Human+Resource

__Human Resource Frame (FINAL)__ Word Count: 913

Sources:

Maslow, Abraham. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs."Businessballs.com 2010: n. pag. Web. 4 Apr 2011. .

The human resource frame represents the relationship between people and the organization. According to //Reframing Organizations Artistry Choice and Leadership//, organizations need people for their energy, effort, and talent, and people need organizations for the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards they have to offer. The conflict relating to the human resource frame often arises when the individual employees and the organization system do not fit one another. As a result, when the relationship between individuals and the organization is poor, usually one or both parties suffer. Individuals lack the motivation and purpose in the workplace, while the organization suffers with low performances. On the contrary, a good relationship translates into individuals being more satisfied in their workplace, and organizations get motivation and energy that is needed to succeed.

In this situation, there is a poor communicational relationship in the organization between the horizontal structure of the Human Resource and Store Manager department. In addition, the lack of any sense of hierarchy structure across the organization has caused a disparity between the understanding of people and organization working together collectively as a whole. Instead, each individual has acted on their own hierarchy needs in their departments. Ultimately, it is evident that the individual and organization system do not fit each other.

Gill is the human resource manager who has to report to Helena, who is the Vice President of Human Resource. Marta, a part-time recruiter, is faced with a dilemma between choosing the two applicants that both Francesco, the store manager, and Gill has recommended. In Helena’s perspective, according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, her need of self-actualization is obstructed. (Maslow, 1954) Helena has reached the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Her main responsibilities include actively shaping the company’s public image. Thus, given Helena’s hierarchy title, she has enormous amounts of pressure from the board of shareholders to maintain quotas that create measurable marks used in assessing her performance. Moreover, her confidence of hiring a candidate with a learning disability to help improve the company’s public image has blinded her awareness and consideration of other employee’s human needs. Helena has applied Douglas McGregor’s Theory X assumption that her subordinates are passive and require to be led than to initiate change. She persists that her decision is best and does not consider the opinion of what Francesco, the store manager, needs in the front line retail conditions. . (McGregor, 1960)

Moving vertically down the Human Resource department, Gill has been assigned a task from Helena to delegate the hiring procedure to Marta, the recruiter. However, due to Helena’s “Theory X approach” to management style, Gill’s hierarchy level of need is safety; the security of her job employment. Thus, her main objective is to obey Gill’s instructional commands and proceed to see the hiring of the candidate with the learning disability. She does this by pressuring Marta to fast track the screening and interview process to complete the whole hiring procedure. Moreover, Gill’s need of job security will influence her to ignore any obstacles she faces. Her only ambition is to obey the instructions that Helena has imposed on her. However, it is important to note that Gill operates in the Head Office location, not in the retail store. Thus, the only means of communication between Gill, and Marta is through internal electronic mail, and by phone conversations.

In Marta’s perspective, her job responsibility is to solely screen and interview candidates to process them through the hiring procedure. She is approached by two managers from separate departments who have each recommended their own candidate to hire for the new vacancy at the retail store. Due to the fact of the horizontal structure of the organization, Marta has no obligation to follow or answer to neither departmental manager. This is likely due to the fact that there is no sense of hierarchy structure of communication across the departments. In addition, Marta is a part-timer who occasionally operates at the store to handle her hiring tasks. Finally, Francesco is the store manager that is in charge of daily operations of the retail store. In perspective of Maslow’s hierarchy of need, Francesco has achieved the level of Esteem; the achievement of self esteem, respect from others and respect by others. Francesco has evidently requested to fill a vacant spot. Francesco’s has the pressure of maintain high quarterly profits and running the store’s operations in an efficient and effective matter. Thus, when he found out the news of the new candidate who has a learning disability, he tried to ignore the request and demands Marta to hire a new candidate of his choosing. Due to the fact that both Marta and Francesco operate in the retail store and see each other regularly, Francesco has the advantage in communicating his needs to Marta in person. Therefore, the weak communicational bond between the Marta and the Human Resource Department factors in Marta’s decision to lean towards Francesco’s candidate.

Ultimately, it is evident that there is a poor relationship between the individuals at the retail store and the Human Resource organization. The lack of communication across the two departments leads to the downfall of misguided decisions and motives. Moreover, the weak connection between the people and the organization has arise ineffective traditional management techniques, such as Douglas McGregor’s Theory X assumption. In respects to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the in sync ambition of self-actualization amoung the people and organization can be the root of the poor relational bond.

__Human Resource Frame:__ In terms of the HR framework of organization, __Helena`s need for self-actualization is obstructed__. One can talk about Maslows pyramid from the txtbook here. Helena has the 'right' to do work that is meaningful and important and feel she is creating value, like every other employee. However Helena`s role does not conform to standard employee description becase her role of __a VP of HR makes her one of the key fiqures in the company is actively involved in shaping the company`s public image__. This means that she performs under enormeous pressure to meet quotas that create measurable marks for her work to be assessed (the company keeps track of the numbers and plots hiring patterns). As a result, even though she knows both what needs to be done and how that can be done, she still needs people`s cooperation at different levels. Now, this opens up the idea od leadership and making people buy into ones ideas and not simply make them do work because they fear loosing their jobs. That way, if Helena performs on the level of self actualization according to Maslowa hierarchy of needs, she needs to let others developed to that same level in their own domains.

Moving vertically down HR, Gill has been asigned a task. She knows the end result needed to be achieved- participation in efforts to increase the overall business` equal opportunity hiring. She is not under any pressure to hit measurable results, but is expected to do the best work possible. In oder to start the process, Gill delegates to the level of execution, i.e Marta. Because of the fact that Helena is going to asked more HR managers who are in charge of other stores, even if some are more successful than others, the effect will level off and the end result will be claimed as group ownership. Also it is normal to assume that Gill same as Helena has her own needs for self actualization.

Marta faces the issue of 'two masters'. She accepted the position as having to 'discuss and consult' with both Gill and Francesco, but none of the them was labeled as 'the boss'. Also, her status as part time employee does not allow for more agressive and continious involvement with the business. This simply means that neither Marta not Gill (Helena has only met with Gill whose boss she is and trough whom she communicates across the stream) are almost never in the store. Marta because of her part time status and Gill because she is 'helicopter staff' that visits the store when needed and operates from HO.

**Recommendations:** -propose more frequent face to face meeting for all three; -undergo a “dealing with different personality types” training (“big 5­­” pg. 179); -discuss self-awareness, defensiveness, search for common interest, doubting infallibility etc.