Equal Opportunities and Diversity

Equality - is the principle that all people regardless of certain attributes e.g. sexual preference are treated equally.

Diversity - is the principle of recognising people's differences and applying it to or in a certain environment e.g. the workplace. A reason for encouraging diversity would be to have different skills amongst a company's employees.

Difference - "The distinction between equality of opportunity and the management of diversity has often been described in terms of equal opportunity being driven by legislation and applying it to specific groups whereas diversity refers to all differences among people (e.g. Kandola and Fullerton, 1998)" (Farmer and Yellowley, 2009, p.61). In the example of older people being employed for instance, legislation protecting the rights and equal opportunity of older people is equality while a business employing an older person because of his/her experience to compliment the business's younger employees is diversity.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/article6830916.ece

3 arguments for Margaret Mountford's views:

• Objective - It is objective to appoint women based only on merit. This is because it doesn't take into account subjective characteristics such as personality.
• Fair - Women shouldn't be treated any differently from men because men are appointed based on merit as well.
• Sympathetic - Her views aren't sympathetic to women that have / may have children.

3 arguments against Margaret Mountford's views:

• Mountford's views don't take into consideration the bigger picture. For example, for certain jobs, personality may be just as important as merit if not more.
• Women are different from men - Women are different from men e.g. have different responsibilities and should therefore be treated differently, regardless of equality.
• Discriminatory - It is unfair for women to be appointed on different grounds from men just because they are women.

The impact age legislation may have on employers:

• Employers may have to invest more money into accommodating extra training/equipment for older people.
• Employers may have to change its current employment program if its currently breaching the age legislation.
• Employers may have to take into account the benefits of employing an older person more considering the age legislation put in place.
• The age legislation will result in business's employing more older people which may change the culture of certain organisations.

Stereotypes we tend to hold about younger people:

• Younger people are inexperienced.
• Younger people are inconsiderate.
• Younger people are immature.
• Younger people are fast learners.

Stereotypes we tend to hold about older people:

• Older people are unproductive/inefficient.
• Older people are reluctant to change / conservative.
• Older people all have disabilities.
• Older people are slow learners.

Two ideas how organisations can attempt to change attitudes regarding old/young people:

1. Directly compare the performance of both the younger and older people in the workplace. This may help prove/disprove any stereotypes that may exist regarding job performance of younger and older people e.g. old people work inefficiently and young people work efficiently.

2. Try and encourage team working between the younger and older people in the workplace. This may help change any preconceived views or attitudes that may have existed before the teamworking had taken place. This is because the younger and older people are working intimately, possibly demonstrating characteristics different from any existing stereotypes.

Practise in relation to equal opportunities (Sainsbury's):

Sainsbury's (2010) state on their website that:

"We are committed to championing equality, diversity, inclusion and flexible working options for our colleagues. We remain committed to recruiting, retaining and engaging the best people, from backgrounds that reflect the communities we serve."

The last sentence from the quote above shows that Sainsbury's encourage equal opportunities of people from different racial backgrounds, assuming they apply into practice what they are stating. Despite the fact that the quote states that Sainsbury's are "committed to championing equality", they make no specific references to certain groups that are / aren't included in such "equality" excluding race. For example, they make no references to sexual preference, age or disability and if they are included or excluded in such "equality". As a result, the broadness of equality in Sainsbury's isn't clear. This may mean that Sainsbury's aren't promoting equal opportunities to a large extent in the respect of certain groups e.g. age.

Sainsbury's are also encouraging graduates to apply with them despite the economic crisis, having a whole subsection of there website dedicated to graduates. Sainsbury's offer many perks to graduates applying for a role at Sainsbury's including gym membership and an interest free loan of up to £2000. It is therefore clear that Sainsbury's are keen in promoting opportunities for graduates, possibly more so than other groups. In this respect, Sainsbury's aren't promoting equality as it appears they are looking for a certain type of employee in particular for jobs i.e. graduates.

Sainsbury's most innovative practice is in offering an interest free loan up to £2000 for graduates. This is because it appears that Sainsbury's are aware of the debts that students get into while at University so it's a nice opportunity for them to possibly make a clean slate, paying back any existing debts they may have with the loan. In addition, it avoids getting the students into further debt as much as possible as the loans are interest free.

In respect of benchmarking equal opportunities into practice, B&Q is a company that takes equal opportunities very seriously. For example, B&Q removed the retirement age more than 15 years ago (B&Q, 2010). It is therefore clear that B&Q are trying to promote equal opportunities for older employees that are currently working at B&Q as this is encouraging older peoples to stay employed within the company. In addition, B&Q has "been listed in The Times 'top 50 places where women want to work' for four consecutive years" (B&Q, 2010). As a result, B&Q are evidently doing their bit in treating women appropriately and fairly as B&Q wouldn't be receiving such accolades from a major Newspaper if they weren't. This also proves that B&Q are without a doubt adhering to equal opportunities legislation with regards to women. In this respect, it is very clear that equal opportunities are something that B&Q take seriously in practise.

B&Q's most innovative practice is in removing the retirement age over 15 years ago. This is innovative because many business's today still have a retirement age e.g. The Post Office, while B&Q does not. Removing the retirement age gives older people greater opportunities in terms of employment than they usually would with business's that have a retirement age as they can keep their position/s within the company instead of being replaced by younger employees. As a result, older people aren't discriminated against at B&Q because of their age in this respect.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed this topic a lot. This is because equal opportunities and diversity relate to me now in terms of how I'm treated and if it's fair how I'm treated. In addition, this topic has made me more considerate of people's differences e.g. in terms of age, disability, race which would prove to be a good charicteristic if I decide to set-up my own business in the future because I would have to conform to equal opportunities legislation.

