Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management Essay The key to transform a great business idea into reality. Every business concept has a hand in hand relation with the manpower who will drive various aspect of the business. Unless the human resource and various aspect of it is not understood and utilized appropriately the success of business Competency and Its Mapping Competence (or competency) is the ability of an individual to perform a job or any given assignment properly. A competency is a set of defined behaviors that provide a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation and development of the behaviors in individual or group of employees. Various kind of competency was understood and based on this an individual or group of individual may be assigned a job. At the same time I got an opportunity to assess my personal competency and how it may be shifted to expert level i.e. I was not very comfortable with sudden changes in the course action suggested by my senior – dealing with non clear instruction use to disturb me. But now I have understood that this is a part of job as one grows up in the corporate structure. And will have to manage such situation with better competency. Recruitment The process of recruiting an individual for some known set of job is also one of the important take away from this course. This refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting a qualified person for a job. The process to achieve competency in all the above mentioned skills was discussed in the course and it gave a fairly good idea on how to manage. Training and Development Training and development is the field which is concerned with organizational activity aimed at bettering the performance of individuals and groups in organizational settings. A well trained employee is the most valuable asset to the organization – as he is capable of executing most of the process desired by the respective individual. Important Legal Aspect In Reference to Indian Labor law. The legal aspect in the context of Indian labor law – we got acquainted to some of the important laws which we must know as managers. This is for our benefit, the benefit of the group, company, society and the nation at large. The bellow mentioned acts were very informative. ââ€" ª Industrial Disputes Act 1947 ââ€" ª Trade Union Act 1926 ââ€" ª Factories Act 1948 ââ€" ª Employee’s Provident Funds Misc. Provisions Act 1952 ââ€" ª Employees’ State Insurance Act 1948 ââ€" ª Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 ââ€" ª Payment of Gratuity Act 1972 ââ€" ª Employees’ Compensation Act 1923 Although the take away in this course cannot be documented fully but I have pointed out few of them which was important to me. The take away will be demonstrated in the time to come by the way it is implemented in the real and practical situations. HR audit on Appraisal System HR audit is the systematic verification of various aspect of human interaction with the concerned job. This encompasses job analysis and design, recruitment and selection, orientation and placement, training and development, performance appraisal and job evaluation, employee and executive remuneration, motivation and morale, participative management, communication, welfare and social security, safety and health, industrial relations, trade unionism, and disputes and their resolution. HR audit is very much useful to achieve the organizational goal and also is a vital tool which helps to assess the effectiveness of HR functions of an organization. It gives an idea that the organization is aligned to the organizational vision, mission and goal or not. In reference to this assignment I have done audit of â€Å"appraisal system and its linkage to pay for performance† Appraisal System and Pay for Performance The purpose to do this audit is to examine and pinpoint strength and weaknesses related to HR areas – like appraisal system and Pay for performance system to enable an organization to achieve its long-term and short-term goals. This audit is done for my own organization. Few suggestions for improvement are also added. The present Appraisal system The job role is clearly explained and is quantified. The performance is rated as A+ , A, B+ , B and C. The one who exceed in achieving the goal this will get A+ and so on. The one who gets A+ will be rewarded monetarily for display of great performance which exceeded the given target. Rest all will not be financially rewarded. This happens every quarter and finally at the end of financial year. Management felt it needed to use pay-for performance as an additional inducement either to achieve particular goals, to reinforce learning and/or team behavior in semiautonomous teams, and or to compensate for an increase in span of control due to de-layering. In this assignment I will try to point out the negatives of this kind of appraisal system Negative points Everyone is concerned for their target and tend to ignore the following. Specifically, they motivate employees to focus excessively on doing what they need to do to gain rewards, sometimes at the expense of doing other things that would help the organization. 1. The senior many time fails to inculcate employee motivation towards their individual achievement goal – which in turn is a component of immediate senior goal. i. Hence fails to inculcate the charm of achieving challenging but doable goal. 2. There is a quota of number of person who will get recognized for excellent performance. Corporate budgets for bonuses often limit payout. i. That in other terms means the achievement of goal is not the only measuring parameter. There are several more differentiating factors which decide that the individual will get recognized or not. ii. This sometime becomes non motivating factor in the mid of the evaluation course when an individual realizes that the recognition is based on the ability beyond the achievement of target. iii. Managers can lose commitment to the pay system if it pays out more than anticipated due to problems in payout standards and if there are changes in performance standards due to changes in technology and organizational arrangements and unanticipated learning curves. iv. It is changing circumstances that make it difficult for managers to sustain links between pay and performance in a way that will avoid perceptions of unfairness and inequity. Such perceptions can undermine the perceived link between pay and performance so important to sustain its motivational power. 