Management Homework

Chapter 3  (p.82 Q. 1,2,3,4 & 5)

2. Describe the organizations’ general environment. For each dimension, give at least one specific example, other than the examples mentioned in your text.

3. What are the major forces that affect organization-environment relationships? Describe those factors.

4. Describe the four approaches to organizational effectiveness. Give a specific example of something that a company should measure in order to evaluate its effectiveness under each approach.

5. Elements from the general environment affect al organizations, but they may not affect all organizations in the same way. Choose an industry and discuss the impact of at least two different elements from the general environment on firms in that industry. Are all firms affected equally? Explain.

Chapter 4  (p.112 Q. 1,2,3,4 & 5)

1.Discuss managerial ethics. three areas of special ethical concern for managers, and how organizations manage ethical behavior. (bullets in text)

·         Ethics are an individuals personal beliefs about what constitutes right and wrong behavior

·         important areas of ethical concern for managers are how the organization treats its employees, how employees treat the organization, and how the organization and its employees treat other economic agents

·         the ethical context of organizations consists of each managers individual ethics and messages sent by organizational practices

·         organizations use leadership, culture, training, codes, guidelines, and justice to help them manage ethical behavior

2. Identify and summarize key emerging ethical issues in organizations today.

·         one emerging ethical issue is ethical leadership and its key role in shaping ethical norms and the culture of the organization

·         another involves corporate governance and focuses on the need for the board of directors to maintain appropriate oversight of senior management

·         third, ethical issues in information technology relate to issues such as individual privacy and the potential abuse of an organizations information technology resources by individuals

3. Discuss the concept of social responsibility, specify to whom or what an organization might be considered responsible, and describe four types of organizational approaches to social responsibility.

·         social responsibility is the set of obligations an organization has to protect and enhance the society in which it functions

·         organization may be considered responsible to their stakeholders, to the natural environment, and to the general social welfare

·         there are strong arguments both for and against social responsibility

·         the approach an organization adopts toward social responsibility falls along a continuum of lesser to greater commitment: the obstructionist stance, the defensive stance, the accommodative stance, and the proactive stance

4. Explain the relationship between the government and organizations regarding social responsibility.

·         government influences organizations through regulation which is the establishment of laws and rules that dictate what businesses can and cannot do in prescribed areas

·         organizations rely on personal contacts, lobbying, political action committees, and favors to influence the government

5.Describe some of the activities organizations may engage in to manage social responsibility.

·         organizations use three types of activities to formally manage social responsibility: legal compliance, ethical compliance, and philanthropic giving

·         leadership, culture, and allowing for whistleblowing are informal means of managing social responsibility

·         organizations should evaluate the effectiveness of heir socially responsible practices as they would any other strategy

Chapter 5  (p.144 Q.1,2,3,4 & 8)

3. Describe the various types of political controls on international trade. Be sure to highlight the differences between the types.

4.Explain the relationship between organizational size and globalization. Are large firms the only ones that are global?

8.Use the internet to locate information about a company that is using a global strategic alliance or global joint venture. (Hint: Almost any large multinational firm will be involved in these ventures, and you can find information at corporate home pages.) What do you think are the major goals for the venture? DO you expect that the firm will accomplish its goals? If so, why? If not, what stands in its way?

 
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Hrm 6622 Recruitment

Recruitment

11 unread reply.22 replies.

Review the two ETHICAL ISSUES questions found in chapter 6 of your text.  Respond to both of the questions by Thursday midnight. Once you post your initial responses, discuss your thoughts and opinions with other students with a minimum of two posts.

Questions:

MDN, Inc. is considering two employees for the job of senior manager. An internal candidate, Julie, has been with MDN for 12 years and has received very good performance evaluations. The other candidate, Rauol, works for a competitor and has valuable experience in the product market into which MDN wishes to expand. Do you think MDN has an obligation to promote Julie? Why or why not?

Do organizations have an ethical obligation to have a succession plan in place? If no, why? If yes, what is the ethical obligation, and to whom is it owed?

Helpful link below:

http://www.businessinsider.com/5-recruitment-metrics-every-hr-professional-should-report-part-1-2012-8 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 
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Terms In Review, Making Research Decisions, Bringing Research To Life, Concept To Practice And From The Headlines For Chapters 15, 16, And 17. ATTN WAK SOLUTIONS

Discussion Questions Chapter 15

Terms in Review

1 Define or explain:

1. Coding rules.

2. Spreadsheet data entry.

3. Bar codes.

4. Precoded instruments.

5. Content analysis.

6. Missing data.

7. Optical mark recognition.

2 How should the researcher handle “don’t know” responses?

Making Research Decisions

3 A problem facing shoe store managers is that many shoes eventually must be sold at markdown prices. This prompts us to conduct a mail survey of shoe store managers in which we ask, What methods have you found most successful for reducing the problem of high markdowns? We are interested in extracting as much information as possible from these answers to better understand the full range of strategies that store managers use. Establish what you think are category sets to code 500 responses similar to the 14 given here. Try to develop an integrated set of categories that reflects your theory of markdown management. After developing the set, use it to code the 14 responses.

1. Have not found the answer. As long as we buy style shoes, we will have markdowns. We use PMs on slow merchandise, but it does not eliminate markdowns. (PM stands for “push-money”—special item bonuses for selling a particular style of shoe.)

2. Using PMs before too old. Also reducing price during season. Holding meetings with salespeople indicating which shoes to push.

3. By putting PMs on any slow-selling items and promoting same. More careful check of shoes purchased.

4. Keep a close watch on your stock, and mark down when you have to—that is, rather than wait, take a small markdown on a shoe that is not moving at the time.

5. Using the PM method.

6. Less advance buying—more dependence on in-stock shoes.

7. Sales—catch bad guys before it’s too late and close out.

8. Buy as much good merchandise as you can at special prices to help make up some markdowns.

9. Reducing opening buys and depending on fill-in service. PMs for salespeople.

10. Buy more frequently, better buying, PMs on slow-moving merchandise.

11. Careful buying at lowest prices. Cash on the buying line. Buying closeouts, FDs, overstock, “cancellations.” (FD stands for “factory-discontinued” style.)

12. By buying less “chanceable” shoes. Buy only what you need, watch sizes, don’t go overboard on new fads.

13. Buying more staple merchandise. Buying more from fewer lines. Sticking with better nationally advertised merchandise.

14. No successful method with the current style situation. Manufacturers are experimenting, the retailer takes the markdowns—cuts gross profit by about 3 percent—keep your stock at lowest level without losing sales.

4 Select a small sample of class members, work associates, or friends and ask them to answer the following in a paragraph or two: What are your career aspirations for the next five years? Use one of the four basic units of content analysis to analyze their responses. Describe your findings as frequencies for the unit of analysis selected.

Bringing Research to Life

5 What data preparation process was Jason doing during data entry?
6 Data entry followed data collection in the research profiled during the opening vignette. What concerned Jason about this process?