References:

B&Q (2010) Our ethics [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/corporate/content/environment_ethics/ethics/index.jsp [Accessed 10 March 2010].

Equal opportunities image. [n.d.] [s.n.] Available from: http://www.hometutoring.org.uk/images/equalopportunities.jpg [Accessed 03 March 2010].

Farmer, M. Yellowley, W. (2009) People and Organisations 2nd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited

J Sainsbury plc (2010) A great place to work [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/cr/index.asp?pageid=10 [Accessed 03 March 2010].

Selection

Microsoft is an organisation that I am familiar with. I can therefore identify three different selection methods that Microsoft use, when they are used and why, along with the pros and cons for each.

Three different selection methods that Microsoft use are:

• Interview
• Test
• Assessment Centre

When they are used:

• Interview - Interviews are used at Microsoft after the candidate's written applications have been assessed successfully. This is at the beginning of the selection process.
• Test - Tests are used at Microsoft after the candidates have been interviewed on camera by recruitment consultants. This is during the middle of the selection process.
• Assessment Centre - Assessment centres are used at Microsoft after the candidates have been interviewed on camera by the recruitment consultants successfully. This is at the end of the selection process.

Why they are used:

• Interview - Interviews are used at Microsoft because they give the employers a good idea of who the individual is and what skills they have. For example, interviews are useful in identifying a candidate's verbal fluency which may be important in the role that they are applying for at Microsoft e.g. a marketing position.
• Test - Tests are used at Microsoft because it shows the employers how effectively the candidates apply there knowledge and experience to tasks/activities that may be the same or similar to the one/s that they are applying for. Tests are therefore a good way of identifying candidates that have potential in the role/s that they have applied for.
• Assessment Centre - Assessment centres are used at Microsoft because they are standardised. This means that all the candidates involved have an equal opportunity to showcase why they think they are suitable for the role that they are applying for from a skills and abilities standpoint. This is a good way of directly comparing candidate's from the employers point of view.

Advantages of using these methods as selection tools:


- Interview:

• "Provide opportunities for interviewers t0 ask probing questions about the candidate's experience and to explore the extent to which the candidate's competences match those specified for the job" (Armstrong, 2003, p.442).
• Interview questions can be changed at any time. This can be useful to Interviewers if certain interviews go in a direction that wasn't expected or predicted.
• Interviews can be useful in identifying how skilled candidates are at communicating verbally. This may be useful for interviewers who are looking for good communication skills.

- Test:

• Test's are almost always reliable, particularly on-the-job tests. This is because many of the tasks / activities involved in the on-the-job tests are the same or similar to the actual tasks / activities in the jobs themselves.
• On-the-job tests identify the skills that candidates have in carrying out tasks that relate to the actual job that they are applying for. As a result, it is difficult for candidates to "fake" performing well because they are likely to be doing the same or similar tasks/activities in the job itself.
• Considering the relationship that on-the-job tests have with the job itself, "these tests are typically viewed more favourable by examinees than aptitude or personality tests" [Anon 1.] (2001).

- Assessment Centre:

• "The organisation is forced to develop a pre-defined and articulated set of measurable criteria that is related to job performance" [Anon 2.] [n.d.].
• Assessment centres are fair because a candidate's performance is measured using a set criteria. As a result, bias is avoided.
• Since assessment centres usually consist of practical work, candidates often enjoy themselves. This is a sharp contrast to other forms of selection e.g. interviews.

Disadvantages of using these methods as selection tools:


- Interview:

• Interviews are open to subjectivity (Marquis and Huston, 2009, p.344).
• Interviews can be time consuming if many candidates are selected for interviewing. In business, time is money which means interviews can be expensive.
• Interviewers often create stereotypes of what a good candidate is like e.g. a particular sex, race or age. This can lead to discrimination of certain groups.

- Test:

• On-the-job test's can be expensive to oversee and control. This is because in a lot of cases, candidate's are monitored individually.
• On-the-job test's usually take a short period of time to complete i.e. no longer than a day's worth of work. As a result, on-the-job test's aren't very useful in predicting job performance for tasks that take days, weeks, months or longer to finish.
• It's difficult to measure a candidate's aptitude with on-the-job test's as training may not be given to the candidate.

- Assessment Centre:

• Assessment centre's are very expensive for employers. "Typically, the assessment centre will cost at least $500 to $1000 per candidate" (LaRue, 1989). This may not even include staff costs.
• The assessor's and candidate's don't directly communicate with each other at assessment centre's. As a result, it may be difficult for the assessor's to assess the candidate's verbal and communication skills in general.
• Assessment centre's "can be perceived more as an assessment of your ability to 'act' or 'perform' to an audience than a true reflection of your abilities" [Anon 3.] [n.d.].

An interview that I have taken part in was for a placement at my secondary school's sixth form. Overall, I think the interview went well although it could have been better. For example, I don't think I gave enough eye contact to my interviewer which may have indicated from there point of view that what I was saying wasn't sincere. In addition, it may have given the impression that I wasn't very confident which is obviously an attribute that probably didn't reflect well on myself. Furthermore, I spoke quite calmy during the whole interview which may have made it seem like I wasn't enthusiastic about the interview or the prospect of joining the school's sixth form.

I interviewed my Mother and discussed with her whether she feels personality tests used within a selection procedure are advantageous. She believed that they are in fact advantageous. My Mother believed that they are advantageous because personality tests may help reduce the labour turnover rate as the employees in the work environment may all share the same or similar personalities provided that they are selected in this way. She stated that this would prove to be advantageous because it would mean that their would be more agreements and fewer conflicts in the workplace which may result in a more efficient and productive workforce, particularly in teamworking because their is decision making and interaction involved between different people. If they all share the same or similar personalities, they can avoid wasting time arguing over disagreemeents but instead collectively agree on decisions and work cohesively together, according to her.

