1. Assignment
on
Managing
Human
Resource
Submitted by:
Submitted to
Date

2. Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 02
Task 1 [Different perspective of Human resource management]
1.1 Guest’s model of HRM ....................................................................................................... 03
1.2Difference between story’s definition on HRM, personnel and industrial relations ........... 04
1.3 Developing a strategic approach to HRM and impact of line managers and employees ... 04
Task 2 [Developing flexibility within workplace]
2.1Flexibility model in practice ................................................................................................ 05
2.2Types of flexibility for organizations .................................................................................. 06
2.3 Flexible working practices from employer and employee perspective .............................. 07
2.4Impact of changes in labor market on flexible working practice
08
Task 3 [Impact of equal opportunities in workplace]
3.1 Discrimination in workplace ............................................................................................... 09
3.2 Implication of equal opportunity legislation for organization ............................................ 10
3.3 Differences between managing equal opportunity and diversity........................................ 11
Task 4 [Approaches to human resource practices]
4.1 Comparing methods of performance management ............................................................. 12
4.2 Evaluation of employee welfare management………………………………………………………………………….12
4.3 Impact of health and safety legislation on HR……………………………………… .. 13
4.4 Impact of topical issue on HR practices……………………………………………… …14
References ..............................................................................................................................15
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3. Executive Summary:
Human resource management deals with the overall activities of employers including
management, development, motivation and maintenance of individuals. HRM holds the
utmost importance of an organization, because every sector of an organization basically
depends on the proper recruitment process of HRM. Human resources management deals
with the recruitment process, performance improvement of personnel, rewarding and safety
maintenance (Hakim 1989). That means the basic performances of an organization. HR
confirms that the recruited employees are skilled enough to perform the job properly. HR
provides all the employee equal opportunities irrespective of their gender, age or any other
variances. These are the policy of HR, but the recent demography in labor market have forced
HR to change their policies and reshape that in a new form.
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4. Task-1 Different perspective of Human resource management
1.1 Guest’s model of HRM:
Human resources model of David Guest is considered as the finest model among all other
models on that topic. According to that model, HR manager can use different strategies
comparing with different situation and outcomes. David Guest’s model includes six
sequential components: HR strategies, HR practices, HR outcomes, Behavioral outcomes,
Performance result and Financial consequences.
According to the above sequential components we can compare the Unilever, as Unilever is a
large company with a mission to gain a sustainable growth and profit. They have their own
environmental impact. The implication is given below:
HR strategies are set on the basis of core policy and goal of firm in Unilever.
They do not imply child labor, maintain equal rights and they are strongly committed with
their employee.
For these reason their employees are motivated and highly satisfied in their workplace.
In such way their performances are upgraded and business value is increased.
That’s why employee engagement, relation and customer orientation resulted in positive
financial outcome with increased profit. Customer share and market share goes high day by
day.
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5. 1.2 Difference between story’s definition on HRM, personnel and
industrial relations:
HRM
Definition: HRM is
concerned with the
development of implication
of human resources,
maintenance of customer
relationship, suppliers and
motivating employees to
perform their job and help to
gain organizational goal.
Personnel management
Definition: It helps to look
through the efficiency in
personnel job and perform
other administrative function.
Industrial relations
Definition: Maintain
relationship between
management employee and
the government.
Unilever conducts health and
hygiene programs to provide
improved service to the
customer and consult with
experts to make the
relationship efficient.
Unilever provides training,
experience, guideline and
preserve employee
performance charts to
analyze them.
It works in the broad sectors
of the HRM and covers the
labor union as well as the
employee relation.
1.3 Developing a strategic approach to HRM and impact of line managers
and employees:
HRM activity is the set of activities including selecting, recruiting, training and developing
the human assets at different organizational level. To cope up with that changing atmosphere
of HR manager of Unilever maintain some process to select and elect talented employee and
possess huge responsibility in internal and external environment of the organization. The
strategies which are very helpful to maintain the line managers and employees are mentioned
below:
 Create desire:HRM need to create a desire and feeling of importance of HR activities
for line managers. For the effectiveness and practical attempt to implement the HR
practices in work floor, they have to desire the practice HR activities.
