HRM 20024 Case Study: Comparative Analysis of Two Hospitals

This report presents a case study comparing two Australian hospitals of similar size but with differing approaches to Human Resource Management (HRM). Hospital A lacks a dedicated HR department, with HRM responsibilities distributed among the CEO, finance manager, and middle managers, supplemented by a weekly consultant. This leads to issues like industrial disputes, staff grievances, high turnover, and patient safety concerns. In contrast, Hospital B employs a structured HRM approach with a dedicated HR manager, focusing on clear HR policies and practices, leading to better staff retention, morale, and service quality. The report highlights the importance of a dedicated HR team for organizational sustainability, emphasizing the need for proper HR planning, recruitment, compensation, and employee evaluation. It also discusses key features of building sustainable HR capabilities, as described by David Ulrich, focusing on the combined competencies of people and the organizational culture. The report concludes that effective HRM is crucial for long-term sustainability and growth.

Name of the Report
HRMT 20024 Assessment No. 2
Prepared by- Gospati Harsha Vardan Reddy
Prepared for- Professor Senani Deepika
Nature of the Report- Case Study
Date of the Report-
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Executive summary
This report will highlight on the long term sustainability issue of any organization in respect of
its human resource policy. A comparative case study of two Australian hospitals is being
considered for research on this subject. The objective of this report is to justify the role of human
resource management to be adopted by any organization which has not practiced the same with
the proper and structured HR department by comparing with the organization which has
practiced HRM with proper and structured way to prove sustainability of the organization.
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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................................4
Case Study Analysis......................................................................................................................................4
Hospital A..................................................................................................................................................4
Hospital B..................................................................................................................................................5
Research questions.........................................................................................................................................5
Suggestions for improvement of HRM to the CEO of Hospital A............................................................5
Key features of building a sustainable HR capability................................................................................6
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................................7
References:.....................................................................................................................................................8
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Introduction
This report is based on a case study which compares between two hospitals of Australia. Both
are of same size so far HR is concerned. One hospital is practicing HRM with the conceptual
aspect without proper set up of the HR department. The other is practicing HRM with proper and
structured way of HRM. The performances of both the hospitals are showing distinct difference
so far its staff management is concerned. HRM has significant role in running of any
organization and it can never be taken as stop gap job (Bianca, 2016). Dedicated HR team can
only be able to ensure proper management of human resource with different level of activities
related to HRM. HRM is one of the key factors to prove sustainability of the organization
(Humanresourceexcellence, 2017). This case study can give the scope of analyzing the situation
of both the hospitals and thus arrive at the inference of how sustainability can be ensured through
proper and professional practice of HRM.
Case Study Analysis
Hospital A
This hospital has around 400 staff strength including technical non-technical and office staffs.
The organization is run by the CEO who takes care of the entire operation including HRM with
the help of finance manager. Both of them are responsible for the HRM operation all the key
functional areas of HRM including selection, recruitment, job assessment and subsequent
analysis along with training, development occupational health and allied safety measures
(Reynolds, 2016). As per the delegation, middle tier managers are assigned with different level
of HRM related activities which they are not conversant with. Additionally the organization
takes help from one consultant who uses to visit once in a week for the purpose of HRM
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activities related to HR policy and subsequent implementation. Although the CEO is confident of
the prevailing HRM practice of the organization, the situation is not so bright as the executors in
the form of supervisors and middle tier managers are not aware of their duties related to HR. this
situation turns to mismanagement of HR of the organization resulting to creation of industrial
disputes followed by other adverse occurrences of staff grievances, absenteeism, high level of
HR turnover with subsequent result of accidental happening for patients and staffs. This proves
lack of application of HR policies and practices.
Hospital B
This hospital is also with the same structure and staff strength with a strong practice of HRM
with the dedicated professional in this regime. As the CEO of the organization has clear and
vivid look about the need of HRM, a dedicated HR manager is there to look after the need of the
staffs which can ensure rendering proper service to the patient community related to health care.
