...Chapter 1: THE DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT OF HRM LEARNING OUTCOMES After reading this chapter, students should be able to: • Discuss how cultural environments affect human resource management (HRM) practices. • Describe how technology is changing HRM • Identify significant changes that have occurred in workforce composition • Describe the HRM implications of a labor shortage • Describe how changing skill requirements affect HRM • Explain why organizational members focus on quality and continuous improvements • Describe work process engineering and its implications for HRM • Identify who makes up the contingent workforce and the HRM implications • Define employee involvement and list its critical components • Explain the importance of ethics in an organization. CHAPTER OVERVIEW The chapter’s opening vignette illustrates how Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels uses the Golden Rule to treat the employees as you expect them to treat the customer. While customers like to be pampered, so do the employees as evidenced by the Four Seasons being listed in Fortune magazine as one of the “Best Companies to Work For” every year since the list started in 1998. Overviews of today’s dynamic business world, highlighting cultural environments, globalization, technology, and social history evolution, set the stage for discussions about the implications to the HR field. These topics include: multicultural issues, global workforces, HRM technology, workforce...
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...Under Pressure Implications of Work-Life Balance and Job Stress Human Solutions™ Report | 2006–07 Fall 2006 Dear Valued Customer: Welcome to the first Human Solutions™ Report: Under Pressure. Implications of Work-Life Balance and Job Stress. The report was written by Graham Lowe, PhD, a thought leader in the arena of workplace health and productivity. This is the first of a series of empirical reports that we will publish for you on an annual basis, each on a relevant and timely topic or theme. The Human Solutions™ Report stems from our pledge to bring you relevant and practical recommendations concerning your most significant human capital-related issues. And it reflects our attempt to counter the wealth of unsubstantiated and potentially misleading information about workforce issues circulating in the general media and other sources. In this Human Solutions™ Report , we analyze two comprehensive Canadian workforce surveys using key questions pertaining to work-life balance and job stress. We recognize that quality of work-life is a pressing business issue for you and a necessary ingredient for a successful business strategy. Yet to craft effective solutions to work-life issues, it is paramount that you have solid evidence on the scope and nature of the problems that are faced. This is what the Report endeavours to provide. As a customer whose opinions are important to us, we welcome your feedback. As well, we look forward to hearing about topics and issues you would...
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...supports the qualities of a positive practice environment. All 12 standards apply to health care organizations and long term care institutions. Additional standards apply to the long term care environment. 1. Nurses Control the Practice of Nursing A shared governance model centers a healthy work environment for nurses. RNs directly involved in decisions that affect nursing practice with demonstrated autonomy and responsibility experience higher job satisfaction and contribute to improved quality of care and safety for patients. 3, 10, 11, 15 2. The Work Environment is Safe and Healthy An environment where safety is paramount for both nurses and patients is essential to the delivery of quality nursing practice. Studies indicate that work environments with a culture of safety demonstrate a reduction in work-related injuries. 16, 25 A supportive work environment that encourages the health and well-being of staff is also essential. 3. Systems Are in Place to Address Patient Care & Practice Concerns Pathway-designated organizations provide dispute mechanisms to address patient care and practice concerns without retribution. Silence and poor communication lead to patient safety issues and reduced job satisfaction. 2, 20 In 2009, the Joint Commission recognized implemented a standard to address conflict-and-dispute resolution in health care.17 In A study by Siu, Laschinger, and Finegan demonstrated that positive work environments enhance nurses' conflict-management skills...
