International Human Resource Management: Importance, Objectives, and Strategic Value of Unilever

This article discusses the importance, objectives, and strategic value of international human resource management in Unilever. It also explores global talent management and succession planning, career development, and career management. The subject is International Human Resource Management and the course code is not mentioned. The college/university is not mentioned.

International Human
Resource Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Task 2 Importance of HR in business strategy of Unilever.............................................................1
Objectives of international human resource management......................................................1
Importance of international human resource management....................................................2
International human resource management strategic value of Unilever................................3
Task 3 Global talent management and succession planning............................................................5
Career development ...............................................................................................................5
Career management................................................................................................................6
Performance management......................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
International human resource management is a set of activities targetting human resource
management at international level, it helps to achieve organisation's objectives and advantages
over competitors at national and international level.(Aswathappa and Dash, 2020) In his report a
discussion on importance of HR practice to business strategy of Unilever, Unilever plc is a
British multinational consumers good company founded by Lever Brothers in 1929 with
headquartered in London, United Kingdom. At last a reflection essay on career development and
career management, with the help of career management tools and performance management
model of work operation within companies.
MAIN BODY
Task 2 Importance of HR in business strategy of Unilever.
International human resource management is a process of allocating, procuring and
effectively utilizing HR in Unilever, for exporting products and integrate human resource
policies on subsidiaries in different countries to achieve company's objectives. It also helps to
perform HRM related and necessary immigration activities for employees of organisation
operation domestic and foreign countries.(Bouaziz and Hachicha, 2018) International human
resource is a process of hiring, training and development of employees working in international
organisation, as Unilever is a MNC which has business in different countries managed from
London human resource helps to manage employees across global business and create policies
related international operations.
Objectives of international human resource management
International resource management helps to process of managing employees of
international ventures involves operations and management activities, as success of organisation
and its trading is depended on the quality and effectiveness of human resource to manage
operation in intentional level. (Murphy and Murphy, 2018)There are various types of objectives
of having international human resource in Unilever such as,
 It helps to improve development of managerial skills, technical abilities and
organizational knowledge of HRM and employees.
 It helps to secure and manage compensation, performance and career path of employees.
 It helps to improve global business operations.
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 Improves organizing and managing language training programme and cross cultural
counselling.
 It helps to develop and raise better performance of human resource management.
 Helps to increase opportunities of global HR.
 It helps to develop management strategies in global competitive.
 It helps understanding of work practice in international business.
Importance of international human resource management
International human resource is all HRM activities at international level, helps to manage
organisation's objectives without disturbing competitive advantages in international business.
IHRM helps company to maintain operation management of each department in each country by
creating policies for employees for better performance and same success in each international
business. (Goute, Babu and Prasad, 2021)Since there are various changes occur in economy
environment which direct affect on management practice in international HRM, with new
management practice it helps to emphasize on giving better international HRM factors such as,
Emphasis on core competency
As post-liberalization, organisation focus on its core competence with organizing
business, it is a unique strength of company. It provides a form of unique financial resources,
marketing capability, manpower resource and technology capability, by organizing core
competence it help to generate competitive advantages. Help to achieve core operation system in
international and national level of company, with changing environment of business and affects
on operation with the help international human resource management helps to improve the focus
on core competence of management and operation of organisation.
Reorganisation
International HRM helps in restructuring and emphasize on reorganisation, by focusing
on expanding management level with help of span control over operation. It helps to improve
structure of management within organisation for employees manager to follow for new
development and to focus on reorganisation of company. Strategic business is based on
departmentalization on functional line help to improve business strategy and function of
operation related to products and services. The reorganisations needs to develop additional skills
part of human resource with the help of appointing new managerial talents and developing
existing human resource and increase competition human talents.
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Competition for human resource
International human resource has threats with global managerial talents, as company has
business international which lead to competition between other human resource as each
managerial policies are different from each other which can affect international business
developing in there country. (Laser, 2021)Since with good human resource management
international business it will help to develop and improve managerial talents to compete with
other competition of human resource as international business.
Technology changes
Constant changes in technology can affect international human resource management,
with business strategy changes due to technology as old methods and training become obsolete.
Manager needs to focus on upgrading employees and operation with new technology to keep
with newer technology. International human resource management it become necessary for
manager to update technology in organisation operation with different countries different
technology available there so human resource management has to keep knowledge about every
countries new technology changes.
Need for workforce empowerment
Workforce environment of organisation changes, as employees skills and mindsets
changes frequently keeping in consideration it is duty of HR management to provide motivation
and good environment for employee to achieve goal and objectives of organisation. It helps
employees to worker harder which led to success of management and operations. There are
changes in requirement of certain set of skills in employees to develop those management needs
to focus on providing proper guide and lesson on teaching and improving knowledge to their
employees which help in further operation of company. Hence international human resource
management is important in internation business of company.
