Strategic Human Resource Management Report: Asda - Unit 21 Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of strategic human resource management (HRM) within the context of Asda, a major British supermarket retailer. It begins by identifying key current trends and developments influencing HRM strategies, such as workforce diversity, changing skill requirements, and continuous improvement initiatives. The report then delves into the internal and external factors that shape HR strategy and practice, including corporate culture, available funding, market trends, and legislation. It further explores relevant theories and concepts, like the Key Fit theory and performance appraisal, illustrating their application in the context of Asda's HRM practices. The report also examines appropriate change management models, specifically Lewin's Change Management Model, and how these models support HR strategies. Finally, it discusses ways to monitor and measure HR outcomes, evaluates the effectiveness of HR management and development, and concludes with an overview of the strategic HRM landscape within Asda.

Unit 21 - Strategic
Human Resource
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Key current trends and developments....................................................................................1
P2. External and internal factors which influences HR strategy and practice.............................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
P3. Theories and concepts relating to the growth and development of strategic HRM...............4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
P4. Appropriate change management models support HR strategy............................................5
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................7
P5. Ways to monitor and measure HR outcomes........................................................................7
P6. Effectiveness of HR management and development.............................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Strategic human resource management involves practices related with attracting, hiring,
directing, developing and retaining key employees that benefits to individuals addition to
organisation as whole (Bratton and Gold, 2017). It is used to proactively managing workforce
through thinking ahead together with planning ways to attain needs of staff members together
with the entity. Strategies fosters mobility of workforce, effective planning as well as employee
engagement to promote business goals. To better understand the concept of strategic human
resource management, Asda is selected which is a large global entity which is known as British
supermarket retailer. The report includes key current trends, developments together with internal
addition to external factors which influences HR strategy and practice of the organisation. It
further includes application of theories and concepts that are related to growth and development
of strategic HRM. It also discusses about change management models supporting HR strategy. In
addition, report includes the ways to monitor and measure HR outcomes together with evaluating
effectiveness of human resource management and development to attain organisational
objectives.
TASK 1
P1. Key current trends and developments.
In competitive world, all business looks forward to position themselves in international
market and for this they designs effective functions to meet trends together with strategic
objectives of the business. Human resource management analyses feasibility together with
consistency while framing strategies and their implementation so to attain sustainability in
successful manner (Brewster, 2017). Organizations performing operations at international level
hires human resource manager with advance skills and potentialities to look forward in order to
frame profit based strategies that can help in gaining competitive benefits. It is fundamental for
any business to formulate human resource strategies that can result in managing workforce as
well as building reputation in specified time duration. Human resource management through
planning activities creates values addition to business chains in order to develop and control
practices together with performing activities to work as per pertaining trends and development.
Asda is one of the leading retailer in its business sector having suitable size as well as structure.
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Some of the current trends addition to developments that influences human resource strategies of
Asda managers are the followings:
Workforce diversity: It refers to similarities and differences between workforce in terms
of cultural background, specialization, sexual orientation, race, religion and physical abilities.
Diversity is associated with organization's strategic decisions. Maintaining balance among
workforce diversity is very important as workforce composition are changing with changes in
time that directly impacts of strategies of Asda and due to this major modifications are done in
HR strategies of the company (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Farndale, 2018). According to the
workforce diversity, managers of Asda recruits innovative talent and make changes in their
recruitment system that hampers in implementing strategies in specified time period and carry
forwarding business operations.
Changing skill requirements: Developing skilled labour as well as employee retention
are quite important aspects that are related with quality, competitiveness as well as managing
workforce in effective manner. Skill gaps addition to deficiencies results in losses in terms of
lower productivity, increased customer complaints and poor quality work which further
influences strategies of the human resource management of Asda. Through strategic human
resource planning, administrators of the company can effectively devise suitable training
together with short term programs that can help in bridging skills deficiencies and attaining
strategic objectives.
Continuous improvements: On going improvement programs helps organizations to
emphasis towards quality as well as building foundations as to serve customers in better manner.
