1 Running Head: ARE HUMAN RESOURCES RELEVANT IN TODAYS BUSINESS WORLD?

Are Human Resources Relevant in Todays Business World? A Review of the Literature Linda Blake Queens University of Charlotte Instructor: Dr. Jim Neale November 30, 2012

ARE HUMAN RESOURCES RELEVANT IN TODAYS BUSINESS WORLD?

Introduction Because of rapid changes with growing technology in recent years, mass communicate has change the way we interconnect in the workplace. While the challenge for Human Resources (HR) are to help bridge these gaps between a constantly growing communication world, HR role is to provide policies in the workplace for interpersonal communication and how the workplace socially interact. While most would agree that advance technologies have improved our workplace environment, nevertheless, are these improvements enough for the workplace if we lack social skills? Assuming in the workplace that we deal face-to-face. Besides will these changes challenge the duties of HR? Before these changes came about HR responsibilities was to maintain and keep harmony between management and employees. For this purpose is it safe to suggest that HR is relevant for todays businesses besides to cultivate interpersonal communication skills? While we recognize in the business world the necessity to participate be socially interactive between company and employees it is more important that we sustain this position in order to remain successful. Interaction of any sort by some has been accepted as social interaction, but to assume such is to neglect the missing component of face-toface contact. At one point social skills in the workplace were not conventionalas long as employee had the ability to perform the job; it was not required to develop interpersonal communication skills. Today it means learning how to work or manage in

3 a diverse environment, which is part of knowing how your individual behavior affect others in real-time (OKelly, GSB, Stanford University.edu, 2012).

4 ARE HUMAN RESOURCES RELEVANT TODAYS BUSINESS WORLD?

Are Human Resources Relevant Today? A Review of the Literature

Heathfeld (2012) noted in an article published by Human Resources Newsletter Guide, that the responsibility of human resources is to improve workplace harmony (Smallbusiness Chron.com, 2012). Perhaps it is safe to suggest Human Resources (HR) is effective in maintaining synchronization in the workplace. While HR administrators are involved in the process of filtering information from both primary and secondary sources, it is important that individuals also convey their personal and social skills in the workplace. Should it become the sole responsibility of HR to cultivate these interpersonal communication skills for the workplace environment? Human resources are individuals that also make up the workforce of organizations that hire human capital to preserve employment, and global economy. For instance an HR administrator function in the workplace is to help employees, or are they the catalysis for business consumption that benefits from having these communication skills in the workplace. While the role of HR has been to deal with administration, communication conflict that took place between management and their employees, HR no longer performs just this task. Its possible that their position has become an intangible asset?

ARE HUMAN RESOURCES RELEVANT TODAY?

Heathfield (2012) gives examples of the expected role of HR, and breaks down these principles in several stepshow to establish and develop policy, set guidelines, and help create a work environment that builds positive relationships between management and co-workers (Smallbusiness Chron.com, 2012). This Literature review considers the probability whether the duties of Human Resources are relevant in todays workplace by responding to the following questions: 1. Should HR develop a workplace policy that relate to soft skills? 2. What is team leadership, and how does HR effect team leadership? 3. How can employees build trust in the workplace? 4. How can organizations promote emotional intelligence? It is critical that HR administrators understand their duties in the business world as it relates to interpersonal communication and organization. If they are to remain relevant and function in a well-managed organization, the role and duties of HR administrators will continue to change from the days when their primary responsibilities involved recruiting. HR as it Relates to Interpersonal and Organization Communication The use of computers has changed the functions of organization communication in todays workplace. One of the basic skills is to know the difference between (soft) interpersonal skills and analytical problem solving, or conflict communication. Human

6 Resources can develop a workplace policy to help employers manage staff more effectively with interpersonal communication by outlining in a policy what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior in the workplace (Industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au, 2012). This is to demonstration that good interpersonal skills are used in every area of communication, such as listening, reading, writing, speaking, and nonverbal. Jackson (2012) noted, in order for a business to make profit, and appeal to the public, they must properly communicate these skills that become an invaluable asset (Smallbusiness.Chron.com, 2012). This means understanding interpersonal skill from top management down for all employees. Support of these skills in an organization could make the difference between the organization success and failure. Maes, Weldy, & Icenogle, (1997) note that thirty years ago, a businesspersonwas hired on the basis of their technical skills (Buckley, Peach, & Weitzel, 1987; Kane, 1993, p.101), as long as employee had the ability to perform the job, it was not required for managers, or employees to develop skills in interpersonal communication. Today possessing these skills means learning how to work or manage in a diverse environment, which is part of knowing how your individual behavior affect others in real-time (OKelly, GSB, Stanford University.edu, 2012). What are soft skills, and how do they relate to the workplace? Soft skills are behaviors among individuals that affect the outcomes of an encounter published in Learning Soft Skills at Work: In Interview with Annalee Luhmann by authors Davis, & Muir, (2004). Our ability to develop these skills is oftentimes limited by our difference in communication, and cultural, while other