From Concept to Practice

7 Choose one of the cases from the text website that has an instrument (check the Case Abstracts section for a listing of all cases and an abstract for each). Code the instrument for data entry.

From the Headlines

8 Your responses to the latest U.S. Census were used for two purposes. First, the Census Bureau tallied each response to produce an official population count. Second, it produced a 1-in-20 sub-sample used for analysis by researchers. For those younger than 65, the estimates from the sample are similar to the full count. For those over age 65, the estimates disagree by as much as 15 percent. The sample data suggest that there are more very old men than very old women. And, the error jumbles the correlation between age and employment, age and marital status, and, possibly, other correlations as well. The Census Bureau has refused to correct the data.

1. Should the data in the 1-in-20 micro-sample be used to study people aged 65 and over?

2. What’s the source of the problem? Programming error, coding error, or manipulating the data to protect the identity of each individual?

Discussion Questions Chapter 16

Terms in Review

1

Define or explain:

1. Marginals.

2. Pareto diagram.

3. Nonresistant statistics.

4. Lower control limit.

5. The five-number summary.

Making Research Decisions

2

Suppose you were preparing two-way tables of percentages for the following pairs of variables. How would you run the percentages?

1. Age and consumption of breakfast cereal.

2. Family income and confidence about the family’s future.

3. Marital status and sports participation.

4. Crime rate and unemployment rate.

3

You study the attrition of entering college freshmen (those students who enter college as freshmen but don’t stay to graduate). You find the following relationships between attrition, aid, and distance of home from college. What is your interpretation? Consider all variables and relationships.

 

Aid

Home Near Receiving Aid

Home Far Receiving Aid

 

Yes (%)

No (%)

Yes (%)

No (%)

Yes (%)

No (%)

Drop Out

25

20

5

15

30

40

Stay

75

80

95

85

70

60

4

A local health agency is experimenting with two appeal letters, A and B, with which to raise funds. It sends out 400 of the A appeal and 400 of the B appeal (each subsample is divided equally among working-class and middle-class neighborhoods). The agency secures the results shown in the following table.

1. Which appeal is the best?

2. Which class responded better to which letter?

3. Is appeal or social class a more powerful independent variable?

 

Appeal A

Appeal B

 

Middle Class (%)

Working Class (%)

Middle Class (%)

Working Class (%)

Contribution

20

40

15

30

No Contribution

80

60

85

70

 

100

100

100

100

5

Assume you have collected data on sales associates of a large retail organization in a major metropolitan area. You analyze the data by type of work classification, education level, and whether the workers were raised in a rural or urban setting. The results are shown here. How would you interpret them?

Annual Retail Employee Turnover per 100 Employees

 

 

 

High Education

Low Education

 

Salaried

Hourly Wage

Salaried

Hourly Wage

Salaried

Hourly Wage

Rural

8

16

6

14

18

18

Urban

12

16

10

12

19

20

Bringing Research to Life

6

Identify the variables being cross-tabulated by Sammye. Identify some plausible reasons why such an exploration would be a good idea.

From Concept to Practice

7

Use the data in Exhibit 16-5 to construct a stem-and-leaf display.

1. Where do you find the main body of the distribution?

2. How many values reside outside the inner fence(s)?

From the Headlines

8

Asustek, the Taiwanese manufacturer that basically invented the netbook category, has been researching more radical design ideas, including a classy wrist-top computer, the Waveface Ultra. It is made from a bendable display that can connect to the Internet, make phone calls, and crunch data. Essentially, it’s a bracelet that acts like a smartphone.

1. How might you use such a device to display stimuli for respondents?

2. What is the interactive data exchange potential for researchers?

 

Discussion Questions Chapter 17

Terms in Review

1 Distinguish between the following:

1. Parametric tests and nonparametric tests.

2. Type I error and Type II error.

3. Null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis.

4. Acceptance region and rejection region.

5. One-tailed tests and two-tailed tests.

6. Type II error and the power of the test.

2 Summarize the steps of hypothesis testing. What is the virtue of this procedure?
3 In analysis of variance, what is the purpose of the mean square between and the mean square within? If the null hypothesis is accepted, what do these quantities look like?
4 Describe the assumptions for ANOVA, and explain how they may be diagnosed.

Making Research Decisions

5 Suggest situations where the researcher should be more concerned with Type II error than with Type I error.

1. How can the probability of a Type I error be reduced? A Type II error?

2. How does practical significance differ from statistical significance?

3. Suppose you interview all the members of the freshman and senior classes and find that 65 percent of the freshmen and 62 percent of the seniors favor a proposal to send Help Centers offshore. Is this difference significant?

6 What hypothesis testing procedure would you use in the following situations?

1. A test classifies applicants as accepted or rejected. On the basis of data on 200 applicants, we test the hypothesis that ad placement success is not related to gender.

2. A company manufactures and markets automobiles in two different countries. We want to know if the gas mileage is the same for vehicles from both facilities. There are samples of 45 units from each facility.

3. A company has three categories of marketing analysts: (1) with professional qualifications but without work experience, (2) with professional qualifications and with work experience, and (3) without professional qualifications but with work experience. A study exists that measures each analyst’s motivation level (classified as high, normal, and low). A hypothesis of no relation between analyst category and motivation is to be tested.

4. A company has 24 salespersons. The test must evaluate whether their sales performance is unchanged or has improved after a training program.

5. A company has to evaluate whether it should attribute increased sales to product quality, advertising, or an interaction of product quality and advertising.

7 You conduct a survey of a sample of 25 members of this year’s graduating marketing students and find that the average GPA is 3.2. The standard deviation of the sample is 0.4. Over the last 10 years, the average GPA has been 3.0. Is the GPA of this year’s students significantly different from the long-run average? At what alpha level would it be significant?
8 You are curious about whether the professors and students at your school are of different political persuasions, so you take a sample of 20 professors and 20 students drawn randomly from each population. You find that 10 professors say they are conservative and 6 students say they are conservative. Is this a statistically significant difference?
9 You contact a random sample of 36 graduates of Western University and learn that their starting salaries averaged $28,000 last year. You then contact a random sample of 40 graduates from Eastern University and find that their average starting salary was $28,800. In each case, the standard deviation of the sample was $1,000.

1. Test the null hypothesis that there is no difference between average salaries received by the graduates of the two schools.

2. What assumptions are necessary for this test?

10 A random sample of students is interviewed to determine if there is an association between class and attitude toward corporations. With the following results, test the hypothesis that there is no difference among students on this attitude.

 

Favorable

Neutral

Unfavorable

Freshmen

100

50

70

Sophomores

80

60

70

Juniors

50

50

80

Seniors

40

60

90

 

11 You do a survey of marketing students and liberal arts school students to find out how many times a week they read a daily newspaper. In each case, you interview 100 students. You find the following:

image1 m =

4.5 times per week

Sm =

1.5

image2 la =

5.6 times per week

Sla =

2.0

Test the hypothesis that there is no significant difference between these two samples.

