Recruitment and Selection are only effective when they complement HRM Strategy and the company’s overall Business Strategy. Discuss The WritePass Journal

Recruitment and Selection are only effective when they complement HRM Strategy and the company’s overall Business Strategy. Discuss Introduction Recruitment and Selection are only effective when they complement HRM Strategy and the company’s overall Business Strategy. Discuss IntroductionHR main function interrelationship in most organisations:Recruitment SelectionThe universalistic perspectiveThe contingency perspectiveThe configurational perspectiveLinking Company-Wide and HRM strategiesManagerial CompetenciesStrategic human resource challengesConclusion REFERENCESRelated Introduction In the twenty-first century, organisations face an intense competitive environment. In order to compete effectively against their rivals organisations have to be indulged in the strengthening of their performance unceasingly. Managers are obliged to go beyond their required duties. Thus they require applying and using alternative ways for their organisations develop, move and learn faster compared to their rivals. â€Å"Organisational resources and capabilities that are rare and creating value in a unique way are required such that it’s not easily copied† (Barney, 1986; 1991; 1995). This is called the resource-based view, which states that ‘competitive advantage of a firm lies mainly in the use of the package of valuable resources used by an organisation’ (Conner, 1991; Wernerfeldt, 1984). Thus for a company to gain competitive advantage, it is vital for the latter to manage their capital, financial or human resources efficiently. All financial and capital resources of an organisation are solely managed by the organisations’ human capabilities (employees). Therefore it is vital that an organisation has a skilled, committed and ‘strategic partner’ (employee whose performance align HR and business strategy). Human resource can be describe as the aggregated skills, knowledge, talents, ability to create, the workforce of an organisation’s values, along with their talents and aptitudes, approaches and   beliefs involved. HR professionals should be able to apply best practices of HR. Pfefer (1994) has suggested that â€Å"participation, empowerment, incentive pay, promotion from within, and training and skill development are some of the best practices†. HR managers derive new policies and procedures taking into account HR functions in order to have better empowerment and achieve the organisation’s goal. HR functions are recruitment and selection and placement of personnel, training and development by maintain motivation, appraisal of performance and feedback counselling, transfer and job rotation, compensation and benefits (salary, cash and non-cash benefits), social security and welfare of employees,   contract negotiation and grievance handling, health and safety, employee and labour relationship, auditing and review of the man-power management within the firm and ensure quality work life and firm’s development. HR main function interrelationship in most organisations: Recruitment Selection The first and foremost function of HR is Recruitment and Selection of employees as and when required. It can arise due to expansion, strategic alliances (merger and acquisitions), delayering (the need of reducing management due to downsizing or reduction of cost of the organisation) and promotion or someone leaving or temporary requirement. Rynes (1991); Rynes Cable (2003) outlined that ‘recruitment is the utilization of an organisation’s practices such that the number and types of applicants are influenced to apply for vacancies’. Thus recruitment can be described as the process in which an organisation is indulged such that applicants are attracted to apply for any vacancies arising and selecting the appropriate candidates and ensure that they are armed with the suitable training such that they are able to perform at an optimal level. Recruitment can be internal or external focussed. Whereas Selection has been best described by Roberts (1997) defined as â€Å"The purpose of the selection is to match people to work. It is the most important element in any organization’s management of people simply because it is not possible to optimise the effectiveness of human resources, by whatever method, if there is a less than adequate match.† (Robert, 1997) Hence the way that information is collected and evaluated about the candidate and select the appropriate applicant in order to extend employment offer is termed as selection and it is always performed under legal and environmental constraints and also highlights interest of the individual and the organisation. Once recruitment and selection is over, training is enforced in order the staff is able to perform in accordance to the organisation’s procedures where the vision and mission of the company is also clearly outlined. Human Resource Management (HRM) has recently been changed into a macro perspective of HRM and been termed as Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), (Delery Doty, 1996).Thus in order for HR policies to be effective, it have to be consistent with other aspects of the organisation. In other words SHRM highlights the very importance of HR practices for a firm’s performance (Delery Doty, 1996). Further Dessler (2008, p.86) demarcated SHRM â€Å"The formulation and execution of human resource