LMD 1

Intro. to Leading, Managing & Developing People

Definitions
Leading: show a means of access to a particular place or direction, working to achieve
the objectives of the organisation
Managing: person responsible for the service, running this area of the organisation
Developing: to grow the organisation and employees

Module Learning Outcomes

1. Review and evaluate major contemporary research including major heiress relating
to motivations, commitment and engagement at work and how these are out into
practice by organisations
2. Debate and critically evaluate effective leadership and methods
3. Critically assess approach to flexible working and effective change management
4. Critically discuss the aims and objectives of the HR function, how met in practice and
assess contribution of HRM and HRD (Human Resource Development)
5. Promote professionalism and ethical approach to practice

Evolution of People Management

Late 19th century, Robert Owen and George Cadbury introduce shorter working hours,
abolition of child labour and improvements in health and safety
Taylor (1911) rationalisation of production - measure different activities in the
production line and determined a time amount with how long employees took to
complete a task

- Heavily criticised for focus on task rather then employee welfare, first researcher in
organisational psychology, measured most effective employee rather than average

- CIPD founded 1918, ASPA founded 1948

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Elton Mayo (1930s) Hawthorne Studies, examination of employee productivity through
facilities' environment

- Both experimental and placebo group improved performance, employees chosen at

random felt special and valued through selection and therefore more committed,
better teamwork in smaller groups

- Critique Taylor: motivation, intrinsic reward and individualism increases production,

beginning of the Human Relations Movement

HRM Theory
Personnel Management: employee focused, operational + administrative, reactive
performance management
Human Resource Management: business partner, strategic role, add value, proactive
importance of reflection and long term development

Hard HRM: employees as resource, deployment, control, performance management

Soft HRM: employees as source of competitive advantage, develop, involve, flexible

- Examine reasons for poor performance and address, recognise efficiency need
- Dependant on the vision, mission and goals of the organisation, US vs EU style
- Issue of efficiency vs employee satisfaction

HRM Best Practice Approach

horizontal integration, bundle of HR practice, high performance work systems
Recruitment

L&D

Relations

Communications

Human Resources
High Performance Work System working towards the same goal
Universalistic Approach, need to recognise different contexts, causality?

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HRM Contingency Approach

Best fit through vertical integration
Production
Organisational

Marketing

Strategy

Sales
HR

HR vertically aligned with organisational strategy, differ within organisations

Different team functions, organisational objectives may be incompatible?
Deterministic Approach, controversy between planned and flexible work, not all
organisations have a specific strategy or clear vision which can be achieved
Multifaceted reality, cannot always work to a planned objective, environmental change

HRM Resourced Base View

Competitive advantage based on distinct internal resources which are rare, valuable and
non-sustainable, people can bring a competitive advantage
Human Capital Advantage vs Human Process Advantage

- Importance of having process in place to enable people to perform well

- Difference Emphasis, there are similarities within industries which are not
recognised, internal environment undermines external contexts

HRM 'Unlocking the Black Box' (Purcell et al, 2003)

Black Box
HRM

Business Performance

HR practices are linked to 'people outcomes' which relate to business performance

(eg. satisfaction, wellbeing)
Ability / Motivation / Opportunity - employees must fulfil there to perform better
Commitment / Motivation / Satisfaction are linked to discretionary behaviour and
performance outcomes
3

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Business Partner Model (Ulrich, 1997)

Future Strategic Purpose
Strategic Partner

Change Agent

manage strategic resource

manage transformation

Process

People

Administrative Partner

Employee Champion

manage infrastructure

manage contribution
Operational

Positives

- Efficiencies of scales
- combined, central expertise with reduced overheads
- Strategic role, development of organisations future
- Business plan implementations, inclusive strategic rather than operational role

Negatives

- Paradigm shift: change in values or skills, not best practice

- Business Acumen: do HR have the business knowledge (sales, etc.) to contribute
- Collaboration: requires strong, interdepartmental working (top down?)