Managing and Coordinating the Human Resources Function

The given report throws light on the various aspects of human resource management. The report is divided into different activities and each activity consists of 8 questions in total. It begins with an introduction and is followed by the Activities. The report analyses different cases and examines them with practical examples.

Running head: 5HRF
MANAGING AND COORDINATING THE HUMAN RESOURCES FUNCTION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Executive Summary
The given report throws light on the various aspects of human resource management. The report
is divided into different activities and each activity consists of 8 questions in total. It begins with
an introduction and is followed by the Activities. The report analyses different cases and
examines them with practical examples. Human Resource is an important aspect of the
organization which needs to be managed effectively. Hence it is recommended that the company
should revise and strategize about its human resource aspect. Certain recommendations and
Conclusion have also been provided. Various examples of different companies like Samsung,
Apple, Microsoft and Nokia have been taken to illustrate a better case.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Activity 1.........................................................................................................................................4
Evaluate the business case for managing HR in a professional, ethical and just manner...........4
Explain the different ways in which HR objectives can be delivered in organizations...............5
Discuss the main criteria and methods used to evaluate the contribution of the HR function....6
Activity 2.........................................................................................................................................7
Analyze how the HR function varies between organizations in different sectors and of
different sizes...............................................................................................................................7
Summarize the organizational objectives that the HR function is responsible for delivering and
how these are evolving in contemporary organizations............................................................10
Activity 3.......................................................................................................................................11
Identify and evaluate research evidence linking HR practices with positive organizational
outcomes....................................................................................................................................11
Explain the major theories of effective change management and how these are implemented
and evaluated.............................................................................................................................14
Explain how high-performance working and investment in human capital impact on
organizational practice...............................................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................18
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................18
References......................................................................................................................................20

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Introduction
Human Resource Management is one of the key aspects of any organization. The given
report throws light on the various aspects of Human Resource Management and applies various
theoretical knowledge thereby making use of practical examples (Alfes et al. 2013 p. 340). The
given report consists of three activities which comprise of 8 questions in total. Various public
authorizes, private companies like Allied Group, a voluntary organization like Cancer Research
and Small/Medium sized Enterprises have been referred to for reference purposes.
Activity 1
1.3 Evaluate the business case for managing HR in a professional, ethical and just manner.
According to Alfes et al. (2013 p.341), there are different organizations that follow
different steps in delivering the functions of HR in professional, just and ethical manner. The Hr
functions that will be delivered have to be ethical in nature, as this will help in maintaining
professionalism and just behaviour. All the functions of HR have to be evaluated in a critical
manner. The staffing has to be done in such a manner that will be ethical, as this will help in
gaining competitive advantage in the business. Many organizations set up a Quality Assurance
unit in order to see to it that their organizations run efficiently. Quality is considered to be the
essence of any organization and therefore it is very important for an organization to set up a
different unit in order to look after thee quality as it infuses seriousness and professionalism in
the organization. The administrative functions have to be performed in such a manner that this
will help the organizations in dealing with different benefits in an effectual manner. According to
Awadh and Alyahya (2013 p.168), the different strategies have been used as to understand the

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requirements of the individuals in an effectual manner. Bedarkar and Pandita (2014 p. 110)
commented that the HR managers need to thin themselves as the strategic partner as to
understand the different views of the employees in an effective manner
Adhering to various ethical criteria’s well engaging in the Human Resource Management,
is a critical component because a business exists to understand the code of ethics as this will help
in understanding the different consequences in an effective manner.
Credibility is defined as the integrity and the performance of the individuals that is
required to be maintained in the organizations to generate proper performance management in
the future. This will help in maintaining integrity in an ethical manner as this will help them in
maintaining the different issues in an effective manner.
Accountability is defined as the answerability that is required in order to understand the
expectation of the account giving in an effective manner in different organizations
Responsibility is defined as the duty of the different organizations in understanding the
performance of the employees in the organization as this will help in deserving the candidates
(Awadh and Alyahya 2013 p. 168).
The reasons for which HR in an organization need to be managed in a just and ethical
manner are given below:
 Legal Considerations- If the human resource procedures are not followed effectively, it
may lead to legal problems of the company with respect to both civil and criminal aspect.
There are various commissions present such as the Equal Employment Opportunity