3. There is no formal discussion with the HR representative during the appraisal. i. Which leads to inappropriate focus of personal development from HR point of view. In other words, rather than assuming that there are universal best practices for pay-for-performance, it may be that what is effective for a particular organization depends on some unique aspects of its culture, and one must, therefore, be cautious in generalizing from one organization to another, even within the same industry. To ignore employee discontent with the pay system would mean undercutting the high-commitment culture. Suggestion for changes 1. Discussion on the goal with the individual – monthly, quarterly as well as half yearly and finally annual. 2. The recognition of performance should be based on the attitude and genuine motivation towards achievement of goals set during the above discussion. 3. Appraisal should be done in presence of HR representative and immediate supervisor. 4. Many times the individual does not know why he is being asked to do any specific job and is unable to see the bigger picture i.e corporate strategy, competitive strategy and functional strategy. And hence the individual does not feel himself inclusive in the overall process. 5. Apart from the specific goals of the company – there must be a focus on the personal skill, knowledge and attitude of the employee. There must be a discussion on the training need and requirement. This will strengthen the most valuable asset of any organization. 6. The pay for performance should not be limited to little number of persons. It should be distributed in form of slabs to all. 7. High commitment can only be created if employees develop an emotional attachment to the task, management, and the company. This in turn can only be developed if they feel fairly treated. And, this in turn is a function of how much voice they have in issues that affect task performance and their well-being. 8. The recognition of performance should not be based on the skills other than the professional need.

Western Civilization Essay -- essays research papers

Western Civilization from 1589 to 1914 had many specific changes that contributed to the structure of the western world before World War I. In the absolutism state sovereignty is embodied in the person of the ruler. Kings were absolute kings and were resposible to no none except god. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries absolute rulers had to respect the fundamental laws of their land. They had to control competing jurisdictions, institutions or groups that were interested in their territory. They regulated religious sects. France of Louis was the classic model of absolutism. Louis XIV, " the sun king," was a devoted Catholic who believed that god had estalblished kings as rulers on the earth. The French language and culture became an international style because of him. People liked what he was doing, people really liked him. He effected the western world in a good way. He made them see that absolutism could indeed be very productive. Constitutionalism is the opposite of absolutism. Tis is the limitation of the state law. Under the constitutionalism, the state must be governed according to law, not by royal decree. It implies the balance of power of the government and the rights of the subjects. Constitutional governments may be either be republics or monarchies. Between 1603 and 1649 absolutism ran along second to English beliefs. This is when costitutionalism began to rise. This was also during the English civil war. This was a messy period for England. After this period however, the English monarchy was restored. The Stuart kings were stored in 1660. This did not however, help religion of the relationship between king and parliament. The test was passed in 1673. This stated that those who joined the church of England could not vote, hold office, preach, teach, attend universities or assemble, and these restrictions could not be upheld. Fear of a catholic monarchy led to the expulsion of James the 2nd and t he glorious revolution. Constitutionalism was the way of the future and in my own personal opinion it was the best way to go. Shortly after absolutism and constituionalism the scientific revolution came into effect. The scientfic revolution of the seventeenth century was the major cause of the change in world view and one of the key developments in the evolution of the weste... ... The American Revolution was fought from 1775-1789. The British wanted Americans to share the imperial expenses. The Americans did not like that so they fought for there freedom and they won. They won their independence. America’s greater political equality was matched by greater social and economic equality. By the time the American revolution ended in 1789 the French revolution began and went on until 1791. The French were influenced by the Americans so they decided to revolutionize too. By the 1780’s France’s government was nearly bankrupt as was the banking system. The French raised bread prices and prices on other essentials. France had to do something so they went to war. France did not endure the immediate successes the way the America did. Theirs was a more slow moving process but eventually they got there. These revolutions reinforced the enlightenment idea that a better life is out there. Everything that happened shaped western civilization in one way or another. None more so then the American Revolution. The western world looked at was going on and learned from it. Western civilization has come along way and yet has a long way to travel.

