Strategic Human Resource Management PDF
Strategic Human Resource Management PDF
STRATEGIC HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
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STRATEGIC HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
CAM CALDWELL
AND
VERL ANDERSON
EDITORS
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Preface vii
Chapter 1 Strategic Human Resource Management: Why It Matters 1
Cam Caldwell
Chapter 2 Strategic Human Resource Management:
An Ethical Stewardship Obligation 13
Cam Caldwell
Chapter 3 Leadership and Human Resource Management:
Insights and Applications 27
Cam Caldwell and Verl Anderson
Chapter 4 Job Analysis: The Building Block of
Human Resource Management 43
Cam Caldwell
Chapter 5 Ethical Responsibilities of Human Resource Management:
A Framework for Moral Conduct 57
Cam Caldwell and Verl Anderson
Chapter 6 Recruitment, Testing, and Selection:
Strategic Essentials for Successful Performance 75
Cam Caldwell
Chapter 7 Compensation and Benefits:
Attracting and Retaining Top Talent 93
Cam Caldwell
Chapter 8 Performance Management: A Strategic Perspective 109
Cam Caldwell, Verl Anderson and Sarah Smith
Human Resource Management (HRM) could very well be the key contributor to
organization profitability and competitive advantage in the 21st century. That claim is a
startling reality with a growing body of supporting evidence that affirms its truth. In a
world where less than 15% of all employees acknowledge that they are positively
engaged at work, the opportunity to capture and inspire the minds and hearts of
tomorrow’s work force is immense. Thus, there are multiple reasons for this book about
the strategic contribution of HRM in the third millennium economy.
The bad news is that the history of HRM has been disappointing, Human Resource
Professionals (HRPs) have been largely unprepared, and organization leaders have been
focused on technology and innovation – rather than the people who create value for their
companies. The good news is that there is a growing number of outstanding companies
and enlightened leaders who have recognized that people are the key to better customer
service, greater innovation, improved productivity, and higher profits.
This book serves four significantly different types of readers. First, and most
importantly, this book offers insights for top management teams who are served by the
HRPs and provides a template to hold those professionals accountable. Each of the
chapters of this book provides strategic insights into the purpose and function of HRM
systems in supporting the top management team and its organization mission. Second,
this book provides clear guidelines for HRPs in helping them to realize their key roles
and the accountability expected from them. Third, this book is a useful foundation for
students seeking to understand how HRM systems function. Fourth, the book provides
scholars and academics with fundamental principles upon which to build as they explore
the practical world of business.
The consistent theme of this book is that HRM matters and HRPs can make a
significant strategic difference in contributing to an organization’s success! The modern
organization of the 21st century has already begun to change – and those changes must be
effective if organizations are to successfully compete in a world that has become
increasingly global and complex in its focus. However, HRM and the role of HRPs have
not always been fully appreciated, and top management teams can exponentially improve
the effectiveness of their organizations by rethinking HRM’s strategic roles.
This book offers a wealth of information about the contribution that HRM can make
to help organizations improve their economic and financial prospects. This book explains
how and why organizations can benefit from treating their employees as valued assets
and by honoring duties owed to those employees by helping them to fulfill their ultimate
potential. As organizations honor those responsibilities to their employees, they also
serve their own best interests and the interests of a society that desperately needs to
effectively utilize its available resources to solve its current and future problems.
Chapter 1
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
ABSTRACT
The unfortunate reality in many organizations – and probably in most organizations
– is that the Human Resource Management (HRM) function is not performed very well.
More than thirty years ago, the California Management Review published a thoughtful
and scholarly article entitled, “Why the Human Resources Management Function Fails
1.” That article enumerated a compelling list of explanations that continue to exist in
many organizations today. Despite the efforts of business schools, organization leaders,
and individuals who receive academic degrees in HRM, the roles played by most Human
Resource Professionals (HRPs) in today’s organizations fail to contribute to enabling
employees to create added value in assisting Top Management Teams to accomplish their
strategic goals.
There are three important purposes to this chapter in introducing this book and in
clarifying why HRM matters as an important staff function. The first purpose is to
identify common challenges to the success of the HRM function by citing management
experts and practitioners. The second is to present seven myths or misconceptions about
HRM and the characteristics of the HRPs who serve organizations. The third is to set
forth the contents of this book as it introduces the chapters which explain the strategic
HRM role.
By summarizing the contents of each chapter, we empower those who have a
specific HRM interest to decide where they wish to begin in their reading.
1
This interesting and insightful article is Harish, J., and Murray, V., (1984). “Why the Human Resources
Management Function Fails”. California Management Review, Vol. 26, Iss. 4, pp. 95-110.
Research and commentaries about HRM provide many insights as to why HRM
systems are ineffective in helping organizations to be successful.
Although the Society of Human Resource Management has been an advocate for
“best practices” in HRM since it was originally founded as the American Society for
Personnel Administration seventy years ago2, the HRM field has historically been
inconsistent in the application of those practices, HRPs have consistently
underperformed, and many organizations have opted to contract out their HRM services
in an often fuzzy-headed attempt to save money3.
HRPs struggle to make a meaningful contribution to their organizations’ mission and
purpose for a common set of reasons which make up the problems or challenges that
many incumbents in HRM departments are unable to overcome. Perhaps the most
significant of those challenges are the five issues summarized briefly below.
2
Society for Human Resource Management, (2016). “2015-2016 SHRM Annual Report”. Washington, D. C.:
Society for Human Resource Management found online on October 22, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/about-
shrm/PublishingImages/Pages/default/2015-2016%20Annual%20Report.pdf.
3
Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., Valentine, S. R., and Meglish, P., (2016). Human Resource Management (15th ed.).
Boston, MA: Cengage.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
These five challenges affect virtually every organization and make succeeding in
today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment both challenging and
frustrating – but also exciting. It is by overcoming these challenges that HRPs are able to
make a meaningful contribution that assists their organizations to achieve a competitive
advantage – and only by maintaining such an advantage can organizations survive6.
4
See IBM Corporation, (2014). “Making Change Work. While the Work Keeps Changing.” Armonk, New York:
IBM Institute for Business Value. found online on October 23, 2017 at http://public.dhe.ibm.com/common/ssi/
ecm/gb/en/gbl03021usen/GBL03021USEN.PDF.
5
The importance of staffing organizations with highly skilled talent is emphasized in the best-selling book, Good to
Great. See Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great – Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t. New
York: HarperCollins.
6
This point about the importance of achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage is clearly made in
Caldwell, C. and Anderson, V., (2017). Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and Performance.
Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing.
Figure 3.
7
The dangers of “conventional wisdom,” the importance of creating aligned HRM systems, and the keys to
establishing an organizational culture that effectively engages employees are the major themes in Pfeffer, J.,
(1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, M. A.: Harvard Business
Review Press and Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Figure 4.
8
According to one highly regarded HRM text, only 27% of HRPs have even had a course in the discipline. See
Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B. and Cardy, R. L., (2015). Managing Human Resources (8 th ed.). Essex,
UK: Pearson Education.
9
See Greengard, S., (2016). “HR Credentials: Evaluating Their Value.” Workforce June 13, 2016 found online on
October 23, 2017 at http://www.workforce.com/2016/06/13/hr-credentials-evaluating-their-value/. The Human
Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) is the professional testing and certification body that certifies HRPs
for and in behalf of the Society for Human Resource Management.
3) HRM is responsible for and in charge of employee hiring. HRM staff never
should make a hiring decision but can assist departments in their hiring process
and advise them about HRM standards and legal requirements. Extensive
evidence also suggests that HRPs often are not fully aware of the most important
criteria for employee selection.
4) HRPs are experts in setting up performance appraisal and performance
measurement systems. Measuring performance is an elusive process and most
performance appraisal systems are poorly administered and ineffective. Coaching
employees and helping them to be successful is a far better approach than
judging and critiquing employees.
5) HRPs should be considered advocates and sounding boards for employees.
As a staff function, HRPs work for their Top Management Team. They may
communicate employee concerns, attitudes, and issues to Top Management and
make recommendations for improving the organization – but their role is to
support the organization and to help it to succeed and be profitable long-term.
6) HRM is responsible for creating an organization’s culture and work climate.
The role of the Top Management Team is to articulate the values and mission of
an organization and to lead out in establishing an organization’s culture10.
7) Because people are so important, HRM plays a key role in the strategic
management of most companies.
In fact, HRPs have struggled to be recognized as contributors to the successful
operation of organizations and to be considered active participants in the strategic
management of their companies.
Each of these misconceptions about HRM systems and the HRPs who work in them
need to be understood by Top Management Team members and the personnel who staff
HRM departments.
This book provides a clear understanding of the responsibilities and obligations of
HRM, its role in organizations, and opportunities for HRPs to contribute to their
organizations’ strategic success.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS
This book provides a strategic perspective to the role of HRM in the modern
organization and each of its chapters focuses on a key responsibility of HRPs as they
10
For a clear statement about the responsibilities of organization leaders in creating organization cultore, please see
Schein, E. H. and Schein, P., (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership (5 th ed.). San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
support the Top Management Team, individual departments, and the employees of their
organization. The following is a brief summary of each of the chapters of this book.
Chapter 3 identifies the role of HRPs as leaders – noting that leadership is much more
than a position of authority. The chapter identifies ten different leadership perspectives
and equates each perspective to the HRP role. It then suggests twelve caveats to guide
HRPs in serving the organization.
This chapter explains the important role of the job analysis, identifies common errors
made in conducting that important function, and provides information about how the job
analysis is vital to so many HRM responsibilities.
Chapter 5 identifies the Hosmer model for ethical decision-making and identifies
why that model is so important in explaining HRM and management decisions. The
chapter also identifies the broad range of ethical duties associated with Transformative
Ethics and describes that model.
Four of the major issues associated with performance management are the primary
focus of this chapter.
The chapter suggests specific ways to improve performance management and explain
why each of the four major issues is so important to an organization’s strategic success.
For a world that is constantly changing, this chapter identifies three important models
for understanding the nature of change. The chapter also identifies ten highly practical
principles to keep in mind in managing change.
Chapter 11 identifies the importance of High Performance Work Systems, High Trust
Organizations and the role of HRPs in creating organizational systems and programs that
generate extra-mile performance and high commitment. Information is provided about
the many reasons why HRPs should understand the importance of creating organizations
that treat employees as valued partners.
This chapter revisits the six strategic HRM roles and emphasizes their international
context. The chapter then identifies eight challenging issues that are commonly related to
international business and offers suggestions for addressing those issues.
Chapter 15 briefly summarizes the history of HRM, identifies both predictive and
prescriptive ideas about the future of HRM, and explains the importance of organizations
and HRPs raising the bar in meeting the demanding needs of a new global business
context.
The consistent theme of this book is that “Human Resource Management matters and
Human Resource Professionals can make a significant strategic difference in contributing
to an organization’s success!”
The modern organization of the 21st Century has already begun to change – and those
changes must be effective if organizations are to successfully compete in a world that has
become increasingly global and complex in its focus. Although HRM and the role of
HRPs has not always been fully appreciated and Top Management Teams can
exponentially improve the effectiveness of their organizations by rethinking HRM’s
strategic roles.
This book offers a wealth of information about the contribution that HRM can make
to help organizations improve their economic and financial prospects.
As importantly, this book explains how and why organizations can benefit by treating
their employees as valued assets and by honoring duties owed to those employees by
helping them to become their best. As organizations honor those responsibilities to their
employees, they also serve their own best interests and the interests of a society that
desperately needs to effectively utilize its available resources to solve its current and
future problems.
Questions to Ponder
1) What is the most important priority for you in reading this new book? What do
you hope to understand and what motivates your decision?
2) How have the organizations where you have worked viewed the strategic
contribution of HRM? Are HRPs active participants in the leadership circle or do
they perform important but less significant contributing roles?
3) Which of the chapter summaries of this book most attract your interest? Where
do you want to begin?
REFERENCES
Greengard, S., (2016). “HR Credentials: Evaluating Their Value.” Workforce June 13,
2016 found online on October 23, 2017 at http://www.workforce.com/2016/06/13/hr-
credentials-evaluating-their-value/.
Harish, J., & Murray, V., (1984). “Why the Human Resources Management Function
Fails.” California Management Review, Vol. 26, Iss. 4, pp. 95-110.
IBM Corporation, (2014). “Making Change Work . . . . .. While the Work Keeps
Changing.” Armonk, New York: IBM Institute for Business Value. found online
on October 23, 2017 at http://public.dhe.ibm.com/common/ssi/ecm/gb/en/
gbl03021usen/GBL03021USEN.PDF.
Mathis. R. L., Jackson, J. H., Valentine, S. R., & Meglish, P., (2016). Human Resource
Management (15th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press and Beer, M., (2009). High
Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for
Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership (5th ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Society for Human Resource Management, (2016). “2015-2016 SHRM Annual Report.”
Washington, D. C.: Society for Human Resource Management found online on
October 22, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/PublishingImages/Pages/
default/2015-2016%20Annual%20Report.pdf.
Chapter 2
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
11
This point is made by many scholars. See, for example, Devanna, M. A., Fombrun, C., & Tichy, N. (1981).
“Human Resources Management: A Strategic Perspective.” Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 9, Iss. 3, pp. 57-
61.
12
See Porter, M. E., (1998). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York:
Free Press.
13
Ibid.
Management Teams view employees as “cost centers” to be minimized rather than the
means by which customers are served and profits are generated14.
The purpose of this chapter is to identify six key strategic roles of Human Resource
Professionals (HRPs) and the Human Resource Management (HRM) function in helping
organizations to achieve their missions. We begin by defining Strategic Human Resource
Management (SHRM) and explaining its role as a staff support function for the multiple
stakeholders of an organization. Incorporating insights from HRM scholars, we then
identify six strategic roles of HRM and explain how HRPs can more effectively
contribute to their organizations in 1) empowering employees; 2) assisting individual
departments to achieve their goals; 3) enhancing the effectiveness of an organization’s
unique capabilities; and 4) creating a culture that builds trust, facilitates change, and
pursues constant improvement. We explain why the SHRM roles constitute an “ethical
stewardship” obligation for HRPs that needs to be understood both by the HRPs and by
their organization’s Top Management Team. We conclude the chapter with commentary
about why so many HRPs and HRM systems fail to achieve their stewardship obligations.
14
Ibid.
Figure 1.
The following are six strategic roles of HRM that contribute to optimal organization
success.
1. Create and sustain an organizational culture aligned with the mission and
strategy. HRPS assist an organization’s Top Management Team to integrate
aligned policies, systems, procedures, rules, and guidelines that establish the
norms, values, and priorities that define an organization’s culture. The most
effective organizations create cultures in which artifacts, core values, and
systems reinforce the achievement of values, goals, and mission15. When its
culture is aligned with an organization’s mission and strategy, an organization
reinforces the focus of goal achievement. Without alignment organizations send a
mixed message that creates uncertainty and undermines organization efforts.
2. Demonstrate excellence in performing technical and operational tasks
requiring the specialized skills and knowledge of HRM. As a formal discipline
HRM requires an understanding of best practices, methods, tools, technical
information, principles of organization behavior, and human relations that are the
building blocks of the discipline. HRPs assist other organizational units by
skillfully performing technical and operational HRM tasks that sustain
competitive advantage, comply with appropriate legal requirements, and pursue
the best interests of the organization and its membership. Incorporating best
HRM practices in technical HRM tasks provides an organization with the
foundation for efficient and effective performance.
15
This leadership role is identified in Schein, E. H. & Schein, P. (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
16
The nature of opportunism and self-interest are explained in Williamon, O., (1985). The Economic Institutions of
Capitalism. New York: Free Press. Stewardship as a governance theory is introduced by Davis, J. H.,
Schoorman & Donaldson, (1997). “Toward a Stewardship Theory of Management.” Academy of Management
Review, Vol. 22, Iss. 1, pp. 20-47.
17
The purposes of governance theory are identified by McClusky, J. E., (2002). “Rethinking Non-Profit
Organization Governance: Implications for Management and Leadership.” International Journal of Public
Administration, Vol. 25, Iss. 4, pp. 539–559 and in Steinberg, R. M. and D. Pojunis. (2000). “Corporate
Governance: The New Frontier.” Internal Auditor, Vol. 57, Iss. 6, pp. 34–39 and summarized in Caldwell, C.,
Hayes, L., Karri, R., and Bernal, P., (2008). “Ethical Stewardship: The Role of Leadership Behavior and
Perceived Trustworthiness.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 78, Iss. 1/2, pp. 153-164.
18
These six leadership elements are explained in greater detail in Caldwell, et al., 2008, op. cit.
Figure 2.
3. It honors the often unspoken social contract between leaders and followers.
Ethical stewardship recognizes that the expectations of followers are often
implicit and impose duties and obligations. Leaders who function as ethical
stewards seek to understand and honor those perceived obligations and to clarify
expectations to enhance trust.
4. It is subjectively perceived by each individual. Recognizing the subjective nature
of perceptions, ethical stewards seek to understand those perceptions and
acknowledge that interpersonal relationships are both subtle and individual in
their nature.
5. It is long-term rather than short-term in focus. Ethical stewards seek to
optimize wealth creation and recognize that short-term profits often undermine
long-term value creation. These stewards pursue options that emphasize long-
term benefits to all stakeholders in optimizing the creation of value.
6. It constantly emphasizes the management of meaning. Ethical stewardship
focuses on the values and outcomes that are virtuous and pursues adherence to
correct principles. In seeking best possible outcomes and honoring relationships,
ethical stewardship create a constantly learning relationship with others.
Stewards focus on understanding new insights, increasing mutual understanding,
and pursuing of truth.
These six elements of the leadership relationship reflect the ethical steward’s
commitment to the worth and importance of each stakeholder and the steward’s
commitment to the organization’s best interests.
As ethical stewards, HRPs have the responsibility to help organizations create work
cultures that are both human and humane and that “emphasize inclusion, shared
partnership, empowerment, and leadership trustworthiness19.” HRPs demonstrate a broad
combination of ethical insights and honor the obligations of Transformative Leadership
as they pursue the highest and best possible outcomes for their organizations in
accomplishing the mission of their organizations20. As leaders at all levels demonstrate
their commitment to the principles of ethical stewardship, they create relationships that
motivate extra-role behavior, increased commitment, increased creativity, and increased
profitability21. Although HRPs function as “servant leaders” in their staff support role,
they seek outcomes that honor relationships, keep commitments, and add value for
others.
1. Management paradigms about the HRM role. One of the more common reasons
why HRM systems fail to contribute to strategic success is the perception of Top
Management Team members about the ineffectiveness of HRM as a contributor
to organizational goals22. Those perceptions may result from prior personal
experience in other organizations which had ineffective HRPs, or it may be
19
This quote comes from page 174 of Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human
Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-182 but
the nature of effective leadership is articulated in greater detail in Kanter, R. M.: 2008, “Transforming Giants.”
Harvard Business Review, Vol. 86, Iss. 1, pp. 43–52.
20
The transformative roles of HRPs as ethical stewards is identified in Caldwell, et al. (2011) op. cit. and the nature
of Transformative Leadership is explained in Caldwell, C., Dixon, R. D., Floyd, L., Chaudoin, J., Post., J., and
Cheokas, G. 2012. “Transformative Leadership: Achieving Unparalleled Excellence.” Journal of Business
Ethics, Vol 109, Iss. 2, pp. 175-187.
21
These outcomes are identified in Xu, F., Caldwell, C., and Anderson, V., 2016. “Moral Implications of
Leadership—Transformative Insights.” International Journal of Business and Social Research, Vol 3, Iss. 6,
pp. 75-85 and are consistent with the findings of Cameron, K., (2011). “Responsible Leadership as Virtuous
Leadership.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, pp. 25-35, and Caldwell, C., (2015). “Six Insights for
Transformative Leaders.” Graziadio Business Review published by Pepperdine University and available online
at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/tag/transformative-leaders.
22
This perception is commonly held. See Ulrich, D., Allen, J., Brockband, W. Younger, J., & Nyman M. (2009).
HR Transformation: Building Human Resoruces from the Outside In. New York: McGraw-Hill.
23
According to Gomez-Mejia, L. B., and Balkin, D. B., (2015). Managing Human Resources (8th ed.), New York:
Pearson, only 27% of HRPs have actually been academically trained in the discipline. See Chapter One.
24
This point is clearly made in Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
25
Ibid.
26
Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C., 2016. “Creating a Culture of Engagement – Insights for Application.”
Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70 -80.
27
This theme is the focus of Holbeche, L., (2009). Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy (2nd ed.) New
York: Routledge.
28
This point is well documented in Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
29
The importance of creating organizations based upon high commitment and trust is well documented in Beer, M.
(2009). High Commitment, High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained
Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
This list of barriers to organization success is certainly not new . . . but organizations
fall prey to these causes of failure and many others. SHRM is effective only when its
leaders avoid making strategic errors that are common to many organizations. Effective
leadership requires great attention to detail, a clear understanding of a multitude of
internal and external success factors, and an uncompromising commitment to
excellence37.
30
This insight is provided in Caldwell, C. and Ndalamba, K. K. (In Press). “Trust and Being ‘Worthy’ – Barriers to
Wealth Creation.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Management Development.
31
The role of leaders in creating organizational culture is the key theme of Schein, E. H. & Schein, P. (2016)
Organizational Culture and Leadership (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Boss.
32
Pfeffer, J., 1998, op. cit.
33
Ibid.
34
This vital message is the key point of the best selling book Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some
Companies Make the Leap . . . . And Others Don’t. New York: HarperBusiness.
35
The moral duties of organizations have been repeatedly addressed. See, for example, DePree, M., (2004).
Leadership is an Art. New York: Crown Publishing.
36
The moral duties of organizations have been well defined by Stephen R. Covey. See Hasan, Z. and Caldwell,, C.
2016. “’Live Your Life in Crescendo’ – Moral Insights from Stephen R. Covey.” Graziadio Business Review.
Vol. 19, Iss. 1. Available on line at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2016/04/live-your-life-in-crescendo/.
37
Collins, J., (2001), op. cit.
CONCLUSION
HRPs owe their organizations the dedication which makes up ethical stewardship and
a commitment to unflagging excellence38. Aristotle reminded us that our commitment to
excellence must become a habit if we are to achieve worthy goals and personal
victories39. HRM systems that function effectively as a contributing resource to their
organizations demand HRPs who understand their role, are committed to organizational
excellence, and who have a rare combination of interpersonal and technical skills
developed by hard work and constant study.
Ethical stewardship also requires a deep internal awareness of one’s own capabilities,
a commitment to moral excellence, and the perseverance and passion to go the extra-mile
on behalf of others. As HRPs examine their qualifications to serve, as they reflect on the
needs of their organizations, and as they acquire the competencies to become ethical
stewards they demonstrate their worthiness to serve their organizations and to benefit a
society that increasingly demands excellence. When HRPs perform as ethical stewards
they earn the right to contribute to the strategic success of their organizations and to serve
on its Top Management Team40.
Questions to Ponder
1. What is your definition of leadership? What are its outcomes? What relationships
must leaders establish to earn the followership of others?
2. The six roles of SHRM are comprehensive and challenging. Which of these roles
do you consider to be most important – and why? Which role requires the
greatest preparation?
3. How does the concept of ethical stewardship relate to your definition of
leadership that you developed in responding to Question 1? Are you an ethical
steward? In what areas might you improve to become a better steward?
Kate worked in an industry that employed 90% male to 10% female employees. The
company did not attempt to avoid diversity and attract this high level of male to female
workers. The majority of jobs were in manufacturing and required long hours during
spring and fall. Most employees were expected to work outside during the heat of
38
Caldwell, C., et al., (2010) op. cit.
39
Aristotle’s famous quote that excellence is a habit can be found at https://www.brainyquote.com/
quotes/authors/a/aristotle.html.
40
Ulrich, D., et al., (2009) op. cit.
summer as well as add value when their jobs were located in the refrigerated warehouses.
A Fortune 200 company, this organization operated 28 production plants across the
continental US.
Three HRPs at the corporate office were expected to provide support for all 28
production facilities, their employees, and the onsite management team. The plant
manager at one of the largest facilities realized the level of support from the HRPs was
less than it needed to be to support strategic goals and to build a culture of trust. The area
plant employees and management team were fortunate to see one of the corporate HRPs
once per year.
The plant made a strategic decision: convert one of the full-time salary positions from
production duties to provide for an HRP for this location alone. When Kate arrived for
her first day as the newly hired HRP, neither her computer nor her phone extension was
ready. The management team and employees wondered where their performance was
lacking to justify hiring an onsite HRP. Thus, trust was low.
Management held deeply rooted paradigms about the HRPs importance onsite as well
as what duties the HRP should fulfill. When the first management meeting was conducted
in the board room, Kate was not invited. HR was not present around the large, oval
strategy table. One long, thin sidewalk connected the warehouses and employee break
room to the front office. Two workers could not walk side by side and the majority of
employees were intimidated to make the walk up to the front office building which
housed the management team.
It wasn’t’ long until Kate realized this phenomenon. She did not feel trusted by some
of the management team and she barely had a pulse on the employees’ perceptions. Kate
decided to park in the employee parking lot each day, versus the office lot, in order to
network with employees. Upon arrival, she would see people who were leaving from
third shift and arriving for first shift. Kate timed her workday so when she left the plant at
the end of the day, she would see first shift employees as they went home and second
shift employees as they arrived to begin their workday. It wasn't long until the employees
began to feel more comfortable around Kate and the idea of having an HRP onsite. Kate
ended up taking a notebook as she traveled through the plant because employees would
voice questions and concerns. Despite her progress with the workforce, Kate never was
invited to attend a management meeting, around the large oval table in the conference
room.
1. How would you describe the employees’ and managements’ perceptions of the
HRP function when Kate arrived?
2. Kate had the credentials and experience to be an effective HRP. However, before
her arrival, payroll and employee life cycle data was input by someone in the
office without HR knowledge and experience. Payroll errors were common and
created frustration with the employees. Would you classify this situation as a
barrier to strategic success? What could Kate do to restore trust about payroll
with the employees?
3. The warehouse manager had a strong command and control leadership style,
whereas the plant manager realized employees added value to the organization.
Turnover in the warehouse area was high. Of the two leaders, which person
would be best able to create high commitment and trust within the organization?
Which barrier to strategic success does success does this situation illustrate?
Ann and Joan worked for a non-for-profit agency. The office and its staff had its
issues, however, for the most part employees tried to do the best they could for the
clients. Resources were limited and at times funding for programs diminished. The
agency’s HRP was quite effective: she was able to build individual commitment and
cooperation which in turn seemed to help keep turnover to a minimum. Working for the
agency was viewed as a long-term opportunity and most employees completed 20 years
to achieve a fully vested pension.
This HRP realized the importance of monitoring the agency’s culture as well as
encouraging effective communication to enhance mutual understanding. When program
shifts occurred, the HRP would gather a focus group of employees to help make
suggestions about integrating the change within the agency. The employees who
participated became change agents within the agency and would encourage others as
changes were implemented.
In addition to the positive work environment, Ann and Joan had returned for degree
completion at the area college. The tuition reimbursement program was quite unusual for
a non-for-profit agency, however, the HRP worked creatively and diligently to have
funds available to promote lifelong learning. Educational assistance helped ease the
financial burden of school as well as encouraged employees to be continuous learners.
One day, Ann and Joan walked into class. They were not their usual happy selves.
Fellow students asked why they seemed sad. Ann and Joan were consistent contributors
to class discussions. They were upbeat and positive. However, on this day, they sat in
class mysteriously quiet and removed from interaction with others. Finally, after class,
some of their colleagues asked why Ann and Joan seemed ‘down’. They explained when
they went to work the day after the last class, the HRP had been replaced with a contract
organization. Ann and Joan said the employees did not know who their HRP was
supposed to be, and HR did not answer their phone nor return messages.
1. What do you think the agency employees missed most about their trusted HRP?
Which strategic role(s) of HRM does this represent?
2. Thinking forward, how will the contractor situation affect the culture of the
agency? What could happen to employee morale?
3. How could upper management implement a policy, procedure, or strategy to
salvage the decision to outsource HR?
REFERENCES
Kanter, R. M.: 2008, “Transforming Giants.” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 86, Iss. 1,
pp. 43–52.
McClusky, J. E., (2002). “Rethinking Non-Profit Organization Governance: Implications
for Management and Leadership.” International Journal of Public Administration,
Vol. 25, Iss. 4, pp.539–559.
Porter, M. E., (1998). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior
Performance. New York: Free Press.
Schein, E. H. & Schein, P. (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C., 2016. “Creating a Culture of Engagement –
Insights for Application.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70
-80.
Steinberg, R. M. and D. Pojunis. (2000). “Corporate Governance: The New Frontier.”
Internal Auditor, Vol. 57, Iss. 6, pp.34–39.
Ulrich, D., et al., (2009) op. cit.
Ulrich, D., Allen, J., Brockband, W. Younger, J., & Nyman M. (2009). HR
Transformation: Building Human Resoruces from the Outside In. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Williamon, O., (1985). The Economic Institutions of Capitalism. New York: Free Press.
Stewardship as a governance theory is introduced by Davis, J. H., Schoorman &
Donaldson,(1997). “Toward a Stewardship Theory of Management.” Academy of
Management Review, Vol. 22, Iss. 1, pp. 20-47.
Xu, F., Caldwell, C., and Anderson, V., 2016. “Moral Implications of Leadership—
Transformative Insights.” International Journal of Business and Social Research,
Vol 3, Iss. 6, pp. 75-85.
Chapter 3
Figure 1.
The chapter compares the HRM role with ten different leadership perspectives in
identifying how the duties of HRPs fit with the unique characteristics of all ten of these
perspectives. We then suggest twelve caveats for HRPs as they carry out the HRM role
and conclude with a challenge to HRPs to become powerful contributors to their
organizations in fulfilling their many leadership roles.
UNDERSTANDING LEADERSHIP
Although leadership includes the ability to influence others in the pursuit of shared
goals, the definition of leadership often assumes that a leader acts in a role where (s)he is
an acknowledged formal authority. Eight decades ago, however, Chester Barnard
observed that “authority” was more accurately a function of a follower’s willingness to
comply and cooperate with the would-be leader’s requests – rather than the formal right
of a leader to assume command. Thus, Barnard emphasized that authority is actually a
decision made by a follower to relinquish his or her control to accept the leader’s
guidance41.
Although the leadership role can include positional responsibility, evolving thinking
about leaders and organizations has suggested that leadership possesses diverse
characteristics that perform a common set of functions42. In their award-winning
summation of the key roles of leaders, James Kouzes and Barry Posner summarized the
roles of outstanding leaders as consistently including five key functions43.
Figure 2.
Challenging the process. Leaders are willing to confront past practices and the
status quo and challenge previously held assumptions – recognizing that constant
improvement is required to succeed.
Defining a shared vision. Leaders articulate, communicate, and define in precise
terms their vision of what the future can be – and they involve other stakeholders
in developing that vision to ensure that others are engaged and committed
partners.
Enabling others to act. Leaders play a supportive role and assist others to
accomplish critical tasks – providing resources, suggesting guidelines, and
eliminating barriers that make success difficult to achieve.
41
Barnard clearly affirmed this point in Barnard, C. I., (1938). The Functions of the Executive. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard College.
42
For a comprehensive review of the five key roles of leaders, see Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z., (2017). The
Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations(6th ed.). San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
43
Ibid.
Modeling the way. Leaders live what they espouse, demonstrate by example, and
serve as role models for others – recognizing that it is by doing what they ask
others to do that they establish trust, build commitment, and earn credibility.
Encouraging the heart. Leaders establish effective personal relationships with
others and treat people as individuals rather than commodities – acknowledging
that employees are valued “Yous” rather than as “Its”44.
Each of these five leadership functions is critical to the success of every organization
and each of these functions is performed by effective HRPs.
In their studies of what people most want as the personal traits of leaders, Kouzes and
Posner obtained feedback about the qualities that followers considered to be most
important. From a list of dozens of traits, the top four traits were identified as most
essential in establishing leadership credibility45.
Honesty: Nearly 90 per cent of respondents rated honesty as the most important
trait of leaders. People admire ethical leaders who know where they stand on
important principles and keep their commitments.
Forward thinking: More than two-thirds of people want a leader with a clear
vision, an understanding of what needs to be accomplished, and how to do it.
Competency: Followers need to know that their leader is knowledgeable and can
get the job done. Competent leaders understand the nature of their organization,
its context in a larger world, and the needs of those whom their organization
serves.
Inspiration: Leaders make the context of work far more meaningful if they are
able to inspire people to become their best and to do their best.
Each of these traits enables leaders to accomplish the functions so important for
leadership success and organizational effectiveness. HRPs must demonstrate these traits
if they are to be perceived as credible in performing their work and in contributing to the
success of others. By honoring their relationships with employees at all levels of the
organization, HRPs demonstrate their personal trustworthiness and their understanding of
their HRM role.
44
This distinction and its valuing of each individual is the profound message of Buber, M. & Kaufmann, W. (1971).
I and Thou. New York: Touchstone.
45
The research of hundreds of thousands of respondents identified the important features of leader credibility in
Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z., (2011). Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It Why People Demand It.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
46
Stephen R. Covey identified these two priorities as the universal responsibilities of leaders on page 99 of Covey,
S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press.
47
The ethical nature of leadership is confirmed repeatedly by experts like Hosmer, L. T., (2010). The Ethics of
Management (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill and Burns, J. M., (2010) op. cit.
48
The ethical nature of HRM is clearly articulated in Hosmer, L. T., (1987). “Ethical Analysis and Human Resource
Management.” Human Resource Management, Vol. 26, Iss. 3, pp. 313-330 and in Caldwell, C., Truong, D.,
Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-182.
49
Ibid.
50
Ibid.
51
The application of this commitment is clearly identified in Caldwell, C., and Dixon, R. D. 2010. “Love,
Forgiveness, and Trust: Critical Values of the Modern Leader.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 93, Iss. 1, pp.
91-101 and in Caldwell, et al., (2011) op. cit.
52
See Covey, S. R., (2004) op. cit., p. 98.
53
Ibid., p. 99.
54
Level 5 leadership is described in Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and
Others Don’t. New York: HarperCollins and in Caldwell, C., Ichiko, R., and Anderson, V., (2017).
“Understanding Level 5 Leaders -- The Ethical Perspective of Leadership Humility.” Journal of Management
Development, Vol. 36, Iss. 5, pp. 724-732.
55
Covenantal leadership is explained in Pava, M., (2003). Leading with Meaning: Using Covenantal Leadership to
Build a Better Organization. New York: St. Martin’s Press and in Caldwell, C, and Hasan Z. (2016).
“Covenantal Leadership and the Psychological Contract – Moral Insights for the Modern Leader.” Journal of
Management Development, Vol. 35, Iss. 10, pp. 1302-1312 and Caldwell, C., and Hasan, Z. (2016), “The
Covenantal Leader – Honoring Implicit Relationships with Employees.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 19,
Iss. 2 and available online at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2016/10/the-covenantal-leader.
56
For a review of Principle-Centered Leadership, see Covey, S. R. (1992). Principle-Centered Leadership. New
York: Fireside.
57
For a review of Transformational Leadership, please see Burns, J. M., (2010). Leadership. New York: Harper &
Row.
58
For a summary of Charismatic Leadership, please read Conger, J. A. & Kanungo, R. N., (1998). Charismatic
Leadership in Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
59
Servant Leadership is explained beautifully in DePree, M., (2004). Leadership is an Art. New York: Crown
Publishing.
60
For a summary of Transformative Leadership, please see Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A
Transformative Model for Tomorrow’s Leaders. New York: Business Expert Press.
61
For a summary of Transactional Leadership, see Mountain, A. & Davidson, C., (2015). Working Together:
Organizational Transaction Analysis and Business Performance. New York: Routledge.
they play and the qualities that they display require a clear understanding of themselves,
the organization, their roles, and the needs of others. Becoming a great HRP requires
extensive knowledge-based preparation, impeccable character, a genuine concern for
others, and the rare ability of being able to incorporate these qualities in a vital
organization support role.
Figure 3.
62
For a review of Authentic Leadership, please read George, B. & Sims, P., (2007). True North: Discovering Your
Authentic Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
63
For a review of Values-Based Leadership, please see Kraemer, H. M., (2007). From Values to Action: The Four
Principles of Values-Based Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
64
Burns, J. M., (2010) op. cit.