policies and practices that produce the employee competencies and behaviours the company need to achieve its strategic aims†. Pfeffer (1994) best practices â€Å" These best practices are employment security, selectivity in recruiting, high wages, incentive pay, employee ownership, information sharing, participation and empowerment, teams and job redesign, training and skill development, cross-utilization and cross-training, symbolic egalitarianism, wage compression, promotion from within, long-term perspective, measurement of the practices, overarching philosophy† SHRM objectives are to utilise the best practices and achieve the following: Ensure company’s goals are achieve Effective utilisation and maximisation development of HR Respecting, identifying and satisfying individuals’ needs Reconciling the employees goals and that   of the firm Provision of well-trained and well-motivated staffs Morale of staffs are kept high Ensuring that job satisfaction and self-actualisation is attained to its maximum Develop and maintain quality of work life Developing personality of staffs in its multidimensional aspect. Staff capabilities being enhance to perform actual job To be responsive at the ethical and social needs of the society Ensure staffs are equipped precisely and clearly in the transaction of business Team spirit being inculcate such that team work and inter-team collaboration is gained SHRM objectives are vital objectives in an organisation as it directly relates to the performance and competitive advantage of the firm. Competitive advantage is attained through continuous HRM and the business strategy being outlined from the outset. Business strategy has been described as the art of and crafting, implementing and the evaluation of cross-functional decisions that allows a firm realise its long-term goals. Whereby the specification of vision, mission and objectives policies and plans being developed and finally allocating resources to implement policies, plans and projects. An inter-related relationship between HRM and Business Strategy can be illustrated as follows: Administrative Elements Of HRM which are transferable between organisation Firstly the above diagram indicates that it should all start with the inner circle vision, values, objectives and strategies of the organisation. In other words the organisation should set its vision, objectives and then strategies of the organisation firstly. Subsequently the HR roles should be assigned in alignment with the strategic decisions taken when objectives and strategies are set. For the strategic decisions outlined, the organisation’s HR policies are varyingly set and differ from organisation to organisations. Administrative elements of HRM which are transferable between organisations are the grey-blue outer circle. Hence the diagram clearly outline that the interrelationship of the business strategy, HR practices and HRM. Ulrich (1997) has mentioned in regards to SHRM and highlighted how HR professionals can be a strategic partner within an organisation. This can be achieved by professional working in accordance to managers who have set up strategies and process such that objectives and set targets are attained by the department to meet requirements of the ultimate business. While managing an organisation frameworks are set and in accordance to Delery and Doty (1996) the three within SHRM namely universalistic, contingency perspective and configurationally approach. They have established that the three mentioned perceptions are feasible theories within SHRM however they have separate outcome on the firm’s performance and its strategy and HR practices. The universalistic perspective    Here the best practices of HR are being referred. â€Å"The best practices have been mentioned previously and they vital to a firm when undertaking strategy implementation so that sustainable competitive advantage is gained by the organisation† (Huselid, 1993; Pfeffer1994). It is also the simplest theoretical statement in SHRM. Here the argument is that the connections in regards to independent and dependable variables are universal across the firms. The universalistic approach can be established by proceeding with the two following steps: Identification of strategic HR practices The urge of looking for the arguments in relation to the practices and the firm’s performance. Pfeffer (1994) mention sixteen best ones but on the on other hand Delery and Doty (1996) outlines only seven which has been mentioned before. The contingency perspective   When comparing the universalistic to the contingency perspective, the contingency is more complex as it considers the interaction of instead the linear relations only. Primarily the contingent factor of an organisation is the business strategy and using this perspective, investigators will have to opt for theories for the organisation’s strategy. Afterwards specification of how the interaction of each HR practices will effect along with the strategy and if enhancement of the organisation performance is attained. The configurational perspective   Delery and Doty (1996) has debated upon this approach as the most complex one. Since this perspective does not exclusively focus on internal resources nor on an organisation’s environment but on the shared influence of a set variables. The unique pattern or the configurations are identified which is assumed to be most effective for an organisation (Delery Doty, 1996). Hence it models the interrelationships.    