Such programs involves initiatives to modify quality and improving productivity. For this,
managers of Asda have to changes various operations addition to involving workers by changing
their strategies related to recruiting candidates, administrative paper processing together with
meeting customer needs influences HR strategies in great manner as it becomes very difficult for
management professionals to carefully analyze variations along with changes. Other then this,
changing working conditions also influences strategies of human resource management while
manage workforce (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, 2016).
Thus, various trends or developments influences human resource strategies of the Asda
which results in framing new strategies or making modifications in existing ones which requires
huge time but can benefit in meeting business goals.
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P2. External and internal factors which influences HR strategy and practice.
Many factors influences practices as well as strategies formulated by human resource
managers at workplace. The factors are described as below:
Internal factors: There are some factors on which organizational members have control
as well as they are presented within boundaries of the company are termed as internal factors.
The internal factors that influences strategies as well as practices of human resource managers of
Asda are as follows:
Corporate culture: It defines the behaviors, beliefs and ways in which individual
interacts with other people at workplace along with carry out operations. It is important to build
as well as maintaining healthy corporate culture as it improves employee retention, business
reputation and productivity. But at the same time, unhealthy work culture impacts on HR
strategies as well as practices by hampering performances and human resource planning. For
instance, if supervisors of Asda fails to provide flexible working hours or working environment
then employees are not able to work with full efficiency which will influence strategies and
practices of HR managers (Frynas and Mellahi, 2015).
Available funding: HR strategies along with practices evolve around the budget that
allows to maximize profit margins. Funds are used to perform daily operations so it is very
important for accountants of Asda to frame strategies according to the budgets. The human
resource managers should adjust the activities as per the set budgets and should search new
approaches to ensure cost effectiveness. If available funds does not meet the requirements of
operations then managers of an entity have to change their HR strategies addition to practices so
to attain business goals.
External factors: These are the outsider influences that are not controlled by top
management of the organization and impacts on Hr strategies together with practices at great
extent. The description of some external factors is as follows:
Market trend: In the dynamic scenario, market trends are changing and that are
uncontrollable by management as well as impacts on business operations. Changes in such trends
results in changes in technological aspects and government policies. If these factors changes then
it impacts on practices and strategies of the company as organizational managers have to re
frame all strategies and practices in order to sustain in the market.
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Legislation: Distinct laws impacts on strategies, activities addition to practices of Human
resources. It depends on federal or state government to pass any law and there is no fixed time
when any new legislation is imposed. Hence, the managers of Asda needs to be careful about
new legislation as well as should follow all laws that are governed for be applied at workplace to
ensure growth. If new legislation is passed or any changes are done in existing laws by the
government authorities then it will influence HR practices as they have to change their strategies
accordingly which will affect attaining goals on specified time (Horton and Farnham, 2015).
M1. Influences of external as well as contextual developments along with impacts on HR
strategy of organization
Current developments including workforce diversity and continuous improvements
influences strategies of human resource of Asda as various changes are made on existing
strategies according to the changes in workforce composition and improving productivity on
continuous basis. External developments comprising market trends addition to legislation which
influences strategies as these are uncontrollable factors and influences operations of company
due to frequent changes in them. All these impacts in negative manner on HR strategies as
modifications are done on current strategies of human resources of existing company that
hampers efforts and time to pursue workings and carry forwarding business operations.
TASK 2
P3. Theories and concepts relating to the growth and development of strategic HRM.
Strategic HRM comprises certain theories and practices that are applied by organsiational
members to continue their practices as to attain growth along with developing in competitive
market. The management authorities of Asda have applied following theories and concepts that
benefits in growth and developments:
Key Fit theory: The theory was propounded by McMahan together with Wright in the
year 1992. As per the theory, organizational members find capabilities as well as assets to attain
set goals addition to targets. The key fit concept is related with asset based as it provides better
routes to pick benefits and improving circumstances that helps in growth of any business. For the
business of Asda, assets are its best fit that helps in finding potentialities as well as paths to attain
business growth.
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540 performance appraisal: The concept involves certain procedures to appreciate
workforce. Human resource managers of Asda can apply the concept which will help in
evaluating employee performances. It is addition approach of 360 performance appraisal. For
example, applying such concept, managers of the company can provide reviews of performances
through involving other reviewers such as peers, subordinates, superiors and vendors. The
practice will help Asda managers to evaluate employees performances and giving them rewards
accordingly (Kerzner, 2019). The concept is used to develop the strategic human resource
management through training modules to attain higher employee satisfactions.
