Benefits of Gender Balance in the Workplace

This article discusses the benefits of having a gender balance in the workplace, including improved productivity, increased growth and innovation, diversity of views, more flexible working, improved customer targeting, and better quality of life. It also provides advice on how to promote workplace diversity and ensure equal opportunities for all employees.

Human Resources
management (online
exam)

Question 1
Resource-based HRM – This is known as a paradigm shift that focuses upon the internal
organization. This does not includes only managing the internal resources of the organization but
also evaluating performance in external context. The resource based view is defined as model in
which resources are known as the key concept for business performance. When resources are
exhibiting VRIO attributes, resources enable that firm are gaining and sustaining competitive
advantage. This approach is helpful in achieving competitive advantage. This approach was
initiated in the year 1980. The resource based view relied on tangible and intangible resources.
There are several RBV proponents and these are feasible for exploiting external opportunities by
using present resources. RBV human resource management is associated with sustained
competitive advantage which can be achieved in easier way. It enhances the human resource
mobility for greater opportunities. There are various challenges faced by HRM and they have to
be tackled effectively. The competitiveness of firm depends upon HR manager intervention for
retaining talent and attracting new employees.
Behavioral HRM - The behavioral perspective of HRM is defined as a theory that helps in
differentiating various strategies to maintain effective HRM. The behavioral HRM helps an
organization to manage employees. There is a broad ray of consequences which are followed
from approaches of handling staff. Behaviors are defined as recurring action of staff as they are
interacting with role partners for attaining outcomes. According to the behavioral perspective of
HRM, it can be concluded that different strategies need various roles from employees that have
to be implemented properly. As per the behavioral perspective of HRM, employee’s behavior is
the major determinant of organizational effectiveness. Stakeholders are defined as the most
essential role partners of organization. The different type of behaviors of people recognized
within an organization are economic conditions, competitors, industry dynamics, etc. there is
desirability of some particular behaviors which are influenced by different contextual factors.
Internal contextual factors are life cycle stage, size, competitive strategy, history and structure.
External contextual factors are influence of desirability of some particular behaviors.
Political-influence perspectives of human resource management - The political environment
is any organization is having direct impact on the political context or climate in which the human

resource functions get affected. Some of the key drivers which enhances the political climate are
external and internal regulations, labor and case laws, nature of work contracts, etc. There are
several changes which are brought by shift in political climate and these are mentioned below –
 It increases human resource mobility among companies and renders commitment and
loyalty.
 It initiates shift from performance management to talent management for helping staff
core skills for betterment of the company.
 It increases the importance of individualism over collectivism by resulting in negotiations
and contracts opposed to trade unions and collective bargaining.
Question 2
Using relevant theory such as the external market oriented approach to strategic HRM (including
vertical and horizontal fit), explain how organisations can use HR strategy to manage the impacts
of business directional strategies (such as concentration, internal growth and decline) relating to
the management of their people.
Strategic human resource management refers to the process of identifying and executing
the company mission and vision by matching appropriately with the capabilities and demand of
its environment. Market orientation approach is the approach in which organisation looks at the
market and its target market first. It is done before any sale and production activity takes place. It
is done with the approach that what potential customers want from business organisation.
Marketing orientation usually focus on the values, beliefs and internal behaviours of the
satisfaction of customer needs. External marketing oriented approach was found to influence
market as well as financial performance. Dyer and Shafer has adopted a perspective of the
concept of alignment of Human resources strategies. These fit are vertical and horizontal fit.
These are discussed below:
Vertical fit: Vertical fit defines the functional and Hr strategies in terms of capability of
functional strategy to contribute to strategic advantage of the business. Strategic human
resources management focuses on the alignment of marketing management with alongside its
corporate and business strategies. Strategic financial management focus on financial
management of the company to gain strategic advantage. Vertical fit is the degree of alignment
between components of firms HR strategy and core features of business strategy. It is based on
the alignment of human resource management ad their strategies at the top level process of

