Area of Human Resource Management: Critical Review Report (Assessment)

This paper presents a critical analysis in the area of human resource management. It particularly focuses its content on team-working whereby various research papers are reviewed and critically analyzed. After a brief introduction to the area and its general principles, it moves towards the ‘reviewal’ of those research papers, followed by the problems and issues that researchers face when dealing with human resource and managing it. It concludes itself with a brief solutions discussion to outline what can be done to curb or even control the issues human resources face and affects the organization negatively.

Introduction

Human resource management is an area of expertise in the developing world. It formulates a proper set of theories to manage the most important resource that any company or organization, big or small, has; this being its human resource. When companies could not function well at all during times of financial difficulty and instability, the question of consideration of other reasons than the global financial crisis comes in. This part of the paper also conclusively talks about internal and external factors for a company to consider when dealing with failures. There can be both internal and external reasons for a company losing control over its business models. Firstly, however, teamwork as critical analysis is presented as follows.

Teamwork – a critical analysis

The concepts of teamwork and empowerment are deeply rooted in the ‘social action’ ideology of the 1960s and the self-help perspective of the 1970s. Empowerment is basically the giving of power and authority, ‘giving the ability to, or enabling’. (Gibson, C., 1991) Mueller, F. (1994) says teamwork refers to the sharing of rewards, information, and power with employees so that they become able to take initiative and improve upon performance as a result and this can be done with a combination of teamwork and empowerment. Teamwork makes an employee feel responsible and accountable, as a result, motivated to the actions that are done by them (Mueller, F., 1994).

Hence, from a learning perspective, the aim of studying an analysis of the concept of teamwork in the medical field carries with itself many advantages. The reader is able to describe the theoretical and methodological construct from individual, collectivistic, as well as organizational and societal perspectives. When patient care and health is the key concern hence, teamwork and its analyses help on giving power and due authority to patient education in clinical settings as well as for research purposes. Judgmental statements and opinionated comments as a result help in further understanding of the concept since patient education receives empowerment (Frobel and Marchington, 2005).

Mueller, F. (1994) says that teamwork as a process is about enabling people to gain mastery over the situation they are in or the kind of environment they are functioning in while working together. This can be the result of individual, personal, familial, community-related, and even societal change (Simmons and Parsons, 1983). The effect of social environment on health is another issue that needs to be paid due attention in the concept of empowerment. However, in a Western Society, it is the individual that is considered the core or essence of functioning. The individual hence is the one who gives off influence onto other entities, which include his own personal decisions, health decisions, and therefore all resulting successes and failures (Van Hootegem, G., Benders, J., Delarue, A. and Procter, S., 2005). Teamworking is a multi-dimensional perspective since it encompasses economic, social, political, cultural, as well as legal factors within itself (Luttrell, C., 2007). Empowerment while working collectively does not have attached to itself the various fundamental changes, however, the existence of disempowerment is used as a basis of justification of all loopholes that create or area resultant of structural issues (Luttrell, C., 2007). Hence the use of the concept of teamwork includes inner awareness, enabled potential, self-determination, outcome-directed activities through motivation, and self-esteem (Goliath, 2008). Frobel and Marchington (2005) say that teamwork is basically a concept that is a communicational concept since it is a result of communication between individuals. However mutual efforts are needed for it to work, according to Kieffer (1984). It is also a cause of intermittent communication in the case of patient and nurse; it adds education, leading, and mentoring through laying out a path or direction within it. It results in the mobility of decisions and resources, which help in the growth, and stability of functioning. (Hawks, J., 1992) The concept of teamwork also has the characteristic of improvement within it since it is a developmental concept (Craddock, S. and Skinner, T., 2000).

Problems in Human Resource Management – One of the Biggest Reasons for Failure in Companies

Internal reasons could include de-motivated staff and executives, remuneration issues with the above, lack of control, lack of leadership skills and qualities, no efficiency in handling tasks, more importance given to everyday own personal needs, lack of funds, absence of the kind of framework needed to implement that kind of project at hand. The latter could include issues ranging from technological lacking to physical infrastructure problems involving a poorly controlled environment and even lack of space. External reasons could range from a disrupted political and social environment miss-alignment company and cultural goals of the environment or location the company is in; taxation and other legal rules and regulations; absence of the technological framework needed; and even very low economic essentials and facilities for the company at hand. These factors could hamper progression in terms of following a business model even if it’s duly efficient and of a good formulation standard, irrespective of the fact that a team is working well (Mueller, F., 1994).