65
The failure of leaders to earn the trust of followers is reported in dozens of surveys. See, for example, Gallup,
(2017). “Confidence in Institutions” found online on October 22, 2017 at http://news.gallup.com/poll/1597/
confidence-institutions.aspx.
identify your personal mission and purpose and do not let what matters most be
sabotaged by that which is less important75.
8. Develop a passion that matters. Be certain that you have carefully assessed the
costs and the sacrifices required to achieve what you think matters most. Make
sure that your passion considers those whom you love and your personal mission
– including your relationship to the divine76.
9. Honor the community. Acknowledge the fact that you owe duties to others –
including others of future generations. By honoring duties to long-term results
and the world of tomorrow, you demonstrate your understanding of your moral
obligation to create a sustainable world77.
10. Rely upon others. You cannot do everything yourself and you can do much,
much more with others who share your passion and who love you. Cooperation is
the key to successful collaborative effort and building a coalition of supportive
and dedicated team members who follow correct principles allows you to expand
your influence78.
11. Balance your work and your other realities. Your family should be precious to
you and their needs must also be met. Maintain an appropriate balance in your
life and recognize the importance of the four key areas which make up your
voice: the spiritual, the intellectual, the emotional, and the physical79.
12. Live with no regrets. Learn from the past and appreciate its lessons – even the
ones that were horrific and painful. Then flourish from what you learn. Trials
teach powerful lessons, build character, and generate compassion80.
For HRPs, as with all leaders, there are no “guarantees” that following these twelve
principles will ensure success81. . . but we nonetheless advocate these principles as
guidelines for living more productive, fulfilling, and honorable lives82.
75
Covey, S. R., (1992) op. cit.
76
Covey, S. R., (2013) op. cit.
77
For insights about social responsibility and duties owed to future generations, please read Friedman, T. F., (2009).
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- And How it Can Renew America, Release 2.0.
New York: Picador and Anderson, V., Ndalamba, K. K., and Caldwell, C., (2017). “Social Responsibility in a
Troubled World: A Virtuous Perspective.” International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol, 13, Iss. 2, pp 98-
115.
78
For a review of the effective utilization of united teams, please see Fussell, C. & Goodyear, C. W., (2017). One
Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams. New York: Penguin.
79
To understand the importance of true balance and its impact on personal fulfillment, please see Covey, S. R.,
(2004) op. cit.
80
For a review of this important advice, please read Joseph, S., (2013). What Doesn’t Kill Us: The New Psychology
of Posttraumatic Growth. New York: Basic Books.
81
Robert E. Quinn emphasizes that there are no guarantees for success. See Quinn, R. E., (1996). Deep Change:
Discovering the Leader Within. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
82
For an explanation of the worth of these suggestions, consult Hasan, Z. and Caldwell,, C. 2016. “’Live Your Life
in Crescendo’ – Moral Insights from Stephen R. Covey.” Graziadio Business Review. Vol. 19, Iss. 1.
Available on line at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2016/04/live-your-life-in-crescendo/.
A CHALLENGE TO HRPS
The nature of HRM, the complexity of its roles, its demands on those who serve in
organizations, and the moral obligations implicit in HRM responsibilities make the task
of being an effective HRP daunting and difficult83. Effective HRM service requires a
profound understanding of a diverse set of facts, the skill to wisely apply information,
and the ability to serve others with energy and persistence84. There are no easy answers
for today’s organization in today’s competitive global world85. Leading people, serving
them, and helping them and the organization to achieve the best possible results are
difficult but exciting challenges86.
Those who wish to become successful HRPs in the truest sense need to carefully
develop a strategic understanding of the six roles of HRM. They must develop the
competencies to serve their organization and its individual departments. They must
command respect as business partners capable of assisting managers and employees to
achieve greater results. They must demonstrate a genuine commitment to the success of
their organization and its many members. And they must honor duties by the organization
owed to present and future stakeholders as well.
The challenge for HRPs is to raise the bar, increase their capabilities, and
demonstrate by their daily actions that they are committed partners and ethical stewards
who understand their role and who willingly and enthusiastically assist others as servant
leaders87. By developing the best attributes of the ten leadership perspectives, by
improving their ability to perform the five leadership functions, and by demonstrating the
key leadership traits desired by others, HRPS have the ability to make a profound
difference and to become valued leaders – not by their formal position but through their
contribution in helping others to achieve worthy goals.
83
This point is clearly made in Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W., & Ulrich, M. (2012). HR from the Outside
In. New York: McGraw-Hill.
84
Ibid.
85
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained
Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
86
Ulrich, D., Allen, J., Brockbank, W., Younger, J., & Nyman, M., (2009). HR Transformation: Building Human
Resources from the Outside In. New York: McGraw-Hill.
87
See DePree, M., (2004) op. cit.
At the plant, Sherry was struggling with a transactional leadership situation. The
office manager was earning less than one of the office team members. Time on the job
was about the same, and the office manager's position required additional skills and
abilities not required for the office team member. The office manager brought this
situation to Sherry's attention on several occasion, but there seemed to be no movement
nor hope for resolution.
Rumors about Sherry and the plant manager began. When traveling out of town for
business both would leave the day prior and stay a day later than necessary. Corporate
HR began to question key managers to ask if they had any evidence or knowledge of an
inappropriate relationship. This was a high-risk industry, and Sherry did roll out a
modular-style training program that was selected by corporate HRPs. The nature of the
modules covered mandatory required annual safety and environmental training. When
asked where previous training records were located, none could be found. Sherry voiced
that she did not want to maintain the safety training records and saw this as ‘not her job.’
At times, Sherry would network with other HRPs in the region from various
employers. She discovered some of the HRPs were making more than she earned and
brought this issue to the corporate HRPs and plant manager. A pay increase was granted.
Within the same year, Sherry again went to the corporate HRPs and plant manager stating
she had another job offer which paid more than her current salary. This time, corporate
HR wished her well in her new endeavor.
In a city of 22,000 residents, the local hospital was its largest employer. While many
of the employees appeared to enjoy working at the hospital, others met their demise in
what seemed to be for mysterious reasons. One example: a nurse was terminated for
missing work. When she examined her schedule, she discovered that she was not actually
scheduled to be on duty that day. Another example: a director was sent for a psychiatric
evaluation when employees complained she was too introverted. Although the results of
the examination did not find justification, she was nonetheless escorted out of the facility
with her box of belongings and terminated.
The CEO seemed by many measures to be a pillar of the community. He was active
in civic clubs, politics, and a leader at church. The CEO was personally charismatic but
was weak with regards to his long-term commitment and had decided to sell the hospital.
The Vice President of HRM had been promoted from the office pool and had no prior HR
experience. She was known within the organization as 'the hatchet woman'. When
something distasteful was to happen, such as a questionable termination, she would be
person to execute the CEO's request.
Upon the sale of the hospital, which transformed the facility from non-for-profit to
for-profit, the hospital’s leadership changed. The new CEO had been a nurse and thus,
had previously worked in clinical settings hands-on. This experience provided him with a
high level of personal credibility with the clinical staff. He was not, however, charismatic
and in contrast to the previous CEO, was quite introverted. With his own style, he
nonetheless sincerely cared about the organization and the employees.
The new Vice President of HRM was also a stark contrast to her predecessor. As
previous director of staff development, she heavily promoted a learning culture a
commitment to constant learning and improvement. She was also personally charismatic
and showed passion for her role and the direction of the organization. Some employees
welcomed the new beginning and leadership changes with high hopes for the future.
Others, naturally, were uncertain as to how the changes would affect them.
1. If the first Vice President of HRM had been more of a charismatic leader, would
this leadership style have helped improve her acceptance by the hospital’s
employees? Why or why not?
2. For the employees who seemed to enjoy working at the hospital, do you think
some were merely happy to be gainfully employed? What would be an approach
an HRP in leadership could initiate in order to gain insight on the organization's
environment and culture?
3. At times when morale was low and the environment was changing, which of the
Leadership Perspectives would best support and encourage the employees? Do
you believe leaders can enhance their leadership capacities in certain areas, or,
are those qualities naturally predetermined?
REFERENCES
Anderson, V., Ndalamba, K. K., and Caldwell, C., (2017). “Social Responsibility in a
Troubled World: A Virtuous Perspective.” International Journal of Public
Leadership, Vol, 13, Iss. 2, pp 98-115.
Barnard clearly affirmed this point in Barnard, C. I., (1938). The Functions of the
Executive. Cambridge, MA: Harvard College.
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Buber, M. & Kaufmann, W. (1971). I and Thou. New York: Touchstone.
Burns, J. M., (2010). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
Caldwell, C., 2017. “Transformative Ethics and Trust – Keys to Competitive Advantage”
in Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and Performance, (C. Caldwell
& V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing.
Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A Transformative Model for Tomorrow’s
Leaders. New York: Business Expert Press.
Caldwell, C., and Anderson, V. “Transformative Ethics: An Integrative Model of Ethical
Stewardship.” Paper presented at the International Academy of Management and
Business Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 20, 2017.
Caldwell, C., and Dixon, R. D. 2010. “Love, Forgiveness, and Trust: Critical Values of
the Modern Leader.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 93, Iss. 1, pp. 91-101
Caldwell, C, and Hasan Z. (2016). “Covenantal Leadership and the Psychological
Contract – Moral Insights for the Modern Leader.” Journal of Management
Development, Vol. 35, Iss. 10, pp. 1302-1312
Caldwell, C., and Hasan, Z. (2016), “The Covenantal Leader – Honoring Implicit
Relationships with Employees.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 19, Iss. 2 and
available online at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2016/10/the-covenantal-leader.
Caldwell, C., and Ndalamba, K. K., 2017. “Trust and Being ‘Worthy’ – The Keys to
Creating Wealth.” Journal of Management Development, Vol. 36, Iss. 8, pp. 1076-
1086.
Caldwell, C., Ichiko, R., and Anderson, V., (2017). “Understanding Level 5 Leaders --
The Ethical Perspective of Leadership Humility.” Journal of Management
Development, Vol. 36, Iss. 5, pp. 724-732.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . .And Others
Don’t. New York: HarperCollins.
Conger, J. A. & Kanungo, R. N., (1998). Charismatic Leadership in Organizations.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Covey, S. R., (2013). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in
Personal Change. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Covey, S. R. (1992). Principle-Centered Leadership. New York: Fireside.
Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free
Press.
Ulrich, D., Allen, J., Brockbank, W., Younger, J., & Nyman, M., (2009). HR
Transformation: Building Human Resources from the Outside In. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W., & Ulrich, M. (2012). HR from the Outside In.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Chapter 4
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
The technical skills of Human Resource Management (HRM) are logical and straight
forward, but rarely fully understood by individual employees, managers and supervisors,
the Top Management Team--or even by some Human Resource Professionals (HRPs).
Although it is generally understood that the job analysis is a critical foundation element
of HRM, errors are frequently made in conducting a job analysis, documenting job
requirements, and using that information to insure that an organization is able to
accomplish outcomes that are critical to an organization’s success.
As the building block for many organizational systems and HRM programs, the job
analysis not only defines critical job elements but is an important resource in generating
management information used to guide an organization as it accomplishes its mission88.
The purpose of this chapter is to explain key elements that make up a job analysis, to
identify how and why the job analysis is so critical to organizational outcomes, and to
enumerate common errors made in conducting a job analysis. We begin the chapter by
defining the job analysis and identifying eight key steps in the job analysis process. The
chapter identifies twelve important organizational and HRM elements that utilize job
analysis information to achieve vital outcomes. We then identify seven errors that occur
in conducting a job analysis and suggest how to mitigate those errors. The chapter
concludes with a summary of the contributions of this chapter to HRM.
88
This key role of the job analysis is identified in Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H, Valentine, S. R., & Meglish. P. A..,
(2014). Human Resource Management (15th ed.) pp. 144-147.
A job analysis has been described as the essential element for virtually all of the
HRM functions89 and “the basis for the solution of virtually every human resource
problem”90. The job analysis provides a means for understanding the Knowledge, Skills,
Abilities, and Other requirements (KSAOs) essential to the performance of each
organizational position
Job analysis is defined as the systematic process for identifying the nature and
outcomes of a position by determining the specific tasks and activities performed to
achieve desired results and the context in which work is performed91.
Figure 15
Typical outcomes of the job analysis include identifying the most efficient ways of
performing work tasks, the enhancement of employee job satisfaction, opportunities to
improve training, development of performance measurement systems, and matching job
requirements with individual qualifications as part of employee selection and
development92. Conducting a job analysis begins by first understanding the purpose of an
organization, its structure and design, its context within its external environment, and its
available resources93.
89
Many texts confirm this key fact. See, for example, Prien, E. P., Goodstein, L. D., Goodstein, J., and Gamble, L.
G. Jr., (2009). A Practical Guide to Job Analysis. San Franciso, CA: Pfeiffer.
90
This profound statement is found on page 1 of Brannick, M. T., & Levine, E. L., (2007). Job Analysis: Methods,
Research, and Application. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
91
This definition incorporates insights from other scholars. See, for example, Brannick, M. T., & Levine, E. L.,
(2007), op. cit. page 9.
5
See the Business Dictionary definition of job analysis found online on August 5, 2017 at
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/job-analysis.html.
93
Ibid.
Figure 2.
Although there are differing perspectives about the steps involved in conducting a job
analysis, the job analysis typically includes eight important steps:
94
Ibid.
95
Many varied studies have been conducted about participants participating in generating job analysis information.
One such study is Truxillo, D. M., Paronto, M. E., & Collins, M., (2004). “Effects of Subject Matter Expert
Viewpoint on Job Analysis Results.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 33, Iss. 1, pp. 33-46,
3) Systematically Collect Information about the Job. There are many sources of
job information, ranging from such resources as a previously developed job
description, classification standards, established performance measures, and
specialized job audits96. Identifying job tasks, relationships, performance
outcomes, required skills, specialized abilities, necessary knowledge, and other
job-related criteria form the foundation of the job analysis97.
4) Matching Job Content with Competencies and Requirements. Each source of
job information can be useful in identifying the factors that are necessary in the
successful achievement of job outcomes. Carefully matching job content with
those competencies and requirements results in a detailed list of qualities
essential for performing successfully98.
5) Identifying Critical Tasks and Results. Subject Matter Experts and other
stakeholders who are involved should rank the importance of those tasks and
results which are most important and essential for achieving organizational
priorities for the position being analyzed99. Often these critical tasks and
outcomes require collaborative effort with other organizational personnel and the
nature of that cooperation should be clearly described and included100.
6) Identify Competencies Matching Tasks and Results. Ranking critical
competencies is essential in order to identify the most important capabilities
required to achieve desired outcomes101. The ability to translate KSOAs into
specific competencies demands that each of those outcomes and their antecedents
be clearly enumerated.
7) Formally Confirm the Overall Job Elements. Compile and review all of the
information generated in the job analysis process and reaffirm that the job tasks
and competencies accurately match the purposes of the position and their
contribution to desired organizational outcomes102.
8) Document the Final Result. Publish the job analysis, identify and document
when it was conducted, and formally adopt it as a summary of the purposes,
tasks, and requirements of the position being analyzed103.
96
See Prien, E. P., et al., (2009) op. cit. for examples of various methods of generating job content information.
97
Brannick, M. T. & Levine. E. L., (2007) op. cit.
98
rien, E. P., et al., (2009) op. cit.
99
Truxillo, D. M., et al., (2004) op. cit.
100
he importance of behavioral skills and relationship competencies are documented in sources such as Van Scotter,
J. R., & Motowidlo, S. J. (1996). “Interpersonal Facilitation and Job Dedication as Separate Facets of
Contextual Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 81, Iss. 5, pp. 525-531.
101
Prien, E. P., et al., (2009) op. cit.
102
Involve stakeholders, managers and supervisors, and Subject Matter Experts, as noted in Truxillo, D. M., et al.,
(2004) op. cit.
103
Documentation and formalization of the process provides a formal record which can be used as an organization
resource. See Brannick, M. T. & Levine. E. L., (2007) op. cit.
Although there are several ways of conducting a job analysis in the process of
gathering and verifying job content information and job requirements, these eight steps
are applicable and necessary in order to confirm that job analysis information generated
is both complete and correct104.
Figure 3.
Utilizing the information generated by the job analysis, many HRM functions depend
upon that information in serving the organization. Brannick and Levine have identified
twelve distinct HRM systems and processes, which they describe as HRM “purposes or
uses,” that are directly affected by the job analysis105.
1) Preparing Job Descriptions. The job analysis enables HRPs to prepare a job
description which includes a job title, an overall job summary, duties and tasks,
and job qualifications.
2) Establishing Job Classifications. A job classification is a cluster or family of
related jobs based upon similar duties, responsibilities, and authority. The job
analysis provides information then confirms or disconfirms the linkage between
positions.
104
Ibid.
105
These twelve important technical HRM tasks are all accomplished more effectively with the aid of a high quality
job analysis. See Ibid., pp. 3-5.
3) Job Evaluation. Because a job analysis documents the work to be performed and
the qualifications required for a position, it enables an organization to establish a
pay range for that position and to help insure internal equity of compensation
among positions within an organization.
4) Job, Team, and System Design, and Redesign. Job design bundles tasks into a
position. Team design bundles an integrated set of tasks to a team. Systems
design assigns tasks to equipment and people associated with the same
organizational system. Redesign is about improving job, team, or system
efficiency.
5) Human Resource Requirements and Job Specifications. The job analysis
identifies the KSAOs required that are necessary for the effective performance of
a position. Job specifications refer to the years of required experience. This
information is essential for hiring, promotion, and compensation issues.
6) Performance Appraisal. Performance appraisal identifies the standards of
quantitative and qualitative performance of positions in achieving organizational
goals. Performance reviews are conducted by managers and supervisors to
communicate expectations, coach employees, and provide regular feedback.
7) Training. The job analysis enables an organization to identify types of training
needed by employees in various positions. Training improves individual
performance, stimulates workplace learning, and facilitates constant
improvement.
8) Worker Mobility. The job analysis can aid organizations in identifying qualified
candidates as positions change, as promotional opportunities arise, and as
employees consider career opportunities beyond their current positions.
9) Workforce Planning. Information about employee qualifications and capabilities
can assist organizations as they consider the impacts of organization growth,
succession planning, and technological impacts on the organization.
10) Efficiency Identification. The job analysis can be a useful tool in identifying the
need for better tools, eliminating tasks which add little or no value, and
developing quality-related work aids.
11) Safety. The job analysis can help to identify opportunities to reduce risk or the
causes of accidents or injuries. Work tools, the work environment, and work
processes can be improved using job analysis data.
12) Legal and Quasilegal Requirements. Several HRM functions and processes
must comply with legal guidelines and the job analysis can play a major role in
confirming the legal nature of many of those functions and processes. For
example, a job analysis can identify Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications
required in selection and testing candidates.
All twelve of these HRM functions, systems, and processes are directly benefited by
the information generated by the job analysis, confirming its importance as the
fundamental building block of HRM106.
Despite the fact that the job analysis is a vital part of every HRM system, a recurring
set of errors are frequently made in conducting a job analysis. The consequences of
making one or more of these mistakes not only undermine the ability of an organization
to perform the twelve HRM functions listed herein but challenge the credibility of HRPs
and the entire organization. Nonetheless, these errors recur from time to time in
organizations of all types.
106
Prien, E. P., et al., (2009) op. cit.
107
Ibid.
108
One of the co-authors of this chapter chose to involve union employees as both observers and participants in the
development of a job analysis in an organization rife with political conflict and a history of employee
dissatisfaction. The outcome was that the employees in that union bought into the testing and selection process
ultimately developed for the first time in the organization’s ten-year history
109
The Griggs vs. Duke Power Case clearly identified the importance of Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications and
struck down an artificial and discriminatory requirement that employees needed a high school degree to
perform job tasks. See Mathis, R. L., (2014) op. cit.
110
This common mistake was made by a large municipality in which the Police Chief wanted to utilize a thirty year-
old job analysis as the basis for developing a selection process for new police officers.
111
Increasingly, organizations have recognized the importance of team collaboration and interpersonal
qualifications for many positions which involve cooperative effort to achieve vital tasks. See Goleman, D.,
(2007) Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. New York: Bantam.
112
The concept of “flair factors” was written about in Irish, R. K., (2011). “Focusing on the Flair Factor.”
America’s Civil War Magazine. Sept. 22, 2011 found online on August 7, 2017 at
http://www.slideshare.net/Talentplus/the-flair-factor,
113
This powerful truth is the subject of Duckworth, A., (2016). GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
New York: Scribner.
114
This point is powerfully made in the outstanding book, Russo, J. E., & Shoemaker, P. J. H., (2001). Winning
Decisions: Getting it Right the First Time. New York: Currency.
The job analysis is a building block of HRM because it focuses on the important
tasks upon which competitive advantage, service to customers, and constant improvement
are based. Although there are many useful methods for conducting a job analysis, the
focus of this chapter has been on understanding the job analysis role, identifying its
organizational significance, and articulating errors to avoid in the job analysis process.
Thus, there are three major contributions of this chapter.
1) Explaining the importance of the job analysis. As we have noted, the job
analysis has ramifications organization-wide and can be a powerful tool for
HRPs in serving other departments.
2) Clarifying the scope and significance of the job analysis. Identifying twelve
important functions that are dependent upon the job analysis help to clarify the
need to conduct a job analysis that is accurate, valid, and complete. The
significance of a job analysis is profoundly personal for each employee because,
when done correctly, it provides the organization with information that properly
frames the expectations for each employee’s performance.
3) Cautioning regarding common job analysis errors. The seven common errors
identified in this chapter are important for HRPs, Subject Matter Experts,
managers, and supervisors to review as they prepare to participate in the job
analysis process. Avoiding these errors enables participants to create an end
product that will truly add value to the organization.
The job analysis, like so many key foundational tasks, must be done correctly and
efficiently if it is to be a valuable tool for effective HRM. As HRPs review the key steps
required in conducting a job analysis, the insights from this chapter are a helpful resource
with ramifications organization-wide.
Questions to Ponder
1) As you reflect on the key steps required in conducting a job analysis, which of
these steps do you consider to be most critical? Which step do you think is most
frequently overlooked?
2) In what way is preparing a job analysis a task that requires extensive preparation?
How should the importance of job requirements and job outcomes be decided?
3) How do you think HRPs should resolve questions about differences of opinion
regarding the contents of a job analysis and the requirements for a position?
1) What role could the HRM staff have played in this process? Would HRM staff
have been able to assist the Vice President of Operations in only three weeks?
2) When matching job content with competencies and requirements, Michael
definitely met the requirements of the job. Do you think Michael could have been
perceived as overqualified or overzealous?
3) Could Ben have gone back to Michael's job description or performance review
for more information about Michael's roles, responsibilities, and job
expectations? If he did not do so, do you think Ben assumed organization risk
with Michael's seemingly sudden termination?
In a growing organization that does not have its own in-house HRM staff, the
decision was made to reevaluate the budget. With cooperation from various department
heads, budgets were rearranged and Julie was hired. She came to the organization with a
proven track record for successful HR office start-ups and everyone was happy to have an
HRP full-time, on staff.
Prior to the decision to create an HRP position, the company’s HR functions were
outsourced. This outsourcing created several issues because, although the relationship
with the vendor began positively and company representatives visited the location
frequently, over time this relationship changed. Department heads saw an HR vendor
representative only about once per year. Simultaneous with decreased service, the vendor
consistently increased the billing price for services.
When Julie came on board as Director of Human Resources, she was surprised how
outdated many HR functions had become. There was a 4 inch red binder in Julie's office
containing the organization's job descriptions. Unfortunately, the job descriptions were
ten years old. There were no records to clarify if and how job analysis was conducted.
Further, the performance review form was a template that did not 'fit' many of the jobs
within the organization.
The department head for transportation asked Julie to place an ad for a new driver.
Knowing how outdated the job descriptions were, along with the sheer number of job
descriptions which were in need of review and likely revision, Julie formulated a plan.
She was a one-person office and knew it would take time to gather input from key
stakeholders and structure a review of all job descriptions. Julie also felt uncomfortable
posting an open position without an accurate job description in place.
Julie decided prior to posting an open position, she would assist the department head
to create a focus group and review the needed knowledge, skills, abilities and other
conditions necessary for job success. This process worked well because
a) Julie inched toward the ultimate goal: quality job analysis producing accurate job
descriptions, and
b) The hiring department head did not want to leave an open position for an
extended period of time. The organization was lean, and every worker was
important to fulfillment of the mission and delivery of services.
From the updated job description, Julie drafted a job posting and had the department
head approve what would be advertised. When it came time for interviews, Julie used the
revised job description to formulate an interview guide of job-related questions for the
interview panel.
1) If you were the transportation department head, how would you decide who to
involve in the job analysis? (Your department runs three shifts and in addition to
drivers, dispatch personnel are employed at the facility)
2) Who would be key external stakeholder participants? This department provides
much needed transportation in an area without other public transportation. Riders
travel to various destinations. Fares are based on ridership and input costs of
operation.
3) How should Julie work with the department heads to design a system for the job
analysis and job description revision process?
4) If employees feel they are not equitably compensated for their work, could they
look at the job description to see if the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated
still describe what is needed to successfully achieve the job duties? What other
indicators could be helpful for a strategic compensation review?
5) Upon revision of the job descriptions, how would you proceed with updating the
performance review process?
REFERENCES
Brannick, M. T., & Levine, E. L., (2007). Job Analysis: Methods, Research, and
Application. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Duckworth, A., (2016). GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York:
Scribner.
Goleman, D., (2007) Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. New
York: Bantam.
Irish, R. K., (2011). “Focusing on the Flair Factor.” America’s Civil War Magazine. Sept.
22, 2011 found online on August 7, 2017 at http://www.slideshare.net/Talentplus/the-
flair-factor.
Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H, Valentine, S. R., & Meglish. P. A.., (2014). Human
Resource Management (15th ed.) pp. 144-147.
Ployhar, R. E., and Moliterno, T. P., (2011). “Emergence of the Human Capital Resource:
A Multilevel Model.” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 127-150.
Prien, E. P., et al., (2009) op. cit. for examples of various methods of generating job
content information.
Prien, E. P., Goodstein, L. D., Goodstein, J., and Gamble, L. G. Jr., (2009). A Practical
Guide to Job Analysis. San Franciso, CA: Pfeiffer.
Russo, J. E., & Shoemaker, P. J. H., (2001). Winning Decisions: Getting it Right the First
Time. New York: Currency.
Truxillo, D. M., Paronto, M. E., & Collins, M., (2004). “Effects of Subject Matter Expert
Viewpoint on Job Analysis Results.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 33, Iss. 1,
pp. 33-46,
Van Scotter, J. R., & Motowidlo, S. J. (1996). “Interpersonal Facilitation and Job
Dedication as Separate Facets of Contextual Performance. Journal of Applied
Psychology, Vol. 81, Iss.5, pp. 525-531.
Chapter 5
ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:
A FRAMEWORK FOR MORAL CONDUCT
Over thirty years ago, the University of Michigan’s LaRue Hosmer explained that
Human Resource Management (HRM) involved a multitude of moral and ethical
responsibilities that were both explicit and implicit in an organization’s obligations to its
multiple stakeholders. Hosmer’s work at that university laid the foundation for the Ross
School of Business’ commitment to ethics in leadership and the importance of values in
the modern organization. Hosmer wrote, “All of the basic human resource processes have
some ethical content.” Moreover, he added that Human Resource Professionals (HRPs)
have a critical ethical role whenever organization policies can or do harm individual
employees.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework for examining the nature of the
ethical duties and benefits obtainable when leaders and organizations honor the
responsibilities both explicit and implicit in the HRM relationships created in
organizations. By the very nature of this subject, it is neither possible nor appropriate to
attempt to articulate all of the ways in which organizations, leaders, and HRPs may
misstep in failing to honor those ethical duties. Nonetheless, this chapter will focus on
guiding principles which can aid leaders and professionals as they reflect on their ethical
Figure 1.
and moral responsibilities. We begin the chapter by presenting a summary of the ethical
and moral responsibilities owed by HRPs to their respective stakeholders. We provide a
model for assessing ethical responsibilities which Hosmer developed and a virtuous
moral continuum for examining individual and organizational conduct. We then
introduce twelve ethical perspectives of Transformative Ethics and describe their
importance in interpersonal relationships. After listing six principles which scholars have
identified as HRM-related ethical guidelines, we conclude the chapter with a summary of
the chapter’s contributions to the HRM literature.
Ethical Principles
of Human
Resource
Management
Figure 2.
In context with the six strategic roles of HRM identified in Chapter Two of this book,
we suggest that organizations and HRPs owe a complex set of ethical responsibilities to a
multitude of stakeholders115. Table 1 summarizes seven ethical responsibilities116
associated with those six strategic roles.
There are multiple stakeholders to whom HRPs owe ethical obligations, and in many
organizations these responsibilities are performed less than effectively.
The following is a list of seven of those stakeholders and a description of obligations
owed to each of them.
115
The duties of HRPs to stakeholders have been addressed by many scholars and seven duties owed to
stakeholders are addressed in Caldwell, C., Gruys, M. L. & Thornton. “Public Safety Assessment Centers: A
Steward’s Perspective.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 32, Iss. 2, pp. 229-249.
116
These seven duties or responsibilities come directly from the previously cited article and have also been
identified as key elements of organizational trustworthiness. See Caldwell, C. (2004). Organizational
Trustworthiness: A Developmental Model. Pullman, WA: Washington State University and Caldwell, C. &
Clapham, S., (2003). “Organizational Trustworthiness: An International Perspective.” Journal of Business
Ethics, Vol. 47, Iss. 4, pp. 348-364.
117
Unfortunately, these obligations and responsibilities are frequently overlooked in many organizations. See, for
example, Caldwell, B. G., and Caldwell C., 2016. “Ten Classic Onboarding Errors: Violations of the HRM –
Employee Relationship.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 47-55 and available online at
http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/bmr/article/view/ 10672/6501.
118
See also Caldwell, C. and Peters, R. (In Press). “New Employee Onboarding – Psychological Contracts and
Ethical Perspectives.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Management Development.
119
See DePree, M., (2004). Leadership is an Art. New York: Crown Publishing for an articulation of this moral
responsibility.
120
These obligations are set forth in Pava, M., (2003). Leading with Meaning: Using Covenantal Leadership to
Build a Better Organization. New York: St. Martin’s Press and Caldwell, C., and Hasan, Z. (2016). “The
Covenantal Leader – Honoring Implicit Relationships with Employees.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 19,
Iss. 2 and available online at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/ 2016/10/the-covenantal-leader.
Align Culture Technical HRM Business Partnering Listen & Empower Constant Improvement Responding to Change
Tasks
Competence Understand cultural Demonstrate skills Aid departments to Monitor and support Align training and Understanding and
factors and their in performing all. address needs for employee concerns and learning and assist anticipating
impacts. improvement as help management best departments in environmental factors.
internal resources. use employees. achieving their goals.
Legal Honor the spirit of the Understand all legal Help departments meet Balance employee and Go beyond what is Identify and resolve
Compliance law rather than just the implications. obligations. company interests. legally required to honor legal issues related to
letter. covenantal duties. changes.
Need to Clarify cultural Serve as technical Assist departments in Share employee Identify and Explain how HRM can
Inform elements to employees resources for understanding best concerns with top communicate learning facilitate change
and their implications departments as practices available. management and advise opportunities. management.
to management. needed. management.
Procedural Establish policies and Ensure that Assist departments to Clearly communicate Provide opportunities Implement changes by
Fairness systems that reinforce technical tasks are create procedurally and provide for individuals and communicating clearly
values and that are procedurally fair fair improvements. opportunity for input departments at all levels to parties affected and
communicated and and communicated. and discussion. to become their best. encourage input.
fair.
Interactional Treat all parties with Ensure that HRM Help departments to Demonstrate a Pursue solutions that Seek to optimize the
Courtesy dignity, courtesy, and tasks performed create win-win commitment to best create win-win long-term stewardship
respect. achieve best solutions. interests of employees opportunities for all interests of
interests of all. and the organization. parties by optimizing stakeholders.
results.
Financial Establish realistic Provide resources to Identify most effective Recognize the value of Assist in identifying Assist in identifying
Balance goals and provide perform tasks ways to optimize making employees behavioral implications realistic financial
adequate resources to correctly. return on investment. partners in organization of decisions and their implications of options
achieve them. success. long-term impacts and decisions.
financially.
Quality Focus on creating a Perform all HRM Assist departments in Help create systems Focus training on Recognize the
Assurance culture based upon tasks at the optimal identifying best and programs that treat opportunities to improve importance of creating
excellence and model level and options rather than employees as systems that reinforce and maintaining a
that standard. demonstrate merely empowered partners. values and ensure best competitive advantage.
expertise. “satisficing.” results.
Figure 3.
1
See, for example, Mathis, R. L, Jackson, J. H., Valentine, S. R., & Meglish, P. A. (2016). Human Resource
Management (15th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning for their insights about the important role of HRPs
and the HRM function.
2
This obligation to society is clearly articulated in Lennick, D. & Kiel, F., (2011). Moral Intelligence 2.0:
Enhancing Business Performance and Leadership Success in Turbulent Times. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education.
3
This obligation is set forth in such highly regarded works as Friedman, T. L., (2009). Hot, Flat, and CrowdedWhy
We Need a Green Revolution -- And How it Can Renew America Release 2.0. New York: Picador.
4
This set of personal obligations is clearly articulated in Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to
Greatness. New York: Free Press.
5
Social responsibility in today’s world is well articulated in Anderson, V., and Ndalamba, K. K., and Caldwell, C.,
2017. “Social Responsibility in a Troubled World: A Virtuous Perspective.” International Journal of Public
Leadership, Vol, 13, Iss. 2, pp 98-115 and by other well-regarded scholars such as Harvard’s Paine, L. S.,
(2003). Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial Imperatives to Achieve Superior
Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Recognizing and honoring each of these moral responsibilities and the stakeholders
to whom they are owed is an ethical obligation of each HRP in serving others and in
enabling their organizations to best serve society.
Every decision that impacts stakeholders must be viewed based upon ethical and
moral criteria and the benefits, harms, and rights associated with moral decision-making.
Only by understanding these moral and ethical consequences and the legal and economic
effects of decisions can leaders fully define and asses the moral problem to be addressed
and propose a moral solution that addresses the consequences on affected stakeholders.
6
This model is found in Chapter 1 of Hosmer, L. T., (2010). The Ethics of Management (7th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
7
See, for example, Anderson, V., Ndalamba, K. K., & Caldwell, (2017) op. cit.
A VIRTUOUS CONTINUUM
Assessing moral and ethical consequences requires that clear standards for ethical
decision-making are understood by those who make decisions, as well as those who are
affected by them. An ethical continuum has been defined by several authors over the past
several decades which provides insights about the impacts and consequences of decisions
that are made. Diagram 2 is a Virtuous Continuum which portrays four possible
consequences along that ethical continuum8.
For HRPs, the virtuous position on this continuum enables them to honor the moral
duties of ethical stewardship in the pursuit of the long-term best interests of all
stakeholders. Although the moral position does not violate ethical duties owed and
complies with the letter of the law and professional standards, that position does not
optimize value creation and duties owed. The amoral position may avoid illegalities but
fails to honor duties and responsibilities in the pursuit of self-interest. The immoral
position pursues self-interest, destroys trust, and fails to honor ethical obligations9.
8
This continuum reflects the work of several authors that were integrated by Caldwell, C., Carter, E., and Floyd, L.
A., (2015). “Coaching for Improved Teaching: A Virtuous Model for Improving Performance and Increasing
Commitment.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 54-65 in their paper. The concept of an
ethical or moral continuum was originally developed by Carroll, A. C. & Buchholtz, A. K., (2014). Business
and Society: Ethics, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Management. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning and
addressed by David A. Whetten (1996) in a presentation made to the 25th Year Class Reunion at Brigham
Young University in October of that year and later by Kim S. Cameron in Cameron, K. S., (2003). “Ethics,
Virtuousness, and Constant Change” in N. M. Tichy & A. R. McGill (Eds.) The Ethical Challenge: How to
Lead with Unyielding Integrity. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, pp. 185-194.
9
Ibid.
The unfortunate reality of the modern organization is that trust and confidence in
leaders is low and that ethical violations persist at all levels10. Employees report that they
not only lack confidence in their leaders but that the organizations in which they work
underutilize their potential, fail to honor commitments, and seem to lack a moral
compass. Historically, nearly half of HRPs indicated that they had felt pressured to
compromise professional ethical standards within their organizations11. The figure
following depicts just a few of the dilemmas within the work environment.
