HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Vilma Tubutiene,Lecturer of Public Administration

DepartmentSiauliai University

Aim of the course

• To provide main understanding about Human Resource Management processes in public organizations

• To share experience among partners in the main HR managers

Introduction I

• Human resources management (HRM) is one of the most complex and challenging fields of management. It deals with the people dimension in management.

• The human resource approach has redefined the way people are treated and managed in the organizational context.

• This approach requires that employees be treated as resources and not just as factors of production (as in the scientific approach) or emotional beings with psychological needs (as in the human relations approach)

• The new role has emerged for HR function, as a value provider, as a key player in organizational working and as a contributor to organization's strategy.

Introduction II• The human resources are multidimensional in nature. Human

resources may be defined as the knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and aptitudes obtained by the individual; they represent the total of the inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills as exemplified in the talents and aptitudes of employees.

• Human Resource Management has come to be recognized as an inherent part of Organizational management. Its objective is the maintenance of better human relations in the organization by the development, application and evaluation of policies, procedures and programs relating to human resources to optimize their contribution towards the realization of organizational objectives.

• HRM plays a major part in the creation of an environment that enables people to make the best use of their capacities, to realize their potential to the benefit of both the organization and themselves and, by improving the quality of working life, to achieve satisfaction through their work. [1]

Introduction III

There are three important components of HRM that constitute a resource for the organization and are influenced by HR practices or the HR system:1. The human capital pool comprised of the stock of employee knowledge, skills, motivation and behaviours.2. The flow of human capital through the organization – the movement of people and of knowledge.3. The dynamic processes through which organizations change and/or renew themselves.[1]

Introduction IVResource-based strategic HRM can produce human resource advantage. The aim is to develop strategic capability. This means strategic fit between resources and opportunities, obtaining added value from the effective deployment of resources, and developing people who can think and plan strategically in the sense that they understand the key strategic issues and ensure that what they do supports the achievement of the organization strategic goals. In line with human capital theory, the resource-based view emphasizes that investment in people increases their value to the organization. The significance of the resource-based view of the firm is that it highlights the importance of a human capital management approach to HRM and provides the justification for investing in people through resourcing, talent management and learning and development programmes as a means of enhancing organizational capability. [1]

Introduction V

The scope of HRM is very wide: 1. Personnel aspect: This is concerned with manpower planning, recruitment, selection, placement, transfer, promotion, training and development, layoff and retrenchment, remuneration, incentives, productivity etc. 2. Welfare aspect: t deals with working conditions and amenities such as canteens, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities, etc. 3. Industrial relations aspect: his covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc. [1]

Introduction VIThe Human Resource Management philosophy is based on the following beliefs: • Human resource is the most important asset in the organization and can be developed and increased to an unlimited extent. • A healthy climate with values of openness, enthusiasm, trust, mutuality and collaboration is essential for developing human resource. • HRM can be planned and monitored in ways that are beneficial both to the individuals and the organization. • Employees feel committed to their work and the organization, if the organization perpetuates a feeling of belongingness. • Employees feel highly motivated if the organization provides for satisfaction of their basic and higher level needs. • Employee commitment is increased with the opportunity to discover and use one’s capabilities and potential in one’s work. • It is every manager’s responsibility to ensure the development and utilization of the capabilities of subordinates.[1]

I. Organization of HR function

You will understand:•HR functions•Organization of HR functions•What organizational efforts HR functions supports

Organization of HR function

The activities carried out within an HR function can be divided into two broad categories: 1) strategic (transformational), which is largely concerned with the alignment and implementation of HR and organizational strategies, and 2) transactional, which covers the main HR service deliveryactivities of resourcing, learning and development, reward and employee relations.

The HR function is involved in devising HR strategies, policies and practices that meet the needs of the organization and its members and support the attainment of sustained competitive advantage. [1]

Organization of HR functionThe three-legged stool model for the organization of the HR function. It divides the function into the following three parts.1. Centres of expertiseThese specialize in the provision of high level advice and services on key HR activities. The most common expertise areas were training and development, reward and employee relations2. Strategic business partnersThese work with line managers to help them reach their goals through effective strategy formulationand execution .They are often ‘embedded’ in organization units or departments. 3. Shared service centresThese handle all the routine ‘transactional’ services across the business. These include such activities as recruitment, absence monitoring and advice on dealing with employee issues such as discipline and absenteeism. [1]

Organization of HR functionThe central focus for HR management must be on contributing to organizational success. Key to enhancing organizational performance is ensuring that human resources activities support organizational efforts focusing on productivity, service, and quality.

Productivity: continuous improvement of productivity has become even more important as global competition has increased. The productivity of the human resources in an organization is affected significantly by management efforts, programs, and systems.

Quality: The quality of products and services delivered significantly affects organizational success over the long term. If an organization gains a reputation for providing poor-quality products and services, it reduces its organizational growth and performance. An emphasis on quality requires continuous changes aimed at improving work processes. That need opens the door for reengineering the organizational work done by people. Customer value received and satisfaction become the bases for judging success, along with more traditional HR measures of performance and efficiency.

