MBA401 Assessment: Evaluating & Enhancing HR at Qantas Airways

This report analyzes the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Qantas Airways, focusing on strategies to improve workforce performance, organizational culture, and employee engagement. It examines initiatives such as training and development programs, reward systems, and culture-building activities implemented by Qantas. The report also assesses the effectiveness of these strategies and provides recommendations for enhancing HR practices, including aligning pay structures with employee duties and improving communication between management and staff. The analysis considers past disputes and challenges faced by Qantas in managing its workforce, emphasizing the importance of a feedback-based process to address employee needs and improve overall organizational performance. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
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Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................2
Ways by which the organization aims at improving the performance of the workforce
....................................................................................................................................................2
Ways that are implemented by the organization to improve the culture........................3
Ways that are implemented by the organization to improve the rates of employee
engagement................................................................................................................................4
Recommendations to enhance the HR based strategies of the organization..................5
Conclusion......................................................................................................................6
References......................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
The management human resources or workforce is an important part of effective
organizational operations. The organization is able to operate in an effective and profitable
manner if the workforces are managed well and their needs are fulfilled as well. The
organization which has been considered for analysis in the assignment for discussing the
ways by which it manages the workforce is Qantas Airways. Qantas Airways is the flag
carrier organization in the airlines based sector of Australia (Qantas.com 2018). The
organization is mainly known in the industry for its huge fleet size and the number of
international flights which operate in different destinations. The origin of the organization is
in Sydney which is a suburb based area of Mascot that is the main hub of Sydney airport.
More than 60% of the total share in domestic airlines based market has been acquired by
Qantas Airways (Jackson, Schuler and Jiang 2014).
Ways by which the organization aims at improving the performance of the workforce
The employees or workforce are provided with high levels of importance by the
management of Qantas. The recruitment of right people in right positions is considered to be
important for the operations of Qantas Airways. The organization has tried to provide
assistance based on the ways by which employees are able to achieve the goals and
objectives. Training and development is also an important part of the initiatives which have
been taken by the organization in order to operate in a profitable manner (Aladwan,
Bhanugopan and D'Netto 2015).
Qantas Airways also provides rewards to the employees in order to ensure that the
performance which is shown by them is recognized and acknowledged in an effective
manner. The work based process of employees is also managed effectively with the help of
different efficient and flexible approaches. The employees have been considered to be a part

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of the integrity, excellence and reputation which has been developed by the organization in
the industry. The organization further aims at becoming a network which can be considered
to be “employers of choice” in the country. The work based process of the organization is
linked with the beliefs and the values which have been developed by Qantas Airways
(Albrecht et al. 2015). The recognition and reward based system which has been
implemented by the organization has been based on more 40,000 nominations which were
provided in the year 2018. The leadership based toolkit which has been developed by the
organization has been able to manage the employees and training based activities as well
(Sheehan 2014).
Ways that are implemented by the organization to improve the culture
The culture that has been developed in Qantas Airways is also based on the equal
employment based opportunities which are offered by the organization to all the employees.
The employment processes are designed in such a manner which is based on the merits and
capabilities of existing and the potential employees rather than the characteristics based on
race, gender and disability. The activities related to bullying and harassment which can take
place in the organization can be prevented with the help of different policies that have been
implemented by the management of Qantas Airways (Banfield, Kay and Royles 2018).
The organization has tried to develop the culture in such a manner which is helpful in
framing the environment and further help the organization to play the role of a corporate
citizen as well. The strength of the culture of Qantas Airways has been tested with the help of
annual surveys of the employees and analysis which is based on the turnover and retention.
The organization has thereby implemented training based programs that are related to culture
and employee engagement. The people or human resources are considered to be the centre of
different activities which are performed by the organization in order to provide highest levels

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of customer satisfaction. The organization has aimed at investing huge amounts in the
leadership and training based activities (Brewster 2017).
Majority of the employees who are a part of the operations of Qantas Airways are
able to provide their support to the goals and objectives which have been set by the
organization. Qantas Airways has implemented the biggest training based program which is
related to the effective renewal of fleet which has been able to increase the career based
opportunities. The organization is further planning the development of a pilot academy which
will be able to provide effective levels of training to the newly recruited employees. The
academy will be able to provide training to more than 1000 leaders within the year 2018
(Deery and Jago 2015). The environment of the organization is being developed in such a
manner which will be able to play a key role in the proper management of performance levels
of the employees.
Ways that are implemented by the organization to improve the rates of employee
engagement
Employee engagement is considered to be an important part of the success which can
be gained by an organization in modern business based environment. The engagement of
employees in different organizational activities is thereby based on the ways by which they
are able to relate to the objectives and goals. The management of Qantas Airways has also
provided effective levels of importance to the ways by which the employees can be engaged
within different organizational objectives in such a manner so that they are able to understand
the objectives and goals as well (Kramar 2014).
A strategy named People Experience has been developed and implemented by Qantas
Airways in order to maintain the levels of employee engagement which are important for
organizational operations. The management has provided continued levels of efforts based on