12 One-Koat Paint Company has developed a new type of porch paint that it hopes will be the most durable on the market. The R&D group tests the new product against the two leading competing products by using a machine that scrubs until it wears through the coating. One-Koat runs five trials with each product and secures the following results (in thousands of scrubs):

Trial

One-Koat

Competitor A

Competitor B

1

37

34

24

2

30

19

25

3

34

22

23

4

28

31

20

5

29

27

20

Test the hypothesis that there are no differences between the means of these products (a 5 .05).

13 A computer manufacturer is introducing a new product specifically targeted at the home market and wishes to compare the effectiveness of three sales strategies: computer stores, home electronics stores, and department stores. Numbers of sales by 15 salespeople are recorded here:

Electronics store: 5, 4, 3, 3, 3

Department store: 9, 7, 8, 6, 5

Computer store: 7, 4, 8, 4, 3

1. Test the hypothesis that there is no difference between the means of the retailers (α = .05).

2. Select a multiple comparison test, if necessary, to determine which groups differ in mean sales (α = .05).

From the Headlines

14 Researchers at the University of Aberdeen found that when people were asked to recall past events or imagine future ones, the participants’ bodies subliminally acted out the metaphors we commonly conceptualized with the flow of time. With past years, the participants leaned backward, while when imagining the future, they leaned forward. The leanings were small, but the directionality was clear and dependable. Using this research as a base, if you have two groups (group A holds a cup of hot coffee, and group B holds iced coffee), what statistical hypothesis would you propose to test the groups’ perceptions of the personality of an imaginary individual holding coffee based on its temperature?
 
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HR. Cases

Part 1: • Read the (Taking Responsibility) case study on pages 293 – 294 and answer

the two questions. • Read the (Managing Talent) case study on pages 294 – 295 and answer the

two questions. • Read the (HR in Small Business) case study on pages 295 – 296 and answer

the three questions. ! Part 2: • Read the (HR Oops! ) case study on page 301 and answer the two questions. • Read the (Taking Responsibility) case study on pages 327 – 328 and answer

the two questions. • Read the (Managing Talent ) case study on pages 328 – 329 and answer the

two questions. ! NOTE: 1. Each part should be separately done. 2. Each part should be a page TO a page and a half single space. 3. The answerers should be CLEAR AND SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND. ! DUE: April 11. 2017

 
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Case Application 2 Shifting Direction

Homework Answers: Human Resource Management homework help

Case Application 2 Shifting Direction

8-18. What role do you think goals would play in planning the change in direction for the company? List some goals you think might be important.

 

8-19. What types of plans would be needed in an industry such as this one? Explain why you think plans would be important.

 

8-20. What contingency factors might affect the planning Garmin executives have to do? How might those contingency factors affect planning?

 

8-21. What planning challenges do you think Garmin executives face with continuing to be the global leader? How should the cope with those challenges?

 
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MGT 435 Paper – Change Model Assignment

Change Model Assignment

Assume you are the Sales and Marketing Director for Sea Treasures, a small group of well-known retail stores specializing in exotic sea life and high-end accessories for aquariums.   The company has been in business for over 50 years, but the customer base is shrinking, sales are slow, and you are faced with reducing staff and closing stores.   Sea Treasures will be out of business within a year if innovative and creative changes are not made quickly.   After many months, you have finally been able to convince the owner that the only way to sustain the business and increase revenue is to create an Internet Website to sell the large inventory of aquarium decorator items (currently gathering dust in a costly warehouse) .  This will be a short-term, small scale change.  Six months later, you will expand the Website to sell live sea creatures such as tropical fish and small sea turtles online, which is a long-term, large-scale change.

You face many challenges in this transformational change initiative, beginning with strong employee resistance, new technology, and shipping methods.  Many small businesses have been faced with these same issues, and have made the transition successfully.  Consider the humble beginnings of Amazon, and look where they are today.  Selecting the best change model for this business, and implementing it step by step provides the foundation for creating an exciting new company.

In 3 – 5 pages, explain which change model you would follow for the short-term change and which you would follow for the long-term change.  Provide rationale for your decision and discuss the effects that these changes would have on the employees, managers, and executives within the organization.  Include at least three references and follow standard APA formatting for your paper.

 
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Negotiation Simulation

HRM 457 ILR Negotiation Simulation Assignment

Date: May 24, Wednesday

Location: In class

Participation: Participation in the Negotiation Simulation is mandatory. Failure to negotiate will result in a zero mark.

Value: 20% of final mark Number of

pages Individual or Team

Due Dates

By midnight

Marks (100)

% (20%)

Sec. A

Team Proposal & Team Introduction

3 Tables 1 page

Team May 17

40 (Team)

8% Final agreement

1 table per hotel

Team May. 25

Sec. B Pre- Negotiation Planning Book

2-4 pages Individual May 17 40

8%

Sec. C Post- Negotiation Evaluation

1-2 pages Individual May 31 20 4%

Team Planning Book = Team Introduction (1 page) + 4 Individual PBs Team Proposal = 5 individual proposals and costs + total costs Email me your proposal, planning book and evaluation by midnight on the due dates. Late submission of proposal, planning book and evaluation will result in a penalty of 10% per day. Overview: The negotiation simulation is designed to simulate collective agreement negotiations between management and union in the service sector. A collective bargaining simulation in which small teams of union and management teams negotiate the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement using “The Zinnia and Service Workers Local H-56.” This exercise is on the Web at www.thezinnia.com.

1

 

Zinnia Hotel is located in Los Angeles. (NOT Minneapolis) Before this meeting, each team must construct a negotiation plan. Each negotiation plan should include a bargaining agenda which contains the team’s threat point (i.e., the minimum [maximum] acceptable contract changes the union [company] would accept without a strike) and also what the team reasonably hopes to settle for. Both economic and noneconomic items should be included in the agenda. Blank templates are available on the exercise’s website. Costs should be estimated for the economic items in the packages. These bargaining agendas are not binding during negotiations, but are used to facilitate preparation. To help with costing various proposals, an Excel spreadsheet is available on the website. Final agreements (Page 4 “final agreement” in the “proposal”) must be submitted by email by that time (xiaoyu.huang@csusb.edu).