Service: Because people frequently produce the products or services offered by an organization, HR management considerations must be included when identifying service blockages and redesigning operational processes. Involving all employees, not just managers, in problem solving often requires changes in corporate culture, leadership styles, and HR policies and practices. [2]

Organization of HR function• To accomplish these goals, HR management is composed of several groups of

interlinked activities. However, the performance of the HR activities must be done in the context of the organization, which is represented by the inner rings in Figure below.

• All managers with HR responsibilities must consider external environmental forces—such as legal, political, economic, social, cultural, and technological ones—when addressing these activities.

HR activities for which a brief overview follows are:• HR Planning and Analysis• Equal Employment Opportunity• Staffing• HR Development• Compensation and Benefits• Health, Safety, and Security• Employee and Labor/Management Relations [2]

II. HRM activities

You will understand:•Main HRM activities and how they are linked•What benefits they could provide for Organization

HRM Activities

HR act iviti es

HR planning and analysis activities have several facets. •Through HR planning, managers attempt to anticipate forces that will influence the future supply of and demand for employees. •Having adequate human resource information systems (HRIS) to provide accurate and timely information for HR planning is crucial. •The importance of human resources in organizational competitiveness must be addressed as well. As part of maintaining organizational competitiveness, HR analysis and assessment of HR effectiveness must occur. [2]

HR Planning and Analysis

Human resource planning flow chart [1]

HR act iviti es

Aims of HR planningHuman resource planning aims to ensure that the organization has the number of people with the right skills needed to meet forecast requirements.Human resource planning activitiesScenario planning, demand and supply forecasts, action planning.Action planningAction plans are derived from the broad resourcing strategies and the more detailed analysis of demand and supply factors.[1]

Planing

HR act iviti es

The aim of staffing is to provide an adequate supply of qualified individuals to fill the jobs in an organization:•By studying what workers do, job analysis is the foundation for the staffing function. •From this, job descriptions and job specifications can be prepared to recruit applicants for job openings. •The selection process is concerned with choosing the most qualified individuals to fill jobs in the organization. [2]

Staffing

HR act iviti es

Job analysis methodology and techniquesThe essence of job analysis is the application of systematic methods to the collection of information about job content. It is essentially about data collection and the basic steps are:• obtain documents such as existing organization, procedure or training manuals which give information about the job;• obtain from managers fundamental information concerning the job;• obtain from job holders similar information about their jobs.[1]

Staffing

HR act iviti es

Job descriptionsJob descriptions should be based on the job analysis and should be as brief and factual as possible. The headings could be: job title, reporting to, reporting to job holder, main purpose of job, main activities, tasks or duties.Role analysis methodologyRole analysis uses the same techniques as job analysis but the focus is on identifying inputs (knowledge and skill and competency requirements) and required outcomes (key result areas) rather than simply listing the tasks to be carried out.[1]

Staffing

HR act iviti es

There are three fundamental characteristics shared by all jobs:1. Job range – the number of operations a job holder performs to complete a task.2. Job depth – the amount of discretion a job holder has to decide job activities and joboutcomes.3. Job relationships – the interpersonal relationships between job holders and their managersand co-workers.[1]

Staffing

HR act iviti es

Task structureJob design requires the assembly of a number of tasks into a job or a group of jobs. Individuals may carry out a variety of connected tasks (multi-tasking), each with a number of functions, or these tasks may be allocated to a team of workers or divided between them. The internal structure of each task consists of three elements: planning (deciding on the course of action, its timing and the resources required),[1]

Staffing

HR act iviti es

Defining requirementsRequirements are set out in the form of job descriptions or role profiles and person specifications. These provide the information required to draft advertisements, post vacancies on the internet, brief agencies or recruitment consultants and assess candidates by means of interviews and selection tests.Selection methodsThe aim is to assess the suitability of candidates by predicting the extent to which they will be able to carry out a role successfully. It involves deciding on the degree to which the characteristics of applicants match the person specification and using this assessment to make a choice between candidates. [1]

Staffing

HR act iviti es

•Beginning with the orientation of new employees, HR training and development also includes job-skill training. •As jobs evolve and change, ongoing retraining is necessary to accommodate technological changes. Encouraging development of all employees, including supervisors and managers, is necessary to prepare organizations for future challenges. •Career planning identifies paths and activities for individual employees as they develop within the organization. Assessing how employees perform their jobs is the focus of performance management.[2]

HR Development

HR act iviti es

The elements of Talent Management [1]

HR act iviti es

The process of Career Management [1]

HR act iviti es

The nature of a learning culture

A learning culture is one that promotes learning because it is recognized by top management, line managers and employees generally as an essential organizational process to which they are committed and in which they engage continuously.

How learning and development activities contribute to organization performance

While it is possible and highly desirable to evaluate learning, establishing a link between learning and organizational performance is problematic, although research has shown that learning and development can be a crucial intervening factor.[1]

The features of a learning and development strategy

A learning and development strategy should be organization-led in the sense that it is designed to support the achievement of organization goals by promoting human capital advantage. But it should also be people-led, which means taking into account the needs and aspirations of people to grow and develop.

