HRMT20024: An Analysis of Human Resource Management in Healthcare

This report analyzes four articles focusing on Human Resource Management (HRM) practices within the healthcare sector. The first article explores the evolution of HRM, highlighting its historical development and the importance of considering employees as valuable assets. The second article examines the role of work engagement in healthcare, emphasizing the positive relationship between HRM practices, such as training and employee participation, and improved quality of care and security. The third article investigates the impact of industrial relations on employee, organizational, and financial outcomes, demonstrating the benefits of employee-focused practices. The final article explores the relationship between HR planning, specifically succession planning, and financial performance in hospitals, considering the influence of market competition. The report synthesizes these findings to provide a comprehensive overview of effective HRM strategies in healthcare, emphasizing the importance of employee engagement, industrial relations, and strategic planning for achieving organizational goals and improving patient care.

Managing Human Resources HRMT20024
NAME OF STUDENT
NAME OF COLLEGE
AUTHORS NOTE
Running head: HRMT20024

HRMT20024
Article 1
Full Reference: Vani, G. (2011). Evolution of human resource management. Review of
Management, 1(2), 127-133. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1018058214?accountid=30552
Objective and Research Question: enterprises with long term strategies and purpose invest
in human resources as they form significant advantage for competitive position in market and
hence management of human resource in health sector is also vital. HRM has evolved from
numerous philosophies of thoughts and is best defined as philosophy of people management
instead of focused methodology. It started from 20th century but has several older thoughts
about administration of people at work. The inputs made by great researchers and
philosophers are been followed and executed in firms including heath care industry to favour
employees as human resources are given identity and their outlook thus is considered in
different concerns and managerial styles which evolved with changes in time towards
employees. Present HRM practices in health care industry reflect that human resources are
considered as valuable investment. In this article the objective is to explore evolution of
HRM and review some contemporary people management practices. The research question is
focused on examining interdisciplinary aspect of people management at workplace and why it
is necessary to manage human resources.
Method: a literature review method is used to understand the evolution of Human resource
management and interdisciplinary aspects. The article explains the historical emergence of
HRM dating back to HRM concepts in early 19th century which then evolved further during
the period of Scientific Management where Taylor emphasised on harmonious correlation
between management and employees for task attainment. This timeline was then followed by
evolutionary framework of HRM as given by Fayol in 1925 which later evolved to HRM
practices that focused on need to balance employee and product orientation for optimal
outcome.
Discussion and Findings: the findings and discussion of the article suggests that HRM is a
field which has undergone consistent change and evolution and historical influence for HRM
can be found dating back to period of 1771-1858 where early management philosophers
identified importance of human resources and argued that a supervisors best investment was
in his workers. HRM theories later evolved and during 1856-1915, Taylor proposed scientific
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management to stress on need for training of employees for better performance of task and
during that period two major HRM practices emerged i.e. incentive system and time-motion
study. Then during 1925 Fayol emphasised on managerial practices and proposed 14
principles of management which then evolved through inputs of Elton Mayo during 1949 that
focused on Human relation approach. Each of these studies have given significant inputs for
understanding of HRM that emphasise on employees value and their suitability at work
which ensures work progression with best practice called high commitment HRM. The
findings of article discussed that purpose of HRM is to support a firm to meet strategic
objectives by attracting, maintaining and managing them effectively to insure a fit between
management and strategic direction of firm.
Summary of Conclusion: thus the article presented analysis of key characteristics of human
resource management throughout historical analysis and evolutionary models to put forward
a complimentary outlook to managing of Human resources by considering employees as
assets and concluded that humans are not machines and hence firms including health sector
need to look at interdisciplinary examination of human resources in workplace so that
practices favour employees.
How this will contribute to Essay 3: the article will contribute to essay 3 as it would present
evolution of HRM policies and practices and would highlight best suitable practices in firms
to be adopted for attaining a balance between employee orientation and management.
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Article 2
Full Reference: Shantz, A., Alfes, K., & Arevshatian, L. (2016). HRM in healthcare: the role
of work engagement. Personnel Review, 45(2), 274-295. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-
2014-0203
Objective and Research Question: the article states that because of rising cost pressure and
need to insure better quality patient care along with administering secured surrounding for
patients and staffs the inclination in scope of HRM exercises have raised in health industry so
that more health care professionals are focused to make difference. The objective of this
article is to reflect and examine archetype where participation intermediates relation amid
HRM exercises and quality of care, security in context of working groups in healthcare. The
research question presented in article is whether participation intermediate relationships amid
HRM exercises and consequences of applicability in health care firms.
Method: the method used in article is structural equation modelling so as to examine
questionnaire data that was gathered by National Health services in UK as part of staff survey
during 2011. The sample used for survey focused study on nurses and administrative support
workers. The data was taken from 2011 NHS National Staff Survey that covered NHS
services and primary care trust. Random sampling was applied for study where
questionnaires were handed to employees. The final sample involved 42,357 nurses and
26,661 administrative support employees.
