Unit 22 Managing Human Resources Assignment – Harrods

Program	Diploma in Business
Unit Number and Title	Unit 22 Managing Human Resources – Harrods
QFC Level	Level 4

Introduction

The Unit 22 Managing Human Resources Assignment Harrods will give a glimpse on the Human resource management based on the organisation Harrods. The first part of the report will relate the Guest Model with the practices of Harrods, basic differences between the HRM practice and Personnel management. Second part of the report will give emphasis on the flexibility approaches and models related with the organisation Harrods for determining the implications. Third part of the report will address the equal opportunities, discrimination at the workplace. Fourth part will highlight the methods of the performance management, employee’s welfare and health and safety issues in the organisation.

       

Task 1

P1.1- Explain how the Guests model of HRM is adopted at Harrods.

As per the Guest model of HRM is concerned, David Guest has claimed the interrelationship between the HRM strategies and outcomes (Dessler, 2012). The interrelationship of HR aspects as per the Guest model can be observed by linking the model to the organisation Harrods in the following way:

• The first consideration as per the model is the HR policies adopted by the organisation Harrods. The policies like continuing the recruitment for attracting the dynamic employees. Establishing the standards for the performances for the employees. Giving regular updates and providing training to meet the needs of the customers effectively. The management of Harrods focus on the development opportunities to the employees in order to build their future prospects etc.
• The second consideration is the HRM strategies which are focused to the organisational structures, leadership changing, defining the structure for the communication, establishing the brand values which will improve the performances of the employees at Harrods.
• The third consideration is the Human Resource outcome which can be further divided in to four categories: (Banfield, 2012)

1. Commitment to all the employees by giving their best and productive performances will increase the brand equity in the market.
2. Quality is another outcome which will distinguish the brand Harrods with other. For that they need to maintain a standard in the organisation in order to give a quality value.
3. Flexibility in the organisation will increase the productivity due to the advantages given to the employees by offering part time jobs, job sharing etc at Harrods.
4. Strategic planning at Harrods is focused to the consumer’s preference and convenience. Other than that employees are also given emphasis by giving several benefits for increasing the level of the motivation.

• Last is the organisational outcome which is the result of the HR strategies and policies. Harrods has achieved record sales which is around 794 million pound from 716 million pound. (Retail Gazette, 2014)

As per the Guest model we have observe that there is a direct relationship of the Hr strategies, policies and the outcome which can give the organisation an edge in the market. It is not the individual HR strategies but it is an integrated approach of the HRM aspects for driving the outcomes towards positivity.

P1.2 Compare the differences between storey’s definitions of HRM, Personnel and IR practices, by reflecting the HRM practices at Harrods and choose a similar organization which has adopted Personnel or IR practices.

As per John Storey, Human resource management to the organisation is very much crucial. The employees will be committed towards their performances in order to achieve the business goal. It is the management of the organisation who needs to identify the capability of the human resources in order to utilise the resources effectively. Storey claims that Human Resource management is also the effective use of the human resource to formulate a strategy that helps the organisation to achieve the goals. Storey also focuses the hard and soft part of the Human Resource management (Martin, 2010).  For example, hard HRM practices involves the employees in the decision making process which enhances the productivity of Harrods. Other part is the soft HRM which claims that the employees should be given equal opportunities and the same thing followed by Harrods by giving equal opportunities to prove their performances and also during the recruitment process. HR practices is much more effective than the IR practices as it involves all the stakeholders in the decision making process. The management of Harrods also involve the job enrichment, job rotation, career development opportunities in the workplace which will increase the productivity and also motivate the employees to give their best performances. (Business case Studies, 2016).

Personnel and IR practices are mainly concerned with the written contracts where the flexibility is very low. Monitoring of the performances is done by observation methods which are much older practices. Personnel and IR practices are only limited to the employees but at the present environment things have changed which must involve other stakeholders like the investors, suppliers, customers, Government etc. The decision taken under the Personnel and IR practices is much slow due to the rigidness in the structure. At the competitive environment, Personnel and IR practices have become irrelevant and impractical for the business. (Mathis, 2014).