Performance management: Another concept associated with growth together with
development of strategic human resource management is performance management. It is much
wider concept that is used to conduct operations as to accomplish organizational objectives.
Using such concept, administrators of Asda develops employee development strategies to boost
productivity as well as engagement of employees. Ongoing performance management helps in
building an atmosphere of support, growth, encouragement together with trust. For example, if
workforce performances are effectively managed as well as employees are aware regarding their
performances then they will work with more dedications and attain growth or progress in their
career.
By applying the above stated concepts or theories, administrative department of Asda can
effectively implement strategies as to work towards developing human resources and attaining
business growth.
M2. Relation of human resource theory towards organizational practices.
Human resource theory such as 540 performance appraisal is directly related to
organizational practice as the theory helps in evaluation of performances of work force in context
to contributions for organizational practices for gaining objectives. In addition, performance
management is also related with practices of Asda as with the framework administrators of the
company develops strategies that boosts organizational productivity through employee
engagements. For example, with performance management theory, areas are identifies that
hampers restricts the practices of employees and effective solutions are prepared to achieve
competitive advantages by performing effectual practices.
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TASK 3
P4. Appropriate change management models support HR strategy.
Change defines the urges for development. In an organization, distinct changes takes
place on regular basis. Change management refers to transitioning of activities from one mode to
another in order to meet changing requirements together with objectives. It involves application
of pre planned frameworks to steer activities of business from current state to desired one. It is
very crucial to frame effective strategies as to manage change and implement them to attain
objectives (Theories of change management. 2019). Some of the change management models
that supports HR strategies are as elaborated:
Lewin's Change Management Model:
The model was devised by Kurt Lewin during 1950s. It is further classified into three
main stages that are as follows:
Unfreeze stage: The unfreeze stage include preparing for change. In other words,
organizational managers themselves prepare first for any change. In context to Asda, manager
sframe strategies so that they can break the status quo of resisting changes. They explains
workforce in calm manner about the requirements of changes along with change benefits.
Herein, they deeply look towards core of change sand re examines circumstances.
Change stage: Herein, real changes takes place. It takes time to make implementations
of the changes as it comes with uncertainty of unfreezing. Administrators of Asda spends more
time at this stage as it requires more time to adopt changes, new happenings together with
developments. Good leaderships addition to reassurance plays significant function to motivate
staff members to get engage in change process (Marchington, 2015). Asda managers effectively
solve uncertain situations together with finding distinct alternatives of working.
Refreeze stage: When the members accepts as well as implements change, further
requirements are to becoming stable again in order to perform operations to attain objectives. It
is very important for management of Asda to adopt refreeze stage as it helps in shaping critical
situations as to going back towards normal routines. With the involvement of staff members,
changes are implemented and employees get confident to work in new changes.
Nudge theory:
The theory was credited by Richard H. Thaler addition to Cass R. Sunstein. It is among
the compelling model that helps in exploring as well as understanding current influences together
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with adjusting strategies or methodologies to accept real changes. The theory is different from
other changing models as it eliminates aspects related with direct instructions addition to
punishment enforcement (Molloy and Barney, 2015). Managers of Asda by applying such
change model can shift their focus towards accounting differences in knowledge, opinions along
with feelings of staff members. They can also emphasis towards reality of circumstances and
implement strategies that can help in reducing employee resistance towards changes. The theory
will benefit in managing employees in distinct sections along with changing leadership
approaches as per requirements of new changes.
Kotter Change Model:
The change model was presented by John Kotter in 1995. it includes eight stages which
describes change together with implementing for attaining better results. All stages emphasis
towards responses of people for changes. The description of the theory is beneath:
Enhancing urgency: Herein, managers of Asda builds sense of necessity between staff
members in order to influence their working to move towards objectives. Velocity of change is
related with developments of HR strategies.
Building team: The stage is related with building distinct teams as well as placing
appropriate member in the team by analyzing important alignments and selecting mixtures of
commitment and skills. The Asda managers communicates changes together with their
importance for business.