HRPs have the opportunity to help their organizations to change that perspective
about organizations and their leaders12.
Figure 4.
10
The 2017 Gallup survey, “Confidence in Institutions,” reveals this lack of confidence in leaders and organizations
of all types and was found online on August 24, 2017 at http://www.gallup.com/poll/ 1597/confidence-
institutions.aspx .
11
These survey results were reported in Schumann, P. L., (2001). “A Moral Principles Framework for Human
Resource Management Ethics.” Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 11, pp. 93-111.
12
According to research about employee engagement, 70% of US employees indicated that they were not engaged
at their work and 23% reported that they were actually negatively engaged. See the Gallup (2017) study, “The
Engaged Employee” found online on August 24, 2017 at http://www.gallup.com/services/190118/ engaged-
workplace.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8vnMBRDgARIsACm_BhKW0Qy0FSiaj42l6xfLyR7Ley0iqPFglsq7ZC
kovqUvOQbb3xHT8DsaAs-yEALw_wcB.
A new model of Transformative Ethics has recently been developed which expands
the responsibilities of those who lead in organizations13. This model suggests that leaders
owe others a broader set of ethical responsibilities than are found in narrower ethical
perspectives and encompasses the ethical assumptions of twelve frequently cited ethical
frameworks. Table 2 summarizes the ethical obligations of Transformative Ethics as it
incorporates all twelve of these ethical frameworks.
Transformative Ethics blends a commitment to relationships, ethical duties,
individual rights, and moral principles that demonstrate the ability to meld with the
ethical perspectives embraced by all twelve of the ethical models included in Table 2.
Although Transformative Ethics is a challenging ethical standard of personal and moral
integrity that demands that individuals treat others with the highest personal regard for
their best interests, it is a standard which HRPs should seek to achieve if they hope to be
trusted by employees, peers, and organizational leaders as they carry out their
responsibilities. HRPs who adopt a Transformative Ethics perspective as they relate with
all organizational stakeholders build relationships that earn the trust and support of all
levels of their organizations.
13
To read more about Transformative Ethics, we recommend Caldwell, C., (2017). “Transformative Ethics and
Trust – Keys to Competitive Advantage ” in Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and
Performance, (C. Caldwell & V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing and Caldwell,
C., and Anderson, V. “Transformative Ethics: An Integrative Model of Ethical Stewardship.” Working paper
presented at the International Academy of Management and Business Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana
on January 20, 2017.
1) Always honor commitments. Do what you say you will do. If you are uncertain
about the ability to keep a commitment, be cautious in making a promise. If
conditions change after you commit yourself, immediately contact the party to
whom the commitment was made, explain what has happened, and honor the
spirit of what you committed to do to the best of your ability14.
2) Never break a confidence. The role of HRPs often requires honoring confidential
information provided by or about employees, job candidates, or the organization.
The Code of Ethics of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
requires HRPs to “consider and protect the rights of individuals, especially in the
acquisition and dissemination of information while ensuring truthful
communications and facilitating informed decision-making15,”
3) Treat others as valued “Yous” and never as anonymous “Its.” Trust and
commitment are established and maintained when organizations treat employees
as valued “owners and partners16.” Organizations owe others the moral duty of
treating them as valued individuals or “Yous” rather than as objects or
depersonalized “Its17.” HRPs build trust and commitment by treating each
employee as important contributors to organization success.
4) Learn constantly and never stop improving. The SHRM Code of Ethics
declares that HRPs “must strive to meet the highest standards of competence and
commit to strengthen our competencies on a continuous basis18.” Creating a
learning culture and setting an example of personal improvement is an obligation
of HRPs19.
5) Always think “Win-Win.” As ethical stewards, HRPs should strive to achieve the
best possible outcomes for all stakeholders20. Constantly striving for optimal
outcomes enables organizations to best serve all of their stakeholders in the long
term and also honors duties owed to society21.
14
This key principle is identified in Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z., (2017). The Leadership Challenge: How to
Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
15
See the SHRM Code of Ethics (2014) found online on August 24, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/about-
shrm/pages/code-of-ethics.aspx,
16
This key relationship is clearly enumerated in Block, Pl, (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-
Interest. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
17
This differentiated relationship was identified by Buber, M. (Kaufman, W. [Translator]). (1971). I and Thou. New
York: Touchstone.
18
SHRM Code of Ethics, (2014.) op. cit.
19
The obligation to create a learning culture and HRM systems that sustain continuous improvement are set forth in
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business School Press and Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
20
The role of HRPs as ethical stewards is described in Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011).
“Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1,
pp. 171-182.
21
This obligation to society is addressed in five HRM-related ethical codes reviewed in Wiley, C., (2000). “Ethical
Standards for Human Resource Management Professionals: A Comparative Analysis of Five Major Codes.”
Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 93-114.
6) Honor both the letter and the spirit of applicable laws. HRPs have a moral
responsibility to honor the letter of the law as it applies to HRM policies,
procedures, and practices but their obligation also extends to honor the spirit and
intent of those laws as well22. Building trust and commitment requires doing far
more than simply complying with the law but requires that organizations treat
employees with dignity and respect23.
HRM systems that incorporate these six principles demonstrate a concern for both the
success of the organization and the obligations that organizations owe to their
employees24. HRPs who honor these principles and treat employees with fairness and a
commitment to their welfare, growth, and wholeness create the high trust cultures that
have been empirically shown to generate increased employee commitment and
ownership; greater innovation and creativity; and higher productivity, profit, and
customer satisfaction25.
1) It confirms the importance of seven ethical responsibilities and the six strategic
roles of HRPs. As HRPs develop the skills associated with those roles and
responsibilities, they create organizations that merit the trust of stakeholders at all
levels of the organization.
2) It identifies the moral and ethical duties owed to seven important stakeholders.
Identifying each of those stakeholders is important in enabling HRPs to
constantly monitor the nature and breadth of their obligations.
3) It reinforces the importance of a comprehensive model for assessing ethical
decision-making. The Hosmer model presented in this chapter emphasizes the
importance of understanding the impacts, consequences, and rights of
22
The importance of legal compliance as a key element of organizational trustworthiness is clearly set forth in
Caldwell, C., and Clapham, S., (2003). “Organizational Trustworthiness: An International Perspective,”
Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 47, Iss. 4, p. 349-364 and is confirmed in context with the Virtuous
Continuum discussed herein in. Caldwell, C., Carter, E., & Floyd, L. A., (2015) op. cit.
23
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
24
As DePree, M., (2004) op. cit. has noted, these two responsibilities encompass covenantal obligations of
organization leaders.
25
These outcomes are identified in many sources, including Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
stakeholders as well as the value of clarifying and explaining the moral basis for
actions taken by leaders and organizations.
4) It verifies the value of a Virtuous Continuum for evaluating ethical conduct.
Striving to pursue the best possible long-term and short-term outcomes is morally
superior and honors the responsibilities of ethical stewardship.
5) It identifies the complex duties in building relationships encompassed in
Transformative Ethics. By incorporating Transformative Ethics as a personal
standard for their conduct, HRPs can exponentially increased their ability to build
trust and commitment.
6) It presents six principles of Ethical HRM. These six principles are a useful
standard for HRPs as they monitor their own actions on a daily basis in the
pursuit of an organization’s mission and purpose.
Questions to Ponder
1. How does the model of Transformative Ethics enable HRPs to build trust with
stakeholders?
2. Why does the Hosmer model for moral decision-making make so much sense as
a tool for leaders to use in explaining decisions?
3. Is the Virtuous Continuum a practical standard for ethical HRM? Why or why
not?
As the HRP for a city, Tom found himself challenged by the department managers.
Tom had been studying OSHA regulations and gaining certifications. He had learned
there were seven written required programs with an annual training requirement that
applied to his organization. At a department managers' meeting, Tom informed everyone
about his findings. The response was surprising: "We are a municipality and do not need
to do OSHA".
Tom debated as to his next steps and how to resolve this potential dilemma. He
decided to ask for guidance from a trainer who was employed by OSHA. The trainer was
shocked. He said, "Tom, why would the rest of employers have to provide a safe and
healthy workplace for their employees, but it's acceptable for municipal workers to work
in unsafe conditions?" In addition to designing and implementing the required safety
modules and providing annual training, an environmental issue was brewing.
Rob worked at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. He had recently witnessed a
coworker, who had leaky boots. Management allowed this worker to continue his shift in
the leaky boots, exposing him to wastewater. The employee developed a nasty case of
impetigo and could not return to work for two weeks due to this skin condition. Rob also
observed that run-off from the wastewater treatment plant was entering a nearby lake and
popular beach area. When Rob reported the conditions to management, they suspended
him and soon after terminated his employment.
OSHA has a whistleblower protection rule: employees who report unsafe conditions
cannot be terminated nor disciplined. Rob could not get local management to listen and to
resolve the wastewater run-off situation, so he filed a whistleblower complaint with
OSHA. He understood there are risks any time someone chooses to involve an
authoritative agency, however, Rob felt this was the right thing to do. Rob was awarded
the largest settlement for a whistleblower case in the state, $215,000 for being wrongfully
dismissed.
1. What approach might have been most effective for Tom in serving his
organization regarding OSHA compliance?
2. Do you agree or disagree with the whistleblower settlement this employee
received? Explain your position.
3. How could aligning the organization's culture and being a business partner
support legal compliance in this organization? What role could the HRP take in
leading these initiatives?
1. Jenny eventually changed her mind and decided not to work for this employer.
What could the employer have done to more effectively prepare Jenny for the
position?
2. How does a weak onboarding program affect an entire company? What are the
ethical duties owed to incoming employees as part of any reasonable onboarding
process?
3. As you reflect on your own onboarding process in your present position, how
could it have been more effective in helping you to have been more successful as
a new employee?
REFERENCES
Anderson, V., and Ndalamba, K. K., and Caldwell, C., 2017. “Social Responsibility in a
Troubled World: A Virtuous Perspective.” International Journal of Public
Leadership, Vol, 13, Iss. 2, pp 98-115.
Block, Pl, (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA:
Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Buber, M. (Kaufman, W. [Translator]). (1971). I and Thou. New York: Touchstone.
Caldwell, B. G., and Caldwell C., 2016. “Ten Classic Onboarding Errors: Violations of
the HRM – Employee Relationship.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5,
No. 4, pp. 47-55 and available online at http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/
bmr/article/view/10672/6501.
Caldwell, C., (2017). “Transformative Ethics and Trust – Keys to Competitive Advantage
” in Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and Performance, (C.
Caldwell & V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing and
Caldwell, C., and Anderson, V. “Transformative Ethics: An Integrative Model of
Ethical Stewardship.”
Caldwell, C. (2004). Organizational Trustworthiness: A Developmental Model. Pullman,
WA: Washington State University
Caldwell, C., Gruys, M. L. & Thornton. “Public Safety Assessment Centers: A Steward’s
Perspective.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 32, Iss. 2, pp. 229-249.
Caldwell, C., Thornton, G. C. III, and Gruys, M. 2003 “Ten Classic Assessment Center
Errors: Challenges to Selection Validity.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 32,
Issue 1, pp 73-88.
Caldwell, C., Carter, E., and Floyd, L. A., (2015). “Coaching for Improved Teaching: A
Virtuous Model for Improving Performance and Increasing Commitment.” Business
and Management Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 54-65.
Caldwell, C. & Clapham, S., (2003). “Organizational Trustworthiness: An International
Perspective.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 47, Iss. 4, pp. 348-364.
Caldwell, C., and Hasan, Z. (2016). “The Covenantal Leader – Honoring Implicit
Relationships with Employees.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 19, Iss. 2 and
available online at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2016/10/the-covenantal-leader.
Caldwell, C. & Peters, R. (In Press). “New Employee Onboarding – Psychological
Contracts and Ethical Perspectives.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of
Management Development.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Cameron, K. S., (2003). “Ethics, Virtuousness, and Constant Change” in N. M. Tichy &
A. R. McGill (Eds.) The Ethical Challenge: How to Lead with Unyielding Integrity.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, pp. 185-194.
Carroll, A. C. & Buchholtz, A. K., (2014). Business and Society: Ethics, Sustainability,
and Stakeholder Management. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free
Press.
DePree, M., (2004). Leadership is an Art. New York: Crown Publishing for an
articulation of this moral responsibility.
Friedman, T. L., (2009). Hot, Flat, and Crowded Why We Need a Green Revolution --
And How it Can Renew America Release 2.0. New York: Picador.
Gallup (2017) study, “The Engaged Employee” found online on August 24, 2017 at
http://www.gallup.com/services/190118/engaged-workplace.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQ
jw8vnMBRDgARIsACm_BhKW0Qy0FSiaj42l6xfLyR7LEy0iqPFglsq7ZCkovqUvO
Qbb3xHT8DsaAs-yEALw_wcB.
Gallup survey, “Confidence in Institutions,” reveals this lack of confidence in leaders and
organizations of all types and was found online on August 24, 2017 at
http://www.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx .
Goldstein, H. W., Pulakos, E. D., Passmore, J. & Semedo, C. (Eds.), (2017). The Wiley
Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Recruitment, Selection, and Employee
Retention. West Sussex, UK: Wiley & Sons.
Hosmer, L. T., (2010). The Ethics of Management (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z., (2017). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make
Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass.
Lennick, D. & Kiel, F., (2011). Moral Intelligence 2.0: Enhancing Business Performance
and Leadership Success in Turbulent Times. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Mathis, R. L, Jackson, J. H., Valentine, S. R., & Meglish, P. A. (2016). Human Resource
Management (15th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning for their insights about the
important role of HRPs and the HRM function.
Paine, L. S., (2003). Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial
Imperatives to Achieve Superior Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Pava, M., (2003). Leading with Meaning: Using Covenantal Leadership to Build a Better
Organization. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press and Beer, M., (2009). High
Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for
Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schumann, P. L., (2001). “A Moral Principles Framework for Human Resource
Management Ethics.” Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 11, pp. 93-111.
Chapter 6
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
Much has been written about the critical importance of identifying and hiring top
talent as a key factor for organization success1. According to a Department of Labor
Study, 30% of business failures are due to poor hiring decisions2. Yet understanding the
importance of highly skilled, knowledgeable, and interpersonally effective individuals is
not always fully appreciated and can be difficult to measure3. Moreover, Human
Resource Management (HRM) staff may lack the requisite skills to 1) assess organization
needs correctly, 2) identify factors critical for performance success, and/or 3)
demonstrate the abilities to develop valid measures of those important factors4. Although
it is increasingly acknowledged that “getting the right people on the bus” and “getting
1
See, for example, Edenborough, R., (2007). Assessment Guides in Recruitment, Selection, & Performance: A
Manager’s Guide to Psychometric Testing, Interviews, and Assessment Centers. London, UK: Kogan Page
Limited and Highhouse, S., Doverspike, D., & Guion, R. M. (2016). Essentials of Personnel Selection and
Assessment. New York: Routledge.
2
This critical fact is cited in the Introduction on page one of Thompson, D., and Greif, B., (2010). No More Rotten
Eggs: A Dozen Steps to Grade -AA Talent Management. Tucson, AZ: T & G Associates.
A comprehensive empirical study conducted by Boselie, Dietz, and Boon identified “careful recruitment and
selection” as one of the four most essential strategic functions of Human Resource Management. See Boselie,
P., Dietz, G., and Boon, C., (2005). “Commonalities and Contradictions in HRM and Performance Research.”
Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 15, Iss. 3, pp. 67-94. Despite that fact, connecting HRM practices
with performance outcomes can often be difficult.
4
See, for example, Guion, R. M., (1998). “Some Virtues of Dissatisfaction in the Science and Practice of Personnel
Selection.” Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 8, Iss. 4, pp. 351-365.
people in the right seats” are two critically essential factors for organization success5, it is
nonetheless true that selecting the right employees is a difficult task that is often done far
less well than necessary to ensure organization success – and ineffective recruitment,
selection, and testing are often the root causes of organization decline and eventual
failure6.
The focus of this chapter is on the strategic tasks of recruitment, testing, and selection
in HRM.
The chapter begins with a discussion of current practices in recruitment in the digital
age and identifies strengths and weaknesses associated with those practices. The chapter
then identifies important issues associate with testing and selection and identifies ten
common errors associated with selection. Incorporating a Resource-Based View of the
firm the chapter identifies six important reasons why Top Management Teams (TMTs)
and their Human Resource Professionals (HRPs) need to carefully reassess their
recruitment, testing, and selection processes if they wish to compete successfully in an
increasingly challenging world.
Figure 1.
5
This critical reality was declared in Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . .
And Others Don’t. New York: Harper Collins.
6
Ibid.
7
Noe., R. A.. Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., and Wright, P. M., (2017). The Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management (7th ed.). New York: Irwin Management.
advent of the World Wide Web has exponentially changed recruitment from a primarily
local to a national and international process8. In their assessment of modern recruitment
practices, Baum and Kabst declared unequivocally that “(s)uperior human resources are
beneficial to the creation of competitive advantage” and that online personnel recruitment
is more effective than traditional printed advertisements9. Digital recruitment enables
employers to reach a far greater number of qualified applicants and international
recruiting to fill vacancies is now commonplace for business and education10.
Web sites for advertising and recruiting positions are virtually everywhere online and
can be accessed with the use of nearly any computer. In addition, positions advertised in
local newspapers may also be accessed via computer. Candidates can immediately access
information to hundreds of potential job vacancies for which they are qualified and HRPs
can recruit to literally thousands of potential applicants across the globe.
The challenge for employers in the recruitment process is often in screening the large
number of job candidates and accurately determining whether a potential match exists.
Traditional recruitment sources continue to be utilized, especially by large companies
with substantial HRM resources. Hiring from competitors often occurs in a world which
is rife with aggressive competition.
TESTING CANDIDATES
One of the realities of HRM is that the purpose of the testing and selection process is
to eliminate every candidate for a position except for the person or persons actually hired.
However, in that elimination process, HRPs sometimes overlook key factors that make an
important difference in the selection process11. The unfortunate result is that the testing
and selection process often rejects outstanding candidates that meet unique organizational
needs – needs not always well understood but that are critical for an organization’s
success12.
A test is any job-related criterion used to screen candidates to determine whether they
are properly qualified for a position. Testing validity is about whether a test measures the
criteria or competencies--the purpose for which a test is actually intended13. Validity
8
See Bondarouk, T. V., Ruel, H. J. M., (2009). “Electronic Human Resource Management: Challenges in the
Digital Era.” International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 20, Iss. 3, pp. 505-514.
9
Baum, M., and Kabst, R., (2014). “The Effectiveness of Recruitment Advertisements and Recruitment Websites:
Indirect and Interactive Effects on Applicant Attraction.” Human Resource Management, Vol. 53, Iss. 3, pp.
353-378.
10
Ibid.
11
See for example, Irish, R. K., (2011). “Focusing on the Flair Factor.” America’s Civil War Magazine. Sept. 22,
2011 found online on September 25, 2017 at https://www.slideshare.net/Talentplus/the-flair-factor
12
Ibid.
13
The concepts of testing are essential elements of psychometrics, the field of study that covers test construction
and measurement. For a complete discussion, see Furr, R. M. and Bacharach, V. R., (2013). Psychometrics:
An Introduction (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
should apply to the population to be tested and the scale used to measure the quality or
criterion being assessed should differentiate the candidates based upon their relative
ability to meet those standards. Test reliability is the degree to which a test produces a
consistent result if administered multiple times. Validity and reliability are critical
measures of testing in evaluating the qualifications of candidates for a position14.
Figure 2.
The job analysis enables HRPs to identify the relative importance of selection criteria
and to design a testing process that improves the predictive ability to identify a qualified
candidate15. When done properly, the job analysis will identify “flair factors,” or selection
criteria that are especially important in filling a position16. Unfortunately, the concept of
flair factors is not well understood by many HRPs and testing processes often fail to
adequately identify Variance Accounted For, the measure of variance that a testing
process can actually predict in identifying the probable success of a job candidate, based
upon the candidate’s test performance17.
From the job analysis process comes the identification of knowledges, skills,
abilities, and other qualifications (KSAOs) that have been identified as important job
factors. In formulating a valid testing process, HRPs have the responsibility to identify a
process for evaluating these KSAOs and to provide hiring decision-makers with sound
information for evaluating the respective job candidates. The validity of a testing process
also involves confirming that successful incumbents of the position or positions filled
possess the capabilities for which candidates are being tested18.
14
Ibid.
15
See Brannick, M. T., & Levine, E. L., (2007). Job Analysis: Methods, Research, and Application. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
16
Irish, R. K., (2011) op. cit.
17
Thornton III, G. C., Rupp, D. E. and Hoffman, B. J., (2014) op. cit.. Assessment Center Perspectives for Talent
Management Strategies (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
18
Brannick, M. T., & Levine, E. L., (2007) op. cit.
Assessment centers, or job simulations that match job content criteria that are
evaluated by trained assessors, can significantly improve the quality of the testing and
selection process – particularly for positions requiring interpersonal skills, decision-
making qualities, and the ability to deal with stress and uncertainty19. Unfortunately,
many HRPs choose not to utilize this valuable selection and testing tool, lack the skills to
conduct an assessment center properly20, or apparently lack an understanding of the
benefits that can accrue from using this important testing resource21.
Figure 3.
19
Thornton III, G. C., Rupp, D. E. and Hoffman, B. J., (2014) op. cit.
20
Caldwell, C., Thornton, G. C. III, and Gruys, M. 2003 “Ten Classic Assessment Center Errors: Challenges to
Selection Validity.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 32, Issue 1, pp 73-88. This paper is cited as a
reference at the Office of Personnel Management website explaining the appropriate use of Assessment
Centers for selection and testing and can be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/assessment-
and-selection/other-assessment-methods/assessment-centers/.
21
Thornton III, G. C., Rupp, D. E. and Hoffman, B. J., (2014) op. cit.
22
These two important questions are noted in Murphy, J. P. (2016). “Quality of Hire: Data Makes the Difference.”
Employee Relations Today, Vol. 43, Iss. 2, pp. 5-15.
selection and hiring process for positions involves incorporating information generated
about the requirements of a position, comparing that information with the identified
qualifications of the available candidates, and then using that information to determine
whom to hire. According to a report by Korn Ferry, a major executive search firm, 90%
of executives opined that retaining newly hired employees is a major concern in the
selection and hiring process23. Although candidates who have the strongest qualifications
ought to logically be appointed24, the selection and hiring process does not always result
in that outcome – nor does it mean that a candidate who is hired will be successful, add
value, and stay with the organization over time.
Assessing whether a candidate can perform a job is a subjective determination based
upon the selection criteria established25. Unfortunately, these criteria do not identify 1)
whether an individual will use those skills and capabilities properly, 2) whether a
candidate is highly committed and dependable in performing, or 3) whether the candidate
has the passion and persistence to perform job tasks at a consistently high level –
including in situations requiring an extra-mile commitment. The latter quality, often
called “grit26,” is a measure of a person’s personal drive and his or her desire to engage as
a full partner in achieving the success of an organization27.
A relatively common error associated with candidate selection is related to what is
known as “person-organization fit.” The term applies to the degree to which a candidate
matches or does not match the cultural and environmental values and characteristics of an
organization and includes the degree that an organization fulfills that candidate’s needs
and/or matches his or her values28. One of the limits of this perceived fit is that hiring
authorities may translate that fit means “hiring people like me.” For example, a hiring
authority may opt to select the candidate who is most like himself or herself but who may
not necessarily best meet the needs of the organization. Hiring based upon this perceived
fit may result in excluding minority candidates or candidates who would offer a diverse
perspective that can actually be extremely valuable29.
23
This report is available online. See Choo, S., (2017). “Motivation and Retention in the Gig Economy.” Korn
Ferry Report found online on September 27, 2017 at http://focus.kornferry.com/employee-
engagement/motivation-and-retention-in-the-age-of-the-gig-economy/.
24
See Dobos, N., (2017). “Networking, Corruption, and Subversion.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 144, pp. 467-
478.
25
Unfortunately, psychometrics and the identification of Variance Accounted For only identifies a probability of
success of a candidate and is not a perfect predictor of future job performance. See Furr, R. M. and Bacharach,
V. R., (2013) op. cit.
26
The importance of grit for individual or organizational success is identified in Duckworth, A., (2016). GRIT: The
Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York: Scribner.
27
The degree of personal commitment of individuals is explained in Hayes, L., Caldwell, C., Licona, B. and Meyer,
T. E., 2015. “Follower Behaviors and Barriers to Wealth Creation.” Journal of Management Development,
Vol. 34, Iss. 3, pp. 270-285.
28
Kristof-Brown, A. L., (2017). “Person-Organization Fit.” Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational
Psychology (2nd ed.), S. G. Rogelberg (Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage and found online on September 25,
2017 at http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/ organizationalpsychology/n254.xml.
29
Perryer, C. and Scott-Ladd, B., (2014). “Deceit, Misuse, and Favours: Understanding and Measuring Attitudes to
Ethics.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 121, Iss. 1, pp, 123-134.
Figure 4.
Despite the acknowledged importance of hiring and retaining good people, HRPs and
organizational leaders tend to make a repeating set of errors in the recruitment, testing,
30
This key reality is addressed in Murphy, M., (2012). Hiring for Attitude: A Revolutionary Approach to Recruiting
and Selecting People with Both Tremendous Skills and Superb Attitude. New York: McGraw-Hill.
31
For more information about this important topic, see Daltner, B. (2013). “How to Use Psychometric Testing in
Hiring.” Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 9/12/2013, pp. 2-4.
32
Ibid.
33
See SHRM, (2017). 2017 Employee Benefits: Remaining Competitive in a Challenging Talent Marketplace.
Washington, D. C.: Society for Human Resource Management found online on September 27, 2017 at
https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/research-and-
surveys/Documents/2017%20Employee%20Benefits%20Report.pdf.
34
Ibid.
and selection of new employees – especially in the light of the fact that replacing an
employee commonly costs a company at least one-third of an employee’s annual salary in
lost productivity and related replacement, supervision, and training expenses35. The
following is a brief summary of ten of the common errors made in the recruitment,
testing, and selection of new employees.
1. Failing to update the job analysis. Despite the fact that the job analysis is the
single most critical element in determining the qualifications and job
requirements of a position to be filled36, many organizations fail to update and
confirm the important criteria to be included in hiring to fill an employee
vacancy. For example, a city in Utah used a twenty-five year old job analysis in
the development of a selection process for a Police Department promotional
exam.
2. Failing to understand job validation. Candidate testing is often conducted by
HRPs who are busy with many tasks. As a result of time pressures, or simply
because they do not understand the importance of confirming the validity of
testing, literally hundreds of municipal Police Departments continue to use a
exam for testing entry-level police officers without reviewing that test’s validity
study37. That study makes it absolutely clear that the test was not validated by
gender or ethnicity – making the municipalities vulnerable if the test is
challenged by women or minorities.
3. Misusing test scores in evaluating candidates. Often psychometric studies are
conducted that validate a testing instrument for a specific purpose. For example,
many tests are developed to establish a “hurdle score” or minimum passing score
beyond which all candidates may be considered equally qualified. Using these
scores to differentiate among candidates as more or less qualified is a misuse of
the testing instrument, does not correctly differentiate the relative
competitiveness of the candidates, and is unfair to candidates who pass the test
but who are given fewer points in the selection process than candidates who
scored higher on the test38.
4. Underrating interpersonal skills. The abilities of an individual to fit within an
organizational culture, to work effectively with others, to craft a response to
situations that demand emotional intelligence, and to work with others as part of
35
Ibid.
36
See, for example, Prien, E. P., Goodstein, L. D., Goodstein, J., and Gamble, L. G. Jr., (2009). A Practical Guide
to Job Analysis. San Franciso, CA: Pfeiffer.
37
Furr, R. M. and Bacharach, V. R., (2013) op. cit.
38
Ibid.
a team are important for key positions in organizations but tend to be overlooked
in the job analysis process39.
5. Overrating external applicants. Candidates from outside an organization are often
rated more highly than equally qualified but known internal candidates40.
However, Collins found that companies that successfully evolved from “good” to
“great” had promoted internal candidates who understood the culture, were less
flashy than external counterparts, but were deeply committed to the organization
and its success41.
6. Overlooking “Flair Factors.” For many organizational positions, “flair factors”
are critical to the performance of a position and are often the key to organization
success or failure42. Recognizing the importance of flair factors requires a clear
understanding of how these factors determine organizational outcomes – one of
the key reasons for involving organizational subject matter experts in the job
analysis process43.
7. Overrating technical qualifications. A common error made in employee selection
is in assuming that a person with strong technical knowledge and experience is
automatically better qualified than someone with less experience and a different
combination of interpersonal skills44. HRPs must distinguish between
requirements suggested by subject matter expert recommendations for hiring
“people like me” and the needs of a specific position.
8. Incorrectly assessing related experience. Related work experience and years
working within an industry are not always the same thing and must be clearly
distinguished45. In addition, some people tend to actively learn from time served
in a position while others simply perform the same tasks year after year with little
incremental learning acquired.
9. Overrating formal education. Formal education can complement work
experience but a graduate degree from an excellent school is no guarantee that a
candidate is well qualified or able to perform in a new role46.
10. Relying on personal interviews. One of the classic errors made in the selection
process is in the frequently held but empirically false assumption that
interviewing a candidate improves the quality of the selection decision47.
39
This tendency is identified in Gatewood, R. D., Field, H. S., and Barrick, M. R., (2015). Human Resource
Selection (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
40
Ibid.
41
Collins, J., (2001) op. cit.
42
Irish, R. K., (2011). See also Caldwell, C., Converse., P., and Beverage, M., 2017 “Selecting for ‘Flair Factors’ --
Improving the Selection Process.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Management Development.
43
See Truxillo, D. M., Paronto, M. E., & Collins, M., (2004). “Effects of Subject Matter Expert Viewpoint on Job
Analysis Results.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 33, Iss. 1, pp. 33-46.
44
Gatewood, R. D., Field, H. S., and Barrick, M. R., (2015) op. cit.
45
Ibid.
46
This insight is provided by Mintzberg, H., (2005). Managers Not MBAs: A Hard Look at the Soft Practice of
Management and Management Development.
47
See Thompson, D., and Greif, B., (2010) op. cit.
Improving the recruitment, testing, and selection process requires HRPs to become
truly skilled about the nuances identifying the critical factors essential for effective
performance – beginning with a well-crafted job analysis but including psychometrics,
test construction, and validation49. Unfortunately, many HRPs lack both the professional
training in HRM and an understanding of the strategic importance of human resources50.
Figure 5.
RETHINKING HRM
Firms today compete in their markets based upon their ability to provide a product or
service, a less expensive product or service, or a product or service that others are unable
to provide as conveniently51. Increasingly, from a Resource-Based View of organizations,
that superior performance is based upon the quality of a company’s employees and their
48
See, for example, Miles, A. and Sadler-Smith, E. (2014). “’With Recruitment I Always Feel I Need to Listen to
My Gut’: The Role of Intuition in Employee Selection.” Personnel Review, 2014 pp. 606-627.
49
See Edenborough, R., (2007) op. cit.
50
This point is clearly made in Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B., and Cardy, R. L, (2015) Managing Human
Resources (8th ed.). New York: Pearson.
51
This point is clearly made in Porter, M. E., (1998). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior
Performance. New York: Free Press.
differentiated ability to understand customer needs and deliver services that more
perfectly addresses those needs52. Essentially, then, all elements of an HRM system and
the effectiveness of an organization are dependent upon the people who execute them53. It
is the superiority of the people who make up an organization and their ability to perform
their jobs that generally determines the success of a firm. This resource-based perspective
of HRM makes recruiting, testing, and selecting incredibly important for virtually every
organization – especially in the knowledge-, information-, and wisdom-based economy
that typifies the current global marketplace54.
With this resource-based view of managing today’s organizations clearly in mind,
there are six compelling reasons why Top Management Teams and HRPs must carefully
reexamine their organizations’ recruitment, testing, and selection systems.
1. The Demand for Excellence is Increasing. Customers are rarely dependent upon
a single firm to provide them with quality products. As a result, customer
expectations are increasing and will continue to raise the bar55.
2. The Speed of Change is More Rapid. The world is moving faster and will
continue to do so. Employees with the comfortability to deal with change and a
mindset of continuous improvement are necessities in the new economy56.
3. The Influence of Technology has Increased. That technology change demands
that employees with much more sophisticated technical skills be hired, trained,
and retained by their organizations57.
4. Disruptive Innovations Redefine Competition. Employees must demonstrate the
commitment, the creativity, and the understanding of conditions in a constantly
evolving marketplace to respond to innovation58.
5. Cooperation is Increasingly Necessary. The behavioral skills to move quickly,
to adapt to change, and to work with others effectively has become a necessity in
a world where teams are more common and collaboration is critical59.
6. Hiring for Values Is a Necessity. Although competence, cooperation, and
capacity are necessary variables for success, character is equally important in
wealth creation60. In today’s transparent world environment, employees must
52
This key point is emphasized by Toulson, P. K., (2016). “Recruitment and Talent Management.” Human
Resource Magazine. Vol. 21, Iss. 2, pp. 34-35.
53
Ibid.
54
The changing economy demands this clear insight. See Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to
Greatness. New York: Free Press.
55
Christensen, C. M., (2016) op. cit.
56
See, for example, Mercer Bing, C., and Wingrove, C., (2012). “Mergers and Acquisitions: Increasing the Speed
of Change.” Employee Relations, Vol. 39, Iss. 3, pp. 43-50.
57
Christensen, C. M., (2016) op. cit.
58
Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
59
Goleman, D., (2007). Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relations. New York: Bantam.
60
That is the message of Caldwell, C., and Ndalamba, K. K., 2017. “Trust and Being ‘Worthy’ – The Keys to
Creating Wealth.” Journal of Management Development, Vol. 36, Iss. 8, pp. 1076-1086 and Harvard’s Lynn
have a commitment to high personal standards and values and the integrity to be
trusted by their peers, their customers, and their leaders.
Figure 6.
The reality of today and tomorrow is a world that will demand employees with
commitment, loyalty, talent, and integrity. Wise employers will recognize that it is the
people with whom they work who will determine their success or failure. Recruiting,
assessing, and hiring the right people and then retaining them will be critical tasks that
TMT members and HRPs must perform especially well in a world that will only become
more difficult and more competitive.
Questions to Ponder
1. What do you consider to be the most common error made in assessing candidates
for a vacant position?
2. Why is hiring the best possible employee for a vacancy increasingly important?
3. How should organizations assess candidates for qualities like commitment,
loyalty, passion, persistence, and character?
Paine in Paine, L. S., (2002). Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial Imperatives to
Achieve Superior Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Did the HRP See My Application? -- Case Study – By Dr. Sarah J. Smith
1. What might have been the results of applicant analysis if Steve had more open
communication with potential applicants?
2. Many organizations have turned to hiring from an intern pool in which interns
work with colleagues in the actual work environment and become known to the
organization and its members. Do you think hiring interns into full-time regular
positions provides a feasible strategy for the HRPs in an era of technology? How
could this approach be beneficial to the company, human resources, and the
intern?
3. With 12 open positions and 1,500 applicants, what criteria do you think HR
should use to make the ‘first cut’?
Kari’s first job as an HRP included responsibilities for recruitment and selection. She
had somehow successfully navigated through the company’s electronic application
process; however, at times she wondered how she actually landed her job. She has now
been requested to assist with the recruitment and selection for a technical position in the
company.
The company’s information services (IS) staff are quite efficient and knowledgeable.
Thus, Kari feels comfortable with the design of the HRIS. Surely IS had configured the
HRIS properly inasmuch as it has been in use for three years. Kari’s company is an
employer of choice and thus, she assumes that she does not need to reach out to industry
or trade organizations about the job opening. Job seekers generally monitor the company
website to keep tabs on open positions that are available.
The individual to be hired to flll this technical position will need to travel to Mexico
on occasion to provide oversight and support for production there. The technical team is
tight-knit and works in close proximity to each other. Kari must decide how to assess
organizational fit of the applicant while balancing technical expertise. As a recent college
graduate, Kari highly values education and the academic degrees that an applicant has
achieved.
1. Could Kari’s affinity for education affect her decisions during the selection
process? Is more education ‘better’?
2. If Kari recommends only the applicants who appear to be most technically
qualified, what might she be leaving out of the selection decision process?
3. Some of the managers have expressed to Kari that they would prefer to hire
someone who did not have experience and train them, rather than risk hiring a
person who comes in with pre-conceived thoughts about ‘how things are done.’
Some applicants with work experience make statements in front of colleagues
about the ‘way it was done’ at the other company. Do you think the managers’
concerns are valid? How should Kari respond to this request?