The organisation that follows the Personnel practices is Hamleys that is similar to Harrods on the ground of retail industry. Hamleys used to cater in the toys segment of the children and they focus on the three dimensions in the workplace which are reward, fun and enjoyment. Personal Development to the employees at their stores is given in order to influence the children and their family for the products. In house training models are also followed where the employees are trained to form a passionate team. The benefits given to the employees for increasing their productivity like birthdays of the employees are given holidays, several discount coupons are given to the employees and bonus shares are also given. So in this Personnel practices, the approach is only focused on the employees benefits and training models. But there are several deficiencies or negative side like addressing the skill gaps of the employees, monitoring and controlling the performances, predicting the number of employees needed is not considered in the Personnel practices which are the drawbacks.

P1.3- Assess the implications for line managers and employees of developing a strategic approach to HRM at Harrods

Based on the case study we have observed the management of Harrods has taken several initiatives which are related to the strategic planning for the organisation. The line managers of Harrods are the important part for the strategy formulation as they are responsible to delegate the duties of the employees, implementing the staff rotation, addressing the skill gaps, encouraging the employees to participate in the decision making process. The strategic approaches undertaken by the management at Harrods can only be understood from the following initiatives:

1. The management of the organisation periodically changes the structures of the organisation in order to enhance the flexibility in the workforce. The line managers and the employees are well connected with the current structure of Harrods due to the less number of involvements. It will make easier for the line managers and the employees to interact with each other. (Poole, 2012).
2. At Harrods employees are directly participate in the decision making process where they share all their feedbacks in front of the line managers and the feedbacks are considered in finalising the decision.
3. Line managers communicate all the updates to the employees before the starting of the working hours in order to make them updated and informed about the several strategies. It reduces the misunderstanding between the employees and the management.
4. Employees are also briefed about the brand equity in order to enhance their performances. Brand equity is the distinguished evaluation of the customers made for the brands who fulfil their requirements. Employees are oriented for giving quality services to the customers.
5. Line managers maintain coordination with the employees by giving them regular feedbacks about their performances. (Price, 2011).

Thus we can observe that the strategic approach of the HRM can create a positive impact on the organisation by clearly specifying the roles and responsibilities of the employees and line managers which will help to maintain a positive working environment at Harrods.

Task 2

P2.1- Explain how a model of flexibility might be applied in practice. Relate this to the Harrods and reflect your argument with examples

Flexibility in the organisation gives emphasis on the needs of the employees in order to ensure productivity in the workplace. An employee will be committed in their performances, when the company will consider them as an asset of their resources. At this point, flexibility is ideal solution for the management of the organisation for ensuring the employee’s commitment and satisfaction. Flexibility in the working hours, job sharing models, part time working and work from homes are the techniques used in the flexibility approach. There are many organisation who used to provide flexible working hours for the female employees for managing their family and children (Wilton, 2010)

Flexibility can also be helpful for the employees at Harrods which will ensure high productivity in the organisation. If we relate the Shamrock model of flexibility which was developed by Charles Handy then we can get a clear analysis of the flexibility in practice. As per the Shamrock model of Flexibility three valid aspect are considered which can define the flexibility approaches effectively.

                              

1. Core Workers: Core workers are the key players of the organisation Harrods who are competent and experienced. So for them flexibility will be given based on their requirement. For example if a female employee wants a leave for 3 days and at the same time the organisation cannot afford the leave for 3 days then they can be given an option for work from home or flexibility in the working hours like half day or the time she can give. So it will help both the employee and organisation to maintain a positive working environment. (Galinsky, Matos & Sakai-O'Neill, 2013)
2. Contractual Fringe: Contractual fringe are the individuals or the partners of Harrods who are in a contract. Harrods have to share their documents, booklets, guidelines for maintaining a clear and transparent process. Flexibility will be given emphasis on the basis of convenience. They can avail the flexibility based on their advantage which will create a win-win situation for both.
3. Flexible Workers: Flexible workers the employees who are mainly the interns or the part time employees of Harrods. A student can also be an employee at this level due to the apprenticeships offered by Harrods which will help them to maintain a work life balance. The employee at this level can give their best performances as the company like Harrods has given them an ideal working hours which will increase their career opportunities and at the same time they can continue their studies. This will also increase the productivity of Harrods.

