Human Resource Management
Introduction
The growth in festival and events in many industries in the world has led to growth of event management firms in the organization. The number of firms offering event management services has increased greatly. This is because of the high demand of event services. For example, Astwood Events Company is one of the companies that offer event management services to different people. Astwood Event Company is one of the best companies offering professional and personal services. Astwood event company privides the best event management services to the clients. The company provides a wide range of services that are linked to event management. For instance, the company provides logistic services and transport services. The company also offers catering services and staffing services. This paper analyzes the Astwood Event Company. It analyzes people management approaches in the organization. And policies and practices in the firm. The paper also analyzes the leadership in the organization and recruitment and retention of employees in the organization.
Discussion
Like other organizations Astwood Event Company has adopted various people management approaches to manage employees in the organization. The organization uses strategic people management approach to manage the employees. The strategic people management approach helps organizations achieve their objectives. The strategic people management approach is aimed at ensuring the employees in the organization are focused on attaining the organizational goals and improving the services offered in the organization. The organization has integrated a work force strategy with other corporate strategy and strategic plan. This has made it easy for the organization to have the right employees. For instance, the organization has hired employees who have the right experience. The adaptation of the strategic people management strategy in the organization has helped the organization improve its services. The company has been able to offer satisfactory services to its clients. This is due to qualified staff and increased performance among the employees. Moreover, the strategy has helped improve the
The people strategy used in the organization has helped in development of strategies that are aimed at motivating the employees. For instance, it has helped in the development of motivation programs to motivate the employees. Motivation of employees in the organization helps improve the employee performance and overall productivity of the employees. In addition, the organization has adapted performance appraisal methods that are used to evaluate the performance of the employees and reward them (Martin, 2006, p 45).
Moreover, the organization uses performance management process to manage employees in the organization. The performance management processes is aimed at providing direction, feedback, rewards and support and development. First, the managers in organization ensure that employees in the organization are aware of the job content and the objectives of the organization. This has made it easy for the organization to offer quality services as they are aware of the objectives of the organization and also the job they are supposed to carry out. In addition, the performance management has helped eliminate confusion or conflict between the employees and the managers as each one understands the organizational goals and objectives (Martin, 2006, p 45).
Apart from providing direction, the managers in the organization provide feedback to the employees. Providing feedback to the employees is important as it motivates the employees. The managers monitor the performance of the employees regularly as part of their performance management process and provide the right feedback. The managers argue that feedback is an effective method of making a difference in the work performance .This is because it helps boost employee confidence and self esteem and thus improves their performance. Evaluating the performance of the employees regularly helps determine employees who are weak and help them improve their expertise (Martin, 2006, p 45).
The performance management used by the organization has helped in providing rewards and recognition to employees. Rewards and recognition are vital to the organization as they help in the motivation of employees. They also help in improving the performance of the workforce and overall performance of the organization. The organization has devised a scheme that identify the rewards and incentives that are available and can be provided to the employees. Most of the organizations fail because they are not able to develop the right reward systems to reward their employees. For instance, they are not able to determine the employee performance and reward employees according to their achievement or performance (Martin, 2006, p 45).
Additionally, the organization encourages support and development to the employees. The organization has devised training programs that are used to provide training to new employees and old employees in the organization. The managers identify employees who need further training and provide them with necessary training. This has helped the organization ensure the employees have the right skills. This has in turn helped improve the overall productivity in the organization. Providing training to employees makes the employees feel part and parcel of the organization and hence motivates them to perform well. The organization has given employee development and career development a top priority so as to be able to enhance employee performance. The organization helps in determining where the employees would like to be in future and help them achieve their goals. Further, the managers provide support to the employees (Adrian &Marchington, 2005, p23).
People management is crucial in any organization. Most organizations have allocated enough time for people management so as to be able to manage employees well. The managers in Astwood Event Company have allocated enough time to manage their employees. The manager’s main goal in the organization is to motivate the employee, inspire them and encourage the employees. As a result, the managers have integrated strategic human resource management in their organization. Strategic human resource management -lays a crucial role in any organization. For instance, it helps in the linkage of human’s resource functions with strategic goals and objectives in the organization so as to improve the organizations performance. It also helps in improve the organizational culture and innovation.
Most studies have proved that integrating strategic human resource in the organization helps improve flexibility and competitive advantage in the organization. The strategic human’s resource management has helped in integrating human resource functions in the organizational objectives. Hue human resource functions in the organization include recruiting, training, development, rewarding etc. This has made the company the best event company in UK. Though the managers have allocated enough time to manage employees, they face various challenges when managing employees in the organization. For example, the managers find it hard to integrate the strategic human’s resource management in the organization. This has affected the performance of the employees and also organization (Adrian &Marchington, 2005, p23).