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...Best Practices in Implementing Work-Life Balance Programs Srirang Jha Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi E-mail: sjha.asm@gmail.com Swarn Kant Mishra Footwear Design & Development Institute, Noida E-mail: mishra.swarnkant@gmail.com Abstract Work-life balance programs are important for contemporary organizations not only for ensuring long-term wellbeing and good health of the employees but also to attain long-term competitiveness. There have been a number of researches establishing relationship between work-life balance and organizational effectiveness. However, not many researchers have attempted to capture or review best practices in implementing work-life balance programs. This paper is a humble essay to explore if there are indeed any best practices in implementing work-life balance –a catchphrase which most of the companies love to swear by –and whether a holistic model for efficient work-life balance program can evolve from what the companies at the top are following on the ground. The authors have also tried to present a critique of gaps in current work-life balance programs. The paper raises more questions than it answers and thus provides enough fodder for the intellectual investigation on the theme. Keywords: Work-life balance, Best Practices, Organizational Excellence Introduction Work-life balance programs have attracted the attention of corporate leaders in recent times thanks to significance of such initiatives in augmenting organizational...
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...2003 Research Quarterly ❶y❸❹ Work/Life Balance Challenges and Solutions Nancy R. Lockwood HR Content Expert y SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SHRM Research ❶y❸❹ 2003 SHRM®Research Quarterly Abstract In organizations and on the home front, the challenge of work/life balance is rising to the top of many employers’ and employees’ consciousness. In today’s fast-paced society, human resource professionals seek options to positively impact the bottom line of their companies, improve employee morale, retain employees with valuable company knowledge, and keep pace with workplace trends. This article provides human resource professionals with an historical perspective, data and possible solutions—for organizations and employees alike—to work/life balance. Three factors—global competition, personal lives/family values, and an aging workforce— present challenges that exacerbate work/life balance. This article offers the perspective that human resource professionals can assist their companies to capitalize on these factors by using work/life initiatives to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Work/Life Balance: Challenges and Solutions I n a society filled with conflicting responsibilities and commitments, work/life balance has become a predominant issue in the workplace. Three major factors contribute to the interest in, and the importance of, serious consideration of work/life balance: 1) global competition; 2) renewed interest in personal...
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...Challenges faced by Australian organisations and employees due to the pervasiveness of family friendly work policies. An explanation, using real organisations to illustrate the implications, of family friendly work policies for Strategic Human Resource Management and Recruitment Practices. Australian organisations and employees are faced by many different challenges in today’s modern society. Australian organisations have set out family friendly work policies in order to adapt and cope with these challenges. The external environment of an organisation has led to the increased need for the implementation of family friendly policies within the workplace, issues such as an ageing population and skills shortages need to be addressed by specific policies. The growth and demand placed on employees to increase their working hours, means that there is an increased conflict with their family, work and life choices, this has resulted in the work/life balance being dramatically one-sided. The need to implement family friendly policies into the work environment has significant implications for the strategic human resource management teams. There are many internal and external factors which affect the organisations strategy when making decisions in relation to its policies. ANZ, Telstra and Westpac are just three of the major organisations within Australia who have implemented family friendly work policies. These policies have significant implications for recruitment practices within Australian...
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...Working Year Title of Report Life Summary report and data analysis of the Quality of Working Life survey carried out June to July 2007 for: Type of Analysis University of Essex Wivenhoe Park Colchester Essex CO24 3SQ UK STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL Prepared by Portsmouth Applied Psychology Unit Department of Psychology King Henry 1st Street Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK www.qowl.co.uk QoWL PO Box 778 Portsmouth P01 9DQ United Kingdom September, 2007 Essex QoWL - UNIV Report dvl1 se ab se dvl4 final3 oct 1st Dr Darren Van Laar Director Executive Summary University of Essex Quality of Working Life survey (June to July, 2007) What is Quality of Working Life? QoWL Ltd PO Box 778 Portsmouth P01 9DQ United Kingdom T: +44 (0)8454 75 76 95 Quality of Working Life (QoWL) is a measure of how good your work is for you. Quality of Working Life is more than just job satisfaction or work happiness, but the widest context in which an employee would evaluate their job. The QoWL Survey and Data Set The QoWL survey tool encompasses three important questionnaires: 1. The QoWL Core Scale, which looks at the six core factors associated with Quality of Working Life, such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, and working conditions. 2. The QoWL Workplace Outcome Scale, which provides data related to a variety of specific outcomes related to Quality of Working Life such as intention to stay, perceived productivity, and pride in the organisation. 3. The HSE Work-Related Stress Scale, which...
