1.

0 QUESTION 1 (5 MARKS):

ACCORDING TO THE AUTHOR, THERE WERE SEVERAL PERSONNEL

ISSUES THAT HAVE DIRECT IMPACTS ON ORGANIZATIONAL
SHAREHOLDER RETURN AND PRODUCTIVITY. LIST TWO OF THE
PERSONNEL ISSUES STATED AND EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWERS.

It is not necessary to "write off" problem employees when solutions are available

that will benefit them personally and the company for whom they work.

The process of taking an employee who challenges the company or leadership of

the company and creating an employee who becomes a dedicated and

committed team member doesn´t involve re-training of tasks or job, or

threatening the employee, or doing a write-up and counseling session of

employee behavior.

However, the practice I see most frequently in organizations is to bring the

employee in, talk to them about what they are doing wrong and what isn´t

working, and sometimes, to scare them or threaten them with further action, or

instill in them the fear of losing their job.

This doesn´t achieve anything positive, and in fact, makes matters worse.

What typically happens is the person feels poorly about themselves, the

company, their employer or manager, and promptly begins to have more

negative feelings about work, and usually, doesn´t even want to show up for

work.

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The process results in negative energy and emotions and takes the employee to

a low level of morale, performance, and productivity, which in turn, can adversely

affect the morale and productivity of everybody who has to work with them.

When the energy shifts and becomes more positive, the employee feels happier

and is in a more positive frame of mind to do their work and be a viable team

member.

Here are some tips for creating an organizational culture that is more positive

and has less employee/personnel problems:

1. Ask the question "What is working?" or "What is going RIGHT?"

frequently, and teach employees to use this question as their own self-

talk.

2. Give employees and leaders new questions to ask to get new answers. If

we ask ourselves the same questions, we get the same answers. Instead

of asking the same questions of employees or of ourselves, we need to

broaden the questions to let in more creative ideas and solutions.

We want to stop asking what is going wrong and asking other questions

that make us feel bad and deplete our energy.

3. Co-creation. When something is a problem or a challenge and isn´t going

quite right yet, we want to speak with employees to co-create new ideas

and solutions. We want employees to give input and be part of the

process by finding out what ideas, resources, or solutions do THEY have

to make things more right.

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 4. BELIEVE. We have to fully believe employees want and can do a great

job. When something isn´t going right, we simply have to figure out, along

with them, what isn´t quite right YET – we fully need to expect it will be –

we´ll get whatever it is we believe.

5. ACT as IF. We must act as if the employee IS successful and treat them

with respect and dignity and give them our full confidence, even when

their performance may be under par. Doing so will enhance their self-

esteem, and their belief and trust in us.

It´s very hard to perform poorly when somebody has such great faith and

belief in you and who openly respects and encourages you. It makes you

want to try harder and to make the necessary shifts.

Just making these 5 shifts creates employees who have more positive energy

and enthusiasm and changes the culture of a company to that of belief, potential,

and a what IS working frame of mind.

It is a strategy that costs nothing to implement and the benefits are long lasting

and far-reaching.

It is simply a matter of building people up instead of knocking them down.

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2.0 QUESTION 2 (5 MARKS):

IDENTIFY FIVE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (HRM) CHALLENGES

AND DISCUSS USING YOUR OWN WORDS.

 Managing Knowledge Workers

Essentially, here we are looking at different kind of people who does not obey

the principles of management for the traditional group. This boils down to

higher educational qualifications, taking up responsibilities at a lesser age and

experience, high bargaining power due to the knowledge and skills in hand,

high demand for the knowledge workers, and techno suaveness. The clear

shift is seen in terms of organization career commitment to individualized

career management. Managing this set of people is essential for the growth of

any industry but especially the IT, BPOs and other knowledge based sectors.

 Managing Technological Challenges

In every arena organizations are getting more and more technologically

oriented. Though it is not in the main run after the initial debates, preparing

the work force to accept technological changes is a major challenge. We have

seen sectors like banking undergoing revolutionary changes enabled by

technology. It is a huge challenge to bring in IT and other technology

acceptance all levels in organizations.

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 Competence of HR Managers

As it is more and more accepted that lot of success of organizations depend

on the human capital, this boils to recruiting the best, managing the best and

retaining the best. Clearly HR managers have a role in this process. Often it is

discussed about lack of competence of HR managers in understanding the

business imperative. There is now a need to develop competent HR

professionals who are sound in HR management practices with strong

business knowledge.

