Organizational Management and Human Resource Management - Research Proposal Example

Organizational Management and Human Resource Management Research proposal Background: Managing organizations can be a complex task since they are made of people and not just machines or other equipments. One important area in organizational management is dealing with the employees of the organization, commonly known as human resources management. This is a vast area of study and covers many disciplines like psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Managing employees well results in keeping employees happy and satisfied. It is proposed that one area of human resources management be studied in detail for this research paper Objective: Happy employees are productive employees and can result in a symbiotic relationship with the management. One of the ways in which employees can be made happy is through employee motivation. This requires knowledge of the above mentioned disciplines and related theories. Due to its importance, employee motivation has been the subject of serious study by many theorists and scholars over a period of time. The objective of this research paper is to study employee motivation Research questions: Money is considered to be a motivating factor for all employees, but studies have indicated that they are motivated by other factors also. The research question in this study is given below. What are the main motivating factors for lower level employees (supervisors and workers), middle level employees (middle management), and top level employees (top management)? Literature review and methodology: A literature review will be done on the area. A methodology using primary and secondary data will also be used to substantiate the findings. A survey among the employees of the organization where this researcher is working as an administrative head will be conducted Introduction Human Resource Management is one of the most important topics of study in the organizational management today. The word organization was used because this area of study affects all types of organizations. They can be the government and government organizations, they can be organizations run for profit like corporations and companies and they can be run not-for profit. In each case managing of the human capital is important for the efficient functioning of the organizations. The field is a very vast one with elements of psychology, anthropology, economics, etc being included in the study. This paper forms a part of a research proposal that looks at HRM in general with regard to the career options of this writer. This writer is working as an administrative head in a large manufacturing organization that is planning to expand into international markets. The proposal will focus on a specific area of human resources management namely managing employee motivation which is an essential function of the human resource department Overview of HRM Due to its inherent complexity (because of managing humans) it is difficult to define it in simple terms. Many definitions have been developed by theorists and experts in the field, and one such definition developed by Huczynski and Buchanan is given here. HRM is “a managerial perspective, with theoretical and prescriptive dimensions, which argues for the need to establish an integrated series of personnel policies consistent with organizational strategy, thus ensuring quality of working life, high commitment and performance from employees, and organizational effectiveness and competitive advantage” (Loosemore, Dainty & Lingard, 2003, p. 33). The factors involved are balancing probably conflicting employee and employer interests and aligning them to match organizational goals. It is quite apparent that this could be a difficult and complicated task especially in the case of large organizations. A large organization will have a large mix of employees in terms of age, race and qualification and each of them will have different expectations. Comprehensive human resource management should involve the following areas and functions. Manpower Planning: This is an important function of HR. A company should be staffed by the correct number of employees who have the right qualifications for the job. This is applicable to the present situation as well as for the futures. Employees may retire and some may leave unexpectedly and they have to be replaced. Expansion of Business will also require new staff and new positions. Promotion policies have to evolved and put in place. The first step in this direction is taking a complete picture of the existing staff. Selection and recruitment of personnel: Recruitment can be done by promotion of existing staff and appointing new people through advertising and sourcing from other companies. Employee training: New and existing employees should be provided with adequate training to remain competent and also to learn new methods and techniques implemented for better efficiency. Employee Motivation: Apart from basic pay and allowances, bonus, productivity pay, holiday and health allowances etc have to be considered. Employee motivation can be studied from two perspectives, namely established theories and individual factors that have been established to have an effect on employees as a result of various studies. The established theories on employee motivation are those propounded by Douglas McGregor, Frederick Herzberg, Abraham Maslow, Elton Mayo, Chris Argyris, Rensis Likert, and David Mc Clelland (Employee Motivation: Theory and practice 2008). Literature on human relations management and employee motivation indicate that the concept of considering employees as people with emotions and feeling began only during the late 1920s and 30s. Until then theorists like Taylor and other well known economists of the time considered them to be in effect, an extension of machinery and equipment. Studies in those days were focused on increasing production from employees through physical efficiency rather than emotion or motivation. The concept of human relations in management should be credited with the Hawthorne Experiments conducted by Elton Mayo, which ultimately laid the foundation of human relations management seen and practiced today. Each of these theories will be discussed in some detail here along with the individual factors affecting motivation mentioned above. Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y: McGregor postulates employee motivation (or lack of it) from the perception of managers or supervisors and the employees. The perception of managers/supervisors was given under Theory X and those of the employees were given under Theory Y. Theory X provides the following assumptions regarding the attitude of employees. Theory X presumes employees to be lazy, irresponsible, highly security oriented, not independent and needing high level of control by supervisors. Theory Y sees employees to be almost the opposite of what is said above. The employee will be motivated (by job satisfaction for example), needs responsibility and challenge and does not necessarily like to be controlled strongly. The latter theory gives truer picture of an employee especially in higher levels of employment (Leonard, 2002, p. 192). Herzberg’s Two Factor theory: According to this outlook, “job satisfaction depends upon a certain set of conditions, whereas job dissatisfaction is the result of an entirely different set of conditions” (Furnham 2005). Job satisfaction (motivation) is obtained from factors such as achievement, recognition and rewards, career advancement opportunities, and liking of the job. Job dissatisfaction is dependent on hygiene factors like the employer, the type of supervision, policies followed, compensation, working atmosphere and facilities, and relationship with others in the organization. If these are unfavourable it leads to job dissatisfaction. But the reverse will not happen. