The industrial relations scenario has been perceived differently by different practitioners and theorists. Some have viewed it in terns of class conflict; some have viewed it in terms of mutuality of interest of different groups; some have viewed it as a consequence of interaction of various factors both within an organization and outside it. Based on these orientations, several approaches to industrial relations have been developed. One researcher has stated industrial relations in his research report as, “An economist tries to interpret industrial conflict in terms of impersonal markets forces and laws of supply demand. To a politician, industrial conflict is a war of different ideologies — perhaps a class-war. To a psychologist, industrial conflict means the conflicting interests, aspirations, goals, motives and perceptions of different groups of individuals, operating within and reacting to a given socio-economic and political environment”. Most important approaches to industrial relations are discussed as follows: Continue reading
HRM Concepts
Current Trends in Human Resource Management
The world of work is rapidly changing. As a part of organization, Human Resource Management (HRM) must be prepared to deal with effects of changing world of work. For the HR people it means understanding the implications of globalization, work-force diversity, changing skill requirements, corporate downsizing, continuous improvement initiatives, re-engineering, the contingent work force, decentralized work sites and employee involvement. Let us consider each of them one by one. 1. Globalization and its implications Business today doesn’t have national boundaries – it reaches around the world. The rise of multinational corporations places new requirements on human resource managers. The HR department needs to ensure that the appropriate mix of employees in terms of knowledge, skills and cultural adaptability is available to handle global assignments. In order to meet this goal, the organizations must train individuals to meet the challenges of globalization. The employees must have working knowledge Continue reading
Theories of Motivation: McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
Douglas McGregor who set forth in his book “Human Side of Enterprise” two pairs of assumptions about human beings which he thought were implied by the actions of autocratic and permissive managers. The first set of assumptions is contained in “Theory X” and the second set of assumptions in “Theory Y”. It is important to note that these sets of assumptions were not based on any research, but is intuitive deductions. Theory X: Theory X’ believes that autocratic managers often make the following assumptions about their subordinates. Accordingly, the subordinate in general: Has an inherent dislike for work and will avoid it, if he can; Is lazy and avoids responsibility. Is indifferent to organisational goals; and Prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility, has relatively little ambition and wants security above all. According to McGregor, this is a traditional theory of what workers are like and what management must Continue reading
External Recruitment
The sources of recruitment can be classified into two types, internal and external. Filling a job opening from within the firm has the advantages of stimulating preparation for possible transfer of promotion, increasing the general level of morale, and providing more information about job candidates through analysis of work histories within the organization. A job posting has a number of advantages. From the view point of the employee, it provides flexibility and greater control over career progress. For the employer, it should result in better matches of employee and job. In most instances, the jobs are posted on notice boards, though some carry listings in the company newspapers. The posting period is commonly one week, with the final decision for hiring being completed within four weeks. Internal applications are often restricted to certain employees, the guidelines for one company including (1) “good” or “better” on most recent performance review; (2) Continue reading
Strategic Innovation in Human Resource Management
Businesses can recapture the innovative spirit that initially launched their success. It has been done in companies old and new, big and small, and in just about every industry you can imagine. Each case is different, but there are three common threads. First, corporate leaders recognized the intellectual capital and potential that resided within their own employees. Second, they turned to the Human Resources Department to find the key to unlocking that potential and putting that capital to work. Third, the company reaped tremendous rewards in terms of productivity and profitability as a result. What is common to each strand of this process is the importance of HR departments to the process of strategic innovation. Ideas are the lifeblood of business success. Most of today’s corporate giants began with little more than a great idea and an entrepreneurial gleam in their eye. They leveraged their intellectual capital to build financial Continue reading
Outsourcing of Training and Development
Organizations now are using a unique approach to provide training internally by outsourcing their training departments. This they have found is a way that reduces costs improves productivity and relives them from the need of constant upgradation. Handing over the organizations training function over to “experts” in many ways also improves the quality of training. These experts have a lot of advantages; they are constantly upgrading themselves to differentiate themselves from the competition and add value to their clients, by virtue of the multiple clients they serve – they have an upfront feel of the best industry practices; training costs can be tracked more objectively and can help align your training’s with your strategic objectives in a far better manner. Outsourcing of training and development activities means comprehensive, end-to-end outsourcing–from the management of the training function to the design, delivery and reporting. Training BPO refers to the transfer of management Continue reading