In addition, she also felt that personality tests are advantageous because they may help bring to light information regarding the candidate's interests. She felt that this would be advantageous because the candidate's interests may be useful in the job that they are applying for if they relate in any signficiant way. For example, if a candidate's interest is going to the gym and keeping fit and the job that they are applying for is very physical, the candidate may prove to be suitable for the position that they are applying for and vice versa thanks to the personality test/s.

One recommendation that I would make to improve the selection process at Microsoft would be to use more selection processes. Despite the fact that Microsoft use interviews, tests and assessment centres as selection processes, I think they could use one or two more selection processes in order to make sure that they are selecting suitable candidates. For example, currently Microsoft don't use references for recruitment. I think that they should use references because employers may be able to consider employing someone that they know work well (as they may already work in the same company) which gives the employers a greater range of candidates to select from.

In addition, I also recommend that Microsoft should only use selection processes that are appropriate for selecting people for certain jobs. For example, if using an assessment centre for finding and selecting a Marketing executive isn't appropriate, then Microsoft shouldn't use an assessment centre for finding Marketing executives. I think that this is important because certain selection processes may be more useful in selecting for certain jobs than others. As a result, a selection process's usefulness may vary from job to job.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed this topic very much. This is because the topic relates to me once I finish University and apply for a job in the future. Learning about the different selection methods and their advantages/disadvantages I have found particularly interesting. This is also a topic that I'm not familiar with which therefore means that I've learnt quite a lot from this topic on selection.

References:


[Anon 1.] (2001) HR Guide to the Internet: Personnel Selection: Methods: Work Sample Tests[online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.hr-guide.com/data/G316.htm [Accessed 17 February 2010].


[Anon 2.] [n.d.] Assessment Centres [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/content/view/full/1081 [Accessed 17 February 2010].


[Anon 3.] [n.d.] Assessment Centre [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:5fR4YbJCbEMJ:www.braintree.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/30633AE4-AAE1-433D-9EB6-EF1DF952D8E0/0/AssessmentCentre.doc+disadvantages+of+assessment+centres&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk [Accessed 19 February 2010].


Armstrong, M. (2003) A handbook of human resource management practise. 9th edition. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Cow image - Available from: http://www.miniaturedextercattle.com.au/images/services_01.jpg [Accessed 05 February 2010].


LaRue, J. (1989) Assessing the Assessment Centre. [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.jlarue.com/assessment_center.html [Accessed 19 February 2010].


Marquis, B. Huston, C. (2009) Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing: Theory and Application. 6th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Recruitment

I have chosen www.monster.co.uk as an online recruitment site to review.

Use of the site - Monster's website proved to be very useful in the time I used it. This is because I found various job roles in areas that I was specifically looking for using the two search bars at the top of the home page.

Layout - The layout of Monster's website is very good overall. This is because there are two search box's at the top-centre of the page that allow people to search for jobs that they are interested in, in a certain location. The position of these search box's are easy to find which is important as they are pivotal features to the website. In addition, there is also a drop down menu at the top-centre of the page that is also easy to find which is crucial as the drop down menu allows viewers to access specific sections from any page e.g. "Forums".

Accessibility - All of the links on Monster's website worked that I clicked on and linked to the correct pages. This shows that the accessibility part of Monster's website is very good as employers and employees can navigate around Monster's website quickly and easily. In addition, typing "Monster" into Google generates Monster.co.uk as the first result so the website can be easily accessed even if the URL isn't typed into the address bar.

Efficiency - All of the web pages within Monster.co.uk load quickly without delay. On average, each page took two seconds to load. This means that Monster.co.uk is a very efficient website.

Fit for purpose - Monster.co.uk is fit for purpose i.e. is suitable for people looking for jobs / employers as the website looks stylish yet professional, all the links work properly including the drop down menu, the search bar works and all the content necessary for people looking for jobs / employers is available.

Content - Monster's content is very good. This is because all of the information is given in a professional manner. For example, the content has a serious tone and avoids giving unnecessary and inappropriate information e.g. jokes which is appropriate given the nature of the site. In addition, the site doesn't contain advertisements. This is good because it the viewer won't be distracted from finding the information that he/she is looking for. Their are also no pop-ups on Monster which is good as they can be frustrating to keep closing for users that want to simply browse the website without any sort of interruption.

Security - Monster appears to be a secure website. This is because users with Monster accounts have unique email-addresses and passwords to use in order to sign in. As a result, it is difficult for people to hack into other people's accounts without knowing their email address and password. Any job postings that look questionable can also be reported to Monster to ensure the users safety.

Design - The background of Monster's website is white which is very clean looking but also very professional looking. The background is therefore suitable for Monster given the subject matter of the site. In addition, the font colour of the text on Monster's website is black which is appropriate as it looks professional and is easy to read given that the background is white.

Advantages of on-line recruitment:

1. Cost - It's free to put job vacancies on your own website and costs only a few hundred pounds to put job vacancies on a recruitment website. On-line recruitment is therefore very cheap overall, especially in comparison with off-line recruitment.

2. Quick - Job vacancies can be uploaded in seconds, with applicants applying and interviews taking place within a space of a few hours. Suitable candidates can therefore be identified and recruited very quickly.

3. Easy - Uploading job vacancies is a very simple task even for people that aren't very IT literate. As a result, both novice and experienced computer users can upload job vacancies with ease.