P 2.2 – Discuss the types of flexibility which may be developed by the Harrods.

Flexibility is the approach which will add quality in the performances of the employees. If the employees feel that the company is taking care of their work life then it will boost their confidence and keep them motivate for giving their performances. At the end of the day it is the business turnover that will speak and if the employees are settled with the positive healthy working environment then it will surely increase the productivity which is needed for the organisation like Harrods. The types that can be developed for the flexibility are as follows:

• Flexible payment rate: Fluctuations in the market will fix the rate. For example demand of the business for Harrods will fix the rate of the employees who are working on the contractual basis. It can be justified for both of the parties and when the marginal product of the Harrods will increase then at that time the wage rate will increase. (Aswathappa, 2013).

• Part Time system: The employees can also be offered employment on the part time system. For example if the full time system is of 9 hours then they can work for 6 hours per day in order to do his/her personal work. This will increase the attraction of the young dynamic candidates from the colleges who are mainly the students. They can increase their experience while studying and for the organization like Harrods it will also be the advantage to hire the fresh dynamic minds in their business which will increase their productivity.
• Job Sharing system: It is the system when one employee has to do his/her colleagues work at a same time during his work on the ground of absence. It will help the organization like Harrods to continue its productivity without hampering. At the same time it will also help the employees to take their leaves which they have to compensate with other colleagues work.
• Involvement: Flexibility is a broad area and the management of Harrods has to consider the active participation system in the organisation for directly interacting with the employees who are the strategy implementer of the organisation. This will increase the employee’s commitment and satisfaction towards the business and that will accelerate the growth. (Galinsky, Matos & Sakai-O'Neill, 2013)

This are the types of flexibility that Harrods can implement in their business which will increase the productivity as well as employees morale. The basic objective of the flexibility should be to establish an environment at the place of the work which will enhance the quality and productivity.

P 2.3 – Argue by assessing the use of flexible working practices from both the employee and the employer perspective of Harrods

The case study of Harrods is reflecting the issues of employee’s turnover and the performances level in the organization. From that point of view of Harrods, flexibility in the working practices could be the alternative for improving the situation but it need to be analysed from both the side of the employees and the employer in the following way:

1. Employees: Flexibility will ensure motivation for the employees to give their best performances which is the positive side of the flexibility. For example a student can opt to join the team of Harrods if he/she will provide part time opportunity. So in that case a student can learn while they also can earn at the same time. It will increase their morale and commitment to give best performances due to the flexibility offered by the organisation Harrods. But if we see from the other side, it can create an environment of misunderstandings. If one employee gets flexible working hours and other does not then it will rise the conflict and create a negative environment in the workplace which will be hampers the productivity. This can be the negative side of the flexibility from the employee’s point of view. Unity will not be there if the employees will not work together. (Rees and Smith, 2014).
2. Employers: From the employers point of view it will be the business turnover and productivity that will influence the flexibility. An employer will want an environment in the workplace where all the employees will be committed to their performances. For that flexibility like the working hours, job sharing, part time methods are used to create a healthy environment for the employees to give their required performances. This will be the positive side of the employers from the flexibility point of view. But on the other hand determining the flexibility to the employees will be the critical situation for the employers. Selecting the employees to give flexible working hours needs effective managerial skills to manage the rest employees. On this case it can be the negative side of the flexibility which can create confusion and conflict in the working environment. (Dessler, 2012).