Issues to be Negotiated: Each team member must prepare and act as chief negotiator for one issue from the following list: Issues include: 1. Wages – Article 6 and Appendix A: Wage Rates

(Union / Management chief negotiator #1)

2. Vacations and Holidays – Article 13 &14 & Leaves of Absence (e.g., sick leave, maternity leave) – Article 12 (Union / Management chief negotiator #2)

3. Hours of Work, Overtime, and Premium Pay – Article 8

& Retirement – Article 20 (Union / Management chief negotiator #3)

4. Health Insurance – Article 18 &19 and Appendix C: Health and Welfare Schedule of Benefits & Other Benefits (e.g. life Insurance, accident and sickness disability, day care and dental insurance) (Union / Management chief negotiator #4)

5. Team negotiation topics (all negotiators / negotiator #5) 1) Subcontracting 2) Successor Clause 3) Immigrant Workers (protect or report) 4) Term of Agreement (i.e. proposed contract duration in years) – Article 23

2

Negotiating Teams: Each class will form negotiating teams of four. We need to end up with an even number of teams so some variance in team size may be necessary. Half the teams will represent management and the other half will represent the union. The primary focus of the Management Team is to negotiate a collective agreement that is satisfactory to the firm’s shareholders, to contain overall wage costs, to avoid a strike, and to arrive at an agreement that will contribute to the firm’s ongoing profitability. The primary focus of the Union Team is to negotiate a collective agreement that is satisfactory to the union members. The case in the text indicates the issues that are important to members. A strike or lockout is not an option. Failure to reach agreement on all terms by the end of the day will result in automatic a 10-mark penalty against all members of both teams. Presentation of Demand: Each team must submit their “Demand (Opening Position)” in writing to the professor and to the opposing team in class before negotiations on Mar 8, 2017. Proposals not exchanged on time will be subject to a 3-mark late penalty for the entire team.

Assignment Requirements: A. Proposal and Negotiation Planning Book Please download your 1. HRM 457 ILR Zinnia Negotiation Simulation Assignment 2. HRM 457 ILR Zinnia Corporate / Union Proposal Worksheets (Word template) 3. HRM 457 ILR Zinnia Planning Book (Word template) 4. HRM 457 ILR Zinnia Costing (Excel) Introduction The team will prepare an 1-page introduction together. This introduction will include:

• A statement and discussion of your overall strategic objectives for this negotiation. What are your priorities? What do you hope to achieve and why is this appropriate?

• A statement and discussion of how your will conduct the negotiations. What approach and tactics will you use to persuade your opponents? Why? What are the ground rules for negotiations?

3

Section A All team members will receive the same mark for the introduction, the proposal, and final agreement (1 page). (40 marks) Section B Each student will prepare individual arguments and demand parameters for his/her article (2-4 pages per person). Each section should include the following (40 marks): 1. A chart outlining the Opening Position, Target Position and Fall Back Position,

Estimation of Your Opponent’s Fall Back Position, and the Estimated Cost of Your Proposal

Summary Estimated Cost Justifications Demands (Opening Position):

Target Position (Desired settlement)

Fall Back Position (Threat Or Walkaway Point)

Opening Position: The initial proposal (Page 3 “demand (opening position)). An opening position can be extreme or more moderate. These are the first proposals you put on the table first and should be sufficiently realistic to avoid a loss of credibility on your part. Target Position – What the Company or Union hopes to achieve. This is what you should be able to attain assuming competent negotiations and the absence of unforeseen circumstances. (May be expressed as either a specific goal or a range). Fall Back Position The absolute maximum / minimum level the Company or Union will accept. Also known as the “threat or walk away” position. This is your bottom-line position beyond which you are unwilling to make further concessions. Having determined this position, you must consider how you will respond if this goal cannot be met. This is the first page of the proposal: “maximum settlement” for the management teams and “minimum settlement” for the union teams.

4

Estimated Cost Use the excel file “costing” to estimate the costs. A calculation of the costs or savings associated with your proposals must be included. This includes only your target position. In addition, a running total of costs should be kept throughout the negotiations. Note that some articles do not lend them self to costing and other articles may require that certain assumptions are made. 2. Justification for Your Position This is the critical part of your planning report. Why are your proposals fair and appropriate? This section should contain information, statistics, etc. that support your position on this particular issue. This is the ammunition you would use during the negotiations to convince your opponents that your position is justified and they must make concessions. This section also will contain your research, properly cited and referenced. Your Negotiation Planning Book must:

• Have one format • Contained in one book • Save in one document: “Zinnia Planning Book Management or Union

Team A, B or C” Due: At end of negotiations. Final Agreement (one per hotel) is due on May 25, 2017. Section C Post-Negotiation Individual Evaluation (1-2 pages per person) – 20 marks This is an individual report. Each student will prepare a summary of the negotiation, which includes the following: 1. For your clause:

• If you made any errors in your original planning book, this is your opportunity to make corrections

• What you set out to get, and what you actual got (chart format) • What you intended to argue, and what you actually argued • What you would have done differently to prepare for the negotiation of

your clause. •

2. Your observations about the bargaining process: • what you learned about yourself and others at the bargaining table • your strengths as a negotiator • your weaknesses as a negotiator • ideas on how you could improve as a negotiator

Due: Post-Negotiation Evaluation is due on May 31, 2017

5

Additional Instructions for Zinnia Negotiation Simulation

1. Make reasonable assumptions Please make reasonable assumptions and guesses (i.e. in your opinion, what would be reasonable changes for the hotel or workers), especially issue #3. Read the website information http://www.thezinnia.com/ , your relevant articles in the contract, and your confidential union or management information. If you can’t find the information that you need, please make reasonable assumptions and include external references to support your justification. 2. Some proposed changes (e.g. work rules) may not lead to additional costs. For example, for issue #3, if your proposed changes to 8.10 work schedules or 8.15 discontinuance of business, you can report a $0 cost in your planning book. Include such proposed changes may help you in the negotiation.

3. Excel The blue numbers are proposed wages / days of vacation or holiday. For people working on these issues – #1 Wages and #3. Vocations and Holidays – you can simply change the relevant numbers to get your costs. Remember to check Appendix A Wage Rates.

For issue #1, assume the state minimum wage should be changed to $10 in the new contract. Change the wages of the five minimum wage jobs to $10 or $11.85 (310 Bell Captain) to estimate the total cost of changing minimum wage. For issue #2, use the vacation schedule and change (increase or decrease) the number of days or all or some employees. You can also use Additional Holidays / Sick Days for additional proposed changes. For issue #3, for example, you can change “new overtime premium” to 200 and check the additional proposed costs. This is a difficult issue, so please make reasonable assumptions and guesses (i.e. in your opinion, what would be a reasonable change for the hotel or workers).

For issue #4, this is the most difficult issue. Please focus on your confidential information and make reasonable assumptions. Remember to read Appendix C.

For issue #5,negotiator #5 must discuss with all other negotiators to determine the team negotiation priorities (i.e. the relative importance of the issues).

If your team consists of four negotiators, all team members should be prepared to negotiate issue #5 and discuss your position in the introduction. No need to write up issue #5 in the planning book.

6

4. Planning Book & Team Proposals Use the template- 3 HRM 457 ILR Zinnia Planning Book- for the planning book. This will be your talking points in the negotiation. For your individual section, you can use paragraphs or table (or both).

Summary is your proposed changes in the contract (e.g. 6.1 Pay Rate. … (proposed changes), 6.2 Merit Increase… etc.). Costs can be estimated using the excel cost file or making additional calculations based on the existing data (please explain in the justification). Justification is the most important part. It requires critical thinking. Some of you may choose to conduct external research. Please include a reference list in the end of your section. Your team proposal is the combination of all four individual issues. To calculate the total courses, you can use the excel file or simply add up the four costs. Each negotiator may take approximately 15-20 minutes. You may go back to earlier issues if you have additional time. You should also negotiate the contract duration and discuss the estimated annual costs as a team.