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development of an equitable and inclusive workplace which is helpful in maintain the gaps
which exist between gender pay (Korff, Biemann and Voelpel 2017). Qantas Airways has
tried to maintain effective levels of communication with the employees in order to ensure
employee engagement in different organizational activities. The leadership of the
organization has started taking major steps with the aim to increase levels of transparency and
make the employees feel much more connected to the strategies (Paillé et al. 2014).
The strength of the culture of the organization is considered to be an important factor
which is able to affect the operations of Qantas Airways. Annual surveys of the employees
are considered to be an important factor which can provide a detailed picture based on the
effectiveness of culture. Leadership of Qantas Airways also provides effective levels of
support for the development of the culture. The training and development based programs
that have been introduced by the organization are all based on the effectiveness of culture and
ways by which they are able to take part in different organizational activities. The rates of
retention and turnover of the employees are also based entirely on the proper improvement of
the culture (Stone et al. 2015).
Recommendations to enhance the HR based strategies of the organization
Qantas Airways has however faced many disputes based on the employees and staff
who are a part of the operations. The organization has been accused of being unable to
develop an effective relationship with the people or its human resources. The major issues
which had taken place within the organization were based on the reduction of labour costs by
the top management, the strike of baggage handlers which had affected the sensitive market.
The conflicts which has taken place with the management of the organization and the
employees had been able to affect the ways by which Qantas Airways aimed at developing
long term relationships with the staff.

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The management of human resources in a proper manner was affected by the issues
which were faced by the organization with respect to the human resource based practices.
The major recommendation which can be provided to Qantas Airways is based on the proper
alignment of pay structure with the duties that are provided to employees. The organization
can thereby aim at improving the relationship between the top management and lower level
staff by conducting regular meetings and discussions.
The top management and lower level employees need to collaborate and work with
each other in order to ensure that the profitability levels are maintained. The feedback based
process of the organization needs to be improved in order to help the employees to provide
their opinions based on different organizational proceedings and the relationship which has
been developed with the managers. This will help the management to keep a check that the
needs and demands of employees can be fulfilled and they are able to maintain the work
process in an effective manner.
Conclusion
The report can be concluded by stating that Qantas Airways has taken many different
initiatives based on the management of workforce and improvement of culture as well. The
initiatives have been mainly based on the welfare of the employees and development of a
positive work environment as well. The organization has however faced some major issues
based on the ways by which employees are provided with effective levels of opportunities
and fair wages as well. The issues can be solved with the proper implementation of a
feedback based process within the organization.

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References
Aladwan, K., Bhanugopan, R. and D'Netto, B., 2015. The effects of human resource
management practices on employees’ organisational commitment. International journal of
organizational Analysis, 23(3), pp.472-492.
Albrecht, S.L., Bakker, A.B., Gruman, J.A., Macey, W.H. and Saks, A.M., 2015. Employee
engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage: An
integrated approach. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2(1),
pp.7-35.
Banfield, P., Kay, R. and Royles, D., 2018. Introduction to human resource management.
Oxford University Press.
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.
Deery, M. and Jago, L., 2015. Revisiting talent management, work-life balance and retention
strategies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), pp.453-
472.
Jackson, S.E., Schuler, R.S. and Jiang, K., 2014. An aspirational framework for strategic
human resource management. The Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), pp.1-56.
Korff, J., Biemann, T. and Voelpel, S.C., 2017. Human resource management systems and
work attitudes: the mediating role of future time perspective. Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 38(1), pp.45-67.

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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), pp.1069-1089.
Paillé, P., Chen, Y., Boiral, O. and Jin, J., 2014. The impact of human resource management
on environmental performance: An employee-level study. Journal of Business Ethics, 121(3),
pp.451-466.
Qantas.com 2018. Our people | Qantas. [online] Qantas.com. Available at:
https://www.qantas.com/in/en/qantas-group/acting-responsibly/our-people.html [Accessed 16
Dec. 2018].
Sheehan, M., 2014. Human resource management and performance: Evidence from small and
medium-sized firms. International Small Business Journal, 32(5), pp.545-570.
Stone, D.L., Deadrick, D.L., Lukaszewski, K.M. and Johnson, R., 2015. The influence of
technology on the future of human resource management. Human Resource Management
Review, 25(2), pp.216-231.