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Recruitment Websites: Indirect and Interactive Effects on Applicant Attraction.”
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Brannick, M. T., & Levine, E. L., (2007). Job Analysis: Methods, Research, and
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Caldwell, C., Thornton, G. C. III, and Gruys, M. 2003 “Ten Classic Assessment Center
Errors: Challenges to Selection Validity.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 32,
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Caldwell, C., and Ndalamba, K. K., 2017. “Trust and Being ‘Worthy’ – The Keys to
Creating Wealth.” Journal of Management Development, Vol. 36, Iss. 8, pp. 1076-
1086
Choo, S., (2017). “Motivation and Retention in the Gig Economy.” Korn Ferry Report
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engagement/motivation-and-retention-in-the-age-of-the-gig-economy/.
Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . . And
Others Don’t. New York: Harper Collins.
Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free
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Daltner, B. (2013). “How to Use Psychometric Testing in Hiring.” Harvard Business
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Duckworth, A., (2016). GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York:
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Goleman, D., (2007). Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relations. New
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Listen to My Gut’: The Role of Intuition in Employee Selection.” Personnel Review,
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Chapter 7
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
1
See Covey, S. R. (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Simon & Schuster.
2
Polfeldt, E., (2015).”Shocker: 40% of Workers Now Have ‘Contingent’ Jobs, Says Government.” Forbes May 25th
found online on October 16, 2017 at https://www.forbes.com/sites/elainepofeldt/
2015/05/25/shocker-40-of-workers-now-have-contingent-jobs-says-u-s-government/#6748695814be.
3
Braun, K., (2017). “Temporary Hiring Trends in 2017 and Beyond.” CareerBuilder, January 26th found online on
October 16, 2017 at https://resources.careerbuilder.com/news-research/temporary-hiring-trends-in-2017-and-
beyond.
4
Sipek, S., (2017). “68 Percent of Employers Can’t Fill Open Positions.” CareerBuilder, April 24 th found online on
October 16, 2017 at https://resources.careerbuilder.com/news-research/employers-cant-fill-open-positions?
ref=bomborec&recotrk=6883fZIEhEfVuoCvPXR.
5
Braun, K., (2017) op. cit.
6
These issues were addressed in detail by Stanford University’s Jeffrey Pfeffer in Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human
Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
7
For a summary of this more effective approach to employee relations, see Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment
High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass or Caldwell, C., and Floyd, L. A., (2014). “High Performance Work Systems: Building
Commitment to Increase Profitability.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 17, Iss. 3, found online at
http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2014/12/high-performance-work-systems/.
Figure 1.
feeling pressure to reduce costs and minimize expenses by hiring employees to whom
they are not willing to make a commitment, yet facing a growing body of research that
suggests that their most effective long-term strategy is to create an organizational culture
that treats employees as valued partners8.
For many employers, the attempt to hire contingent employees to cut costs becomes a
lose-lose relationship. Employers cut costs by hiring contingent employees to avoid
paying for benefits like health insurance and employee training to lower their short-term
costs of operation. . . but in doing so they lose employee loyalty and hire individuals who
are likely to lack adequate skills to perform at a world class level. In turn, employees are
unable to earn what they need to succeed financially, protect their families’ interests, and
become truly proficient at their jobs.
Short-term thinking and hiring contingent employees may save a company money
temporarily but can mortgage a company’s long-term future and its ability to succeed in
the competitive global marketplace9.
8
This conflict is addressed in many publications, including Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A
Transformative Model for Tomorrow’s Leaders. New York: Business Expert Press and in Block, P., (2013).
Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
9
This point was powerfully made in Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and in Beer, M. (2009) op. cit.
Figure 2.
COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHIES
1) Factor Assessment – Factor assessment assigns value to positions based upon the
degree to which the person in the position possesses specific qualifications. For
10
For a comprehensive review of compensation systems and their foundations, see Milkovich, G., Newman, J., and
Gerhart, B., (2013). Compensation (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Figure 3.
11
These guide chart elements are commonly used in the Hay System and were found on October 18, 2017 at
https://www.haygroup.com/downloads/au/Guide_Chart-Profile_Method_of_Job_Evaluation_Brochure
_web.pdf.
12
The NUCOR Steel compensation philosophy is well described in Anderson, S. C., Finley, R. L., & Sparks, W.,
(2009). “NUCOR: Values and Transition.” Business Case Journal. Vol. 16, Iss. 2, pp. 64-72.
In today’s highly competitive economic market the tendency for many organizations
is to “low ball” job candidates, not fully acknowledging the value of well-qualified
external candidates and offering salaries below the compensation rate for current
employees – even when those external candidates have better skills than incumbents in
the position being filled. The consequence, of course, is that top candidates choose to
work for competitors who adopt a more realistic perspective about the relative work of
highly qualified individuals.
Figure 4.
13
See Caldwell, C., and Floyd, L. A., 2014. “High Performance Work Systems: Building Commitment to Increase
Profitability.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 17, Iss. 3, found online at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/
2014/12/high-performance-work-systems/.
14
See Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
Employee Benefits have been cut drastically with the rise of contingent workers,
largely to avoid the costs of employee benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, employee benefits for full-time private sector employees are about 30.4% of
total compensation17. The substantial increase in permanent part-time, contract, and
temporary employees generally enables employers to avoid the costs of health insurance
which have risen faster than inflation and have increased the cost per hour of full-time
employees. Forbes magazine reported in 2015 that “the average annual premiums for
employer-sponsored health insurance were $6,251 for single coverage and $17,545 for
family coverage” with that amount rising incrementally annually18. Because contingent
employees rarely receive health insurance benefits, cost savings accrue when full-time
employee positions are replaced with part-time, temporary, and contract employees who
often struggle to become insured.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part-time employees average only 37
cents per hour for retirement and savings benefits in private industry, compared to $1.73
per hour for full-time employees19. For other benefits, contingent employees are also
typically excluded, whereas full-time employees cost private employers $2.30 per hour
work for paid leave, $1.18 per hour for supplemental pay, and $2.66 per hour for
insurance benefits20. Both part-time and full-time employees cost employers for legally
required benefits (e.g., Social Security), although part-time employees typically cost
employers less due to their lower salaries.
15
See Gallup, (2017). “Confidence in Institutions” found online on October 19, 2017 at
http://news.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx.
16
See Gallup, (2017). “Employee Engagement” found online on October 19, 2017 at http://news.gallup.com/
topic/employee_engagement.aspx,
17
Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2017). “Employer Costs for Employee Compensation – June 2017.” September 8,
2017 press release found online on October 20, 2017 at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf.
18
See Evans, M. & Fleming, K., (2017). “What We Can All Do About Rising Healthcare Costs.” June 28, 2017
found online on October 20, 2017 at https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2017/06/28/what-we-can-all-do-
about-rising-healthcare-costs/#1bdf201c2f37.
19
Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2017) op. cit.
20
Ibid.
Figure 5.
Roger Lowenstein’s profoundly important book, While America Aged, identified the
impact of “defined benefit programs run amok” that have undermined major corporations
like General Motors and put governmental units like the City of San Diego in “near
bankruptcy” status21. Although many governmentally-related organizations and union
companies still retain defined benefit programs, most organizations have evolved to
defined contribution programs that cap financially-related pension liability costs. For
those companies that continue to offer any pension benefits, the employer contribution to
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) is typically limited to an annual employer
contribution that caps a company’s financial obligation.
Benefit programs in organizations can encompass a broad variety of individual and/or
group benefits. In acknowledgement of the fact that not all employees need the same
combination of benefits, many firms have instituted what is often called “cafeteria” or
“flexible” benefit plans. Such plans are able to determine the cost of benefits offered and
allow employees to select from a menu of benefit options within a pre-determined
percent or dollar amount – often based upon the employee’s salary. For example,
cafeteria plans may offer reimbursement for gym memberships for an employee and his
or her family, reimbursement for professional development or education, daycare for
employees with young children, and/or parent care for employees with dependent parents
with special needs. Flexible benefit plans acknowledge that a company or organization
21
For a review of this important topic, read Lowenstein, R., (2009). While America Aged: How Pension Debts
Ruined General Motors, Stopped the NYC Subways, Bankrupted San Diego, and Loom as the Next Financial
Crisis. New York: Penguin Books.
recognizes that each employee may be uniquely different and may prefer a different
combination of benefits than others.
Employers of all types have avoided hiring full-time staff to reduce costs. For
example, many colleges and universities hire adjunct faculty who lack terminal degrees
and limited teaching experience rather than hiring full-time faculty in an attempt to cut
costs. The cost savings for these colleges or universities is a short-term savings.
Meanwhile, students are taught by less qualified individuals and the overall quality of
education provided by the hiring institution then erodes. The same loss in quality occurs
in other organizations when less qualified and competent contingent employees are
hired22.
Figure 6.
22
This point is made in Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
23
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical
Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-182.
24
Ibid.
25
Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
The following are ten general recommendations that HRPs should consider as they
develop a new compensation and benefits plan, or as they assess their current plan26.
26
These ten general recommendations are insights derived from three primary sources: Pfeffer, J., (1998) op cit.,
Beer, M., (2009) op. cit., and Covey, S. R., (2004) op. cit.
27
See, for example, Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C., 2016. “Creating a Culture of Engagement – Insights for
Application.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70 -80 available online at
http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/bmr/article/view/9734/5891.
7) Identify critical employee positions and pay employees in those positions well
enough to retain them. Often there are extremely critical positions in
organizations where an outstanding employee makes it possible for a company to
exceed the performance of competitors in meeting the needs of customers or in
performing certain value-creating tasks. HRPs should identify such positions and
recognize the need to retain these key employees, even if doing so requires
paying this employee in a manner that is otherwise inconsistent with a company’s
pay plan28.
8) Avoid status barrier differentials for benefits and treat benefit recipients
equally. Creating benefit differentials for a select group of employees has been
identified as a counter-productive decision and is recommended against for
organizations seeking to create a culture of high trust. Providing “special
benefits” sends a message to employees that the organization is elitist in the way
that employees in that select group are treated.
9) Avoid tying raises to performance evaluation systems if supervisors are not
properly trained. Performance evaluation systems are notoriously ineffective and
are often a cause of substantial discord in organizations. When salary increases
are tied to performance evaluation, the credibility of an organization can be
seriously impaired and trust can be undermined. Training supervisors effectively
can remediate this problem, but performance evaluation systems are often
perceived by employees as unfair and poorly administered29.
10) Provide “cafeteria” options for employee benefits to respond to unique
employee needs. Cafeteria, or flexible benefit programs, empower employees to
choose a benefit package within specific dollar limits that best meet their
individual and family needs. Organizations should consider the advantages of
such programs, consistent with the costs of benefits that they can afford to
provide.
These ten recommendations should be considered in context with the mission and
goals of an HRPs organization. The proper role of HRPs, of course, is to present their
Top Management Teams with information about these recommendations – including their
costs, benefits, advantages, and disadvantages – so that the Top Management Team can
make the ultimate decisions. By taking the position that their role is to advise and assist
the management team, HRPs strengthen their credibility in helping their organization to
achieve its purposes and to optimize long-term value creation.
28
For a discussion of “flair factors” and the critical importance of key employees, see, for example, Caldwell, C.,
Converse., P., and Beverage, M., 2018. “Selecting for ‘Flair Factors’ - Improving the Selection Process.”
Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Management Development.
29
W. Edwards Deming is particularly critical of performance evaluation systems and their inefficiencies and
inaccuracies. As administered, many such systems generate ill will and are problematical. See Deming, W. E.,
(2000). Out of the Crisis. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
CONCLUSION
Questions to Ponder
1) What do you personally think are the biggest shortcomings of compensation and
benefit programs?
2) What criteria do you think are most important in developing a compensation
plan?
3) Why is compensation equity such an important issue for employees?
An area employer who employs more than 1,300 employees had a problem. Hiring
temporary workers to fill a void showed limited success. Although some safety training
was provided by the temp agency, the nature of this industry required extensive safety
and compliance training. Before an employee or temp worker is allowed to actually
perform work, all of the additional training must be completed.
When temporary workers arrive, significant time is required to acquaint the person
with the culture, mission, vision, and goals of the organization. Even when this training is
complete, coworkers knew this employment relationship would be temporary and team
cohesiveness and productivity suffered. In an attempt to remedy this situation, the
organization decided to develop its own temporary worker program: The Resource Pool.
30
Paine, L. S., (2002). Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial Imperatives to Achieve
Superior Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
31
Block, P., (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Boss.
The Resource Pool workers are employees of the organization. Their paychecks
come from the company, not a temp agency. Resource Pool workers do not receive
benefits: Their primary benefit is the option to accept or reject an assignment request.
The Resource Pool has been comparatively more successful. Some people who are in
work/life balance situations can remain in the workplace environment, yet have more
flexibility to attend to personal or family needs.
A benefit to the organization of The Resource Pool is that participating employees
were up to date on required training. There was no 'down time' to fill a training gap. The
Resource Pool workers understood the organization's culture, mission, vision, and goals.
1) The Resource Pool employees were paid a higher hourly wage than similar full-
time benefits eligible colleagues. Do you think this was fair? Is this equitable?
2) The primary benefit for resource employees is the ability to ask for flexible
scheduling and to accept or reject a work request, without repercussions. Should
full-time benefits eligible employee be awarded the same opportunities? Why or
why not?
3) When a company has a temporary employee they would like to hire, it must
negotiate a contract buy out with the temporary agency. Do you think The
Resource Pool helps alleviate this cost? What do you believe the likelihood
would be for a resource employee to accept a full-time position offered?
In addition to the transition toward defined contribution plans from defined benefits
plans, other retirement situations continue to evolve. In past years, retirement income was
thought to consist of Social Security and income from the employer's retirement plan.
Today, a “Three-Legged Stool” approach has added the employee's own personal savings
to long-term retirement funding.
A two-legged stool, just like relying on Social Security and an employer's retirement
plan alone, is not adequate for many employees facing retirement. To help HRPs better
understand The Three-Legged Stool, local HRPs met together with a financial analyst.
Diane, a member of that group attended this training session and confirmed some of what
Diane already knew as well as provided some new ideas. One area, which she always
thought was important, is that HRPs should refrain from offering employees financial
advice. Poor advice from HRPS has at times had lasting effects for an employee or
retiree. To help employees make their own best decisions, Diane decided she should
encourage employees to meet with a financial advisor. Diane also learned there were
several online retirement income calculators available. She decided she would also like to
pass this information along to her employees.
1) What training, if any, should organizations offer their employees early in their
careers about long-term financial planning?
2) If Diane promotes web sites that feature retirement income calculators is she
overstepping the boundaries of her position as an HRP? Could such a
recommendation be considered giving financial advice?
3) Diane learned that Americans, as a whole, are generally poor at generating
personal savings. Many other countries workers have high rates of personal
savings. How could a company effectively promote personal savings and long-
term financial planning?
REFERENCES
Anderson, S. C., Finley, R. L., & Sparks, W., (2009). “NUCOR: Values and Transition.”
Business Case Journal. Vol. 16, Iss. 2, pp. 64-72.
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Block, P., (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Braun, K., (2017). “Temporary Hiring Trends in 2017 and Beyond.” CareerBuilder,
January 26th found online on October 16, 2017 at https://resources.careerbuilder.com/
news-research/temporary-hiring-trends-in-2017-and-beyond.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2017). “Employer Costs for Employee Compensation – June
2017.” September 8, 2017 press release found online on October 20, 2017 at
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf.
Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A Transformative Model for Tomorrow’s
Leaders. New York: Business Expert Press
Caldwell, C., and Floyd, L. A., (2014). “High Performance Work Systems: Building
Commitment to Increase Profitability.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 17, Iss. 3.
Caldwell, C., Converse., P., and Beverage, M., (2018). “Selecting for ‘Flair Factors’ --
Improving the Selection Process.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of
Management Development.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Covey, S. R. (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Simon
& Schuster.
Deming, W. E., (2000). Out of the Crisis. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Evans, M. & Fleming, K., (2017). “What We Can All Do About Rising Healthcare
Costs.” June 28, 2017 found online on October 20, 2017 at https://www.forbes.com/
sites/allbusiness/2017/06/28/what-we-can-all-do-about-rising-healthcare-
costs/#1bdf201c2f37.
Gallup, (2017). “Confidence in Institutions” found online on October 19, 2017 at
http://news.gallup.com/poll/1597/confidence-institutions.aspx.
Gallup, (2017). “Employee Engagement” found online on October 19, 2017 at
http://news.gallup.com/topic/employee_engagement.aspx,
Hay System and were found on October 18, 2017 at https://www.haygroup.com/
downloads/au/Guide_Chart-Profile_Method_of_Job_Evaluation_Brochure_web.pdf.
Lowenstein, R., (2009). While America Aged: How Pension Debts Ruined General
Motors, Stopped the NYC Subways, Bankrupted San Diego, and Loom as the Next
Financial Crisis. New York: Penguin Books.
Milkovich, G., Newman, J., and Gerhart, B., (2013). Compensation (11th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Paine, L. S., (2002). Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial
Imperatives to Achieve Superior Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Polfeldt, E., (2015).”Shocker: 40% of Workers Now Have ‘Contingent’ Jobs, Says
Government.” Forbes May 25th found online on October 16, 2017 at
https://www.forbes.com/sites/elainepofeldt/2015/05/25/shocker-40-of-workers-now-
have-contingent-jobs-says-u-s-government/#6748695814be.
Sipek, S., (2017). “68 Percent of Employers Can’t Fill Open Positions.” CareerBuilder,
April 24th found online on October 16, 2017 at https://resources.careerbuilder.com/
news-research/employers-cant-fill-open-positions?ref=bomborec&recotrk=
6883fZIEhEfVuoCvPXR.
Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C., 2016. “Creating a Culture of Engagement –
Insights for Application.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70
-80 available online at http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/bmr/article/
view/9734/5891
Chapter 8
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT:
A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE
ABSTRACT
Among the most challenging tasks of managers and supervisors is managing
individual and departmental performance. Stephen R. Covey urged organization leaders
and managers to “Treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best
customers.” Although motivating others is often considered to be an important task of
managers and supervisors, other research suggests that people are ultimately internally
and intrinsically motivated if they are to achieve superior performance.
The purpose of this chapter is to identify the critical task of performance
management in the 21st century. We begin by defining performance management and
identifying the four- factors which make up this vital organizational concept. Examining
each of these four parts, we identify the difficulties associated with defining desired
outcomes, identifying what to measure, coaching individuals and teams, and improving
performance results. We conclude the chapter with suggestions for implementing aligned
performance management systems.
organization. Its fundamental purpose is to bring out the best in people while optimizing
long-term value for the organization and its stakeholders1. Performance management is
an iterative, or frequently repeated, process of shared learning, coaching, and support by
which managers and supervisors engage and empower individuals and teams in the quest
to add value that meets present and future customer needs2. Managing performance
properly provides accountability, resources, documentation, and guidelines for tasks and
projects that are essential for effective organizational and personal performance.
As a management tool, performance management had its roots in scientific
management, job design, and work studies in manufacturing chronicled by Frederick
Winslow Taylor and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth at the turn of the 20th century3. Both
Taylor and the Gilbreths examined improving manufacturing efficiency and both were
also aware of the importance of human motivation and the psychology of teams4.
Industrial organizational psychology and management have typically studied
performance management with a focus on individual performance.
Figure 1.
1
The goal of performance management is articulated in Daniels, A. C. & Bailey, J. S. (2014). Performance
Management: Changing Behavior that Drives Organization Effectiveness (5th ed.). Atlanta, GA: Performance
Management Publications.
2
Compare the definition in Aguinis, H., (2014). Performance Management (3rd ed.). Essex, UK: Pearson
International, p. 1.
3
Taylor’s work is recorded in Taylor, F. W., (1911). Principles of Scientific Management. New York & London:
Harper & Brothers. The Gilbreths wrote several books and among them is Gilbreth, F. B. & Gilbreth, L. M.,
(1917). Applied Motion Study: A Collection of Papers on the Efficient Method to Industrial Preparedness.
New York: Sturgis & Walton.
4
Although the scientific approach to efficiency is a primary focus of many who study Taylor and the Gilbreths,
insights about their behavioral acumen are found in Kanigel, R., (1997). The One Best Way: Frederick
Winslow Taylor and the Enigma of Efficiency. Boston, MA: MIT Press and in George, C. S., (1068). The
History of Management Thought. New York: Prentice Hall.
Figure 2.
5
These findings were reported in Deloitte Consulting LLP & Bersin by Deloitte, (2014). “Global Human Capital
Trends: Engaging the 21st Century Workforce.” New York: Deloitte University Press.
6
For example, W. Edwards Deming strongly criticized traditional performance appraisal systems in Deming, W. E.,
(2000). Out of the Crisis. Boston, MA: MIT Press.
7
This figure is reported in Gallup, (2017). “The Engaged Workplace” found online on August 29, 2017 at
http://www.gallup.com/services/ 190118/engaged-workplace.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQjwoZTNBRCW
ARIsAOMZHmFyv_6YWwIWiiG9EfCh0VHrE_dWow_A2KyarZHrbE9S7C9iFhcn0xMaAmcPEALw_wcB.
8
Gallup, (2017). State of the American Workplace. Washington, D. C.: Gallup Inc.
9
This process of defining desired outcomes is summarized effectively in the work of George L. Morrisey. See, for
example, Morrisey, G. L., (1976). Management by Objectives and Results in the Public Sector. New York:
Basic Books.
10
Economic and other problems are addressed in Friedman, T. L., (2009). Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a
Green Revolution – And How it Can Renew America Release 2.0. New York: Picador Press.
11
This problem often results in achieving outcomes that are not true measures of the intended purpose. This
frequently occurring error was beautifully articulated by the classic article, Kerr, S., (1995). “On the Folly of
Rewarding A While Hoping for B.” Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 9, Iss. 1, pp. 7-14.
12
Stephen R. Covey cites this common mistake in Covey, S. R. (1992). Principle-Centered Leadership. New York:
Fireside.
13
Ibid.
14
Morrisey, G. L., (1976) op. cit and Kerr, S., (1995) op. cit.
15
See Covey, S. R., (1992) op. cit.
ineffective16. The following are typical reasons why performance appraisals are
unsuccessful17.
16
This assessment is the message that management experts have addressed for more than fifty years and is
reaffirmed by experts such as Deming, W. E., (2000) op. cit. See also Ferguson, R., (2013). Finally!
Performance Assessment that Works: Big Five Performance Management. Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital
Services.
17
Ibid.
18
See Deming, W. E., (2000) op. cit. for a summary of the detrimental effects of traditional performance appraisal.
19
Gallup, (2017) op. cit.
20
Kane, J., Bernardin, H., & Wiatrowski, M., (2013). Performance appraisal. In N. Brewer & C. Wilson (Eds.),
Psychology and Policing (pp. 257-275). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc.
21
Kerr, S., (1995) op. cit.
22
This point is clearly made in Monden, Y., (2012). Toyota Production System: An Integrated Approach to Just-in-
Time (4th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: Productivity Press.
Only when employees and supervisors understand this relationship will they
identify and focus on the correct measures of performance23.
f. Metrics Can be Manipulated. Control over what is to be counted is often
subjective and can be manipulated by both managers and employees.
Understanding how metrics can best be used, recognizing both the value and
the limits of statistical analysis, and monitoring metrics carefully can help an
organization to identify true performance results24 – and identify
manipulation that can distort real performance and impact goal setting25.
g. Annual Feedback is Inappropriate and Out of Date. Tasks and goals often
require much more timely feedback than is available from an annual
performance review. Despite this fact, many organizations persist in the
annual ritual of performance appraisal even when employees and supervisors
recognize its limitations26.
23
Ferguson, R., (2013) op. cit.
24
Deming, W. E., (2000) op. cit.
25
Kerr, S., (1995) op. cit.
26
Ferguson, R., (2013) op. cit.
27
Deming, W. E., (2000) op. cit.
28
For a well-written description of performance coaching, see Whitmore, J., (2009). Coaching for Performance:
GROWing Human Potential and Purpose – The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership (4th ed.).
Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
29
This message is the reality facing modern organizations, as explained in Christensen, C. M., (2016). The
Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail. Boston, MA: Harvard Business
School Press.
30
These improvements are documented in Terziovski, M., (2002). “Achieving Performance Excellence through an
Integrated Strategy of Radical Innovation and Continuous Improvement.” Measuring Business Excellence,
Vol. 6, Iss. 2, pp. 5 -14.
31
The correlation between engagement and employee commitment is explained in Vance, R. J. (2006). “Employee
Engagement and Commitment: A Guide to Understanding, Measuring, and Increasing Engagement in Your
Organization.” SHRM Foundation found online on August 29, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/foundation
/ourwork/initiatives/resources-from-past-initiatives/Documents/Employee%
20Engagement%20and%20Commitment.pdf.
goals, causes of problems, and alternatives to the status quo32. In a world where
global competition impacts virtually every private sector organization, the
struggle to be competitive and to constantly learn and improve are challenges
facing every organization33.
Figure 3.
1) Integrate the HRM system with the organization’s strategic goals. HRM’s most
powerful contribution to performance management is its commitment to creating
32
The relationships and factors which impact performance improvement are identified in Hedde, R. T. & De Wall,
B., (2015). “What Are the Relationships in Human Oriented Performance Management?” Proceedings of the
European Conference on Management, Leadership, & Governance, pp. 150-159.
33
See Christensen, C. M., (2016) op. cit
34
This point is clearly made in Deming, W. E., (2000) op. cit.
35
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained
Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
36
This relationship is emphasized in Caldwell, C. & Ndalamba, K., (2017). “Human Resource Professionals as
Strategic Leaders – A Behavioral Opportunity for Improving Information Management.” Journal of Values-
Based Leadership, Vol. X, Iss. 1, pp. 44-53.
37
The importance of validating organizational values is explained in Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016).
Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
38
This important HRM role is described in described in Mitchell, R., Obeidat, S., & Bray, M. (2013). “The Effect
of Strategic Human Resource Management on Organizational Performance: The Mediating Role of High
Performance Human Resource Practices.” Human Resource Management, Vol. 52, Iss. 6, pp. 899-921 and in
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical
Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-182.
39
Block, P., (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
40
This point is clearly made in Hayes, L., Caldwell, C., Licona, B. and Meyer, T. E., 2015. “Follower Behaviors
and Barriers to Wealth Creation.” Journal of Management Development, Vol. 34, Iss. 3, pp. 270-285.
41
Kuehnl, C., Furst, A., Homburg, C., & Startitz, M., (2017). “Toward a Differentiated understanding of the Value-
Creation Chain.” British Journal of Management, Vol. 23, Iss. 3, pp. 444-463.
42
Mitchell, R., et al., (2013) op. cit. and Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
43
Hayes, et al., (2015) op. cit.
interests of the individuals and the organization has been proven to produce
outstanding organizations like Herman Miller Furniture and NuCor Steel44.
7) Train everyone about decision-making, risk-taking, and experimenting.
Empowered and engaged employees that are provided with training understand
how they can use their talents to constantly improve the organization, contribute
to innovation, and improve customer service45. The HRM role is a vital element
in creating this learning and improvement culture through organization-wide
training46.
8) Reward and hold supervisors and managers accountable for developing their
people. Developing human capital is an ongoing obligation of HRPs, managers,
and supervisors if an organization is to constantly learn and improve. Creating
compensation systems that hold supervisors and managers accountable for
employee development reframes the importance of the coaching role of
supervisors, empowers employees, and creates increased commitment47.
9) Constantly monitor and share information about progress toward strategic
goals. Creating management systems that track performance for individuals,
teams, departments, and the entire organization is a critical part of the value
chain and is a process that HRPs must fully understand and embrace as they
perform their jobs. Sharing this information and creating a transparent
organization helps keep employees aware of the value creation process and their
role in creating wealth48.
10) Acknowledge and celebrate individuals and teams that excel in adding value.
Building into organizations the recognition of outstanding performance builds
organization commitment and morale and is recognized as a key HRM
function49. This celebration should emphasize the contribution made to added
value and wealth creation50.
11) Utilize project teams to study opportunities for improvement and ensure their
success. Creating teams that are endorsed by Top Management and that are fully
44
This point is clearly made in Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. See also DePree, M. (2004). Leadership is an Art. New York:
Crown Publishing and Caldwell, C., Dixon, R. D., Floyd, L., Chaudoin, J., Post., J., and Cheokas, G. 2012.
“Transformative Leadership: Achieving Unparalleled Excellence.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol 109, Iss. 2,
pp. 175-187.
45
The importance of training focused on improving organizational results is explained in Baraldi, S. & Cifalino, A.,
(2015). “Delivering Training Strategies: The Balanced Scorecard at Work.” International Journal of Training
and Development, Vol. 19, Iss. 3, pp. 179-198.
46
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Mitchell, et al., (2013) op. cit. as examples of the HRM role in employee
training to achieve organization mission.
47
The importance of employee development and a culture of engagement are addressed in Smith, S., Peters, R., and
Caldwell, C., (2016). “Creating a Culture of Engagement – Insights for Application.” Business and
Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70 -80.
48
The importance of creating this performance monitoring role and its relationship to HRM are addressed in
Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Caldwell, C. & Ndalamba, K., (2017)., op. cit.
49
This important point is fundamental to the HRM role but is also addressed in Sholtes, P., Joiner, B. L., & Streibel,
B. J., (2003). The TEAM Handbook (3rd ed.). Madison, WI: Oriel, Inc.
50
Ibid.
Figure 4.
51
Ibid.
52
This reality is clearly addressed by Christensen, C. M., (2016) op. cit.
53
See Smith, S. et al., (2016) op. cit.
54
See Kuehnl, C. et al., (2017) op. cit.
55
To review the HRP roles in strategic HRM, see Mitchell, R., et al., (2013) op. cit., Caldwell, C., (2011) op. cit.
and Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A Transformative Model for Tomorrow’s Leaders. New York:
Business Expert Press. To review the HRP roles in strategic HRM.
Figure 5.
Questions to Ponder
1) Based upon what you know, why do so few employees feel engaged at work?
2) What has your personal experience been with performance evaluations and
performance appraisal? Why are performance appraisals often considered “the
task everyone hates”?
3) What skills do HRPs most need to develop to improve their capacity to help their
organizations to measure performance more effectively?
Disillusioned
Case Study -- by Dr. Sarah J. Smith
Assistant Managers Steve and Barry sat at their desks, each with a generous stack of
manila folders in front of him. The organization's performance management system had
derailed. Performance appraisals were to be completed twice a year, at 6 months and 12
months. According to company policy, the employee's immediate supervisor was
responsible for coordinating the appraisal process and scheduling a review session twice
a year with each of the employees he or she was to evaluate.
The manager of this 90-person company was so frustrated with the current
performance measurement system that he engaged the services of Shelly, a consultant
well-versed in performance management. Shelly had successfully reinvigorated
performance management for several area companies in the area. The manager was
hopeful she could do the same for his organization. In order to better understand the
situation at hand, Shelly decided to begin a conversation with the assistant managers. She
asked what frustrated them about performance management at the current time. Both
Steve and Barry shared that they did not like the fact that the department's performance
appraisal folders ended up on their desks. Both were fine with putting in extra time if
their efforts could improve the organization, but they told Shelly that the current
performance management system seemed to add little value.
The company had struggled this year, and everyone anticipated there would be no
raises. With that performance a reality, any financial incentive for superior or satisfactory
performance was not available to employees. As assistant managers, both Steve and
Barry voiced concern to Shelly about the fact they had not worked on second or third
shift for quite some time. Therefore, the assistant managers had not observed shift
employee behavior at all during the past appraisal year. As their jobs were administrative
in nature, the assistant manager's interaction with first shift production employees was
also limited.
Dave had been demoted from a plant manager position because the location he
oversaw had exceeded its allocated budget. He was not well liked by the employees
Focus Group
Percent of Time for each descriptive word, 0 = low, 100 = high
Member
Always Usually Sometimes Rarely Never
Bob 99% 78% 50% 30% 0%
Betty 85% 51% 30% 15% 5%
Tom 75% 40% 25% 10% 2%
Laura 90% 80% 70% 60% 59%
Janet 87% 65% 43% 27% 10%
Range 75-99% 40-80% 25-70% 10-60% 0-59%
planned to terminate Dave due to his performance. The decision was made to allow
Dave's FMLA request, however, the day after his return, his employment was terminated.
1. What suggestions would you offer this company to improve its performance
management system?
2. What would you have done with regard to advising the corporate leadership
about Dave’s situation?
3. Corporate leadership, the plant manager, and the HRP were concerned about the
ambiguity discovered in identifying differences about rating categories. With
such a large range of perceptions, how could 360 degree ratings be consistent?
How could the organization address the situation of ambiguous terminology and
consistency for future performance evaluation sessions?
Questions:
3. How could the lack of direct supervisory observation and input be corrected?
4. What suggestions do you have for an improved performance management policy
in this organization?
REFERENCES
Aguinis, H., (2014). Performance Management (3rd ed.). Essex, UK: Pearson
International, p. 1.
Baraldi, S. & Cifalino, A., (2015). “Delivering Training Strategies: The Balanced
Scorecard at Work.” International Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 19,
Iss. 3, pp. 179-198.
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Block, P., (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA:
Berrett-Koehler.
Caldwell, C., Dixon, R. D., Floyd, L., Chaudoin, J., Post., J., and Cheokas, G. 2012.
“Transformative Leadership: Achieving Unparalleled Excellence.” Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol 109, Iss. 2, pp. 175-187.
Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A Transformative Model for Tomorrow’s
Leaders. New York: Business Expert Press. to review the HRP roles in strategic
HRM.
Caldwell, C. & Ndalamba, K., (2017). “Human Resource Professionals as Strategic
Leaders – A Behavioral Opportunity for Improving Information Management.”
Journal of Values-Based Leadership, Vol. X, Iss. 1, pp. 44-53.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Covey, S. R. (1992). Principle-Centered Leadership. New York: Fireside.
Christensen, C. M., (2016). The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause
Great Firms to Fail. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Daniels, A. C. & Bailey, J. S. (2014). Performance Management: Changing Behavior
that Drives Organization Effectiveness (5th ed.). Atlanta, GA: Performance
Management Publications.
Deloitte, (2014). “Global Human Capital Trends: Engaging the 21st Century Workforce.”
New York: Deloitte University Press.
Deming, W. E., (2000). Out of the Crisis. Boston, MA: MIT Press.
DeNisi, A. & Smith, C. (2014). Performance appraisal, performance management, and
firm-level performance: A review, a proposed model, and new directions for future
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Sholtes, P., Joiner, B. L., & Streibel, B. J., (2003). The TEAM Handbook (3rd ed.).
Madison, WI: Oriel, Inc.
Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C., (2016). “Creating a Culture of Engagement –
Insights for Application.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70
-80.
Taylor, F. W., (1911). Principles of Scientific Management. New York & London:
Harper & Brothers.
Terziovski, M., (2002). “Achieving Performance Excellence through an Integrated
Strategy of Radical Innovation and Continuous Improvement.” Measuring Business
Excellence, Vol. 6, Iss. 2, pp. 5 -14.
Vance, R. J. (2006). “Employee Engagement and Commitment: A Guide to
Understanding, Measuring, and Increasing Engagement in Your Organization.”
SHRM Foundation found online on August 29, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/
foundation/ourwork/initiatives/resources-from-past-initiatives/Documents/Employee
%20Engagement%20and%20Commitment.pdf.
Whitmore, J., (2009). Coaching for Performance: GROWing Human Potential and
Purpose – The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership (4th ed.). Boston,
MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
Chapter 9
ORGANIZATION CHANGE
AND ORGANIZATION ANALYSIS:
THE STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES ROLE
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
1
This famous quote comes from Machiavelli, N. & Marriott, W. K., (2017). The Prince. New York: CreateSpace.
Figure 1.
organization change in today’s business context. We identify six critical SHRM factors
essential in the organization analysis process associated with managing change and
explain how the SHRM role contributes to the entire organization in its staff support
relationship. We conclude with a brief summary of change management principles to
guide Human Resource Professionals (HRPs).
One of the most frequently cited models for managing organizational change is John
Kotter’s eight-step change model. Kotter emphasized the importance of creating a culture
in organizations that recognizes and embraces the importance of episodic change – the
change associated with a specific project or innovation – and continuous change – the
fact that we live in a world of constant turmoil that is rapidly evolving2. Beginning with
the importance of creating such a culture, Kotter’s model is briefly summarized3.
