Understanding the Significance, Scope, and Legal Framework of HRM
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the scope, significance and legal framework of HRM in business organisations.
2. Critically examine the factors affecting human motivation in business organisations and how motivation affects standards of performance.
3. Analyse the causes of conflict and alienation at work and evaluate the methods of their resolution.
1. Human resource management is the driving force for an organisational progress. The area of the human resource management is concerned as the most difficult area within an organisational scenario. Starting from the recruitment process to retaining the employees by managing the entire working environment are the areas of concern for a human resource manager. Hence, as stated by Valenzuela (2013), the human resource management is responsible for both planning and implementing the internal policies, programmes, and procedures. On the other hand, the human resource management is also keeping the concentration on the maintenance of both physical and emotional capitals of the workforces (Aral, Dellarocas, and Godes 2013). The proper training and development session after recruiting the people is managed by the human resource management. Even providing the enough motivational factors for retaining the skilled employees is also significant responsibility of the skilled HRM process.
The study will be presenting the critical analysis of the issues that are affecting the human resource management practices. The concept derived from the case study based issues will be assimilated while discussing the major components in this assignment.
Tolu is the 25 year old woman who has been working for a leading holiday company. As per the case study, it has been seen that the issue arose when the HR manager of her company informed her that she is terminated due to her personal posts on social media. The post was printed out and it contained some insulting status that hits directly to her boss. She implied on that status that she wants to bunk the office as she assumes she may fall sick. However, she posted such updates out of fun and she never thought that her personal websites or posts would ever be tracked by her company. She felt embarrassed and simultaneously she had the feeling of unfairness. She thought she had the freedom of speech and she has the full right to live her personal life after office. Moreover, she thinks her private posts in social media should not affect her professional life. However, the case scenario is thus signifying several areas of concerns.
Examining Factors Affecting Human Motivation and Performance Standards in Organizations
In keeping concentration on these issues, it can be stated that managing disciplinary factors is essential. As per the rules of managing conduct, Leonardi, Huysman and Steinfield (2013) implied that the first warning statement is needed to be provided to the staffs. For example, if any of the staffs is identified to misbehave with some aspects related to the organisation, the employee can be given the warning mail for changing the behaviour in next six or 12 months (Acas.org.uk 2016). Disciplining the staffs is the most required segments. Moreover, the action can only be taken if the staffs fail to bring changes in the behaviour even after getting the warning from the management. On the contrary, Treem and Leonardi (2012) argued that if any of the employees is sharing something negative words in their personal circle, it is affecting the reputation of the company. It is clearly stated that no one is allowed to dominate any organisational reputation by misbehaving and sharing allegations or embarrassing opinions among the personal circles (Huang, Baptista and Galliers 2013). Hence, Tolu’s post in the social media sites was damaging the reputation of her company.
In discussing the issues in this specific case, it can be mentioned that the lack of the staff communication can arise such issues more significantly. The human resource management needs to maintain the transparent communication skills with the employees. The human resource management is the responsible department of determining the disciplines of the staffs (Poore 2015). The maintenance of the behavioural discipline can ensure the proper behaviour of the staff that will not harm the organisational reputation. Moreover, the human resource management needs to warn the employees about their behaviour that may harm the organisational environment. However, before presenting any warning letter, the company should not terminate the employees in basis of a single reason.
In considering the human rights, the human resource management can take step against any misbehaviour of any employee. It is to be indicated that as per the employment laws, the employers can taken actions against the employees who have presented some abusive comments in the social media sites regarding their workplace (Thomas and Akdere 2013). Many of the high profile cases have been identified in considering the firing of the employee due to some insulting comments on social media. When the employer can found the proper evidence of such actions, the proofs can be presented as the reason. As per the social media policies, the company can fire an employee if the person is found breaching against the firm (Poore 2015). Hence, in analysing from the perspective of the human resource management, it was a right decision to fire Tolu, as she made some insulting and embarrassing comment on her boss.
Analyzing Causes of Conflict and Alienation at Work and Methods of Resolution
In discussing the act done by Tolu on her Facebook page, it can be stated that every individual has the freedom of speech. When it is about the personal blog in the personal account of Social Media Sites, people can share their personal feelings with their circles. On the contrary, it can be stated when people are taking the personal and professional life on the different manner, then nobody has the right to make fun of their professional consequences. In the blog, Tolu abused her boss, which even made her feel embarrassed. She even knew that her company has been Facebook page for recruiting people. However, in considering the disciplinary act undertaken by the HR professionals, Tolu could be warned through any warning mail. Since, she was also quite unhappy about what she did; she deserved to get one chance to make changes in her behaviour. However, the scenario was quite embarrassing for both the employer and the employee. Therefore, in keeping concentration on the social media policy, the step that had taken against Tolu was quite justified. The step could be even worse if the management had decided to take legal actions against her. However, she was terminated from her work.
