HR Report: Analysis of HR Practices at Whirlpool Corporation

This report analyzes various aspects of human resource management within the context of Whirlpool Corporation. It begins by outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors expected of HR professionals, followed by a personal skills audit and development plan. The report then delves into the differences between organizational and individual learning, training, and development, including an examination of learning cycle theories. Furthermore, it investigates the role of high-performance work (HPW) in driving employee engagement and competitive advantage, exploring different performance management approaches and their effectiveness in fostering a high-performance culture and employee commitment. The report provides judgments on HPW and its impact on employee engagement, commitment, and competitive advantage. Finally, the report touches upon the benefits of HPW in an organization.

DEVELOPING
INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS AND
ORGANISATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1 ..........................................................................................................................................3
P1. Appropriate and professional knowledge, skills and behaviours that are required by HR
professionals................................................................................................................................3
M 1. Professional skills audit that demonstrate evidence of personal reflection ........................4
D 1 Professional development plan that sets out learning goals .................................................5
P2. Personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviour .....................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
P3 Analyse the differences between organisational and individual learning, training and
development.................................................................................................................................7
M 2 Learning cycle theories for continuous professional development .....................................8
P4. Analyse the need for continuous learning and professional development to drive
sustainable business performance................................................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
P5. Demonstrate understanding of how HPW contributes to employee engagement and
competitive advantage within a specific organisational situation..............................................10
M 3 Benefits of HPW in an organisation ..................................................................................11
P 6. Types of performance management approaches ............................................................12
D 2. Judgements on HPW and how it lead to improve employee engagement, commitment and
competitive advantage ..............................................................................................................13
M 4 Different approaches and make judgements on how effective they can be to support high-
performance culture and commitment.......................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
An effective team can help the organisation to achieve its goals and objectives. Without
collective efforts of employees it is difficult to accomplish targets of business. In this report
chosen company is Whirlpool which is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of
home appliances. The aim of it is to improve the communication and maintain high performance
culture in company. It covers various topics such as: employee knowledge, skills and behaviour
required by HR professionals, factors affecting inclusive learning and development, contribution
of HPW towards employee engagement. Apart from this it also discuss about performance
management towards culture and commitment.
TASK 1
P1. Appropriate and professional knowledge, skills and behaviours that are required by HR
professionals
To maximize the efficiency and productivity in organisation it is essential to have
professional knowledge, skills and behaviour. It helps the company to accomplish its objectives
effectively. HR consultant of Whirlpool can possess these different qualities so that it can
manage the corporation and its management properly. Various skills which are as required are as
follows:
Skills:
Communication skill: It is essential to effectively communicate the information to the
members of organisation. So that employees can know how they have to perform a particular
task. It helps to maximize the efficiency in work so that organisational goal can be achieved. HR
manager of Whirlpool should possess this skill so that it can control the persons easily.

Team working: If workers perform as per the requirement than task can be accomplish within
stipulated time period. So it is essential for HR manager to possess this skill so that efficiency
can be maximize and targets of organisation can be achieved (Succar and Williams, 2013).
Problem solving skill: It is essential for HR manager to have problem solving skill so that it can
resolve the conflicts among the employees of Whirlpool.
Knowledge:
Training and development: It is important for HR manager to have proper knowledge about
training and development. So that is can develops the skills of employees in organisation and
they are able to perform better, and it help the company to accomplish its task.
Laws: It is required for HR manager to have sufficient knowledge about laws which are related
to employment and labour. It helps Whirlpool to follow legal compliances.
Media and communication: Human Resource manager of Whirlpool should have knowledge
about media and communication. So that it can advertise the brand of company online and more
number of people can aware about the products and services of organisation.
Behaviour:
Ethics: It is necessary to maintain and follow rules, regulation and policies which are framed by
Whirlpool. So that HR manager can influence and motivates the employees to realise their
responsibility and perform its duties as per ethics of company.
Confidentiality: A company can perform well and accomplish its targets when confidentiality is
maintained by HR manager because it know very useful information. If this secret has leak than
competitors can get advantage from it.
Transparency and trustworthiness: Manager of company can treat its employees equal and
take transparent decisions, so discrimination does not create among employees. It develops the
trust and confidence in workers (Tynjälä, 2013).
M 1. Professional skills audit that demonstrate evidence of personal reflection
Personal skill audit is essential to know the skills of a person which makes him able to
perform its task and duties effectively and timely. It motivates the person to perform better as per
the requirement of company. With the help of personal reflection an individual can know its
strength and weakness. So it is essential to overcome from the weakness and it should be
converted into strength so goal and objectives can be achieved. There are various skills and