4. 24/7 - Websites are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a result, candidates can apply for job vacancies at any time giving them the convenience of being able to apply when it's most convenient for them.

5. Audience - On-line recruitment is considered to be not only a standard part of job hunting for young people but also older people too. As a result, their is a wide range of different types of people applying for jobs whether they are young and have potential or old and have years of experience.

Disadvantages of on-line recruitment

1. Not everyone has access to the Internet - Despite the fact that on-line recruitment is very popular, not everyone is connected to the Internet. As a result, certain demographics that are less likely to be connected to the Internet will be somewhat discriminated against.

2. Too many candidates - Despite the fact that it may appear that having many candidates is a positive thing, on-line recruitment can attract too many candidates that aren't suitable for certain roles. As a result, it can be time consuming to manage and separate poor candidates from good candidates.

3. Doesn't always work - Not all job vacancies can be filled online with on-line recruitment. This is the case particularly with more senior roles that may require headhunters. As a result, on-line recruitment is limited in it's ability to fulfil certain positions.

4. Process is impersonal - On-line recruitment is impersonal as the process is automated. This may put off candidates from applying that may be suitable for particular positions.

5. Groups that can't use certain technologies will be discriminated against - Groups that can't use technologies such as the Internet will be discriminated against as it will be physically impossible for them to apply for a certain role online.

A recruitment campaign that really interested me was a IT web designer role for The Cookehouse. The campaign really interested me as I did ICT at A level and GCSE levels respectively so I knew I had enough qualifications and experience in IT to be considered seriously as an applicant. This is because the campaign clearly stated in the paper that I was reading the campaign from that they are looking for candidates with qualifications and experience in IT, which I have. In addition, the campaign had a slick and clean background which caught my eye immediately. Having read that I had the qualifications that they were looking for, the stylish background of the campaign gave me the impression that this is a company that would value an employee such as myself if I were to get a position at The Cookehouse.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/psycntrct/psycontr.htm

I understand that a physcological contract is a contract that exists psychologically or mentally as opposed to a legal contract that is physical. As a result, a physcological contracts exist from verbal agreements while legal contracts exist from written and signed agreements. From reading the link above, the recession of the 1990's and the effect of globalisation are largely responsible for why the term has become so popular although the term dates back as early as the 1960's. The recession of the early 1990's is responsible for popularising the term because during that period, the number of employees that were getting laid off was very high as job security was uncertain and not guaranteed. Globalisation is also responsible for popularising the term because foreign workers would do the jobs of others for less money and in some cases, more efficiently. This resulted in employees being made redundant in favour of the foreign workers, increasing the unemployment rate.

Recently, employees are becoming increasingly concerned about their job security which is why it is very important that employers communicate with their employees regularly regarding their performance and role in the company and negotiate accordingly i.e. the "physcological contract" as it helps to restore confidence in the employees and therefore motivate them into working more productively and efficiently.

In conclusion, I have learnt quite a lot from this topic on Recruitment. This is because this is a topic that I'm not particularly familiar with or have much knowledge of. It is also a subject that I've found interesting as it is something that would be of relevance to myself once I leave University and apply for a full time job.

References

Recruitment image - Available from: http://www.jobquest.com.sg/website_picture/recruitment-handshake.jpg [Accessed 01 February 2010].

HR Planning

It is vital for organisations to have HR plans because HR plans improve the effectiveness of organisations (Jackson, Schuler and Werner, 2009, p.101). For example, HR plans can help identify how many employees are needed in a certain organisation. In order to run an efficient business, it is important that every organisation has enough employees but not too many to make the business run inefficiently. HR plans help make sure that not only is their enough employees working in a certain business, but their also aren't too many employees working in an organisation that are costing the business any unnecessary expense. This is why it is vital for business's to have HR plans.

In this case, a problem that an organisation would have if HR plans weren't put in place would be the increased likelihood of business's employing either too few or too many people. Employing too few people would mean that the business wouldn't be able to function in certain areas properly or to it's maximum capability. Employing too many people on the other hand, would mean the business would be paying wages to people unnecessarily as they may not be needed, increasing the costs of the business.

In addition, HR planning allows business's to locate and identify talent that may be of use to the business currently or in the future [Anon 1.] [n.d.]. Since people generally leave organisations after only a few years, business's need to replace these employees that have left. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to do immediately without HR planning. HR planning allows firms to predict when certain employees may leave the company giving them time to prepare replacements for them. This can prevent business's from operating without key employees. This is another reason why it is vital for business's to have HR plans.

In this case, a problem that a business would have if HR plans weren't put in place would be that employees would leave the company unexpectedly and their would be a shortage of employees in certain areas of the business e.g. marketing. This could affect the productivity and efficiency of the business since their is a shortage of manpower which in turn could affect the sales revenue and therefore profits generated.

Rodger's seven point person specification for a University lecturer:

1. Physical make-up - A University lecturer is expected to be a healthy individual that is able to physically move from room to room with ease. They should be of a reasonable height, tall enough to use black/white boards. They should dress relatively smart wearing shoes, not trainers.

2. Attainments - A University lecturer is expected to be qualified enough to teach whatever module they teach well. It's expected that University lecturer's have graduated from higher education preferably University in the past. It is also expected that the lecturer's have been trained in teaching in order to teach at a satisfactory level.

3. Intelligence - University lecturer's are expected to have a good ability to learn new things which may be of use to pupil's that they are teaching. They are also expected to have good analytical ability so pupil's can understand the material that they are taking in as easily as possible.