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Commission which take care of these aspects of the firm. If a company has a good ethical
system in place then it can prevent from such legal troubles.
 Company Reputation- If the human resource aspect is not performed in an efficient
manner then, it hampers the reputation of the company also. People would not like to
associate with the company and this could lead to decreased revenue (Bedarkar and
Pandita 2014 p. 110)
 Employee Loyalty- The employee loyalty aspect of the company also gets hampered. If
the employees witness that their respective colleagues are not being treated properly, then
they may feel de-motivated and may not perform well. For example, when I was working
in Emirates National Bank in Riyadh, the company had various policies for employee
loyalty. They were provided bonus to ensure that the remain loyal to the organization.
2.1 Explain the different ways in which HR objectives can be delivered in organizations.
There are different ways through which the functions of HR can be delivered to the
different organizations in the following manner and the organizational objectives can be
achieved.
 The compensation and benefits has to be provided to the employees in organizations as
per the norms of the company. The HR managers need to be concerned about designing
the structure of the organizations and this will help in delivering the productivity in an
effectual manner
 The performance objectives has to be delivered by motivating the employees in the
organization and this will help in generating productivity

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 The change management objectives has to be delivered in an efficient manner as this is a
serious matter as the employees can resist change if they feel there can be loss to their job
and reputation (Brewster and Hegewisch 2017).
 The administration objectives has to be delivered as this will facilitate smooth operations
in an effective manner
For example, in the Emirates National bank, they tend to attach the achievement
of the organizational objectives to the Human Resource Functions in order to motivate
the employees by stating that they are an essential part of the organization and that
without them, the organization will not be able to survive.
3.1 Discuss the main criteria and methods used to evaluate the contribution of the HR
function.
Three criteria as to evaluate HR function and methods to perform
 To understand the performance of the organization. This can be done analyzing how the
employees have been performing in the various spheres.
 To understand the effectiveness of the functions of the organization. The organization is a
storehouse of various departments and therefore, when all the departments perform well
it shows that the organization is doing well. For example, if the Finance department at the
Emirates Bank is not performing well, this means that there is a lag in their business
function.
 Customer satisfaction can also work as a criteria.
Methods

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 Management by Objectives- Management by objectives is a management tool whereby
the organization can be managed efficiently with respect to the different objectives of the
firm. The theory states that this tool is effective because it employs goal setting and
action plans. These tools help in ensuring better participation from the customer`s side
(Cascio 2018).
 360 degree evaluation technique- The 360 degree is an evaluation technique which
includes improvement of the performance of the employee by gaining feedback from all
the parties who are involved in a business. These parties may include subordinates, peers,
supervisors, customers, suppliers and even a self evaluation. According to Cerasoli and
Ford (2014 p. 170), the technique can be referred to as a multi-rater feedback whereby
the employee is reviewed with respect to his overall behaviour. This method is not biased
and is one of the most effective tools used. Like in the Airbus, organization that I had
worked for, they used the whole organization`s feedback to check the passing of the
criteria stated.
 Behaviourally anchored rating scale- The Behaviourally anchored rating scale is a
management tool with scale points present and ranging from five to nine. This appraisal
method combines the benefit of different critical incidents with examples of moderate,
good and poor performance. As it can be witnessed that the Human Resource Department
of any organization is responsible for the proper functioning of the organization, they
evaluate the given criteria on a daily basis and then used the above stated, ethics to
determine how the employee has been performing.

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Activity 2
1.1 Summarize the organizational objectives that the HR function is responsible for
delivering and how these are evolving in contemporary organizations
At Apple
In the company, the human resource component of the company aims to make their
employees more innovative and creative. They value the input which their engineers provide to
them and believe that it should be seen to it that the employees are continuously learning to make
the company better.
The company aims to retain its position as the number one company and therefore,
human resource contributes hugely to this aspect by providing excellence. This aspect has
changed over the last few years as the company has been engaging in repetitive designs.
At Samsung
Samsung follows the Japanese style of Management. It treats its employees with respect
and considers them to be an essential part of the organization. It provides various benefits to
them and considers them the backbone.
The company wants to provide essential services to all the customers and this is not
possible without essential support from the employees. Recently, it trains its employees
effectively to provide them more exposure so that they are able to provide better customer
services.
At Microsoft

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The company is ranked one of the top companies to work in and offers various benefits to
work in the firm. It realizes that without proper motivation, the organization will not be able to
run and therefore it becomes extremely important for the firm to understand how these
employees need to be kept in the firm (Purce 2014).
Analyze how the HR function varies between organizations in different sectors and of
different sizes.
Attribute/ Company Public Authorities in
UK
Allied Group Cancer Research
Organization
Size Huge in size Comparatively smaller Huge in Size
Nature Public Private Voluntary Association
Marketing Utilizes minimalistic
strategies
Makes use of extensive
marketing to get the
product to the
consumers
Utilizes minimum
market strategies
Comparison of HR Aspect
Name of the company/
Point of Distinction or
Comparison
Public Authorities in
UK
Allied Group Cancer Research
Organization
Benefit Administration The benefit
administration at the
The benefit
administration at the
At the Cancer Research
Organization similar to

