Human Resource Management Essay: Functions, Strategy, and Problems

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of Human Resource Management (HRM), exploring its fundamental functions and their critical relationship to organizational strategy. It emphasizes the strategic importance of HRM in achieving business objectives, highlighting how effective management of human capital can lead to competitive advantages. The essay delves into various aspects of HRM, including staffing, performance management, compensation, and training, and explains how these elements contribute to a productive and engaged workforce. Furthermore, it addresses common employer-employee problems, such as conflict management, wage disputes, and safety concerns, and discusses how ethical and legal concepts, along with the use of HR software, can be applied to resolve these issues. The analysis underscores the role of HRM in fostering a positive work environment and promoting employee well-being, ultimately contributing to organizational efficiency and success. The essay concludes by reiterating the crucial role of HRM in aligning human resources with organizational goals to maximize employee performance and drive strategic objectives.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Human Resource Management
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Functions of HRM and their relationship to organisational strategy.........................................3
Strategic importance of human resource management..............................................................4
Employer-employee problems using ethical and legal concept.................................................5
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................6
References:.................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Human Resource Management is indicative approach that can help in effectively
managing the organization workers that can help the business in gaining competitive
advantage. It can help in maximising the employee performance that can help in realizing the
strategic objectives of the employer (Cascio, 2018). The duty of human resources revolves
around managing the people within the organization and it focuses on the policies and
systems of the organization. This essay discusses about the function of human resources and
its relationship to that of organizational strategy. It also elaborates on the strategic importance
in relation to human resource management. It throws light on the employer-employee
problems and the role played by the human resources of an organization in solving the
problems.
Functions of HRM and their relationship to organisational strategy
An organisational strategy is indicative of the implementation along with evaluation
pertaining to the decisions in an organization that helps the organization in achieving the
objectives. The organizations that are successful in relation to strategy implementation
consider human resources (HR) to be a crucial factor that can help in the making of the
strategies. The management should think about the communication needs in relation to the
organization. The ability of selecting the human resource who has the right knowledge and
skills is a crucial function in relation to human resources. Productivity along with quality are
crucial areas pertaining to an organization and positive contribution from the human
resources department can lead to the creation of the right organisational strategy that can help
in the growth of the organization. Human capital can help in the process of leveraging
important areas in relation to an organization (Brewster, 2017). The human resources

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department should make sure that human asset is aligned with that of organisational strategy
for the successful implementation of the policies of the organization.
The human resources should make sure that the employees in a company are focussed
strategically. All the elements of human resources like hiring, compensation and training
should be developed that can help in the process of enlarging the human capital within an
organization. The HR being linked to the organizational performance can play a crucial role
for the success in relation to an organization. The competitive advantage in relation to an
organization can be achieved in the event of the HR being lined with the strategy. The
functions of HR in the present age extends beyond that of the administrative role and it
focuses on how to support the company in the field of strategic planning (Bratton & Gold,
2017). Performance appraisal is an area that the HR of a company deals with and the
implementation of the organizational strategy in a transparent manner falls under the purview
of that of human resources. It can have an effect on the motivation of the employees. The HR
should lay down a fair compensation policy that can help in the process of retention of the
good employees in an organization. Continuous learning can take place in an organization
with the help of learning events and a learning organization can pave the way for
organizational success (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014).
Strategic importance of human resource management
In the present age, the right approach in relation to managing the employees of the
company can have an effect on the performance of the company. Strategic approach
pertaining to human resources can help in the growth of the company. The responsibility of
the HR in the modern age ranges from right staffing to that of managing the performance of
the employees in a company. Current manpower pertaining to an organization should be kept
under check and the quality of the service provided by the employees should be good that can
pave the path for organisational efficiency. A company that has already been recognized