2
The importance of creating a culture of change is found in the interview of John Kotter found in Kotter, J. P.,
(2008). “Developing a Change-Friendly Culture.” Leader to Leader, Vol. 2008, Iss. 48, pp. 33-38.
3
Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change, With a New Preface by the Author. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review
Press.
1) Create a Sense of Urgency. The need for constant change is rarely fully
understood in organizations. Leaders must not only recognize this need but create
a compelling story that convinces others4. People must be prepared to change and
creating a sense of urgency is required for them to believe that change is
necessary.
2) Build the Guiding Team. Team members of this team selected to oversee and
guide change must be carefully chosen and must combine the ability to not only
influence others with a commitment to constantly improving the organization and
responding to the need to change. Top Management Team and employee leaders
should be participants in this leadership process.
3) Develop the Change Vision and Strategy. Not only must leaders define the vision
of what the future will be like but they must adopt a realistic and specific action
plan – identifying the resources required to facilitate the change process and
making the commitment to providing those resources throughout that process.
Without that vision and strategy, change is unlikely to occur.
4) Communicate for Understanding and Buy-in. Employees at all levels must
understand the change that is required, the rationale behind that change, its
consequences for key stakeholders, and their role in the change process5.
Communication must make it clear why changing is superior to the status quo
and the direction that an organization is headed if the required change does not
occur.
5) Empower Action. A plan without the accompanying resources to implement the
required action is destined to not only fail but to create organizational resentment
and frustration6. Change requires resources, commitment, and the ability to carry
out a well-conceived plan of action.
6) Create Short-term Wins. Identifying areas in which change can be immediately
successful inspires participants and creates credibility for the change process.
Building in short-term wins requires an investment of resources but enables an
organization to sustain morale and employee momentum.
7) Don’t Let Up. One of the classic errors in change management efforts is the
premature assumption that the change has occurred. The Guiding Team must
continue to reinforce the change process and insure that systems are in place to
make the change permanent.
4
Kotter, J. P., (2008) op. cit.
5
The importance of clearly communicating the moral and ethical implications of change and the options considered
is explained well in Hosmer, L. T., (2010). The Ethics of Management (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
6
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, MA: Harvard Business
Review Press.
Figure 2.
8) Create a New Culture. Change requires new assumptions, new beliefs, and a new
perspective about the organization and its identity7. The nature of organizational
culture is that those underlying assumptions must be reinforced by sustained
action for a culture to be adopted by organization members8. Guiding Team
leaders must model the values and behaviors of that new change culture for it to
take hold.
7
Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership (4 th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass.
8
Ibid.
Figure 3.
The SHRM role is to assist the Top Management Team at each step in the change
process, in supporting organizational efforts, and in creating a culture that supports
change. For each of these eight steps Kotter also identifies a common error that must be
avoided in order to successfully implement his model9. To be successful, Kotter suggests
that organizational leaders recognize the importance of avoiding each of those eight
errors to enable their organizations to achieve each of the eight steps of the model10.
Kotter’s model for change is both widely cited and highly respected and has been applied
successfully in many organizations. Figure 3 identifies Kotter’s eight-step model.
9
Kotter, J. P., (2012) op. cit.
10
Ibid.
11
Lewin is cited as the eighteenth most eminent psychologists of the century In Haggbloom, S. J., Warnick, R.,
Warnick, J. E., Jones, V. K., Yarbrough, G. L., Russell, T. M., Borecky, C. M., McGahhey, R., Powell III, J.
L., Beavers, J., Monte, E., (2002). “The 100 Most Eminent Psychologists of the 20 th Century.” Review of
General Psychology. Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 139–152.
12
Lewin, K., (1946). “Action Research and Minority Problems.” Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 2, Iss. 4, pp. 34-46.
his model for managing organizational transitions has been adopted by the highly-
regarded Peter Block as the consultants’ guide for organization change13. AR is an
iterative cycle of planning an experimental change, implementing that change, observing
its impact, and assessing its significance. Thus, the process involves both a purpose-
related core action and a learning process in which an organization is able to assess the
validity of its assumptions about planned change14. The repeating nature of the Plan-Act-
Observe-Reflect cycle of AR is the basis for constant learning and managing change15.
Figure 4.
Lewin had developed the concept of a force field in which both driving and
restraining forces influence the balance which determines the current status quo.
Managing change requires understanding each of those forces, determining which forces
most influence current conditions, and identifying how reducing restraining forces or
increasing driving forces can result in change to a desired state16. Figure 4 explains
Lewin’s force field analysis concept.
The SHRM role helps a Top Management Team to understand each of the driving
and restraining forces and to identify how to successfully achieve the desired change in a
manner that will be sustainable.
Gardner identified twelve separate steps in the AR process, which he labeled “Action
Training and Research.” Gardner described the process as highly participative and
13
Block, P., (2011). Flawless Consulting: A Guide for Getting Your Expertise Used (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA:
Pfeiffer.
14
This point about the two levels of Action Research is clarified in Zuber-Skerritt, O. and Perry, C. (2002). “Action
Research within Organisations and University Thesis Writing.” The Learning Organization, 9(3), 171–179.
15
Coghlan, D. & Brannick, T., (2010). Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
16
For a review of force field analysis see Swanson, D. J. & Creed, A. S., (2014). “Sharpening the Focus of Force
Field Analysis.” Journal of Change Management, Vol. 14, Iss. 1, pp. 28-47.
17
Neely Gardner’s training focus reflected his commitment to group ownership of the change process and is
summarized in Gardner, N., (1974). “Action Training and Research: Something Old and Something New.”
Public Administration Review, Vol. 34, Iss. 2., pp. 96-115.
18
This distinction is clearly articulated and emphasized as critical to the success of a change process in Block, P.,
(2011) op. cit.
19
Ibid. This partnership creates appropriate ownership for both parties.
These twelve steps of AR expand and clarify the four-stage model initially developed
by Lewin and provide an opportunity for change to occur organization-wide20. The focus
of Gardner’s training approach to AR emphasizes the importance of sharing ownership,
creating a culture of participation and partnership, and constantly improving the
organization by empowering and engaging its participants at all levels – while
maintaining ultimate control and direction provided by the Top Management Team21.
A third model for managing change is the TEAM model developed by Scholtes,
Joiner, and Streibel22. Incorporating a quality improvement approach to managing
change, the TEAM model provides a framework for organizations that offers insights into
the reasons why teams succeed or fail23. The following is a brief summary of the TEAM
process for managing organizational changes24.
20
Gardner, N., (1974) op. cit.
21
Ibid.
22
Scholtes, B. L., Joiner, P. R., & Streibel, B. J., (2003). The TEAM Handbook (3rd ed.). London: Oriel.
23
Ibid.
24
Ibid. These nine steps are incorporated in The TEAM Handbook and are well explained. This book is an
outstanding resource for organizations that struggle with teams that are often ineffective.
1) Top Management Team determines need for a project and appoints Guidance
Team. The failure of many teams lies in the fact that they lack top management
support and are created haphazardly. But when leaders formally create a
“Guidance Team” to oversee and assist a team to accomplish a specific purpose,
those teams are exponentially more effective.
2) Guidance Team prepares a Team Charter. With the support of the Top
Management Team the Guidance Team creates a “charter” which defines what is
expected to be accomplished by the newly formed team – including an expected
timeframe for achieving desired results.
3) Guidance Team identifies and appoints a Sponsor, Team Leader, Coach, and
Team Members. Key roles are identified to support each team. The Sponsor is
typically a Guidance Team member who closely monitors the project team and is
an advocate for its success – taking timely action and keeping the Guidance
Team fully informed about resources needed for the project team to accomplish
its goals. The Team Leader focuses on coordinating the agenda, seeing that
members are informed of meetings, and providing minutes of the meeting that
are published. The Coach focuses on the team’s process, follows up with
members to assist them in accomplishing between-meeting assignments, and
keeping the Team Leader informed if progress on assigned tasks is not being
made. Team Members with requisite skills are appointed and supported – and
their project team assignment becomes as important as the responsibilities of the
position they were hired to fill.
4) Project Team Members meet and employ data collection, analysis, and
research. Team members incorporate a fact-based approach to assess their
assigned task, identify resources needed to complete their assignment, and
engage others within the organization to obtain critical information about the
Team assignment. Team Members formally report on between-meeting
accomplishments and much of the Team’s work is performed outside of the
meetings with the monitored support of the Coach who is often a technical
expert.
5) Team Leader periodically reports progress to Guidance Team and obtains
support as needed. The Team Leader works directly with the Guidance Team,
keeping it informed about the Team’s progress in achieving time-targeted goals
and identifies when the team needs additional resources to achieve its chartered
responsibilities. If necessary, the Guidance Team is called upon to intervene on
behalf of the project team to ensure that cooperation, resources, and support for
the project are obtained within the organization. The Sponsor keeps the Top
Management Team well informed if their action is required to keep the team on
track in meeting the goals set forth in its charter.
6) Project Team proposes solutions, tests assumptions, and evaluates results. The
project team typically will design an experiment to address a problem or
opportunity. That experiment will test assumptions about the team’s purpose and
goals. The team will evaluate results and assess the best course of action –
including additional experiments, as necessary.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
The reality about teams is that they are often ineffective25. The TEAM Handbook
approach is nonetheless not only a much superior way of managing team activities and
responsibilities but is useful as a resource for managing change.
Each of these three models emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision of
what is required in the change process. All three models are data driven, involve
employees affected by change, and emphasize the critical importance of top management
support. But all three models also acknowledge the behavioral nature of change and the
importance of involving employees throughout an organization in the change process.
1) Identifying and documenting employee attitudes. HRPs are not only attuned to
the perceptions and priorities of employees at all levels but they monitor
employee attitudes via periodic surveys of employee opinions. Employee surveys
complement and provide detailed information about employee concerns and
perspectives26.
25
According to many scholars more than half of all teams should never have been created in the first place and as
many as 75% of all teams are ineffective. See Whetten, D. A. & Cameron, K. S., (2015). Developing
Management Skills (9th ed.). New York: Pearson.
26
The importance of monitoring employee attitudes about an organization and its culture is well documented in
Aragon, R., Basson, J., Burton, A., Schneider, J., Yang, W., Holman, R., & Downing, G. J., (2017). “Impact of
Innovation Initiatives in a Federal Government Agency: Measuring and Understanding the Influence of
Culture and Employee Attitudes.” Innovation Journal, Vol. 22, Iss. 1, pp. 1-51.
Figure 7.
27
Scholtes, B. L., Joiner, P. R., & Streibel, B. J., (2003) op. cit.
28
The impact of empowerment on engagement and organization culture are addressed in Smith, S., Peters, R., and
Caldwell, C., 2016. “Creating a Culture of Engagement – Insights for Application.” Business and Management
Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70 -80.
29
The strategic role of HRM is well documented in Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011).
“Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1,
pp. 171-182.
Each of these six roles enable HRPs to establish credibility with employees at all
levels of the organization, develop programs and policies that fit with the organization’s
strategic mission and goals, and engage and empower employees to enable them to
become full owners and partners in the ongoing processes of organization change,
organization learning, and organization improvement.
30
For a review of the important role of HRPs and HRM in contributing to organization successes associated with
managing change, see Becker, B. & Gerhart, (1996). “The Impact of Human Resource Management on
Organizational Performance: Progress and Prospects.” Academy of Management Journal, Vol.. 39, No. 4, pp.
779-801.
31
Edmonds, S. C., (2017). “Crafting a Purposeful, Positive, Productive Work Culture: Why Don’t Leaders Make
Culture a Priority?” Leadership Excellence Essentials, Vol. 34, Iss. 2, p. 47.
32
Jones, J., Aguirre, D., & Calderone, M., (2004). “Ten Principles of Change Management.” Booz & Company
Resilience Report found online on September 12, 2017 at https://www.k4health.org/
sites/default/files/10%20Principles%20of%20Change%20Mgmt-04-15-04.pdf.
7) Assess the cultural landscape. Analyzing the culture and identifying issues that
must be addressed is crucial in understanding employee needs.
8) Address culture explicitly. Identify the behaviors, values, and assumptions that
must be understood and reward those behaviors consistently.
9) Prepare for the unexpected. Recognize that no change process goes precisely as
planned and develop contingency responses that may be required.
10) Speak to the individual. Acknowledge that change is a highly personal process
and prepare managers and supervisors to respond to employees at the individual
level.
CONCLUSION
As HRPs develop their skills associated with organization analysis and organization
change, they develop the ability to contribute to the strategic purpose of their companies.
They demonstrate their value in helping their organizations to adapt to a constantly
changing and chaotic world that demands resilience, competence, and the capacity to
evolve quickly and effectively in meeting the needs of customers. The HRP roles in
managing change enables organizations to effectively respond to external demands while
building a culture that reinforces change-related values that sustain today’s organizations.
The change models provided herein and the HRP’s roles described can be of great
value as HRPs strive to demonstrate their ability to add value, to assist their
organizations’ Top Management Teams to achieve their strategic objectives, and to
maintain credibility at all levels of their organizations. Although managing change
requires that HRPs develop a complex set of sophisticated skills, those skills are vital to
the success of the modern organization.
Questions to Ponder
Dates for open enrollment were shifted from their historic past. Some employee
frustration was voiced; however, the intention was to encourage a new focus on
the benefits enrollment process.
Employee information sessions were increased in number and offered via HRPs
at various times and locations.
The frequency of email reminders was increased to remind employees to enroll
and to invite attendance at the information sessions.
For the most part despite change, open enrollment went rather smoothly.
1) What is your opinion of the leadership and SHRPs' approach to change? What
went well, and what could have been better?
1) How could a team charter have assisted with the merger? Could this be a
valuable tool moving forward?
2) Some changes seemed to have come from behind closed doors with only a few
decision makers. Do you agree that the TEAM approach would be beneficial for
navigating subsequent change in the merged organization? How could this be
accomplished?
3) Identification and development of a merged organizational culture would be
required. Thinking of the six SHRM roles in organization analysis, what
suggestions could you make? Would all six roles apply to the merged entity? If
not, which of the six do you think would be most effective?
REFERENCES
Aragon, R., Basson, J., Burton, A., Schneider, J., Yang, W., Holman, R., & Downing, G.
J., (2017). “Impact of Innovation Initiatives in a Federal Government Agency:
Measuring and Understanding the Influence of Culture and Employee Attitudes.”
Innovation Journal, Vol. 22, Iss. 1, pp. 1-51.
Becker, B. & Gerhart, (1996). “The Impact of Human Resource Management on
Organizational Performance: Progress and Prospects.” Academy of Management
Journal, Vol..39, No. 4, pp. 779-801.
Block, P., (2011). Flawless Consulting: A Guide for Getting Your Expertise Used (3rd
ed.) . San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Coghlan, D. & Brannick, T., (2010). Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization
(3rd ed.). London: Sage.
Edmonds, S. C., (2017). “Crafting a Purposeful, Positive, Productive Work Culture: Why
Don’t Leaders Make Culture a Priority?” Leadership Excellence Essentials, Vol. 34,
Iss. 2, p. 47.
Gardner, N., (1974). “Action Training and Research: Something Old and Something
New.” Public Administration Review, Vol. 34, Iss. 2., pp. 96-115.
Haggbloom, S.J., Warnick, R., Warnick, J. E., Jones, V. K., Yarbrough, G. L., Russell, T.
M., Borecky, C. M., McGahhey, R., Powell III, J. L., Beavers, J., Monte, E., (2002).
“The 100 Most Eminent Psychologists of the 20th Century.” Review of General
Psychology. Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 139–152.
Hosmer, L. T., (2010). The Ethics of Management (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-
Hill.Kotter, J. P., (2008). “Developing a Change-Friendly Culture.” Leader to
Leader, Vol. 2008, Iss. 48, pp. 33-38.
Jones, J., Aguirre, D., & Calderone, M., (2004). “Ten Principles of Change
Management.” Booz & Company Resilience Report found online on September
12, 2017 at https://www.k4health.org/sites/default/files/10%20Principles%20of%20
Change%20Mgmt-04-15-04.pdf
Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change, With a New Preface by the Author. Boston, MA:
Harvard Business Review Press.
Lewin, K., (1946). “Action Research and Minority Problems.” Journal of Social Issues,
Vol. 2, Iss. 4, pp. 34-46.
Machiavelli, N. & Marriott, W. K., (2017). The Prince. New York: CreateSpace.
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership (4th ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Scholtes, B. L.,, Joiner, P. R., & Streibel, B. J., (2003). The TEAM Handbook (3rd ed.).
London: Oriel.
Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C., 2016. “Creating a Culture of Engagement –
Insights for Application.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70
-80.
Swanson, D. J. & Creed, A. S., (2014). “Sharpening the Focus of Force Field Analysis.”
Journal of Change Management, Vol. 14, Iss. 1, pp. 28-47.
Whetten, D. A. & Cameron, K. S., (2015). Developing Management Skills (9th ed.). New
York: Pearson.
Zuber-Skerritt, O. and Perry, C. (2002). “Action Research within Organisations and
University Thesis Writing. “ The Learning Organization, 9(3), 171–179.
Chapter 10
ABSTRACT
As Human Resource Professionals (HRPs) examine their priorities in the mind-
numbing world in which their companies compete, a commitment to constant learning
and continuous improvement is always in focus for the organization and its employees.
Wise HRPs recognize that an organization is most likely to be successful long-term when
its leaders are committed to the best interests of all its stakeholders in creating long-term
wealth1. The ability of HRPs to serve the entire organization and to establish a culture of
high trust is correlated with the mutually-beneficial objectives of achieving ongoing
organizational development and personal growth2. This transformative priority3 has
frequently been described as a “covenantal” duty by a number of scholars who have
addressed the obligations of leadership4.
The focus of this chapter is on the role of HRPs in striving to achieve both the
development of the entire organization and the growth of its individual employees. The
chapter begins with a brief review of the Human Resource Management (HRM) roles in
honoring duties owed to an organization and its employees. The chapter then identifies
1
The foundations of ethical stewardship are discussed throughout this book and are fully described in Caldwell, C.,
Hayes, L., Karri, R., and Bernal, P., (2008). “Ethical Stewardship: The Role of Leadership Behavior and
Perceived Trustworthiness.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 78, Iss. 1/2, pp. 153-164.
2
This principle is the theme of Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
3
The transformative nature of leadership is addressed in Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A Transformative
Model for Tomorrow’s Leaders. New York: Business Expert Press.
4
See, for example, DePree, M., (2004). Leadership is an Art. New York: Crown Publishing and Covey, S. R.,
(2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press.
the importance of HRP’s commitment to the personal growth of its individual employees.
Linking the success of employees with that of the organization, the chapter briefly
describes the HRP role in achieving organizational development outcomes that enable the
entire organization to improve. The chapter concludes by identifying four important
factors associated with successful individual and organizational development.
Figure 1
5
See Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained
Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
6
This stewardship role conforms with the strategic objectives of their organizations and enables HRPs to
demonstrate their important contribution to the achievement of organization mission. See Mello, J. A., (2014)
Strategic Human Resource Management (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning and Caldwell, C., Truong,
D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal
of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-182.
house, support outside professional development, pay for their employees’ advanced
education, and utilize assessment tools like assessment centers to provide their employees
with opportunities to improve their skills and capabilities7. Effective employee training
and development programs possess nine common characteristics8.
they are engaged at work most employers have much to do in order to unlock the full
potential of their workforce9. Engagement and productivity can be affected when
employees are supported by supervisor mentoring, social cohesion, common goals,
information sharing, and personalized training. Investing in employee development helps
employees to feel valued and respected, to know that their work is meaningful, and to
identify their input and suggestions as an important assess in improving the
organization10.
Quantum Workplace – the research firm behind the “Best Places to Work” programs
– has identified five key factors that set organizations with higher engagement scores
apart from others11.
9
Adkins, A., (2016). Employee Engagement in the U.S. Stagnant in 2015.” Gallup found online on October 1, 2017
at http://www. gallup.com/poll/188144/employee-engagement-stagnant-201.aspx.
10
Employee development and high commitment are related constructs, as noted in Beer, M., (2009). High
Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained Advantage. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
11
Hastings, R., (2009). “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of Employee Engagement.” Found online on October 1, 2017 at
http://www.shrm. org/resourceandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/ whatandwhy.aspx.
Developing employees and investing in their success increases the probability that
employees will remain with the organization, particularly when that training is directly
related to organization job requirements12. Creating individualized employee
development plans, providing performance metrics, creating opportunities outside of the
current job function, giving helpful personalized feedback, removing barriers that inhibit
employee success, providing links to professional networks, and setting a personal
example are all ways that HRPs can strengthen employee commitment and feelings of
empowerment. By personally engaging in their own professional development behaviors,
leaders also encourage employees to participate in professional development activities.
1. Improve morale: When people feel good about going to work because it’s a
place where they can grow and achieve, that feeling elevates the energy of the
entire organization.
Figure 3.
12
Ibid.
2. Increase retention: When employees are doing something they love, working
with other creative people, and feeling supported to do their best work, retention
automatically follows. Retention of employees can be an expensive challenge for
an organization when individual employees feel isolated13.
3. Drive loyalty: Very few people perform well if they are in an unsafe or
unsupportive environment. When employees feel unsafe, they revert to a more
primitive and less productive mindset. When employees feel safe and supported,
they become more adept problem solvers and team members. Additionally, when
employees feel supported personally and professionally, they are more engaged
and accountable.
4. Boost reputation: Being a “great place” to work is a significant
accomplishment–and it also receives consistent word-of-mouth and media
coverage. As word travels that an organization supports employee growth and
fulfillment, that reputation attracts the most competitive candidates.
13
Waggoner, J., (2013). Do happy workers mean higher profit?, USA Today. Retrieved from http://
www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/02/19/treating-employeeswell-stock-price/1839887/.
14
Beheshtifar, M., & Nazarian, R., (2013). Role of Occupational Stress in Organizations. Interdisciplinary Journal
of Contemporary Research in Business. Vol. 4, pp. 648-657.
15
Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
16
Church, A. H., and Burke, W. W., (2017). “Four Trends Shaping the Future of Organizations and Organization
Development.” OD Practitioner, Vol. 49, Iss. 3, pp. 14-22.
HRP CONTRIBUTIONS
17
See Society of Human Resource Management, (2015). Engaging in Succession Planning. Washington, D. C:
Society of Human Resource Management and found online on October 18, 2017 at https://www.
shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/ engaginginsuccessionplanning.aspx.
18
This universal mission is articulated in Covey, S. R., (2004) op. cit. p. 99.
19
The importance of this role is clearly established in Caldwell, C., et al., (2011) op. cit.
20
Ibid.
21
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
22
See Christensen, C. M., (2016) op. cit.
These four qualities are vital to motivate individuals and organizations to achieve
their optimal potential, to succeed in an exciting but challenging world, and to develop
people and their companies to achieve their highest potential25.
Questions to Ponder
Jerry worked for an organization that offered a generous tuition reimbursement plan.
For the first years of his career, Jerry did not take advantage of this benefit. At one point,
Jerry realized that by not utilizing this employee benefit, he was losing out on an
opportunity that not all organizations offer to their employees. In essence, there was an
opportunity cost of choosing not to return to school for an advanced degree. He went to
staff development to ask about details of tuition reimbursement.
This organization partnered with a university to offer an MBA program partially on
site. Jerry enrolled and began his journey to a master’s degree. Employees could attend
their university or college of choice, however, the onsite option supported career
development via convenience and time savings. Requests for tuition reimbursement had
to be approved for programs that were or could be job-related. However, the versatility of
the MBA applied to most leaders and potential leaders in the company. Training,
23
Collins, J., (2001) op. cit.
24
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
25
See Covey, S. R., (2004) op. cit.
designed to support current job duties, was shorter in duration (sometimes a half-hour
session) and training sessions were held in-house. Internal trainers qualified as presenters
if they were subject matter experts, but at times an external vendor was needed. When
employees attended training, the staff development department provided movie-sized
candy bars. One external trainer was surprised when the very first question of the session
was "Is the candy closet open?"
Although Jerry intended to stay with the organization until his retirement, recent
ethical breaches and a looming acquisition had tested his resolve. Because Jerry was quite
effective at his job another company recruited him. After personal reflection, Jerry
decided this opportunity was one he should accept. He did not want to lose his MBA
tuition opportunity and the new company had a policy for employees to wait one year
after their start of employment to be eligible for tuition reimbursement. Jerry did not want
to discontinue the MBA program. He decided to ask his hiring manager if an exception
could be made to the company policy as a condition of his employment. Jerry was happy
he asked, as the corporate leaders granted the exception.
1. Jerry had listened to negative feedback from others about the tuition
reimbursement program. Comments such as “I can’t believe the company pays
for this - these people are just going to increase their skills and then leave for
greener pastures.” Do you agree with the skeptical coworkers? Was Jerry
unethical when accepting tuition reimbursement and then left his company for a
new opportunity?
2. Jerry’s new company offered an additional tuition reimbursement opportunity.
Company leaders believed in developing a new generation of workers and
dedicated $40,000 in tuition reimbursement per employee per dependent for their
child’s higher education. Although never a requirement of the dependent tuition
reimbursement program, several of the students interned at the company over
summer and on break. The company held a celebratory reception for employees’
dependents in the program. A slide show featured their picture and introduced
their major and career goals. What could this program do for employee morale,
retention, and loyalty?
The corporate Learning and Development department of a Fortune 500 company was
thrilled. The corporation was recognized by Forbes’ Best Companies to Work For annual
recognition list for another year. Jane, the SHRP who led Learning and Development
wanted to see what the Top 10 were doing that their organization could implement or
improve upon. She had the Learning and Development team review what was noted for
each of the Top Ten.
At number 9, Acuity, workers felt a great sense of responsibility and purpose.
Number 8, Salesforce, credits the CEO because he leads by example and truly believes
making the world a better place. Ultimate Software employees, at number 7, credits
supportive management. Employees at Edward Jones (#5) receive more than 100 hours of
training per year. According to the ATD State of the Industry report, across
organizations, employees averaged only 33.5 hours of training. Colleagues at The Boston
Consulting Group (#3) can qualify for think sabbaticals which are designed to foster
innovation and creativity.
Google, who has held the #1 place on the list for six years in the row, offered unique
perspectives on learning and development. "Googler to Googler" features employees as
trainers (rather than HRPs who are referred to as People Operations). Google discovered
with employees as trainers, people attended sessions because they wanted to learn from
others, versus listening to what an HRP had to say. Creative Skills for Innovation and
other career building classes taught by Googlers accounted for 55% of the training
offered at Google. With employees as trainers, Google believes promoting a culture of
learning comes from within.
According to the Wall Street Journal, GoogleEDU is a learning and leadership
program that has upper management support. The Google program is credited for
creating loyalty and developing a ‘more Googley environment’. To create classes,
Google relies on company statistics and employee input. Classes are developed for
various branches within Google and for different levels of an employee’s career.
Naturally, Google wants its employees to stay. However if employees do leave Google,
leadership wants them to leave with a good feeling about the company.
The review of these Top 10 companies provided the Jane and her staff with several
thoughts regarding Learning and Development. The team could not wait to get started!
Their plan was to formulate a plan for the best ideas that could provide competitive
advantage through their employees’ enhanced knowledge base and seek upper
management approval for implementation.
REFERENCES
Adkins, A., (2016). Employee Engagement in the U.S. Stagnant in 2015.” Gallup found
online on October 1, 2017 at http://www.gallup.com/poll/188144/employee-
engagement-stagnant-201.aspx.
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Beheshtifar, M., & Nazarian, R. (2013). Role of Occupational Stress in Organizations.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. Vol. 4, pp. 648-
657.
Caldwell, C., (2012). Moral Leadership: A Transformative Model for Tomorrow’s
Leaders. New York: Business Expert Press.
Caldwell, C., Hayes, L., Karri, R., and Bernal, P., (2008). “Ethical Stewardship: The Role
of Leadership Behavior and Perceived Trustworthiness.” Journal of Business Ethics,
Vol. 78, Iss. 1/2, pp. 153-164.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Church, A. H., and Burke, W. W., (2017). “Four Trends Shaping the Future of
Organizations and Organization Development.” OD Practitioner, Vol. 49, Iss. 3, pp.
14-22.
Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free
Press.
DePree, M., (2004). Leadership is an Art. New York: Crown Publishing
Hastings, R. (2009). “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of Employee Engagement.” Found online on
October 1, 2017 at http://www.shrm.org/resourceand tools/hr-topics/employee-
relations/pages/whatandwhy.aspx.
Kluczny, S., (2017). “9 Characteristics of Top Employee Training Programs.” Biz
Library Blog found online on October 1, 2017 at https://www.bizlibrary.com/
article/employee-training-9-characteristics-of-top-programs/.
Mello, J. A., (2014) Strategic Human Resource Management (4th ed.). Boston, MA:
Cengage Learning
Noe, R. A., (2016). Employee Training & Development. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Society of Human Resource Management, (2015). Engaging in Succession Planning.
Washington, D. C: Society of Human Resource Management and found online on
October 18, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/
toolkits/pages/engaginginsuccessionplanning.aspx
Waggoner, J. (2013). Do happy workers mean higher profit? USA Today. Retrieved
from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/02/19/treating-
employeeswell-stock-price/1839887/.
Chapter 11
Because the strategic goal of virtually every organization and organization leader is
to perform more efficiently and effectively in pursuing their organization’s mission, it is
logically consistent that Human Resource Professionals (HRPs) and Human Resource
Management (HRM) departments and staff will similarly be committed to helping their
organizations and employees to be high performers1. Research about high performance
work systems (HPWS) and high trust organizations (HTO) has confirmed that
organizations with aligned HRM systems which adopt practices, programs, and policies
that engage and empower employees are more profitable than comparable organizations
that lack such alignment in their HRM systems2.
The purpose of this chapter is to describe the key characteristics of HPWS and HTO
organizations and to explain why aligned HRM systems are so important to the
competitive advantage and long-term success of modern organizations. We begin the
chapter by citing the research and academic literature which documents the
1
The logic of effective Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) has been articulated by many scholars,
including Ulrich, D, Allen, J., Brockbank, W, Younger, J., & Nyman, M. (2009). HR Transformation:
Building Human Resources from the Outside In. New York: The RBL Institute.
2
This research is documented in many scholarly publications, including Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High
Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass.
characteristics and profitability of such systems – clarifying the nature of such systems as
HRM-related and behaviorally important in creating relationships with employees. We
then examine the underlying reasons why aligned HRM systems based upon creating
high trust are so effective as a governance model in the 21st century. We conclude the
chapter with ten recommendations for HRPs in creating and implementing HPWS and
HTO cultures in their organizations.
Figure 1.
Organizations that are successful meld both economic and financial imperatives with
organizational and values-based priorities3. An HPWS involves patterns of organizational
work structures, systems, and practices that align HRM policies and programs4.
The underlying philosophy of HPWS is that people make up the critical competitive
asset of an organization and that aligned HRM practices “enhance employee skills,
knowledge, motivation, and flexibility5.” HPWS organizations typically incorporate
seven similar HRM practices.
3
This integration of values and financial objectives is the clear message of Beer, M., (2009) Ibid. and Paine, L. S.,
(2003). Value Shift: Why Companies Must Merge Social and Financial Imperatives to Achieve Superior
Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill.
4
See Van Buren, M. E. & Werner, J. M., (1996). “High Performance Work Systems.” Business and Economic
Review, Vol. 43, Iss. 1, pp. 15-23.
5
Ibid., p. 16.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
6
These seven HPWS factors were identified in Caldwell, C., and Floyd, L. A., 2014. “High Performance Work
Systems: Building Commitment to Increase Profitability.” Graziadio Business Review, Vol. 17, Iss. 3, found
online at http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2014/12/high-performance-work-systems/ and in Pfeffer, J., (1998). The
Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
It is the integration and synergy of an HPWS organization that aligns a culture and
that makes it effective7. It is this HPWS alignment that enables a firm to achieve its
potential “as an inimitable resource supporting the effective implementation of corporate
strategy and the attainment of operational goals8.”
HTOs, also called High Commitment Organizations, are known for their high
involvement of employees, the decentralization of decisions and employee
empowerment9. HTOs are created by leaders who earn the confidence of followers that
their organization will honor express and implied duties to treat employees both ethically
and humanely10. In response to how they are treated under such systems, followers
respond with a commitment to the organization’s goals in various degrees.
Diagram 1 reflects follower behaviors that vary from reluctantly indifferent
compliance to stewardship ownership of an organization’s goals and is presented as a
continuum, based upon the level of trust of followers11.
Each of the zones in this continuum reflects the willingness of followers to cooperate,
comply with, or trust a leader12. Chester Barnard had identified the Zone of Indifference
as the broad range of leader directives which employees were willing to accept without
reservation or judgment as part of the employees’ jobs13. Herbert Simon suggested a
related Zone of Acceptance in which employees were influenced by leaders and willing
to comply with leader requests with unquestioned acceptance14. Caldwell and Hansen
proposed a similar continuum, suggesting that acceptance required trust and the willing
relinquishment of personal control -- identifying a Zone of Trust which reflected a higher
7
Van Buren, M. E. & Werner, J. M., (1996) op. cit.
8
See Becker, B. E. and Huselid, M. A., (1998). “High Performance Work Systems”. Research in Personnel and
Human Resource Management , Vol. 16, pp. 53-101.
9
This idea is the key message of Boxall, P. and Macky, K., (2009). “Research and Theory on High Performance
Work Systems: Progressing the High-Involvement Stream.” Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 19,
Iss. 1, pp. 3-23.
10
This trust is articulated clearly in Hurley, R. F., (2011). The Decision to Trust: How Leaders Create High-Trust
Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, p. 25.
11
This continuum was developed in Hayes, L., Caldwell, C., Licona, B. and Meyer, T. E., 2015. “Follower
Behaviors and Barriers to Wealth Creation.” Journal of Management Development, Vol. 34, Iss. 3, pp. 270-
285 and reflects research about trust and follower commitment over the past eighty years.
12
The nature of trust as a behavior, rather than simply an attitude or intention is clarified in Gullett, J., Canuto-
Carranco, M., Brister, M., Turner, S., and Caldwell, C. (2009). “The Buyer-Supplier Relationship: An
Integrative Model of Ethics and Trust.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 90, Supp. 3, pp. 329-341.
13
Chester Barnard’s work on cooperation and human behavior identifies this zone in Barnard, C. I., (1938). The
Functions of the Executive. Boston, MA: Harvard College, pp. 167-170
14
Nobel Prize winner, Herbert A. Simon, acknowledged his reliance upon Barnard’s work and relabeled the Zone
of Indifference in his book, Simon, H. A., (1997). Administrative Behavior: A Study of Decision-Making
Processes in Administrative Organizations (4th ed.). New York: Free Press.
degree of individual commitment15. Hayes and colleagues built upon this same idea and
defined both a Zone of Commitment and a Zone of Stewardship16 – reflecting increasing
levels of employee commitment to the extent that employees acted like full “owners and
partners17.”
Figure 4.
The continuum reflects the degree to which individual employees trust and fully
embrace the goals of an organization and their commitment to its mission in embracing
and pursuing its objectives. Research suggests that this commitment or level of employee
trust is responsible for 60% of the criteria in which HTOs earned “four times the return of
the broader market” over a seven-year period18.
Distrust leads to destructive organization behaviors and creates “we versus them”
relationships that undermine cooperation19. Distrust generates the withholding of personal
commitment and cooperation out of a desire to avoid being hurt or taken advantage of by
another party20. A growing body of research confirms that trust and elements of justice
15
See Caldwell, C., and Hansen, M., (2010). “Trustworthiness, Governance, and Wealth Creation.” Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol. 97, Iss. 2, pp. 173-188.
16
These two zones were identified in Hayes, L. et al., (2015) op. cit. indicated above.
17
This term comes from Block, P., (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA:
Berrett-Koehler.
18
This powerful insight is found on page 38 of Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. and Morreale, S. P. (2011).”Building High-
Trust Organizations.” Leader to Leader, Vol. 2011, Iss. 60, pp. 39-45. The authors are citing a 2005 Russell
Investment Group Annual Report.
19
Ibid.
20
Caldwell, C. & Hansen, M. (2010) op. cit.
are closely related, that both profoundly impact employee commitment, and that trust and
fair treatment are essential elements in creating high involvement organizations21.
The alignment of HRM practices is a critical element that sends a consistent message
and that reinforces a common set of organizational values that reflect an organization’s
commitment to treating employees as valued partners22.
Figure 5.