7 drawbacks are the process in which people exchange ideas. For individuals in the workplace to grasp this practice will depend on the amount of time it takes to develop relationships. In order to understand interpersonal communication as it relates to face-toface contact with others, we rather rely upon written or electronic forms of communication? The challenge for HR is that computer-mediated communication is replacing much of what was previously face-to-face interaction (Bordia, 1997). Bordia (1997) writes, people interact in relationships based on the assumption that interacting with other people is interpersonal communication(p. 99-118). And yet, interpersonal communication does not take place when you interact with someone, but when you treat then as a human being (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2002). We should also address how people in the workplace use the Internet and email, which has a great influence on our relationships. What abilities does it take for Leadership? The ability to lead takes on many different forms. Squica (1994) noted in Carson Learning Company uses these words: Dominance, influence, steadiness, conscientiousness, (DISC). Organization communication is another opportunity to build a good team, and interpersonal communication is what it takes to become a good team leader. Maes, Weldy, & Icenogle (1997) in the article about a Fortune 500 companies consider interpersonal communication and team skills criteria for success in management positions (p.1). As a leader its important that you take charge, and good leaders are those that challenge others to come up higher. But you must also learn the ability to lead from the front as well as the back, meaning a good leaders purpose is to

8 inspire us (people) to take action (www. leadingtoday.org, 2012). Effective impersonal communication skills in leadership are about information exchange rather than how it takes place. People skills are important at all levels of an organization, those in customer service including those at every level of an organization. A relationship outside of the workplace is different from friendships developed in a business environment. Maes, Weldy, & Iceogle (1997) writes that the ability for people to communicate with people as people becomes a foundational skill for virtually any other organizational activity (p.1). The person that is able to use these skills successfully will communicate in several different ways and present these skills when he or she communicate, share information, exchange emotions, including values, or motivations (Maes, Weldy, & Iceogle, 1997, p. 1). Can HR help employees build trust? The ability to trust is based on our past experience with other individuals. Building trust is a process, and another part of how we develop and maintain relationships. Its important that we build trusting relationships with the people that we have some interaction with, which is part of developing our interpersonal skills. The other important part of interpersonal communication is to get others to trust you. The reliability of a person is important, and how others, including co-workers decide if they can trust the accuracy and effectiveness of your work, (Maes, Weldy, & Iceogle, 1997, p. 1) if trust is not a clear indicator then other non-verbal as well as verbal responses will be used to determine the trustworthiness from your friends, and colleagues (p.1). There are four important parts of interpersonal skill that gives someone the go ahead to trust you

9 consistency, communication, commonality, and cooperation (Maes, Weldy, & Iceogle, 1997, p. 2). The higher you move in the organization, the more important emotional intelligence become to your level of success.

Organizations Promote Emotional Intelligence A company can promote emotional intelligence in the workplace more efficiency with social and emotional leaning as a goal, fostering positive relationships between trainers and learners (Industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au, 2012). A persons emotion is part of their value system thats part of their thought process. Because our emotions deals with our values, and because we operate in a business world and make business decisions our primary focus is toward specific details. This means that any analytical information process is as unemotional data (Maes, Weldy, & Iceogle, 1997, p. 2). This brings up another point, while the information is analytical; the way we process information is handled by a human, and evaluated through a human emotional system. Although, both technical and cognitive skills are used for reasoning and for emotional development, emotional learning is unlike book leaning (Maes, Weldy, & Iceogle, 1997, p. 3). It is necessary that both personal and social competence skills be applied in the workplace. On the other hand, if people lack these logical skills besides the ability to think clearly, or the ability to make good decisions, they will also suffer at a disadvantage. But if you also lack the skills to connect with people, you will also be at a disadvantage. Maes, Weldy, & Iceogle, (1997) note that without proper training this becomes another missed

10 opportunity, and in the end they never figure out what went wrong (p. 2).

Conclusion: For Human Resources (HR) to continue establishing himself or herself as a go to policy maker and continue setting guidelines in the workplace they must remain applicable in todays business world. The duty of HR was once to make interpersonal communication a priority for the purpose of recruiting human capital. The process of effective communication impart have change because we now live in a computer-mediated society. Effective impersonal communication skills are about information exchange rather than how it takes place. But, people skills are important at all levels of an organization, managers, and customer service representative including those at the lower level. The possibility of face-to-face or non-verbal communication is not interacting if we have not learned to treat people as human beings (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2002). What we assumed to be interpersonal communication at one point in time in the workplace was only used as a means of meeting job quotes. Because todays society has concluded that without some form of soft skill our efforts are not complete, and meeting quote is important but only part the process. HR responsibility goal is to ensure employees not matter how much technology skills you may possess without soft skills the hiring package is unacceptable. Being undeveloped in these related soft skills could cause an organizations demise. When I look at the task that is set before HR, I conclude that they are relevant in todays workplace, however

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as I mention before the responsibility role for this position are changing in order to meet the demand. Computer technology has changed the way our behavior is influenced by outside resources, but we must remember that we are human beings. The sum of our existence regardless of the development of manufacturing devices in our social culture will continue to interact with other human beings. Human Resources will continue to have challenges as we fast-forward into the next century, but without saying leadership, trust, and emotional intelligence with have to take the journey with us.

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