Significance of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)
The term strategic human resource management (SHRM) refers to the incorporation of the human resource policies and measures strategically to receive maximum productivity from the employees. The HR policies are such implemented that it also provides security, safety and a stable work environment to the workers. The employees are often termed as human capital in this branch. The definition pertaining to SHRM keeps varying according to the external environment changes. It rather specifies the pressure that arises from the prompt requirement developing from the rapid change. This rapid change does affect the health of the organizations and thus it becomes notably alarming to strategise the existing HRM policies. This entire process can be referred as SHRM that further comprises its sub-branches which call for restructuring the managerial techniques, framing new mission, setting new objectives and others (Andersen et al., 2007). The upcoming term workplace flexibility relating to HRM has caught much attention and is considered significant by the companies to attain both productivity and competitive advantage (Nankervis et al., 2017).
Relating the paper to the case study, it can be summated that it is vital and considered significant ‘to smash the old paradigm’ of work process due to several valid reasons. The case study of the firm Justitia has been illustrated for better comprehension of the scenario. It is notably evident that the law firm was awarded Sir Ken Robinson Award due to its exemplary workforce flexibility design during 2014 by Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI). Nonetheless, it is observed that the law firms have never displayed such flexible work design. Justitia is based in the city of Melboune comprising 8 lawyers to be its integral head. The reason behind Justitia’s success is that it has always provided significance to the aspect of working part time or that every employee has differing circumstances and thus is prone to work on varying commitment schemes (Rey and Ierodiaconou, 2013)).
Justitia also came up with the concept that the employees have their situations at home to deal with, certain community work to venture to and thus setting flexible working hours evolved as the best fit to their job roles. The founding partner Sarah Rey of Justitia stated that whenever the law firm employs any employee, the first question that is asked to him/her is how the individual is willing to structure his/her work design and schedule. After that the partners of the business enterprise tally the work design of the individual to that of the work model of the company thereby deriving certain outcome. Nonetheless, Rey further stated that the law firm assumes in most of the cases that flexible working is going to suit the work design of most of the employees (Ierodiaconou, 2013).
Workplace Flexibility: Concept and Importance
On the contrary, most of the law firms have been observed to implement the conventional HRM policies that circumscribe mainly through certain aspects. For example, in conventional HRM, the strategies are activity-centred not result oriented thereby making the employees working on full-time basis or even at times making them work overtime. Further the accountability and responsibility of the human capital is taken care by the HRM personnel only, hierarchical management structure, it also puts value on framing specializing work profiles rather than fostering multi-tasking approaches, follows strict roster than exhibiting flexibility and others. This sort of HRM practices can deliver productivity to a certain extent (Bell and Nerz, 2007). Moreover, with the advent of globalization and recurrent changes in the global society, the attitudes and working style of the employees, definition of professionalism and commitment have also changed (Lambert et al., 2012). To stay at par with the rapid progress it is significant to ‘smash the old paradigm’ which Justitia has been able to do and thus has been awarded and recognized by the Australian society.
As it is perceived, the term Workplace flexibility is coming much into use very recently. In the case study, it has already been demonstrated that Justitia bagged an award as it depicts outstanding workplace flexibility. Flexibility indicates to the changes arranged by the employer as well as the employee pertaining to the situations “where, how and when” the employee plans to work so that it better fits the requirements of the employee and the business results opined Nankervis et al., (2017). There are 3 factors that come to play in the process such as the time frame, place of working and the manner of working. Again on the contrary, there are certain challenges that the workplace flexibility faces. They are the “employer’s barriers and the employees’ barriers” (Bell and Narz, 2007).
Employees’ barriers refer to the traditional workplace factors that pull them back from taking flexible and wild steps. It is the same, age-old work pressure, doubtfulness shown towards the manager, consumer demand aspects as well as the fear to have negative results and outcome from their career that hinders them in enjoying the new HRM policies that have gradually evolved in the society (Matthews and Barnes-Farrell, 2010). Again on the other hand, it is speculated that quite at times the working lives are not well aware regarding the availability options of the latest workplace strategies (Hegewisch, 2009).
Justitia Law Firm: A Case Study
In other instances, it is the enterprises that superficially display and boast their flexible HRM strategies but causes inward agitation and discourage their employees to make use of them thus using the factors like not offering promotions, giving out sudden terminations as well as using the element of colleagues’ contempt if anyone denies working overtime (Ernst Kossek et al., 2010). The hindrances coming from the employers’ side might be due to the reasons that most of the employers think the flexible HRM policies can be misused by the employees. Another constraint is that it becomes difficult for the employers to monitor the employees about their work. The employers also opine that the desired productivity is not attained (Ernst Kossek et al., 2010).
