Harness the Power of Frontline Supervisors to Turn HR Policies into Performance Gains

Key Findings: • Frontline supervisors play a critical role in implementing HR policies by developing employees and managing performance. • Coaching counts—one-on-one feedback from frontline supervisors increases the bottom-line by improving individual productivity. • Coaching alone isn’t enough. It is much more effective when combined with other management practices—for example, group incentives that enhance collaborative problem-solving and learning, and reinforce the lessons from individual coaching. • The resources and constraints of workplace technologies can affect the return on your frontline coaching and HR management strategies. Don’t overlook the level of process automation and rate of technical change on the job

The impact of Chinese cultural values on human resource policies and practices within transnational corporations in China

This thesis focuses on key cross-cultural issues that transnational corporations (TNCs) face when formulating and implementing Human Resource (HR) policies and practices in their Chinese affiliates. The aim of this study is two-fold. The first is to investigate how employees perceive HR policies and practices that have been transferred from parent enterprises of TNCs, and the second is to explore the extent to which Chinese cultural values influence these HR policies and practices. These aims are addressed through an exploratory research design using in-depth qualitative interviews with seventy-six participants across twenty-one Western TNCs and two Chinese state-owned enterprises in China. By presenting the differences between the HR policies and practices with Western TNCs and Chinese companies, the distinctive Chinese cultural values can be interpreted against a more holistic background. This study contributes to international human resource management (IHRM) literature by empirically investigating the perceptions and views of both managerial and non-managerial employees on HR policies and practices within the participating companies. This study explores the contemporary Chinese cultural values and examines how these cultural values exert influence on the HR policies and practices. The findings of this study demonstrate a variation between global HR policies and practices of TNCs and their implementation at the local level. Moreover, the researcher finds that there are three national cultural values with Chinese characteristics which can affect HR policies and practices within TNCs in China; these are: guan-xi, valuing seniority, and the importance of the „human factor‟. It is indicated that Chinese cultural values are far more sophisticated than the ones conceptualised in previous literature, as these three cultural values appear to be interlinked and be embedded within the Chinese culture of collectivism. More importantly, the study shows that these deeply embedded cultural values can not be easily „ironed-out‟ by organisational culture and global HR policies and practices of TNCs. Therefore, it is argued that TNCs need to acknowledge cross-cultural differences and consider these Chinese cultural values when implementing their global HR policies and practices in China. Organisational and managerial commitment to such an approach would require conscious steps to be taken towards adopting a closely monitored HR implementation process and more inclusive HR policies and practices, rather than expecting Chinese employees to accept and adopt the global HR policies and practices which may be against their cultural values and norms

HR Policies and Maternal Labor Supply

The author asks how far the extension of employer-supported childcare serves as a driver for higher maternal labor supply. She addresses this question by categorizing employer-supported childcare as an efficiency wage introduced by the employer to increase the working volume of mothers. Applying various impact evaluation techniques in an econometric analysis, the author concludes that the availability of employer-supported childcare has a positive impact on the length and working volume of mothers who return back to work after giving birth. Furthermore, the usage of employer-supported childcare by mothers with pre-school age children influences the amount of agreed and actual working hours positively. </P

Challenging (Strategic) Human Resource management Theory

To fully understand the relationship between human resource management and performance in different contexts, we are in need of a synthesis between resource-based theory and new institutionalism. We argue that differences in institutional settings (between for example countries or branches of industry) affect the shaping of HRM. In this paper we develop a conceptual model (human resource based theory of the firm) that will be illustrated by means of empirical evidence on macro, meso and micro level. The model enables to analyze the interaction between industrial relations and human resource management at different levels (international, national, branch of industry, company-level) and how that affects the shaping of HR policies in a specific company. In this way the paper broadens the present HRM and Performance debate by explicitly taking into account factors that are decisive in shaping HR policies. Factors like the product-market-technology dimension, administrative heritage, the social-cultural-legal dimension and the dominant coalition with its degree of leeway.human resource management;performance;HRM theory;new institutionalism;resource based view

Three Strategies for Managing through Economic Change

[Excerpt] Since its implementation, strategic human resource management has helped assuage the age-old conflict formerly accepted to be inherent between employees and management. The interests of these two parties have long been erroneously assumed to be diametrically opposed. Nevertheless, the development of effective strategic HR policies has demonstrated that gains for both businesses and workers can be made by pursuing more collaborative relations between the two. Specifically, the utilization of effective talent management and career development strategies has gone a long way toward producing a more amicable relationship between employees and management, and by extension more productive and profitable firms

HR policies for labour migrants:A process still in its infancy?