abilities which are necessary to be possess in an individual so that it can perform its roles and
duties effectively.
D 1 Professional development plan that sets out learning goals
Professional development plan is prepared to accomplish the targets effectively as a result
goal and objectives can be accomplish effectively and efficiently. In this plan there are various
skills are essential such as : planning and organising skills, Problem solving, Time management,
Communication skills, Presentation skill and team working skill. It helps the persons to achieves
goals and assist the organisation to gain sustainable business performance objectives. So it
improves the overall skill, knowledge and abilities.
P2. Personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviour
Personal skill audit is required to analyse the performance of workers in organisation so
that company can know about the abilities of workers. It encourage the staffs to work better and
put their maximum efforts to accomplish the task. It helps to measure the weakness and strength
of the persons and so that proper training and development secession can be organised to groom
the skills. For the personal audit various types of skills are required such as coordination,
communication, problem solving skill, anatical skill etc. By using these skills employees of
Whirpool can enhanced their abilities and capabilities.
Rating for self skill
Skills Rating
Communication skill 7
Problem solving skill 6
Team work 5
Leadership 7
Communication skills: My communication skills does not up to mark and I cannot
communicate with information properly.
Problem solving skill: I cannot able to solve the problems which i faced in my day to day
work.
Team work: I cannot work in the team because of less coordination.
Leadership: I can lead the group of persons but at some situations.

Strength and weakness:
Strength Weakness
My have leadership skills but not excellent Team work is my weakness because i do
not feel comfortable to work with
group.
I have normal communication skills but
not better
I am not able to solve the problems (Mittal
and Dhar, 2015).
Personal Development Plan
Objectives What will I do
to achieve
Hurdles to
achieving goals
Ways of
progress
monitor
Target date
Planning and
organising skills
Take proper
guidance
Lack of
knowledge
Tutor feedback Approx 1 month
Problem solving Build analytical
skill
Lack of presence
of mind
Workshop Around 1.5
months
Time
management
Coaching Absence of
consistency
Class feedback Approx 1 month
Professional
knowledge and
expertises
Training Absence of food
mentor
Tutor feedback Around 2 month
Team
development
Formal training Ineffective
coordination
By applying to
work
Around 3 months
Communication
skills
Project delivery Hesitation Class feedback Approx 4 months
Liaison and By Reading Absence of Workshop Around 2 months

networking skills knowledge feedback
Presentation skill By project
delivery
Lack of
communication
skill
Class feedback Around 1 month
IT skills By Training Improper
Practical
knowledge
Workshop
feedback
Approx 5 monts
Project
management
By reading Lack of
theoretical
knowledge
Tutor feedback Approx 2 months
Team working Training Lack of
coordination
By applying to
work
Around 2 months
TASK 2
P3 Analyse the differences between organisational and individual learning, training and
development
Learning is a process which helps the employees to enhance their knowledge, skills and
behaviour. It helps in growth and development of employees as a result their efficiency and
productivity can enhanced.
Organisation learning: It helps the employees to understand about the organisational
environment, rules, policies and culture. When workers interact with various employees as well
as Human Resource manager than it can understand more and learn about it. It helps in maximize
the performance of staffs because they know how to perform the business activities (Mahajan,
2011).
Individual learning: An individual can learn through its knowledge, experience and training
which improve efficiency in work. It also maximize the productivity of them. Manager of
Whirlpool can provide training and development so that employees can learn more. HR manager
of Whirlpool can use live model lo learning through which company can gives the group live

examples or by introducing them to the current working scenario as per the requirement of
situation.
Organisation learning Individual learning
This learning includes development of a
company by implementing policies by manager
in order to provide required skills and methods
in the organisation.
An individual can learn through training, and
observation and it is a continuous process
(McCormack and Titchen, 2013).
Through live model corporation can know its
current situation and according to its decision
can be taken.
Live model helps the individuals to learn from
current working scenario so that they can
observe the condition and get to know about it.
Whirlpool can improve its performance by it. Employees can maximize their performance
and productivity by learning.
Training and development:
Training is providing to employees so that their skills can be enhanced, and they can
perform better. It is process through which employees can get to know how they have to work
and in which manner they have to perform their duties (Huczynski and Huczynski, 2013).
Development includes overall growth of the workers. Whirlpool can provide training to its team
members so that their knowledge can maximize, and capabilities can increase as a result
development takes place. It increase the efficiency and productivity of persons. Difference
between training and development are as follows:
Basis of Comparison Development Training
Definition It is a process which includes
overall growth of persons.
It helps to gain or improve
knowledge and skills of
individuals.
Duration It is long term process. It is short term process.
Objectives Help to growth of employees
so that they can ready to take
challenges in future.
Training enhanced the
performance and productivity
of workers.