Linking Company-Wide and HRM strategies    In the figure below, Dessler (2007) has elaborated on the process and how HR strategies and corporate strategies go along side of each other ‘hand in hand’. Strategic situations are brought along by the competitiveness, internal strength and weaknesses of the organisation whereby strategic plans are formulated. While formulating the strategies various questions arise. For instance, how cost can be lowered such that profits are maximised, when or where it is best to expand and is there the requirement for diversification. Further the HR strategies which will be formulated and implemented should comply with the overall corporate strategies. The recruitment and selection, training and development, appraisal of employees are required to be synced such that it supports the strategic plan of the organisation. The very question of how well does company strategies are aligned to the HR strategies formulated and applied will directly have effect on the organisation overall performance. The main aim of this model above is to appraise the HR strategies and corporate Strategies alignment. Organisational performance and strategic situation are normally not included in the purpose. But we have taken them into consideration as they are of vital role within the process of aligning. That is due to the fact that the strategic planning’s outcome is the strategic situation and it is essential if in case the constructed plan by the firm does not fit the strategic situation expected. This can affect the HR strategies and the firm’s performance at the end adversely.    Managerial Competencies Firstly, Westley Mintzberg, (1989), in Lado Wilson, (1994) has described that â€Å"Managerial Competencies includes exclusive capabilities of the leaders in propagating the strategic vision, communicating the vision and investing in the employees such that the firm is able to realise the vision†. Hence this capability can give rise a very useful environment for the firm. Enacting this organisational environment gives the employees a way to interpret and act upon the vision that was conveyed. The managerial view is seen as a source of competitive advantage due to its decisive nature upon the organisations resources (Lado Wilson, 1994). Thus one of the HR systems that can enhance this competence is development and creation of managerial competencies. Top managers and middle managers are utilised in the creation of the strategic vision and the managerial competencies are let through the organisation (Lado Wilson, 1994). Thus the traditional view of effective communication an d ease the interpretation and understanding of the vision is vital.    Strategic human resource challenges Thus from the above it is obvious if these challenges must be made primary and achieved and also much more focus must be made on designing not only execution of strategies. Conclusion    Hence it is obvious that recruitment and selection is only effective when it complement with HRM strategies and business strategies. As the recruiting of highly qualified and skilled employees cannot achieve anything unless they are armed with the appropriate tools, practices and procedures which are closely managed by HRM within the organisation. The interrelationship between recruitment and HRM and the overall business has been explicitly explained above but the effects of poor recruitment can result in high costs incurred in terms of time of money and time, inefficiency, client dissatisfaction and disability in team work and low morality. Hence not only recruitment and selection needs to be effective but also proper training and appraisals to maintain level of performance and appropriate rewards and benefits are required to motivate the employees to maintain a high level of performance. Whilst the SHRM should maintain a regular high level of assessment throughout the employees per formance, environment and other factors affecting directly and ensure that the objectives and the business vision is achieved within the set period. As under the current economic climate businesses tend to cut down on the size such that they can survive thus they should be able to trust be able to rely on effective HRM. A recent example is the Icon Film Distribution Ltd which was taken over by Stewart Till and Access industries and because of the economic situation prevailing in UK and their performance in the film market they have opted to downsizing. REFERENCES Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S. E. (1987). Linking competitive strategies with human resource practices. Academy of Management Executive, 1, 207-219. Pfeffer, J. 1994. Competitive advantage through people: Unleashing the power of the work force. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Rogers, E. W., Wright, P. (1998). Measuring organizational performance in strategic human resource management research: Problems, prospects, and performance information markets. Human Resource Management Review, 8, 311-331. Elearn Limited (2005) â€Å"Recruitment an selection†, Elsevier Ltd, Oxford, UK. Colakoglu, S., lepak, D. P., Hong, Y. (2006). Measuring HRM effectiveness: considering multiple stakeholders in a global context. Human Resource Management Review. 16, 209-218. netlibrary.com.ezproxy.wales.ac.uk:2048/Reader/ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zEoAUt-3CVQCpg=PA228dq=hr+recruitment+selection+training+and+development+rewards+and+benefits+from+bookshl=enei=MayRTaiFHM6DhQf2oOWGDwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CEIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageqf=false