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Many people have questioned the relevance of this theory, but it still is widely quoted in motivational literature. Maslow has created a need hierarchy starting from basic physical needs to higher level emotional and intellectual needs. Only when the basic needs are fulfilled will an employee begin to feel for the higher needs in a step by step process. The needs are physiological (basic), safety, sense of belonging/social, self-esteem, and self-actualization or achievement (Mead, 1998, p. 196). Elton Mayo’s Western Electric Plant studies: Mayo began an experiment to see the effect of better physical working conditions on productivity. He was surprised when the resulting increased productivity did not fall even after conditions were brought back to the original state. Further research revealed that workers singled out for attention (recognition) was the main factor for this state of affairs. It was actually this experiment that paved the wasy for the softer side of HRM studies. Chris Argyris – Immaturity maturity theory: Professor Argyris feels that high levels of, supervision, rigidity, job specialization, and hierarchy will result in employees behaving in an immature way, much like what has been said in Theory X. Removing this situation will result in mature behaviour which is good for the organization and the employees. Rensis Likert managerial study: This study was based on managerial performance in Michigan. Likert says that certain styles and behavior adopted by managers results in higher levels of employee commitment and productivity. According to him a participative style along with motivation, recognition and rewards will be the most productive one for organizations. David Mc Clelland’s Theory of achievement: Mc Clelland focused on differences of attitude between employees rather than overall group motivation. He says that certain individuals are more achievement oriented, while others are power oriented or affiliation oriented. These are highly individualistic in nature and each of them will have to be handled in a separate way. He feels that achievement oriented employees will be the most productive for an organization. Good relations:It should be ensured that relationships with trade unions, informal and formal groups within the organization are kept cordial. Other services: This includes provisions for sick leave and pay, rehabilitation of injured employees, canteens, emergency financial aid, health, safety and hygiene factors. Training and development: training for new and existing employees will have to be taken up. New technology and systems and new jobs or promotions will require training so that staffing can be done efficiently. HR Strategy:Finally a practical and efficient strategy should be evolved and put in place. It should be ensured that this strategy is implemented as planned. Regular reviews of the strategy must be done on the basis of results and changes be made wherever necessary.  Organizational behaviour: Every organization whether it is run for profit or not would have developed and internal behaviour over a period of years. The understanding and acceptance of this organizational behaviour is important for any employee to perform to his maximum potential within the organization. This is especially relevant in an era of globalization, where people of different cultures are increasingly working together. In order to understand the relationship between job description and organizational behaviour it is better to take the individual components of which include organizational culture, motivation and leadership. Managing organizational culture An English manager who works in an Asian country will take some time to understand the different organizational culture that exists in an Asian country and the USA. Organizational culture can be defined as the commonly shared values, assumptions, and expectations that the employees share in an organization and this provides a common perspective to the team members. An article titled ‘Connecting People with Nonprofit information’ states that it is better to give an indication to a potential candidate about the culture that exists within the organization at the time of hiring itself. “Can a hiring process genuinely reflect an organizations distinct personality and values? The answer is yes, provided the organization is aware of its organizational culture and makes an intentional effort to demonstrate the various attributes of its culture to job candidates” (Communicating Your Organizations Culture to Job Candidates 2008). The article goes on to state that this can be communicated to the candidate by including the company mission statement and a brief outline of the internal culture in the job posting as well as the job description.  Other important considerations: HRM has to consider the following factors for efficient employee management. There should be no discrimination or harassment on any basis and all employees should have an equal opportunity at all benefits depending on quality. The HR department should regularly conduct job analysis for payment of rewards and compensation. Performance analysis is also necessary in this regard. New employees should be provided with detailed job description and steps should be taken to see that proper job design and enrichment is done. A proper and just system of salary, rewards, and other benefits should be worked out and implemented. There should exist good physical working conditions with proper safety and health checks in place. Relations between employees, tradeunions and the management are vital and should be kept cordial and cooperative. Organizations are dynamic entities and change is a constant factor. A proper system of managing organizational change and resistance to change should be in place. Conclusion: An overview of HRM with focus on employee motivation has been done here. This forms a part of a research paper. All that has been said above is relevant to this writer’s career as a departmental head with an international organization. One of the areas of personal interest is employee motivation and it is intended that this will be the focus of the research paper. References Loosemore, M, Dainty, A & Lingard, H. (2003). Human resource management in construction projects: strategic and operational approaches. Illustrated Edition: Taylor & Francis. Leonard, David C. (2002). Learning theories, A to Z. Illustrated Edition: Greenwood Publishing Group. Furnham, Adrian. (2005). The psychology of behaviour at work: the individual in the organization. 2nd Illustrated Edition: Psychology Press. Mead, Richard. (1998). International management: cross-cultural dimensions. 2nd Illustrated Edition: Wiley-Blackwell. Communicating Your Organizations Culture to Job Candidates. (2008, Jan). Retrieved April 30, 2009, from GuideStar USA, Inc: http://www2.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2008/communicating-your-organizations-culture-to-job-candidates.aspx?articleId=1177 Employee Motivation: Theory and practice. (2008). Retrieved April 30, 2009, from Accel-Team Website: http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html Read More