International human resource management strategic value of Unilever
International human resource management is important in strategic management, as it
assist culture of organisation with recruiting right people for organisation. It helps to ensures
employees to achieve strategic value to company and productive in their role, which led to
success and value creation for company. It also ensures performance of employees by creating a
good framework success of employees and also of organisation within international and national
business, as it is important in making proper strategy in management ensuring employees
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contribution to achieve overall goal of organisation target success.(Decker, Brown and Knuth,
2021) The international human resource management ensures company management to plan
strategic goal and policy for each operation in international as well national to complete main
vision and mission of company. International HRM ensures employees developing with
right skills and knowledge through training and improving motivation & attitude towards work
environment of organisation to increase productivity. It helps to create strategic approach for
enhancing skills and knowledge of employees in organisation for better performance in
international and national market of business. International human resource management
improve concentration of employees and operation productivity while working to maintain brand
ensuring external factors of different countries such as, environment, health tools and safety to
provide platform for employees and business to reach success which is important element in
international and national business. It helps to ensure employees to follow policy and concentrate
their specific roles.
Importance of internation human resource practice to business strategy of Unilever, as
company is multinational with global presence in international market, it ensure smooth
operation of business in every places accordingly. Management help to create strategy plan for
success to achieve goals and objectives of company and helps to deal with local difference with
helping company to implement critical practices for global strategy. It also ensures company to
work together international and nation to reach common goal which allows great chance of
success to organisation.
HR practice is strategic function to concern recruiting, development, training, performance
appraisal, labour relations and communication, it provides guides to various functions of
organisation. It helps to determine need of standardization as it is more complex than domestic to
international set up, with difference in headquarter and subsidiaries. (Bratton, Gold, Bratton and
Steele, 2021)Employees are important aspects and policy of Unilever are determined through
approach globalization, as to develop and identify talent through Management development
program to improve performance of operations in organisation. It will also helps to improve
coordination between all international and national business to maintain communication for
decision to create strategic management within organisation accordingly.
International human resource practices plays important role in maintaining long term
aspects of create harmony and peace between international and local business environment.
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(Natalia, 2021)It is HR responsibility to make policy for employees and make strategic plans for
company to achieve goals and objectives of individual and also of enterprise. In context of
making strategic management of Unilever company needs to adapt a good practice of
international human resource for maintaining coordination between international and national
management process. It helps to develop and improve employee motivation, skills and
knowledge according to any changes in external or internal factor that can affect operation of
company. So with the right strategy plan by HR in management process company and employees
can gain success will help to achieve goals, and success in international business of company.
Human resource management practice in Unilever helps to create strategic management improve
people insight to ensure priorities in adequate importance of business strategy, with change in
impact to create improvement in management and operation within enterprise. Unilever already
has a great international human resource management through which manages all aspects of
company to maintain relation between business across globe to achieve goals and success.
Task 3 Global talent management and succession planning.
Career development
Career development is a process in which an individual choose a career path and
improve as well as advance the skills to achieve the goal. It is a never ending process of which
brings a person more close to ideal job and lifestyle. It also improves the skill sets. It is a process
of knowing yourself and exploration to shape career in a right path(Brown, 2020). It is a way of
navigating the occupational options which suits the personality, skills and interests. It also
involved learning about different roles which is later helpful in deciding out of the ever changing
career and find a most suitable out of all alternatives. The process give an answer about where
the employee will be after five to ten years. The process do not have any end but it holds a
importance in an organisation as it concentrates on development of human resource of a
company.
The Unilever company offers different types of career development programs to support
the working such as it provides a pre decided training programs after analysing its needs such as
on the job training program and off the job training program, in this style the company provide
the required training program to its employees but only after analysing the objective and need of
the program(Chen, Zhao and Huang 2021). In on the job training program, the company try to
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enhance the skills while working with the job. The company uses different ways such as by
assigning different projects, tasks and likewise. On the other hand, in off the job training
program the company provides sessions other than job. The premise uses different ways to
implement the training program such as by organising conferences, by arranging class room
lectures and many more. The Unilever give equal importance to the ability to understand who a
person is an individual and what he want to be. The courses are vary from learning from
instructor and and online learning to enable each employee to learn at their own speed.