Discussion and Findings: the findings of article presented that training, engagement of
employees in decision making, scope for growth and interaction were positively linked to
quality of care and security through work involvement context of HRM. The strength of
relationship depended on if a staff was a nurse or administrative staff. The discussion of
article presented that HRM exercise are job resources that result into better performance in
healthcare through engagement context. Also Job Design Resource model was found to be
hugely supportive in context of HR practices in health care and strengthened the argument
that HRM professionals should utilise this model to build association amid outlook of HRM
and results. Discussion revealed that engagement in decision making emphasise that HRM
exercises inclined towards participation are more significant as compared to those which are
aimed to building expertise in health care and hence most effective practice in health industry
in HRM context is to increase participation level of employees.
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Summary of Conclusion: the article concluded that as pressure on public health care firms
have raised dramatically so it is required that these firms are tasked with need to balance
quality care with effectiveness while insuring safe environment for staffs and patients. One
manner to meet these is to maintain engaged human resources and thus health sector firms
need to understand best HRM practices to lead participation and involvement of workers so
that these pay off as high quality care services. Hence, health sector firms need to take
customised approach to HRM to improve engagement context for improved outcomes in
different occupational groups.
How this will contribute to Essay 3: this article will accord further to essay 3 as
understanding HRM context is essential because in today’s scenario more firms have
tendency to improve HRM practices to enhance outcomes and this can be done with focus on
increasing engagement levels of staffs, so that both effectiveness of practices and
involvement can improve results.
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Article 3
Full Reference: Vermeeren, B., Steijn, B., Tummers, L., Lankhaar, M., Poerstamper, R. J., &
Van Beek, S. (2014). HRM and its effect on employee, organizational and financial outcomes
in health care organizations. Human resources for health, 12(1), 35.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-12-35
Objective and Research Question: primary aim of industrial relations in HRM practices is
to rise achievement of firms through support of employees. However only limited studies
have focused on multidimensional attribute of industrial relation on performance that is
linked with HRM practices to focus on varied outcomes. The objective of this article is to
relate industrial relation practices of HRM to three outcome dimensions i.e. financial,
organisation and employee outcome. The research question focused in this article is to
examine how industrial relation practices of HRM influence outcome dimension by looking
at intermediating role of job fulfilment.
Method: article used method of unique dataset that relied on ActiZ Benchmark in Healthcare
which conducted study in home care, nursing care and care homes in Dutch. Data collected
between 2010-2011 were examined and 162 firms engaged in this sample study. Employee
data was gathered through questionnaire method handed to 61,061 participants whose
response rate was 42%. Employees were surveyed applying Client quality index of long term
care by stratified sampling. Financial results were gathered from annual reports and SEM
analysis was done to examine hypotheses.
Discussion and Findings: findings of article revealed that industrial exercises of HR are
directly and indirectly related to all outcome. Application of industrial relation in HR practice
is linked to improvise financial outcome such as net margin, organisational outcome such as
client fulfilment and HR outcome such as sickness absenteeism. Implication of industrial
relation exercises of HR on Human resource results and organisational results proved majorly
bigger than their implication on financial outcome. Moreover, with context to industrial
relation to HR and organisational results the hypotheses directing complete intermediating
impact of job fulfilment of employees was confirmed during finding of study. Thus it is in
line with outlook that industrial relations practices improves employees behaviour and is a
significant component for HRM and performance.
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Summary of Conclusion: the article clearly presented that when heath care firms work
according to employees and focus on industrial relation then better patient satisfaction, less
sickness absence and greater net margin for firm is attained so with context to organisational
and HR outcome hypotheses links with mediating impact of employee fulfilment. Also higher
employee or industrial relation is related with better organisational performance as positive
link amid staff fulfilment and customer fulfilment shows that staffs who are contempt have
better service towards customers which creates positive service encounters.
How this will contribute to Essay 3: this study will accord to essay 3 as this discussion
about industrial relations states that these makes a difference in context to HR and
organisational results so, the inputs learnt can be used for productive industrial relation
practices for better employee outcomes.
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Article 4
Full Reference: Patidar, N., PhD., Gupta, S., PhD., Azbik, G., Weech-Maldonado, R., &
Finan, John J,Jr, F.A.C.H.E. (2016). Succession planning and financial performance: Does
competition matter?/PRACTITIONER APPLICATION. Journal of Healthcare
Management, 61(3), 215-229. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1812639576?accountid=30552
Objective and Research Question: HR planning results to improved business achievement
and is linked with motivation, enhanced productiveness and better loyalty of employees all of
which are vital for organisational performance. Though HR planning and organisational
performance have link but this association is not explored to greater extent in health care
sector. As health care sector is changing and competitive in nature so competition can impact
strategies applied in health firms to maintain competitive edge and hence HR planning is
likely significant in this context. The objective of this article is to investigate relation amid
HR planning and financial attainmengt in acute care hospitals particularly looking at
distinctiveness in strength of this link for hospitals situated in competitive vs monopolistic
markets. The research question examined is whether hospitals with HR planning demonstrate
higher financial outcome. Other research question focused to investigate correlation between
HR planning and financial attainment in hospitals competitive environment.