Thus from the discussion it is clear that flexibility has both the side that is the positive and negative which must be analysed by the management of Harrods before implementation.

P2.4 – Discuss the impact that changes in the labour market have had on flexible working practices at Harrods

It is the labour market that influences the management of the organisation in the decision making process. The factors that influences the labour market of UK can be the immigrants from the other nations of EU, Government initiatives, unemployment rates, organisations practices etc. One of the significant changes that can influence the labour market of UK can be the separation of UK from the EU. Earlier the people from 28 nations under EU used to work in the companies of UK but very recently the people of UK has given their maximum poll to the separation from EU. In this perspective the organisations operating in UK have to change their flexibility practices due to this separation and that will influence the labour market in UK. Initiatives of the Government like vocational training, employability skills to the people of UK are uplifting their skills and competencies as per the industry requirement. Apprenticeships in UK is given emphasis by the Government and also the colleges by merging with the organisations. This has created a direct influence in the flexible working practices at Harrods. For that Harrods has to offer the apprenticeships opportunity for the students who want to excel their future prospects by gaining practical practices. The colleges are also allowing the students to join the organisations like Harrods for gaining the practical experiences beside their studies. Apart from that rules and regulations of the Government are also influencing the flexible working practices at Harrods. For example an employee completed 26 weeks in the organisation can appeal the management for the flexible working (Gov. UK, 2016).  As a result the unemployment also reduces from 5.7% to 5.1% which is the positive impact in the labour market and also for the economy of UK. (ONS, 2016).

Task 3

P3.1 – Explain the forms of discrimination that can take place with special reference to Harrods  

Discrimination is an unethical, immoral and illegal approach used by the individuals holding important position in the organization by distinguishing the employees on the ground of gender, age, religion, caste, race, position etc. For example, new employees who are the young graduates can be more effective than the older one working at Harrods. So in that case the management can discriminate the old employees by giving less opportunities like training or development session etc. which is also a form of the discrimination. Indirect discrimination can also be done on the ground of the recruitment which can damage the reputation of the organization. Discrimination is illegal and prohibited as per the Government of UK by their Equality Act 2010. The employees are protected under this act and for that the organization have to follow the strict guidelines otherwise the provision for the penalty is there. In the last quarter of 2015, Harrods was in the news due to the discrimination done by the members of management on a security guard. Open drinks to the premises is not allowed at Harrods as per the company policies. Based on that the security guard stopped the Merchandise Manager to carry the open drinks at the store but she has refused and dismissed the security guard from the job. After that the security clams to the employment tribunal and the tribunal penalized the management of Harrods by ordering them to pay 18, 000 pound to the security guard for the illegal dismissal from the job. (Khomami, 2015)

Over here we can observe the discrimination is based on the position as the security guard is in the low position than the manager so they have used the power for his dismissal but which was illegal as per the legal framework of the UK law. This is a victimization which is one of the type of discrimination that damages the working environment in the organization.

P3.2 – Discuss the practical implications of equal opportunities legislation practiced in Harrods

Equal opportunities is one of the objective of the Government of UK which ensures that the employees are protected under the Equality Act 2010. Equality Act 2010 specifies that the employees will be given equal opportunities and strictly prohibited the discrimination on the areas like gender, religion, race, training, recruitment and selection etc. If the employees think that they have been discriminated then they can appeal this issue to the trade unions or a mediator for the mutualisation. If the mutualisation is not effective then they can appeal the issue to the employment tribunal or else they can seek suggestions from the Equality Advisory Support Service. (Gov. UK, 2016). As per the legislation Harrods cannot discriminate their work force based on the several grounds mentioned by the law. Violating the legislation can create a negative impact on the goodwill of the organisation.

• The positive implications for the equal opportunity will bring transparency in the work process which will enhances the motivation of the employees towards productivity. The organisation like Harrods can also create a goodwill in the market by focusing their transparency in the workplace which in turn can attract the competent candidates in their organisation.
• The negative implication can be the false allegation made by the employees which can hamper the goodwill of the organisation and in that point of time the rival company can take the advantage. (Bohlander and Snell, 2010).

