital's ability to deliver quality healthcare and maintain a motivated workforce. It emphasizes the importance of HR in creating a healthy work environment and ensuring high-quality patient care.

Running head: HR's Role in Creating Sustainable Organizations
HR's role in creating sustainable organizations:
Student’s Name:
Institutional Affiliation:

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 1
Executive Summary
The role of Human Resource Management in the sector of Health and the challenges it faces
has sparked a lot of research. This reports purpose is to evaluate the role of HR in creating
sustainable organizations with a particular focus on the health sector. A case study of a
hospital in Australia is analyzed, the challenges facing hospital are as well highlighted, and
recommendations for the improvement of the operations of the HRM in the hospital are made
based on secondary data available. The significance of the HR department is also
emphasized. Then the significant features of building a sustainable HR capability are
discussed drawing evidence from the existing research

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................1
1.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
1.2 Thesis Statement..................................................................................................................3
1.3 Recommendations the CEO of the Hospital for Possible Course of Action towards the
Improvement of The HRM Operation........................................................................................3
1.3.1 Dedicated HR Department.........................................................................................3
i. Assists in Evaluation Of HR Policies...........................................................................3
ii. Team Building.............................................................................................................4
iii. Assists In Monitoring Progress.................................................................................4
iv. Keeps The Organization Legal...................................................................................4
1.3.2 Modify the HR Perspective........................................................................................4
1.3.3 Align HR and Hospital Objectives.............................................................................4
1.3.4 Monitor HR and Maintain Control.............................................................................5
2. 0 Significant Features of Building a Sustainable HR Capability...........................................5
i. Recruiting and Retaining Best Talent..............................................................................5
ii. Establishing Incentives for Outstanding Performance....................................................5
Iii. Developing Critical Competencies................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 3
HR's Role in Creating Sustainable Organizations
1.0 Introduction
The importance of the HR department in an organization cannot be emphasized enough. The
human resource department is responsible for managing people who are the most significant
asset of the organization. It also accounts for almost three-quarters of the company's budget
(Jiang et al., 2012). With a properly managed workforce, the result is an enthused and
satisfied workforce that delivers health services of a high standard in the health sector thus
enabling it to accomplish its mission, provide health care, and improve its competitive
advantage.
1.2 Thesis Statement
This report's objective is to determine the role of HR in creating sustainable organizations.
Furthermore, this study examines a case study of a hospital in Australia that lacks the HR
department with an objective of providing an in-depth understanding of the significance of
HR to the sustainability of an organization.
1.3 Recommendations the CEO of the Hospital for Possible Course of Action towards
the Improvement of The HRM Operation
In order to improve the operation of HRM at the hospital the CEO should first have a
dedicated HRM department with a professional HR manager and officials, modify the HR
perspective, align HR and Business objectives, monitor HR and exercise control.
1.3.1 Dedicated HR Department
Strategic human resource management is the process of associating the HR function with the
strategic goals of the organization to increase performance (Daley, 2012). The hospital CEO
should adopt the HR department for it mainly exists for this reason among others which
include evaluation of HR policies, team building, assists in monitoring progress, and keeps
the organization legal.
i. Assists in Evaluation Of HR Policies
According to Cohen, Taylor, and Muller-Camen, (2012), The HR policies in the organization
ensure a better workplace environment and healthy employee relations to each other and with
the organization towards the achievement of a sustainable business. The department of HR is
responsible for the daily implementation of the policies and the revision of the ones that are
outdated and do not align with the mission of the organization. Therefore, the CEO of the

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 4
hospital should work towards creating a dedicated HR department to deal with the issues of
inconsistent application of the HR policies and practices.
ii. Team Building.
According to Hendry, (2012) the HRM department aids to initiate a sense of team spirit and
friendship with the hospital. The success of the mission of the hospital is dependent upon
stakeholders, the management, employees, and patients. Therefore, a department acts as a
link to open communication among these groups. Such an action will address the issues of
staff grievances; turn over, staff shortages and industrial strikes which are affecting the
hospital.
iii. Assists In Monitoring Progress.
The human resource department helps in monitoring of the organizations progress towards
the achievement of its laid down objectives and goals in the strategic plan. Over half of the
strategic plan is dependent on the cooperation and assistance of the workers and departments
within the organization (Snell et al., 2015). The HR department is crucial in making sure that
all of these elements of the strategic plan are executed efficiently and in time. Therefore, by
the CEO taking an action of creating an HR department will improve the operation of HRM.
iv. Keeps The Organization Legal
Bratton and Gold, (2012) notes that the HR department significantly contributes to the
compliance of the organization with the laws associated with the remuneration, insurance,
etc. of the employees. The legislation and policies that govern organizations are complex and
vary a lot, but the HR department is not only significant in ensuring that the organization’s
objectives and plans are legal but also flexible to adapt to changing legal circumstances.
1.3.2 Modify the HR Perspective
The CEO should first start by changing his/her view of the HR department. The CEO should
adopt thinking towards HR that is more than a department that has no significant role in the
performance of the hospital other than payroll management. The HR department is also
responsible for administrative duties besides processing of the payment.
1.3.3 Align HR and Hospital Objectives
After adopting the HR department, The CEO should set goals to the office that agree with the
vision of the hospital and improve the quality of service offered to patients. For instance, the
mission of the hospital is to provide quality health care services to its patients; therefore, the
objectives to set for the HR department include employee retention and training development.

