GRIMSHAW’S QUALITY TEXTILES: A MANAGEMENT REPORT ON HRM PROBLEMS AND PROPOSED HRM STRATEGY
I. Introduction
Managing the human element of the company has acquired a huge part of organisational studies made. This only shows that maintaining a healthy and well-adapted workforce is imperative for companies to achieve their organisational goals. Along these lines, companies tend to similarly adapt organisational actions that would address beckoning changes held by both internal and external environment. This took place in the case of QualTex and Grimshaw who merged to create a greater potential for their company in the textile industry in Lancashire. However, this act held by both companies has made considerable effects in the dynamics of the merged organisation. One must understand that effectiveness and the efficiency of the organisation would be an impossible task to realise without the proper understanding and recognition of the individual needs and requirements of the workforce. Thus, this strategic proposal intends to provide a strategic strategy for the merged company Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles as a means of addressing the human dynamics of the organisation. The discussions will consist of theoretical applications of HRM strategies from organisational studies and other scholarly works. In the same manner, the strategy will also be held in line with the key elements of the Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles’ new business plan. Moreover, recommendations and suggestions will also be included based on the findings and arguments provided in this paper.
II. Theoretical Framework
In order to create a workable strategy for the company, one must first realise the existing realities that it dwells upon. First, the company is a newly merged company. This means that considerable change management techniques should be taken into account for a workable HRM strategy could be effectively implemented. This means that the existing culture within the company, particularly those held by the workforce in Qualtex and Grimshaw’s Fabric Company should be taken into account. Moving on with this sequence, establishing an HRM strategy would also entail the recognition of the proper motivational theories available for the company. Along these lines, the issue of dissatisfaction and learning within the company will also be tackled. And finally, and probably most important element to consider is the discussion of the role of the managers and supervisors in implementing this strategy. The company must recognise that for the new business plan to be successful, cooperation and full responsibility from the management staff is required. Not only do their technical skills is compulsory, they should also be able to be the pillars of the company by being leaders that will marshal the entire workforce of Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles.
A. Managing Change
It must be emphasized that the company is a newly merged organisation, which means that there is a lot of changes that has to be made. However, to minimise any possible loss in the change process, the company have to first take into account the perceived needs of the company. In doing so, the change needed and how it will be implemented will do the company more good than bad. In the context of change, areas technical and cultural in nature are predominantly indicated in existing literature. However, there are some who claim that the process of change in companies tend to focus more on the cultural aspect as opposed to the technical level. ( 2003) This means that for the most part, initiating change and adjustment in the technical elements of the operations deal predominantly with similar adjustments in the human aspect of the organisation.
This also indicated that there is a method to managing the madness brought about by change. (1996) Aligning the organisation with its environment is one of the keys in making this work. In such situations, the goals of the company tend to be the stressors that trigger this capability. and (1996) called this process as strategic planning.
In looking at the situation in company, Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles, the merger was composed of seemingly different companies with reference to their culture. The issue remains on how the company would be able to take into account other predicaments such as varying resistance from units of the new organisation and especially with the employees. ( 2002) Thus, it plainly provides a scenario which is far from being simple.
B. Motivation
Numerous studies have linked motivation of the workforce to the overall performance of the firm. This shows that this element do have an influence in the way the human resource act to their jobs. This also manifests that motivation basically spells the way the employee perceives the internal and external aspects of his/her work and his/her performance as an employee.
There are studies that have indicated that the level of motivation of employees depend largely on how they are treated by the company. One particular element is indicated in the study of (2000) who stated that leadership styles implemented in the organisation would have a considerable effect on the motivation of the employees. This is supported by the earlier study of (1996) indicating that “autocratic, hierarchical, and bureaucratic forms” of leadership have negative effects on the organisation because it impedes the capability of the employees to move freely.