21
See, for example, the work of Searle, R., Hartog, D. N. D., Weibel, A., Gillespie, N., Six, F., Hatzakis, T., &
Skinner, D., (2011) “Trust in the Employer: The Role of High-Involvement Work Practices and Procedural
Justice in European Organizations.” International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 22, Iss. 5,
pp. 1069-1092.
22
See Beer, M. (2009) op. cit.
23
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. and Morreale, S. P. (2011), op. cit.
24
Elements of trustworthiness are addressed in many studies, such as Caldwell, C., and Ndalamba, K., (In Press).
“Trust and Being ‘Worthy’ – The Keys to Creating Wealth.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of
Management Development.
25
Christensen, C. M.,
26
Kouzes, J. M. and Posner, B. Z., (2011). Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
27
The importance of honesty and openness in building trust are identified repeatedly in Beer, M., (2009) op. cit. and
Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
28
The most-cited paper about Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman., (1995). “An Integrative Model of
Organizational Trust.” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20, Iss. 3, pp. 709-734.
29
Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z., (2011) op. cit.
30
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. and Morreale, S. P. (2011), op. cit.
31
This relationship is well developed in the research about authentic leadership and is found in Gardner, W. L.,
Cogliser, C. C., Davis, K. M., & Dickens, M. P.., (2011). “Authentic Leadership” A Review of the Literature
and Research Agenda.” The Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 22, Iss. 6, pp. 1120-1145.
32
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. and Morreale, S. P. (2011), op. cit.
33
For a thorough description of these relationships related to ethical stewardship, see Caldwell, C., Hayes, L., and
Long, D., 2010. “Leadership, Trustworthiness, and Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 96,
Iss. 4, pp. 497-512.
34
See Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
35
See Rita, S. & Ganesan, V., (2012). Quality Enhancement in Prime Service Sectors: SERVQUAL-Based
Approaches. Saarbrucken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing.
36
This point is emphasized in Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman., (1995) op. cit.
37
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. and Morreale, S. P. (2011), op. cit.
38
These relationships are identified in Tzafrir, S. S., (2007). “The Relationship between Trust, HRM Practices, and
Firm Performance.” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 16, Iss. 9, pp. 1600-
1622.
When employees relate to these five driving forces, not only does their trust increase
in organizational leaders but their personal identities also are enhanced as they identify
with their organizations’ mission and match it with their own values and identities43.
39
The key elements of organizational identity are defined in the classic article, Albert, S. & Whetten, D. A. (1985).
“Organizational Identity.” Research in Organizational Behavior, Vol. 7, pp. 263-296.
40
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. and Morreale, S. P. (2011), op. cit.
41
This relationship is found in Gils, S., Hogg, M., Quaquebeke, N., & Knippenberg, D., (2017). “When
Organziational Identification Elicits Moral Decision-Making: A Matter of the Right Climate.” Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol. 142, Iss. 1, pp. 155-168.
42
Ibid.
43
This matching of one’s actions with personal self-image, or one’s comparator, is explained in Burke, P. J. &
Stets, J. E., (2009). Identity Theory. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
44
This decline in available resources is addressed by many experts, including Pullitzer Prize Winner, Friedman, T.
L., (2009). Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution – And How it Can Renew America,
Release 2.0. New York: Picador Press.
45
Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
Organizations that adopt a HPWS or HTO model of governance have the opportunity
to unlock the potential of their employees and to succeed in a world that must survive,
despite these five difficult issues.
46
The evolving and rapid nature of change and its profound competitive impacts have been cited by scholars like
Christensen, C. M., (2016). The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
47
The inability of modern leaders to address today’s problems is well documented by Friedman, T. L. (2009) op.
cit. and by Reich, R. B., (2013). Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future Updated. New York:
Random House.
48
This failure to see the long-term nature of problems or to recognize their potential global impact was articulated
by Jones, T. M., (1991). “Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent
Model.” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 16, Iss. 2, pp. 366-395.
49
This reality is documented in Friedman, T. L., (2009) op. cit.
50
This debt was documented by the Concord Coalition, an independent US research firm and found online on
August 28, 2017 at https://www.concordcoalition.org/? gclid=Cj0KCQjw_o7NBRDgARIsAKvAgt3Igd-
GkWXMTV_la5AbiJ0EXnw26JWstxdBtARMAHXWmA2Z1F5ttloaAoJoEALw_wcB#id-13829. The
Concord Coalition is a political advocacy group in the United States, formed in 1992. A bipartisan
organization, it was founded by U.S. Senator Warren Rudman, former Secretary of Commerce Peter George
Peterson, and U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas.
51
Among the many who have expressed concern about the world and US financial picture, is Reich, R. B., (2012).
Beyond Outrage: Expanded Edition: What Has Gone Wrong with Our Economy and Our Democracy and How
to Fix It. New York: Random House. Reich is a former Rhodes Scholar and currently works as the
Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the
Blum Center for Developing Economies. He served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, for
which Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century
The challenge for today’s organizations is to create organizational cultures that align
their values to build employee commitment, increase trust and cooperative behavior, and
empower employees to become the best possible versions of themselves52. Although
there is no “instant pudding” in creating HRM systems that support HPWS and HTO
systems, the following are ten recommended steps for HRPs to consider in implementing
such systems53.
52
The challenge facing organizations in achieving organizational and individual greatness is articulated in Covey,
S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press.
53
These ten steps mesh with the improvement process articulated by Block, P., (2011). Flawless Consulting: A
Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
54
Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
55
Distinguishing between symptoms and causes is a key skill identified by Covey, S. R., (2013). 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York: Simon & Schuster.
56
This important point is fundamental to the HRM role but is also addressed in Sholtes, P., Joiner, B. L., & Streibel,
B. J., (2003). The TEAM Handbook (3rd ed.). Madison, WI: Oriel, Inc.
57
Block, P. (2011) op. cit.
58
in Sholtes, P., Joiner, B. L., & Streibel, B. J., (2003) op. cit.
There are, of course, no guarantees that implementing HPWS and HTO HRM
systems will ensure that organizations will survive in today’s competitive global
economy. Notwithstanding that reality, a growing body of evidence confirms that aligned
and complementary HTO and HPWS practices improve productivity, customer service,
and profitability for organizations of all types63.
Questions to Ponder
59
Ibid.
60
Ibid.
61
The importance of complementary and aligned HRM practices is documented in Foss, N. J, Pedersen, T.,
Forsgaaard, M. R., & Stea, D., (2015). “Why Complementary HRM Practices Impact Performance: The Case
of Rewards, Job Design, and Work Climate in a Knowledge-Sharing Context.” Human Resource Management,
Vol. 54, Iss. 6, pp 955-976.
62
Block, P. (2011) op. cit.
63
Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
closed three unprofitable plants. Employees were under the impression that their location
was profitable and that they were holding their own despite tumultuous times. The
employees thought corporate simply wanted to divest their particular product line as it no
longer fit with the corporate mission. When potential buyers began to tour the facility,
workers were not alarmed. The founding owner of this location had retired and sold the
plant to the current corporation. During that transition, plant employees remained
unaffected.
The plant HRP and corporate HRM staff gathered to evaluate what had happened and
to formulate potential solutions to present to corporate leaders. The HR team did not want
to go through another plant closure. Results-based compensation had become
nonexistent. Lack of financial resources had actually led to zero raises over the past three
years. Employees who understood cost of living allowances (COLA) and inflation, as
measured by the consumer price index (CPI), realized the result of zero raises was
actually an annual pay cut of 2%. The zero raise decision affected everyone at the plant.
Plant supervisors were proud of their hiring history. They were successful at selective
hiring, with only one unsuccessful hire in the past five years. The work culture was
collaborative and supportive. Plant employees shared, used effective communication, and
were comfortable with each other. Status barriers did not exist.
The only person at the plant who was privy to detailed financial information was the
Brian, the plant manager. Month by month he watched profits plummet. The magnitude
of this negative trend was significant. Brian was instructed by corporate to keep this
information to himself. The plant HRP did not know the particulars of the financial
situation. She had witnessed the three previous closures and naturally was concerned.
During recent weeks Brian had been recruited by a large and successful company
client. He was very impressed with this organization when he personally conducted client
product training at the client’s job site. Although Brian thoroughly enjoyed being plant
and the people with whom he worked, he had a daughter in college and bills to pay. If the
plant was sold, there was no guarantee of his own job security. So . . . Brian decided to
leave and take the new job offer.
The day before his last day Brian personally funded an employee pizza party for first
and second shift. He treated third shift to breakfast. Brian thanked each employee for his
or her contributions to the plant and communicated how he thoroughly enjoyed working
with them. When Brian put in his notice, corporate management directed him not to share
financial information at the plant until instructed to do so. Employees did not have much
time to internalize the plant manager's departure decision.
One week later Brian started his new career with the client company who recruited
him. He hoped he had made the right decision.
3. What are the three most important qualities of an organization for which you
would like to work?
REFERENCES
Albert, S. & Whetten, D. A. (1985). “Organizational Identity.” Research in
Organizational Behavior, Vol. 7, pp. 263-296.
Barnard, C. I., (1938). The Functions of the Executive. Boston, MA: Harvard College, pp.
167-170.
Becker, B. E. and Huselid, M. A., (1998). “High Performance Work Systems”. Research
in Personnel and Human Resource Management, Vol. 16, pp. 53-101.
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Block, P., (2011). Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. San
Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Block, P., (2013). Stewardship: Choosing Service over Self-Interest. San Francisco, CA:
Berrett-Koehler.
Boxall, P. and Macky, K., (2009). “Research and Theory on High Performance Work
Systems: Progressing the High-Involvement Stream.” Human Resource Management
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Chapter 12
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
1
Japsen, B., (2012). “U. S. Workforce Illness Costs $575 Billion Annually from Sick Days to Workers
Compensation.”
Figure 1.
UNDERSTANDING WELLNESS
Wellness is far more than absence of disease, but encompasses a philosophy of life
encompassing achieving physical, mental, and emotional good health. Honoring the
obligation to help employees attain that good health is a part of the responsibility of
HRM programs and is included in the role of HRPs2. Wellness programs encompass a
broad variety of physical, mental, behavioral, and financial health and can extend beyond
an employee to include his or her family3. Wellness programs began to be an important
part of corporate Human Resource Management (HRM) systems in the 1980s and have
increasingly been recognized as a benefit to both employees and their companies4.
2
Parks, K. M., and Steelman, L. A., (2008). “Organizational Wellness Programs: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of
Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 13, Iss. 1, pp. 58-68.
3
See, for example, Burjek, A., (2017). “Weighing the Value of Workplace Wellness.” Workforce, Vol. 96, Iss. 2,
pp. 30-48.
4
Ibid.
Although many companies contract out their wellness program activities, other
companies run these programs in-house to a large degree and work in partnership with
providers5. As with any HRM program, employee wellness programs are established to
serve the twin goals of benefiting employees and helping the company. Business
magazines like Fortune have examined employee wellness programs from the
perspective of reduced health care costs and lost time due to Workers Compensation
claims and sickness as well as for their benefits in helping employees to live longer,
healthier, and more productive lives6.
Figure 2.
5
Ibid.
6
See Fry, E., (2017). “Corporate Wellness Programs: Healthy . . . Or Hokey?” Fortune, March 15. Vol. 175, Iss. 4,
pp. 99-100.
7
Otenyo, E. E., and Smith E. A., (2017). “An Overview of Employee Wellness Programs (EWPs) in Large U.S.
Cities: Does Geography Matter?” Public Personnel Management, Vol 46, Iss. 1, pp. 3-24.
8
These results were reported in the Harvard Business Review article, Berry, L. L., Mirabito, A. M., and Baun, W.
B., (2010). “What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Program?” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 88,
Iss. 12, pp. 104-112.
9
These outstanding results were reported in Baldwin, N., (2016). “Navigating Employee Wellness Programs.”
Workforce, Vol. 95, Iss. 3, pp. 24-25.
Figure 3.
EWPs are varied in their content from company to company and from region to
region10. Although EWPs are typically focused on a company’s specific needs, its history
of expenses, and its financial position, the variety of programs and services included in
EWPs typically is made up of a mix of the following elements.
10
Otenyo, E. E., and Smith E. A., (2017) op. cit.
11
Cooper, C., Dewe, P., and O’Driscoll, M., (2003). “Employee Assistance Programs” in Quick J. and Tetrick, L.
(Eds.). Handbook of Occupational Health Psychology. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological
Association, pp. 289=304.
12
Pascarella, A., (2015). “The Importance of Employee Assistance Programs.” Lawley, October 15th found online
on October 11, 2017 at http://www.lawleyinsurance.com/wellness/the-importance-of-employee-assistance-
programs-eap/.
13
See Burroughs, A., (2015). “Smoking Cessation.” Smart Business Cleveland, Vol. 26, Iss. 12, pp. 62-63.
companies also offer employees financial incentives for quitting smoking and
improving their personal wellness14.
3) Weight Loss – Weight loss incentives are also offered, often in the form of cash
rewards or as a decrease in the employee portion of the premium for health
insurance15. There is some evidence, however, that extrinsic incentives are not
effective in motivating employee weight loss16. Unfortunately, adult Americans
have significant problems with excessive weight and obesity with 35.0% of men
and 40.4% of women classified as obese, according to a report from the National
Center for Biotechnology Information17. Obesity is also related to other chronic
health problems.
4) Fitness Programs –Fitness and overall good health are correlated and firms that
have implemented EWPs with fitness programs have seen cost savings as a
result18. Work-sponsored fitness programs benefit a society in which only one in
five Americans gets the recommended amount of daily exercise19. Major
employers have initiated fitness programs as part of overall health care
gainsharing agreements with employees in acknowledgement of the correlation
between fitness, better health, and reduced health care costs20. Although fitness
programs may be job-related, as is the case with some professions (e.g.,
firefighters), they also promote good health and overall wellness – benefiting
individuals and decreasing their companies’ health care costs, time lost from sick
leave, and workers compensation expenses.
5) Health Screening – Health screening, including fitness analysis, is offered by
employers as part of many EWPs. Those screenings can identify employees who
are at risk for chronic health conditions, in addition to providing valuable
information to employees about their general health and opportunities available
to improve overall health21. More than 141 million Americans have one or more
chronic health conditions22. Blood pressure testing and a Body Mass Index
analysis can be helpful for every employee and the makeup of an employee
14
Ibid.
15
Ruhl, L., (2016). “Wellness Programs Shift Focus Away from Weight Loss.” Central Penn Business Journal
February 19th, Vol. 32, Iss. 9, pp. 14-15.
16
Ibid.
17
Flegal, K. M., Kruszon-Moran, D., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., and Ogden, C. L., (2016). “Trends in Obesity
among Adults in the United States, 2005-2014.” Bethesda, MY: National Center for Biotechnology
Information.
18
Greene, J., (2011). “Employee Wellness Proves Its Worth.” Trustee, Vol. 64, Iss. 2, pp. 8-12.
19
This statistics is identified by the Center for Disease Control in a May 2, 2013 Press Release: “One in Five Adults
Meet Overall Physical Activity Guidelines.” Atlanta, GA: Center for Disease Control Prevention found online
on October 11, 2017 at https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0502-physical-activity.html.
20
Levitt, C., (2015). “New York City’s Health Care Cost Savings Plan.” Benefits Magazine, Vol. 52, Iss. 9, pp. 11-
15.
21
Desai, P., (2017). “Getting MORE from Health Screenings.” Benefits Magazine, Vol. 54, Iss. 9, pp. 45-51.
22
Ibid.
population can be taken into account to conduct other health screening tests
appropriate for that population23.
6) Financial Health Counseling – Many organizations have acknowledged the
importance of including financial health counseling in their EAPs24. A research
study conducted by Washington University affirmed that financial health and
physical health were directly correlated25. Financial counseling services
demonstrate to employees their companies’ commitment to their economic health
but also have a positive overall impact on employee wellbeing26. With the high
incidence of individual debt that is prevalent in society, financial counseling and
financial stress management have practical relevance for many of today’s
employees27.
7) Catastrophic Event Counseling – Often, as part of the services provided by
EAPs, firms offer employees with counseling and emotional support during times
of personal emergency or after the occurrence of a catastrophic event. Such
counseling service acknowledges the needs of employees as a group or as
individuals and enables persons who have undergone a catastrophe to adjust to its
traumatic consequences. Individual and family emotional support during times of
special need can be of great benefit to struggling employees and demonstrate to
the entire employee group that a company is committed to its employees’
welfare28.
EWPs are most effective when they are developed in partnership with employees and
are focused on the unique characteristics of the organization and its mix of employees.
Understanding employee needs and identifying opportunities to involve employees in
programs that improve employee health and wellbeing and improve the financial position
of the organization are major responsibilities of HRPs and can have substantial positive
benefits for all parties.
23
Dugmore, D., (2011). “A Wider View of Wellness.” Employee Benefits, September, pp. 6-8.
24
Butler, K., (2015). “Today’s Wellness: Sound Body, Mind & Finances.” Workforce, Vol. 4, Iss. 11, pp. 38-42.
25
Gubler, T., and Pierce, L., (2014). “Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Retirement Planning Predicts Employee Health
Improvements.” Psychological Science, Vol. 24, Iss. 9, pp. 1822-1830.
26
Ibid.
27
This important point is made in “Promoting Financial Wellness in the Workplace.” Employee Benefit News, Vol.
27, Iss. 13, Special section, pp. 3-11, Oct. 2013.
28
This point is made in O’Brien, E., and Tepper, T., (2016). “The High Cost of Coping.” Money, December, Vol.
45, Iss. 11, pp. 72-81.
Figure 4.
1) Identify the unique needs that characterize the organization. Understanding the
health status and demographics of employees that are unique to an organization
enables HRPs to identify where to best invest organization resources to meet
those needs.
29
Neely, M., (2012). “Wellness Strategies for Smaller Businesses.” Benefits Quarterly, Vol. 28, Iss. 3, pp. 16-19.
30
See “Employee Assistance Programs.” Inc. BrandView found online on October 11, 2017 at
https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/employee-assistance-programs.html.
Figure 5.
31
Bray, E., (2011). “Moving Beyond the Buzz.” Employee Benefit News, Vol. 25, Iss. 7, pp. 15-16.
32
For a discussion of the importance of Top Management Team support for new initiatives, see Scholtes, P. R., and
Joiner, B. L., (2003). The TEAM Handbook (3rd ed.). Madison, WI: Oriel Inc.
33
This relationship is clearly enumerated in Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic
Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-
182.
7) Track individual and organizational goals set and goals achieved. Keeping
accurate and up-to-date records reinforces the importance of the EWP and
enables HRPs to document program results and individual accomplishments.
8) Celebrate individual and organizational successes. The evidence suggests that
EWPs are typically successful in reducing the incidence of time off work and the
costs of health insurance and Workers Compensation. Celebrating individual and
organizational successes and publicizing that information strengthens the
reputation of an EWP and builds organization commitment to program goals.
These eight factors are elements of successful EWPs and enable organizations to
build employee ownership of the program and commitment to its goals. As HRPs interact
with employees about EWP activities, they also build interpersonal relationships and
improve the reputation of the HRM program.
Risk involves uncertainty about an outcome which may result in a negative result, a
loss, or a failure to achieve a desired goal. In HRM, risk management is associated with
the goals and objectives of an organization involving its personnel and their
achievements. HRPs seek to achieve the objectives of an organization’s Top Management
Team In minimizing risk and achieving the priorities essential for successful
organizational performance. With regard to HRM, risk management involves a multitude
of potential issues34.
Loss of Key Employees. The inability to retain employees who play a major role
in creating value can be a disastrous problem for organizations.
Retention of Unwanted Workers. Employees who do not contribute value at
least equivalent to their compensation need to be identified and remediated or
assisted in finding a better fit for themselves and for their employer.
Loss of Skilled Manpower to Competitors. Investing in employee development
and enhancing an employee’s skills is counterproductive if that employee
subsequently is lost to a competitor.
Reputational Risk of Dishonest Staff. As was the case with the Arthur Andersen
accounting firm with the ENRON debacle, a firm’s reputation can be destroyed
by the actions or inactions of staff.
34
The risks identified in this list come from Shastri, P. P., and Shastri, J. P., (2014). “Risk Management in Human
Resource Management Domain.” Journal of the Insurance Institute of India. Vol. 2, Iss. 2, pp. 124-128.
HRPs must develop a refined understanding of the nuances of all of these potential
HRM risks and demonstrate the ability to address and mitigate such risks. By
understanding the complex implications of each of these risks, HRPs prepare themselves
to assist their organizations to most effectively utilize employees to achieve strategic
goals and assist employees to become successful partners in that process.
Employee safety is a practical problem associated with saving companies money and
involves moral obligations to the individuals hired to perform company tasks35. HRPs
play a variety of roles in helping to define safe work behaviors; providing training for
employees, managers, and supervisors; involving employees in ensuring that hazards and
risks are minimized; and keeping track of employee safety and accident information
which can help a company to know where to focus its loss prevention efforts36.
Workplace safety is governed by state and federal laws which set forth the importance of
working conditions free from predictable causes of harm or accident37.
HRPs often play an important role in their organizations in not only providing safety
training and inspections but in coordinating Safety Committees. Those committees are
typically made up of representatives from the ranks of employees. Employees meet on a
regular basis to discuss safety issues, identify problem areas, determine whether incidents
are preventable or not preventable, and develop suggestions to eliminate causes of
incidents and accidents38.
Employee Safety Committees can be an effective way of communicating to
employees a company’s commitment to safe work practices. According to the Society for
Human Resource Management, successful committees operate with Top Management
Team support, are adequately staffed and funded, and made a priority to employees and
supervisors39. As is the case with any well-planned committees, Safety Committees work
best when members are adequately trained, when the committee meets regularly and
publishes minutes of its accomplishments, and when employees are engaged as full
owners and partners in the committee’s role40.
In creating a viable Safety Committee program, the most effective models have a
common set of characteristics. Kevin Druley, Associate Editor of Safety + Health
magazine, offered seven tips for creating a successful Safety Committee41.
1) Put Progression before Perfection. Identify realistic goals and work toward
accomplishing what matters first.
35
Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., Valentine, S. R., and Meglich, P. A., (2016). Human Resource Management
(15th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
36
Ibid.
37
Ibid.
38
Ibid. See also “Committees Put Employees in Control of Safety, Health.” Workers Compensation Monitor,
Vol. 18, Iss. 7, p. 7. April, 2005.
39
Human Resource Management found online on October 13, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-
topics/risk-management/pages/workplace-safety-committees.aspx.
40
Ibid.
41
Druley, K., (2017). “7 Tips for an Effective Workplace Safety Committee.” Safety + Health, February 26th found
online on October 13, 2017 at http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/15308-tips-for-an-effective-
workplace-safety-committee.
2) Embrace Variety. Include representatives from both the employee group and
management. Members should be selected to serve who consider safety to be an
important priority.
3) Incorporate a Basic Training Curriculum. Train members about the key
principles involved in creating a safe work environment and make the training a
requirement of all committee members.
4) Plan Meetings Carefully. Meetings should be planned ahead of time and staffed
by a Committee Leader who prepares and follows a meaningful agenda, prepares
and distributes needed information before the meeting, and keeps the committee
focused on important work.
5) Maintain a Reasonable Member Rotation. Members should remain on the
committee long enough to become qualified decision-makers and participants but
should rarely be appointed on a permanent basis so that other interested
personnel can also become involved.
6) Make Meetings Fun. The meetings should avoid wasting time, include useful
and interesting information related to the organization’s needs, and should
involve members in meaningful tasks that have real value to the organization and
its members.
7) Occasionally look outward. Explore what other organizations have done
successfully. Do the necessary research and analysis to be able to take advantage
of programs that have worked effectively elsewhere.
CONCLUSION
Although employee wellness and risk management are not always considered to be
the most important elements of HRM systems, they make an important strategic
contribution to organizations by keeping employees healthy, safe, and productive. In
addition, wellness and risk management activities demonstrate to employees the values of
a company’s culture in benefiting employees and their families long-term. Wellness and
safety programs help employees to understand how they can take better care of
themselves, develop better lifestyle habits, and become more conscious of how they can
live healthier and happier lives42. For companies the benefits of these programs transcend
reduced health care premiums, lower workers compensation costs, and less employee
time off work. Well-conceived wellness and safety programs enable companies to
maximize their productivity and profitability while honoring their commitment to helping
employees to become the best version of themselves43.
HRPs who understand the benefits of wellness and safety programs and who engage
employees in protecting their self-interests by being healthy and safe contribute a
valuable strategic benefit to their employers and to the employees that they serve. In the
many roles that HRPs play to serve the organization and to assist a company to achieve
its strategic mission, they reinforce the importance of the partnership between a company
and its employees and help to create an organizational culture where employees not only
succeed but flourish. As they implement programs that contribute to employee well-
being and good health and address the multitude of risk-related and safety needs of
employees, HRPs also strengthen the credibility of the HRM function and their own
value as part of the company’s management team44.
Questions to Ponder
1) In today’s complex world, which EWP programs do you think have the most
value for employees?
2) Do you think committees have a vested interest in the family of an employee?
Can today’s companies afford that investment in the competitive global
environment? Why or why not?
3) What are the advantages of having employees serve as decision-making members
of a company Safety Committee? How about overseeing an EWP?
Grace was conducting a seminar to assist area employers with enhanced management
skills. Her topic was hiring, training, and retention of a transient workforce. After her
session concluded, she went to the back of the room to listen to the other speaker. Bruce
approached her and said he had heard she was an effective presenter. He offered Grace an
opportunity to present at a seminar he would coordinate in a few months. Bruce and
42
For a summary of the benefits of wellness and safety programs for employers and employees, see Becker, E.
(2017). “The Benefits of a Health and Safety Program.” Concentra found online on October 14, 2017 at
https://www.concentra.com/resource-center/articles/the-benefits-of-a-health-and-safety-program/.
43
These two goals are part of the universal mission of every organization identified in Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th
Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Simon & Schuster, p. 99.
44
The importance of the strategic contribution of HRPs is addressed in Caldwell, C., et al., (2011) op. cit.
Grace worked for the same employer: he was at the main location and she was located at
a satellite facility two hours away.
Corporate had determined a need to increase wellness offerings and to raise
employee awareness of the many available programs that would undoubtedly enhance the
employees' knowledge of his or her own health. Grace has worked as an HRP in
organizations that administered a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) through a third party
vendor in order to protect confidentiality. Bruce was surrounded by employees who had
never completed an HRA. They were shocked at some of the questions that asked about
family health history, frequency that individuals exercised, smoking status, and alcohol
consumption. Most employees, despite the assurance of confidentiality, refused to
complete the HRA because they became increasingly uncomfortable with its questions.
Simultaneously, this organization had created a wellness Apple a Day program.
Employees would earn virtual apples for activities such attending informative seminars
about wellness, eating the “healthy choice” menu option in the employee cafeteria, or
taking a walk. When a preset number of apples were earned by the program deadline,
apples were converted to a cash bonus. Bruce said at the main location, this created a
group of regular walkers who participated on a daily basis. Some participants were so
overweight that they lumbered along the walk.
As he thought about the Apple a Day program, Bruce went to his neighborhood
YMCA and became a member. He was pleased to learn his employer offered a 10%
membership discount. Bruce was not adverse to wellness and protecting good health, but
he just wanted to do it his way rather than joining the Apple a Day walkers.
1) What could the HRPs do in the future to dispel employee concerns about the
HRA and confidentiality?
2) Some employees 'missed the memo'. They did not realize An Apple a Day was
underway and lost out on an opportunity to participate. How could HRPs develop
a communication strategy to eradicate this issue for the next wellness program?
What types of media could be included in the plan?
3) Do you think An Apple a Day was a success? What clues in the case support your
stance?
Bill had a son who recently demonstrated volatile behavior. He wondered if drugs
could be involved and if this was a situation that might benefit from his company's
Employee Assistance Program (EAP). At this company, the EAP provided for eight visits
per employee or eight family member per year. A desirable feature of this program was
that visits could be totaled and combined. For Bill, this meant he could see an EAP
mental health provider, his son could also visit on his own, and both could go together.
Between them, there would be 16 complementary sessions.
The company understood that employees who never accessed EAP programs could
have several questions in addition to concerns about confidentiality. The HRP invited the
EAP vendor to conduct employee knowledge sessions. Although these were available at
each department, if time date, or employee preference were factors, an employee could
attend any information session. The presenter ensured each employee had a pamphlet in
hand, including the phone number to call. The initial call service was available 24/7, 365
days a year. The EAP speaker made sure to tell employees that their needs could be
monitored over the phone, or, they could be referred to an area mental health care
provider. For this EAP provider, confidentiality was a competitive advantage. With
complete assurance of confidentiality, when an employee was facing a situation that
impacted his work and or family life, 99% of the time the employee would voluntarily
seek EAP services on his own. Employer (supervisory) referrals were uncomfortable for
most, but fortunately the assured high level of confidentiality resulted in a mere 1%
supervisor referral rate.
HRPs listen to employees and seek solutions to support the workers and their
organization. When asked, the employees at Bill's workplace stated they would like
multiple locations from which to choose to see a counselor in person. The community
was small, and everyone knew everyone. In addition, a local medical clinic had converted
and sublet its second floor to an EAP vendor. Employees said “If I go to that building and
press 2 in the elevator, everyone knows why I am there.” Child care availability was
another feature employees requested for their EAP.
1) Bill decided to call the EAP number. He was pleasantly surprised with the level
of professionalism. Confidentiality was again assured and he and his son would
be seeing a care provider in the near future. In your opinion, what did the HRP do
to establish a program that employees would be comfortable utilizing?
2) The HRP was consulted by a supervisor who had an employee with an increased
number of days absent. She was concerned the employee could jeopardize his job
if the absences continue. The HRP coached this supervisor as to what to say to
the employee. She also volunteered to be present, mainly for moral support. Once
the program was accessed and the employee was in counseling, the supervisor
wanted to know why she was not provided with a report. The HRP explained that
for a supervisory referral, the only documentation provided from the EAP vendor
answered two questions: Was the employee attending, and were he or she making
progress. What is your opinion of how the HRP handled this inquiry?
3) Your organization decides to implement an EAP. As the HRP, what lessons
could you take from this company's example that would be helpful to vendor
selection and EAP implementation for your company and its employees?
REFERENCES
Baldwin, N., (2016). “Navigating Employee Wellness Programs.” Workforce, Vol. 95,
Iss. 3, pp. 24-25.
Becker, E. (2017). “The Benefits of a Health and Safety Program.” Concentra found
online on October 14, 2017 at https://www.concentra.com/resource-
center/articles/the-benefits-of-a-health-and-safety-program/.
Berry, L. L., Mirabito, A. M., and Baun, W. B., (2010). “What’s the Hard Return on
Employee Wellness Program?” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 88, Iss. 12, pp. 104-
112.
BrandView “Employee Assistance Programs.” Inc. BrandView found online on October
11, 2017 at https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/employee-assistance-programs.html
Bray, E., (2011). “Moving Beyond the Buzz.” Employee Benefit News, Vol. 25, Iss. 7, pp.
15-16.
Burjek, A., (2017). “Weighing the Value of Workplace Wellness.” Workforce, Vol. 96,
Iss. 2, pp. 30-48.
Burroughs, A., (2015). “Smoking Cessation.” Smart Business Cleveland, Vol. 26, Iss. 12,
pp. 62-63.
Butler, K., (2015). “Today’s Wellness: Sound Body, Mind & Finances.” Workforce, Vol.
4, Iss. 11, pp. 38-42.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Center for Disease Control in a May 2, 2013 Press Release: “One in Five Adults Meet
Overall Physical Activity Guidelines.” Atlanta, GA: Center for Disease Control
Prevention found online on October 11, 2017 at https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/
2013/p0502-physical-activity.html
Cooper, C., Dewe, P., and O’Driscoll, M., (2003). “Employee Assistance Programs” in
Quick J. and Tetrick, L. (Eds.). Handbook of Occupational Health Psychology.
Washington, D. C.: American Psychological Association, pp. 289=304.
Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Simon
& Schuster.
Desai, P., (2017). “Getting MORE from Health Screenings.” Benefits Magazine, Vol. 54,
Iss. 9, pp. 45-51.
Druley, K., (2017). “7 Tips for an Effective Workplace Safety Committee.” Safety +
Health, February 26th found online on October 13, 2017 at http://
www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/15308-tips-for-an-effective-workplace-
safety-committee
Dugmore, D., (2011). “A Wider View of Wellness.” Employee Benefits, September, pp.
6-8.
Shastri, P. P., and Shastri, J. P., (2014). “Risk Management in Human Resource
Management Domain.” Journal of the Insurance Institute of India. Vol. 2, Iss. 2, pp.
124-128.
Workers Compensation Monitor. “Committees Put Employees in Control of Safety,
Health.” Workers Compensation Monitor, Vol. 18, Iss. 7, p. 7. April, 2005.
Chapter 13
1
This moral duty is articulated by Lennick, D. & Kiel, F., (2011). Moral Intelligence 2.0: Enhancing Business
Performance and Leadership Success in Turbulent Times. Boston, MA: Pearson Publishing.
2
This obligation of leaders and organizations is clearly suggested by a multitude of highly regarded scholars and is
a moral duty. See, for example, Burns, J. M., (2010). Leadership, New York: Harper & Row and Covey, S. R.,
(2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press, and Beer, M., (2009). High
Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for Sustained Advantage. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
3
This HRM responsibility is clearly the focus of Atwijuka, S. and Caldwell, C., 2017. “Human Resource
Management and Strategic Management” in Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and
Performance, (C. Caldwell & V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing and Caldwell,
C., 2017. “Transformative Ethics and Trust – Keys to Competitive Advantage” in Competitive Advantage:
Strategies, Management, and Performance, (C. Caldwell & V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York:
NOVA Publishing.
employees to succeed and to flourish, and that virtuous outcome is the emphasis of
employee relations4.
Figure 1.
The purpose of this chapter is to explain the importance of HRM employee relations
– linking it with current employee laws. Employee relations (ER) are intended to build
and sustain high trust, employee growth, innovation, and creativity. Unfortunately,
current elements of employee law often erode those noble objectives and this chapter
identifies how fuzzy legal thinking can undermine successful ER implementation.
We begin by identifying key elements of effective ER and describe many of its
defining characteristics. We then identify both positive and negative features of employee
law related to legal realities affecting employees. We conclude the chapter with five
practical ER applications for HRPs in today’s highly competitive global environment.
4
This virtuous purpose is explained beautifully in Cameron, K., (2011). “Responsible Leadership as Virtuous
Leadership.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, pp. 25-35.
5
Found on page 80 of Seth, R. C., (2014). “What Influences Harmonious Employee Relations?” International
Journal of Research in Commerce & Management, Vol. 5, Iss. 2, pp. 80-82.
goals6. Although ER is sometimes thought of in terms of the labor union context, the term
encompasses far more than that formalized relationship7.
Figure 2.
Implicit in the employer-employee relationship are the complex but often unwritten
psychological contracts that exist between the parties8. For every organization that
psychological contract is subjectively perceived by each individual employee9 – and is
based upon each employee’s unique individual experiences10. Mutually held agreements
between the parties may vary simply because of subtle differences in their interpretation
of the agreement’s provisions and unity in perception is actually the exception rather than
the norm11. Accordingly, one of the most common realities of ER is that it is subject to
differences in perception about the precise nature of the relationship – differences that
may nonetheless be strongly held and may be perceived as an ethical breach if not
honored12.
6
Ibid.
7
Aylott, E., (2014). Employee Relations. London, UK: Kogan Page Limited.
8
Ibid.
9
For a comprehensive review of the subjective nature of psychological contracts, see Rousseau, D. M., (1995).
Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding Written and Unwritten Agreements. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
10
The individual mediating lens of each person upon which subjective perceptions are based is addressed in
Caldwell, C., and Hayes, L., 2007. “Leadership, Trustworthiness, and the Mediating Lens.” Journal of
Management Development. Vol. 26, Iss. 3, pp. 261-278.
11
For a review of the problem of inconsistency about psychological contract perceptions, please see Robinson, S. L.
& Rousseau, D. M., (1994). “Violating the Psychological Contract: Not the Exception but the Norm.” Journal
of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 15, Iss. 3, pp. 245-259.
12
Ibid.
Figure 3.
13
For a review of how to create such a manual, please see Lawson II, J. W. R., (2005). How to Develop a Personnel
Policy Manual. New York: AMACOM.
14
Robinson, S. L. & Rousseau, D. M., (1994) op. cit.
15
Ibid.