Management and Weber Essay

Drawing on Weber’s ideal type, critically consider the relevance of bureaucratic administration to the management of twenty-first century organizations. Max Weber was a German sociologist in the twentieth century; he was famous for his classical management theory. Weber classified three different types of authority, traditional, charismatic and legitimate authority. Traditional authority is based on traditions and customs that the leader has the legitimate right to use authority. Charismatic authority is the belief that the leader whose mission and visions will inspire others. Legitimate authority is based on formal, system of rules. In the 1930s, Weber introduced that the bureaucratic form as being the ideal way of organizing government agencies. This soon became popular in both the private and public sectors. Weber believes that the development of rational forms to be the most important characteristics in the development of Western society and capitalism. He considered the traditional and charismatic forms as irrational. Rationality is based on reasoning, calculation and logic. One of the many types of rationality includes the formal rationality. The notion of formal rationality is important to the emergence of industrial capitalism as capitalism values reason, calculation and precision, science and logic. Formal rationality is a form of rationality that characterizes bureaucratic organizations. Bureaucracy refers to the execution of tasks that are governed by official administrative and formal rules of an organization. Weber’s bureaucratic management theory focuses on dividing organizations into hierarchies with authorities and control. The ideal type is extreme, empirically based and yardstick for comparison. Weber has 6 major principles for his ideal type of management style. Firstly, the organization has a formal hierarchical structure, which refers to the ranking system within in the management. A hierarchical structure management style also suggests a centralized decision making process, where the vast majority of decisions are made by a small number of people, usually the senior management teams. Secondly, the organization follows a management by rules system; the organization is controlled by rules, which allows decisions to be made at high level then executed by the lower levels. Thirdly, the organization is organized by functional specialty, which means that there is specialization within the organization; employees are divided into separate departments based on their abilities and skills. Specialization allows the employee to be efficient and more skilled at a specific task, which increases productivity. Furthermore, all decisions and rules are recorded in writing to ensure continuity over time. In addition, in an ideal system, there is equality between all employees, applying to both managerial and non-managerial workers. Lastly, employment is wholly based on technical qualifications, which means employees are hired on a basis of their abilities and competence. Weber’s bureaucratic management focuses on the authorities in the top level of the hierarchy and causes an â€Å"iron cage† to restrict the lower lever workers which leads to demotivation and a feeling of insignificance. Many researchers argue that weber emphasizes on the positive consequences of bureaucracy and ignores the dysfunctions of it. These researchers include Gouldner, Merton and Thompson. In Gouldner opinions, he does not believe the bureaucracy authority is neither acceptable nor efficient. He proposed three types of bureaucracy, mock bureaucracy, punishment centered bureaucracy and representative bureaucracy. In mock bureaucracy, the rules are ignored because they come from an outside agency; employees feel that there is too much ‘red tape’. In punishment-centered bureaucracy, the rules are imposed on the workers from inside the organization. This type of authority discourages the workers from full commitment; workers would only perform a adequate amount of work. In representative bureaucracy, the rules are developed and supported by managers and the employees. As for Merton, he believes that rational rules and the close control leads to inflexibility. He introduced the idea of ‘goal displacement’; this is when organizational goals are replaced by personal goals. Bureaucracies’ rules become more important than what they were designed to serve, which results in inefficiencies. In bureaucratic systems, specialization consists of different departments with different goals. These goals could cause conflict and these goals may become more important than the organization’s original objectives. Victor Thompson also criticized Weber’s ‘ideal type’, he suggests the bureaupathic behavior, and this is when employees are more interested in the rules than the purposes and goals of the organization. Thompson also argued that in bureaucratic systems, the authorities generate a sense of insecurity that uses rules to protect them from making errors. There are many more dysfunctional consequences of bureaucracy. Firstly, bureaucracy is a rigid management system, it is designed for a stable and predictable business environment, hence it cannot adapt to rapid and unexpected changes. Also, in a bureaucratic system, there is a concentration of power in the higher levels of management, which would create distance between the employees at the lower levels of the hierarchy and leading to a sense of demotivation. There was not only Weber’s theories about management style, there were also Taylorism by Fredrick Winslow Taylor, Fordism by Henry Ford, and McDonaldism by George Ritzer. Taylor was regarded as the father of scientific management. Taylorism was aimed to a) minimize production time, b) achieve divison of labour, c) reduce the amount of work by following a machinelike routine d) separate work equally among the workers and the managers, e) gain