4. Special aptitudes - University lecturer's are expected to use IT software and equipment to a reasonable standard. This is so that they can present information on a projector, for example. In addition, they are expected to be able to use Microsoft Office programs such as PowerPoint and Word. University lecturer's teaching Maths, Accounting and other numeric related courses are also expected to have good Mathematical skills.

5. Interests - University lecturer's are expected to be social to an extent that allows pupil's to talk with them if and when necessary. University lecturer's are also encouraged to read in order to keep up to date with News that may be of use to their classes and to boost their knowledge in general.

6. Disposition - University lecturer's are expected to be mature so that they appear as good role models for their pupils. Maturity is also needed so that the lecturers can remain focused on the module that they are teaching at hand without going off topic unnecessarily. On the other hand, lecturer's are also encouraged to be humorous to an extent so that pupil's don't get bogged down in the serious nature of a particular module, which may result in de-motivation and de-satisfaction.

7. Circumstances - University lecturer's are expected to be located reasonably close to the University that they teach at so it isn't a problem travelling to and from the University five days a week. It is encouraged that lecturer's live no more than an hour's drive away from the University. Lecturer's are also expected to be able to drive so that they can get to work without having to rely on public transport that isn't always reliable which may result in cancelled classes in extreme cases of delays.

If Waitrose were considering opening a new store in High Wycombe, the key labour questions that they would need to ask would be:

1. What is the unemployment rate like in High Wycombe?

2. How competitive is the supermarket market in High Wycombe? (this may determine how many people are employed at the other supermarkets which may affect how many people Waitrose can employ).

3. How skilled/qualified is High Wycombe's population?

4. What training procedures will need to be put in place to train newly recruited employees?

5. What methods will be introduced that will retain currently employed employees.

References

[Anon 1.] [n.d.] What is the importance of human resource planning in an organisation? [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_importance_of_human_resource_planning_in_an_organisation

[Accessed 30 January 2010].

HR planning image - http://www.ssa.vic.gov.au/CA2571410025903D/WebObj/ssa_strategydiagram/$File/ssa_strategydiagram.jpg

Jackson, S. Schuler, R. and Werner, S. (2009) Managing Human Resources. 1st ed. Ohio: South Western Cengage Learning.

Role of the Line Manager

Benefits of line managers being more involved in HR activities:

1. The line managers relationship with their employees may improve as they are working more intimately with them.

2. The line managers will be more likely to solve the day-to-day problems of the business (e.g. punctuality) because they are monitoring their employees more closely.

3. Line managers may be more motivated because they are epowered with more responsibility. (Brown, 2008, p.4). This may result in increased productivity and efficiency.

4. Line managers may learn new skills that could benefit the business as they will be carrying out new and unfamiliar tasks.

5. As their is a clearer picture of the employees progress (because of the link between the Line managers and the HR department), the Line managers can plan with greater certainty [Anon 1.] [n.d.].

Drawbacks of line managers being more involved in HR activities:

1. The relationship between the line managers and the HR department may worsen as the HR department may lose their independence.

2. The line managers are reliant on the HR department to do their job effectively and efficiently. (Redman and Wilkinson, 2006, p.216). If this is not the case, it may reflect badly on the line managers.

3. Existing policies and procedures may be inefficient and or outdated in order to accommodate the link between the line managers and the HR department.

4. The line managers have many duties and therefore have a lack of time to do the HR department's work well. (Redman and Wilkinson, 2006, p.215).

5. The line managers may not have the skills necessary to carry out certain functions of the HR department because they don't specialise in HR.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/maneco/general/rolefrntlinemngers.htm

Understanding skills - I think that line managers need to develop good understanding skills in order to effectively manage people because if a line manager cannot understand an employee's problem, the line manager won't be able to take the necessary steps to solve the problem that an employee has.

Problem-solving skills - I think that line managers need to develop good problem-solving skills in order to effectively manage people because if an employee approaches a line manager that has no or little problem-solving skills with a problem, the line manager won't be able to solve the problem or solve the problem effectively.

Communication skills - I think that line managers need to develop good communication skills in order to effectively manage people because if an employee can't communicate with his or her line manager, the line manager won't be able to solve any problems that are present in the workplace.

Motivation skills - I think that line managers need to develop good motivation skills in order to effectively manage people because if an employee is becoming de-motivated, the result might be a unproductive and inefficient employee. Unproductive and inefficient employees are employees that aren't reaching their full potential so it is in the line manager's interest that this is avoided.

Disciplinary skills - I think that line managers need to develop good disciplinary skills in order to effectively manage people because an undisciplined workforce is likely to be unproductive and inefficient. Undisciplined workers may also arrive to work late and take days off from work without permission.

At work, my line managers are developed in most of the aspects that I think are essential in order for them to effectively manage me. For example, my line managers at work have great understanding skills. This is good because I can communicate to him/her and always expect them to understand what I say. This is particularly useful when I have problems that need solving as I have to communicate to them and explain what the problem is and make sure they understand what the problem is, which they do in almost every case. The line managers at work have good understanding skills because they all speak English and are from the south-east of England. This is good because they can not only understand what I say since they understand the accent but also understand certain words and slang terms that are exclusive to the south-east of England (where I am from). In terms of understanding, the line managers at work are therefore very developed.

In addition, my line managers at work also have good problem-solving skills. This is good because at work, their are many problems that can happen and the line managers are often needed to resolve any problems that exist. The line managers at work have good problem-solving skills because all of them have several years of experience as line managers. They therefore know their job role well and have resolved similar problems in the past so they know the good solutions from the bad ones.

The line managers at work also have good communication skills. This is good because at work, we rely heavily on communication between the different levels of the organisation hierarchy. The line managers at work have good communication skills because they all speak English fluently, speak clearly and have excellent spelling and grammar (for when they communicate to us via E-mail and letters). They therefore communicate to us very well.

