ASSIGNMENT 1Name: Sheik Zaid Rehman ID No: S98007399 Course Code: MG302

Section A

Q.1

Organizational CultureAn organization operates and is bound under a certain way of thinking that allows them to achieve their goals and success. Its culture is specific and includes teamwork, the internal and external communication channels, rewards and training and development. Thus it suggests that all members of the organization be able to understand its processes of managing, changing and functioning. Accordingly, it is represented by the values, beliefs, assumptions and symbols that define how an organization conducts its business (Ahmad, n.d.). It is related to supporting employee satisfaction, growth, potential and retention and the overall brand and image of the organization. There is immense influence on the ability of organizational culture to influence the thoughts, relationships, performance and behaviour of employees. Culture within an organization can serve many purposes, by uniting members and help create a set of common norms or rules within an organization that employees follow.

The relationship between organizational culture and corporate strategyA fast changing environment is part of an organizations environment and strategies are developed in which they exist. Strategic success depends on the organization and how they go about through its culture to encourage risks and accept feedback for improvement. A strategy of any organization is established from its vision and mission and to be used in needs the support of the people or the employees as they have to 'fit' in order to be able to deliver. Hence goals and objectives must be in line with the organizational culture. Strategy drives focus and attention, based on intent and lays down the rules of the game whilst culture measure desire, expectations and fuels the spirit on how the game should be played (Rick, 2013).To gain a competitive edge, an organizations culture must be vibrant and diverse in its make-up of their employee population at workplace.

For example, the University of the South Pacific Library has an organizational culture to advance the universitys ability to provide equal and excellent library resources, facilities for students and the wider Pacific community. This mission also sees them committed to provide client-focused customer services that support the learning, teaching and research need and develop graduates for life-long learning. The library is dedicated to have excellent information services and facilities in all campuses. It hopes to initiate Information Research Skills (IRS) workshops; provide more textbooks to meet demand against student ratio; promote leisure reading so as to improve English language, be more interactive and better recognized through social networks like Facebook and digitize old books and newspapers. It hopes to be the one-stop shop access and create an interactive learning environment by establishing a Learning Commons and expand the physical space by weeding out depleted materials and shelves and allocate more study tables and chairs. There are also programmes to develop staff excellence by organizing in-house training and cash rewards for those who are not late to work or not absent due to illness. The strictly formal ambience of the librarys setting shows signs of notices on boards and messages hat pertaining to the safe and appropriate use of the resources and facilities.

Q.2

The role of HR Managers is constantly evolving. They are now working more closely with the individual employees themselves in their training as well assisting them to meet the organizations objectives. It is of adding value to an organization both the workforce and business and manage talent by attracting and keeping talented and hard-working people in the organization (Challenges facing 21st century HR managers, n.d.). Increasing aspirations and advances in technology are two such primary factors that HR managers need to overcome.

i.) Increasing aspirations of employees

Human needs cannot be measured and changes as society develop. Aspirations grow higher due to the explosion of a lot of knowledge. Thus this wealth, prompts employees to think better and not accept decisions too quickly and begin to question the rationale behind them. Their growing skills and qualifications makes them smarter, demanding and on the wayside, less loyal to their employer and the organization. HR management would have to seek strategies like monetary rewards or training incentives to attract and retain the staff.HR managers would need to understand the nature of relationships that employees have or would like to have with their organization, their value and be successful and be focused. Despite developing skills the workers would also like to meet goals that would vastly enhance their family and social life. There is always competition for talent as workers are often enticed away by the promise of getting higher salaries and opportunities elsewhere. This can put high costs to turnover in terms of recruiting and training new staff and wasting time and effort that was invested in earlier employees. At the University of the South Pacific, staff are pursuing further studies and taking full advantage of the 75 % concession provided

for tuition fees that develops the knowledge base of its workers and career paths for promotions, salary increases or taking up jobs elsewhere.

ii.) Technological changes

The nature of doing work is evolving and technology assists in redefining what work means and will require firms to come up with new and innovativestrategies to manage their increasingly mobile workforce (Challenges for human resource management and global business strategy, 2013).Organizations need to adapt to technology and design job descriptions in ways that is able to bring about increased productivity and efficiency in the workplace. The use of information communication technologies such as emails; internet, mobile phones and devices, laptops and videoconferencing has allowed easier contacts with overseas clients and employees where these virtual networks create a hub for knowledge that can be easily accessed. HR managers would need to overcome the issue of technological illiteracy in workers from developing countries who lack the knowledge and proper infrastructure. In addition, jobs could become obsolete and fewer in number and require little or no skill. It could give rise to unemployment and lead to staff turnovers and loss of manpower as blue-collar occupations. Training measures need to be implemented on what is needed for the employees and recruitment undertaken to fill up the vacant positions.

For example, the roll - over of staff services via the Moodle platform allows staff to receive information, FAQS on the medical insurance scheme; staff development appraisals, job evaluation and the librarys SMS service that provides alerts on overdue loans and fines and emergency notices and contacts. The library is trying to provide for one tablet device per staff in the near future that could allow them to serve customers in answering information queries. The system hopes to assess the data, provides understanding on employee details and predicts future needs.

Q.3

Globalization

It allows skilled workers to move from one part of the world to another which offers the best remuneration for them. It is a process of interaction amongst people, nations and companies driven by international trade, investment and information technology and this has effects on the environment, culture, economic development and prosperity in societies around the world (The Levin Institute, 2007). As multinational corporations expand and go international, managers have had to deal with employees from different cultures and values. They build new facilities and employ labour where wages and the cost of production are quite low. They also would like to tap into the skills potential of the host countrys citizens. Due to the environmental challenges, the nature of jobs has changed as well. There are more freelancers involved who take up flexi-hours or work part-time, specialized assignments, on needs basis on contract and act as temps for those on vacation or fill in peak periods. These workers occupy most of the service sectors such as housekeeping and catering and some as knowledge workers are in demand to take responsibilities in solving problems and planning. Such examples are software development, telemarketing or call centres. Technology has also allowed global platform to exist where people can cooperate and compete, share knowledge and work on a level playing field.