All businesses’ main goal is to create value through corporate governance, value-based management, profitability, aligning strategic goals with managerial goals, planning, operating effectively, and developing market niche. This is all there to gain an even greater market share and maximize shareholder worth. For this purpose, many companies create business models that they then follow to meet their short-term and long-term goals and objectives. A business model hence is the framework that companies adopt to deal with social, psychological, technological, political, economic, and cultural factors to amalgamate their own vision well. This is all there to create a competitive advantage which is gaining an edge over one’s competitors. However, when there is a team at work, and that too efficiently, it is said that success comes eventually (Belenger, J., Edwards, P.K. and Wright, M., 2003).

Martinez Lucio, M. et al. (1999) talk about organizational dissent as well while giving it another feel of the Royal Mail. In this, they talk about ‘Beyond Negotiation’, by saying that organizational communication being of various forces that directly or indirectly affect its effectiveness inside an organization. A few of these include gender, conflict, ethics, technology, creativity and job roles, etc. Communication inside an organization focuses on leadership, motivation, management, creativity, assertiveness, and persuasion to a big great extent. As far as it as a process is concerned, it deals with the different levels in communication and its different types, the former of these shall be discussed in the following paragraphs. Communication can exist as informal, grapevine, formal, and even non-verbal (Peggy Byers, 1996).

The value is given to the work that a worker is in charge of, the kind of boundaries that exist also form in one way or the other to the linkage of organizational dissent, especially where teamwork is involved. Meaningful teamwork creates a sense and significance to an organization’s overall work processes. In contemporary times, it has become even more important to ensure the open flow of information and maintaining a balance of work with job roles and no discrimination of any type whatsoever is present in organizations where teamwork plays an important role. (Martinez Lucio, M. et al., 1999). There is also significance now in greater amounts given to work that has been delegated to give employees greater empowerment in the usage of their capacities which thereby also affects positively their efficiency and chances of innovation. A learning organization, which has an open information-sharing environment and its core is teamwork, is the best form any organization can take to get a competitive edge over other firms in the same field (Kirsten, B., David, C., Carvyn, M., Mark, A., Elena, G., and Karen, T., 2008).

Addressing Issues Faced In Dealing And Managing Human Resource

A company can achieve a good relationship standing through the efficient use of funds, technical expertise, of human resources working in teams. It needs to formulate a list to start off with reliable suppliers and other partners to carry one’s dealings in the long term. It also includes following up with such partners and then establishing them as one’s own trusted ‘partners’. Other steps include the granting of discounts, free days, and flexibility in terms of price, time, and quantity to the partner to show them that the company cares, etc. (Stumpf, S. and Longman, R., 2000)

Research has shown that yes there is a link between productivity and motivated employees in a company. A survey comprising a few thousand workers as a sample concluded that the top three things in order that motivate employees according to a manager or employer are, high wages, job security, and promotion. The same question was when asked from an employee, the top three factors of motivation were concluded to be, a full appreciation of one’s work, feeling of control and empowerment, and guidance in terms of resolution of personal issues, mentoring programs, etc. (Urichuck, B., n.d.)

Employee motivation is in other words positive reinforcement that an employee receives. It helps the employee gaining self-esteem and makes him feel important and in control. Yes, then it can be said that if a person is motivated, he or she is happy since he or she feels important and accepted in one’s own eyes, even when working in a team. (Belenger, J., Edwards, P.K. and Wright, M., 2003) Also, the feeling of being accepted and liked by others takes its place. When these things are combined it results in motivation, thereby an increase in productivity since the person feels appreciated for his or her own work and wants to do it willingly, properly, and on time. (Urichuck, B., n.d.)

Productivity while working together as a team is an extremely important factor when trying to comprehend and deal with crises in business or company functioning. Each employee at the workplace has his or her own reason to work and do so productively. The driving force behind this is of course being motivated and staying motivated (Heathfield, S., n.d.). The different reasons that people might give to themselves may range from personal/individual to collective. But, the gist of it all is that whenever work is being properly done and on time, etc., then there definitely is some driving force behind it, which wants the person to gain from that work. When this work gets done, the person is hence extracting something out of it for himself too. This something that the person extracts implicitly might range from a pat on the back to higher pay, from a boost in morale to a greater sense of security and quality of life to motivation inside the employee generally because of it. By making employees feel that they are an essential ingredient to the organization and they matter a lot, their motivation increases. This can be easily be established in a team by the team leader (Heathfield, S., n.d.)