Further, the company policies and procedures have contributed a lot to the growth of the company. Company policies refer to a set of rules that have been developed to govern activities in the organization. Different companies have different policies. The kind of policies found in the organization determines the employee performance and organizational performance. It also determines the organizational culture. Organizations that have good company policies have a strong culture and increased employee performance. On the other hand, organizations that have poor company policies experience poor employee performance and have a weak culture. In addition, the organizational policies affect various things like employee retention and turn over.
Poor policies lead to high employee turn over and this affects the organization negatively. The company procedures refer to set of rules that are followed when carrying out activities. They act as a guide to the employees as they are aware of what is considered positive in the organization and what is not considered positive. Thus, the employees carry out their duties according to the procedures set. Astwood Events Company does not have appropriate procedures and policies and this has affected the performance of the employees. The procedures and policies in the organization have affected organizational culture and employee performance. In addition, the procedures have affected the retention of employees in the organization. Though employees are supposed to adhere to the procedures and policies established, most employees are not able to do so. This is because the procedures and policies affect them negatively. Changing the procedures and policies in the organization will help enhance the performance of the workforce and the organization (Price, 2007, p56-90).
Leadership refers to the process by which leaders can get help and support from other people in accomplishing a certain task. Leadership involves creating a way for people so as to make something happen. Most researchers define effective leadership as the ability to integrate resources available in the organization and maximize the resources so as to achieve organizational goals. Leading involves setting directions and determining if the directions set are followed or not. The kind of leadership found in an organization determines the success of the organization. Organizations that have good leadership are more successful and competitive than organizations that do not have good leadership. This is because the organizations are able to guide the employees in achieving organizational goals. Leadership and management are different.
Leadership is aimed at influencing people so as to achieve a certain goal. On the other hand, management is the act of bringing people together so as to achieve organizational goals using the resources available well. Management consists of various activities. That is planning, organizing, staffing and leading. Other activities include directing and control the company. Managers in an organization are supposed to perform the various activities that are associated with management. Management and leadership cannot be separated as they supplement each other. Managers are supposed to be good leaders so as to help achieve the organizational goals and also improve productivity (Wood, 2009, p90).
The managers in the Astwood events company act as leaders. The managers perform various functions that are linked with management. This is according to a response given by the manager during an interview. First, the managers in the organization help in the planning and utilization of resources. Planning is essential in any organization as it helps in determining the resources needed and how they will be used. The difference between an effective manager and effective manager is determining by planning procedures. Planning involves determining what is needed so as to accomplish the organizational goals. Managers use strategic plans and other types of plans to plan for the future. Planning is an important step in event management.
Planning in the company has helped the firm achieve its organizational goals. The managers also help in controlling. Controlling in the organization helps determine delegation of duties in the organization. In addition, controlling helps in determining the performance of employees in the organization. The organization encourages departmental meeting so as to review the schedules developed. The meetings are also aimed at identifying problems in the organization and determining where problems exist and devising mechanisms to solve them (Wood, 2009, p90).
Apart from planning, the managers help in leading of employees. The success of an organization is determined by the kind of leadership shown. Most managers find it hard to become leaders and this has affected the success of the organizations. The managers in the Astwood events company have been able to influence the employees in the organization to achieve the goals of the organization. In addition, the managers have been able to motivate the employees and this has enabled the organization to achieve organizational goals. Motivation is crucial as it helps enhance the performance of the workers and satisfaction. Also, motivation helps in bringing change to the organization easily. The company has been able to change according to the changing needs of the market. This is because the employees in the organization are able to embrace change quickly. Thus, the organization has been successful (Wood, 2009, p90).
Moreover, the managers in the organization have been able to direct the employees in achieving the organizational goals. This has made it easy for the employees to perform the duties allocated during the planning process. The managers in the organization encourage open communication. Communication is vital in the organization as it determines the flow of information and relationship between managers or leaders and employees. Organizations that have embraced open communication prove more effective than organizations that have not. The organizations have been able to manage the relationship between employees and the managers. The organizations have experienced minimal conflicts and low employee turn over.
On the other hand, organizations that have no open communication have experienced high rate of conflicts and employee turnover because of poor relationships. Open communication in the organization has enabled the managers to give directions to the employees and also get constant feedback from the employees. This has improved employee efficiency and productivity. Apart from having open communication, the managers have maintained a close relationship with their employees. The leaders have maintained a close contact with the employees so as to determine if the directions given are being followed or not. This has also motivated the employees to perform better. The managers have day to day contact with the employee’s .The managers employ open communication to give directions in different departments and divisions (Purcell, 2008, p89).