In the same manner, companies tend to focus their attention to the level of job dissatisfaction of their workforce. There have been organisational studies that point to job dissatisfaction as the main reason in breakdowns in operations. (1996) There are several areas in the company that could trigger the dissatisfaction among employees. Creating a secure feedback system has been implemented in several companies and has addressed the situation before it has escalated to unmanageable proportions. (1998)
C. Role of Management Personnel
In times of change, the leadership of the organisation does hold some significance on the equation. Specifically, the role most important for this context is those concerning the managers. This is because these people serve as the link between the top management and the rank and file employees of the firm. These individuals, especially when the organisation has similar circumstances as that of Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles, have the responsibility of keeping up the “continuity and radical change” in the company. (2002) This not only manifests the importance of their technical roles in the organisation, it also shows that their leadership capabilities as well as their management capacities are laid on the line in these situations.
In addition, and (1999) indicated that the manger should be aware of the organisational inertia, content and interdependencies holding the organisation together. This establishes the fact that managers need to satisfy the requirement of knowing not only the strengths and capabilities of the organisation but also its weaknesses and limitations it possess. In this manner, the drive to development is taken by measured attempts to douse the noted inadequacies in the organisation. In any case, the said studies have implicated the role of management in uncovering the required modifications and adjustments in the organisation based on the factors that they pointed out. At both instances, it is required of him/her to establish a balance in the organisation.
III. Human Resource Management Strategy Proposal A. Results of Strategic Analysis: Assumptions on the Company
The following part of the proposal presents the findings of the researcher regarding the company. The following will establish the values of the company and the subsequent issues surrounding the situations held within Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles.
1. Vision, Mission, and Values
The company’s vision is to “provide Lancashire and the rest of the United Kingdom with high quality textile products through implementing a good professional relationship with the employees of the company.”
With this vision, the company similarly intends to carry out the following missions objectives: “to ensure
· the survival of textile manufacturing in Lancashire
· growth of the company
· rationalization
· increased profits over a five-year timeframe
· efficiency and increased output
· finally becoming an ‘employer of choice’ by 2010.
Appearing that the existing culture in Grimshaw’s Fabric Company is the one dominating the merger, it could be assumed that the prevailing culture would be considerably authoritative in nature. This means that the employees would be rather submissive and acquiescent to the existing rules and changes made by the management. This shows the authority of the management over the workforce.
2. Strategic HR Issues
There are certain strategic issues found in after establishing the predominant values in Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles. These are summarised in the following selection:
· Lack of comprehensive data from the Human Resource Department that could be used in the planning process.
· The selection process of employees from both QualTex and Grimshaw appears to be rather inconsistent.
· The employees from both QualTex and Grimshaw do not know whether they qualify for mobility in the company.
· There is an imminent clash in the culture between the retained employees of QualTex and Grimshaw.
In line with these indicated problems, this proposal intends to forward several programmes that would alleviate the existing situation to suit the vision and mission-objectives of Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles.
B. Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles Human Resource Plan 1. Continuous HR Planning Programme
Information technology and human resource management have recently been integrated to deal with advanced operations of the modern organisation. (1996) Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles doesn’t any severe issues relating to planning however, this programme is forwarded for the approval of the Board of Directors because of the following reasons:
· The data acquired from the Human resource department is inadequate to make reasonable measure of the actual operations of the HR Department
· Automation of the data would provide convenience to those who need the information in the company.
· IT and HR processes has been noted in studies to be effective for the company if it is integrated.
Objectives of the Programme
· Acquire the necessary amount of data that could start the company’s benchmarking operations
· To serve as a means to collect verifiable information regarding advancement, incentive, and other HR concerns of the company
· To make the HR functions of the Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles more effective and less costly.
Recommendations for the Programme
· Initiate a training programme for the employees and personnel of the HR department in using the equipment needed for these operations.
· Convert any existing paper document into digital form.
2. Recruitment Programme
The issue of recruitment appears as one of the lesser concerns of the company since they have high turnout in their labour department. However, establishing a new recruitment programme will allow the company to acquire rank and file employees as well as management personnel who are considerably skilled. The programme basically intends to establish a standard approach in the selection process of the organisation.
Objectives of the Programme
· To established a standardised approach in acquiring personnel (rank and file and managerial) in the organisation.
· To acquire skilled personnel available in the workforce.
· To improve the business strategy of the company based on acquiring competitive human resources.
Recommendations for the Programme
· Appoint specific personnel in the HR department that would focus entirely on this part of the strategic plan.
· Identify the desired skills and level of competence required by the company from the applicants.