James Madison, 4th President of the United States

James Madison, 4th President of the United States James Madison (March 16, 1751–June 28, 1836) served as Americas 4th president, navigating the country through the War of 1812. Madison was known as the Father of the Constitution, for his role in its creation, and a man who served during a key time in the development of America.   Fast Facts: James Madison Known For: Americas 4th president and the Father of the ConstitutionBorn: March 16, 1751 in King George County, VirginiaParents:  James Madison, Sr. and Eleanor Rose Conway (Nelly), m. September 15, 1749Died: June 28, 1836 in Montpelier, VirginiaEducation: Robertsons School, College of New Jersey (which would later become Prrinceton University)Spouse: Dolley Payne Todd (m. September 15, 1794)Children: One stepson, John Payne Todd Early Life James Madison was born on March 16, 1751, the eldest child of James Madison, Sr., a plantation owner, and Eleanor Rose Conway (known as Nelly), the daughter of a wealthy planter. He was born at his mothers stepfathers plantation on the Rappahannock River in King George County, Virginia, but the family soon moved to James Madison Sr.s plantation in Virginia. Montpelier, as the plantation would be named in 1780, would be Madison Jr.s home for most of his life. Madison had six brothers and sisters: Francis (b. 1753), Ambrose (b. 1755), Nelly (b. 1760), William (b. 1762), Sarah (b. 1764), Elizabeth (b. 1768); the plantation also held more than 100 enslaved persons. The earliest education of James Madison, Jr. was at home, probably by his mother and grandmother, and at a school located on his fathers plantation. In 1758, he began attending the Robertson School, run by Scottish tutor Donald Robertson, where he studied English, Latin, Greek, French, and Italian, as well as history, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and geography. Between 1767 and 1769, Madison studied under the rector Thomas Martin, who was hired by the Madison family for that purpose. Education Madison attended the College of New Jersey (which would become Princeton University in 1896) from 1769–1771. He was an excellent student and studied a range of subjects, including oratory, logic, Latin, geography, and philosophy. Perhaps more importantly, he made close friendships at New Jersey, included the American poet Philip Freneau, writer Hugh Henry Brackenridge, lawyer and politician Gunning Bedford Jr., and William Bradford, who would become the second attorney general under George Washington. But Madison grew ill in college, and stayed in Princeton after he graduated until April 1772, when he returned home. He was sickly most of his life, and modern scholars believe he likely suffered from epilepsy. Early Career Madison didnt have a vocation when he left school, but he soon became interested in politics, an interest perhaps stirred but at least fed by his continuing correspondence with William Bradford. The political situation in the country must have been exhilarating: his zeal for freedom from Britain was very strong. His first political appointment was as a delegate to the Virginia Convention (1776), and then he served in the Virginia House of Delegates three times (1776–1777, 1784–1786, 1799–1800). While in the Virginia house, he worked with George Mason to write Virginias constitution; he also met and established a lifelong friendship with Thomas Jefferson. Madison served on the Council of State in Virginia (1778–1779) and then became a member of the Continental Congress (1780–1783). Father of the Constitution Madison first called for a Constitutional Convention in 1786, and when it was convened in 1787 he wrote most of the U.S. Constitution, which outlined a strong federal government. Once the Convention ended, he, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton together wrote the Federalist Papers, a collection of essays that were intended to sway public opinion to ratifying the new Constitution. Madison served as a U.S. Representative from 1789–1797. On September 15, 1794, Madison married  Dolley Payne Todd,  a widow and socialite who set the pattern for the behavior of White House first ladies for centuries to come. She was a well-liked hostess throughout Jeffersons and Madisons time in office, holding convivial parties with both sides of the Congress in attendance. She and Madison had no children, although John Payne Todd (1792–1852), Dolleys son from her first marriage, was raised by the couple; her son William had died in the 1793 yellow fever epidemic that killed her husband. In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, in 1798 Madison drafted the Virginia Resolutions, a work that was hailed by anti-federalists. He was secretary of state under President Thomas Jefferson from 1801–1809. Embargo Act and the Presidency By 1807, Madison and Jefferson became alarmed at increasing reports on upheavals in Europe suggesting that Britain would soon go to war with Napoleons France. The two powers declared war and demanded that other nations needed to commit to a side. Since neither the Congress nor the administration were ready for all-out war, Jefferson called for an immediate embargo on all American shipping. That, said Madison, would protect