Policy-Making in Human Resources - Assignment Example

Policy-Making in Human Resources Table of Contents Policy-Making in Human Resources Table of Contents 2 Part 3 Introduction 3 The Policy Making Stages 3 Values, challenges, and benefits to implementing and evaluating Policy Making Approach 6 Summarization of use of Policy Making Stages to Human Resources 8 Part 2 9 References 9 Part 1 Introduction The paper focuses on the identification of a policy making framework that can be effectively utilized relating to the human resource functioning of an organization. Effectiveness of the policy making framework is gained such that the same is used relating to a hypothetical situation of human resource functioning in the workplace. Both empirical and practical discussions would be generated related to the policy-making approach such that it would tend to highlight on the different benefits, challenges and value sets relating to the policy framework. The Policy Making Stages The policy making activity is constituted by a six different stages. The different stages right from deciding on the agenda or issue for which the policy is needed to be framed to the implementation of the final policy is effectively reflected in the following diagram. (Stol, 2009) The policy making stages reflect after identification of the issue for designing of the policy, reflects on evaluating the problems and the different options for setting up of the policy. After the selection of the right or favorable option the policy making process focuses on generation of legislative and regulatory procedures for designing of the policy before implementing the same to bring about necessary changes. The process of designing or generating a policy is also observed as an effective cycle of different types of activities that are conducted in a specific order. The different types of activities that are conducted in a chronological fashion are identified as recognition of the problems or issues based on which the agenda can be constituted, analysis of the policy to be made, evaluation of the tools for designing of the policy, making effective consultation and collaboration with interested stakeholders, coordinating with other principal areas, formulation of decisions related to the policy, implementation of the decision made and finally evaluating the potentiality of the implementation phase in meeting the policy objectives. The above discussion is diagrammatically as follows. (Stol, 2009) Work Life Inc. is a company that works as a consultancy in the generation of effective strategic and marketing solutions for different companies operating in the services sector. Mainly based in United States, the company is currently observed to focus on becoming a multinational company through setting up of branches in different parts of the world both in developed and developing nations. In its bid to internationalize, the company aims in generating a policy framework on incorporating a diversified workforce that would be constituted by people relating to different nationalities. Working based on a diversified pool of human resources, the consulting company aims at gaining needed competitive advantage in generating business solutions conducive to the cultural framework of the different regions. The Policy Making approach based on the cycle of activities is used by Work Life Inc. to help in the designing of an effective policy related to the incorporation and growth of diversity in its human resources setting. Use of the activity based process approach in the first case relates to identification of the issue for which the policy of inclusion of a diverse workforce needs to be generated. It would reflect on the expansion objectives of the company and also aim in gaining competitive advantage in its operation in key international markets. Subsequently to the identification of objectives for generation of workforce diversity, the activity cycle would focus on analyzing the policy framework and tool for inclusion of workforce diversity. The organizational management at Work Life Inc. is required to work in staff involvement activities through the mode of training the people on the benefits and advantages of operating based on a diverse workforce. Along with the provision of diversity oriented training, the organizational management is also required to create a horizontal organizational structure that would contribute in ease of communication along all levels. Generation of flexibility in the workplace with enhanced collaboration and communication would contribute in creating a sustainable workforce contributing in supporting the management decision on diversity. In the process of including a diverse workforce the organizational management is also required to rightly consult with the employment regulatory and legislative bodies pertaining to the different regions. Consultation and collaboration carried out with the external bodies related to labor and employment pertaining to the different countries would contribute in creating a favorable approach of inclusion of people belonging to different nationalities. In the course of implementation and evaluation of the diversity approach the organizational management is required to understand and evaluate the needs of the indigenous people relating to the different regions in which the organization has set up its branches. Similarly the recruitment practices of the organization are to focus on the greater inclusion of people relating to the regional cultures. Further along with modifying the internal work culture based on the external cultural needs the management is also required to create an environment supporting and recognizing the activities of the regional people. The management is also required to create an environment generating equal opportunity for growth and development of the newly recruited indigenous workers. Training and consultation programs must be continually generated to help in the effective absorption of the indigenous workers in the organization (Wallace, Pollack, & Young, 2010). Values, challenges, and benefits to implementing and evaluating Policy Making Approach The use of the policy-making cycle in creating a policy framework reflects some essential value sets, challenges