· Allow the Board of Directors to review the established set of criteria and the draft of the selection process.
3. Performance Management Programme
This proposed programme is geared towards the management level employees of the company. This programme is forwarded for the approval of the Board of Directors because of the following reasons:
· The company could not afford to start a high trend regarding the turnover of management level employees. They are far too valuable for the operations of the company.
· This will serve as a means of monitoring on the part of managers such that the company knows that they could keep up with the demands of the industry.
· The management level employee rosters appears to be rather bloated.
Objectives of the Programme
· This will serve as a tool for benchmarking the performance of the managerial employees of the company.
· It could be used to streamline the management positions in Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles.
· In the same way, it could also be used to determine the managers who would be retained from QualTex and Grimshaw.
· Measure the general managerial competencies like leadership, management skills, and technical expertise.
Recommendations for the Programme
· Create a team in the HR Deaprtment coming from both QualTex and Grimshaw to ensure accountability.
· In the same way, a system of codenames for the specific managers appraised should be created such that the appraisal would be free from undue advantage or bias.
4. Training and Development Programme
This programme will serve as an introduction of the company to the development of knowledge management (KM) in their company. This programme is forwarded for the approval of the Board of Directors because of the following reasons:
· Managing knowledge means that the company provides training for the employees. Some theories have indicated that the perception of the employee of the possibility of improvement in his/her existing situation in the professional context is considered a determinant of the motivation. (2003)
· Employees see it motivating that there is a chance to be successful in their chosen profession. Others may also indicate that income growth marks success among the employees in their respective careers. (1999)
· This drive to career advancement and achieving a successful career in a chosen profession may trigger the individual employee to seek improvement in his/her skills and other knowledge tools that could be used to move up in the organisational structure.
Objectives of the Programme
· This programme seeks to establish additional value to the organisation.
· This programme seeks to make the company veer away from being merely an industrial organisation and much closer to being a learning organisation.
· This will serve as an impetus for further developments in the HR elements of the company. Actions like the improvement of relationship with the trade unions, human resource development, and maintenance of the technical and high-performing components of the company’s human resource were among the basics of the KM processes.
Recommendations for the Programme
· The company should make sure that the continuous planning programme should have made a profound mark in the organisation first before embarking on this programme.
· In the same manner, the HR department should also make sure that the data acquired and used in this programme is relevant. This means that there should be no alterations, exact, and reliable in the knowledge given by these data.
5. Employee Synergy Programme
As stated throughout the paper, the organisation is newly merged. This means that the culture of the company is still liquid and more prone to conflict. This programme is forwarded for the approval of the Board of Directors because of the following reasons:
· Culture is still needed such that the organisation could differentiate itself with other companies.
· Culture is still necessary to identify the members that compose that said organisation. More importantly, the management needs to establish a culture such that commitment to the organisational goals prevails over the self-serving interests of the individual employees.
Objectives of the Programme
· To show that the inherent hierarchies presented by the organisational structure in Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles provide managers the capacity to actually shape the culture in the organisation.
· Make the managers realise their worth and value to the organisation.
· Establish a conflict-free organisation.
· Look into the effects of factors like stress, the working environment, and culture to conflict.
Recommendations for the Programme
· Vigilance is required from every unit of the organisation.
· The company should also increase its awareness on any form of deviance.
· Communication tools like feedbacks and interviews are needed to accomplish this programme.
IV. Conclusion
The discussions above have presented a proposed plan to ensure that the human resource management strategy of the organisation goes hand-in-hand with the business plan of the entire company. In looking at the discussions presented above, the task of employing an effective HR plan rests highly on the managers and other personnel in the leadership position in the organisation. However, it must also be given emphasis that these individuals’ role in the company is as important as that of every rank and file employee in the organisation. Without the cooperation of these employees, managers are just mumbling fools shouting orders to deaf ears. Ultimately, these managers are tasked to make the employees know that they are valued by the company and that their input to the fulfilment of this proposed plan is similarly vital to its success. The organisation is facing a period of uncertainty as it has engaged in a merger, nonetheless with the proper outlook from the employees and guidance from the management, Grimshaw’s Quality Textiles will essentially see the realisation of its organisational goals.
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