Basic needs of HR policies are taken care with due importance by the department with regular
review of the condition to be aware of the present situation and take necessary steps in order to
avoid any such problems which are being faced by Hospital A due to improper planning and
implementation of HRM by the CEO. Successful implementation of HR policies by efficient
professionals has developed identification of KPIs in HR with successful application of the HR
theory which ensures staff retention, morale and quality of deliverable services to the patients
(Uwa, 2017).
Research questions
Suggestions for improvement of HRM to the CEO of Hospital A
The research question is to find out the way through which the organization can prove efficient
HRM practices with defined policies which is not prevailing in the organization due to
inappropriate practice of HRM in the organization. The CEO is confident of the present HRM
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practices with prevalent policies which are not proving smooth operation of the organization and
put question mark of the sustainability issue of the organization. Main objective of any hospital
is to ensure proper health care for the patients for which they come to hospital. Being the CEO of
the hospital, he has to ensure the primary objective of this organization which is depending upon
proper policies and respective practices related HRM.
The suggestion for the CEO is to re-organize HRM of the organization with priority in order to
fix the HR related problems of the organization. Any hospital needs to be with proper work
atmosphere which can only be ensured with dedicated committed and professional workforce.
HRM policies ensure those domains of HRM as it relates with the manpower of the organization.
HRM has multi level functions which start with HR planning, selection, recruitment,
compensation, provision of proper work atmosphere, and proper evaluation of workforce (Ucr,
2016). These are the areas which are taken care by the HR department and for these activities;
engagement of HR professional is required. It is a specific and specialized segment of
management which should not be mixed with other jobs. The need for this dedicated department
is to ensure the sustainability of the organization which depends upon the workforce of the
organization. Top level management fixes the strategy to accomplish the objective of the
organization, but the execution of those strategies need team members with the guidance of able
leadership. Hence HR is treated as the most valuable resources of any organization and to ensure
getting best results out of these resources, proper HR treatment in different tiers are to be
ensured. This can only be ensured with implementation of proper HR policies which is framed as
per the requirement of any organization.
Key features of building a sustainable HR capability
as per David Ulrich, the renowned personalities of HR describes sustainable HR capability as the
ability of the organization to ensure management of its people to gain competitive edge in the
market which are derived from combined competencies of people based on the culture of the
organization. These combined competencies are described as the attitudes, basic knowledge with
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necessary skills needed for performing the assigned tasks of the organization with the
consideration of culture of the organization with combined mindset and respective practices of
any organization (Abadesco, 2015).
Conclusion
HRM is one of the crucial fields of management which are engaged in managing human
resources. As these resources are the backbone of any organization, this segment of management
is to be handled with proper care with proper policies. This management is not a part-time job;
instead this segment demands full time and professional involvement in order to ensure
sustainability of the organization. Appropriate application of HR policies can ensure best result
of the organization which is the coveted output as looked for by the stakeholders of the
organization. HRM is thus told as management of best resources of the organization which can
ensure the long term sustainability with regular and steady growth and performance of the
organization.
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References:
Abadesco, E. (2015, November 22). Strategic HRM: Building organizational capabilities. Retrieved August
18, 2017, from Inquirer: http://business.inquirer.net/202970/strategic-hrm-building-organizational-
capabilities
Bianca, A. (2016). The Role of Human Resource Management in Organizations. Retrieved August 18, 2017,
from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/role-human-resource-management-organizations-21077.html
Humanresourceexcellence. (2017, January 20). Importance of Human Resource Management. Retrieved
August 18, 2017, from Humanresourceexcellence:
http://www.humanresourceexcellence.com/importance-of-human-resource-management/
Reynolds, M. (2016). Operational HR Management Vs. Strategic HR Management. Retrieved August 18,
2017, from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/operational-hr-management-vs-strategic-hr-
management-62125.html
Ucr. (2016, September 06). Roles & Responsibilities. Retrieved August 18, 2017, from Ucr:
https://hr.ucr.edu/recruitment/guidelines/roles.html
Uwa. (2017, January 23). Human Resources policies and guidelines for staff at UWA. Retrieved August 18,
2017, from Uwa: http://www.hr.uwa.edu.au/policies/policies/a-z
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