7

Pfau Library Research Help The John M. Pfau Library offers a variety of ways to get research help.

Get 24/7 online assistance, view videos and guides, visit the reference

desk, or attend a workshop.

Learn more here: http://library.csusb.edu/researchAssistance/

 

Additionally, library instruction requests can be made

here: http://library.csusb.edu/forms/libraryInstructionRequest.php

8

  • Location: In class
  • Participation:
  • Value: 20% of final mark
  • Issues to be Negotiated:
  • Negotiating Teams:
  • Assignment Requirements:
    • A. Proposal and Negotiation Planning Book
    • 1. A chart outlining the Opening Position, Target Position and Fall Back Position, Estimation of Your Opponent’s Fall Back Position, and the Estimated Cost of Your Proposal
    • Target Position – What the Company or Union hopes to achieve.
    • Fall Back Position
    • Estimated Cost
 
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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Assignment Brief

 

Qualification HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS
Unit Number and Title 3. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Start Date 11-09-17
Hand In Deadline 05-10-17
Assessor Name Ms. Pushpa yadav
Assignment No ONE
Assignment Title HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

 

Purpose of this assignment

To develop an understanding of the principles of effective Human Resource Management. Students will learn the importance of training and development in building and extending the skills base of the organisation and ensuring it is relevant to the ever-changing business environment. This assignment will help them develop sufficient knowledge about the growing importance of becoming a flexible organisation with an equally flexible labour force and become familiar with techniques of job design and with different reward systems.

Assignment Description

This Assignment covers the Learning outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3 and LO4.

 

Preparation guidelines

· The report should be grammatically correct and word processed.

· The written report must be presented in a professional manner, with FORM 1, front page, contents page, page numbering, bibliography and annexes.

· Use the Font as Arial size 11 and 1.5 line spacing.

· Identify any references and Use the Harvard referencing system.

· Complete the Form 1 page and sign the statement of authenticity.

· You will pass the assignment only if you achieve all Pass criteria. Student must provide evidence that learning outcomes of the subject have been met.

· Assignment will be checked for Plagiarism. Appropriate Actions may be taken as per College / Edexcel Plagiarism Policy.

Good practice

· Make backup of your work in different media (hard disk, memory stick etc) to avoid distress for loss or damage of your original copy.

· Make an extra hardcopy of your work submitted for your own reference or later use.

ASSIGNMENT BRIEF

TASK 1: Based on an organisation of your choice

You are an Intern in the Human Resource Department of an organisation which is going through restructuring as part of Organisation Change. You have been asked to make the necessary observations, research and review the Human Resource processes, its effectiveness, role and scope in the ongoing change process.

Your findings should include:

1. An overview of the organisation, with an explanation on the purpose of HR function and its key roles and responsibilities.

2. Explain the benefits and drawbacks of having the HRM processes in an organisation.

3. Corporate HR department have outlived their usefulness and are not there to help employees, but to keep the organization from legal problems. Critically analyse.

TASK 2: Based on the organisation of Task 1 OR/AND external factors

 

1. Discuss the external environmental factors that directly affect the HRM process (STEEPLE analysis).

2. Investigate the different selection devices and analyse the findings of how each works best for different jobs.

3. Analyse the benefits and drawbacks of realistic job previews. Compare the same from the perspective the organisation and an employee.

4. Discuss the importance of learning and development. Summarise its benefits for an individual and to an organisation.

5. Discuss various types of Development and Training methods. Include findings of the cost and benefits attached with different training methods.

6. Analyse and evaluate the different types of performance appraisal methods.

7. Discuss contemporary issues in managing human resources.

8. Investigate the importance of maintaining good employee relations. Discuss with examples.

9. Should an employer have the right to choose employees without governmental interference? Discuss the legal environment of the HRM.

10. Research what a good resume should include.

11. Discuss the key behaviours associated with interviewing skills.

12.

13. What are advantages and drawbacks of using social media in the recruiting process for:

a. An applicant and

b. An organisation

14. Is the use of social media in recruiting applicants a way to hire smarter or a lawsuit waiting to happen? Explain your position.

Submission Format for Task 1 & 2:

The submission is in the form of an individual report. This should be written in a concise, formal business style. You are required to make use of headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate, and all work must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Please also provide a bibliography using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended word limit is 2,500 – 3,000 words, although you will not be penalised for exceeding the total word limit.

 

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
Learning Outcome

 

Pass

 

Merit

 

Distinction

 

LO1

Explain the purpose and scope of Human resource Management in terms of resourcing an organisation with talent and skills appropriate to fulfil business functions.

P1 Explain the purpose and the functions of HRM, applicable to workforce planning and resourcing an organization.

 

P2 Explain the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection.

 

M1 Assess how the functions of HRM can provide talent and skills appropriate to fulfil business objectives.

 

M2 Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection.

D1 Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to recruitment and selection, supported by specific examples.

 

 

 

LO2

Evaluate the effectiveness of the key elements of Human Resource Management in an organization

 

 

 

P3 Explain the benefits of different HRM practices within an organisation for both the employer and employee.

 

P4Evaluate the effectiveness of different HRM practices in terms of raising organisational profit and productivity

 

M3 Explore the different methods used in HRM practices, providing specific examples to support evaluation within an organisational context

 

D2 Critically evaluate HRM practices and application within an organisational context, using a range of specific examples

LO3

Analyse internal and external factors that affect Human Resource Management decision-making, including employment legislation.

 

 

 

P5 Analyse the importance of employee relations in respect to influencing HRM decision-making

 

P6 Identify the key elements of employment legislation and the impact it has upon HRM decision-making.

 

M4 Evaluate the key aspects of employee relations management and employment legislation that affect HRM decision-making in an organisational context

 

D3 Critically evaluate employee relations and the application of HRM practices that inform and influence decision-making in an organisational context
LO4

Apply Human Resource Management practices in a work-related context

P7 Illustrate the application of HRM practices in a work-related context, using specific examples
 

M5 Provide a rationale for the application of specific HRM practices in a work-related context

 

D3 Critically evaluate employee relations and the application of HRM practices that inform and influence decision-making in an organisational context.

 
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Case Study Questions

Chapter 1

Case study “UPS Competes Globally with Information Technology”

UPS Competes Globally with Information Technology

The Interactive Session on Technology describes some of the typical technologies used in computer-based information systems today. UPS invests heavily in information systems technology to make its business more efficient and customer oriented. It uses an array of information technologies, including bar code scanning systems, wireless networks, large mainframe computers, handheld computers, the Internet, and many different pieces of software for tracking packages, calculating fees, maintaining customer accounts, and managing logistics.

 

Let’s identify the organization, management, and technology elements in the UPS package tracking system we have just described. The organization element anchors the package tracking system in UPS’s sales and production functions (the main product of UPS is a service—package delivery). It specifies the required procedures for identifying packages with both sender and recipient information, taking inventory, tracking the packages en route, and providing package status reports for UPS customers and customer service representatives.