There have been methods that are designed to ensure workplace flexibility in many organizations. They are designing of alternative roster that lead to early log ins and early log outs in the company/ late log ins and late log outs, introduction of compressed worksheets that inculcates working the same activities and finishing them up in comparatively lesser time frame thus earning little more offs and leave. There can also be inception of job sharing, sabbaticals, summer hours and more (Jeffrey Hill et al., 2008). Thus barriers from both the employers and the employees might crop up to the kind of work culture adapted in Justitia which might be handled through the above discussed ways.
Justitia as observed is a small firm that has shown incredible efficiency in implementing the workplace flexibility. However, the following aspect can also be implemented in other organizations that are bigger in size and forms a part of a differing segment. Though there are hindrances as discussed above in its implementation, there are business associations, for example, certain manufacturing companies have applied the workplace flexibility especially focusing upon 2 strategies that they considered to be significant (Pocock et al., 2009).
To begin with, certain manufacturing units urge employees to be efficient and trained in their concerned assignments as well as in the assignments of other employees that are located “upstream and downstream from them” in matters relating to tasks (Jeffrey Hill et al., 2008). Expanding the expansiveness of the imparted training might facilitate and guarantee that the working lives perceive the making of their inputs as well as the utilizations of their outputs and thus may add to expanded productivity and efficiency. This cutting edge strategy concerning the manufacturing segment owns the advantage of guaranteeing that the employees might all the more successfully fit in or might make up for each other in the event while an employee may not be available at a specific time (Shockley and Allen, 2007).
Implementation of Workplace Flexibility: Challenges and Solutions
Therefore, this scenario depicts that the workplace flexibility can also be applied in different segments, like the manufacturing sector and also in a larger-sized company. Another example can be “Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)” where it is seen that an employee is trained from taking orders, to making service and helping in the production department which displays multi-tasking aspects. The KFC workers also work in shifts which is another strategy to flexibility (Guerrero et al., 2007).
Conclusion
The SHRM is continually evolving and changing with new demands, trends, and advent of technologies, globalization and others. To maintain the competition, the firms and enterprises are absorbing new measures relating to HR so that they are able to achieve maximum productivity and attain competitive advantage. The case study of Justitia implementing workplace flexibility and winning recognition is an example to the ever-changing HRM scenario in the global society. Further, it is speculated that the external environment has posed changes like workplace flexibility to a certain extent as the companies consider it crucial to incorporate so that they emerge as a consistent player in their respective markets.
References
Andersen, K. K., Cooper, B. K., & Zhu, C. J. (2007). The effect of SHRM practices on perceived firm financial performance: Some initial evidence from Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 45(2), 168-179.
Bell, N. S., & Narz, M. (2007). Meeting the challenges of age diversity in the workplace. The CPA Journal, 77(2), 56.
Ernst Kossek, E., Lewis, S., & Hammer, L. B. (2010). Work—life initiatives and organizational change: Overcoming mixed messages to move from the margin to the mainstream. human relations, 63(1), 3-19.
Guerrero, B., Union, W. C., Merkley, M., Union, K. F. C., Salerno, M., Union, A. F. C., … & Union, F. K. F. C. CONCEPT DOCUMENT. Shockley, K. M., & Allen, T. D. (2007). When flexibility helps: Another look at the availability of flexible work arrangements and work–family conflict.Journal of Vocational Behavior, 71(3), 479-493.
Hegewisch, A. (2009). Flexible working policies: a comparative review. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Ierodiaconou, M. J. (2013). Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities: Accommodating disability in the workplace. Ethos: Official Publication of the Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory, (230), 20.
Jeffrey Hill, E., Grzywacz, J. G., Allen, S., Blanchard, V. L., Matz-Costa, C., Shulkin, S., & Pitt-Catsouphes, M. (2008). Defining and conceptualizing workplace flexibility. Community, Work and Family, 11(2), 149-163.
Lambert, S. J., Haley-Lock, A., & Henly, J. R. (2012). Schedule flexibility in hourly jobs: Unanticipated consequences and promising directions.Community, Work & Family, 15(3), 293-315.
Matthews, R. A., & Barnes-Farrell, J. L. (2010). Development and initial evaluation of an enhanced measure of boundary flexibility for the work and family domains. Journal of occupational health psychology, 15(3), 330.
Nankervis, Baird, Coffey and Shields (2017) Human Resource Management: Strategy and Practice (9th ed). Cengage
Learning Australia: South Melbourne, Australia
Pocock, B., Skinner, N., & Ichii, R. (2009). Work, life and workplace flexibility: The Australian work and life index 2009 (Vol. 32, No. 30.1, pp. 31-4).
Rey, S., & Ierodiaconou, M. J. (2013). Women in partnership: A Yin-Yang balance. Ethos: Official Publication of the Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory, (229), 16.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