American vessels from almost certain seizure, and deprive European nations of a needed trade that might force them to allow the U.S. to remain neutral. Passed on December 22, 1807, the Embargo Act would soon prove unpopular, an unpopularity that eventually led to U.S. involvement in the War of 1812. In the 1808 election, Jefferson supported Madisons nomination to run, and George Clinton was chosen to be his vice president. He ran against Charles Pinckney, who had opposed Jefferson in 1804. Pinckneys campaign centered around Madisons role with the Embargo Act; nevertheless, Madison won 122 of the 175 electoral votes. Negotiating Neutrality Early in 1808, Congress replaced the Embargo Act with the Non-Intercourse Act, which allowed the U.S. to trade with all nations except France and Great Britain because of the attacks on American shipping by those two nations. Madison offered to trade with either nation if it would stop harassing American ships. However, neither agreed. In 1810, Macons Bill No. 2 was passed, repealing the Non-Intercourse Act and replacing that with a promise that whichever nation would stop harassing American ships would be favored and the U.S. would stop trading with the other nation. France agreed to this and the British continued to stop American ships and impress sailors. By 1811, Madison easily won the renomination for the Democratic-Republicans, despite being opposed by DeWitt Clinton. The campaigns main issue was the War of 1812, and Clinton attempted to appeal to both those for and against the war. Madison won with 128 out of 146 votes. War of 1812: Mr. Madisons War When Madison started his second administration, the British were still forcibly attacking American ships, seizing their cargo, and impressing their sailors. Madison asked Congress to declare war: but support for it was far from unanimous. The war, sometimes called the Second War for Independence (because it resulted in the end of U.S. economic dependence on Britain), pitted a barely prepared U.S. against the well-trained force that was Great Britain. On June 18, 1812, Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, after Congress, for the first time in American history, voted to declare war against another nation. Americas first battle was a disaster called the Surrender of Detroit: The British, led by Major General Isaac Brock, and Native American allies, led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, attacked the port city of Detroit on August 15–16, 1812. U.S. Brigadier General William Hull surrendered the town and fort, despite having a larger army. America fared better on the seas, and eventually retook Detroit. The British marched on Washington in 1814, and on August 23 they attacked and burned the White House. Dolley Madison famously stayed in the White House until she ensured that many national treasures were saved. The New England Federalists met at the Hartford Convention in late 1814 to discuss pulling out of the war, and there was even talk of secession at the convention. But, on December 24, 1814, the U.S. and Great Britain agreed to the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the fighting but resolved none of the pre-war issues. Retirement After his presidential term in office ended, Madison retired to his plantation in Virginia. However, he still stayed involved in political discourse. He represented his county at the Virginia Constitutional Convention (1829). He also spoke against nullification, the idea that states could rule federal laws unconstitutional. His Virginia Resolutions were often cited as a precedent for this but he believed in the strength of the union above all. He took a leadership role in the formation of the University of Virginia, especially after Thomas Jeffersons death in 1826. Madison was also a slave owner- Montpelier had 118 slaves at one point- who helped found the notorious American Colonization Society to help resettle freed blacks in what would become Liberia, Africa. Death Although Madison remained vigorous and active during his early retirement, beginning after his 80th birthday in 1829, he began to suffer from longer and longer spells of fever and rheumatism. Eventually he was confined to Montpelier, although he continued working when he could through the winter of 1835–1836. On June 27, 1836, he spent several hours writing a thank you note to George Tucker, who had dedicated his biography of Thomas Jefferson to him. He died the next day. Legacy James Madison was in power at an important time. Even though America did not end the War of 1812 as the ultimate victor, it did end with a stronger and independent economy. As the author of the Constitution, Madisons decisions made during his time as president were based on his interpretation of the document, and he was well-respected for that. In the end, Madison attempted to follow the Constitution and tried not to overstep the boundaries set before him as he interpreted them. Sources Broadwater, Jeff. James Madison: A Son of Virginia and a Founder of the Nation. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.Cheney, Lynne. James Madison: A Life Reconsidered. New York: Penguin Books, 2014.Feldman, Noah. The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President. New York: Random House, 2017.Gutzman, Kevin R. C. James Madison and the Making of America. New York, St. Martins Press, 2012.Ketcham, Ralph. James Madison: A Biography. University of Virginia, 1990.