 

The system must also provide information to satisfy the needs of managers and workers. UPS drivers need to be trained in both package pickup and delivery procedures and in how to use the package tracking system so that they can work efficiently and effectively. UPS customers may need some training to use UPS in-house package tracking software or the UPS website.

 

UPS’s management is responsible for monitoring service levels and costs and for promoting the company’s strategy of combining low cost and superior service. Management decided to use computer systems to increase the ease of sending a package using UPS and of checking its delivery status, thereby reducing delivery costs and increasing sales revenues.

 

The technology supporting this system consists of handheld computers, bar code scanners, desktop computers, wired and wireless communications networks, UPS’s data center, storage technology for the package delivery data, UPS in-house package tracking software, and software to access the World Wide Web. The result is an information system solution to the business challenge of providing a high level of service with low prices in the face of mounting competition.

United Parcel Service (UPS) started out in 1907 in a closet-sized basement office. Jim Casey and Claude Ryan—two teenagers from Seattle with two bicycles and one phone—promised the “best service and lowest rates.” UPS has used this formula successfully for more than a century to become the world’s largest ground and air package-delivery company. It’s a global enterprise with more than 454,000 employees, over 112,000 vehicles, and the world’s ninth-largest airline.

 

Today, UPS delivers 5.1 billion packages and documents in more than 220 countries and territories. The firm has been able to maintain leadership in small-package delivery services despite stiff competition from FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service by investing heavily in advanced information technology. UPS spends more than $1 billion each year to maintain a high level of customer service while keeping costs low and streamlining its overall operations.

 

It all starts with the scannable bar-coded label attached to a package, which contains detailed information about the sender, the destination, and when the package should arrive. Customers can download and print their own labels using special software provided by UPS or by accessing the UPS website. Before the package is even picked up, information from the “smart” label is transmitted to one of UPS’s computer centers in Mahwah, New Jersey, or Alpharetta, Georgia, and sent to the distribution center nearest its final destination.

 

Dispatchers at this center download the label data and use special routing software called ORION to create the most efficient delivery route for each driver that considers traffic, weather conditions, and the location of each stop. Each UPS driver makes an average of 100 stops per day. In a network with 55,000 routes in the United States alone, shaving even one mile off each driver’s daily route translates into big savings: $50 million per year. These savings are critical as UPS tries to boost earnings growth as more of its business shifts to less-profitable e-commerce deliveries. UPS drivers who used to drop off several heavy packages a day at one retailer now make many stops scattered across residential neighborhoods, delivering one lightweight package per household. The shift requires more fuel and more time, increasing the cost to deliver each package.

 

The first thing a UPS driver picks up each day is a handheld computer called a Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD), which can access a wireless cell phone network. As soon as the driver logs on, his or her day’s route is downloaded onto the handheld. The DIAD also automatically captures customers’ signatures along with pickup and delivery information. Package tracking information is then transmitted to UPS’s computer network for storage and processing. From there, the information can be accessed worldwide to provide proof of delivery to customers or to respond to customer queries. It usually takes less than 60 seconds from the time a driver presses “complete” on the DIAD for the new information to be available on the web.

 

Through its automated package tracking system, UPS can monitor and even reroute packages throughout the delivery process. At various points along the route from sender to receiver, bar code devices scan shipping information on the package label and feed data about the progress of the package into the central computer. Customer service representatives are able to check the status of any package from desktop computers linked to the central computers and respond immediately to inquiries from customers. UPS customers can also access this information from the company’s website using their own computers or mobile phones. UPS now has mobile apps and a mobile website for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android smartphone users.

 

Anyone with a package to ship can access the UPS website to track packages, check delivery routes, calculate shipping rates, determine time in transit, print labels, and schedule a pickup. The data collected at the UPS website are transmitted to the UPS central computer and then back to the customer after processing. UPS also provides tools that enable customers, such Cisco Systems, to embed UPS functions, such as tracking and cost calculations, into their own websites so that they can track shipments without visiting the UPS site.

 

UPS is now leveraging its decades of expertise managing its own global delivery network to manage logistics and supply chain activities for other companies. It created a UPS Supply Chain Solutions division that provides a complete bundle of standardized services to subscribing companies at a fraction of what it would cost to build their own systems and infrastructure. These services include supply chain design and management, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, mail services, multimodal transportation, and financial services in addition to logistics services. CandleScience, based in Durham, North Carolina, is an industry leader in the candle and soap supply industry, providing raw materials such as waxes, wicks, and fragrances to candle makers around the world. UPS worked with CandleScience to accurately model shipping rates for the company and its customers and to add a freight shipping option capability to its website. UPS also helped CandleScience identify the optimal location for a new warehouse for its West Coast customers. The new West Coast warehouse in Sparks, Nevada lets the company reach some of its largest customers faster, more efficiently and less expensively.

 

UPS provides both financial and shipping advice and services to Flags of Valor, a small business based in Ashton, Virginia, which sells hundreds of hand-crafted wooden flags each day to online customers. Using UPS Quantum View Manage® technology, the staff can view and monitor outbound packages and immediately respond to customer questions about order status. UPS Capital®, the financial service division of UPS, showed the company how to protect its cash flow and assets by moving to a comprehensive insurance plan.

 
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Phases

CHAPTER 4 IHRM IN C R O S S – B O R D E R MERGERS & A C Q U I S m O N S , INTERNATIONAL ALLIANOES A N D S M E s

8 3

 

  • Mergers and acquisitions (M&As); and

 

    • International joint ventures (IJVs).

 

At the end of the chapter we will address the special case of globalizing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while looking for attendant IHRM responses. SMEs represent important elements in the world economy. However, in IHRM research they are often neglected, There is evidence that their approaches to international human resource management differ to a large extent from those of large MNEs and this is why we cover this topic in the present chapter. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 complement each Other and are designed to deliver insights in the most important organizational contexts for international human resource management.

 

CROSS-BORDER ALLIANOES

 

The strategic importance of alliances has increased in the course of globalization . – Cross-border alliances are cooperative agreements between t w o or more firms f r o m different national back-grounds, w h i c h are intended to benefit all partners. As depicted in Figure 4 . 1 these comprise equity as well a non-equity arrangements.^

 

 

• A non-equity cross-border alliance ‘is an investment vehicle in which profits and other responsibilities are assigned to each party according to a contract. Each party cooperates as a separate legal entity and bears its own liabilities’.” Examples include international technology alliances or strategic research and development alliances^ as well as cooperative agreements in different functional areas such as marketing or production.^

 

• Equity modes involve a ‘foreign direct investor’s purchase of shares of an enterprise in a country other than its own’.” These include the establishment of subsidiaries as mentioned in Chapter 3,

 

FIGURE 4.1 Equity and non-equity modes of foreign operation

 

S u b c o n t r a c t i n g

 

O u t s o u r c i n g .

