Notes
Notes
360-Degree Appraisal
The 360-degree appraisal is a feedback process where an employee’s performance is
evaluated from multiple perspectives. These include:
• Self-Evaluation: The employee assesses their performance.
• Superior Evaluation: Feedback from the employee’s manager or supervisor.
• Client Evaluation: Input from customers or clients.
• Subordinate Evaluation: Feedback from team members reporting to the employee.
• Peer Evaluation: Insights from colleagues or coworkers.
This comprehensive method provides a well-rounded view of the employee’s strengths and
areas for improvement.
2. Employee Orientation
Orientation (Onboarding):
Orientation is the structured process of integrating new employees into the organization. It
ensures they are familiar with company operations, policies, and culture, laying the
foundation for long-term engagement.
Purpose of Orientation:
1. Welcoming Employees: Helps new hires feel at ease in their new environment.
2. Socialization: Initiates the integration into the organizational culture and team
dynamics.
3. Understanding the Organization: Provides clarity on the company’s mission,
vision, and structure.
4. Clarifying Expectations: Defines the standards for work performance and behavior.
Information Shared During Orientation:
1. Company Organization and Operations: Overview of structure and departmental
roles.
2. Safety Measures and Regulations: Guidelines for ensuring a safe working
environment.
3. Facility Tours: Familiarity with the workplace layout.
4. Personnel Policies: Insights into rules, codes of conduct, and procedures.
5. Employee Benefits: Explanation of perks, healthcare, and leave policies.
6. Daily Routines: Introduction to work schedules and key workflows.
1. Analysis Phase:
Analysis Phase
2. Design Phase:
o Training design means planning the overall training program, including training
objectives, delivery methods, and program evaluation. Training objectives:
• Provides direction for what will be trained and how.
• Specify employee and organizational outcomes.
• Become inputs to the development and evaluation phases.
o The design process determines how the organizational constraints will be addressed
by the training. o It identifies the factors needed in the training program to facilitate
learning and its transfer back to the job.
3. Development Phase:
Training Development:
4. Implementation Phase:
Implementation (Simplified):
• This step is about delivering the training using methods like lectures or
activities.
• A trial run or pilot program is done first to test the training.
• The pilot helps identify any needed improvements before the full rollout.
5. Evaluation Phase:
5. Management Development
1. Long-Term Focus of Management Development:
• Assessing Strategic Needs: Understanding the company’s goals and what kind of
managers it needs.
• Appraising Managers’ Performance: Evaluating how current managers are doing.
• Developing Future Managers: Training people for future leadership roles.
Types of Benefits
1. Pay for Time Not Worked:
o Paid days off for vacations, public holidays, and sick leave.
2. Insurance:
o Health, life, and disability insurance protect employees and their families.
3. Retirement:
o Pensions and savings plans help employees prepare financially for retirement.
4. Personal Services:
o Tuition reimbursement for education and wellness programs for health.
5. Flexible Benefits:
o Employees can choose benefits that suit their personal needs, like more
vacation days instead of additional insurance.
Key Takeaways
• Strategic Value: Benefits and services are essential tools to attract and retain
employees.
• Holistic Approach: Offering a mix of support ensures employees feel cared for on all
fronts.
• Customization: Tailoring benefits to employees’ needs boosts satisfaction and
productivity.
Case: Human Resource Strategy and Productivity at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart's success can be largely credited to its founder, Sam Walton, and his visionary
leadership. Walton's management philosophy focused on empowering employees, boosting
productivity, and creating a unique company culture based on respect and teamwork. Inspired
by his experience at J.C. Penney, Walton introduced practices that changed the retail industry
and made Wal-Mart stand out.
One of his key strategies was calling employees “associates” to show their importance to the
company. Walton believed that by respecting and empowering employees, they would be
more motivated and work better together. This led to a decentralized management structure
where associates could see how their efforts contributed to the company’s success. Walton
encouraged listening to ideas from frontline workers, as they had valuable insights into
improving operations.
Walton also introduced the “Sundown Rule,” which encouraged completing tasks the same
day. This created a sense of urgency and efficiency, and Walton, along with senior managers,
would visit stores unannounced to make sure employees were following the rules and to
celebrate those who did. This focus on quick action helped Wal-Mart’s productivity.