 Developing Leadership

It is quite interesting to note that there is less importance given to developing

leadership at the organizational level. Though leadership is discussed on

basis of traits and certain qualities, at an organisational level it is more based

on knowledge. The challenge is to develop individuals who have performance

potential on basis of past record and knowledge based expertise in to

business leaders by imparting them with the necessary "soft skills".

 Managing Change

Business environment in India is volatile. There is boom in terms of

opportunities brought forward by globalisation. However this is also leading to

many interventions in terms of restructuring, turnaround, mergers,

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 downsizing, etc. Research has clearly shown that the success of these

interventions is heavily dependent on managing the people issues in the

process. HR has a pivotal role to play here.

3.0 QUESTION 3 (5 MARKS)

DO YOU OPINE THAT MALAYSIA IS FACING THE SAME HRM

CHALLENGES AS AFFIRMED BY THE AUTHOR? DISCUSS AND GIVE ONE
EXAMPLE TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWERS.

The role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with the change in

competitive market environment and the realization that Human Resource

Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization.

Organizations that do not put their emphasis on attracting and retaining talents

may find themselves in dire consequences, as their competitors may be

outplaying them in the strategic employment of their human resources.

With the increase in competition, locally or globally, organizations must become

more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. And within

this change in environment, the HR professional has to evolve to become a

strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate, and a change mentor within

the organization. In order to succeed, HR must be a business driven function with

a thorough understanding of the organization’s big picture and be able to

influence key decisions and policies. In general, the focus of today’s HR Manager

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is on strategic personnel retention and talents development. HR professionals

will be coaches, counselors, mentors, and succession planners to help motivate

organization’s members and their loyalty. The HR manager will also promote and

fight for values, ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organizations,

especially in the management of workplace diversity.

4.0 QUESTION 4 (3 MARKS)

WHAT THE TWO HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ISSUES WERE, AS

AGREED IN THE ARTICLE? DISCUSS YOUR ANSWERS.

The Challenges of Workplace Diversity

The future success of any organizations relies on the ability to manage a diverse

body of talent that can bring innovative ideas, perspectives and views to their

work. The challenge and problems faced of workplace diversity can be turned

into a strategic organizational asset if an organization is able to capitalize on this

melting pot of diverse talents. With the mixture of talents of diverse cultural

backgrounds, genders, ages and lifestyles, an organization can respond to

business opportunities more rapidly and creatively, especially in the global arena

(Cox, 1993), which must be one of the important organisational goals to be

attained. More importantly, if the organizational environment does not support

diversity broadly, one risks losing talent to competitors.

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This is especially true for multinational companies (MNCs) who have operations

on a global scale and employ people of different countries, ethical and cultural

backgrounds. Thus, a HR manager needs to be mindful and may employ a ‘Think

Global, Act Local’ approach in most circumstances. The challenge of workplace

diversity is also prevalent amongst Singapore’s Small and Medium Enterprises

(SMEs). With a population of only four million people and the nation’s strive

towards high technology and knowledge-based economy; foreign talents are

lured to share their expertise in these areas. Thus, many local HR managers

have to undergo cultural-based Human Resource Management training to further

their abilities to motivate a group of professional that are highly qualified but

culturally diverse. Furthermore, the HR professional must assure the local

professionals that these foreign talents are not a threat to their career

advancement (Toh, 1993). In many ways, the effectiveness of workplace

diversity management is dependent on the skilful balancing act of the HR

manager.

One of the main reasons for ineffective workplace diversity management is the

predisposition to pigeonhole employees, placing them in a different silo based on

their diversity profile (Thomas, 1992). In the real world, diversity cannot be easily

categorized and those organizations that respond to human complexity by

leveraging the talents of a broad workforce will be the most effective in growing

their businesses and their customer base.

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Motivational Approaches

Workplace motivation can be defined as the influence that makes us do things to

achieve organizational goals: this is a result of our individual needs being

satisfied (or met) so that we are motivated to complete organizational tasks

effectively. As these needs vary from person to person, an organization must be

able to utilize different motivational tools to encourage their employees to put in

the required effort and increase productivity for the company.

Why do we need motivated employees? The answer is survival (Smith, 1994). In

our changing workplace and competitive market environments, motivated

employees and their contributions are the necessary currency for an

organization’s survival and success. Motivational factors in an organizational

context include working environment, job characteristics, appropriate

organizational reward system and so on.

The development of an appropriate organizational reward system is probably one

of the strongest motivational factors. This can influence both job satisfaction and

employee motivation. The reward system affects job satisfaction by making the

employee more comfortable and contented as a result of the rewards received.

