Individual Report: HRM Practices, Policies, and External Forces at M&S

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and policies implemented at Marks and Spencer (M&S). It identifies key HR practices, such as High Commitment HRM and Best Fit Practice, and examines how these contribute to the organization's success. The report further explores the impact of external forces, including skilled labor availability, market competition, legislation, and unionization, on M&S's HR strategic decisions. Additionally, it details how HR policies and practices are delivered, referencing Ulrich's model to illustrate the organization of HR functions, including the roles of HR business partners, change agents, administration experts, and employee champions. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of line managers in delivering HR strategies and fostering a positive work environment. This analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of how M&S manages its human resources to achieve its business objectives.

Individual Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1. Identification of HR practices and policies in the organisational context against to the
chosen theoretical concept..........................................................................................................1
2. Justification of particular external forces and their influence on the HR strategic decision in
regards with an organisation.......................................................................................................2
3. How HR policies and practices are delivered and How HR function is organised.................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFRENCES...................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Human resources are the most important part of every organisation with the most unique
and valuable assets in an effective manner. In the present world, each and every organisation are
using human resources in order to become most successful company in the competitive
environment of business. Along with this Marks and Spencer has been chosen as an organisation,
which is the British multinational retailer company, established in the year of 1884 by Michael
Marks and Thomas Spencer and headquartered in London UK. Apart from this discussion will be
maid on HR policies and practices, external forces and their influence on the HR strategies
decision (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Lastly, HR functions and how practices and policies are
delivered will get covered in this assignment.
TASK 1
1. Identification of HR practices and policies in the organisational context against to the chosen
theoretical concept.
Human Resources Management is refers to the strategic approach for the effective
management operations of people within the organisation. It is very helpful aspects in order to
gain competitive advantage in the specific time. Generally HR designed to enhance working
performance level of employees in a proper way. Along with this HR department is always
responsible for looking forward the benefits of employee's, training and development,
performance appraisal, recruitment and selection. Through these development in organisation
employees can achieve their targeted goals in an appropriate manner. Apart from this HR
policies and practices are also very import part in order to select good candidates for the
particular job roles within the company.
In reference to the, Marks and Spencer, they used different kind of HR policies and
practices in order to make their organisation effective in front of other people. With the help of
polices in the organisation employee's can get knowledge about their work and able to
accomplish their task in an appropriate manner. On the above explanation there are few HR
practices and policies against theoretical concept, which are given below:
High Commitment Human Resource Management: This is the best practice of HRM
which is focuses on the empowerment and independence of the employees in order to achieve
their effective goals in a better way. In relation to the Marks and Spencer, are using this
1

beneficial practice in order to make higher commitment system for better culture and structure of
an organisation. With the help of this practices employees of this selected organisation can
accomplish their task within the given period of time. Therefore, leaders of M&S usage several
type of unique technology by this they can run their business smoothly as well as they can win
market competition in an effective manner. That's why this practice is very much essential for the
employee's and organisation as well.
Best Fit Practice/Policy: This model can be determined as the variables from Harvard
model within the business. It is always develop the several type of HRM policies as per the
business strategies in an appropriate manner. Along with this strategies mainly evolved in the
planning of future performance or activity, objectives of performance in order to accomplish
company's objectives in a effective way. In regards with M&S, HR manager develops different
types of strategies in order to increase their employee's satisfaction in a better way. This is the
best practice for employee's of selected organisation. Therefore, M&S conduct this type of
strategies within the organisation so that labour, clients, employees can get lots of benefits in
order to make their company better (Bratton and Gold, 2017).
Therefore, these HRM practices are very much helpful in order to increase productivity
of employees so that they can achieve their goals and aims towards the organisation in an
effective manner. With the help of this Marks and Spencer can make better policies and practices
to their employee by which they feel in dependency within the organisation in a perfect manner.
For the better improvement within the company HR manager can make another policies like
recruitment and selection, training and development with the help of these policies they can hire
appropriate candidate for the specific job role in an effective manner.
2. Justification of particular external forces and their influence on the HR strategic decision in
regards with an organisation.
External forces are those factors that mainly influence the business operation and
functions which can be related with the market cost pricing for raw materials, high demand of
customers from the company. Along with this governmental rules and legislations and tough
competition and so on. Therefore, external forces have negative impact on the decision making
process of HR as well as an organisation. In reference to the, Marks and Spencer HR strategic
decision get affected by the external forces due to higher requirement of customer's. There are
few external sources, those are listed below:
2

High skilled or low skilled: As M&S is the largest British multinational retailing store
across the world and deals with the different kind of items like food, clothes, cosmetic in a better
way. It is the huge organisation so that there are lots of external forces which effect the strategies
of HR decision making such as workforce demographics, training and development, recruitment
and selection and so on. If an organisation will provide several kind of training to their
employees than they can get so much knowledge about their job role. This concept can make
effective this programme. With the help of this function M&S can reduce the chances of low
skilled employees. On the basis of higher skilled employees this company can give lots of
rewards and benefits according to their work within the organisation so that it can enhance their
working level. Therefore, external forces can not influence for this type of employees as well as
HR strategic decisions in an effective manner. But some times external factors can affect this
organisation if they do not follow government rules appropriately.
Effect of competition on recruiting: In order to make few decision and strategies by HR
of this selected organisation than this can be said that external forces can influence the
company's function. This is all because in today's scenario there are so much competition within
the market that's why mainly firms required to select appropriate applicant in order to make
organisation effective. Therefore, company do not spend their money on the advertisement for
recruiting candidate so they visit the organisation and selected on their performance basis.
Therefore, HR manager has to focus on their strategies to hiring people so that they develop trust
on their people in order to grab future opportunities in an effective manner (Brewster and
Hegewisch, A. eds., 2017).
Legislation impact: This source influence the HR strategies decision because UK
government can change the rules and legislation any time on the behalf of changing
environment. Therefore, Marks and Spencer, HR manager can get affected as they develop
different type of strategies record employee's data so for the new laws and legislations company
required to adopt these things in order to run their business and achieve profitable target in a
proper manner.
Unionised or Non-unionised: It is related with the workplace in which unionised
employee's and employment in the organisation can cope up with each other this is because in
this employment gives contract to their employees in order to work within the organisation in a
better way. Whereas, non unionised employer makes different kind of rules, cost, pricing in order
3