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 5
1.3.4 Monitor HR and Maintain Control
Now with an existing HR department, the CEO can go forward and ensure that its activities
are in tandem with mission and objective of the hospital. For example, the hospital can
monitor whether the level of employee turnover, quality of patient care and safety, level of
staff retention and morale has changed for the better since empowering the HR department.
2. 0 Significant Features of Building a Sustainable HR Capability
According to the Brundtland Commission (1987), Sustainability is the ability to “to meet the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
needs.” The pressures from regulations and the society have increased the environmental and
social responsibility for organizations thus necessitation the emphasis on sustainability.
Therefore a sustainable organization can be described as one that contributes economic,
social and environmental paybacks to the society and at the same time achieving the long-
term sustainability of the organization. The key features of a sustainable HR capability are as
outlined below:
i. Recruiting and Retaining Best Talent
Kroezen et al., (2015) based on their study argues that Organizations can only succeed in the
long-term if they hire and motivate workers who have the ability to respond to and shape the
future challenges. Such people are those that can create competitive advantage from the
available opportunities that the different market presents, are interested in learning from the
consumers, suppliers and colleagues, and who can develop and power long-term and efficient
relationships.
ii. Establishing Incentives for Outstanding Performance
Bal et al., (2012) asserts that the primary source of motivation for employees is an intricate
blend of rewards. These can be informed of financial security and bonuses, promotion,
recognition of peers, etc. the difficult standard task for HR managers is to come up with the
opportunities and incentives that maximize the input of workers to corporate performance
(Boselie, 2010). The objective is to motivate the employees to learn on a continuous basis to
bring value to the company by improving the overall adaptive capacity of the organization to
variations of the environment in which the organization operates.
Iii. Developing Critical Competencies
Organizations ought to develop the skills of its employees on a continuous basis as a way of
responding to the evolving demands of clients, investors and the society. The clarification of

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 6
the required competencies to deliver the strategy of the company as well as to keep up with
the different competitive forces is the arduous task of the HR manager. The means of
developing these competencies include official training programs, mentoring, peer learning,
or participating in community projects (Ulrich et al., 2012).
Conclusion
This report's goal has been to examine the role of HR in creating sustainable organizations
with a case study of a hospital with 400 staff members dispersed across its branches in
Australia. The challenges affecting the health sector are examined and appropriate
recommendations made. From the study, it was apparent that the hospital is not
accomplishing its main work which is to offer quality healthcare to its patients while
maintaining a vibrant workforce. The problems it's facing are as a result of the absence of the
HR department and manager to oversee the day to day running of the organization alongside
the implementation of the policies of the hospital towards providing a healthy working
environment for the staff and quality service for the patients. The HR is crucial towards
creating sustainable organizations.

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 7
References
Bal, P. M., De Jong, S. B., Jansen, P. G., & Bakker, A. B. (2012). Motivating employees to
work beyond retirement: A multi‐level study of the role of I‐deals and unit
climate. Journal of Management Studies, 49(2), 306-331.
Boselie, P. (2010). High performance work practices in the health care sector: a Dutch case
study. International Journal of Manpower, 31(1), 42-58.
Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2012). Human resource management: theory and practice. – (5th
Ed.).London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Brundtland Commission. (1987). Our Common Future: The World Commission on
Environment and Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cohen, E., Taylor, S., & Muller-Camen, M. (2012). HRMs role in corporate social and
environmental sustainability. SHRM report.
Daley, D. M. (2012). Strategic human resources management. Public Personnel
Management, 120-125.
Hendry, C. (2012). Human resource management. London: Routledge.
Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Hu, J., & Baer, J. C. (2012). How does human resource management
influence organizational outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating
mechanisms. Academy of management Journal, 55(6), 1264-1294. Retrieved from:
http://amj.aom.org/content/55/6/1264.full

HR's role in Creating Sustainable Organizations 8
Kroezen, M., Dussault, G., Craveiro, I., Dieleman, M., Jansen, C., Buchan, J., ... & Sermeus,
W. (2015). Recruitment and retention of health professionals across Europe: a
literature review and multiple case study research. Health Policy, 119(12), 1517-1528.
Snell, S. A., Morris, S. S., & Bohlander, G. W. (2015). Managing human resources. – (7th
Ed.). Nelson Education: South-Western College Pub.
Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W., & Ulrich, M. (2012). HR from the outside in: Six
competencies for the future of human resources. New York. McGraw-Hill Education