BUSN113 Reflective Journal: Managing People and Organizations

This reflective journal analyzes key concepts in human resource management (HRM), team effectiveness, and business ethics, drawing from course materials and academic research. It begins with a discussion of strategic HRM, workforce planning, and talent acquisition, highlighting the impo...Read More

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INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION(S) |
BUSN113
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Introduction
This reflective journal has been prepared to reflect upon my understanding of key
concepts and theories related to three major topics mentioned below. To accomplish strategic
approach, HRM aligns various human resource function to ensure every employees abilities
and skills are identified and utilised effectively and thus workforce planning and talent
acquisition proves to be major elements within HR department (Caliskan, 2010). The
chapters related to team effectiveness also demonstrated ways that can be used by me in my
professional business career as now I know that teams are based on collective perspectives
than individual thoughts that helps organisations in gaining sustainable objectives through
joint efforts. Week 11 learnings taught me that although people might show tendency towards
making quick judgements for rationalising unethical behaviour, literature suggests that people
must take considerable amount of time to think objectively. Training related to CSR is one
way that can enable business managers with a sense of taking better decision that support
ethical consideration in organisational management (Vitell, Ramos, & Nishihara 2010).
Topic 1. Human Resource Management: Strategic Contribution, Workforce Planning &
Talent Acquisition
Conceptual understanding: The basic approach of HRM is to focus upon people
management and enhance employer-employee relationship so that every individual present in
the organisations contributes in achieving strategic business objectives. This is achieved by
HR managers through designing and implementing strategic HR policies and frameworks that
can potentially motivate employees and translate their knowledge into more productive
behaviour (Caliskan, 2010). While planning, HR managers reviews organisational mission

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and objectives so that effective team is developed that avoids issues related to legal,
environmental or governmental factors. Therefore, workforce planning enables organisations
with strategic options that attracts, retains and develop workforce’s in accord with
organisational objectives. Such planning even helps in identifying demand and supply of
employees and how to acquire talented workforce (Mwangi & Kiambati, 2015). Attracting
and sourcing talented individuals have made many organisations consider enabling strategic
plans to manage talent acquisition role for considering various factors that affects recruitment
and selection of talented employees like employer brand, sourcing and targeting skilled
labour (Tripathy, 2014).
Application: HRM strategic contribution cannot be overlooked by contemporary firms for
which they hire skilled HR mangers who are able to perform every HR function in
competitive way. BHP Billiton is considered among reputed firms in Australia, however
faces issue related to SHRM especially while expanding its businesses in Asian countries.
This shows four significant issue within the firm that includes recruitment, planning, training
and development of staff in which culture shock expatriates and HR managers fail to adjust
with new cultural dimensions. This shows their lack of consideration towards strategic human
resource planning and incapable talent acquisition in the company. In fact, the firm itself
acknowledged their past discriminations, historical imbalances and how they address issues
through initiation of new talent acquisition programs like “Indigenous employment and
training and Black Economic Empowerment” (Studhalter, 2014, p. 76)
Reflection: This fourth week topic can be used by me in my professional business career
especially while I am been given charge to manage workforce and for talent acquisition. Now
I am aware that HRM have considerable contribution in aceiving strategic business objectives
and organisational success. The study has changed my viewpoint where previously I used to
consider HRM as a way to manage organisational staff, but now I am aware the significance

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behind ethical consideration while making recruitment and selection so that competitive
advantage is sustained and remains apparent in my firm. Strategic HR managers creates
systems that are aligned and connected with strategic mission so that it enables trust and
commitment among employees to sustain long term success (Khugshal, 2014).
Topic 2. Team Effectiveness - High Performing Teams
Conceptual understanding: Week five was all about team effectiveness and how a team can
be differentiated from group in many ways. There are various models that helps organisations
in developing teams like early model of Bruce Tuckman defining stages of team
development, and recent models that incudes the five dysfunctions of team, Rocket model
and Teams role. Regardless of selection made in models, reason behind building a high-
performance team remains the same along with sharing similar characteristics. For instance,
all the models perform initial stage in which a sense of urgency is created and directed.
Members are been selected on the basis of abilities and skills and accordingly rules and
guidelines are set to confirm a common behavioural pattern required in bringing team
effectiveness (Fapohunda, 2013). Once the team members agree upon collective goals and
quantifiable scales, they start meeting frequently so that team members get accustomed with
each other’s. With the use of positive feedback and rewards, team members participation and
progress in been recognised by the organisations thereby reinforcing every individual
participation and building a team consisting trust and enthusiasm. Furthermore, contemporary
organisations seek that every employee works in a team so that organisational issues are
sorted strategically along with achieving success in manging complex and global projects
(McEwan, et al., 2017).

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Application: How a high performing team in an organisation can bring success can be
identified after studying Google case example that put in front of media about ways through
which effective teams can be built and how they can provide organisations with excellence.
After years of research and analysis made of 180 teams across the company, Google found
that every individual in a team might not be relevant for bringing team effectiveness. Teams
must be created after identifying every person abilities and skills that compliments with other
team members skills and knowledge. The researchers involved with the company finds that
effective team are based upon five factors: psychological safety, dependability, structure and
clarity and finally, meaning or knowing the purpose behind work. Thus, Google was able to
identify previous issues related to its internal management and through high performing team,
rules the internet world with success (Burnison, 2019).
Reflection: This week study proved most fascinating for me as earlier I had few cooperation
and team management issues that made my team work participations ineffective for me.
Now, I am aware about significance behind team performance and how high performing
teams are built through recognition of talent and skills within individuals. Since ethics is a
key component that provides people with good governance skills, I will use this week study
while considering team management in my future professional career by selecting team
members ethically and are based upon talent and skill rather than fulfilling my personal
objectives (Hakanen , Häkkinen, & Soudunsaari 2015).
Topic 3. Business Ethics and CSR
Conceptual understanding: Week 11 taught us about significance behind ethical behaviour
and corporate social responsibility. Ethics can be defined as a set of standards that reveals
whether the act performed by an individual is good or bad. Ethical behaviour, on the other