P3.3 - Compare the approaches adapted by Harrods to managing equal opportunities and managing diversity 

Managing the equal opportunities and managing diversity are the approaches adopted by the organisations to ensure the supportive environment in the organisation for the employees and also to enhance the productivity level. The objectives of this two approaches are different. Managing equal opportunities ensures the safeguard of the employees from the discrimination on the areas like gender, race, religion etc. whereas managing diversity is the work culture that is imposed by the organisation to attract more customers to their businesses.

• Managing equal opportunities is followed by Harrods in order to establish a transparent working environment. Initiatives like “Bright Ideas” is the platform created by the management of Harrods where the employees are invited to share their creative ideas for a concerned decision. The recruitment advertisement by Harrods also followed the approaches of the equal opportunities where the clear requirements are mentioned like the post, number of vacancies, pay scale etc. in order to prohibit the discrimination and ensure equal opportunity for all the candidates. (Business case Studies, 2016).
• Managing diversity at Harrods is also given equal emphasis for creating a diversified teams of the individuals or the employees who can manages the customers from different cultural background effectively. Cross departmental transfers is one of the techniques used by Harrods for creating a team that is flexible and versatile as per the requirements of the organisation. The management conducted the briefing session and decrease the hierarchy for easy communication. (Belcourt & McBey, 2012),

Apart from the differences there is also a similarity that lies in both the approaches is the common objective that is to ensure supportive working environment and productivity in the organisation by ensuring equal opportunity and diversity.

Task 4

P.4. 1 - Research, Compare and comment on different methods of performance management adopted by Harrods

Performance Management is one of the essential activities of the management of an organisation to determine the level of productivity. The management has to understand the competency level in the organisation for achieving the business goals. The employees in the organisation should also be aware of their performance so that they could improve their performances as required by the organisation. The methods used by Harrods for measuring the performances are:

• Management by Objectives: The objectives are formulated based on the departmental targets framed by the management. The employees are given individual targets which is settled by having discussion. At the end of the quarter the performances are matched with the desired target. Both the management and the employees are aware of their current and required performances which is the positive side. But to ensure this process efficient team of the management is required who can correctly fix the targets.
• Performances Appraisal: The employees are rated based on the points given by their colleagues, seniors etc. in the form of the 360 degree feedback. This method can be transparent as all the employees are associated to give the feedbacks regarding their performances which is the positive side. But the personal influence can affect the true picture of the employees that is the negative side. (Aswathappa, 2013).

Apart from that to improve the performances at Harrods the management has also adopted other strategies like: (Business case Studies, 2016).

• Organisation structure has been flattered in order to reduce the distance from the management to the employees. The management can easily trace the performance of the employees and the employees can also communicate with the management easily.
• The communication process has been changed by adopting the technology like the intranet, magazines, briefing session by the floor manager to the employees by giving them the feedbacks and information for managing the customers effectively

P4.2 Research and assess the approaches to the practice of managing employee welfare in Harrods

The success of the organization is directly related to the employee’s welfare. The savvy team and the efficient sellers are the key employees of the organization Harrods who distinguish the quality service with other retail organization. Employee’s welfare schemes are attractive at Harrods which motivate the employees to give the best performances. The management of Harrods used to give 33% discount on all the brands including women wear, men wear, children wear, electronic items etc. Reward card is for all the employees who will join Harrods that have promotional offers of the store. Central London is the expensive place and to support the employees, zero interest tickets loans to reduce the travelling cost. Child care vouchers are given to the employees who have their children for maintaining a balance between work-life. Subsidised restaurant offers are given to the employees to reduce the cost of the expensive restaurants at London. Health check up with free of cost is done on the store to ensure good health of the employees. Contributory pension scheme is also there for the employees who wants to secure their future. (Harrods, 2016).

