Topical Issues on Managing Human Resources

Topical issues on Managing Human Resources

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
1.1. Explain Guest’s model of HRM as applied to the organisation of your choice...................3
1.2. Choosing two organisations of your choice, compare the differences between Storey’s
definitions of HRM, personnel and IR practices.............................................................................4
1.3. Assess the implications for line managers and employees of developing a strategic
approach to HRM for MacDonald’s................................................................................................7
2.1. Explain how a model of flexibility might be applied in MacDonald’s....................................8
2.2. Discuss the types of flexibility which may be developed by McDonalds...............................9
2.3. Assess the use of flexible working practices from both the employee and the employer
perspective at McDonalds..............................................................................................................10
2.4. Discuss the impact that changes in the labour market have had on flexible working practices.
.......................................................................................................................................................11
3.1 Explain the forms of discrimination that can take place in the workplace using examples of
recent discrimination cases which has made the news..................................................................12
3.2 Discuss the practical implications of equal opportunities legislation for McDonalds............13
3.3 Compare the approaches to managing equal opportunities and managing diversity...............14
4.1 Select an organisation you work or have worked for, identify and compare the performance
management...................................................................................................................................15
4.2 Assess the approaches used to managing employee welfare in your organization.................16

4.3 Discuss the implications of health and safety legislation on human resources practices........17
4.4 Evaluate the impact of another topical issue on human resources practices...........................18

Introduction
In recent years, organizations have come to recognize the centrality of the employee in driving
growth and profitability. Gone are the days when people used to be employed as factors of
production that had to be run for lengthy periods of time so as to get the maximum results fro
them. Increasing educational levels and technological changes have transformed the role of the
modern worker from a replaceable part of the industrial machine to an integral part of an
knowledge and innovation based organization. In this paper, we are going to discuss some of the
topical issues that surround human resource management especially as applies to the
MacDonald’s Corporation, a global leader in the sale of fast foods.
1.1. Explain Guest’s model of HRM as applied to the organisation of
your choice.
In recent years, the concept of Human Resource Management (HRM) has become an intepral
part of organizations. Companies have identified the strategic role that an efficient workforce
plays in driving growth in the organization in the face of increased market competition. As such,
companies are increasingly paying greater attention to the HR component and its linkage to
overall organizational performance. HRM is central in the creation of strategy and setting up of a
roadmap on how to achieve the goals. It is therefore imperative that the human resources
department ensure that the organization has the right personnel through proper selection,
training, development, coordination, evaluation and appraisalA lot of research has been done in
the field of HRM in an endeavour to come up with best practice. Professor David Guest has

widely explored HRM theories in his scholarly work. One of his most widely used models is the
soft and hard paradigm. In this construct, Guest explores the opposing ways in which
organizations view the construct of human resource management. The soft approach sees the
workforce as a relation while the hard view sees it as a resource (Gratton et al., 1999). By
adopting the soft model in HRM, the organization seeks to address individual needs of employee.
The rationale is that the employee will respond positively and o what is in the best interest of the
company. This will result in turn drive business performance. The hard model aims at
implementing strategy through efficient application of the human resources available to the
organization. This is achieved through practices such as role definition, job scheduling,
outsourcing, job rotation, evaluation, downsizing and optimization.
McDonalds has been on the forefront in adopting best HR practice. As one of the largest fast
food service providers, the company has had to streamline its HR practice to ensure that it
continues to deliver quality service to its clients and maintains its market position. The company
largely employs the hard/soft HRM system. Through careful staff selection and development, the
company is able to meet its specific workforce needs based on company strategy. In addition, the
company aims to cultivate a close relationship with the employees so that it can understand their
daily needs and work to meeting these.

1.2. Choosing two organisations of your choice, compare the
differences between Storey’s definitions of HRM, personnel and IR
practices.
Human Resource Management (HRM), Personnel Management (PM) and Industrial Relations
(IR) are three constructs that have been subject to wide scholarship regarding their meaning and
implication in the face of the wider scheme of organizational behaviour. While PM and IR are
aimed at streamlining the workforce to be in line with industrial and regulatory standards, HRM
is more focused on integrating the workforce as a core component of the business strategy that is
geared towards better business performance.
Storey (1992) sought to explain the paradigm shift from PM/IR to HRM in organizations in
recent years. He identified fundamental differences between the two constructs which he broadly
grouped into four categories as follows:
beliefs and assumptions- PM/IR seeks clear definition of contract while HRM aims at
engagement beyond the contract
strategic aspects- HRM involves complete integration of the workforce in business strategy by
deliberate setting of an interactive framework. As such, decision making is fast as it is clearly
defined in the relationship. PM/IR however sees the workforce as peripheral to the main strategy
of the organization. This slows down decision making.
Line management- management in a PM/IR set up is transactional and communication is
conducted indirectly, mainly through intermediaries. However, in HRM model, management
seeks to create transformational leadership through direct employee communication.