The aim of this article is to explore HR policy areas that are applied for migrant labour, independent from the type of hiring or recruitment. The author discusses a series of opinion surveys, dedicated to these areas, among these workers in the Netherlands. The literature often speaks about a dichotomy in HR policies between the ‘high road’ and the ‘low road’. The ‘high road’ is characterised by a ‘humane’ policy, while the ‘low road’ is instrumental. The surveys lead to the conclusion that, in many (user) undertakings, the recruitment of labour migrants is left to the planning department, resulting in an instrumental approach. The complete absence of dignity and care is characteristic for a ‘hard’ HR approach, a fate that migrant workers share with other marginalised labour market groups. At the same time employers glorify the 'work ethic' of migrant labour, without further attention for the motives that brings them to the Netherlands. The contribution ends with a plea for a more active role on the part of HR management in the deployment of labour migrants

Assessing human resource policies on performance using monitoring and evaluation tools in Durban Transnet National Port Authority.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville.Human Resources policies have been playing a character in Durban Transnet National Port Authority institutions for many years. Performance has been one of the critical issues in many organisations. Monitoring and Evaluation remains the significance factor in assessing Human Resource policies into operative institutions that provides on the objectives of Transnet. The main objective of the study was to analyse the role of evaluations of HR Policies in the Durban Transnet National Port Authority. Further the aim was to determine the monitoring of HR policies for improved results and performance in the Durban Transnet National Port Authority, and evaluate the planning for improvements of HR policies in the Durban Transnet National Port Authority. This study used a qualitative method. This approach enabled the researcher to explore concepts in more depth with the research participants and to hear them talk about issues that affect them. Unstructured interviews were employed as they favour lengthy responses and can provide a holistic understanding of the respondents’ views pertaining to the research topic. Thematic analysis was deemed suitable for qualitative data analysis because the technique allowed for concise organisation and detailed description of collected data. The findings of the study indicated that the interpretation of HR policies has not improved, there is no consultation other stakeholders within the organisation before policies are developed. All HR personnel including line managers to be clear with all HR policies so that correct information will be cascaded down, and line managers to take responsibility and be ready to be corrected of changes. As part of the recommendations, the study suggested that there must be a monitoring and evaluation team or specialists in place for line managers and HR to meet regularly to discuss their concerns about the implementation of the HR policies as well to oversee the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation in an organisation. It is recommended that inductions need to take place where these concerns can be addressed under the supervision of an external facilitator. The emphasis in monitoring is on checking progress towards the achievement of an objective. A good monitoring system will thus give warning, early on in the implementation of a course of action that the end goal will be reached as planned. Keywords: Monitoring, evaluation, human resources, policies, performance, planning, improvements

Introduction

This book investigates restructuring in the electronics industry and in particular the impact of a \u2018Chinese\u2019 labour regime on work and employ - ment practices in electronics assembly in Europe.1 Electronics is an extremely dynamic sector, characterized by an ever-changing organi - zational structure, as well as cut-throat competition, particularly in manufacturing. Located primarily in East Asia, electronics assembly has become notorious for poor working conditions, low unionisation and authoritarian labour relations. However, hostile labour relations and topdown HR policies are not unique to East Asia. They have become associated with the way the sector is governed more broadly, with a number of Western companies also coming to rely on such practices

Flexible workforces and low profit margins: electronics assembly between Europe and China

This book investigates restructuring in the electronics industry and in particular the impact of a \u2018Chinese\u2019 labour regime on work and employ - ment practices in electronics assembly in Europe.1 Electronics is an extremely dynamic sector, characterized by an ever-changing organi - zational structure, as well as cut-throat competition, particularly in manufacturing. Located primarily in East Asia, electronics assembly has become notorious for poor working conditions, low unionisation and authoritarian labour relations. However, hostile labour relations and topdown HR policies are not unique to East Asia. They have become associated with the way the sector is governed more broadly, with a number of Western companies also coming to rely on such practices

People avoid calling in sick if that adds to their colleagues’ burden

HR policies that foster a collegial environment may be an important tool in reducing workplace absence, write Tim Barmby, John Sessions and Alexandros Zangelidi