Effect on labour demand and supply

The global supply of talent is short and is a challenge for employers everywhere (Kapoor, n.d., p.1). Consequently, as the workers move away (in large numbers), it puts pressure on the workforce, as the organization tries to compensate for the shortfall in the supply of skilled labour. The demand increases and there rise a need to fill the vacant positions.Shortage of talent will decrease in developed countries such as the USA, Europe and Japan as their workers retire and the economies slide in and out of recession. This allows for opportunities for emerging countries to provide labour force at cheaper costs. Invariably, the developing nations, having had an exodus of their talented workers, try to recruit those professionals from other advanced societies to undertake roles and responsibilities in rebuilding their depleting systems of nation building.The organizations will have to deal with people from different cultural backgrounds that are distributed in various countries and adapt accordingly. Those who are able to recognize their needs would be able to attract highly- skilled professionals and thus gain an edge over their competitors. Consequently, multinational organizations would have to learn the diverse systems and develop a mindset that recognizes and accepts the needs of the local communities.

Q.4

The method of predicting or forecasting an organizations future demands for human resource and supply and meet its objectives. It tries to ensure that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge so as to develop, retain them to work in the organization. Consecutively, HRP helps an organization achieve its strategic goals and objectives, achieve economies in hiring new workers, make major labour market demands more successfully, anticipate and avoid shortages and surpluses of human resources, as well as control or reduce labour costs (MyManagementLab, n.d., p.120).Over the next five to ten years, various environmental influences or factors would tend to affect the supply of human resources.

i.) Changing Demographics

More women are now being employed in the workforce and have equal opportunities just like their male counterparts. HR of the organizations will have to avail part time work, job security after absence due to pregnancy and childbirth and provide facilities for nursing and day care for children. A large number of people age and retire each year and new recruits with specialized skills would need to be sought that could change the appointment or removal in the organization.Casualisation of workforce with workers taking up part-time or flexi hours and those made redundant or retire, set up small businesses and become self sufficient.Few workers would increase the prospects of competition amongst employers to seek those that match the skills to meet objectives. Lack of skilled workers puts pressure on time and effort to train and develop their optimum potential.

Immigration and internationalization of services puts HR in a difficult position where they need to balance the needs of workers from different cultures, languages and skills.

ii.) Technology

Rapid changes have prompted the need to of technically skilled employees to match the changing job needs. These could improve HR functions in selecting; recruiting, training and performance reviews. Consequently, increase production and efficiency leads to increase in profits, growth in operations and wages and salaries for the employees. In turn the technological innovations could brand the organization in a more positive and better image in the marketplace. HR may have to deal with issues like keeping motivational levels high and have staff continue to train and self-learn in order to improve skills and have access to social media and mobile technologies that could shape the work environment.On the other hand, technology could make physical labour seem obsolete, loss of morale and will to work where workers are let go and unemployment rises. Human resource policies would have to deal with increased spending on pension and social welfare. The demand for highly skilled individuals would increase the costs of education and training.

Section B

1.) The readiness for training on the number of employees who show interest/ motivation and participate. The kind or nature of employees (strong personality, race, etc.) who would be able to undertake the physical exercises and handle the stress and pressure. A positive environment that encourages the training without interference. The traning methods should provide timely feedback so that employees can learn and improve.The result of the boot camp that requires all the participants to successfully create bonding into groups. That the physical activities are similar to their work environment and how they apply the training methods to their jobs which must encourage them to reach their full potential.

2.) Maslows Theory of Motivation is one where the human needs are presented in a hierarchy of five levels. The basic is one of physiological need for a job and basic wage and as that is satisfied then an employee tries to secure the job, seek benefits and desire a safe workplace. Subsequently, friends and social contacts are formed so as to feel wanted and belong to a group. Then performance rating improves, there is praise and admiration and promotion and recognition endures that raises esteem. Finally, the worker self-actualizes and realises his/her potential where achievement has led them to participate in decisions and desire challenges.The managements attitude to manipulate the employees as willing slaves. The activities should create a positive environment and encourage employees and not cause fatigue, distress or ailments due to the nature of the physical exercises.

Factors such as age; cultural backgrounds and personalities should be considered in order to measure the need of an individual employee especially in diverse workplaces. Some may enjoy the activities and others may not. The boot camp should in a way contribute to a pattern of social bonding but the theory may not work for employees from pluralistic societies who already have been associated in groups and do not see a need to have to go through physical endurance in order to form new alliances.

3.) Factors such as the health and fitness need to be considered and any pre-condition medical ailments that they would be suffering from which would affect their performance of the physical activities. The elderly employees may already be experiencing a loss in their energy and worn out of their mental capacity of having worked long hours on the job that the boot camp may not necessarily bring about any change to their personality but only stress them out further. In addition, they could be subject to harassment such as leering or touching.

References

2013. Challenges for human resource management and global business strategy [Online]. Available at: http://futurehrtrends.eiu.com/executive-summary/ [Accessed 17 March 2015].

Ahmed, Ezaz. (n.d.). Chapter 1: Strategic human resource management. [PowerPoint slides]. Queensland: CQUniversity. Available at: University of the South Pacific eLearnUSP Moodle site. Module MG302.