Focus It focuses to develops
knowledge and insights so that
person can face the upcoming
problems.
It develops knowledge and
skills for current job of
workers (Training and
development. 2018).
M 2 Learning cycle theories for continuous professional development
Learning cycle theories always focuses on the learning so that employees can learn new
skills which help the organisation to achieve its goal and objectives. Environment is dynamic so
it is essential to learn new skills and develop capabilities so that targets can be accomplish
effectively and efficiently. KOLB'S learning cycle theory can emphasis to learn new things so
that individuals can perform their roles and duties as per the requirements of company. Whirpool
can apply this theory which help in continuous professional development as a result
organisational objectives can achieve on time.
P4. Analyse the need for continuous learning and professional development to drive sustainable
business performance
Continues learning is very important for growth and development of employees and
through it their skills can be enhanced which leads to maximize efficiency. Professional
development is a process of improving capabilities of workers through training opportunities in
company (Goodwin and et. al., 2014). It develops the morals in workers which encourage them
to perform their duties effectively. Whirlpool can fuscous on continuous learning and
professional development, so it can remove the barriers such as: communication & coordination
barriers and obstacles in achieving efficiency and effectiveness. Company can follow learning
cycle theories of Honey and Mumford and it is based upon the work of Kolb. It discuss following
things which are as follows:
Possess excellent learning ability and employees able to find the new opportunities and learn best
as they can. It make this process effective, easier and more enjoyable. It provides the help in
professional development.
Increase the “band width” of experience from which individual can get benefit. It helps to
develop insights to the persons which motivates him to learn and developed the skills and helps
in professional development (Conboy and et. al., 2011).

Improves the learning skills and gain maximum knowledge and find new and innovative
methods of learning and development. Through its employees of Whirlpool can groom its skills
which leads to the professional development of persons.
Enhance sustainable business performance with the help of following points which are as
follows:
Partnership and collaboration: It is difficult for big organisation like Whirlpool to manage its
whole business effectively. It operates the business in various countries around the world.
Whirlpool can collaborate with other companies, especially in those areas where they lack
experience.
Customer retention: It is essential for an organisation to retain its existing customers and also
target the new ones. Whirlpool can minimize consumer defection rates which help the company
to earn high profits.
So continuous learning and professional development can enhance the skill, knowledge
and capabilities of person. It helps the workers to perform effectively as per the need of
organisation and through its company can achieve sustainable success.
TASK 3
P5. Demonstrate understanding of how HPW contributes to employee engagement and
competitive advantage within a specific organisational situation.
High performance working system is very effective for the organisation as well as its
employees. It is a technique through which performance of workers can be measured and it helps
in economic competitiveness and growth. For success of corporation it is necessary that staffs
contribute maximum efforts. Without the help of workers, it is not possible to gain competitive
advantage. This process encourage staffs to engaged more in the work so that organisation can
accomplish their target (Cerovsek, 2011). Highly engagement of employees can maximize the
productivity and it makes the work smoother. HPW is as a philosophy which is used by company
to get positive output from the quality performance of persons. Whirlpool can apply this concept
and take various benefits from it such as:
 Employees are encouraged to improve their performance.
 Organisation can analyse the strength and weakness of its workers.
 Staffs can more engaged towards their work.

 Employees can understand their roles and responsibilities.
 Determine goals and focus where skill development is needed.
HPW is beneficial for the employees because it improves the skills of them and motivate
to put their maximum efforts to accomplish the task. It helps to analyse the strength and
weakness of workers so that organisation can assign task according to it. Efficiency of staffs can
be maximizing through it which leads to higher productivity and it develops the confidence in
them and they feel positive. Willingness in staff can increase towards their work and it makes
them more responsible to accomplish their targets. High performance working system is also
beneficial for employer because of the following reasons such as:
 It can achieve their objectives.
 Productivity can be maximizing by it.
 Management of organisation can be improving through it.
 Work can complete within specific time duration and smoothly.
There are following ways which brings competitive advantage and employees’ engagement and
these are as follows:
Transparent communication:
It is essential for the company so that work can be done in effective manner. HR
consultant of Whirpool can make fair and transparent communication with workers so that
required information can be communicated to all staffs. If all employees have appropriate
information then targets can be accomplished as per the requirements of company. If workers
work as per the need of company than it can achieve its objectives which can lead sustainable
success (Bolden, 2016).
Conflict resolution:
Conflicts can hamper the productivity and efficiency of the organisation and it restrict the
way of success. In context to Whirpool, HR consultant can solve the disputes which arises in the
company. It can be related to management, working place or pay. If it can resolve these conflicts
than employees will perform better, and it develops the willingness in them towards their work.
If they work effectively than company can achieve sustainable success and growth. It helps the
organisation to get competitive advantage by employee engagement.