So from the employee’s benefits at Harrods we can assess that the management of Harrods is concerned about the personal life of the employees, social life of the employees, security of the employees. This are the factors that an individual wants and the management of Harrods has identified the factors and introduce the benefits to motivate them in order to bring efficiency in the work place. The employees will find a difference to work with Harrods which will create interest and reduce the employee’s turnover which was the issue that we observed in the case study.

P4.3 Discuss the implications of health and safety legislation on human resources practices with special reference to Harrods.

Health and safety legislation influence the human resource practices at the organisations. It is the management of the organisation who needs to ensure the health and safety in the organisation. For that the employees are needed to be informed and trained about the health and safety practices as per the legislation is concerned. Health and Safety Act 1974, emphasis on the safety laws to be implemented in all the organisations operating in UK. The Act ensures safety to the employees, visitors, customers in the premises of the organisation. Employee’s turnover and the performance was the issues at Harrods that we observed from the case study. From this perspective health and safety practices can ensure motivation to the employees at Harrods. Safety measures are adopted in the stores of Harrods by establishing the health culture, fire safety for the employees and the customers. Food safety is also given priority at Harrods by checking the date coding equipment, chemical standards, by conducting the examination with micro biological sampling. A team of doctor and nurses are there in Harrods who are committed to the welfare of the employees by providing health tips, fitness camps to remain healthy. CCTV cameras, store detectives and Green Men are there in the store who look after the security areas in the stores. Customer service team is also there who look after the issues of the customers. Conducting the assessment of the risk to reduce the hazards are conducted as per the norms of the Health and Safety Executive. Training is also given to the employees to ensure health and safety at the workplace. (Harrods, 2016).

• Positive implications will be the reduction of the injuries, accidents will increase the employee’s morale. Employees can give their productive performances as the organisation is taking care of their health and security needs. The reputation of the organisation in the market will be high due to the applications of the safety needs.
• Negative implication can be increased cost due to the installation of several safety measures in the store and time can be consumed by providing training to the employees regarding safety measures which are not related to the direct business turnover.

P4.4 Evaluate the impact of one topical issue on human resources practices reflected in the case study and additional research of Harrods

One of the topical issues on the human resources practices that we observed from the case study is the Employee’s engagement or participation in the decision making process. The management has identified this issue and engaged several practices like inviting the employees to share their opinions in the decision making process, initiatives like “Your Harrods” which is a magazine published by the employees in Harrods for sharing their creative ideas or thoughts, establishing a forum named as “Quarterly employees forum” where the employees will meet the management members and share their comments against the organisation’s strategy. (Business case Studies, 2016).

IPD code of practice emphasis employee’s participation to be the important area in the organisation. The positive side is the employees are motivated to give their best performances as the management has given them importance or emphasis on the decision making process. In a recent survey at Harrods it has been proved that more that 91% of the employees are satisfied to work with Harrods which is significant which reduces the employee’s turnover of Harrods. The management beliefs that engaged employees are committed and dedicated to give their best performances and for that they have given preference to the employee’s participation. The negative side can be the complexities that can evolved due to the involvement of all the employees in the decision making process (Bohlander and Snell, 2010).

Conclusion

The Unit 22 Managing Human Resources Assignment Harrods has highlighted the important aspect of the human resource management. Human resource management ensures the efficiency and the productivity in the organisation by managing the workforce closely. As per the case study, Harrods was suffering from the employee’s turnover and the performances. But after a sound HR management practices, they have improved their performances in the terms of the turnover and also by improving the employee’s satisfaction level. From the report it is clear that employees must be involved in the decision making process which will ensure the empowerment and motivation for giving productive work that is required by the organisation to remain the dominant position in the luxury retail supermarket.

References

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Unit 22 Managing Human Resources Assignment Harrods will give a glimpse on the Human resource management based on the organisation Harrods, We are posting units solutions so scholars can explore the our Assignment Help in UK and get review the quality of our work.