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organization is
extremely good. The
offices have all
amenities such as gyms,
food courts and
shopping facilities.
Various monetary
compensations are also
provided to the people
in order to see to it that
they are happy
(Chelladurai and
Kerwin 2017).
Allied Group is not at
par with the public
organization. They do
provide benefits to their
employees but their
management is not up to
the required standards.
Public Administration
the company provides
various benefits to the
employees. The offices
are located at all prime
locations. There are
various facilities present
in their offices which
are important for the
employees to maintain a
healthy work life
balance.
Payments and
compensations
The compensation
package at the
authorities. Is extremely
good. Various benefits
along with the
compensation are given
to the consumers.
The salaries which are
offered at Allied group
are not up to the global
standards. They are
comparatively low to
that of Public In the
developing countries t is
exploiting its employees.
Cancer Research offers
a good package as
compared to the
competitors.
Workforce Management The HR Team of Public
Authorities Inc. is
extremely talented. They
conduct various
programs to reduce the
Allied Group`s
Workforce is not up to
the global standards at
well (Samsung
Electronics America
Cancer Reach has an
efficient Human
Resource System which
manages the workforce
very well and handles

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stress levels of the
employees.
2018). employee’s grievances
accurately.
Turnover rate The turnover rate at the
authority is extremely
low. Apple uses proper
environment in order to
ensure that the
employees in the
organization are
retained for a long
period of time.
The turnover rate at the
private company is
extremely high.
The turnover rate at
Research Organization
is low.
Performance
Management
The performance
appraisal and
management at the
Public Organization
take place twice every
year
It uses a good
Performance
Management System
where the firm makes
use of appraisals twice
every year in order to
see to it that the
organization is in the
right track.
The research
organization has a
rigorous performance
management system
whereby it sees to it that
all the employees work
systematically and
conducts appraisal
every three months
(Fransen et al. 2017).

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Activity 3
1.2 Explain the major theories of effective change management and how these are
implemented and evaluated.
 Lewin’s Change Management Model is used for analyzing change in organization as this
will help in understanding current situation and implementing changes to make better
decisions. The three stage model comprises of the following:
 Unfreezing: This phase states that before any significant change take place in the
organization, the initial step of unfreezing needs to take place. This is often used in
Airbus Services where before the next critical project, the firm needs to unfreeze its
operations. This happens because people will generally regret change and try to
restrain. For this purpose, the organization needs to be made to understand that the
change which will take place in the organization is extremely important without
which the organization will not be able to survive (Hameed, Ramzan and Zubair
2014). This time is given to the employees to see to it that they the resistance phase is
passed and they are ready to work for the organization.
 Changing: This is the phase of change whereby the company, goes through the
change. Employee participation in the change process is appreciated. The company
changes the various work processes and the various phases also. The change that
takes place is properly planned and executed in the given organization.
 Refreezing-In this stage the change that has taken place in the organization is re-
freezed. This means that there is a new stabilized period whereby the organization has

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just surpassed the change period and things have started to settle down for the
company (Hayes 2014). Rewards, success parties and acknowledgements are
generally used to support the efforts of the employees.
 Mc Kinsey Model is used to make the changes and implement strategic changes as per the
requirements.
The 7s Mc Kinsey model can be described as a value based management model
which can be used holistically in order to bring organization into the business
environment of the company. These seven components together determine the way in
which an organization operates. They are given as follows:
o Shared Value: This is the centre most important component. It refers to the belief
of the organization and the reasons for its existence (Goetsch and Davis 2014). It
comprises of the various values on which the organization is based.
o Strategy- This refers to how the firm strategies itself and plans to allocate its
scarce resources for the benefit of the organization.
o Structure-This describes the structure of the management. Whether the authority
is spread evenly in the organization or if the authority is centralized and
controlled.
o System- This component describes the status of the various processes, procedures
and routines that are existent in the given organization (Doppelt 2017).
o Staff- This refers to the people who have been hired in the organization.
o Style- The style of the business managers
o Skills- Any special skills of the organization employees.

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The model keeps the organization stable even during the most difficult times.
Hence, this model is extremely important in order to manage the organization during its
proper change process.
 Kotter’s Theory is helpful in creating sense of urgency and communicating the vision for
change in an effective manner in order to remove the obstacles. At Emirates Bank, due to
the economical downturn, this theory was used as a guidance. The model suggested by
him gives away 8 basic steps that can be used in order to see to it that the company can
easily strategize and implement the change process. These steps are listed below:
Creating a sense of urgency
Creating guiding coalitions
Developing the change vision
Communicating the vision to all
Empowering others to act
Create quick wins
Not giving up in the last moment
Infusing the change into the corporate culture
The companies that have successfully changed in the recent times are as follows:
Nokia is one of the companies wherein recent change has taken place wherein they
introduced a new cell phone and it was popular in the market (Prochaska 2013).