Having been on Prospects website and researched the job roles for an HR manager, I think my skills are more suited to the role of a HR manager than a line manager. This is because I'm quite a shy individual and a line manager's job role requires someone that is outgoing and willing to communicate with his or her employees. These are qualities that I feel I don't have in order to be a successful line manager. This is why I think that I don't have the skills be a good line manager.

A HR manager on the other hand seems to be generally more bureaucratic and less communicative which is something I feel would be suitable for myself as I feel I am effective when I'm working with paperwork and legislation. This is because their are strict guidelines to follow which I like because it means I can avoid getting caught up in different opinions and options which might be the case if I were to become a line manager e.g. their are different ways of motivating and disciplining people.

Another reason why I think that my skills would be more suited to the role of a HR manager than a line manager is because in order to be a successful line manager, you need excellent team-working skills. For example, a line-manager has to work closely with his or her employees in order to work well. I feel that I work more successfully and efficiently on my own which is why I feel that I don't have the necessary team-working skills in this regard to be successful as a line manager. Even though their is a degree of team-working in HR, I think that overall their is less team-working in HR than in line managing which is why I feel I would be more successful as a HR manager than a line manager in this respect.

In conclusion, I feel I have enjoyed and learnt a lot from this topic on the role of Line Manager's. This is because I have learnt what types of skills and qualities are needed in order to be a successful line manager. This is something that I find very interesting because it applies to the world of work. I can therefore use this knowledge and apply it if necessary when I start to seek full time employment. I also liked this topic because I enjoyed the overlap of Line managing and HR. I thought that it was very interesting how the two need to communicate and interact with each other in order for both to be successful.

References

[Anon 1.] [n.d.] Line Manager Benefits. [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.teamseer.com/benefits/line-manager-benefits/ [Accessed 20 January 2010].

Brown, P. (2008) A guest article by Phil Brown. Why HR must empower the line manager. 1 (1), 4

Manager image. [online]. Available from: http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1438293_f520.jpg [Accessed 24 January 2010].

Redman, T and Wilkinson, A. (2006) Contemporary human resource management: text and cases. 2nd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Teamworking

An example of a time when I worked in a team and were successful was when I worked with Zov in carrying out a presentation titled "Our New Business Idea". Since this was the first assignment we had in the University, we were very polite to one another which I felt made the process of practising our presentation a lot easier. This is because we were comfortable with each other. At this point we were at the "Forming" stage of team development. I think that being polite to each other made our presentation successful because it didn't delay the task of practising our presentation. This allowed us to practise and reherse our presentation without any delays e.g. having personal disagreements and other conflicts which would have delayed the process of rehersing. Repeated rehersals perfected our performance.

When we were rehersing our presentation, me and Zov would often consult each other about issues regarding the presentation e.g. what bits that weren't necessary to include, taking into account that our presentation had a time limit of ten minutes. At this point then, we would manage any conflicts that both of us had with the presentation. We were at the "Storming" stage of team development during this period. I think that our team worked successfully during this period because we acted as one, editing the content of our presentation which allowed us to present content that was relevant and necessary in order to reach the higher mark bands.

After confronting issues and difficulties that we had, me and Zov then focused on developing our presentation skills next e.g. such as speaking clearly, giving eye contact to the audience and not speaking too fast/slow. At this point we were at the "Norming" stage of team development. I think our team worked successfully during this period because we both made attempts to improve our presentation skills, which was crucial in receiving the highest mark our team could achieve because the quality of the content presented would have been limited by our skills of presenting the content.

Once our presentation skills had improved to a level that we were both comfortable with, me and Zov focused on making our presentation as a whole as effective as possible. We did this by sharing and suggesting ideas in addition to improving our maturity as a group so our presentation would look professional. At this point, we were at the "Performing" stage of team development. I feel that our team worked successfully during this period because it was at this point where we added the final touches that made the presentation from good to great. By sharing ideas through interacting with one another, I feel we achieved this.

When it came to performing our presentation, I feel me and Zov were very successful in working as a team. This is because we linked our own individual parts of the presentation together e.g. I would say that "As Zov just said" and he would say the opposite on sections of the presentation that overlapped on both his and mine's parts. This made the presentation seem united and feel like a group presentation as opposed to a presentation where you are simply working with someone. In addition, we both worked equally as hard when it came to presenting our presentation which helped make the presentation look like a group effort as I wasn't "out-presenting" him and vice versa. As a result, we clearly shared the responsibility of the work together as a good team should.

The people in my team were myself, Zov, Pierre and John for the People and Organisations group assignment. Looking back on the People and Organisations group assignment, I think that we performed reasonably well as a team. This is because we covered the main points that were included in the assessment criteria. However, I don't feel we were truly united as a team. This is because instead of working as a team, we instead split the work into four pieces between the four of us, with each of us researching and writing up the definition of certain motivation theories in addition to relating these motivation theories to a business of our own choice. If we had collectively looked at all of the results from our secondary research, we could have made sound conclusions based on our findings making links between the different theories and businesses respectively. We didn't do this however. Instead, we simply split the conclusions from our results into four different conclusions with no links between each of the theories and business's. In this respect, we weren't successful as a team because it seemed like we were doing our work as individuals and simply compiling all the information together instead of analysing all of the results and linking them together cohesively.

Our group (consisting of myself, Pierre, Zov and John) did not progress through all of the key stages in Tuckman's theory. The key stages that we progressed through were Forming and Storming. We progressed through Forming in the beginning stages of the assignment by being polite to each other and impersonal. Going through the Forming stage of development contributed to our success as a team in my opinion because it allowed the team to concentrate on the assignment at hand and stay professional. This is because we didn't know each other as individuals very much which meant we didn't get distracted by going off the subject of the assignment e.g. gossiping.

