Human Resources Essay Research Paper 1 Name

Human Resources Essay, Research Paper

1. Name and explain at least 5 factors that have caused the HRM to act strategically to meet the competitive challenges which companies face.

A. Meeting customer needs for quality. Total Quality Management was first developed in Japan; it is an .get it right the first time. approach, as opposed to the traditional U.S. way of .fix it if it is wrong. It is defined as a . cooperative form of doing business that relies on the talents and capabilities of both labor and management to continually improve quality and productivity using work teams.. When using TQM, corporations emphasized collective and cross-functional work, coaching and enabling employees, customer satisfaction, and quality. They try to prevent any problems and use safety precautions. It is based on more team than on just an individual.

B. Development of Global Markets. Companies that have multinational corporations are more successful is the have created organizations with work forces and corporate cultures that reflect the characteristics of the global market in which they operate. These companies believe that people are there most important asset. Believing that employees are key to the success of the business means human resource practices such as rewarding employee performance, measuring employee satisfaction, using an intensive employee selection process, promotion from within, and investing in employee development.

C. Competitiveness in Global Markets through HRM Practices. For a company to be successful in the global market, they need to invest in human resources, as well as understand cultural differences. Japan, Germany, and other industrialized countries are challenging the U.S. in the export markets. For us to compete in the world economy, the companies need to put greater effort into human resources and their employees.

D. Composition of the Labor Force. Company performance is influenced by the characteristics of its labor force of current employees. The labor force of current employees is known as internal labor force, while persons seeking employment are known as the external labor force. The skills and motivation of a company.s internal labor force is determined by the composition of the available labor market. The skills of the external labor force determine the need for training and development practices and the effectiveness of the company.s compensation and reward systems. Competition for skilled workers in the external labor force may limit the employees needed to fill the job.

E. Structure of the Economy. The growth and decline of industries, jobs, and occupations influence the structure of the economy. The people actually available for full-time work as well as alternative work schedules also influence competition for the labor.

F. Skill Deficiencies. It may be that the supply of individuals with the skills and training necessary will not meet the demands of the job. Most new jobs in the following years will require a higher education and training level. Companies are investing in a school-to-work program that includes basic skills training and joint training ventures with universities, community colleges, and high schools.

2. The Griggs vs Duke Power Company case has had a major impact on HRM. How so.

Duke Power had instituted a new system for making selection and promotion decisions. The system required either a high school diploma or a passing score on two professionally developed tests (the Wonderlie Personnel Test and the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test). A passing score was set so that it would equal the national median for high school graduates who had taken the tests. The prosecution met their prima facie burden by showing that both requirements had an adverse impact on African-Americans. The 1960 census showed that 34 percent of white males had high school diplomas, whereas only 12 percent of African-Americans had one. Also, 58 percent of white males passed the test battery, compared to only 6 percent of African-Americans. Duke Power wasn.t able to defend its use of these employment processes. A company vice president testified that the company had not studied the relationship between these employment practices and the employee.s ability to do the job. Also, employees already employed who did not have a diploma or take the tests were doing their jobs to satisfaction. Duke Power lost the case. The court recognized that the company had not intended to discriminate. This means that the company did have a disparate impact, since the consequences of their employment practice was discrimination.

3. Advantages and Disadvantages of internal and external recruitment sources.

Internal recruitment sources has several advantages. It generates a sample of applicants who are well known to the company. These applicants are relatively knowledgeable about the company.s vacancies, which can minimize the possibility of inflated expectations about the job. It is also generally cheaper and faster. However, there may not be enough internal sources for entry-level positions or even higher level specialized positions. Bringing on outside people may lead to new ideas and ways of doing business. Using only internal recruitment can result in a workforce whose members all think alike and who therefore may be poorly suited to innovation. Direct applicants are people who apply for