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hand is the characteristics that demonstrates whether the person is right or wrong while
governing any moral code. If the performance of organisational leaders is considered ethical,
they will ultimately recognise confidentiality among stakeholders along with building
sustainable values (Lawton & Pa´ez, 2015). However, in literature it is been identified that
ethical values vary from person to person and can considerably differ among cultures. Such
difference in ethical beliefs can potentially develop ethical dilemmas and thus person remains
unaware about what to do to make things right. For the same, corporate social responsibility
can also be undertaken by organisations that can highlight their response towards society,
nature, country and people as a whole. CSR can be defined as an obligation of organisation
that makes them act in a way to serve their own interest and interest of other stakeholders.
Stakeholders may include shareholders, customers, civil society, government, suppliers and
groups that are related to the firm. While considering CSR, firms usually considers five basic
elements that includes voluntary and philanthropic to encourage goodwill and human welfare,
being responsible corporate citizen, performing economic duty for company owners, being
legally correct and ethical, not only for profiteering, but also for conducting operations in fair
manner (Vitell, Ramos, & Nishihara 2010).
Application: With the growth seen in technology and web, social networking sites have
created much scope for the emergence of ethical dilemmas in people life along with
influencing society as a whole. Ethical issues in Facebook is known to almost entire world as
many people were affected by ethical mismanagement conducted by the firm, thereby
violating its CSR practice by exploiting its stakeholder’s personal data. Though the CEO of
the firm was charged with fine and legal obligations, the ethical issue has made Facebook
suffer from stakeholders’ criticisms and significant loss of market share which shows how
ethics in businesses actually can lead organisations gain or lose reputation and profits
(Moreno, Goniu, Moreno, & Diekma, 2013).

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Reflection: The topic related to business ethics and CSR illuminated my thoughts towards
organisational practices and now I can recognise how our views can considerably give shape
to ethical and CSR practices. I have learnt about various views that can help me in
considering ethical practice like individualism, moral right, justice and utilitarian views that
will be used effectively by me in my professional business journey. Though I have always
tried to be a responsible citizen, now I will try my ethics-based principles to develop business
practice that sounds moral and contributes in CSR activities to serve my organisation’s
stakeholders to make it more sustainable in future years.
Conclusion
Through class learning and other credible sources, I found that the HRM act as a
major contributor in coordinating organisation’s human resources and business objectives
through which success is realised after affecting business results, shareholders value and
customers. In fact, workforce planning and talent acquisition have made many firms
recognise success and ones who failed to implement such HR strategies, faced organisational
issues. High performing teams shows its own significance in contemporary workplace
atmosphere as they are highly considered while performing complex and global projects.
Ethical issues studied along with CSR objectives in the above report also highlights how
contemporary organisations are considering ethical and CSR practices to achieve sustainable
developments.

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References
Burnison, G., 2019. 7 years ago, Google set out to find what makes the ‘perfect’ team — and
what they found shocked other researchers. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/28/what-google-learned-in-its-quest-to-build-
the-perfect-team.html
[Accessed 27 05 2019].
Caliskan, E. N., 2010. The Impact of Strategic Human resource Management on
Organisational performance. Journal of Naval Science and Engineering , 6(2), pp. 100-116.
Fapohunda, T. M., 2013. Towards Effective Team Building in the Workplace. International
Journal of Education and Research , 1(4), pp. 1-12.
Hakanen , M., Häkkinen, M. & Soudunsaari , A., 2015. Trust in building high-performing
teams –conceptual approach. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization
Studies, 20(2), pp. 43-53.
Khugshal, R., 2014. Ethical Consideration in Human Resource Management: A Study of
Some Selected Service Organisations in Dehradun. International Journal of Advanced
Research in Management and Social Sciences , 3(11), pp. 156-173.
Lawton, A. & Pa´ez, I., 2015. Developing a Framework for Ethical Leadership. Journal of
Business Ethics, 130(03), pp. 639-649.
McEwan, D., Ruissen, G. R., Eys, M. A., Zumbo, B. D., Beauchamp, M. R., 2017. The
Effectiveness of Teamwork Training on Teamwork Behaviors and Team Performance: A
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Interventions. Plos One, 12(1).

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Moreno, M. A., Goniu, N., Moreno, P. S. & Diekema, D., 2013. Ethics of Social Media
Research: Common Concerns and Practical Considerations. Cyberpsychology, Behaviou and
Social Networking, 16(9), pp. 708-713.
Mwangi, W. B. & Kiambati, K., 2015. Integrating Human Resource Management with
Organizational Strategies. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 15(7), pp.
27-32.
Studhalter, I., 2014. Labour Market Analysis of the Western Australian Mining Industry.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.zhaw.ch/storage/sml/institute-zentren/zhcm/masterarbeit-irene-
studhalter.pdf
[Accessed 26 05 2019].
Tripathy, S., 2014. Talent Acquisition a Key Factor to Overcome New Age Challenges and
Opportunities for Human Resource Management. Journal of Business and Management,
16(12), pp. 39-43.
Vitell, S. J., Ramos, E. & Nishihara, C. M., 2010. The Role of Ethics and Social
Responsibility in Organizational Success: A Spanish Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics,
Volume 91, pp. 467-483.

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