View of AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON EMPLOYEE’S PERCEPTION REGARDING SUSTAINABLE HRM PRACTICES

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Vol. 05,Special Issue 02, (IC-IRSHEM-2020) February 2020, Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE

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AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON EMPLOYEE’S PERCEPTION REGARDING SUSTAINABLE HRM PRACTICES

1Harvinder Kaur, ²Dr. Pawan Kumar

1Associate Professor, PG Department of Commerce & Management

2Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce & Management, SKD University, Hanumangarh

Abstract:- Acquiring and managing people with a right blend of skills and attitude is the most crucial aspect as human resources are not only the most important input but also the biggest strength for any organization. Under the impact of globalization, the organizations are facing diverse challenges. To acquire a competitive edge in this ever-changing business scenario, relying on the competent and committed workforce seems to be the most viable option. „Acquiring, nurturing and retaining talent‟ is the crux of human resource management. The element of uniqueness and the presence of enormous potential differentiate human resource from other resources in the organization. Unlike other resources, human resources need to be developed and not just consumed. It necessitates linking human resource practices with sustainability. Changes and challenges within and outside the organization have posed a question mark on the effectiveness of conventional HRM practices.

The sustainability in HRM practices need that HR mechanism must be redesigned in a socially acceptable way, keeping in mind the long term development of individuals as well as organizations. Sustainability has become a buzzword in business world and no organization can achieve sustainable growth without adding sustainability to HRM practices. There is still a lack of clarity regarding what actually contributes to sustainable HRM practices. This is an empirical study conducted in degree colleges in Abohar in Punjab. The study attempts to assess the level of awareness and employees‟ perception about sustainable HRM practices. The outcome of this study will be useful for the organization to redesign their HRM practices around the concept of sustainability.

Employees will be benefitted by a better quality of work life in such work environment.

Keywords: Sustainable HRM practices, Globalization, Quality of Work Life.

1. INTRODUCTION

The dynamic environment has put forth diverse challenges for us. On one side, the concept of maximization of benefits has gained momentum but on the other side, the world is struggling hard to strike a balance between economic growth and social responsiveness.

Sustainability has become a buzzword everywhere; although everyone perceives and reflects it in a different way. There may be a divergent perception about the concept but there is a unanimous opinion that sustainability should be practiced in every sphere of life so that this world can be a better place for everyone. Sustainability is all about using present resource judiciously to ensure that these resources are preserved and developed to fulfill long term requirements of the society. Sustainable practices embrace vitality and growth in ecological, social an economical aspects.

1.1 Human Resource Management practices

HRM practices consist of systems that are instrumental in procuring, nurturing and retaining the human resource in the organization. HRM practices can be defined as a system that attracts, develops, motivate and retains employees to ensure the effective implementation and the survival of the organization and its members.HRM practices lay the foundation on which human capital of an organization is built upon. These include a wide range of activities:

 Recruitment and Selection

 Training and Development

 Managing reward system

 Performance Appraisal and Feedback

 Promotions and Transfers

 Motivation

 Grievance Settlement

 Welfare of staff etc.

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2 1.2 Sustainable HRM practices

Acquiring, nurturing and retaining talent is the crux of human resource management. The present organizations are confronted with diverse challenges in the wake of globalization.

Rapid technology transformation, unethical competition, unpredictable market behavior, demographic changes in the workforce, increasing awareness about consumer rights, growing concern about corporate social responsibility has transmuted the way organizations were managed earlier. Hence acquiring people with right blend of skills and attitude has become crucial. The competent workforce can be the biggest strength for an organization which is striving for attaining a competitive edge in the marketplace. The competency and commitment of staff is something which is hard to be imitated by the competitors.

Human Resource possesses not only the characteristics of uniqueness but they are a storehouse of latent energy and immense potential. Hence an organization should adopt such practices in managing the human resources which can ignite this energy so that their maximum potential can be utilized. The concept of sustainability emphasizes the judicious consumption of resources. Human resource here needs a specific attention. Unlike other resources, human resources need to be developed and not just consumed. The conventional HRM practices are unable to meet the demands of changes occurring within and outside the organizations.