The reward system influences motivation primarily through the perceived value of

the rewards and their contingency on performance (Hickins, 1998).

To be effective, an organizational reward system should be based on sound

understanding of the motivation of people at work. In this paper, I will be touching

on the one of the more popular methods of reward systems, gain-sharing.

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5.0 QUESTION 5 (3 MARKS)

WHAT WAS THE PATTERN OF HRM PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL

JOINT VENTURES? EXPLAIN IT ACCORDING TO THE PHASE OF JOINT
VENTURES DEVELOPMENT.

The pattern of HRM practices for successful Joint Ventures (JV) performance

depends on the phase of JV development. In the initiation phase, HR practices

were “borrowed” from the parent company. Some JVs had started to compile

their own HR policies and practices, which incorporated local demands. Staffing

in the initiation phase was ethnocentric, giving way to polycentric and geocentric

staffing in the transitional and mature phases. Staffing has the purpose of

“getting the job done”. Owing to the shortage of labor, the JV management could

not pick and choose the personnel that they wanted. Training was emphasized.

Appraisals were introduced cautiously and the basic compensation for staff was

dictated by the guidelines of the host country. The benefits in terms of bonuses

were not in line with enterprises which had been in business for a long time.

Cultural differences was an issue and there were HR problems concerning

communication, working ethos, and local bureaucracy.

In the transition phase, HR practices accommodated to local demands. Staffing

still had the purpose of “getting the job done” with some career development for

staff. Again, the choice of staff was limited by the shortage of labor in the market.

Training was gaining importance and was undertaken more frequently. Staff

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appraisals were conducted quarterly to annually. Compensation had to be

increased to “keep” staff. This was due to the highly volatile labor shortage

environment. Staff left for higher pay. The JVs afforded the customary bonus of

two months to all staff as the JV performance improved. Cultural differences

were reduced. HR policies and practices adapted to fit the JV environment.

Joint ventures in the maturation phase were highly successful. HR practices

were in line with the world’s best practices. Staffing had the purpose of getting

the job done efficiently, career development and organizational integration and

coordination. Many of the expatriate positions had been taken over by the local

managers who had been groomed for the take-over. Staff training was intensive

and continuous throughout their careers. Appraisals were performed quarterly.

Compensation was based on the HAY system for top and middle management.

All staff received the customary two-months bonuses. Cultural synergy built upon

similarities and fused differences, resulting in more effective human activities and

systems.

6.0 QUESTION 6 (6 MARKS)

DO YOU OPINE THAT YOUR EMPLOYER OR THE ORGANIZATION WHERE

YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH HAS SAME HRM PRACTICES PATTERNS AS
THE ORGANIZATIONS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE ARTICLE? DISCUSS YOUR
ANSWERS.

In my opinion, there are a couple of organization where I am familiar with, is not

quite the same with the HRM practice patterns as highlighted in the article, yet

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still, HRM is the management function devoted to acquiring and training the

organization’s employees, and then appraising and paying them. For the record,

all managers are, in a sense, personnel managers, because they all get involved

in activities like recruiting, interviewing, selecting, and training. But most large

firms also have Human Resource (HR) departments with their own human

resource managers.

Intense global competition means that these organization need competent and

committed employees more than they ever have before. To be more competitive,

organizations must now rely on things like self-managing work teams and

empowering employees. In turn, organizing like this boosts the need for

motivated and self-directed employees: You can’t very well have self-managing

work teams if the employees don’t have the skills or attitudes to manage

themselves.

Strategic human resource management has been defined as “the linking of HRM

with strategic goals and objectives in order to improve business performance and

develop organizational cultures that foster innovation and flexibility. Strategic HR

means accepting the fact that human resource management plays an important

role in formulating company strategies as well as in executing those strategies

through its activities like recruiting, selecting and training personnel.

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HR management can play a crucial role in helping organizations formulate and

execute their strategies. For example, HR management is in good position to

supply competitive intelligence that the firm’s top managers need to know.

Details regarding incentive plans being used by competitors, opinion surveys

from employees that elicit information about customer complaints, and

information about pending legislation like labor laws or mandatory health

insurance are examples. (Asma Abdullah and Aric H.M. Low, 2001)

7.0 QUESTION 7 (8 MARKS)

EXPLAIN TWO HUMAN RESOURCE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY YOUR

EMPLOYER OF THE ORGANIZATION WHERE YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH
AND TWO STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING THE PROBLEMS.