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6.  Develop capacity: The lines managers need to bear short term responsibilities which
hamper their HR capacity and other performance. HR capacity needs to be
emphasized with their everyday jobs for the well execution.
 Develop competency: Training period can be increased and new process can be
arranged to improve HR skills that will inspire them to do HR activities well.
 Provide Support: Support from the HR professionals of HR department is necessary
and can be very helpful for the line managers in implementing the HR responsibility.
 HR responsibility:The more and clear HR responsibilities, policies, necessities and
rules will assist the line managers and staffs to understand the HR context.
Task-2 Developing flexibility within workplace
2.1 Flexibility model in practice:
Atkinson’s core and peripheral workforce model: The balance between the core and
peripheral workforce changes due to the uses of peripheral workforce among managers, and it
is stated in the flexibility model, and employers with appropriate core-periphery personnel
strategy don’t use marginal employeesexcessively.
Core workforce:The workers of this segment are highly skilled, lasting and possess high job
securities and the part of the organization can be described by functional form of flexibility.
Core workers are also known as high commitment management by David Guest.
Peripheral workforce: The workforce from this section is related with the statistical
development of an organization. These workers are involved with importance but not for
thefarm duties.
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7. 2.2 Types of flexibility for organizations:
Flexibility in workplace is another essential need for an organization. It means how quickly
the workforces are able to adjust with the changes and fluctuations of demands and supply of
industry (Guest 1987). Atkinson defined the most appropriate flexibility pattern in workplace.
According to Atkinson four strategies can be used for brining equilibrium flexibility in
workforce of Unilever.
a. External numerical flexibility: It is concerned with the adjustment of labor inflow
from the external market to the internal. It consists of those activities which are done
outside the organizational region, like hiring temporary workers, fixed-term based
contract, and Relaxation of Employment security legislations to fire permanent
workers as organizational necessitate.
b. Temporal flexibility: Temporal flexibility includes adjustment of working schedule,
working shifts flexi time overtime of currently working employees.
c. Functional flexibility:It deals with the changing of workers from one activity to other
activities and responsibilities within the organization. It also maintains the training of
workers.
d. Financial flexibility:This flexibility means the variation in wages from one employee
to other employees but not in a fixed level collectively. Financial flexibility can be
attained by evaluation based payment, performance based payment.
e. Location flexibility: This is another type of flexibility which can be achieved by
working of employees outside of usual workplace of the organization.
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8. 2.3 Flexible working practices from employer and employee perspective:
The flexibility practices that are commonly used in workplace from both the employer and
employee viewpoint are discussed below point wise:
 Part-time: Part time workers work about half the time than full-time workers usually
do work. It is usually 30-35 hours per week.
 Teleporting: These types of workers don’t attend to the working place; rather
perform their work from home or somewhere outside the organization over mobile or
telecommunication.
 Home working: Organizations hire some home workers for any specific tasks from
their own house other than the working place. These are done by free lancer.
 Job sharing: In this case two or more workers share a single task by splitting the task
on parts. It can also be called division of labor.
 Zero hour contract: This arrangement is done on-call between employers and
employees where working time isn’t specified to task. Employee as well as the
employer has the independence to accept or offer the work and payment is made on
the basis of per hour work done.
 Staggered hours: In this working system employees don’t maintain the arrival or
departure the working place at the same time but create a large overlapphase.
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9. 2.4 Impact of changes in labor market on flexible working practice:
The labor market is changing frequently for the impact of many things like economic, social
and environmental factors. To gain organizational goal, every organization needs to confirm
that employees are recruited with matching skills, fitness for suitable post. For the frequent
changes in supply and demand curve in labor market and related situations, flexibility in
workplace needs to be adjusted time to time.