. • O f f s h o r i n g

 

Subsidiaries Franchising

 

Joint ventures

 

M e r g e r s a n d acquisitions

 

E q u i t y a n d n o n – e q u i t y b a s e d m o d e s o f

 

f o r e i g n o p e r a t i o n

 

Licensing

 

M a n a g e m e n t contracts

 

Equity m o d e s • N o n – e q u i t y modes I M i x e d

 

S o u r c e ; Further d e v e l o p e d f r o m M. K u t s c h k e r a n d S. S c h m i d , Internationales Management, 6 t h E d . (Munich a n d Vienna: O l d e n b o u r g , 2 0 0 8 ) , p. 8 4 7 . R e p r o d u c e d with permission .

84

CHAPTER 4 IHRM !N GROSS – BORDER MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS, INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES A N D S M E s

 

 

either through Greenfield investments or acquisitions, as well as through joint ventures or

 

 

mergers. The latter typically involve long-term collaborative strategies, which require the support of

 

 

appropriate HR practices.’^ They represent typical cross-border equity-based alliances.

^

 

Equity as w e l l as non-equity cross-border alliances pose specific challenges to international h u m a n resource management. Often, these are crucial to the success of the international opera-t i o n . As Schuler and Tarique note, ‘Some of the H R issues that are critical to the success of eq-uitt’-based international or cross-border alliances may also rise in non – equity cross-border alliances, but they are often less central to the success of the alliance’.^ Hence, the difference i n H R J M in equity and non – equity cross-border alliances is supposed to lie in the differing extent to w h i c h specific H R measures are used.^” However, it has to be stated that there is a research defi-cit w i t h respect to H R M i n non-equity cross-border alliances’-‘ and it is beyond the scope of this chapter to discuss implications of all foreign entry modes in d e t a i l . ‘ ”

 

CROSS-BORDER MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

 

A merger is the result of an agreement betu’een t w o companies to join their operations together. Partners are often equals. For example, the DaimlerChrysier merger was supposed to be a merger between equals i n its first stage.’^ M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n about this merger and its eventual lack of success can be found in I H R M in A c t i o n Case 4 . 1 .

 

A n acquisition, on the other hand, occurs when one company buys another company w i t h the interest of controlling the activities of the combined operations . ”’ This was the case when the Dutch steel company M i t t a l , ranked second by volume in crude steel production in 2006, initiated a hostile takeover of the Luxembourg-based Arcelor group, ranked first in the same statistic.’^

 

Figure 4.2 shows that a merger usually results in the f o r m a t i o n of a new company while an acquisition involves the acquiring f i r m keeping its legal identity and integrating a new company into its o w n activities. The H R challenge i n both cases consists of creating new H R practices and strategies that meet the requirements of the M & A .

 

 

FIGURE 4.2 The formation processes of M&As and

HR Challenges

 

M e r g e r

 

A c q u i s i t i o n

C o m p a n y A

C o m p a n y B

C o m p a n y A

C o m p a n y B

C o m p a n y A a n d C o m p a n y B

C o m p a n y A buys C o m p a n y B

f o r m t o g e t h e r t h e n e w

 

 

C o m p a n y C

C o m p a n y A

 

W i t h i n the context of this international volume, our focus w i l l be o n cross-border mergers and acquisitions ( M & A s ) . This means that firms w i t h headquarters located in t w o different countries are concerned. M a n y of the H R M challenges faced i n mergers and in acquisitions are similar, and

 

The m

 

screer

 

Daimie

 

Ghrysh

 

HR in

 

At me I the me aspect, involv

 

In tl the me Integra manag levels, raised” pany’s Intrane compc the sat

 

Durl merger porate and mt man’s phase, let side for the admitte mality, training

 

Long-t(

 

In 200C price. A Somey sing the had cut for that! succest

 

Source:

 

(pp. 35-Copyrig permiss

8 6 CHAPTER 4 IHRM IN C R O S S – B O R D E R MERGERS & A C Q U I S m O N S , INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES A N D SMES

 

for this reason we w i l l not further differentiate between these t w o entities, but summarize them and use the abbreviation M & A . U N C T A D defines cross-border M & A s as f o l l o w s : ‘ ^

 

Cross-border M&As involve partial or full takeover or the merging of capital, assets and liabilities of existing enterprises in a country by TNCs [transnational corporations] from other countries. M8As generally involve the purchase of existing assets and companies.

 

Cross-border M & A s have seen tremendous g r o w t h over the last t w o decades in part because of the phenomenon of globalization . ‘Both the value and number of cross-border M & A s rose in 2005, to $716 billion (an 88 per cent increase) and to 6134 (a 20 per cent increase) respec-tively’ . ‘^ This is depicted in Figure 4.3.

 

One major reason to engage in mergers or acquisitions is often to facilitate rapid entry into new markets . ‘” Thus, ‘mergers and acquisitions are a predominant feature of the international business system as companies attempt to strengthen their market positions and exploit new market opportunities’ . ^” Some of the factors that a f i r m takes into consideration when deciding on a target country include: the g r o w t h aspiration of the acquiring company, risk diversifica-t i o n , technological advantages, a response to government policies in a particular country, exchange rate advantages, favorable political and economic conditions, or an effort to f o l l o w clients.^’

 

 

Despite the high yearly g r o w t h rates in the area of M & A s there seems to be a gap between the expected added value and the benefits realized f r o m an M I & A . – ^ ITowever, there is g r o w i n g appreciation that the w a y the M . & A is managed d u r i n g the different phases (especially in the post-merger integration phase) has an impact on its performance, and in t u r n on the added value created.-‘^ M & A management has been investigated f r o m many different perspectives. The w o r k of Larsson and FinkelsteiiG” provides an excellent overview of M & A s f r o m different research fields including strategic management, economics, finance, organizational theory and human resource management.^^ O f course, all sources of research are i m p o r t a n t when explain-ing the phenomenon of M & A success.

 

For the purposes of this chapter, we are going to focus solely on H R and its role in employee relations. The quality of employee relations, ranging f r o m employee support to employee resist-ance, is influenced by variables such as the similarity between the management styles of the t w o organizations,^^ the tp’pe of cross-border combinations, the combination potential in terms of ef-ficiency gains, or the extent of organizational integration . There is evidence that employee resist-ance endangers A 4 & A performance as it may hinder synergy realization. For this reason, it is

 

 

 

FIGURE 4,3 Mergers and acquisitions in USS Billions

 

1800 –

 

1600 –

 

-1

1

I

I

I

I

 

1994

1996

 

1998

 

2 0 0 0

 

S o u r c e : U N C T A D (ed), World Investment Report

2008

(New Y o r k a n d Geneva, United Nations, 2 0 0 8 ) , p. 5. R e p r o d u c G d

with permission .

 

 

un ter cai

 

is i inc inn a m

CHAPTER 4 IHRM IN C R O S S – B O R D E R MERGERS & AGOUISITIONS, INTERNATIONAL ALLiANGES A N D S M E s

8 7

 

i m p o r t a nt that all M & A s try and effectively manage issues where employee resistance is encoun-tered, in order that employee support can evolve. This is a process in which the H R M function can play a crucial role.