Problem Behavior

If you get enough different personalities working together, there are bound to be

problems. Problem behavior is not just a failure to get along with coworkers

though. Problem behavior can range from absenteeism, to substandard work, to

workplace crime, and those are just a few examples. It is a good idea to have a

written policy regarding problem behavior, and make sure that it is spelled out in

the manual the new employee gets when they are hired. Once a manager

realizes there is a problem they should schedule a private meeting with the

problem employee. A private setting important because a manager should never

counsel or scold an employee in front of their peers. From L. Dobb and P. Dick,

(1993) During the meeting the manager should: "approach the situation as
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positively as possible, but know beforehand the facts of the situation, what you

wish to accomplish through the counseling session, and how you may structure

improvement." (p 4) It is important to go into the meeting with a positive attitude

that things can be changed. Termination should never be a surprise to the

employee. During the meeting, the manager should listen attentively to the

employee to see what their side of the story is, and how the problem can be

solved. Repercussions should also be laid out if the employee makes no effort at

improvement. Schedule a follow up meeting a few weeks in advance to see if

and how the employee has changed.

As a manager, it is important to document, document, document. It is imperative

to have a written record of all dealings with a person who is displaying problem

behavior. You will need to document the first time the behavior was noticed, and

the details of the meeting you had with the problem employee to help amend the

problem. It is so important to document, because if the employee is terminated,

they may file a grievance against you. Be sure that discrimination isn’t a factor in

their problem, especially if they are a protected party under today’s laws. If

termination is inevitable, make sure that it is a private, neutral setting, where both

the employer and the ex-employee can leave immediately after. If the manager

holds the termination meeting in their office, the ex-employee may not leave

when the meeting is over, and more negative behavior has the possibility to

arise. It is also a good idea to have another manager present when termination is

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necessary, just in case things do take a turn for the negative, and as a witness.

Keep the termination meeting brief and empathetic, but clear.

Workplace Health

Health is the key factor in an effective worker. It is important to follow all of

OSHA’s guidelines for workplace health, and to offer generous benefit packages.

D. Baldwin (1996) gives us some reasons for benefit packages:

 Attracts good employees

 Raises employee moral

 Reduces turnover

 Increases job satisfaction

 Motivates employees (p. 44)

It is also very important to provide a comfortable workplace for your

employees. Two of the most common physical issues facing those working in

libraries today are eyestrain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. From D. L. Lewin

(1995), "Employees who use computers extensively should be encouraged to

take regular work breaks. You should also make sure that these employees have

set their keyboards at the right height for them." (p. 34) It is vital for managers to

remember that people are not machines. The article by R. D. Chadborne (1995)

lists "six considerations as critical to the electronic workplace: keyboard height,

eye-to-screen distance, viewing angle, hand to keyboard distance, seat height,

15
and back support." (p. 25) Spending a little more for adjustable furniture and

good lighting will be a good investment in the end.

REFERENCE

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Institute of Developing Economies

(1995) Proceedings of the International Seminar on Industrial Structural Change
and Human Resource Development in the Asia and Pacific Region (7-8 Dec 1994~
Tokyo) Tokyo

Asian Productivity Organisation (1993) Asian Dynamism Through Human Resource

Development, Tokyo.

Asma Abdullah & Aric H. M. Low (2001) Understanding the Malaysian

Workforce:Guideline for Managers, Malaysian Institute of Management, Kuala
Lumpur.

Carnevale A. P., Gainer L. J. & Meltzer A.S. (1990) Workplace Basics: The Essential
Skills Employers Want Publishers, American Society for Training and
Development (ASTD), Jossey Bass Publishers, San Francisco

Cascio W. F. (1997) International Human Resource Management Issues for 1990s Asia
Pacific Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 30, No. 4, 27 January, pp.1-17

Lim Pui Huen (1995) Honing Skills For Vision 2020, Business Times, Singapore
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Trends, 30 September - 1 October

Malaysia Still Facing Serious Labour Shortage (1996) The Straits Times. 14 July

Morris P. and Sweeting P. (ed.) (1995) Education and Development In East Asia Garland
Publishing Inc., London

Muqtada M. and Hildeman A. (ed) (1993) Labour Markets and Human Resource
Planning in Asia: Perspectives and Evidence UNDP and ILO Asian Regional Team
for Employment Promotion (ARTEP)

Torrington D. and Tan Chwee Huat (1994) Human Resource Management for Southeast
Asia Prentice Hall, Singapore

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (1996) Human Development Report

1996 Oxford University Press, New York

Working in the Future (1995) Asiaweek, 18 August, pp. 37-43

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