We also progressed through the Storming stage of development. We did this by confronting each other with regards to the assignment. This is because their were a few occasions where some of our group arranged to meet at a certain time but didn't turn up. Going through the Storming stage of development contributed to our success as a team because it helped resolve issues surrounding our dedication, independence and maturity towards the assignment. If we hadn't have addressed these issues, we wouldn't have been able to complete the assignment fully.

We did not progress through the Norming stage of development however. Even though I feel that we confronted issues regarding the assignment, I don't think we developed our skills as a group e.g. analytical skills, as we didn't analyse the content of the assignment to a great degree. I think that this effected the success of the group because it prevented us from achieving a higher grade for our assignment, as analysing the content was a big part of the assessment criteria.

We also did not progress through the Performing stage of development. I think we didn't progress through the Performing stage because I feel we never met our potential as a group. The reason for this is that we never worked effectively or maturely enough to meet this stage. I think that this effected the success of the group because it prevented us from improving the assignment by a significant amount in order to receive a high mark for the assignment.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/

Using the link above, Microsoft is one company where teamwork has been identified as a major contributory factor to their success. For example, Anon 1 (2009) states that 74% of employees feel that working in a team gives them a buzz. Employees with a "buzz" are generally excited which insinuates that 74% of Microsoft's employees that work in a team are excited about working in a team, improving the morale in the work environment. This would also motivate the employees into working harder and more efficiently because they are excited about the prospect of working in a team.

Anon 1 (2009) also states that 81% of Microsoft's employees feel that working in a team "is fun". Working in teams that is regarded as "fun" would mean that the labour turnover rate would be low at Microsoft because people would be interested, excited and motivated into going to work reducing the chances that existing employees would seek employment elsewhere. This would therefore be one of Microsoft's major contributory factors to their success. Anon 1 (2009) proves this further when it states that "regular get-togethers at team, department and company level ensure success is celebrated and staff remain engaged". Furthermore, "Managers have morale budgets which are used to keep teams happy and motivated".

Another company where teamwork has been identified as a major contributory factor to their success is Iris. According to Anon 2 (2009), "employees believe there is a strong sense of family in their teams (an 83% positive score)". If their is a "strong sense of family" in their teams at Iris, the workers would be more open to pitching new and creative ideas together which may result in better results for the company overall, which may help boost sales and therefore profits. This would therefore be a major contributory factor to Iris' success.

In addition, Iris' employees say that "working with their teams gives them a buzz (80%), agree that colleagues go out of their way to help each other (81%) and say that workmates are fun to work with (89%)" [Anon 2]. [n.d.]. Working for a company that gives teams "a buzz" would give the employees more enthusiasm about their job which would motivate them to work harder / more efficiently. This would therefore reduce the labour turnover rate in the company which would mean Iris wouldn't have to spend as much time and money into training new employees as replacements for the employees that have left the company. Teamworking in Iris is therefore clearly contributory to the business as it ultimately saves the business time and money from training new employees.

In conclusion, I have learnt quite a lot on the subject of team working. The main thing I learnt from this topic is the importance of good team working in any business. This is because good team working can work better than people working well as individuals. The reason for this is that more ideas can be pitched together with the best ideas inputted and the worst ideas discarded in teams unlike working as individuals. The outcome is better results. I also enjoyed the topic because I felt it was interesting as it relates to the world of work and I learnt something new.

References

[Anon. 1] (2009) Microsoft [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article5703546.ece [Accessed 17 January 2010].

[Anon. 2] (2009) Iris [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/best_100_companies/article5845070.ece[Accessed 17 January 2010].

Teamworking image [n.k.] [online]. Available from: http://www.pathways4change.com/images/cgi.gif [Accessed 17 January 2010].

Organisation and Management Theory

The Call centres: a case study in people problems in a 'modern' workplace is a case study that demonstrates one of the key theories discussed in the lecture. The key theory that this case study relates to is the Scientific management theory. BT is the main organisation that this case study focuses on. This case study relates to the Scientific management theory because the article states that "Call centres are plagued with high levels of labour turnover with rates averaging 19.3% at agent level and peaking at 37.8% in the food and drink sector" (Barnes, 2004, p.19). High labour turnover is generally a result of businesses that use or follow Scientific management which shows that this case study and Scientific management relate to each other.

Another example from this case study that shows it is related to Scientific management is the rate of absenteeism stated in the case study. According to Barnes (2004, p.19) "the Merchant's Group study in 1998 reported absence levels ranging from 4% to 20% with an average of 14.3%". This is a high absenteeism rate. A high absenteeism rate is also closely linked with Scientific management as it is often a direct result from it. This therefore also shows that this case study relates to Scientific management.

In addition, a further example that shows that this case study and Scientific management are related is the way in which workers view their job role and work. For example, Barnes (2004, p.20) states that most call centre jobs are " 'impoverished' being 'routine', 'boring' and lacking in 'variety' ". This relates to Scientific management because businesses that use Scientific management generally create jobs that are boring, routine and lacking in variety as stated by Barnes.

Furthermore, another example that shows that this case study and Scientific management are related is the way in which the workers view the general Management style in call centres. For example, Barnes (2004, p.20) points out that "the grievances among BT call centre staff included that of a "bullying management style". This relates to Scientific management because in businesses that use Scientific management, Managers make all the decisions. As a result, workers have very little input in the decision making process if at all. To some workers, this may be seen as a "bullying management style" because the workers have very little power in businesses that use Scientific management.