 

A study by Birkinshaw et al}^ f o u n d that the integration of tasks'” between t w o companies is interdependent w i t h h u m a n integration . The dimensions of human integration in this study included visibility and continuity of leadership, communication processes d u r i n g integration, integrating mechanisms used, acquired personnel retained, and voluntary personnel loss. Task and human integration interact in different phases to foster value creation in acquisitions:

 

 

In phase one, task integration led to a satisfying soiution that iimited the interaction between acquired and acquiring units, while human Integration proceeded smoothly and led to cultural convergence and mutual respect. In phase two, there was renewed task integration built on the success of the human integration that has been achieved, which led to much greater interdependencies between acquired and acquiring units.^°

 

 

Birkinshaw et al. conclude that the human integration process is especially difficult to manage and takes time. Comple.xity and the length of the integration process increase even more in the case of cross-border alliances.^’ One reason for this is that both of the firms undergoing acquisition processes are embedded in their o w n national, institutional, and cultural settings (see Chapter 2). Typical problems that arise in cross-border M & A s involve the f o l l o w i n g :

 

  • Within the first year of a merger, it is not uncommon for a company’s top management level to lose up to 2 0 per cent of its executives. Over a longer time frame, this percentage tends to increase even further.33

 

  • Personnel issues are often neglected, delayed or not a priority.””

 

    • Finally, a high number of M&As fail or do not produce the intended long term results,””

 

W h e n a firm is acquired by another f i r m , it constitutes an existing workforce . Considering this fact, we w i l l describe the typical phases characterizing cross-border M & A processes and outline w h i c h H R practices are important at each of the different stages. A t this point, it must be admit-ted that the extent to which these H R practices are carried out very much depends on the extent to which integration of the t w o companies is actually aspired. I n the case of l o w integration (e.g. if the M & A is carried out mainly for portfolio reasons) both companies remain separate cul-tures. However, in the case of high integration, it is crucial for the M & A to meet the H R requirements of the different phases, which w i l l be outlined in the next section.”*

 

 

M&A phases and HR implications

 

Typically, mergers and acquisitions are characterized by a series of phases. Depending on the publication, these phases svili have different names. However, the M & A process usually consists of the following four steps:

 

 

• A p r e – M & A p h a s e including a screening of alternative partners based on an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses.

 

• A d u e d i l i g e n c e p h a s e ” ” which focuses more in depth on analyzing the potential benefits of the merger. Here, product-market combinations, tax regulations, and also compatibility with respect to HR and cultural issues are of interest.””

 

• In the i n t e g r a t i o n p l a n n i n g p h a s e , which is based on the results of the due diligence phase planning for the new company is carried out.

 

in the i m p l e m e n t a t i o n p h a s e plans are put into action.

88 CHAPTER 4 IHRM IN CROSS-BORDER MERGERS & ACQUlSmONS, INTERNATIONAL ALLIA14CES AI4D S M E s

 

 

FIGURE 4,4 HR activities in ttie phases of a cross-border M&A

 

I m p l e m e n t a t i o n a n d a s s e s s m e n t p h a s e

 

they three

 

P r e – M & A p h a s e

 

      • IdGntification of people – related issues

 

      • Planning f o r d u e diligence

 

      • Assessing people

 

      • W o r k i n g o u t t h e organizational/cultural fit

 

      • Forming t h e M & A steering t e a m

 

        • Educating t h e t e a m o n t h e HR implications

 

D u e d i l i g e n c e p h a s e

 

Estimating people – related

 

          • Transactional costs

 

          • O n g o i n g costs

 

          • Savings

 

          • Identifying a n d assessing cultural issues

 

I n t e g r a t i o n p l a n n i n g p h a s e

 

Developing e m p l o y e e culture – sensitive

 

c o m m u n i c a t i o n strategies

 

            • Designing key t a l e n t retention p r o g r a m s

 

            • Planning and leading Integration efforts

 

            • Developing a n e w strategy f o r t h e n e w entity

 

• Helping t h e organization c o p e w i t h c h a n g e

 

              • Defining an organizational blueprint a n d staffing plan

 

                • M a n a g i n g o n g o i n g c h a n g e , especially cultural c h a n g e

 

                • M a n a g i n g e m p l o y e e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s

 

                • Advising m a n a g e m e n t o n dealing w i t h people issues

 

                • A l i g n i n g HR policies, especially total rewards

 

                • M o n i t o r i n g t h e process of organizational a n d

 

people – related integration activities

 

                • Ensuring t h e capture of synergies via incentives

 

                • Initiating learning processes f o r f u t u r e M & A s

 

S o u r c e : B a s e d o n J . A . S c h m i d t , T h e Correct Spelling of M & A Begins with MR’, HR Magazine, Vol . 4 6 , N o . 6 (2001), p p . 1 0 2 – 1 0 8 . © 2 0 0 1 , Society for H u m a n Resource M a n a g e m e n t , Alexandria, VA. U s e d with permission . All rights reserved .

 

 

Various studies have shown that the H R department becomes increasingly involved in the phases of M & A integration as the process evolves. For example, a study conducted in Germany of 68 M & A s revealed that HR issues are only seriously considered once the integration strategy has actually been defined . “” Schmidt refers to a study of 447 senior H R executives w h o repre-sent mainly large companies w i t h more than 1000 employees. M o s t participants were f r o m N o r t h America, supplemented by companies f r o m Europe, Latin America and Asia. H e found that those companies which involved the H R department early in the process were more success-f u l than others w i t h late H R involvement.””” Both studies showed that the strongest involvement of the H R department t o o k place in the last t w o phases of the M & A process. F r o m this study Schmidt has derived best practices, which should be considered in the different M & A process phases. They are complemented by culture-specific aspects, w h i c h are of special importance i n cross-border M & A s (see Figure 4.4).

 

 

A n a n a l y s i s of the data gathered in the context of the Cranfield Studies on International H u m a n Resource Management ( C R A N E T ) shows that the f o l l o w i n g H R M measures have an important effect on the success of mergers and acquisitions: increasing involvement of H R M in the strategic decision-making processes of the f i r m , formalization of H R practices, support of the creation of organizational capabilities through training and development activities, and de-velopment of lines managers and internal labor markets. These aspects seem to be independent f r o m the consideration of specific M & A phases.” ‘

 

I H R M in A c t i o n case 4 . 1 analyzes the case of the DaimlerChrysier merger w i t h respect to the M & A phases and briefly outlines which H R measures were taken. If you compare the informa – tion given about the DaimlerChrysier merger w i t h the list of H R activities outlined in Figure 4.4 you can analyze the strengths and the weaknesses f r o m an H R perspective. W h a t lessons could be learned f r o m this process?

 

 

Strategic HRM and the role of the HR function in M&As ,

 

Aguilera and Dencker”” suggest a strategic approach to H R management in M & A processes. Based on strategic H R M literature suggesting a fit between business strategy and H R strategy

 
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