A team needs to understand what employees want from work; they should show respect for employees at work to them; managers should give comments in the form of constructive criticism and provide feedback that the employees can make use of positively; managers need to show employees that their work is liked when it is. Praise in the form of open regard, open usage of positive adjectives for the employee and his or her work, and even a pat on the back can result in a feeling of motivation inside the employee (Moriseiki, 2003). Kaiser is a company in Germany that keeps its employees first. (Greenwood, I. and Randle, H., 2007); managers and the company can set out proper criteria for performance, which can be then used as a basis for judging and analyzing an employee’s work. Since it forms a consistent standard and allows for transparency in praising standard, and then we can surely say that employee work’s recognition will look and will in actuality be relevant and truthful to the employee. (Bacon, N. Blyton, and P., 2000)

This will again raise the motivation level inside the employee; developing and retaining a good trustworthy environment and a relationship based on trust between the manager and his or her employee, can result in motivation again. If effective communication is being done in a team, and employees have a say in the matters of the business; recognizing each employee for his contribution to the work that he is responsible for and to the company or organization that he is in is another way to make him feel motivated and to retain that feeling inside him; delegating tasks to employees and empowering them is another step whereby employees feel good since they feel they are in charge; equal opportunity for all employees needs to be set explicitly. Also, a culture of mentoring one’s followers or subordinates is a good way to motivating them since by guiding them they feel like someone cares for them in a medium-sized manufacturing company. (Bacon, N. Blyton, and P., 2000).

References

1. Bacon, N. Blyton, and P. (2000) ‘High road and low road team-working: Perceptions of management rationales and organisational and human resource outcomes.’ Human Relations, 53:11 (1425-1458)
2. Belenger, J., Edwards, P.K. and Wright, M. (2003) ‘Commitment at Work and Independence from Management. A study of advanced teamwork,’ Work and Occupations, 30:2 (234-252)
3. Craddock, S. and Skinner, T. (2000) Patient Empowerment and Ethical Decision Making. 21 (3), 100 – 104.
4. Frobel and Marchington (2005), ‘Teamworking structures and worker perceptions: a cross-national study in pharmaceuticals’, IJHRM, 16(2): 256-276
5. Gibson, C. (1991) A concept analysis of empowerment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, I991, 16,354-361
6. Greenwood, I. and Randle, H. (2007) ‘Team-working, Restructuring and Skills in the UK and Sweden, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 13(3); 361-377
7. Hawks, J. (1992) Empowerment in Nursing Education. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17, 5, 609 – 618.
8. Heathfield, S. (n.d.) Top ten ideas about what employees want from work. About.com.
9. Kieffer, C. (1984) Citizen Empowerment. Prevention in Human Services. 3:9-36.
10. Kirsten, B., David, C., Carvyn, M., Mark, A., Elena, G., and Karen, T. (2008) Meaningful work and organizational communication: questioning boundaries, positionalities and engagements, 22, pp. 152-161, Ebscohost database.
11. Luttrell, C. (2007) Empowerment: An Overview Paper prepared for the Livelihood for desk, SDC. [Internet]
12. Martinez Lucio, M. et al. (1999). ‘The Question of Teamworking and Union Identity in the Royal Mail: Beyond Negotiation’, in Procter, S and Mueller, F (eds.) Teamworking, London: Macmillan
13. Mueller, F. (1994) ‘Teams between Hierarchy and Commitment: Change Strategies and the “Internal Environment”’, Journal of Management Studies, 31: 383–403.
14. Mueller, F. (1994) ‘Societal Effect, Organizational Effect and Globalisation’, Organization Studies, 15: 407–28.
15. Peggy Byers (1996) Organizational Communication: Theory and Behavior. [Internet]
16. Rodgers, K. (1989) Concepts, Analysis and developmental of nursing knowledge. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 14, 4, 330 – 335.
17. Stumpf, S. and Longman, R. (2000) The ultimate consultant: building long term, exceptional value client relationships. [Internet]
18. Urichuck, B. (n.d.) Employee Motivation. [Internet]
19. Van Hootegem, G., Benders, J., Delarue, A. and Procter, S. (2005) ‘Teamworking: looking back and looking forward’, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(2): 167-173