Creating vision: At such stage, correct visions are formulated by administrators of Asda
by considering strategies addition to emotional connectivity of employees with objectives.
Communication: All the important information along with statistics are communicated
with staff members. The top authorities of the company communicates vision with employees in
order to work on suggestions as well as advice.
Removing obstacles: To empower actions, employees are supported with eliminating
road blocks as well as implementing feedback. In the path of change, all the obstacles are
removed by managers of Asda so to overcome difficulties in running business successfully.
Short term wins: To attain success, short term goals are formulated and ultimate goals
are classified into smaller ones (Moutinho and Vargas-Sanchez, 2018). Managers of organization
emphasis towards short term objectives that helps in attaining success without pressurizing
employees.
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Never give up: One of the key to attain success is persistence that helps in never giving
up during procedures of changes are going. Managers motivates employees to never give up
even in critical things.
Incorporate changes: The last stage of the model says that besides managing changes, it
is important for administrators of Asda to reinforce changes along with making continuous
efforts to enhance employee performance levels as well as profit margins.
M3. Valid justification for applying change management models as well as their effectiveness to
support HR strategy.
Change management strategies or models at Asda are applied for the purpose of
transitioning tasks from one mode to another so to meet changing requirements and attaining
objectives. For instance, application of Lewin's Change Management Model is applied to build
perception among employees regarding the needs of changes and motivating them to carry
forward operations as per the changes in order to attain desired behavior and solidifying new
behaviors into norms. The model is effective to support HR strategies as it helps in solving
uncertain situations with set strategies as well as finding distinct alternatives to strengthening
workings.
TASK 4
P5. Ways to monitor and measure HR outcomes.
In the creative scenario, distinct approaches addition to techniques are available with
managers to monitor as well as measuring human resource outcomes. Some of them are the
followings:
Resource based view: The approach is adopting by various organizational managers to
help human resources to get effective results by solving problems. It helps in evaluating strategic
resources to achieve benefits in competitive market. One of the problem which is faced by Asda
managers is employee behavior (Petrick, 2017). The changing behavior of employees impacts on
productivity of company. In order to resolve the problem, managers of the company have to
frame strategies in order to develop resources. Furthermore, training programs and seminars are
other solutions to improve employee behavior and to improve productivity so to attain desirable
outcomes.
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Best fit approaches: These are opted by entities to monitor outcomes of Hr practices
together with strategies. If managers of Asda adopts such approach then it will help in tracking
status of functions or activities that are performed by human resources at workplace. Asda is
facing certain conflicts among workers. To monitor and measure the activities together with day
to day results, best fit approach will help in preparing performance reports and monitoring
outcomes (Reilly and Williams, 2016). The reports will helps in solving issues due to which
conflicts arises as well as eliminating barriers to attain successful outcomes.
P6. Effectiveness of HR management and development.
Certain approaches are opted by Hr management together with development team that
will help in attaining sustainable performances addition to growth for meeting business
objectives. The approaches are as evaluated:
Key Performance indicator (KPI)
KPI is used to determine as well as measure performances in context to specific activity.
Good KPI helps human resource management of Asda to understand and provide right path to
human resources towards development as well as attaining sustainable performances so to make
position in the competitive market for longer time. Effective implementation of the approach
can help management in improving human resource morale, attaining business objectives as well
as increasing customer satisfactions that will lead towards meeting organizational objectives. It
benefits the organization in context to contributions made by human resource management in
tracking human resource developments, measuring their results as well as planning future
strategies to sustain and meet business goals in shot time period (Renz and Herman, 2016). But
at the same time, human resource managers have to devote much of their efforts as well as time
of managing human resources and fulfilling their expectations.
10-C checklist of HRM model
The model comprises comprehensiveness, communication, coherence, control,
commitment, credibility, creativity, competence, cost effectiveness and change. All these aspects
are very useful in managing human resources as well as developing them to achieve goals. The
model benefits human resource management of Asda in framing strategies as well as advocating
approaches tuned with specific belief system. For example, the models will help in coordinating
issues by enrolling staff members as well as developing areas with better administration and
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