to take good decision for an organisation. Therefore, employee's are not involve in this and its
depend on the employer only. In regards with, Marks & Spencer, HR make these strategies for
the better development but some times these external source affect the strategies of an
organisation in a particular way.
Therefore, this can be said that external forces influence company's function as well as
environment of employee's working place. For improving working conditions this selected
organisation has to focus on their weak areas in order to make employees happy and able to
achieve sales and revenue in an effective manner. On the behalf of competition company needs
to provide several option to their employees so that they can make better product for an
organisation. Whereas, external force also play a role which influence every factor of the
company. These heavily impacted HR decision strategies so that manager of this company needs
to take care their strategies in an efficient manner (Brewster, Gooderham and Mayrhofer, 2016).
3. How HR policies and practices are delivered and How HR function is organised.
Human resource functions, policies and practices are the very much essential part of each
and every organisation in a proper way. With the help of this any organisation can make several
type of rules and regulations for their employees in order to make system effective in an efficient
manner. In reference to the Marks and Spencer, they provide different kind of term and policies
which make them attractive to grab future opportunities for more development within the
marketplace. For making their organisation better there is Ulrich's model which is used by Marks
and Spencer is given below:
Ulrich model mainly organize the functions of human resources. This model was
generate by the David Ulrich who is suggested this for large scale businesses in order to run
business properly. This model of HR roles is divided in to four parts which are given below:
HR business partner: It refers to the business partners so that they can communicate
with each other without any issues in a direct manner within the organisation. People in the who
are included in this term that is employee, stake holders, share holders, creditors and so on. In
reference to the Marks and Spencer, HR manager will connect the people via communication so
that he can play their role and employees are also able to work in an effective way.
Change agent: In this term when, any organisation want to expand their business within
the market it is required to change in human resource role that can bring change properly. In
4

regards with M&S HR will provide several skills or opportunities for employees in order to
achieve their goals towards the company.
Administration expert: In this HR plays an important role and also responsible for
various kind of task. This type of administration expert are includes in several changes like
legislation changes, health and safety change, occupational change etc. in reference to the M&S,
HR manager provide appropriate information to its employee's so that they can manage easily
organisational things in a proper way.
Employee champion: In every organisation, HR department is always responsible for
developing good environment in an effective way. With the help of this HR manager can protect
their employee's in a proper way. In reference to the M&S, HR manager are giving higher class
facilities to their employees so that they worked effectively to achieve organisational goals. This
situation also leads the employees to gain good experience that help in changing the environment
as well as employee's can get satisfied in an appropriate manner. Therefore, these are the good
factors which all are helpful in order to deliver roles to the employees in an effective way. So
that it affect organisation in a positive manner (Buckley and Halbesleben, eds., 2018).
HR functions and policies and practices are organized with the lots of people and
employees who works together within the organisation in a proper way. With the help of this HR
manager can deliver their thought to its employees to manage their performance effectively.
Roles of line manager:
A line manager is the person who can directly manage or communicate with the
employees within the organisation in order to achieve goals in a proper way. There are few roles,
are given below:
 Selecting and recruiting appropriate candidate for proper job role.
 Offering training and development programmes.
 Providing several type of coaching in order to connect with all team members.
 Analysing the requirement for appropriate actions.
Challenges of line manager:
There are various challenges for a line manager, those are listed below:
 Line manager is responsible for overall management functions within the limited
resources.
5

 Demand of jobs for long time.
 Line manager required to instant employee's turnover in order train employees or people
within the organisation (Cascio, 2015).
Therefore, these roles and challenges are helpful in order to deliver the human resource
management or function within the industry in a proper way.
6

CONCLUSION
From the above assignment it has been concluded that, Human resource is an very
effective team which helps to organisation in order to manage their functions properly. For this
Marks and Spencer has been selected as an organisation in which HR plays important role as
decision maker. external forces and their influence on the HR strategic decision in regards with
an organisation had been covered. At last line manger has played very well role and challenges
in order to make organisation effective.
7

REFRENCES
Books and Journal
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Brewster, C. and Hegewisch, A. eds., 2017. Policy and practice in european human resource
management: The Price Waterhouse Cranfield survey. Taylor & Francis.
Brewster, C., Gooderham, P. N. and Mayrhofer, W., 2016. Human resource management: The
promise, the performance, the consequences. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness:
People and Performance, 3(2), pp.181-190.
Buckley, M.R., Wheeler, A. R. and Halbesleben, J.R. eds., 2018. Research in personnel and
human resources management. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Buller, P. F. and McEvoy, G. M., 2012. Strategy, human resource management and
performance: Sharpening line of sight. Human resource management review, 22(1),
pp.43-56.
Cascio, W. F., 2015. Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill.
Chelladurai, P. and Kerwin, S., 2018. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human Kinetics.
DeCenzo, D. A., Robbins, S. P. and Verhulst, S. L., 2016. Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, Binder Ready Version. John Wiley & Sons.
Figueiredo, E., Pais, L., Monteiro, S. and Mónico, L., 2016. Human resource management
impact on knowledge management: Evidence from the Portuguese banking
sector. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 26(4), pp.497-528.
8