and benefits. The use of the Policy-Making cycle adds value in generation of effective policies such that it contributes in breaking up the entire process in subsequent steps thereby simplifying the policy framework. The policy making process duly simplified helps in rightly communicating the same to the different interested stakeholders relating to the policy framework. Policy-Making cycle is also considered as a value added approach in the designing of effective policies such that the process does not end only with the implementation of the policies. Rather the cycle aims to potentially evaluate effective feedbacks relating to the effectiveness and the problems countered with the implementation of the policies and thereby generate needed modifications (Baines, 2007). The policy–making cycle faces potential criticism such that it reflected in largely misleading the different stages reflected in the cycle are not rigid to be used in different types of policy making situations. Further the idea of identification of the issues or agenda for which the policy is ought to be prepared and the potential solutions aimed to be generated by the policy are observed not go hand-in-hand. Rather it is often observed that policies are generated prior to the need for identifying the problems in place such that the policy generated is modified based on the emerging needs to enhance its sustainability. Again the policy-making cycle gains effectiveness such that the same is used for the designing and implementation of a single policy framework. This feature thereby limits its effectiveness relating to the designing of multiple policies. The generation of policies in the real world is taken to be more of an impulsive and unpredictable in nature such that it fails to meet the rationalistic decision-making approach as indicated in the cycle. The Policy-Making cycle is used in the policy generation process such that it helps in the formulation of effective decisions to tackle the emergence of potential issues. The above approach thereby contributes in formulating the decisions based on a cause-and-effect relationship thereby making the solutions case specific in nature. The policy-making cycle is also considered beneficial in nature such that it contributes in the synchronization of the different parameters relating to the generation of inputs, use of the production process to help generate needed outcomes for designing the needed outputs (McKenzie and Wharf, 2010). Summarization of use of Policy Making Stages to Human Resources The paper reflects on the use of the policy making cycle relating to the case of promoting diversity in an organizational framework. It reflects on the effectiveness of the policy making cycle such that it aims in rationalizing the decision making approach relating to the inclusion of a diverse workforce in the organization and the pattern needed to follow to contribute in the effective incorporation of an indigenous workforce with the existing working population. Use of the policy-making cycle gains due effectiveness related to the scenario such that it helps in planning on the needed approach to generate potential training to the existing employees and also in rightly collaborating between the different stakeholders to contribute in the implementation of needed organizational diversity. The analysis of the policy making cycle is carried out in the paper to reflect on the benefits, challenges and values contributed relating to its use in the decision making framework. Policy making cycle is observed to be largely criticized for its hypothetical and theoretical approach compared to policy decision making approaches in the contemporary and realistic world. It is also criticized for generating effectiveness relating to the implementation of specific policy needs and thus gains little use in a multiple policy generation environment. Policy making cycle owns effectiveness owing to the simplicity of its dealing in generation of policies and also in the synchronization of inputs, production and output generation process in the generation of potential results. Part 2 Policy-making activities relating to human resources tends to generate potential effectiveness and drawbacks that can be highlighted as follows. In terms of effectiveness the use of the policy-making framework contributes in rationalizing on the decision making process to help in generating potential solutions to the emerging issues. Further the use of the policy-making framework also gains due effectiveness such that the same works in the effective collaboration of the needed resources, infrastructures and also aims in integrating the viewpoints of the different stakeholders to generate effective policies based on different needs (Dussault & Dubois, 2003). The policy-making approaches tend to suffer from potential drawbacks where they fail to rightly meet the objectives of the social and economic realities relating to the business organization. Similarly, failure to operate in a collaborative atmosphere the policy making approaches does not essentially match the needs for which the same is constructed. Failure to effectively coordinate the generation of policies with the existing resource base is observed to potentially cause the wastage of both infrastructural and financial resources of the organization. Again lack of needed accountability and commitment of the management and also focus on short-term needs rather limits the effectiveness of the policy-making approach in the generation of different policies (Dussault & Dubois, 2003). References Baines, D. (Ed.). 2007. Doing anti-oppressive practice: Building transformative politicized social work. Halifax, NS: Fernwood. Dussault, G., & Dubois, C.-A. (2003). Human resources for health policies: a critical component in health policies. Human Resources for Health , 1 (1). McKenzie, B., & Wharf, B., (2010). Connecting policy with practice in the human services, 3rd ed.. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press. Stol, H. (2009). A framework for evidence-based policy making using IT. United States : Eburon Uitgeverij B.V. Wallace, H., Pollack, M. A., & Young, A. R. (2010). Policy-making in the European Union. United Kingdom : Oxford University Press. Read More