Human Resource Management

Determine the labor demand for workers in various job categories.

At higher sophistication levels in organizations, there may exist statistical models that predict labor demand for the next year given relatively objective statistics on leading indicators from the previous year. A leading indicator is an objective measure that accurately predicts future labor demand.

Choose the right job analysis technique for a variety of human resource activities.

The two main methods for analyzing jobs are The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Although both methods might appear quite broad, they provide a concrete system for broad approaches, task-focused approaches and person oriented approaches in conducting a job analysis. T - Tasks D - Duties R - Responsibilities K - Knowledge S - Skills A - Ability O - Other

Describe the various recruitment policies that organizations adopt to make job vacancies more attractive.

1) Internal vs. External Recruiting: Job Security - One organizational policy that affects vacancies is the "promote from within" - or internal recruitment for upper-level positions. 2) Extrinsic and Intrinsic Rewards - Pay is one of the most significant factors for almost all applicants, so companies that take on the "lead-the-market" approach regarding pay - where the pay is higher than most competitors in the market - have a distinct advantage in recruiting. 3) Image Advertising - Image advertising is particularly important for companies in highly competitive labor markets that perceive themselves as having a bad image. Even though image advertisement doesn't provide any information about any specific job, it is often effective because job applicants develop ideas about the general reputation of the firm and then this might directly influence their expectations about the nature of specific jobs.

List the common methods used in selecting human resources.

1) Interviews 2) References, Applications Blanks & Background Checks 3) Physical Ability Test 4) Cognitive Ability Test 5) Personality Inventories 6) Work Samples 7) Honesty & Drug Tests

Describe the linkages between HRM and strategy formulation.

1. Administrative Linkage: Lowest level of integration with HRM. Focused on day-to-day operations. Executives have no time or opportunity to take a strategic outlook toward HRM issues. The link between administration and HRM is non-existent, so the HRM function is completely separate from from the strategic management process in both strategy formulation and strategy implementation. 2. One-Way Linkage: One-way linkage may acknowledge the HRM branch related to the business. The firm's strategic business planning function will develop a strategy and then perhaps inform HRM of the strategy that may be implemented. Belief lingers on this idea that this level of integration incorporates strategic HRM - where the HRM function is to design systems or programs around the strategy implementation in observation. 3. Two-Way Linkage: During the strategy formulation, considerations for human resource issues are often addressed. This often occurs in three sequential steps: 1) Strategic planning team informs the HRM function of strategies the company is considering. 2) HRM executives analyze the human resource implications of the strategies and present results of the analysis to the strategic planning team. 3) After the strategic decision is made, it is passed on to the HRM executive who develops programs to implement it. 4. Integrative Linkage: Dynamic integration of the HRM in the sense that it is a continuous interaction rather than a sequential. HRM executive plays an integral part in the senior management team. Instead of exchange of information between the strategic planning department and HRM, companies with integrative linkage have the HRM functions built directly into the strategy formulation process.

Understand the different approaches to job design.

Job design is the process of defining how work will be performed and the tasks that will be required in a given job. 1. Mechanistic Approach - Roots in classical industrial engineering. The focus of the mechanistic approach is identifying the simplest way to structure work that maximizes efficiency. This most often entails making the work simple enough for virtually anyone to be trained to perform. 2. Motivational Approach - Roots in organizational psychology and management literature. Focuses on the job characteristics that affect psychological meaning and motivational potential and views attitudinal variables as the most important outcomes of job design. 3. Biological Approach - Roots in sciences of bio-mechanics, work physiology, and occupational medicine and is often referred to as ergonomics. Ergonomics is concerned with the interaction between individuals physiological characteristics and the physical work environment. 4. Perceptual - Motor Approach - Roots in human-factors literature. Focuses on human mental capabilities and limitations. The goal here is to design jobs that do not exceed people's mental capabilities and limitations.

Discuss the more popular typologies of generic strategies and the various HRM practices associated with each.

The main objective is to choose a strategy that is most effective and efficient on an economic scale. The five most important variables that determine success in strategy implementation are: 1) Organizational Structure 2) Task Design 3) Selection, Training & Development of People 4) Reward Systems 5) Types of Information HRM has primary responsibilities for three of the five implementation variables: task design, people and reward system. For a chosen strategy to be successfully implemented, tasks must be grouped into jobs in a way so it is both effective and efficient through means of job analysis and job design. Through means of recruitment, selection and placement, training and development, and career management - the HRM function must ensure that the firm has enough staff filled with competent people who hold knowledge, skill and ability to perform their part in proper plan implementation.

Discuss advantages and disadvantages of various ways of eliminating a labor surplus and avoiding a labor shortage.

The most significant advantage of predicting labor surplus/shortage is the ability to adjust business operations according to statistical trends. Not only will businesses save money where they might be spending for no immediate or accessible output, it would allow growth in market areas where organizations may not have thought of conducting business.