Employee Productivity, Strategic HRM, and Workplace Dynamics

This essay examines the relationship between employee satisfaction and productivity, highlighting a study indicating that happy employees are more productive while unsatisfied ones show signs of withdrawal and decreased output. It defines strategic HRM as a methodology for aligning human resource processes with organizational goals, emphasizing its importance in recruitment, training, motivation, and performance appraisals. The essay also discusses recent developments in employer-employee relations, such as outsourcing, telecommunication, and work-life balance initiatives, stressing the need for HR managers to adapt to changing trends and generational gaps. Finally, it explains why organizational goals may differ among departments, noting that each department contributes to the overall mission through specialized tasks, such as cost reduction in accounting or marketing strategy development.

Running head: HRM Assignment 1
HRM Assignment
Student's Name
University Affiliation

HRM Assignment 2
HRM Assignment
Student's Name
University Affiliation

HRM Assignment 3
1. Do you think an employee's productivity is affected by whether they are
satisfied or unsatisfied as an employee? Explain your answer.
Yes, I would agree that logically, the productivity of employees is significantly affected by
whether one is satisfied or unsatisfied. Empirically, happy employees have proved to have
to achieve high performance at their work. In 2015, a study done by some economists at the
University of Warwick showed that happiness resulted to a 12% increase in work
productivity while unhappiness caused a 10% decrease in productivity (Ravesencio, 2015).
Although employee satisfaction is not a guarantee to direct productivity, it is explicitly
clear that unsatisfied employees show signs of withdrawal, quitting and job absenteeism.
They often produce poor quality work compared to satisfied employees (Konopaske &
Ivancevich, 2013). A research conducted on the effects of life-related shocks such as loss
of family members and family issues. There was an open link between unhappiness and
unproductivity (Addady, 2015). This impact has a lifetime of about two years. Thus, it is
without a doubt that productivity in employees is affected by whether they are satisfied or
unsatisfied.
2. In general, terms, describe strategic HRM and its importance in the
organization.
Strategic HRM can be defined as a methodology in which human resource processes
are developed and implemented to facilitate the actualization of an organization's strategic
objectives and goals. The strategic plan of an organization relates to human resource
processes through the development of organizational objectives which in turn defines the
terms of active management of people. Human resources are fundamental aspects of

HRM Assignment 4
building a good working team in any organization (Konopaske & Ivancevich, 2013).
Human resource management professionals are involved in vital organizational functions
such as recruitment of workers, training, and orientation, performance appraisals, the
motivation of employees, communication channels, safety measures for workers and more.
The HRM tasked with recruitment and practice of the most appropriate employees for the
job positions available. Further, it keeps motivating workers in an organization to improve
and perform to their best in work productivity. It also provides performance appraisals to
help in improving productivity. The HRM offers linkages with other business through
building partnerships and establishing good public relations to promote the welfare of
relationships in the organization (Optimum Results Ltd, n.d.).
3. In the past decade, there have been rapid, turbulent, and often strained
developments in the relationship between employers and employees. Describe
these developments and what they mean to HR managers.
The HRM environment and workspace are very dynamic in the current era. In fact,
almost all the sectors related to it have had enormous changes and new trends occurring all
around the world. Areas such as outsourcing, medical leaves, telecommunication, and
relocation assistance for spouses, skill's incentives, dividends sharing, bargaining and
agreements, trade unions, HRM related practices and other essential areas linked it
(Konopaske & Ivancevich, 2013). These changing trends and continuous changes are to the
emergence of new lifestyles and the appearance of a generational gap. Flexibility is a
crucial element that HR managers require to adapt to every development and change that
occurs. Firm relationships in the work environment are paramount in creating a pleasant

HRM Assignment 5
working atmosphere with the autonomy of work that results in having motivated
employees.
For long, there has been a trend for companies to invest in building strong employee
relations through programs such as sponsoring family leave, relocation assistance, and
childcare as well as Medicare. This investment is always indirectly intended to increase
productivity as a result of employee satisfaction which leads to increased profits and
overall organizational growth (O'Brien, 2014)
4. Why may the goals of the organization differ within and among departments?
The goals of an organization encompassed in the overall mission that the organization
holds. This is why departments have differing goals which always add up to the overall
goal of the organization. In the bid to achieve the mission of an organization, the
organizations divide their workers into groups of the whole. They are called team groups.
These are tasked with particular divisions of the wholesome goal to work it as portions of
the main. For instance, an accounting department may identify areas to reduce costs or
even point out incidents of fraud. These two would add to the organization's overall growth
(Symes, 2016). A marketing department would work on the strategies in the marketing
plans of an organization.

HRM Assignment 6
References
Addady, M. (2015, October 29). Study: Being happy at work makes you more productive.
Retrieved from fortune.com: http://fortune.com/2015/10/29/happy-productivity-
work/
Konopaske, R., & Ivancevich, J. (2013). Human Resource Management (Vol. 12). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
O'Brien, P. (2014, May 09). Why Strong Employee/Employer Relationship is Important
and How to Achieve This? Read more at
http://www.business2community.com/strategy/strong-employeeemployer-
relationship-important-achieve-0876781#qrEbtECXgK7MJeol.99. Retrieved from
www.business2community.com:
http://www.business2community.com/strategy/strong-employeeemployer-
relationship-important-achieve-0876781#Fi1oET3KUh5GX14a.97
Optimum Results Ltd. (n.d.). The Importance of Human Resource Management. Retrieved
from humanresourceexcellence.com:
http://www.humanresourceexcellence.com/importance-of-human-resource-
management/
Ravesencio, J. (2015, July 22). Why Happy Employees Are 12% More Productive.
Retrieved from fastcompany.com: http://www.fastcompany.com/3048751/the-
future-of-work/happy-employees-are-12-more-productive-at-work

HRM Assignment 7
Symes, S. (2016). Organizational Structure & Goals. Retrieved from
smallbusiness.chron.com: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/organizational-structure-
goals-15886.html