Method: the method used in this study was 5 year panel data between 2006-2010 to examine
association amid HR planning in hospitals and their financial performance. The study utilised
three data source i.e. organisational attributes were gathered from American Hospital
Association annual survey data set, financial performance data gathered from Healthcare Cost
report Information system and data related to sociodemographic aspects at country level was
gathered from Area Health Resources Files. The sample studied involved 22,717 hospital
observations. Descriptive statistics was applied to investigate distribution of variables. Also
multivariate liner regression analysis was performed to study link of HR planning with
financial performance of hospitals.
Discussion and Findings: the findings of this study presents positive relation between HR
planning and hospital’s profitability and explained that HR planning helps to maintain
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competitive edge of hospitals in market as it insures growth of health care firms continuously
towards their strategic objectives.
Summary of Conclusion: it can be concluded from this study that HR planning in hospitals
has relevant correlation with the financial attainment within competitive markets and hence
hospitals need to form strategies to improvise the efficacy of their HR planning programs as
well as should improve their ability to make better informed decisions related to investment
in HR planning so that high performing employees get better opportunities. Also better HR
planning along with strong succession plans helps to retain top performing executives in
hospitals and improves their capabilities to accept leadership roles in future. Hence HR
planning helps health sector firms to navigate their dynamic environment and competitive
pressures to insure smooth attainment of strategic goals and better outcomes.
How this will contribute to Essay 3: this study will accord to essay 3 as understanding of
human resource planning function will help to retain high performing employees in firms and
hence adequate strategies of HR planning needs to be framed for better organisational
decisions and outcomes.
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Article 5
Full Reference: Zengul, F. D., & O'Connor, S.,J. (2013). A review of evidence based design
in healthcare from resource-based perspective. Journal of Management Policy and
Practice, 14(2), 19-36. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1429361689?
accountid=30552
Objective and Research Question: inclination in evidence based work design in healthcare
sector of US has resulted to research question that how to best utilise EBD knowhow to
improvise efficacy, security, quality and suitability of new or prevailing utilities. Elements of
EBD emphasise to improve healthcare results by application of empirical research to decision
making in every stages of healthcare facility planning, work design and execution.
Nonetheless, how the leverages of EBD can outweigh costs and result to continued
competitive edge is yet to be examined. This article’s objective is to investigate this aspect by
using resource based view. The research question in this article focused on whether EBD is
capable of developing continued competitive edge in health care delivery system.
Method: the article used method of literature review to recognise relation between work
design interventions and their challenges in health sector firms by addressing between
evidence based design and actual practice in health care sector.
Discussion and Findings: the discussion and finding of this study explored possibility of
EBD as source for continued advantage and found that value is one element related to
resource based view that was satisfied by EBD. So challenges of design related to EBD
capacity depends upon extent and use of mechanism such as organisational culture,
managerial abilities and causal uncertainties. Propositions were created after VRIN analysis
of EBD by applying culture, evolutionary economics and comprehensiveness of EBD’s
application in empirical testing and it was revealed EBD applying health care firms are
expected to enhance outcomes along with extending knowledge base.
Summary of Conclusion: from this study it can be concluded that if EBD is considered as
static technique then it is not a source of competitive edge as it does not fulfils three VRIN
parameters i.e. rareness, inimitability, non-substitutability. But if EBD is considered as
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influential and continuous emerging technique then it has possibility to be a resource that can
offer continued leverage in health care firms.
How this will contribute to Essay 3: this article will accord to essay 3 as learning from this
study will help to process conscious work design practice that together with analytical
decisions will help to promote better organisational outcomes.
References
Patidar, N., PhD., Gupta, S., PhD., Azbik, G., Weech-Maldonado, R., & Finan, John J,Jr,
F.A.C.H.E. (2016). Succession planning and financial performance: Does competition
matter?/PRACTITIONER APPLICATION. Journal of Healthcare
Management, 61(3), 215-229. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1812639576?accountid=30552
Shantz, A., Alfes, K., & Arevshatian, L. (2016). HRM in healthcare: the role of work
engagement. Personnel Review, 45(2), 274-295. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-
2014-0203
Vani, G. (2011). Evolution of human resource management. Review of Management, 1(2),
127- 133. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1018058214?
accountid=30552
Vermeeren, B., Steijn, B., Tummers, L., Lankhaar, M., Poerstamper, R. J., & Van Beek, S.
(2014). HRM and its effect on employee, organizational and financial outcomes in
health care organizations. Human resources for health, 12(1), 35.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-12-35
Zengul, F. D., & O'Connor, S.,J. (2013). A review of evidence based design in healthcare
from resource-based perspective. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 14(2), 19-
36. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1429361689?accountid=30552
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