B.A.T » Managing and Coordinating the Human Resources Function

Managing and Coordinating the Human Resources Function

Learning Outcomes

Understand the purpose and key objectives of the HR function in contemporary organizations.
Understand how HR objectives are delivered in different organizations.
Understand how the HR function can be evaluated in terms of value-added and organization performance
Understand the relationship between organizational performance and effective HR management and development.

Assignment Brief

You are required to provide written answers to all five of the questions that follow.

Question 1

Give examples of the main organizational objectives that the HR function is responsible for delivering and briefly explain how these have evolved/are evolving in contemporary organizations. In your answer, provide a brief justification for managing HR in a professional, ethical and just manner.

Question 2

Give a brief summary of two different ways HR objectives can be delivered in organizations.
Analyze how the HR function varies between organizations in different sectors and of different sizes.

Question 3

Give a short explanation of at least two major theories of change management. Select one of the theories and illustrate how it can be used and evaluated.

Question 4

Your CEO has asked for a report on the contribution of the HR function to the business. In preparation for the report, give a brief summary of the criteria and methods you would use to evaluate the HR function’s contribution.

Question 5

In consultation with your tutor, select an article that identifies and evaluates research evidence linking HR practices with positive organizational outcomes. Briefly summarise the findings and state how convincing you find these to be. Conclude by explaining how high-performance working and investment in human capital can impact on organizational practice.

Assessment Criteria

1.1 Summarise the organizational objectives that the HR function is responsible for delivering and how these are evolving in contemporary organizations.
1.2 Explain the major theories of effective change management and how these are implemented and evaluated.
1.3 Evaluate the business case for managing HR in a professional, ethical and just manner.
2.1 Explain the different ways in which HR objectives can be delivered in organizations.
2.2 Analyse how the HR function varies between organizations in different sectors and of different sizes.
3.1 Discuss the main criteria and methods used to evaluate the contribution of the HR function.
4.1 Identify and evaluate research evidence linking HR practices with positive organizational outcomes.
4.2 Explain how high-performance working and investment in human capital impact on organizational practice.

Evidence to be Produced

Written responses to each of the five questions of approximately 3,000 words in total (divided appropriately across each of the five questions).
You should relate academic concepts, theories and professional practice to the way organizations operate, in a critical and informed way, and with reference to key texts, articles, and other publications and by using organizational examples for illustration.
All reference sources should be acknowledged correctly and a bibliography provided where appropriate

Sample Paper (3,153 Words)

Objectives of the HR Function

Objectives of the HR functions in Contemporary Organizations

Human resource management (HRM) is the function within an organization that involved in management, recruitment and giving direction to the people that work in an organization. Therefore, it is a vital element in an organization since it deals with all aspects related to the workforce, which contributes to the effectiveness of an organization. The human resource professionals are essential players in any organization due to their contribution towards the employee and organizational performance. According to Jiang, Lepak, Hu, and Baer (2012), the major function of the human resource is to staff the organization with an effective workforce that will facilitate the achievement of the short-term and long-term organizational goals. The human resource function is not only tied to the recruitment process. This department is also responsible for payroll processing for the entire workforce in the organization. The activities of recruitment and payroll processing dominated the traditional perspective of human resource. This is because these transactional processes gained a high level of popularity during the early 20^th century and made HR a central player in organizations. The department f human resource also engages in the process of organizing people, reporting the relationships between various levels of the workforce, and operates in a manner that supports the achievement of the organizational goals.

Human resource function is an important contributor to the effectiveness and success of an organization. One of the HR functions that contribute to organizational effectiveness is employing the skills and abilities of the personnel efficiently. It is also the role of the HR to ensure that the organization is provided with a highly trained and motivated workforce to focus on specific goals in the organization. Moreover, HR ensures that that self-actualization and the satisfaction of the employees are well maintained. The department ensures this through the development and maintenance of a quality work-life that creates a desirable working environment.

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