16
Organizational trustworthiness is a key to competitive advantage and is addressed in a number of sources. See, for
example, Caldwell, C., and Clapham, S., 2003. “Organizational Trustworthiness: An International
Perspective,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 47, Iss. 4, p. 349-364 and WA: Washington State University
Press.
17
For a review of the role of a company’s leaders in establishing its culture and values, please see Schein, E. H. &
Schein, P., (2013). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
18
Atwijuka, S. & Caldwell, C., (2017) op. cit.
Figure 4.
supervisors and leaders to ensure that they adhere to those criteria – reaffirm the
organization’s ground rules and articulate its priorities and values to employees. When
systems, policies, and values espoused are aligned with the actions of HRPs, managers,
and the Top Management Team, trust in an organization increases and employee
commitment is enhanced19.
Employee engagement -- the degree to which an organization involves employees in
organization decisions, creates a culture that holds employees in high regard, and treats
employees as partners in improvement -- enables an organization to reinforce its
commitment to employee success and enhances productivity and performance. An
employee who is engaged “is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about, his or her work,
and thus will act in a way that furthers their organization’s interests”20. Unfortunately, the
overwhelming majority of employees describe themselves as not engaged at work and
fewer than one in three Millennials are positively engaged21. When managers and team
19
For a more complete understanding of the importance of engagement, see Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C.,
(2016). “Creating a Culture of Engagement – Insights for Application.” Business and Management Research,
Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 70 -80 available online at http://sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/bmr/article/view/9734.
20
This helpful definition is found at Paul, E., (2017). “Employee Engagement: A Key HR Strategy” EmptrustHR
found online on October 25, 2017 at http://www.emptrust.com/blog/employee-engagement-a-key-hr-strategy.
21
The actual percentage, according to a Gallup survey was 28.9%. See Adkins, A., (2015). “Majority of U.S.
Employees not Engaged Despite 2014 Gains.” Washington, D. C.: Gallup found online on October 25, 2017 at
http://news.gallup.com/poll/181289/majority-employees-not-engaged-despite-gains-2014.aspx.
Figure 5.
leaders provide meaningful feedback to employees, a 2017 Gallup report found that those
employees are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged in their organization22. Creating a
culture of engagement through effective ER enables organizations to unlock the potential
contributions that employees can make through increasing innovation, productivity, and
creativity within an organization23.
One means of increasing a positive employee response to its organization is by
internal marketing. Internal marketing “views the employees as internal customers”24 and
is the communication of positive information about an organization to its own employees,
thereby building greater pride in the organization and improving customer service and
performance25. A positive way to build high employee regard for their organization is to
share with the employees the ethical rationale behind decisions that are made and the
values of the organization that guide that rationale26. When employees take pride in their
22
Gallup Access, (2017). “Transform Your Workplace” found online on October 25, 2017 at
https://my.gallup.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=workplace-
branded&utm_keyword=gallup%20employee%20engagement&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MDPBRAFEiwAppdF9K
R2g0Qkku7KtYEWftJnQxhGeknveZH1q04MqO-mPqfQrTUbzPWl5xoC-dUQAvD_BwE.
23
Smith, S., Peters, R., and Caldwell, C., (2016) op. cit.
24
This quote is found on page 1118 of Tsai, Y., & Tang, T-W., (2008). “How to Improve Service Quality: Internal
Marketing as a Determining Factor.” Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Vol. 19, Iss. 11, pp.
1117-1126.
25
See Caldwell, C., Licona, B., and Floyd, L. A., 2015. “Internal Marketing to Achieve Competitive Advantage.”
International Business and Management, Vol. 10, Iss. 1., pp. 1-8.
26
Ibid.
Figure 6.
companies and feel positive about the underlying values, principles, and moral impacts of
their company in society, commitment to the organization increases and can become a
source of competitive advantage27.
One of the important first steps in building successful relationships with new
employees in ER is the quality of an organization’s onboarding process to transition
employees and prepare them for success on the job28. Unfortunately, most organizations
are ineffective in their onboarding process for new employees – to their own detriment
and to the disadvantage of incoming employees29. Despite the fact that onboarding is
essential to enable new employees to become truly effective and despite the economic
savings from assisting these employees to become quickly assimilated into an
organization, HRPs consistently fail to take advantage of this opportunity and obligation
to assist new employees to become familiar with their new organization context and
make a smooth transition30. By failing to make onboarding an HRM priority, HRPs
violate the perceived duty to help new employees as they enter their organizations and
overlook an important opportunity to create a strong ER impression31.
Another critical factor in great ER is an organization’s commitment to the training
and professional development of employees. Investing in employee training and
27
Ibid.
28
The importance of onboarding employees is identified by the Society for Human Resource Management in their
online book by Talya N. Bauer. See Bauer, T. N., (2010). Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success.
Washington, D. C.: SHRM Foundation found online on October 25, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/
foundation/ourwork/initiatives/resources-from-past-initiatives/Documents/Onboarding%20New%20
Employees.pdf.
29
This verity about the ineffectiveness of new employee onboarding is identified in Caldwell, B. G., and Caldwell
C., 2016. “Ten Classic Onboarding Errors: Violations of the HRM – Employee Relationship.” Business and
Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 47-55 and available online at http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/
index.php/bmr/article/view/10672/6501.
30
See Caldwell, C. and Peters, R. 2017. “New Employee Onboarding – Psychological Contracts and Ethical
Perspectives.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Management Development.
31
Ibid.
There are a number of significant legal issues associated with HRM and, particularly,
with the impact of those issues on ER. Without question, the issue of “employment-at-
will” is the most important legal issue that affects employees. This concept enables an
employer to terminate an employee with or without cause, or even for bad cause, with
four exceptions:
32
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Beer, M., (2009) op. cit. for confirmation about the return on investment from
well-crafted employee training and development programs.
33
Ibid.
34
See Atwijuka, S. & Caldwell, C., (2017) op. cit. and Caldwell, Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011.
“Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1,
pp. 171-182,
35
This ER purpose is clearly enumerated in Aylott, E., (2014) op. cit.
36
See and Caldwell, C., Hayes, L., Karri, R., and Bernal, P., 2008. “Ethical Stewardship: The Role of Leadership
Behavior and Perceived Trustworthiness.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 78, Iss. 1/2, pp. 153-164.
tenured employee just prior to when (s)he is eligible to qualify for accrued
retirement benefits.
Existence of a written contract – If a union labor agreement or written contract
exists that specifically protects employee rights, an employer is required to
demonstrate just cause for termination.
In all but one state, the employment-at-will rule is the rule of law governing
employee termination. Montana requires just cause for firing an employee. Despite the
fact that the employment-at-will rule fails to protect an employee’s right to be treated
fairly by an employer, this rule is overwhelmingly the dominant legal position and is
conceptually justified under the argument that an employee also has the right to terminate
his or her employment at any time. But this law is, nevertheless, biased firmly in the
favor of employers37. From a procedural justice perspective the employment-at-will rule
is patently unfair on its face and jeopardizes the rights of any employee to assume that
(s)he will always be fairly treated by an employer under its provisions. Ethics scholars
like Dr. Patricia Werhane, Director of the DePaul University Ethics Institute, and Dr.
Tara Radin have expressed strong criticism of the employment-at-will doctrine38 – with
Werhane calling the doctrine “morally bankrupt”39.
Termination recourse for employees who claim that their employers have violated
their federally-protected 14th Amendment due process rights is also limited. Employees
who are terminated by employers who claim to have had their rights violated due to their
age, religious preference, gender, sexual preference, or other protected classification are
dependent upon an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) hearing before they have the
legal right to sue their employer. According to federal law, the agency has “180 business
days” or as long as thirty-eight weeks to defer hearing a filed complaint – and as a
practical matter most employees cannot wait that long to have a discrimination claim
resolved. Only after the EEO has heard a claim can a wronged employee then sue his or
her employer.
As a practical matter, this law is distinctly biased on behalf of employers and leaves
employees in a position where they effectively have extremely limited recourse, even if
discriminated against40. Similarly, employees who have a written contract must go
through an extended legal waiting period which they can rarely afford—requiring them to
37
See Pfeffer, J. (1998) op. cit. for a strong criticism of the employment-at-will rule.
38
Radin, T., and Werhane, P. W., (2003). “Employment-at-Will, Employee Rights, and Future Directions for
Employment.” Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 13, Iss. 2, pp. 113-130.
39
This description was used by Dr. Werhane in a personal discussion on January 17, 2012 at the International
Conference on Ethics in Business at St. Johns University.
40
The EEOC process is explained at “Federal Employees: You be the Judge” found online on October 25, 2017 at
https://yaf.1105uat.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=3851#post17101.
Figure 7.
hire an expensive attorney to represent them if they feel they have been unfairly treated.
Once again, most individuals are financially unprepared to fight for their violated rights,
even when those rights are clearly enumerated by their employer in writing.
In many organizations the Human Resource Handbook or Personnel Policy Manual
for the company has been written by an attorney. Often the specific goal of the attorney is
to preserve and protect the rights of an employer and to disclaim any and all liability that
may be associated with ER. For that reason many such handbooks or manuals read like
intimidating legal documents that communicate in formal language and limit the rights of
individual employees.
We urge HRPs and Top Management Team members to carefully reexamine the
message that they send to their employees by allowing their attorney to draft such
documents. If the purpose of ER is to create an environment of partnership and trust with
employees and to communicate their value to the organization, then attorneys should be
given the opportunity to review a Human Resource Handbook or Personnel Policy
Manual to offer advice but should not be asked to write those documents. The guiding
query in assessing the impact of a legalistic manual of personnel policies and rules should
be, “Do these rules convey the best interests of the organization in creating a high trust
partnership with employees while communicating performance expectations?”
Employee policies and rules that undermine the importance of creating a
collaborative partnership with employees or that convey the message that the employer-
employee relationship is an “arms-length” adversarial association conflict with best
practices of HRM and are not in the interest of the modern organization41. The maxim
that Top Management Teams and HRPs should seriously consider in identifying the role
of the attorney with regard to ER is that “Attorneys should be ‘on tap’ but not ‘on top.’”
41
This conclusion is the strong opinion of Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. as well as the logical inference derived from the
empirical evidence provided by many other scholars.
From an ER perspective, input from the legal staff should be evaluated on the basis of
that input’s impact on an organization’s ability to accomplish its mission – rather than on
protecting a narrow liability interest that may be unjust and unfair to an organization’s
individual employees. Protecting liability from the mishandling of an employee
termination is far less important than creating an organizational culture that merits the
trust, respect, and extra-mile commitment of the entire work force.
At the same time, attorneys can be extremely valuable resources in helping HRPs to
understand the meaning and intent of the many laws and regulations that affect
organizations as they interact with employees. That legislation covers a multitude of
topics from overtime requirements for employees to employee rights that are and ought to
be protected – such as those covered by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration regulations, the Fair Labor Practices Act, the Age Discrimination and
Employment Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act. Providing detailed specifics about
the multitude of legal issues affecting employees on the job is not the purpose of this
chapter, nor is it covered in this book – but that information is readily available in other
sources and the advice of an organization’s attorney can be valuable in understanding the
application of the laws that apply.
Effective ER programs are the result of the Top Management Team understanding
the importance of creating an organizational culture that promotes collaborative effort;
clear communication; a commitment to a worthy purpose; and constant attention to the
important details essential to creating mutual respect, trust, and cooperation. Such
programs are inevitably value-based, principle-centered, and ethically virtuous42. HRPs
can play an important role in helping their Top Management Team to create such ER
programs. HRPs honor their roles and serve their organizations best when they treat
employees as owners and partners in the organization’s quest to achieve its best possible
outcomes43. The following are five practical principles for HRPs in implementing
successful ER programs.
1. Focus on Creating High Trust. The ER relationship is, first and foremost, a
partnership with employees and is dependent upon creating cooperation,
collaboration, and commitment.
42
See Covey, S. R., (2004) op. cit. for confirmation of the importance of each of these qualities.
43
For insights about the ethical nature of HRM and the importance of honoring ethical duties owed to the
organization and its employees, please see Atwijuka, S. & Caldwell, C., (2017) op. cit. and Hosmer, L. T.
(1987). “Ethical Analysis and Human Resource Management.” Human Resource Management, Vol. 26, Iss. 3,
pp. 313-330.
The challenges in creating a great organization are many and those challenges can
best be met by employees who work together to achieve a worthy set of goals. ER
programs that enroll employees in meeting and overcoming those challenges help
organizations to achieve their strategic purposes and add great value in the quest to
succeed in today’s extremely competitive world.
Questions to Ponder
Margaret looked at her new business card: Human Resources and Labor Relations.
At first she thought the company made a mistake. After all, she applied for the HR
position at this plant location. Half of the company’s employees were union members,
half were not. This was an interesting mix! As Margaret became acclimated with her new
work, she felt her business card should have said Employee Relations.
Two issues had surfaced which would need resolution. The first was that union
employees, through their collective bargaining agreement had a defined grievance
process. These employees understood what steps to take, documentation to provide, and
who to see about their concerns or perceived inequitable treatment. The non-union
employees had no policy, procedure, nor form to use for filing a grievance. So Margaret
developed a procedure and grievance form for the non-union employees. Upper
management approved both the procedure and the form, and the non-union employees
now had a method to file a grievance, should that be necessary.
The second situation was far more complex. Margaret realized that no one at the
plant had reviewed the health care documentation for quite some time. Margaret
discovered the corporation was self-insured, meaning requests for changes to the plan
could be made and implemented with ease. While reviewing the plan documents,
Margaret noticed the reimbursement for ambulance service was far below actual costs.
Part of the health care plan -- reimbursement for an eye exam, frames, and lenses was
meager at best. Employees with young children and teenagers approached Margaret and
asked why the company plan would pay for cavities to be filled, but not for dental
sealants.
Margaret called area ambulance providers and developed a pricing guide for local
service as well as for distance travel to big city research hospitals. Margaret asked a cross
section of employees what providers they would use for vision and dental care. She
developed a list of commonly selected providers and researched the cost of dental
sealants and for filling a cavity. With the support of management, she brought the
proposed changes to the board of directors who approved her recommendations. The plan
was updated and Margaret felt she had provided a valuable service to the organization
and its employees.
Case law can have an impact on employee relations. Recent decisions must be
considered in order to protect the credibility of an HRP, retain trust in his or her decision-
making abilities, and simply, to do what is right for the employees and the organization.
For 30 years Personnel Today has included updates on legal matters and reviewed
precedent setting cases. The Society of Human Resources (SHRM) reviews relevant and
groundbreaking employment cases for HR professionals.
Employment laws that were passed years ago still impact employee relations and
case law decisions today. According to SHRM, contemporary areas of concern relate
back to the Civil Rights Act (1964, amended 1991), the Equal Pay Act (1963), the
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
(1967), the Family Medical Leave Act (1993), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938).
One source for updates is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The Newsroom summarizes recent cases as well as those filed and pending. Appellate
Decisions are noted in its own section. In Appellate Court, initial decisions could be
reversed or upheld. The Small Business Resource Center could be helpful to most HRPs,
regardless of the number of employees employed within their organization.
1. Visit eeoc.gov and find The Newsroom. What do you observe about recent cases
that were taken forward by the EEOC?
2. How would recent case law impact a decision made by a company’s management
team? How should that company respond?
3. As an HRP involved in employee relations, how would you keep current with the
seemingly continual changes that result from case law decisions and appeals?
REFERENCES
Adkins, A., (2015). “Majority of U.S. Employees not Engaged Despite 2014
Gains.” Washington, D. C.: Gallup found online on October 25, 2017 at
http://news.gallup.com/poll/181289/majority-employees-not-engaged-despite-gains-
2014.aspx.
Atwijuka, S. and Caldwell, C., 2017. “Human Resource Management and Strategic
Management” in Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and Performance,
(C. Caldwell & V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing
Aylott, E., (2014). Employee Relations. London, UK: Kogan Page Limited.
Bauer, T. N., (2010). Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success. Washington,
D.C.: SHRM Foundation found online on October 25, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/
foundation/ourwork/initiatives/resources-from-past-initiatives/Documents/
Onboarding%20New%20Employees.pdf.
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Burns, J. M., (2010). Leadership, New York: Harper & Row and Covey, S. R., (2004).
The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press,
Caldwell, B. G., & Caldwell C., 2016. “Ten Classic Onboarding Errors: Violations of the
HRM – Employee Relationship.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5,
No. 4, pp. 47-55 and available online at http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/
index.php/bmr/article/view/10672/6501.
Caldwell, C., 2017. “Transformative Ethics and Trust – Keys to Competitive Advantage”
in Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and Performance, (C. Caldwell
& V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing.
Caldwell, C., & Clapham, S., 2003. “Organizational Trustworthiness: An International
Perspective,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 47, Iss. 4, p. 349-364.
Caldwell, C., Hayes, L., Karri, R., and Bernal, P., 2008. “Ethical Stewardship: The Role
of Leadership Behavior and Perceived Trustworthiness.” Journal of Business Ethics,
Vol. 78, Iss. 1/2, pp. 153-164.
Caldwell, C., & Hayes, L., 2007. “Leadership, Trustworthiness, and the Mediating Lens.”
Journal of Management Development. Vol. 26, Iss. 3, pp. 261-278.
Caldwell, C., Licona, B., & Floyd, L. A., 2015. “Internal Marketing to Achieve
Competitive Advantage.” International Business and Management, Vol. 10, Iss. 1.,
pp. 1-8.
Caldwell, C. & Peters, R. 2017. “New Employee Onboarding – Psychological Contracts
and Ethical Perspectives.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of
Management Development.
Caldwell, Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182,
Cameron, K., (2011). “Responsible Leadership as Virtuous Leadership.” Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol. 98, pp. 25-35.
EEOC. “Federal Employees: You be the Judge” found online on October 25, 2017 at
https://yaf.1105uat.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=3851#post17101.
Gallup Access, (2017). “Transform Your Workplace” found online on October 25, 2017
at https://my.gallup.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=
workplace-branded&utm_keyword=gallup%20employee%20engagement&gclid=
CjwKCAjw7MDPBRAFEiwAppdF9KR2g0Qkku7KtYEWftJnQxhGeknveZH1q04
MqO-mPqfQrTUbzPWl5xoC-dUQAvD_BwE.
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Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2013). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Seth, R. C., (2014). “What Influences Harmonious Employee Relations?” International
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Werhane, Dr.in a personal discussion on January 17, 2012 at the International Conference
on Ethics in Business at St. Johns University.
Chapter 14
Cam Caldwell
Distinguished Visiting Scholar -- Modern College of Business and Science,
Muscat, Oman
INTRODUCTION
1
See Inc., (2017). “Global Business” Sept. 10, found online on November 4, 2017 at https://www.inc.com/
encyclopedia/global-business.html.
become far more difficult to address and have been consistently handled poorly – even
Figure 1.
The six fundamental roles of HRM are made more challenging as Human Resource
Professionals (HRPs) and Top Management Teams guide their organizations in a milieu
that is constantly changing, culturally diverse, highly competitive, and often volatile2. In
this section we briefly review the six strategic HRM roles and identify IHRM factors that
make each role more difficult.
2
The term, VUCA, meaning a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous world is briefly summarized in
Bennett, N. & Lemoine, G. J., (2014). Harvard Business Review, Vol. 92, Iss. 1/2, p. 27.
1. Create and sustain an organizational culture aligned with the mission and
strategy. Because a company’s international strategy may expand to include
production, and/or distribution and sales in other countries, HRPs need to clearly
understand the nuances of that strategy and the implications of working with
employees with diverse backgrounds. HRPs can assist the Top Management
Team to understand the cultural differences that exist from country to country
and the behavioral and ethical implications of those differences that affect
achieving desired outcomes3. Norms, values, and priorities that may seem to be
“basic assumptions” or “common sense” in the home country may have far
different implications within the host country context. HRPs must become
subject matter experts about cultural nuances of the countries in which a firm
conducts business. A humorous example of the problems that might have
occurred if a company fails to consider cultural and/or language differences and
their significance is the experience that Chevrolet could have had if it had begun
marketing its Nova in Spanish-speaking countries. Chevrolet realized that “no
va” means “It does not go” and opted to market its Chevy Novas elsewhere than
in Spanish speaking countries4. HRM policies, systems, and programs must pass
the litmus test of cultural and language differences or be amended as necessary.
As with parallel responsibilities in the home country, IHRM programs and
systems must align with the organization’s mission or be vulnerable to sending
mixed messages and creating uncertainty.
2. Demonstrate excellence in performing technical and operational tasks
requiring the specialized skills and knowledge of HRM. HRPs must confirm
that the technical and operational HRM tasks that they perform in host countries
are contextually explained, properly conducted, and culturally aligned with best
HRM practices. HRPs are responsible for ensuring that the purpose, underlying
values, and principles that are the foundation of technical and operational tasks
are maintained so that necessary outcomes may be achieved. IHRM tasks become
a building block for efficient and effective performance – if, and only if, there is
no cultural conflict with the values of the host country. Although HRPs are not
responsible for changing policies, they have an absolute obligation to the Top
Management Team, to employees, and to managers in the host country to alert all
3
See, for example, Katiyar, A., Thomas, K., and Caldwell, C. 2011. “Ethical Issues in International Human
Resource Management.” Journal of Global Business Development, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 103-114 and Dixon, R.
D., Caldwell, C., Chatchutimakorn, A., Gradney, K., and Rattanametangkul, K., 2010. “Managing Justly
Across Cultures: The Problem of Fairness in International Business.” Journal of Management and Strategy,
Vol. 1, pp. 22-32.
4
Fortunately the Chevy Nova story is one of many urban myths that did not occur because a company’s employees
were sensitive to potential cultural and/or language issues. The Nova story and its status as a myth (that is
often told but it not true) is retold in Wooten, A., (2011). “Chevy Nova Tale, Other Marketing Myths
Debunked.” Deseret News July 10 International Business found online on Nov. 4, 2017 at
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/705388000/Chevy-Nova-tale-other-global-marketing-myths-
debunked.html.
parties about potential cultural conflicts associated with HRM tasks so that the
Top Management Team can address those issues and make appropriate
accommodations.
3. Perform as business partners for each organizational department to assist them
in identifying how to most effectively achieve operating efficiencies in
accomplishing tasks that support the organization’s mission. Being an effective
international business partner for a host country’s divisions is more complex than
providing that service in the home country. To be successful as an international
business partner, HRPs must develop an in-depth expertise about the goals,
operations, and objectives of the departments in the international division.
Premature attempts at providing this service without proper preparations are
recipes for failure. This internal organizational consulting role demands extensive
research and is often highly sophisticated in its requirements. If HRPs are unable
to develop this strategic capability, their companies must call upon other
resources that can result in time delays and expense.
4. Listen to and provide an effective voice for the work-related needs of employees
to enable and empower employees to be contributors to improving the
organization. In fulfilling responsibilities within a global context, HRPs need to
listen to, understand, and communicate the unique needs of international
employees as well as those of home country employees and convey those
concerns to the Top Management Team. Giving priority to the needs of
international employees and responding effectively enables organizations to
create high trust organizational cultures that 1) enhance quality, productivity, and
profitability in the international division; 2) encourage international employees to
innovate, grow, and thrive; and 3) build organization-wide commitment and unity
of direction.
5. Create organizational systems that support continuous improvement,
organizational and individual learning, the creation of new knowledge and
innovation, and the acquisition of critical information associated with outside
stakeholders. At the international level, alignment requires integrating insights
about local cultures with the company’s values and purpose. Constant
improvement and continuous learning are important factors within the
international context and integrating organizational information with
international divisions is a necessity. Building a constantly learning organization
makes it possible for those international units to keep track of customer needs,
industry innovations, and new opportunities. Failing to invest in constant
improvement at the international level makes an organization vulnerable to
competitors in its geographic market.
6. Monitor the organization climate and assist the organization to make timely
and effective changes, as required by constantly changing environmental
Figure 2.
All six of these HRM roles have practical application at the international business
level and HRPs responsible for serving international divisions have the responsibility to
become experts about adapting HRM policies within those divisions.
IHRM presents unique challenges for employers that should never be underestimated
or minimized and that have serious consequences for organizations conducting
international business. Candidly, IHRM has not yet developed a reputation for effectively
dealing with these gnawing issues and the struggles of many organizations reflect the
difficulties of these challenges.
The importance of HRPs becoming expert about their six strategic roles is made more
complicated because of variables associated with differing employee perspectives and a
different national culture. The following is a brief summary of eight challenging issues
and the IHRM problems associated therewith.
5
This issue is addressed in Black, J. S. & Gregersen, H. B., (1999). “The Right Way to Manage Expats.” Harvard
Business Review, Vol. 77, Iss. 2, pp. 52-63.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
8
See Maurer, R., (2013). “Survey: Companies Fail to Train Managers for Overseas Assignments.” Washington, D.
C.: Society for Human Resource Management July 8, 2013 found online on November 6, 2017 at
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/fail-train-managers-overseas-
assignments.aspxm.
9
For a review of the many cultural factors that HRPs must address, see Dordevic, B., (2016). “Impact of National
Culture on International Human Resource Management.” Economic Themes, Vol. 54, Iss. 2, pp. 281-300.
10
See Hofstede, G., (2003). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and
Organizations Across Nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
Figure 3.
those relationships11. The evidence suggests that companies provided HRPs with
inadequate resources to properly assess cultural factors and develop HRM
policies that mesh well with host country values12.
3. Supporting and training international host country personnel.
International employees from the host country frequently find it challenging to
make a smooth transition in adopting the implicit values of their hiring (or
acquiring) corporation13. Assuming that onboarding a new employee is an easy
task is a common error made by many organizations, but the challenge of
integrating an employee into a new organizational culture is frequently difficult
in the best of conditions14. Tarique and colleagues note that training international
employees and providing management development opportunities for
international staff is one of the important priorities of IHRM if a firm is to keep
pace with its international competitors in the host country15. Specific training
attention needs to emphasize assisting managers and supervisors to understand
11
Dordevic, B., (2016) op. cit.
12
See Tarique, I., Briscoe, D., & Schuler, R., (2015). International Human Resource Management: Policies and
Practices for Multinational Enterprises. New York: Routledge.
13
Ibid., Chapter 10, pp. 288-327l.
14
The difficulties associated with onboarding new employees are identified in many sources. See, for example,
Caldwell, B. G., and Caldwell C., 2016. “Ten Classic Onboarding Errors: Violations of the HRM – Employee
Relationship.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 47-55 and available online at
http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/bmr/article/view/10672/6501
15
See Tarique, I., Briscoe, D., & Schuler, R., (2015), op. cit., Chapter 10.
the application of personnel policies and systems that convey firm values and
mission and that integrate the corporate and national culture16.
4. Articulating and honoring ethical responsibilities in host countries.
International differences exist in identifying what constitutes ethical behavior
throughout the world and those ethical variations are frequently found in
IHRM17. Assumptions about the employee relationship, the role of employees in
decision-making, and the role of employee representatives as corporate policy
setters are common IHRM issues that HRPs must understand to meet the duties
and responsibilities owed to employees and to their companies18. The perceived
rights of individual employees and the obligations of companies owed to
expatriates are often the focus of subjective perceptions and the breach of those
rights can be perceived by employees as unethical and unfair19. A key to
resolving many of these perceived differences in ethical obligations can be
mitigated by communicating to supervisors and employees the values-based
differences that form the basis for the ethical assumptions; explaining how those
differences will be handled to treat employees with their welfare in mind; and
honoring duties to employees, customers, and society20.
5. Compensating employees across nations.
Among the most difficult practical and philosophical issues facing international
organizations is the handling of employee compensation – especially when the
home and host countries involved differ markedly in their economic conditions
and quality of life. The issue is made much more complex in light of the need to
fairly compensate expat employees, provide housing and education for them and
their families, and the contrast in the reward systems made available to expats
and their families as compared to benefits provided to host country staff with
whom they work21. According to one study, there are many different perspectives
about the obligations that companies owe in compensating expats, with 15% of
all companies not adopting a compensation philosophy regarding their expat
benefit structure22. The Cost-of-Living index for countries varies widely and can
be a major factor in affecting real and perceived income and employee benefits23.
16
Ibid.
17
See Winstanley, D. & Woodall, J., (1999). Ethical Issues in Contemporary Human Resource Management.
London, UK: Palgrave.
18
Ibid.
19
See Rousseau, D. M., (1995). Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding Written and Unwritten
Agreements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
20
This process is addressed in Katiyar, A., Thomas, K., and Caldwell, C. (2011). “Ethical Issues in International
Human Resource Management.” Journal of Global Business Development, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 103-114.
21
Haile, S. & Williams, D., (2011). “Factors that Affect Expatriate Compensation.” Academy of Business Research
Journal, Vol. 1, pp. 25-32.
22
Reported in Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R. Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M., (2011). Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, Chapter 15.
23
See Tan, B. S., (2016). “On Comparing Cost of Living of Cities Using Expatriate Price Surveys.” Policy Studies,
Vol. 37, Iss. 1, pp. 53-73.
Figure 4.
24
See, for example, van Bakel, M., Gerritsen, M. & van Oudenhoven, J. P., (2011). “Impact of a Local Host on the
Success of an International Assignment.” Thunderbird International Business Review, Vol. 53, Iss. 3, pp. 391-
402.
25
See Tarique, I., Briscoe, D., & Schuler, R., (2015) op. cit.
The universal problem facing HRPs for all of the issues associated with IHRM
involves reaching consensus with the Top Management Team about the resources
required to address the complexities associated with meeting organization needs in new
26
See Cogin, J. A. & Williamson, I. O. (2014). “Standardize or Customize: The Interactive Effects of Environment
Uncertainty on MNC Performance.” Human Resource Management, Vol. 53, Iss. 5, pp. 701-721.
27
Kochan, T. A., Dyer, L., (1993). Managing Transformational Change: The Role of Human Resource
Professionals.” International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 4, Iss. 3, pp. 569-590.
28
See Lado, A. A. & Wilson, M. C., (1994). “Human Resource Systems and Sustained Competitive Advantage: A
Competency-Based Perspective.” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 19, Iss, 4, pp. 699-727 and
Atwijuka, S. and Caldwell, C., 2017. “Human Resource Management and Strategic Management” in
Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and Performance, (C. Caldwell & V. Anderson, eds.).
Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing.
29
See Thomas, G. F., Zolin, R., & Hartman, J. L., (2009) “The Central Role of Communication in Developing Trust
and Its Effect on Employee Involvement.” Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 46, Iss. 3, pp. 287-310.
30
See Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, MA: Harvard
Business Review Press.
Figure 5.
As HRPs who have international assignments seek to assess their own performance,
or as members of Top Management Teams evaluate their HRM systems, there are well-
established HRM principles that have proven helpful in determining whether there are
opportunities for continued improvement. In this section we identify twelve principles
and briefly comment on the practical issues associated with each one.
that trust by their actions, their inconsistencies, and their failure to realize the
duties that they owe to others31.
2. Hire for attitude AND intelligence.
Both a positive willingness to work with others and the raw intelligence to
understand critical issues and to craft workable solutions are essential in
employees. Attitude is not enough. Intelligence, by itself, is insufficient32.
3. Align talent with strategy.
The strategy of an organization should always be the purpose for which the
organization exists in adding value to society33. Achieving that purpose requires
people whose talents match the organization’s mission and who make that
purpose a personal quest34.
4. Maintain a change perspective.
Organizations that are constantly learning, striving to be excellent, and
committed to innovation create a change-oriented culture that sustains constant
improvement35. Acknowledging the constant pressure of change is a cultural
value that must be present in today’s global marketplace36.
5. Honor commitments.
Building trust depends upon the ability of organization leaders to make and honor
commitments and demonstrate personal credibility37. Keeping promises and
honoring commitments are foundation elements of trustworthiness38.
6. Emphasize employee retention.
High performing organizations have realized that creating high trust cultures
means that the employee-employer partnership must be based upon mutual
commitment and shared goals. Creating a culture that values and retains its
employees establishes that committed partnership39.
31
This leadership role is clearly the message of Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016). Organizational Culture and
Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
32
Caldwell, C., Converse, P., and Beverage, M., 2018. “Selecting for ‘Flair Factors’ -- Improving the Selection
Process.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Management Development.
33
The importance of a purpose-driven organization is clearly enumerated in Collins, J. & Porras, J. I., (2004). Built
to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (3rd ed.). New York: Harper Business.
34
See Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t. New York:
Harper Collins.
35
See Senge, P. M., (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of a Learning Organization. New York:
Doubleday.
36
Christensen, C. M., (2016). The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
37
See Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z., (2011). Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It Why People Demand It.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
38
This fundamental principle for people and organizations is identified in Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Caldwell,
C., and Clapham, S., 2003. “Organizational Trustworthiness: An International Perspective,” Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol. 47, Iss. 4, p. 349-364.
39
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a
Resilient Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
40
See Atwijuka, S. & Caldwell, C., (2017) op. cit.
41
See Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016) op. cit.
42
Ibid. and Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
43
See Tarique, I., Briscoe, D., & Schuler, R., (2015) op. cit.
44
See Caldwell, C., Licona, B., and Floyd, L. A., 2015. “Internal Marketing to Achieve Competitive Advantage.”
International Business and Management, Vol. 10, Iss. 1., pp. 1-8.
45
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit. and Beer, M. (2009) op. cit.
46
Compare Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., 2011. “Strategic Human Resource Management as
Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-182.
Figure 6.
CONCLUSION
47
That moral requirement is clearly set forth in Lennick, D. & Kiel, F., (2011). Moral Intelligence 2.0: Enhancing
Business Performance and Leadership Success in Turbulent Times. Boston, MA: FT Press.
48
That verity is constantly reemphasized by scholars and practitioners. See, for example, Quinn, R. E., (1996).
Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
issues, the problem is often not that we are unaware of what needs to be done or what
standards to establish – but is in the implementation of what ought to be done. There is,
however, a continuing lack of insight about the important role of well-qualified,
dedicated, and competent HRPs – and, unfortunately, often that same failure to
acknowledge the evidence on the part of Top Management Teams and leaders who
discount the HRM role in modern organizations.
Figure 7.
Questions to Ponder
1. What barriers do you think are most difficult for HRPs to overcome as they seek
to contribute to the success of an international division?
2. Which of the twelve principles do you consider to be the most difficult to apply
within an international context? Why?
3. Why are companies so unsuccessful in placing and retaining expats? What
solutions do you think they should consider? What do you think should constitute
“expat success” for a company?
1. If you were a member of the IHRM team, how would you develop policies for
host country employee health and safety? What might convince top management
to work with the IHRM team on company policies when working abroad?
2. Both Nikolaj and Larry had to lock themselves in their offices during times of
employee unrest. They were instructed by their perspective home country HRPs
to roll their office bars down, place any money in their office safe, and seek
shelter in place. It is not uncommon for Chinese workers to take over a plant
location in order to obtain benefits or additional compensation. How would you
frame a safety policy for people like Nikolaj and Larry?
3. The home page for the US State Department, travel.state.gov, lists travel alerts,
travel warnings, and worldwide cautions. Should this resource be incorporated
into IHRM policy for a US company? What would you do if you found an alert
or warning for a country in which one of your US workers was assigned?
REFERENCES
Atwijuka, S. and Caldwell, C., 2017. “Human Resource Management and Strategic
Management” in Competitive Advantage: Strategies, Management, and Performance,
(C. Caldwell & V. Anderson, eds.). Hauppauge, New York: NOVA Publishing.
Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment High Performance: How to Build a Resilient
Organization for Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bennett, N. & Lemoine, G. J., (2014). Harvard Business Review, Vol. 92, Iss. 1/2, p. 27.
Black, J. S. & Gregersen, H. B., (1999). “The Right Way to Manage Expats.” Harvard
Business Review, Vol. 77, Iss. 2, pp. 52-63.
Caldwell, B. G., & Caldwell C., (2016). “Ten Classic Onboarding Errors: Violations of
the HRM – Employee Relationship.” Business and Management Research, Vol. 5,
No. 4, pp. 47-55 and available online at http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/
index.php/bmr/article/view/10672/6501.
Caldwell, C., & Clapham, S., 2003. “Organizational Trustworthiness: An International
Perspective,” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 47, Iss. 4, p. 349-364.
Caldwell, C., Converse., P., and Beverage, M., (2018). “Selecting for ‘Flair Factors’ --
Improving the Selection Process.” Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of
Management Development.
Caldwell, C., Licona, B., & Floyd, L. A., 2015. “Internal Marketing to Achieve
Competitive Advantage.” International Business and Management, Vol. 10, Iss. 1.,
pp. 1-8.
Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A., (2011). “Strategic Human Resource
Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 98, Iss. 1, pp.
171-182.
Christensen, C. M., (2016). The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause
Great Firms to Fail. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Cogin, J. A. & Williamson, I. O. (2014). “Standardize or Customize: The Interactive
Effects of Environment Uncertainty on MNC Performance.” Human Resource
Management, Vol. 53, Iss. 5, pp. 701-721.
Collins, J. & Porras, J. I., (2004). Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary
Companies (3rd ed.). New York: Harper Business.
Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . .And Others
Don’t. New York: Harper Collins.
Dixon, R. D., Caldwell, C., Chatchutimakorn, A., Gradney, K., and Rattanametangkul,
K., 2010. “Managing Justly Across Cultures: The Problem of Fairness in
International Business.” Journal of Management and Strategy, Vol. 1, pp. 22-32.
Dordevic, B., (2016). “Impact of National Culture on International Human Resource
Management.” Economic Themes, Vol. 54, Iss. 2, pp. 281-300.
Haile, S. & Williams, D., (2011). “Factors that Affect Expatriate Compensation.”
Academy of Business Research Journal, Vol. 1, pp. 25-32.
Hofstede, G., (2003). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors,
Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publishing.
Katiyar, A., Thomas, K., and Caldwell, C. 2011. “Ethical Issues in International Human
Resource Management.” Journal of Global Business Development, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp.
103-114
Kochan, T. A., Dyer, L., (1993). Managing Transformational Change: The Role of
Human Resource Professionals.” International Journal of Human Resource
Management, Vol. 4, Iss. 3, pp. 569-590.
Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z., (2011). Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It Why
People Demand It. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lado, A. A. & Wilson, M. C., (1994). “Human Resource Systems and Sustained
Competitive Advantage: A Competency-Based Perspective.” Academy of
Management Review, Vol. 19, Iss, 4, pp. 699-727.
Lennick, D. & Kiel, F., (2011). Moral Intelligence 2.0: Enhancing Business Performance
and Leadership Success in Turbulent Times. Boston, MA: FT Press.
Maurer, R., (2013). “Survey: Companies Fail to Train Managers for Overseas
Assignments.” Washington, D. C.: Society for Human Resource Management July 8,
2013 found online on November 6, 2017 at https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/
hr-topics/global-hr/pages/fail-train-managers-overseas-assignments.aspxm.
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R. Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M., (2011). Fundamentals of
Human Resource Management (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First.
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Quinn, R. E., (1996). Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Rousseau, D. M., (1995). Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding
Written and Unwritten Agreements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Schein, E. H. & Schein, P., (2016). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
See Inc., (2017). “Global Business” Sept. 10, found online on November 4, 2017 at
https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/global-business.html.
Senge, P. M., (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of a Learning
Organization. New York: Doubleday.
Tan, B. S., (2016). “On Comparing Cost of Living of Cities Using Expatriate Price
Surveys.” Policy Studies, Vol. 37, Iss. 1, pp. 53-73.
Tarique, I., Briscoe, D., & Schuler, R., (2015). International Human Resource
Management: Policies and Practices for Multinational Enterprises. New York:
Routledge.
Thomas, G. F., Zolin, R., & Hartman, J. L., (2009) “The Central Role of Communication
in Developing Trust and Its Effect on Employee Involvement.” Journal of Business
Communication, Vol. 46, Iss. 3, pp. 287-310.
van Bakel, M., Gerritsen, M. & van Oudenhoven, J. P., (2011). “Impact of a Local Host
on the Success of an International Assignment.” Thunderbird International Business
Review, Vol. 53, Iss. 3, pp. 391-402.
Winstanley, D. & Woodall, J., (1999). Ethical Issues in Contemporary Human Resource
Management. London, UK: Palgrave.
Wooten, A., (2011). “Chevy Nova Tale, Other Marketing Myths Debunked.” Deseret
News July 10 International Business found online on Nov. 4, 2017 at
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/705388000/Chevy-Nova-tale-other-global-
marketing-myths-debunked.html
Chapter 15
1
This perspective has been identified as a short-coming of many organizations by Pfeffer, J., (1998). The Human
Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
which challenges and problems are ominous and fraught with economic, social, and
environmental problems that world leaders seem incapable of addressing2. The chapter
then identifies ten predictions about positive changes that are necessary to address these
challenges. Although we acknowledge that any forecast is speculative and uncertain to
some degree, the insights of highly regarded scholars and practitioners are cited in
identifying opportunities for HRPs as they contemplate their contribution to a difficult
world.
EVOLUTION OF HRM
Throughout its history, HRM has primarily been focused on administrative functions
and tasks in its staff support role3. Although these tasks were necessary and contributed
to an organization’s efficiency, they tended to be technically focused rather than strategic.
The management of people did not fully emerge as its own discipline until the 1920’s and
was then called “Personnel Administration4.” Prior to that period individual experts in
scientific management and industrial relations like the Gilbreths and Frederick Taylor
had acknowledged the importance of the individual in the organization and the interaction
of groups on performance and productivity - but those insights were not widely held5.
Personnel administration was primarily focused on hiring, training, record keeping, and
compensation6. The rise of assembly line manufacturing treated employees as an
extension of the manufacturing process and led to the rise of unionism in response to
employees being treated as commodities and costs to be minimized7.
With the Hawthorne studies conducted by Mayo and Roethlisberger, attention began
to be focused on the importance of understanding the psychology of work8 and led to the
founding of what became known as the “human relations school of management.”
2
The dangers facing tomorrow’s world have been cited by many scholars, including Roger Lowenstein and Thomas
L. Friedman. See also Caldwell, C. and Anderson, V. 2017. “Ethical Leadership in Troubled Times.”
International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol. 13, Iss. 2, pp. 54-58.
3
For an excellent summary of the evolution of HRM through the end of the 20th century, see Ehrlich, C. J., (1997).
“Human Resource Management: A Changing Script for a Changing World.” Human Resource Management,
Vol. 37, Iss. 1, pp. 85-89.
4
For a complete history of the evolution of modern management, see Wren, D. A. & Bedeian, A. G., (2009). The
Evolution of Management Thought. Chennai, India: John Wiley & Sons.
5
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
7
See Ehrlich, C. J., (1997) op. cit.
8
See SHRM, (2009). A History of Human Resources: SHRM’s 60 Year Journey. Alexandria, VA: Society for
Human Resource Management.
Figure 1.
9
Ibid.
10
This insight was emphasized by Barnard, C. I., (1938). The Functions of the Executive. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
College.
11
The contributions of Mary Parker Follett, who was often labeled “light years ahead of her time,” are found in
Follett, M. P., (1940) Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers of Mary Parker Follett edited by E. M.
Fox and L. Urwick. London: Pitman Publishing.
12
For information about the history and use of assessment centers, see Thornton III, G. C., (1992). Assessment
Centers in Human Resource Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
13
Ibid.
interpersonal skills14. Once again, however, insights acquired about the effective
utilization of people in organizations were not universally understood15.
The contributions of scholars like Douglas McGregor16 and Abraham Maslow17
provided managers with important insights about the nature of human motivation.
Following World War II, HRM became relatively less important than other management
functions in the United States (US). Because of the advantageous position of the US,
relative to other nations attempting to recover from the war, the country enjoyed
economic growth and prosperity and businesses thrived without extensive international
competition. However, by the decade of the 1980’s American businesses began to feel
the effects of growing international competition in a world that had become more
technologically sophisticated, more globally competitive, and more connected as a result
of the advent of the World Wide Web18.
The consequences of constant change in the modern era of management required
HRM to become more strategic in its focus, more insightful in its understanding of how
organizations create value, and more skilled in assisting department managers and the
Top Management Team of organizations to establish organization cultures and programs
that bring out the best in employees.
Figure 2.
14
Ibid.
15
Wren, D. A. & Bedeian, A. G., (2009) op. cit.
16
The landmark contribution of McGregor is McGregor, D., (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York:
McGraw Hill.
17
Maslow’s insights about a hierarchy of needs and personality are found in Maslow, A., (1970). Motivation and
Personality. New York: Joanna Cotler Books.
18
Much of this evolution and the impact of change is chronicled in Friedman, T. J., (2006). The World is Flat: The
Globalized World in the 21st Century. New York: Penguin Books. http://www.huffington
post.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html.
Figure 3.
For firms that view employees as engaged and empowered partners, however, HRPs
began to demonstrate six professional competency roles in the areas of business
knowledge, change management, and HRM service delivery23. The following is a brief
summary of those six roles.
19
These phenomena are addressed in Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
20
See Beer, M., (2009). High Commitment, High Performance: How to Build a Resilient Organization for
Sustained Advantage. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
21
This trend is documented in Pfeffer, J., (1998), op. cit.
22
Ibid.
23
These competencies are identified in Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W., and Ulrich, M., (2012). HR from the
Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources. New York: McGraw Hill. The
competencies are found on pages 51-54.
24
Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
25
Ibid.
26
Beer, M., (2009) op. cit.
27
To understand more about this higher degree of follower stewardship commitment and its impact on wealth
creation, see Hayes, L., Caldwell, C., Licona, B. and Meyer, T. E., 2015. “Follower Behaviors and Barriers to
Wealth Creation.” Journal of Management Development, Vol. 34, Iss. 3, pp. 270-285.
both technical and behavioral and are critical to building consensus, increasing
mutual understanding, and aligning the organization28.
Figure 4.
Although some HRPs have recognized the need to acquire these six roles as part of
their strategic competency, in other organizations the HRM function is focused on
reducing labor costs; downsizing whenever possible; hiring part-time, contract, and
temporary employees to avoid the costs of health care benefits; and treating employees in
a transactional manner rather than as empowered partners29. Unfortunately, the result of
policies that have focused on cost-cutting, down-sizing, and creating arms-length
relationships with employees has also undermined employee loyalty and rarely generated
long-term value creation30.
ALTERNATIVE FUTURES
decline by the year 205031, with an equal number feeling that conditions had worsened in
the previous four years32. Only 23% of respondents thought that life conditions would
improve33. In the wake of the 2008-2009 fiscal crisis, the challenges facing business in a
global marketplace are uncertain at best34. Elected officials and business leaders have
been criticized for providing retirement benefits for workers that are both unaffordable
and beyond the realm of imagination for many citizens35. And the list of environmental,
financial, and social problems goes on and on – ranging from the decline of family values
to an ostrich-like denial of changes in weather patterns and the denial of the effects of
global warming due to industrialization36.
Employee engagement - the measure of whether employees are enthusiastic about,
involved in, and committed to their work and workplace - has dropped so low that 87%
of employees worldwide acknowledged that they are not engaged. In addition, at least
17% of employees from new hires to long-tenured employees admit that they are
disengaged at work37. According to Gallup, only 5% of all employees in the work force
qualify as fully engaged high performers38.
As businesses struggle to survive, they sometimes mortgage future opportunities by
chasing quarterly report results that both misrepresent their financial health and
undermine long-term wealth creation39. Although the empirical evidence suggests that
downsizing efforts have not created long-term financial benefits for most corporations or
for society, cost savings efforts that actually undermine the ability of firms to increase
long-term wealth are commonly initiated – even by many of the world’s most well-
known firms and most highly regarded leaders40.
31
Cass, C., (2014). “Most Americans Have a Gloomy Outlook for Life in 2050.” PBS News Hour found online on
September 13, 2017 at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/most-americans-have-a-gloomy-outlook-for-
life-in-2050/.
32
Ibid.
33
Ibid.
34
This uncertainty is the clear message of a number of concerned writers, including Friedman.
35
in Lowenstein, R., (2009). While America Aged: How Pension Debts Ruined General Motors, Stopped the NYC
Subways, Bankrupted San Diego, and Loom as the Next Financial Crisis. New York: Penguin Press.
36
Friedman, T. L., (2009) op. cit.
37
Cited in Mann, A., & Harter, J., (2016). “The Worldwide Employee Engagement Crisis.” Business Journal,
January 16th found online on September 14, 2017 at http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/188033/
worldwide-employee-engagement-
crisis.aspx?g_source=Business+Journal&g_medium=CardRelatedItems&g_campaign=tiles.
38
Harter, J., (2015). “Companies Are Maximizing Only 5% of Their Workforces.” Business Journal, March 24 th
found online on September 14, 2017 at http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/182087/companies-
maximizing-workforces.aspx?g_source=Business+Journal&g_medium=CardRelatedItems&g_campaign=tiles.
39
The frequency of accounting misrepresentations led to Sarbanes-Oxley and is addressed in numerous studies such
as Goldman, E. & Slezak, S. L., (2006). “An Equilibrium Model of Incentive Contracts in the Presence of
Information Manipulation.” Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 80, No. 3, pp. 603-626.
40
See Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
HRM has the potential to play an important role in the future success of business in
the decades ahead.
Figure 5.
We have identified ten significant changes that are likely to affect the roles of HRPs
in the decades ahead – although we acknowledge that these changes are prescriptive in
addition to being predictive about future conditions. Each of these ten changes in the
status quo have the potential to benefit businesses as well as making a significant
contribution to the quality of life in tomorrow’s complex and challenged world.
1) Consistent with the research about High Performance Work Systems, corporate
CEOs will recognize the importance of an expanded role of HRM. High
Performance and High Trust work systems with aligned HRM systems, policies,
and practices focused on increasing employee empowerment and participation
have been proven to increase the profitability of businesses that adopt such
practices – in addition to improving quality, employee morale, and the quality of
customer service41. HRPs will play a key supportive role in helping organizations
41
The research of Huselid, M., (1995) has documented the value of High Performance Work Systems and aligned
HRM programs and policies. See Huselid, M., (1995). “The Impact of Human Resource Management
Practices on Turnover, Productivity, and Corporate Financial Performance.” Academy of Management
Journal, Vol. 38, Iss. 3, pp. 63-672.
to create organizational cultures, aligned systems, and programs that mesh with
the values of High Performance Work Systems42.
2) HRPs will become increasingly competent in financial management, business
partnering, organization analysis, and internal consulting. The demands of an
increasingly competitive global marketplace will require HRPs to either become
competent resources in these key areas43 or find their role being downsized or
contracted out44. By achieving these competencies, HRPs will enhance the ability
of organizations to achieve their strategic objectives and demonstrate their value
to their organizations45.
3) Top companies will recognize the importance of assessment centers and other
behavioral tools to improve employee training and selection. Hiring the right
people, putting employees in the right positions, and ensuring that they are
competently trained to perform critical duties have always been challenges facing
organizations46. Although assessment centers and other behavioral tools require
proper administration to be run correctly47, they are far more effective than other
selection tools and are extremely valuable as a resource for evaluating and
developing managerial and interpersonal skills48.
4) Companies that do business globally will exponentially improve their ability to
prepare, train, and retain expatriate employees given international assignments.
As the workforce becomes more global, companies have increasingly realized
their failures in managing relationships with expatriate employees49 and the
ethical responsibilities associated with those assignments50. Improperly preparing
and training the expatriate employee and their families and the failure to utilize
insights obtained by persons assigned in foreign countries have led to many
assignments being prematurely cut short and have resulted in alarmingly high
turnover rates once employees return. HRPs will be required to do a much better
job of selecting, preparing, and managing the reentry of expatriates into their
organizations51.
42
Pfeffer, J., (1998) op. cit.
43
J., (2014). Strategic Human Resource Management (4th ed.). Mason, OH: South-western Publishing.
44
2005). “Outsourcing the Human Resource Function: Environmental and Organizational Conditions that Affect
HR Performance.” Journal of Business Strategies, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 55-73/.
45
Mello, J., (2014) op. cit.
46
These key priorities have been clearly articulated in Collins, J., (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies
Make the Leap . . . . And Others Don’t. New York: HarperBusiness.
47
The difficulties associated with conducting assessment centers and common errors made are cited in Caldwell, C.,
Thornton III, G. C., and Gruys, M. 2003 “Ten Classic Assessment Center Errors: Challenges to Selection
Validity.” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 32, Issue 1, pp 73-88.
48
See Thornton III, G. C., (1992), op. cit.
49
These issues are identified in Vance, and Paik, Y., (2014). Managing a Global Workforce” Challenges and
Opportunities in International Human Resource Management (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.
50
These duties are identified in Katiyar, A., Thomas, K., and Caldwell, C. (2011). “Ethical Issues in International
Human Resource Management.” Journal of Global Business Development, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 103-114.
51
Ibid.
52
Caldwell, C., (2014). “Forging Ethics-Based Business Partners: The Integration of Business, Employees, and
Education.” Graziadio Business Review published by Pepperdine University in the April, 2014 edition found
online at https://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2014/04/forging-ethics-based-business-partners/.
53
For example, see Friedman, T. L., (2009) op. cit.
54
The importance of this role has been identified by Solomon, R. C., (1992). Ethics and Excellence: Cooperation
and Integrity in Business. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
55
This role of HRPs becoming the moral conscience of their companies has been discussed in many contexts
including Bierema, L. L., and D’Abundom, M. L., (2004). “HRM with a Conscience: Practicing Socially
Responsible HRD.” International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol. 23, Iss. 5, pp. 443-458. Others like
Stephen R. Covey have also offered commentaries about the need for organizations to periodically assess their
values in Covey, S. R., (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York: Free Press.
56
See this information in U. S. Department of Education, (2011). Trends in High School Dropout and Completion
Rates in the United States 1972-2009 – Compendium Report. Washington DC: National Center for Education
Statistics - Institute of Education Sciences.
57
The lifetime impact of failure to earn a high school diploma, as compared to a GED, as identified by a National
Center for Education Statistics study, was reported in Zhao, E., (2012). “High School Dropout Rates for
Minority and Poor Students Disproportionately High.” Huffington Post October 20, 2011 update February 14,
2012 and found online on September 17, 2017 at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/high-school-
dropout-rates_n_1022221.html.
freshmen in the Cleveland inner cities graduated within four years58. Of those
who do graduate from high schools, 19% are functionally illiterate and cannot
read above the 5th grade level59. Workforce Development Programs, funded by
state and federal governments, are likely to partner to a much greater extent with
local businesses, colleges, and universities to assist this unprepared population –
with HRPs playing a key coordinating role for businesses60.
8) Governments will provide academic institutions and businesses with financial
incentives to involve students in service learning projects that benefit identified
problems. Service learning has become a well-established part of many higher
education programs and has had a positive impact on Corporate Social
Responsibility, student attitudes, and service project recipients61. Corporate HRPs
will become increasingly involved in joining with local academic institutions so
that both businesses and schools can benefit from this effort by governments to
provide incentives to address community priorities and benefit society62.
9) Standards for employee accountability will become much more sophisticated as
HRPs partner with department heads to measure and improve employee
productivity. Measuring value added and employee performance will
increasingly become a key function of HRPs who will team with department
leaders and Finance Department staff to improve metrics to measure employee
performance63. HRPs will be required to clearly understand and evaluate the
costs and benefits of human performance64 and will develop greater competence
in managing information and measuring effectiveness65.
10) Companies, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies will
increasingly partner with academic institutions to facilitate Action Training and
Research projects that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of local
organizations and benefit local communities. The importance of integrating
Corporate Social Responsibility with the needs of local communities has been
recognized as a critical factor in resolving those problems at the local level.
58
See Dillon, S., (2010). “Large Urban-Suburban Gap Seen in Graduation Rates.” New York Times, Feb 18 found
online on September 17, 2017 at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/education/22dropout.html?mcubz=1.
59
This information reflects a study conducted by the U. S. Department of Education and the National Institute of
Literacy, as reported in “The U. S. Literacy Rate Hasn’t Changed in Ten Years.” Huffington Post September 6,
2013 updated on December 12, 2014 found online on September 17, 2017 at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html.
60
Proposed in Anderson, V., Ndalamba, K. K., and Caldwell, C., (2017) op. cit.
61
See Lester, S. W., Tomkovick, C., Wells, T., Flunker, L., & Kickul, J., (2005). “Does Service-Learning Add
Value: Examining the Perspectives of Multiple Stakeholders.” Academy of Management Learning and
Education, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 278-294.
62
The value of service learning in enhancing social responsibility is identified in Tyran, K. L., (2017).
“Transforming Students into Global Citizens: International Service Learning and PRME.” International
Journal of Management Education, Part B, Vol. 15, Iss. 2, pp. 162=171.
63
The integrated role of HRPs and Finance personnel is described in Roy, S. N., (2016). HR and Finance: Two
Inseparable Heads of the Same Organizational Coin.” Human Capital, Vol. 19, Iss. 8, pp. 40-43.
64
Fritz-Enz, J., (2009). The ROI of Human Capital: Measuring the Economic Value of Employee Performance.
New York: AMACOM.
65
See Caldwell, C. and Ndalamba, K. K., (2016) op. cit.
These ten changes can assist modern organizations that will struggle to deal with the
long-term social, economic, political, and environmental problems that will plague the
world of tomorrow. Organizational leaders and HRPs who recognize the need for the
changing demands of tomorrow’s world are acknowledging that social responsibility and
developing new approaches to mitigate those problems are necessary steps to creating a
better future68.
CONCLUSION
The future facing HRM and HRPs is challenging and exciting, yet not a little bit
uncertain and certainly intimidating. The problems that we face as a society are troubling
morally, financially ominous, and environmentally significant . . . yet many of today’s
leaders, and those responsible for leading governments and businesses over the past three
decades, have opted to duck the problems and avoid making the morally difficult
decisions.
The famous quote from Edmund Burke is that “(t)he only thing necessary for evil to
triumph is for good men to do nothing69.” In a recent interview Dr. Henry Mintzberg,
McGill University’s brilliant scholar, advocated that “the Good Folk,” or “the people who
genuinely care about the issues we face have to act70.” Apparently, the leaders of
governments and business have been doing very little for years,” some would suggest.
For HRPs they must become not only extremely competent subject matter experts
about HRM and their company’s business metrics but also adept at how to listen and
communicate to employees at all levels of the organization. In the future, HRPs will find
that they will need to fully understand their company’s strategic mission and ensure that
its policies, systems, and practices align with its values and strategies. They must
establish a reputation of competence, caring, character, and the capacity to integrate those
critical qualities in the pursuit of organizational outcomes that create long-term value for
66
The importance of such projects is identified in Anderson, V., Ndalamba, K. K., and Caldwell, C., (2017) op. cit.
67
See Zhang, W., Levenson, A., and Crossley, C., (2015). “Move Your Research from the Ivory Tower to the
Boardroom: A Primer on Action Research for Academics, Consultants, and Business Executives.” Human
Resource Management, Vol. 54, Iss. 1, pp. 151-174.
68
See Anderson, V., Ndalamba, K. K., and Caldwell, C., (2017) op. cit.
69
This well-known and frequently cited quotation was found on September 14, 2017 at
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edmundburk377528.html.
70
This interview is found in Mintzberg, H. & Caldwell, C., (2017). “Leadership, ‘Communityship,’ and ‘The Good
Folk.’” International Journal of Public Leadership, Vol. 13, Iss. 1, pp. 5-8.
all stakeholders71. HRPs must become ethical stewards72 dedicated to the best possible
outcomes for employees, shareholders, customers, and society if they are to honor their
moral obligations to their company, to its employees, and to society in a world that has
become increasingly complex, chaotic, competitive, and challenge73.
Questions to Ponder
1) What are the reasons why so many corporations and their leaders have minimized
the role of HRPs over the years? What do you think HRPs can do to contribute
more effectively to corporate success?
2) Given the alarming problems facing a struggling world, which of the ten
predictions about the future do you think should be given the highest priority to
address some of those problems? Justify your position with thoughtful insights
and evidence.
3) Do you think the evolution of HRM as a profession has worked as a benefit or as
a detriment to business and society? Explain your position but identify arguments
for either point of view.
Human resource professionals and top management have recognized the need to
empower employees and to encourage creativity and innovation. These qualities are also
critically important for entrepreneurs. The majority of entrants into the business
marketplace do not begin as large employers but as small entrepreneurial businesses.
Studies have shown an increased level of employee engagement and decreased
turnover when employees are happy in their work environment. In addition, highly
creative organizational members find solitude a welcome respite to foster innovation and
to generate business solutions. Most HR professionals and top management understand
that if workers entering the workforce do not feel an ability to contribute or that their
work is valued, they will often move on, leaving the organization rather than committing
to remain with their current employer.
71
These four factors have been identified as critical conditions precedent to being perceived as worthy of trust in
Caldwell, C., and Ndalamba, K. K., (2017). “Trust and Being ‘Worthy’ – The Keys to Creating Wealth.”
Journal of Management Development, Vol. 36, Iss. 8, pp. 1076-1086.
72
The concept of HRPs as ethical stewards is articulated in Caldwell, C., Truong, D., Linh, P., and Tuan, A.,
(2011). “Strategic Human Resource Management as Ethical Stewardship.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol.
98, Iss. 1, pp. 171-182.
73
This world is clearly described in Friedman, T. L., (2009). Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green
Revolution – And How It Can Renew America, Release 2.0. New York: Picador Press.
Sabbatical requests have been granted for highly innovative and technically
competent employees in mid-sized to large organizations. These sabbaticals are certainly
not a benefit offered by all employers, but rather a discretionary benefit designed to
identify tomorrow's opportunities and to plan or begin implementation of new product
development though innovation. What if future HRPs proposed a similar structure in a
contemporary setting for workers who have an entrepreneurial mindset?
1) What do you think is the likelihood that future businesses will propose a similar
structure for workers who have an entrepreneurial mindset?
2) With new “work at home” options, many employees do not have access to HR
departments on a regular basis. How should this issue be addressed?
3) What do you think are likely to be successful ways to inspire and motivate
tomorrow’s employees?
Stephen Covey will be remembered most as author of The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People. The 7th habit is Sharpening the Saw. Learning and reading are two
suggested activities to follow a path of what one might call personal continuous
improvement. Many human resource professionals entered the HRM profession because
they liked interacting with others. A good percentage have avoided measurement and
using HR metrics for strategic human resource decision-making.
In order to be strategic leaders in an ever-changing world, tomorrow's HR leaders
must be prepared in a multitude of ways. Understanding financial management, business
partnering, organizational analysis, and internal consulting will become skills the
strategic human resource professional must understand and be able to carry out. To
support strategic organizational objectives, HR professionals must understand HR metrics
and be able to understand and correlate a broad variety of productivity measures.
After learning about the future needs for knowledge and skills development, HR
professionals could formulate their own personal growth plan to sharpen the saw. For
HRPs they must become not only extremely competent subject matter experts about
HRM and their company’s business metrics but also be adept at how to work with
employees at all levels of the organization.
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Business, Employees, and Education.” Graziadio Business Review published by
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business environment, 4
A business partners, 16, 36, 214, 220
businesses, 100, 177, 183, 211, 234, 238, 239, 241,
Abraham Maslow, 234 242, 243, 244, 245
accommodations, 213 buyers, 171
advertisements, 77
advocacy, 168, 195 C
Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 208
aging population, 172 candidates, 4, 48, 67, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86,
alcohol consumption, 190 99, 151, 172, 233
American Psychological Association, 180, 192 career development, 154
Americans with Disabilities Act, 208 case law, 208
anthropologists, 211 cash, 181, 190
Aristotle, 22 Catastrophic Event Counseling, 182
assessment centers, 79 certification, 6
assessment tools, 148 change management, 60, 128, 129, 137, 139, 235
assets, viii, 9, 11, 21 changing environment, 16, 214
charismatic, 32, 38, 39
B Chester Barnard, 28, 163, 233
Civil War, 50, 54, 77, 90
background information, 188 climate, 16, 116, 167, 214
bankruptcy, 101 collaboration, 50, 85, 205, 233, 243
Barnard, Chester, 28, 163, 233 collective bargaining, 207
barriers, 19, 21, 29, 150, 162, 169, 171, 225 commerce, 211, 212
Barry Posner, 29 commodity, 94, 116
benchmark positions, 97 common sense, 213
benchmarks, 97, 170 communication, 24, 87, 109, 134, 190, 200, 220
benefits, 18, 20, 32, 57, 59, 62, 66, 71, 79, 87, 93, comparative method, 97
94, 95, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 106, 134, 141, compensation, 9, 32, 37, 48, 54, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98,
149, 169, 179, 182, 189, 192, 203, 207, 218, 227, 99, 100, 102, 103, 105, 117, 121, 147, 153, 161,
237, 238, 242 171, 177, 179, 181, 185, 189, 218, 227, 232
bias, 113, 212 compensation and benefits plan, 103
building blocks, 15, 93 compensation methods, 96
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 100, 107 compensation philosophy, 98, 153, 218
equality, 66
G
equity, 48, 102, 105, 121
erosion, 21, 198
Gainsharing, 98
espionage, 233
gambling, 180
Ethic of Care, 66
Geert Hofstede, 216, 227
Ethic of Contributing Liberty, 66
general intelligence, 233
Ethic of Distributive Justice, 66
General Motors, 101, 108, 238, 247
Ethic of Economic Efficiency, 66
Germany, 166, 174
Ethic of Government Regulation, 66
Gig economy, 94
Ethic of Religious Injunction, 66
global competition, 4, 115, 167, 231
Ethic of Self-Actualization, 66
global economy, 167, 170, 211
Ethic of Self-Interest, 66
global marketplace, 68, 85, 95, 118, 153, 186, 202,
Ethic of Universal Rights, 66
211, 222, 235, 238, 240
Ethic of Universal Rules, 66
global scale, 115, 226
ethical implications, 129, 213
global warming, 238
ethical responsibilities, 57, 58, 59, 65, 68, 69, 218,
goal setting, 114
240
Golden Rule, 34, 40
ethical standards, 64, 69
governance, 17, 26, 160, 167, 168
ethical stewardship, 14, 17, 18, 19, 22, 63, 65, 69,
government intervention, 141
145, 166
Green Revolution, 35, 40, 61, 73, 112, 124, 167, 174,
evolution of HRM, 232
244, 247
exchange relationship, 17
growth, 31, 34, 48, 59, 68, 87, 94, 145, 146, 147,
expertise, 16, 60, 88, 153, 165, 214
148, 149, 151, 166, 172, 196, 245
external environment, 13, 44
growth rate, 94
extrinsic rewards, 93
guide chart, 97, 98
guidelines, vii, 15, 29, 35, 48, 58, 110, 198, 212,
F 226, 228
guiding principles, 57
facilitators, 153
Fair Labor Standards Act, 208
H
federal government, 137, 143, 242
federal law, 187, 203
Hawthorne studies, 232
Financial counseling, 182
hazards, 187
financial incentives, 181, 242
health care, 10, 141, 179, 181, 189, 207, 237
financial institutions, 112
health care costs, 10, 141, 179, 181
financial planning, 107
health condition, 181
financial resources, 142, 171
health insurance, 95, 100, 181, 185
financial support, 139
health problems, 181
financial vulnerability, 186
Health screening, 181
firm value, 218
health status, 183
fitness programs, 181
hierarchy of needs, 234
flexibility, 106, 153, 160
High Commitment Organizations, 163
Follett, Mary Parker, 233, 247
high performance work systems, 159
forecasting, 81, 91
high trust organizations, 159
foreign companies, 100
higher education, 155, 242, 245
formal education, 83
hiring, 7, 23, 48, 50, 53, 71, 75, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83,
formal language, 204
86, 87, 88, 94, 95, 99, 102, 103, 107, 152, 155,
formation, 169
161, 171, 189, 217, 232, 237
foundations, 96, 145
historical data, 184
Hofstede, Geert, 216, 227 interpersonal skills, 50, 79, 82, 83, 234, 240
host country culture, 219, 220 investment, 60, 111, 129, 147, 150, 189, 202
hourly wage, 106
HRP Roles, 146, 147 J
hub, 207
human behavior, 163 James Kouzes, 29
human capital, 117 job analysis, 8, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52,
human motivation, 110, 234 53, 54, 78, 82, 83, 84
Human Resource Management, v, vi, vii, 1, 2, 6, 8, job classification, 47
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 25, 27, 31, 34, 36, 39, 40, job description, 46, 47, 50, 52, 53, 54, 142, 198
43, 54, 57, 61, 64, 65, 67, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, Job design, 48
81, 88, 89, 90, 93, 102, 108, 111, 116, 123, 124, Job Evaluation, 48
138, 139, 143, 145, 146, 152, 157, 158, 159, 163, job performance, 80, 180
165, 166, 170, 173, 174, 175, 178, 184, 185, 187, job satisfaction, 44, 151
192, 193, 194, 195, 201, 202, 205, 208, 209, 211, job skills, 161
213, 216, 217, 218, 220, 223, 228, 229, 230, 231, Job specifications, 48
232, 233, 237, 239, 240, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, justification, 38, 62
249
Human Resource Professionals, vii, 1, 11, 14, 27, 43, K
57, 76, 116, 123, 128, 137, 145, 159, 177, 195,
212, 220, 229, 231, 237, 246 Kotter, 128, 129, 131, 142, 143, 144
human resources, 20, 77, 84, 87, 235 Kouzes, James, 29
human right, 66 Kurt Lewin, 131
I L
staffing, 4
R
stakeholders, 14, 16, 17, 18, 21, 29, 31, 32, 36, 46,
49, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 65, 67, 68, 69, 71,
Rater Bias, 113, 122
110, 129, 145, 153, 154, 166, 206, 214, 223, 244
reality, vii, 1, 2, 4, 64, 76, 81, 86, 114, 118, 120, 127,
Stephen R. Covey, 21, 25, 31, 35, 40, 109, 112, 152,
137, 168, 170
241
recognition, 117, 155, 162
Stewardship Theory, 17, 26
recommendations, 7, 83, 93, 103, 104, 136, 137, 160,
stock, 112, 151, 158
207, 227
storage, 113
recruiting, 76, 77, 81, 85, 216
strategic management, 7
regulations, 70, 205
stress, 79, 182
reliability, 78, 166
stress management, 182
reputation, 21, 151, 156, 185, 215, 243
supervisors, 13, 43, 46, 48, 49, 51, 84, 104, 109, 110,
resource management, 65, 127
111, 114, 117, 120, 121, 140, 171, 187, 199, 217,
resources, viii, 4, 11, 13, 16, 29, 44, 46, 59, 60, 66,
218
69, 77, 94, 97, 107, 108, 110, 112, 114, 118, 125,
129, 135, 137, 138, 139, 147, 148, 153, 165, 167,
183, 186, 201, 205, 209, 214, 217, 220, 221, 227,
T
240
tax credits, 241
retirement, 100, 106, 107, 155, 203, 238
teaching experience, 102
rewards, 162, 181
team members, 35, 37, 98, 137, 151
risk management, 10, 178, 185, 188
TEAM process, 134
risk-taking, 117
teams, vii, viii, 8, 35, 85, 103, 109, 110, 116, 117,
Roethlisberger, 232
134, 135, 137, 147, 161, 233
rule of law, 203
technology, vii, 85, 87, 151, 152, 236
test scores, 82
S
testing, 6, 9, 48, 49, 76, 77, 78, 79, 81, 82, 84, 85,
147, 181, 233
safety, 10, 37, 70, 105, 121, 178, 187, 188, 189, 192,
Testing Candidates, 77
193, 226, 227
time frame, 122
salary range, 98
time pressure, 82
savings, 100, 102, 106, 107, 154, 201
Toyota, 113, 124
scarce resources, 66
training, 6, 20, 37, 44, 48, 60, 70, 82, 84, 95, 97, 105,
Secretary of Commerce, 168
106, 107, 113, 117, 120, 133, 134, 138, 147, 148,
security, 140, 161, 171
150, 152, 155, 156, 157, 162, 171, 186, 187, 188,
self-confidence, 33
189, 201, 202, 216, 217, 232, 240
self-image, 167
training programs, 147, 152
self-interest, 17, 32, 63, 66, 189
traits, 30, 36, 121
self-reflection, 33
transformational, 32, 116, 220, 229
service quality, 202
transformative, 8, 19, 25, 26, 32, 34, 39, 58, 64, 65,
Short-term thinking, 95
66, 69, 72, 95, 107, 116, 117, 118, 123, 145, 157,
smog, 226
195, 209
smoking, 179, 180, 190
transformative ethics, 8, 34, 39, 58, 64, 65, 66, 69,
Smoking Cessation, 180, 192
72, 195, 209
social contract, 18
transparency, 33, 170
social problems, 168, 238, 241
transportation, 53, 54
social responsibility, 35, 242, 243
trustworthiness, 19, 30, 59, 68, 165, 166, 198, 222
Social Security, 100, 106
turnover, 24, 100, 179, 202, 240, 244
staff development, 38, 154, 155
staff members, 220