2. The use of the social media has brought the drastic changes in the corporate practices. The organisations directly communicate through Facebook, twitter, and other social sites to derive the solicit responses from the people worldwide (Vaast and Kaganer 2013). Being an HR consultant, it is important to focus on several aspects associated with the social media uses. Firstly, the HR consultant needs to ensure the policy regarding the use of the social media in the workplace. In spite of undertaking the policies against the misuse of the workplace reputation in social media, it cannot prevent the wrongful act of unjustified termination suit (Nibusinessinfo.co.uk 2016). Drafting of a policy signifies the parameter that substantiates the expected outcomes from the social media use by the employees. The policy structure determines the properly documented and it reflects the current guidelines.
Secondly, the HR management needs to set the boundaries for using social media sites during the working hours. The employees can check the social media updates to confirm the responses, but not allowed to spend much of their working time on browsing these sites (Kandias et al. 2013). However, in case of using any professional account related to the organisational benefits, the employees can get access to these social media sites (Shrm.org 2016). Third aspect is to determine the security maintenance through passwords. The legislations applied in the social media used at workplace indicate that the passwords of the account holder will be protected. In case of dealing with the professional account, one can request for the password to get access. One thing is to be interpreted that it is not important to add the colleagues in the friend list. The employers can avoid judging the private lives of the employees by staying away from their personal profiles.
While browsing the social media sites, it is important to be knowledgeable about the ‘protected’ and ‘unprotected’ content. It has been seen that some of the contents are secured under the Federal and State law (Gritzalis et al. 2014). It simply means, if any of the employees’ account is registered under the ‘protected’ content, the employer cannot take any legal actions against that particular employee. In such situation, the individual has the full right of sharing the professional issues and conditions without any fear of being terminated or any punishments. The emergence of the social media problems at the workplace can be avoided if both the employer and the employees are knowledgeable about the use of these sites (Dijkmans, Kerkhof and Beukeboom 2015). Deriving the knowledge about the current laws and rules of courts to prevent the issue before it occurs. The HR management or the leaders need to make the employees up-to-date about the policies while using the social media sites.
Case Study: Employee Termination Due to Social Media Posts
In discussing the theoretical analysis of the HR management practices, it can be stated that the theoretical disciplines are depending on the basic needs and the requirements of the employees. For example, Tolu posted the pun against her workplace over the social networking sites. She was directly terminated and was not warmed by the HR manager. The good practices of the HR manager could provide her the warming mail, so that she could realise her fault and prevent such acts from happening again in the future. The maintenance of the positive environment within an organisation serves as the motivational aspect for the employees. The human resource management is the responsible person for managing the employees and provide enough motivational factors to bring the best outcomes of their performances (Scott 2015). The preventions of the main obstacles are the major requirement that facilitate the effective organisational scenario. The major goal of the human resource management is to meet the strategic objectives for the organisational benefits. The human resource practices include the following aspects.
- Workforce planning
- Time Management
- Skills Management
- Recruitment and Selection
- Employee engagement
- Establishment of communicational transparency
- Training and development
- Structuring Payroll
- Performance Appraisal
The study is mainly providing the knowledge about the use of social media at workplace. The practices of the HR management are needed to be concerned about the skill development of the employees. The implementation of the social media policies are needed to be specified by the HR management. Hence, the HR manager is the responsible person to make the employees aware of the rules and policies (Wu 2013). If the employees get the knowledge about the professional rules; they would not undertake any activity that goes against the organisational reputation. Moreover, if any of the employees has been misusing the social media with the abusive posts against the workplace, the HR manager can send the employee a warning mail. The repetition of the same mistake may cost the employees direct termination (Vaast and Kaganer 2013). Hence, the recognition of such policies is required and by establishing the transparent communication with the employees, the HR management can make the employees knowledgeable about the good practices.
The study is highlighting the case of Tolu who posted some abusive and embarrassing pun in the social media sites. The person was terminated directly without any warning. In keeping focus on this situation, it can be interpreted that the policies related to the social media use at workplace is needed to be clarified by the HR management to the employees. The employees would be able to identify their mistakes and can rectify those mistakes. Moreover, the clarified policies would be ensuring the prevention of the mistakes before they take place. However, the organisation can terminate the employees if it is a question of humiliation. On the other hand, the freedom of speech allows the individuals to share their personal interests on their personal social media accounts. Hence, it is important to determine the good HR practices that can maintain the regulations of using social media at workplace. The HR manager can even provide the knowledge of maintaining the organisational reputation by avoiding the embarrassing updates sharing on the social media sites. However, the maintenance of the good practices would be beneficial for identifying the mistakes, so that it will not repeat in future. Finally, the maintenance of the security purposes while using social media is also needed to be concentrated more specifically.
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