Learning and training

HR act iviti es

•Compensation rewards people for performing organizational work through pay, incentives, and benefits. Employers must develop and refine their basic wage and salary systems. •Also, incentive programs such as gainsharing and productivity rewards are growing in usage. •The rapid increase in the costs of benefits, especially health-care benefits, will continue to be a major issue.[2]

Compensation and benefits

HR act iviti es

Objectives of employee benefits• Provide a competitive total remuneration package.• Provide for the personal needs of employees.• Increase the commitment of employees to the organization.• Provide for some people a tax-efficient method of remuneration.[1]Flexible benefi tsFlexible benefit schemes (sometimes called ‘cafeteria systems’) allow employees to decide, within certain limits, on the make-up of their benefits package. Schemes can allow for a choice within benefits or a choice between benefits. Employees are allocated an individual allowance to spend on benefits. This allowance can be used to switch between benefits, to choose new ones, or to alter the rate of cover within existing benefits. [1]

Compensation and benefits

HR act iviti es

•The physical and mental health and safety of employees are vital concerns. The traditional concern for safety has focused on eliminating accidents and injuries at work. Additional concerns are health issues arising from hazardous work with certain chemicals and newer technologies. •Through a broader focus on health, HR management can assist employees with substance abuse and other problems through employee assistance programs (EAP) in order to retain otherwise satisfactory employees. •Employee wellness programs to promote good health and exercise are becoming more widespread. •Workplace security has grown in importance, in response to the increasing number of acts of workplace violence. HR management must ensure that managers and employees can work in a safe environment.[2]

Health, Safety, and Security

HR act iviti es

•The relationship between managers and their employees must be handled effectively if both the employees and the organization are to prosper together. Whether or not some of the employees are represented by a union, employee rights must be addressed.•It is important to develop, communicate, and update HR policies and rules so that managers and employees alike know what is expected. •In some organizations, union/management relations must be addressed as well.2]

Employee and Labor/Management Relations

III. HR management roles

You will understand:•Main HRM roles•What benefits they could provide for Organization

HR management roles [2]

• .

HR m

an agemen t rol es

• The administrative role of HR management is heavily oriented to processing and record keeping. Maintaining employee files and HR-related databases, processing employee benefits claims, answering questions about tuition and/or sick leave policies, and compiling and submitting required state and federal government reports are all examples of the administrative nature of HR management. These activities must be performed efficiently and promptly.

• However, this role resulted in HR management in some organizations getting the reputation of paper shufflers who primarily tell managers and employees what cannot be done. If limited to the administrative role, HR staff are seen primarily as clerical and lower-level administrative contributors to the organization [2]

Administrative Role of HR Management

HR m

an agemen t rol es

• Operational activities are tactical in nature. Compliance with equal employment opportunity and other laws must be ensured, employment applications must be processed, current openings must be filled through interviews, supervisors must be trained, safety problems must be resolved, and wages and salaries must be administered. In short, a wide variety of the efforts performed typically are associated with coordinating the management of HR activities with the actions of managers and supervisors throughout the organization.

• This operational emphasis still exists in some organizations, partly because of individual limitations of HR staff members and partly because of top management’s resistance to an expanded HR role. Typically, the operational role requires HR professionals to identify and implement operational programs and policies in the organization. They are the major implementors of the HR portion of organizational strategic plans developed by top management, rather than being deeply involved in developing those strategic plans. [2]

Operational Role of HR Management

HR m

an agemen t rol es

• Organizational human resources have grown as a strategic emphasis because effective use of people in the organization can provide a competitive advantage, both domestically and abroad.

• The strategic role of HR management emphasizes that the people in an organization are valuable resources representing significant organizational investments. For HR to play a strategic role it must focus on the longer-term implications of HR issues.

• How changing workforce demographics and workforce shortages will affect the organization, and what means will be used to address the shortages over time, are illustrations of the strategic role. The importance of this role has been the subject of extensive discussion recently in the field, and those discussions have emphasized the need for HR management to become a greater strategic contributor to the success of organizations. [2]

Strategic Role of HR Management

Exercise

Several last years there are discussions among practioners and researchers about establishing of Senior Civil Service in Lithuania. For example Jagminas, Valickas (2009) make assumption based on their research, that strategic approach to human resource management implies that human resources are especially unique and valuable and leaders should be treated differently from other groups of employees within the public sector. They assume, that civil service system should invest much in providing internal development possibilities for them and use commitment-based human resource management practices. This idea should be used as one of the bases implementing the reforms in human resource management in civil service.

Taking in account the previous material, please give some (3-4) possible competences/abilities of leaders in Civil service, that are crucial important to be developed in your country. Explain in one-two sentences, how those competences/abilities could impact on Organizational effectiveness.

You could read mentioned publication here: sentJagminas J., Valickas A. The Assumptions for Senior Civil Service in Lithuania. VIEŠOJI POLITIKA IR ADMINISTRAVIMAS, 2009. Nr. 27

References

1. Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. London, 2009.

2. Dessler, G. Human Resource Management, Prentice Hall.

More about Lithuanian Civil Service: openhttp://eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/co

mparative-information/national-contributions/lithuania-working-conditions-in-central-public-administration