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Apple is the other company wherein they are launching different other products other
than the mobile phones and laptops and this helped them in reinvention of the different other
products
Theories and Models
 Harvard Model as this helps in understanding the interest of stakeholders along with
analysis of the situational factors and long term consequences
 Guest Model of HRM helps in generating flexibility in the different decisions that is
taken in organizations (Bratton and Gold 2017).
 Maslow’s hierarchy theory is essential as this will help in motivating the individuals in
order to generate huge productivity in an effective manner
4.1 Identify and evaluate research evidence linking HR practices with positive
organizational outcomes
The employees that are working in the organization are often considered to be the
backbone of the organization. This is the reason, why HR practices are often considered to be an
extremely important part of the organization (CIPD. 2018). A good HR practice often goes a
long way in bringing success for the organization as it leads to motivation of employees which in
turn leads to an increased productivity (Renwick, Redman and Maguire 2013 p. 10). In the given
section, the example of two companies namely Nokia and Apple will be used to identify how
good HR practices relate to positive outcomes for the company.
Case of Nokia:

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Nokia had suffered a huge blow in between and almost vanished from the market. The
Finland Company had one of the strongest images; however it succumbed under modern
technology. It was not able to adapt to the smart phone era and hence, the sales dipped to a huge
extent which lead to negative outcomes for the company.
However, the company did not give up and it decided to re-enter the market. It invested
greatly into its Research and Development team and invested a major portion of its funds in
hiring a good workforce. It came back to the market easily and this was only possible by hiring a
good human resource team. The human resource team hired good employees for the firm. It
provided good incentives to the employees and various facilities (Marchington et al., 2016). As
an outcome of this the organization ended up performing extremely well and has started to gain
the market again. Due to the continuous efforts of the company, it could be witnessed that the
company rose to the top position in no time and was able to gain its market share again.

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Figure 1: The employment numbers at the ICT Sector in Finland, a high percentage of which
is employed at Nokia (Booth 2015).
Case of Apple:
The Apple Company is a leading brand who sells the best designed phones and
technologies. Since its inception, the company has a large number of employees present in the
organization who work diligently towards achieving the organizational goals. Apple largely
depends on its human resource to come out with new ideas. Various human resource techniques
like motivation of the employees and providing those incentives in case of good suggestions
have gone a long way in making the company able to design world class phones (Gerhart and

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Fang 2015 p. 510). Apple believes that innovation is the key to success and it employs various
innovative and creative programs to engage its employees so that the output is equally good and
the company is able to perform well. Thus, Apple also reflects that a good human resource
initiative brings out positive outcomes.
4.2 Explain how high-performance working and investment in human capital impact on
organizational practice.
Nokia and Apple, both these companies have been leading in the mobile phone segment.
These companies are continuously changing their techniques in order to retain their position in
the organization (Gatewood, Feild and Barrick 2015). Apple engages in various innovation and
creativity programs in order to see to it that the organization employees work to their utmost
capacities and that they are able to work on new ideas and advanced products.
From their huge investment in the given aspect, it can clearly be stated that Apple has
been doing considerably well than its other competitors and that it is achieving good returns.
 Encourages morale- A huge investment in the human resource aspect of any organization
leads to a higher morale among the employees. The employees feel motivated and tend to
give in their good efforts (Microsoft.com. 2018).
 Better people for the organization – When people are hired from a good background then
the company tend to have a better workforce which is more knowledgeable and tends to
contribute towards the welfare of the firm.

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 Greater productivity- When lot of efforts are put in order to improve the motivation of the
different employees then the productivity of the organization will increase considerably
as research suggests that there exists a positive relationship between the employee
motivation and the work performance (CIPD 2018).
 Better working environment- When the employees in a firm are happy it gives rise to a
better environment for the firm whereby the employees work diligently and peacefully.
 Good reputation- When the human resource aspect of a firm is good, the reputation of the
firm increases considerably. This gives rise to a good name for the organization.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the given report it could be assessed that Human Resource is one of the
crucial aspects of any organization and that it should be kept in mind that the employees of the
firm are treated in the right manner so as to insure that they stay with the company for long. The
performance of the employee has a deep impact on the achievement of organizational goals.
Recommendations
The following recommendations have been provided in order to ensure that the
organization can manage its human resource component well:
 Conduct Performance management regularly- This is extremely important to understand
what the organization is heading.
 Provide a good compensation- This helps in attracting the employees towards the
organization as they will then be able to get motivated.

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 Provide good benefits to the employees- Apart from monetary benefits this also has a
huge impact


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