Career management
Career management is also a never ending process. It has a wider scope as compared to
career development planning. The career management is a process in which an individual and the
company invest their resources to make a path to attain the future career aim(Corsi, Prencipe and
Capriotti, 2019 ). It works according to the dynamic environment demands. It includes various
concepts such as, self awareness, networking, life long learning, career exploration, career
planning and career development(Sakalauskytė, 2020). It is a long term process. It is a very
effective, motivating and enhance the productivity of the individual.
With context to Unilever the company implements different types of career management
practices such as by organising employee assessment and career planning workshops according
to their abilities, interests and values, the company has established different career centres for
employees where employee can go for self assessment, the service includes 360 degree feedback,
confidential counselling, career management and many launch and learn seminars and many
more, the company also has set up a huge network through which the employees who are willing
to learn about their job and coming growth can talk to different expert by using those networks
and the company has also set the mentoring programs to constantly keep an eye on the progress
of the employees.
It is a process in which the company helps its employees to develop their career goals
such as by supporting their business goals, while the employee seeks for a self guided career
development programs, the company to support the business goals should develop a career plan
accordingly. Record employee objectives, by recording the objectives of the employee the
company can assign the tasks accordingly which will improve their efficiency as well as their
motivation level(Mayorova and et. al., 2020). Accountability structure, by attaching
accountability to every tasks the company is working on to goal setting. When the employees
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know the fact that they are accountable for someone to achieve the set career goals then it will
enhance the level of responsibility attached as well as efficiency. Reward and
acknowledgement, it depends on the employee goals, some times it is sufficient to celebrate the
success with reward and recognition but some times it requires acknowledgement to celebrate a
milestone achieved by the employee which will motivate them to achieve more. But more the
employee get acknowledged and been rewarded, more will be their satisfaction. Promote and
educate, it is the responsibility of the organisation to include employee, managers and executives
in decision making as well as understand and support the initiatives took by the employees. It
will improve the company profile on organisational development activities and it is also
important by the perspective of the employees as it will improve their creativity and promote
innovation.
Performance management
Performance management, it is a corporate management tool which helps the managers
to keep an eye on the employee's performance. The aim of developing the concept is to create a
work environment where employees can work at their full capacity. It also improves the work
quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the employee as they have a pressure that their
performance is constantly been recorded and has the power to effect their career. It is a formal
process in which the managers clearly conveys the organisational goals which will divert their
performance in the direction of goal(Mutolib and et. al., 2020). It uses the traditional methods
such as setting and examining goals, objectives and milestone. They also set the aim to let the
employees know about how the effective performance looks like and how they have developed
standards to measure performance.
In context to Unilever, the business premise uses different types of performance
management programs such as, by diverting the employee activities to goal achievement, it has
developed specific job performance standards to get the best out of all the employees, creating
time to time job development plans, by organising a time to time meeting with the employees.
All these performance measurement tools are helpful in increasing the motivation level of
employees, improves work efficiency and easy goal achievement.
Performance management is an important part of human resource management as it
ensures the effectiveness of resources. The benefit of using performance management is that it
enables the management to divert the performance of employees towards the strategy of the
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organisation. Human resource management, improves the performance of employees by using
many theories such as motivational theories, the theory is also known as Herzberg two factor
theory as it is introduced by Frederick Herzberg. The two factors are motivational factors and
hygiene factors whereas motivational factors are observed as intrinsic motivators which are also
work as enhanced motivational level(Obeidat and et. al., 2020). The hygiene factors are observed
extrinsic motivators whose unavailability can decrease the level of motivation of employees.
Operant conditioning method, it determines the work of the employees according to the rewards
and punishment standards. It later help them to learn and adapt new behaviour which will
improve the performance of employees. The theory is used to control the unnecessary activities
of the employees and promote the profit earning activities by providing rewards and recognition.
The quality management and performance management theory, the theory suggests that
the increased motivation level of employees can bring innovation in the organisation. Which
plays the role of incremental role by increasing the employee efficiency. The theory states that
the organisation can use the system to improve the quality of work according to the set quality
standards.
In context of Unilever, the company is dealing in a wide range of products so the
performance measurement tool helps the company to enhance the performance of the products as
well as its employees(Ott, 2021). The company works to control its diverse talent pipe line and
make it ready to achieve the tasks. It also aims towards the goal achievement of the business
premise.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that, HR practices holds a special place in a
company. Unilever is a company multinational company which holds a wide diversity of
employees coming from different backgrounds so to control the environment the company is
taking the help of HR practices. HR practices is an important department through which the
company uses different ways to keep their employees motivated and efficient. It is concluded
that the company uses different types of strategies such as career development, different tools for
career management and employs many performance management theories in the organisational
structure. The company is gaining success through this and it is also increasing its market share
in the company. The business has also reduced its employee turnover ratio.
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