Leadership strategies used in the organization influence firm’s competitive advantage in different ways. Poor leadership strategies make it hard for organizations to achieve competitive advantage. This is because the organizations are not able to use the resources available in the organization to achieve competitive advantage. There are different types of resources that organizations can use to achieve competitive advantage. For instance, the organizations can use monetary resources and human resources available in the organization to improve innovation and develop strategies to become competitive.
On the other hand, firms having good leadership strategies find it easy to achieve competitive advantage as they are able to utilize resources in the organization well. Astwood Events Company has good leadership strategies as shown above. The managers in the organization have been able to help the company achieve competitive advantage. The company is able to compete well with other companies in the event management industry. The company has utilized the human capital, technology and financial resource well and this has made it easy for the company to achieve competitive advantage. The company has been able to offer quality event services to customers in different parts of the world due to innovation and creativity in the company (Purcell, 2008, p89).
Another important activity in the organization is recruitment of employees. Recruitment refers to attracting applicants and selecting applicants who have the right qualifications. The human resource department is responsible for recruitment of employees in the organization. The human resource officers follow the right steps when recruiting employees in the organization. First, the human resource officers determine the vacancies in the organization. After determining the vacancies, the officer prepares job description. The job description outlines the position title and the roles of the person who will fill the vacancy. The responsibilities are outline clearly to avoid any confusion. After developing the job description, the human resource managers are supposed to advertise the job and then select the best candidate. The selection of applicants is based on employment act and other acts that govern selection of employees. The recruitment of employees in the organization is always fair. This is evidence by the diverse workforce in the organization.
The organization has employed a wide range of employees. That is minority employees, employees having disabilities etc. The human resource manager argues that the human resource practices like recruitment and selection of employees have helped in diversifying the workforce in the organization. Though the recruitment of employees in the organization has been fair, the organization has found it hard to get the right employees. The company has not been able to get qualified employees. This is mainly due to poor recruitment strategies that are used in the organization. Like of organizations, the organization has not devised strategies to help in the recruitment of employees. This has in turn affected the productivity of the organization as the employees recruited are not able to perform according to the company expectation. Thus, this has hindered provision of quality services (Ashkanasy, Wilderom &Peterson, 2010, p78).
Lastly, retention of employees in Astwood Event Company is a major challenge. Like other companies, the company has faced challenges related to employee retention. Though the company has benefited a lot from a diverse workforce, the company has found it hard to manage the workforce. Most of the firms in the industry like Astwood Event Company have experienced high employee turn over. There are various causes of high employee turn over in the organization. First, the high employee turn over is as a result of poor organization culture. The organizational culture in Astwood Events Company is weak. Most studies have proved that poor organization culture leads to increase in employee turn over in the organization.
Organizational culture refers to beliefs and values that are shared in the organization. The beliefs and values shared by employees in an organization can affect employees negatively. Most employees from minority groups have found it hard to fit into the organization due to the organizational culture. This has forced the employees to leave the organization. Moreover, the high employee turn over in the organization is as a result of poor human resource practices. Though the organization has integrated strategic human resource into its activities, it finds it hard to meet the needs of the employees.
For instance, poor human resource strategies in the organization have affected the recruitment of employees in the organization. It has also influenced the promotion of employees in the organization. Most minority employees in the organization are not able to get promotions. Only a few employees from minority groups hold the top position. Thus, the employees ha e been compelled to leave the company to search for better jobs. Poor motivation strategies in the organization have also increased the employee retention in the organization. The managers have found it dificuty to motivate the employees in the organization and hence employee turns over (Ashkanasy, Wilderom &Peterson, 2010, p78).
Apart from lack of motivation strategies, other factors like lack of diversity programs and training in the organization have led to increase in employee turn over. The organization has a wide range of employees, but it finds it hard to manage the employees. Diversity training programs are important as they help employees learn how to appreciate other people regardless of their religion, race and ethnicity. The organization does not have adequate programs to provide diversity training to the employees and this has impacted integration of diversity in the organization negatively. The organization has not been able to incorporate diversity in its activities (Ashkanasy, Wilderom &Peterson, 2010, p78).
Recommendations
Astwood Events Company faces various issues like high employee turn over, poor organizational culture and poor human resource strategies. Another issue is lack of proper strategies to manage employees. Though the organization uses various approaches to manage employees, it still faces challenges when managing the employees. The company can use the solutions listed below to help overcome the challenges. First, the organizations should change the organization culture so as to help reduced employee turn over and retention. Changing the organizational culture also helps motivate the employees and this makes it easy to manage the employees.