M 3 Benefits of HPW in an organisation
High performance working system helps the employees to perform their roles and duties
as per the needs of organisation. It helps the workers to achieve its targets on time and there are
various benefits of it such as : Employees can understand their roles and responsibilities,
Determine goals and focus where skill development is needed, Productivity can be maximizing
by it, Management of organisation can be improving through it and Work can complete within
specific time duration and smoothly. Whirpool can use when its employees does not able to
achieve the organisational goal and objectives as per the stipulated time period.
P 6. Types of performance management approaches
Performance management helps the organisation to manage the performance of employees in
company. It involves analysis of performance and provide valuable feedback to workers so that
they can try to improve it. It helps corporations to evaluate the strength and weakness of staff so
that it can delegate the responsibilities according to it. Whirpool can manage the performance of
workers by using various types of approaches which are as follows:
Collaborative approach: In this approach management compare and rank performance of
workers with other members of team. Rank can be given highest to lowest as per the work and
performance of staffs. In collaborative approach various types of technique can be used like:
paired comparison, forced distribution and graphic rating scale. It helps in effective
communication among employees and management. By using this approach Whirpool can
maintain high performance working culture in the company and it can compare the performance
of its workers and encourage them to perform better.
Attribute approach: By using this approach workers are rated on the basis of their attributes
like: creativity, problem solving skill, teamwork and innovation. Rating is given as per graphic
rating scale to the workers such as 1 to 5 scale. It is given highest to lowest according to
performance. It is used by various companies to measure the performance of staffs. Whirpool can
use this approach so that it can analyse the performance of its employees and as per their
performance it can delegates the task (Blandford, 2012).

Behavioral approach: It is used by the management of organisation to evaluate the performance
of the employees. It involves series of vertical scales for various jobs. It can accomplish by using
of Behaviourally anchored rating scale. It is consist of 5 to 10 vertical scale and it is based on
certain parameter which called anchors. Whirpool can analyse the behaviour of the workers by
this approach. Effective behaviour can improve the communication between organisation and
staffs.
Result approach: In this method performance can be measured on the basis of result which is
produce by the employees. In this approach balanced scorecard technique is used to evaluate the
performance of staffs. It mainly focus on customers, operations and finance. HR consultant can
use this approach to analyse the results which are given by the workers. Effective result can be
produce by better communication among the staff and management.
Quality approach: It focused to provide better and quality services to the customers and it
maximize the consumer satisfaction by reducing the errors. In this technique workers takes
feedbacks from the employers so that it can know where the lacking in their performance is. It
mainly consider to use of Kaizen process of continues improvements. By using this process
Whirpool can analyse the perform of its workers and get to know that they are able to provide
quality services or not. Effective communication can help the organisation to get better and
quality results (Baiden and Price, 2011).
D 2. Judgements on HPW and how it lead to improve employee engagement, commitment and
competitive advantage
High performance working system is a technique through which performance of workers
can be measured and it helps in economic competitiveness and growth. For success of
corporation it is necessary that staffs contribute maximum efforts. It encourage the employees to
perform better and commit towards the organisational goals and objectives so that Whirpool can
get competitive advantage. It engage the employees towards the organisational goal so that
company can achieve growth and success and efficiency & productivity can be enhanced.
M 4 Different approaches and make judgements on how effective they can be to support high-
performance culture and commitment
Performance management has various approaches such as : Collaborative approach,
Attribute approach, Result approach and Quality approach. These different approaches can help

to support high performance culture of organisation as a result employees are committed to
achieve the goals of Whirpool by performing their roles and duties effectively. So it is important
for the company so that it can sustainable growth and success can be achieve as a result
corporation can generates more revenue and employees perform their targets on time.
CONCLUSION
As from the above report, it has been concluded that team development is essential to
accomplish the targets effectively and on time. HR consultant of organisation should possess
skills, knowledge and behaviour in order to sustain in competitive market. Organisation and
individual learning can enhance the performance of workers. Training and development help the
employees to maximize the skills and leads towards the path of growth and success. High
performance working system can help in continuous learning and professional development of
staffs which help the company to gain competitive advantage in the market. Performance
management approaches can be used by corporation to analyse the performance of the workers in
its organisation.

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