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...the IT department and the organization have the ability to influence IT innovations. IT not only helps in shaping the organization but also aims at emphasizing and reinforcing customer focus and services (Lowry,2016). Lack of business-IT alignment along with work-life imbalance are the key challenges which needs to be fixed. WestJet’s strategic plan is based on information system which acts as the key factor in organization’s longevity and efficiency. Issues like lack of business-IT alignment, improper work-life balance, skill set mismatch needs to be addressed as they pose high risk to the organization impacting its performance. IT Transformation plan IT Alignment...
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...stress currently affect the Canadian work force. We will explore a contrast between Great Britain’s and Canada’s workplace causes of stress and industries that provide most stress within the two nations. We will also identify some Canadian companies strategies to assist their employees with managing stress. Throughout this research it will become evident the importance of taking responsibility for managing stress to maintain a healthy work life balance. It is also important to recognize the impact of advancement in communication tools and their positive and negative impact towards work related stress. Different cultures and nations can experience similar stressors but also have unique stress contributing factors and industries. Employee stress in Great Britain and Canada According to the Health and Safety Executive (Buckley, 2013, p. 6-7), Great Britain has a total of 10.4 million working days lost between 2011 and 2012, as compared to Canada of 100 million in 2010 alone (Langton, N., & Robbins, S.P. & Judge, T., 2013, p. 122-129). Data shows the main stressors in Great Britain are workload, lack of managerial support, and violence/bullying (Buckley, 2013, p. 6-7). Canadians tend to stress over job security, technological change, workload, managerial/co-worker support and personal life balance (textbook). When comparing this data, the Canadian workforce appear to struggle with more stressors, one key cause is personal life affecting work life and vice versa. The most stressful...
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...writer. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Student’s Signature: Instructor’s Grade on Assignment: Instructor’s Comments: Running Head: Work Stress and Conflict Work Place Elements of Conflict and Stress Submitted by: Managing Conflict and Change HRM 3100 December 01, 2008 Table of Contents Introduction () 4 Globalization () 7 Work-Life Balance ( 10 Coping with Downsizing and Restructuring 13 Work Conditions () 16 Summary () 20 References 22 Introduction Conflict and stress are an intricate part of everyone’s life. The level and domination of these two highly recognizable emotions vary throughout maturity and become greatly enhanced and more complex when one joins the workforce. Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities. Work stress is recognized world-wide as a major challenge to workers’ health and the health of their organizations. Workers who are stressed are more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive, and less safe at work (Leka, Friffiths, & Cox, 2008). This paper is focused on the elements in today’s work environment that contribute to increased levels of conflict and stress. The level of...
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...and uptake Contents Summary of key findings Flexible working provision – employers’ policies and practices Formal/informal flexible working arrangements Flexible working and the law Right to request flexible working Flexible working regulations and tribunal claims Access to and uptake of flexible working among employees Employee perceptions of the flexible working arrangements provided by employers Uptake of flexible working Flexible working uptake, by size of organisation worked for Flexible working uptake, by seniority of employees Employees that would like to work flexibly if given the opportunity Benefits of flexible working Benefits of flexible working: employees Satisfaction with work–life balance and employee engagement Satisfaction with work–life balance support Barriers to introducing flexible working Flexible working trends Background to the report Conclusions 2 4 7 9 10 14 15 15 16 18 18 18 21 22 24 25 27 30 33 34 Flexible working provision and uptake 1 Summary of key findings Background to the survey This report is based on survey responses from more than 1,000 employers and 2,000 employees. The employer survey is weighted to be representative of industry in the UK in relation to size, sector and type of business. The employee survey is weighted to be representative of the UK workforce in relation to sector and size (private, public, voluntary), industry type and full-time/part-time working by gender. Both surveys were conducted in early January 2012...