The Motivation within a creative environment is a case study that demonstrates one of the schools discussed in the lecture. The key school that this case study relates to is the Human Relations school. Siemans is the main company that this case study focuses on. This case study relates to the Human Relations School because Siemans use Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory in attempting to motivate their staff. For example, the study states that "Siemans provides the opportunity for employees to fulfil their higher order needs" [Anon 3.] [n.d.] of the hierarchy. This shows that Maslow's hierarchy of needs relates to Siemans because the company allow opportunities for the employees to fulfill the higher order needs in the hierarchy. The "higher order needs" that the case study is referring to are the Self-fulfilment needs and Self-actualisation needs. According to the case study, Siemans fulfil the Self-esteem needs of their workers by running schemes "in which suggestions and projects for improvements are rewarded" [Anon 3.] [n.d.]. This could be financial rewards, as part of a team or individually, or recognition by peers / management for their achievement/s. This shows that this case study relates to Maslow's hierarchy of needs (and therefore the Human Relations School) because Siemans use financial and non financial rewards (recognition) in trying to fulfil the Self-esteem needs of the workers.

The case study maintains that Siemans fulfil the Self-actualisation needs of the workers by offering engineering staff training and development opportunities. This meets the Self-actualisation needs of the workers because it "helps engineers to extend their capabilities which may lead to a progression up the career ladder" and "helps individuals to meet the changing demands of the business' global markets" [Anon 3.] [n.d.]. This relates to Maslow's hierarchy of needs (and therefore the Human Relations School) because Siemans are attempting to fulfil the Self-actualisation needs of the workers by training engineering staff and offering them development opportunities.

BT and Siemans are vastly different organisations in terms of organisation and management theory because both businesses use and apply different organisation and management theories. For example, BT use Scientific management and Siemans use Maslow's hierarchy of needs primarily. This difference between the two organisations is most evident in the way that workers get feedback from their managers. At BT, the workers get very little feedback from their managers regarding performance, a typical trait of Scientific management. However, Siemans not only give feedback to their workers from their managers, they also run schemes "in which suggestions and projects for improvements are rewarded" [Anon 3.] [n.d.]. This is a huge difference between the two organisations. This is because Siemans give basic feedback to their employees but also encourage the employees to give feedback to their manager/s of how they can improve their performance, rewarding them accordingly.

Another big difference between BT and Siemans is in terms of the employee's power and responsibility. Worker's at BT refer to the management style as a "bullying management style" which is the opposite of what the worker's at Siemans view their management style as. This is because the workers at Siemans are empowered with greater responsibility which allows them to make decisions they couldn't have made before. The workers at BT however are not given such empowerment and have to take direct orders from their respective Managers. This is why the BT workers refer to their Management style as a "bullying Management style".

Additionally, another difference between BT and Siemans is in the way that both companies encourage change. Since BT use Scientific management, they believe that the way in which they run their company is the best and most efficient way of running their business. Siemans however encourage change if it means solving problems that the employees are facing currently. For example, BT workers refer to their job's as " 'impoverished' being 'routine', 'boring' and lacking in 'variety' " (Barnes, 2004). The boring nature of the worker's jobs at BT could be attributable to the fact that BT don't encourage change, unlike Siemans. This is therefore a big difference between the two business's.

Advantages of Scientific management:

1. Their are job opportunities for uneducated people provided they are efficient workers.

2. Discrimination is avoided as the most efficient workers are kept regardless of age/sex/race.

3. The most efficient workers are kept which may help boost the sales revenue and therefore profits of a business.

4. Scientific management encourages motivation because efficient workers are rewarded financially. Workers that are motivated are more likely to stay in the business keeping the labour turnover rate down.

5. As the efficient workers are kept, their is a significantly lower chance that time will be wasted. In business, time is money. [Anon 1.] [n.d.]

Disadvantages of scientific management:

1. Scientific management doesn't take into account that some workers may not be motivated purely by money.

2. Work using scientific management is generally repetitive and boring for the worker. This may result in de-motivation which may effect the productivity / efficiency of the worker.

3. The work environment may be hostile because of the competitive nature of scientific management.

4. Scientific management doesn't encourage feedback from the worker's so it may be difficult for the manager's to identify if the worker's are being motivated or not. [Anon 2.] [n.d.]

5. Tasks can be difficult to identify using Scientific management.

The main finding from this topic that was discovered was identifying the impact that applying a certain organisation and management theory can have on any business. This information was found from the case studies that were selected in this blog.

Another finding from this topic that was discovered are the advantages and disadvantages of Scientific management. This information will be useful to me in the future when I start to seek employment because of its relevance in the world of work. I enjoyed this topic because not only did I learn information on an unfamiliar topic, it will prove to be useful in the future.

References:

[Anon 1.] [n.d.] What are the Advantages of Scientific Management in Business? [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://dailyojo.com/articles/what-are-the-advantages-of-scientific-management-in-business.html [Accessed 10 December 2009].

[Anon 2.] [n.d.] Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management. [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/scientific/ [Accessed 11 December 2009].

[Anon. 3] [n.d.] Motivation within a creative environment [online]. [s.n.] Available from: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--motivation-within-creative-environment--89-376-4.php [Accessed 12 December 2009].

Barnes, P. (2004) Call centres: a case study in people problems in a 'modern' workplace.ACCA Students' Newsletter. 1 (1), 19-21

Henri Fayol image. Available from: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mAzw4rFPvDQ/SdqV9Y1jagI/AAAAAAAAANY/cMwyhiI0vmc/s400/teoria+fayol_clip_image002.jpg [Accessed 18 November 2009].