business organisation. This alignment of human resource management defines the extent of
organisation strategic management process. In this alignment of HRM business created its
mission and goals. By focusing on such alignment business can earn a competitive advantage
among its competitors in the market and achieve its goals and objectives. This also focuses on
decision making process of Human resource in achieving its organisational objectives and goals.
Horizontal fit: It is an idea that effect the individual HR practises on effectiveness and also it did
not look towards the individual human resource practises alone that may provide misleading
results. It involves the activities like training, selecting and compensation of the employees or
workers. It focuses on the HRM policies and practises within and outside HRM hierarchy. HRM
policies and practices remain supportive with each other and their main objective is to achieve
organisational ad personal goals and objectives of company and employees. This create an
alignment between HRM and organisation structure to generate good results. This is seen that
organisations can use HR strategy to manage the impacts of business directional strategies (such
as concentration, internal growth and decline) relating to the management of their people. It can
be concluded that effective HR strategies are used for concentration. This reflects that HR
strategies must be able to manage the work in proper manner. There is need to manage the work
in effective manner for managing the business activities.
Question 3
a) There are several benefits for Martin & Co if they have effective gender balance at
workplace. Some of these are mentioned below –
 Improvisation in productivity - Gender equal staff is able to work in better manner.
There is a major benefit of improved gender equality in workplace which is more
cohesive and productive.
 Increased growth and innovation – As Martin & Co. is growing, there is need of
innovation for company’s growth. If this workplace is having culture of equality, it
provides benefit to both company as well as staff.
 Diversity of views – When Martin & Co. is managing gender balance, it is easy to
promote value of culture and values.
 More flexible working – When females and males both will be given equal opportunities
in Martin & Co. then it provides good leadership and management.

 Improved customer targeting – Within Martin & Co, there are several opportunities for
women in sales department, but they are not allowed to manage sales and marketing.
This creates problem among the employees.
 Better quality of life – When gender pay balance is present in Martin & Co., it is easy to
provide a prominent and better environment for employees and staff.
b) An advice can be given to Martin & Co for providing better workplace diversity. A
suggestion is provided to Martin & Co. that it should develop with the working definition
of disability. It is advised to Martin & co. managers that they must implement strict rules
and regulations of non-discrimination protocols. This will help company in managing all
females and males effectively by proving them equal opportunities. There are several
legislations which help an organisation in providing equal opportunities to people.
Different functions are assigned to both female and male managers. There should be no
biases. All managers and leaders should implement all the legislations effectively. this is
helpful for managing the work efficiently and developing a positive and equal workplace
to all staff members. It is suggested for Martin and Co. that they must be providing
effective suggestions to the HR manager for providing equal pay and salary and
promotions to female. There must be no discrimination on this. In context of given case, it
is concluded that an individual having hearing disability must be given equal opportunity.
This is related to the implementation of equal opportunities for females and individuals
with disability.
Question 4
a)
Employees are always motivated if their wishes and requirements are fulfilled by a systematic
manner and additional benefit they receive form company. It can be suggested to Angela, that
with the help of better reward system the performance of employee and their commitment can be
increased which directly support to increase the overall position of company in a specific time. It
would facilitate contact between staff and supervisors about the reward process by including all
workers (or delegates from various positions). This will also make sure that these workers and
top management are fully on board with both the feedback mechanism. Having workers in the
growth phase of the incentive scheme is vital to guarantee that they appreciate the benefits and

consider themselves as worth the money. Managers should respect feedback from workers and
appropriately pick incentives. Staff members who have seen the benefits as relevant anymore
would be more encouraged to operate hard to gain them. Managers must specifically demarcate
how benefits will be received by staff. They would be more likely to meet performance
expectations if workers have a thorough understanding of what is needed of them. Employees
will be more likely to interpret the procedure as rational when incentives are allocated based on
realistic evidence and thus are more likely to provide a concrete sense of what is required of
them. This would improve their incentive to obtain the success outcomes desired. Employee
would only be working hard to the rewards if they consider them achievable. Hence it is must for
the supervisors to check with the employee's perspective. Also, in order to keep employee
reminded and constantly working or the rewards, a reward portal should be made available to
them, which keeps them engage in the good work. reward system helps to improve the
motivation level of employee sand staff members.
b)
Reward system could be an intensive which is used by the organisation to increase the
performance of employees but being an intensive it has positive and negative impact too.
Pros of enhancing the reward system in organisation they are mention below:
 Reward system helps organisation to motivate their employees, this can increase their
working efficiency.
 This can help organisation to retain employees for longer time as employee feel satisfied
in the organisation.
 This improves the overall performance of the company by increasing the efficiency of
employees as they have all have the targets to achieve the rewards so this boost their
speed and they don't work in lethargic way.
 this can maintain a sense of belongingness in the management and this creates a
competitive environment inside the management too.
 Giving rewards to employees make employees and organisation feel proud on themselves
and it builds their morale.
But beside this there are many negative aspects too for the organisation while giving the rewards
they are listed below:

 Giving monetary rewards to employees can increase the additional cost of organisation
this can decrease their profitability.
 It can create conflicting situation in the management between the low performer can the
excellent performer.
 It can demotivate the low performers and they fell disappointed for their performance this
reduce the efficiency sometimes.
 It creates bias situation and can lead to favouritism.

References
Books and Journals
Meissner, H. G., 2012. Human resource management. Springer Science & Business Media.
Paliwoda, S. and Thomas, M., 2013. Strategic human resource management. Routledge.
Papadopoulos, N. and Heslop, L.A., 2014. Product-country images: Impact and role in
international marketing. Routledge.