control by supervision of work with managers planning, and workers performing the tasks. His ultimate goal was to succeed in gaining efficiency by increasing output from his workers. Taylor also introduced the Time and Motion Study, this was to establish productivity. He first separated the tasks into small steps, then performance was monitored to eliminate wasteful motion, with the exact time recorded, then the production and delivery time and prices can be calculated. However, this is only suitable for repetitive tasks. The idea of taylorism is usually argued that it exploits human beings, it also ignores personal creativity and there is a loss of autonomy to the employees. Fordism was the system of mass production that was introduced by Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company. His aim was to achieve higher productivity by standardizing the output by his company. He was also the first to introduce the use of assembly lines. In Taylorism, it focused on machine and worker efficiency, however, in Fordism, ford replaced labour with machinery and he minimizes costs instead of maximizing profits. Critics argued that Fordism destroys craftsmanship and de-skilled jobs as it focuses on machinery to perform the tasks, and with the small number of workers of the workplace, the repetitiveness of the job is believed to lead to stress and alienation of the workers. After Fordism, George Ritzer introduced the idea of McDonaldism, the term was to refer to the process of fast food restaurants dominating the world. This new structure of Ritzer’s replaced Weber’s bureaucratic structure. He proposed four principles of McDonaldization. 1) Efficiency: In McDonaldized structures, the ideal way for completing a task was the whole of the organization aims to minimize time of production. 2) Calculability: McDonaldism suggests that a large amount of product delivered in a short period of time is equivalent to a quality product. 3) Predictability: In McDonaldism, products and services are standardized, despite the location or time. 4) Control: According to McDonaldism, employees perform specific tasks with non-human technologies to replace them when needed. Bureaucracy belongs to the twentieth century when the business environment is stable and predictable, however, in the twenty-first century; the business environment is forever changing and is in need for a flexible structure. There are five key organizational trends in the twenty-first century. Firstly, globalization is the increase integration of national economies into global markets rather than national markets. Over the past years, there is an increased globalized labour market. The increased globalized markets are mainly due to improvements in transportation and communication such as the Internet. Secondly, the workforce is becoming more diversified due to changing demographics and the globalization of the labour market. Thirdly, in the twenty-first century, organizations are becoming more flexible; there are fewer detailed rules and procedures within the workplace. Employees are receiving greater autonomy with a more flexible organizational structure. Furthermore, businesses prefer to adapt to a flat organizational structure with less management levels, bringing the top management closer to the lower levels of employees hence improving the flow of information and speeding up communication within the organization. Lastly, organizations are mostly networked; there is direct communication between different departments, ignoring the chains of command. Business decision-making is decentralized in networked organizations, which improves the speed of decision-making, encourages input from the workforce and improves accountability of the employees. In conclusion, Weber’s theory of the ideal type of organization is inappropriate for the management of the twenty-first century organizations; the business environment in the current days is rapidly changing. Bureaucracy is a rigid system that does not allow easy changes which is required in the modern world. Hence, bureaucratic system is only suitable in the twentieth century where the business environment is static. Bibliography: Max Weber – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2011. Max Weber – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weber. [Accessed 17 October 2011] Bureaucracy — Max Weber’s six characteristics of the bureaucratic form. 2011. Bureaucracy — Max Weber’s six characteristics of the bureaucratic form. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bustingbureaucracy.com/excerpts/weber.htm. [Accessed 17 October 2011]. WEBER ON BUREAUCRACY. 2011. WEBER ON BUREAUCRACY. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.humanities.mq.edu.au/Ockham/y64l09.html. [Accessed 19 October 2011]. Bureaucratic Management. 2011. Bureaucratic Management. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.vectorstudy.com/management_schools/bureaucratic_management.htm. [Accessed 19 October 2011]. What is Wrong with Weberian Bureaucracy?. 2011. What is Wrong with Weberian Bureaucracy?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.change.freeuk.com/learning/business/ratlegal.html. [Accessed 24 October 2011]. Bureaucracy (Advantages and Dis-Advantages)  « Michael Wiriadinata. 2011. Bureaucracy (Advantages and Dis-Advantages)  « Michael Wiriadinata. [ONLINE] Available at: http://mamikikeyu.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/bureaucracy-advantages-and-dis-advantages/. [Accessed 24 October 2011]. Scientific Management (Taylorism). 2011. Scientific Management (Taylorism). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.12manage.com/methods_taylor_scientific_management.html. [Accessed 24 October 2011]. McDonaldization – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2011. McDonaldization – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonaldization. [Accessed 27 October 2011].