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within the industry and is looking for expansion should ensure that the status of the company
have been maintained.
Strategy is indicative of a multi-dimensional concept that refers to the utilization of the
resources in the best possible manner. Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)
means the linking of the human resource with the goals of the organization that can help in
improving the overall business (Buckley, Halbesleben & Wheeler, 2017). SHRM focuses on
developing the employees with the achieving of the goals in an organization. Primary goal in
relation to SHRM is focussing on the productivity of the employees by laying stress on both
external along with internal hurdles. The SHRM helps in the adoption of a streamlined
approach that can help the organization in achieving the goals. The SHRM helps in the
building up of a collaborative partnership between the employees and the higher management
in an organization (Tortorella et al., 2015).
Strategic HRM comprises of the policies that can help in converting the workplace
into a flexible one. Flexibility pertaining to employee shifts along with their schedules can
help in contributing to organizational effectiveness. In the event of SHRM stress is laid on the
short courses along with training sessions that can help in the aspect of improving the skill
sets of the employees (Pinnamaneni, Xu & Findley, 2015). It can help in changing the
employees and they can emerge as skilled assets. These skill assets can be made use of in the
future that can come of use against the business competitors. SHRM helps in encouraging a
work environment that is positive in the organization. This kind of work environment
persisting within the organization can help in making the employees progressive and it can
pave the path for a productive graph (Boon et al., 2018).

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Employer-employee problems using ethical and legal concept
Conflict management is an important function in relation to human resources and the
effective management of the conflict can help in ensuring the health of the organization. A
system that is consistent can help in ensuring the effective communication in between the
team members that can help in resolving conflict in the company. The employees have hour
along with wage issues and sometimes the employees insist that they have worked overtime
which may not be accurate. In order to avoid these kind of problems, self-service timekeeping
software can come to be of great help. It can help the employees in clocking in and out of the
smart devices. This can help the employees in keeping track and managing their schedule. It
can help in the prevention of unnecessary overtime and it can help in making sure that the
employees who belong to right pay grade can execute correct job (Jackson, Schuler & Jiang,
2014). Promotion of safety should be the top priority of the owner of a business. The human
resources department of an organization should be able to track the schedules that can help
the employees in having sufficient amount of rest time.
The HR team in an organization should look at the productivity levels that can help in
ensuring that the business is working in an efficient manner. The HR in an organization can
make use of Time and Motion study that can help in defining the aspects of what and how.
This kind of study can prove to be useful in identification of the potential efficiency gain. It
can help in paving the path pertaining to future capital investment that can help in improving
productivity in a company. The using of HR software can help the management along with
the HR in the analysis of the T & M data in the collaborative manner (Kramar, 2014). HR
system can make use of this data that can help in providing historical context in relation to
later studies. The human resources in an organization should not carry out any kind of
discrimination against any employee on the basis of stereotypes along with assumptions
related to abilities and traits. The HR department should see to it that the men along with the

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women in a company are provided with equal pay that can lead to the creation of a holistic
environment.
Conclusion:
The human resources in an organization can lead to the maximisation of the
performance of the employees which can help an organization in attaining strategic
objectives. The human resources manages the people in an organization and he focuses on the
policies that can help in ensuring organizational efficiency. Productivity and quality are two
vital areas that is integral to an organization. Positive contribution that is coming from HR
can help creating the right organizational strategy. Human capital can create the path that can
help in the leveraging of important fields pertaining to an organization. The developing of the
employees is the responsibility of human resources which can help an organization in
reaching the goals. SHRM lays stress on the aspect of productivity pertaining to the
employees and it focuses on internal and external hurdles. Human resources should be
capable of tracking the schedules that can provide the employees with rest time. Laying stress
on the aspect of productivity by human resources can help in the efficient functioning of the
business.

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References:
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Boon, C., Eckardt, R., Lepak, D. P., & Boselie, P. (2018). Integrating strategic human capital
and strategic human resource management. The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, 29(1), 34-67.
Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2017). Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Brewster, C. (2017). The integration of human resource management and corporate strategy.
In Policy and practice in European human resource management (pp. 22-35).
Routledge.
Buckley, M. R., Halbesleben, J. R., & Wheeler, A. R. (Eds.). (2017). Research in personnel
and human resources management. Emerald Group Publishing.
Cascio, W. (2018). Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill Education.
Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S., & Jiang, K. (2014). An aspirational framework for strategic
human resource management. The Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), 1-56.
Kramar, R. (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: is sustainable human
resource management the next approach?. The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, 25(8), 1069-1089.
Pinnamaneni, N., Xu, D., & Findley, H. (2015). Strategic Human Resource Management.
Tortorella, G. L., Marodin, G. A., Fogliatto, F. S., & Miorando, R. (2015). Learning
organisation and human resources management practices: An exploratory research in

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medium-sized enterprises undergoing a lean implementation. International Journal of
Production Research, 53(13), 3989-4000.