To further motivate employees, Walton created profit-sharing and stock ownership programs,
giving associates a share in the company’s success. Even though wages were relatively low,
these programs made employees feel loyal and invested in Wal-Mart’s growth, which helped
the company succeed.
However, as Wal-Mart grew into a global giant with 2.2 million associates by 2012, it became
harder to maintain Walton’s employee-focused philosophy. The company struggled to recruit
and keep employees willing to work long hours for low pay, despite profit-sharing incentives.
Additionally, Wal-Mart’s resistance to unions and criticism of employee treatment led to legal
issues and negative public perception.
As the company expanded, its focus on low wages and demanding work conditions became a
bigger issue. Critics argued that Wal-Mart's original model, which worked in its early years,
was no longer suitable in a labor market where employees wanted fair pay, better work-life
balance, and fair treatment. These challenges hurt the company’s reputation and showed how
hard it is to maintain Walton's people-centered strategies as a large organization.
In conclusion, Wal-Mart’s success was built on Sam Walton’s innovative strategies,
emphasizing respect, empowerment, and shared success. While these practices worked well
in the company’s early years, as Wal-Mart grew, it faced challenges adapting to the changing
workforce and labor market. This highlights the need for companies to evolve their strategies
as they expand to stay competitive.
Case: Managing Global HRM at Hotel Paris
Hotel Paris’s strategy focuses on providing excellent guest service to stand out from
competitors and keep customers coming back, which leads to longer stays and higher profits.
However, the company faced challenges in managing its global workforce. One major issue
was the lack of formal training programs for employees moving to international roles. For
example, a U.S. manager sent to Europe had to return early because of family problems,
costing the company both money and disrupting operations.
Additionally, the company experienced high turnover rates, with 90% of top-performing
employees leaving every year. They also lacked HR metrics to track important factors like
employee morale, attendance, and customer service, making it hard to assess and improve
their global workforce.
Initiatives to Address HR Issues
Lisa Cruz, the HR manager, made several changes to address these problems and align HR
practices with the company’s goals. First, she integrated the HR systems across all locations
to streamline tasks like benefits, performance evaluations, and morale tracking. This system
allowed the company to better monitor and improve global HR practices.
To support expatriates, Lisa worked with an international HR training company to offer
cultural training and pre-departure support for employees and their families. She also
launched “Manager Seminars” to promote idea sharing and introduce new HR programs.
Additionally, she implemented an incentive system for local managers to encourage
behaviors that aligned with the company’s service-focused strategy. Lisa also developed HR
metrics to track key performance indicators to ensure recruitment, training, and counseling
met high standards.
Results of the HR Changes
The changes led to improvements in key areas like employee morale, attendance, and
customer service. Employee turnover decreased, and expatriates were better prepared for
international assignments. By the end of the year, the company’s HR performance was on par
with top-performing organizations, and the global HR system was effectively under control.
Question 17-19: What hotel managers should know to help expatriates adapt to new
roles?
Hotel managers need to understand the challenges expatriates face when moving to a new
location. They should ensure expatriates receive cultural orientation and pre-departure
training to get familiar with their new environment. Managers should also provide ongoing
support through counseling and open communication to help them handle both personal and
professional challenges. Encouraging expatriates to integrate with local teams and
communities will also help them feel included.
Question 17-20: HR practices from Dessler’s recommendations that can improve the
Hotel Paris.
Dessler recommends competency-based training programs, which could greatly benefit Hotel
Paris. Implementing such programs would help employees develop the skills and behaviors
needed to deliver superior guest service. Training might focus on cultural awareness,
problem-solving, and customer interaction skills, helping employees align with the
company’s service goals and improve overall performance.
Question 17-21: Essential HR practice for global implementation.
The most important HR practice introduced by Lisa is pre-departure and cultural training for
expatriates. This supports the company’s goal of high-quality service by preparing employees
for international roles. To implement this globally, the company should standardize training
across all locations and partner with specialized HR training firms to ensure consistency and
better support for expatriates, leading to improved performance and reduced turnover.