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...does work/ life Balance play in the success of an organization? Explain. Answer: The roles does work/life Balance play in the success of an organization are: • Work/ life Balance affects organization profit and revenues. It is achieved by implementing work/life balance inside the organization which gives the employees alternatives and flexible time management. Which affect the employee’s satisfaction from work and leads to satisfaction at work and increased passion for it. Moreover it has an impact on the employee commitment to achieve the organization goals. • Work/ life Balance affects organization productivity and efficiency of employees. Where employees become more creative and capable to take decisions on behalf of their mangers in their absence. • Work/ life has a positive impact on staff retaining through providing Flexible working hours and consultative roistering arrangement to all employees including managers and supervisors. • Work/ life decreases the work stress fall on the employees shoulders which has a direct impact on the firm productivity • Work/ life Balance could be an excellent tool for attracting and retain top- notch employees who in return affect the organization productivity 2. How does diversity in an organization affect the organization’s work /life balance? What ethical considerations exist that may drive the organization to be more work/life balance...
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... 203 Area structures 252 Authority (dele + empower) 263 Accountability (dele + empower) 263 Authority and responsibility principle (dele + empower) 263 Advisory authority (org) 265 B Belief in human capital 13 Bureaucratic organization (Max Weber) 38 Bias toward action (att of perform excel) 49 Biculturalism 103 Benefits of planning 193 Budget 197 Benchmarking 199 Best practices 199 Benefit of MBO 207 Break-even analysis 209 Benefits of functional structures 250 Boundaryless organizations 258 C Corporate governance 9 Careers 9 Critical skills for the new WP 11 Contacts 11 Changing nature of organization 13 Command and control (change in org) 13 Concern for work-life balance 13 Controlling 21 Competencies for managerial success 25 Communication (Mana success) 25 Critical thinking (mana success) 25 Classical approaches to management 35 Command (Rules of mana) 37 Coordination (Rules of mana) 37 Control (Rules...
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...the importance of ethics in their environment. What interests me is, where do we draw the line between ethical and unethical behavior. If a working environment is not motivating for a person, he would have no issues with calling in sick or being absent. He would even have no problems with throwing his tasks to his colleagues and later on taking on all credit for something he has not done. No one would think this attitude is unethical as long as he gets a break and the task is being completed. A student who has not studied for the finals will resort to cheating during the exams and not have a second thought about ethics. The reason is because ethical behavior is not being properly stressed at organizations and mostly everyone cares about making money regardless of the way they do it. Making money is not wrong, but the topic of debate is, is it unethical to bend the rules a little bit to achieve one’s momentarily happiness. Helping Employees with Work-Life Balance We are often being told to separate work life from our personal life. But is this really possible? Can you achieve your career goal if you do this? I believe the answer is no. The more effort you put in your work, the more successful you become. Until one day you realize you don’t even have a personal life anymore and the only people you have real relation with are your colleagues. Not many organizations are being considerate about the overtime hours a person put in, as long as he works from 8am to 4pm. This extra effort...
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...settlement aspect of the trade union CITU. 4 Managing workforce diversity. 5 Each student will be allotted an industry in which they have to find out how different companies have managed trade unions as well as strikes. 6 Each student has to analyse the importance of self managed work teams in the organizations and how they can be helpful for sustaining high performance. 7 Each student will be given an insurance company to find out how they should compensate to retain employee. 8 Planned Exit 9 Why CEO feels HR plays small role in organization’s success. 10 Employee engagement and communication for rainy days 11 Glass ceiling 12 Find out the various strategies followed by the various companies during recession 13 Creating a leadership pipeline 14 Sustaining high performance teams 15 Challenges in Recruitment 16 Need of cross cultural negotiations 17 Effectiveness of variable pay packages 18 Golden Handshake :the need of an hour 19 Management Development programs and its benefits. 20 The See-Saw of work and life 21 Women Empowerment in corporate world 22 Whistle Blowing – an ethical dilemma in HRM 23 Collective bargaining in global business environment 24 Outbound Training-beyond fun 25 Impact of recession on HR practices 26 Succession Planning in Indian Organization 27 HR Management in 21st Century: Challenges for the future. 28 HRM in small and medium sized enterprises -A comparative analysis 29...
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