Demography in labor market: The trend of demographic feature is influential to the labor
market mechanism. Falling birthrates decreases the new labor supply in the market as well as
lengthening life expectation increases the older worker supply working after retirement. On
the other hand increasing women participation in workplace has changed the gender ratio and
workplace policy. By the affect of such demographic changes the flexibility approaches in
workplace are also changing day by day. It is essential to prepare different flexibility
approaches to achieve organizational goal.
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10. Task- 3 Impact of equal opportunities in workplace
3.1 Discrimination in workplace:
The appearance of discrimination can be of different forms in both operational and
occupational sector. According to ILO (International Labor Organization) discriminations
occurs on the basis of several factors, such as: individual characteristics, race, gender, age,
background etc. If discrimination appears at workplace then the effect become Sevier like,
skill and competency development is restricted, workers are humiliated, workers are
controversial, their performance drops and in turn organization fails to gain its goal and the
HRM objectives are:
 Discrimination of age: For different employees of different age range
discriminationoccurs in their opportunities, promotion and responsibilities. HR needs
to be concerned to provide equal opportunity of promotion, reward, responsibility to
the employees from seniors to juniors according to their respective position and work
ability.
 Discrimination of gender: Organization also faces discrimination of gender. It is
renowned to all that women are usually neglected in the workplace and male workers
get more opportunities, dignity and superiority. This situation demoralizes the women
to perform their duty to the society as well as to their workplace. Every Organization
needs to provide equal rights as well asopportunities to female workers as they can
participate more in workplaces and motivate them through promotion, reward and
responsibility side by side with that of male workers.
 Discrimination of religion:Employees from diverse religious background face
discrimination in their workplace. For example, as Bangladesh is a Muslim majority
country, Hindu religious people might find it difficult to cope up with clerical culture,
behavior and firm itself might discriminate them as they are from the minority group
corporate cultures, behavior and policies should restrict the religious point of view to
provide them with flexibility and equal responsibility.
 Discrimination of background: Workers may come from different family and
educational backgrounds. Usually managers discriminate workers according to their
family and educational background and achievements and for this people from
specific educational background and family legacy get more benefits in workplace
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11. than others. Workers must be treated equally according to their talent and skills not by
their route.
 Discrimination of disability: Disable persons usually treated as less capabilities and
non-skilled. They are neglected in the selection and recruitment process but people
with any sort of disabilities can capably perform specific job effectively. Their
disabilities should not be taken to the concern during the recruitment process and they
must be equally evaluated for the job requirement and should be provided with the
equal facilities.
3.2 Implication of equal opportunity legislation for organization:
For the betterment of the organization all the workers need to be treated equally and to treat
the workers equally and diminish the discrimination in the workplace, organizations develop
and follow equal opportunity legislations. Staff’s right is protected in all parts of HR and
operational activities including recruitment, job condition, reward, promotion, benefits,
transfer and benefits after the job termination. Discrimination in workplace can be of two
types, like direct or indirect.
Direct: Discriminated individuals are treated less favorably than other employees with
favorable background, characteristics.
Indirect: The employees are provided with equal benefits and facilities but which is difficult
is to comply with some workers with explicit characteristics (Wood 1989).
To establish and maintain equality in administrative center in all aspect of organizational
structures, organization needs to comply with equal opportunities for all employees Abolish harassment or any kind of unlawful acts.
 Adjusted opportunities to facilitate those who don’t have certain characteristics.
 Maintain good relation between the people who possess favorable characteristics and
persons who don’t.
 Equal salary, promotional opportunities.
 Abide by the legislation act in workplace.
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12. 3.3 Differences between managing equal opportunity and diversity:
Diversity management is an example by which equal opportunity approach can be
maintained. Equal opportunities are provided to the workers to nullify the discriminations.
Organization gets benefitted with this diversified workforce but they need to play some vital
roles to manage those diversities.