The company should develop a strong culture. A strong culture makes it easy for employees to respond to changes easily. A series of studies have shown that organizations that have strong cultures have clear values that give the workers a reason to adapt the culture. Strong culture is important to companies that operate in service industries like the event manage industry. Strong culture guides the organizations in delivering services to the clients. Studies have identified various benefits that organization can get by improving the organizational culture. First, the organizations are able to align the company towards attaining its vision, mission and goals.
In addition, improving the organizational culture helps improve employee motivation and loyalty as stated above. This helps improve productivity in the organization. Improving organizational culture helps improve the relationship between employees in various departments or divisions and thus good performance. It also enhances consistency, control and coordination in the organization. Lastly, it helps improve employee’s behaviors in the organization and efficiency. Enhancing the organizational culture can also help improve diversity in the organization. Astwood Events Company will be able to realize the benefits listed above if it enhances it organizational culture (Wan Ong, 2010).
Moreover, the company should improve policies and procedures in the organization. Policies and procedures affect t the working environment in different ways. For example, good organizational policies and procedures help in the improvement of working conditions. Poor working condition lead to high employee turn over in the organization and decrease the organizations performance. Improving the organizations performance can help improve employee turn over in the organization and support diversity. This is because the organization will be able to create good working environment for the employees (Witte &Muijen, 2000,p78).
Further, the organization should increase the number of diversity programs in the organization. This will ensure the employees in the organization are able to get enough training on diversity. This will reduces the rate of employee turn over. The diversity training programs will also help the organization in achieving competitive advantage. Diversity helps improve innovation and creativity in an organization and this makes it easy for the firm to compete with other firms in the industry. Thus, improving diversity will create competitive advantage. Also, the company should improve its human resource strategies so as to be able to achieve its goals.
Human resource practices and functions are essential in the organization. This is because they help the organization overcome various issues like turnover and diversity problems. The organization should change the recruitment strategies and promotion strategies used in the organization. This will ensure all the employees in the organization are able to get promotions and employment opportunities in the organization. The company will also be able to get qualified employees. The human resource practices and functions will help the company align its strategies with the organizational objectives and goals (Witte &Muijen, 2000,p78).
Conclusion
Astwood Events Company is one of the companies in United Kingdom that offer event management services. The company offers various services that are linked to event management. For instance, the company offers transport services, logistic services and planning services. Event management industry is one of the fast growing industries in the world and in United Kingdom. This is because of the high demand for event management services. Astwood Events Company uses various approaches to manage the employees.
For instance, the company uses strategic human resource management to manage employees in the organization. The strategic human resource management gives the company an opportunity to align its activities with organizational goals. In addition, the company uses performance management and people strategy to manage people in the organization. The strategies have proved effective as the company has been able to manage employees. The policies and procedures in the organization are not effective and they have affected the performance of the employees negatively. The performance of the employees has declined due to poor policies. The leadership in the organization is good. The managers in the organization have been able to act as leaders and directed the employees in achieving organizational goals. The leadership in the organization has helped the company achieve competitive advantage.
The company faces various issues like employee turnover and recruitment. The rates of employee turn over due to poor culture, policies and procedures and lack of motivation. The company finds it hard to get the best employees and this has affected productivity. There are various solutions that can overcome the issues. Improving organizational culture can help reduce employee turn over and also enhance diversity. It can also help improve employee motivation and satisfaction. Improving the organizational policies and procedures can reduce employee retention and diversity issues. Also, the organization should increase diversity training programs top enhance diversity.
Reference
Adrian,W.,&Marchington.2005,Human resource management at work: people management and development. CIPD Publishing, page 23
Ashkanasy,N.M.,Wilderom,C.P.,&Peterson,M.F.2010,The Handbook of Organizational Culture and Climate. SAGE,page 78
Martin,G.2006, Managing people and organizations in changing contexts. Butterworth-Heinemann, page 45
Purcell,J.2008,People Management and Performance. Taylor & Francis,page 89
Price,A.2007,Human Resource Management in a Business Context. Cengage Learning EMEA,page 56-90
Witte,K.,&Muijen,J.J.2000, Organizational Culture. Psychology Press,page 78
Wan Ong,T.2010,Results Management: Effective People Management to Achieve Excellent Results. John Wiley and Sons,page 67
Wood,G.2009,Human resource management: a critical approach. Taylor & Francis, page 90
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