An Introduction To Agriculture, Genetically Modified Crops

An Innovation to Agriculture, Genetically Modified Crops Most of the produce that are being sold in grocery stores are genetically modified; they make up about seventy to eighty percent of the produce individuals consume. These genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are â€Å"safe and nutritious as conventional crops†; however, there are many misconceptions about them (Manila Bulletin). Many people believe that the creation of the GMOs pose a threat to the wellbeing of individuals; though, GMOs are clinically proven to be highly nutritious, and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. In addition, these crops have been modified to be resistant to pests, and are able to sustain its health in various climates, making harvesting crops convenient. With this in mind, crops can be harvested all across the world and will eventually solve Earth’s major issue, world hunger. These harmless, pest resistant, modified crops not only benefit society, but also the modernized farmers. The genetically modified crops increas e the yield in crops, saving money on resources and increasing profit. There are many controversy about genetically modified crops; however, these crops are proven to be beneficial and are necessary to our society. A common misconception regarding genetically modified crops is that it is not safe for humans to digest and can be life threatening. Those who are skeptics about this scientific breakthrough are usually misinformed, or have bias against GMOs. ForShow MoreRelatedGenetically Modified Crops1056 Words   |  5 Pagesmany countries. If these countries were to embrace genetically modified crops, the citizens would have much better lives. According to Osakabe, Yuriko, Kajita, and Osakabe, in their article â€Å"Genetic Engineering Of Woody Plants: Current And Future Targets In A Stressful Environment†, genetic engineering in plants is better than traditional breeding methods because â€Å"†¦they bypass the long generation for breeding†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (106). Genetica lly modified crops have been given the best genes for survival, quicklyRead MoreWar Over What We Eat1576 Words   |  7 PagesEnglish 1102 16 November 2014 War over What We Eat Introduction/Thesis Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are an organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favor the expression of desired physiological traits or the production of desired biological products according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. In grocery stores in the United States, as much as 70 percent of the processed food may contain genetically modified organisms. The same cannot be said for the EuropeanRead MoreGenetically Modified Crops Essay1151 Words   |  5 PagesGenetically Modified Crops 1. Introduction It is ironic that some individuals, strongly supporting fresh, organic natural vegetables to be delivered to their dinner tables, enjoy purchasing genetically modified crops that make their lives easier. The United States of America is one of the most prominent countries where genetically modified crops are widely adopted, in contrast to Europe where genetically modified food has never gained approval from the public, and Japan where no genetically modifiedRead MoreDiscussion About Genetically Modified Foods1529 Words   |  7 Pagesencourage or ban genetically modified foods Discussion about Genetically Modified Foods Outline Introduction a. The genetically modified foods are a long issue which is widely debated. b. People feel confused about their safety. I. Views a.) Magana-Gomez’s argument. b.) He argues that negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. c.) Curieux-Belfond CL contends that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweighRead MoreThe Effects of Genetic Engineering on Agriculture Essay1291 Words   |  6 Pagesanimal or plant. These new organisms will express the required trait for that gene. This practice is a very controversial topic within the scientific world. It is being implemented in various areas such as agriculture even though there are many alternatives that can be found for genetic engineered crops, such as organic materials and reducing leeching of the soil. The controversy regarding this practice occurs as it is believed to contribute both negative and positive implications and dangers, not onlyRead MoreGenetically Modified Crop Plants1593 Words   |  7 PagesGene Therapy: Genetically Modified Crop Plants Coward Introduction to Biology - SCI 115 Professor Johnson March 4, 2014 Genetically modified organisms have become a standard rather than an exception in America. Since their introduction in the 1990’s, genetically modified (GM) products have conquered agriculture in the United States and hold a large share of the food on American’s plates. (Dupont) Everyone has been exposed to it whether they knowRead MoreIt’S Likely That You See Them Every Day, And Even Eat Them1736 Words   |  7 Pageshearing the words Genetically Modified Organism, or GMO, causes a feeling of uneasiness with most consumers. Much of society seems to think of genetically modified organisms as a completely unnatural and twisted presence in nature. However, the presence of GMOs has led to groundbreaking discoveries that are offering solutions to many of humanity’s biggest issues. We all know that food is crucial to human existence. Therefore, each and every one of us rely on sustainable agriculture. The United NationsRead MoreShould We Produce Genetically Modified Food?897 Words   |  4 PagesShould we produce genetically modified food? As we know genetic modification has been very widely used now in agriculture for a long time. In the market most of the food may contain an ingredient from genetically modified crops. According to a Center for Food Safety report, currently, up to 92% of U.S. corn is genetically engineered (GE), as are 94% of soybeans and 94% of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). It has been estimated that upwards of 75% of processed foods on supermarketRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms Are Better Than Organic Products1229 Words   |  5 PagesTitle: Stop fearing Genetically Modified Organisms Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to consume and support Genetically modified products. Central Idea: Genetically modified organisms are better than organic products. Introduction I. Attention: What you had for lunch today? The DNA of that food? That was completely altered with. II. Audience connection/credibility: You have all heard the rumors about genetically modified food you are eating. Some of you may have beenRead MoreEssay Genetically Modified Foods1678 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Let’s face it, the term genetically modified (GM) foods is not the most appetizing word in the English language and neither is the term genetically engineered foods for that matter. Whether or not you realize it, you have consumed at least one product that contains genetically modified foods. These â€Å"modified foods† are hiding all over your supermarkets and in some instances, there is no way to tell just by looking at it. But, they have been around for more than two decades and it has