Aspects
Managing equal opportunity
Managing diversity
Driver factors
External
Internal
Mainly concerned with
Process
Outcome
Approach structure
Operational
Strategic
Situation is considered as
A problem to be solved
Assets or beneficial
Focuses on
Group discrimination
Individual differences
Knowledge base
Narrower
Wider
Suggested effort
Assimilation
Mainstream adaptation
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13. Task- 4 Approaches to human resource practices
4.1 Comparing methods of performance management:
Performance evaluation is a vital need for an organization. It helps a firm to supervise the
performance of its employees to make requiredadjustments. Different types of methods are
used to prepare the assessment of performances of employees. The noteworthy methods that
can be used to evaluate quality and quantity of performance are mentioned below:
 MBO:In this method performances arelisted sequentially based on the success of
organizational goal through performance (Atkinson 1986). A minimum standard of
performance is set and workers performances are compared with thatto make sure
whether the performances were up to the mark.
 Psychological appraisal:The method is used to evaluatethe potentialities and skills
for future job. Psychological assessment is applied by psychological test, knowledge
depth evaluations. This process is used to assess the motivational and emotional
factors.
 Assessment centers:Top levelmanagers stick together in assessment centers to take
part in job associated exercise which are assessed by trainers,Through which
simulated work scenario, group task, decision making tasks, the communication
ability, planning capability, group leadership quality, creativity, vulnerability,
tolerance level etc. are evaluated. This method is more dependable and convincing to
evaluate the future development of performance.
4.2 Evaluation of employee welfare management:
Employee welfare management deals with performances that smooth the progress of worker
life and formulate their lives worth living. Managers have to provide services, benefits,
motivation, security, medical facilities and cultural programs to keep hold of the personnel
for a long time. The motives of organization behind the employee welfare are as follows:
 To provide healthy work environment.
 To achieve stable labor force and cut labor turnover.
 To increase job attraction for more effective recruitment.
 To gain more productivity and positive employee relation and this aids co-operation.
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14.  To defend against trade unions and labor unions.
Employee interests should be evaluated often to compute the pecuniaryprofit and costs.
Welfare managers need to evaluate certain criteria of welfare management Determining if the activities satisfy the actual needs of employees.
 Services and benefits should be adjusted complying with the individual heterogeneity.
This customization of services is also known as cafeteria approach.
 The cost of benefits should be rational and feasible and the financing system should
be well-established.
 Periodical assessment will justify the success of the activities based on the feedback.
4.3 Implication of health and safety legislation on HR:
Health and safety law states that the health and safety standard of the organization is to be
maintained properly. It helps to prevent injuries, accidents at workplace, violence and other
workplace safety issues. These are the responsibilities of managers, supervisors, that means
the senior managers and employees’ duty is to abide by those safety rules and regulations. It
is usual for workers to refuse to work if the working condition is unsafe for them. Company
might lose its attractiveness to skilled and proficient employees and falls into competitive
disadvantage. So, to upholdthe reputation of the firm to the prospective labor market, attain
skilled employees and developing productivity a firm must follow and abide by the health
and safety regulations.
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15. 4.4 Impact of topical issue on HR practices:
The topical issues in HR arise while employers attempt to increase productivity, recruit
employees effectively, arrange training and prevent discriminations. Some major topical
issues in HR are Establishing productivity.
 Effective recruitment.
 Training facilities.
 Reduce discrimination in workplace.
 Conflict resolution.
 Maintaining safety.
 Providing benefits and maintaining diversity.
The mentioned HR issues can undergo through various changes any time. It is employer’s
duty to reshape and develop their HR practices.
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16. References:
Atkinson, J. and Meager, N. (1986) Changing Working Patterns: How companies achieve
flexibility to meet new needs, Institute of Manpower Studies, National Economic
Development Office, London.
Guest, D E (1987) Human resource management and industrial relations, Journal of
Management Studies, 24 (5), pp. 503–21
Hakim, C. (1989c) `Employment Rights: a Comparison of Part-Time and Full-Time
Employees’, Industrial Law Journal, 18, 2, 69-83
Wood, D. and Smith, P. (1989) Employers' Labor Use Strategies: First Report on the 1987
Survey, Research Paper No. 63, London: Department of Employment
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