Hence it is important to rethink about HRM practices and the link them with sustainability. Sustainability in HRM practices need that HR mechanism must be recognized in a socially acceptable way, keeping in mind the long term development of individuals as well as organizations. It includes a sustainable development enhancing their adaptability to the unanticipated changes while behaving in an unethical and socially responsible manner.

1.3 Research Objectives

1. To assess the level of awareness among employees about sustainable HRM practices.

2. To examine the perception of employees regarding sustainable HRM practices in their organization.

3. To explore future research areas related to study.

1.4 Significance of Research

No economy can develop without developing its human capital. As the concept of human resource development is gaining attention, the sustainable HRM practices are becoming more important. Most of time, the sustainable development of organization is misunderstood as its social responsibilities. Emerging scenarios has necessitated the organizations to go beyond their role in pursuing just their social responsibilities and embrace sustainability in its organization culture. People being an important syb system in the organizational system cannot be left behind in this journey of sustainable development.

Hence linking HRM practices with sustainability is necessary. Sustainable HRM practices in education become all the more important as education is the base of human resource development (HRD) specially in a developing economy like India, it is the most important target sector for HRD. An in depth study of HRM practices in theses organization with reference to sustainability will help to create an awareness among the employees regarding sustainable HRM and it would assist the management in responding to the changing needs of human resources.

1.5 Scope of the study

The research was conducted regarding sustainability element in HRM practices followed in four degree colleges in Abohar in Punjab. It aims to create a general awareness amoung employees about sustainability in various practices concerning the employees for example their recruitment and selection, their performance and potential appraisal, policies concerning to their welfare and efforts directed towards their growth and development in the organization. The study also examined if employees perceive that HRM practices in their organization are contributing to the long term welfare of three aspects of sustainability i.e.

social, economical and ecological.

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3 1.6 Limitations

The research was conducted in a limited time span in degree colleges of Abohar. Colleges usually follow standardized criteria fixed by UGC for many of their HR policies. Hence, the results may not be generalized for other type of organizations.

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Anuradha & Prasanth (2016) studied the perception of employees of HRM practices among public sector banks in Puducherry region in India. They found a significant impact of HRM practices on organizational performance of public sector banks.

Bal, Kooij, & De Jong (2013) Regarding employee health, several studies noticed that the provision of training and development opportunities, decentralized job design, information-sharing, employment security, and sickness absence policies were associated with employee well- being.

Cohen et al. (2012) mentions three qualities of a sustainable organization - holistic employee development, employees‟ well-being and sustainable organizational culture and leadership. According to Pfeffer (2010) focuses on the need of sustainability to protect self interest in the long run. He suggests that sustainable business models should be developed to deal with scarcity of resources.

Ehnert et al. define sustainable management as “. . .the adaption of HRM strategies and practices that enables the achievement of ﬁnancial, social, and ecological goals, with an impact inside and outside of the organization and over a long-term time horizon, while controlling for unintended side eﬀects and negative feedback”.

Guest & Conway (2011) points out towards a scarce research on sustainable HRM.

The majority of research on HR practices is about the impact of HR practices on employees‟

and organizational performance.

Jacob (2012) worked on exploring the relation between occupational stress and job satisfaction among working women as regards to Indian banking industry. The authors suggested that improvements in HRM practices will help to reduce levels of stress thereby improving the quality of performance.

Mazur .B (2013) in his study describes a sustainable business model given by De Prins. This model discusses sustainability around 4 key dimensions. The first one is the sociological aspect which is about the relationship between the employers and the stakeholders. The second aspect is regarding the psychological dimension which describes the various factors involved in motivation of employees. The third one is the green aspect which covering the various policies adopted by organizations regarding the environment.

Taylor, Osland & Egri, (2012) even stated that every procedures and practices of an organization should be focused on achieving sustainability.

Thom & Zaugg (2004) emphasizes that a sustainable HR policy includes a transparent system for recruitment and retention, training and development, performance appraisal, motivation and employees‟ engagement. An empirical study conducted in Swiss companies considering sustainable a conceptual approach and instrumental in developing socially viable and responsible policies for human resourses.

3. RESEARCH GAP

The issue of sustainability has gained much popularity. The need of developing sustainable business models has attracted the attention of many researchers. The success of these models is dependent on the quality of human resources. Over a period of time, lot has been contributed in research literature about HRM practices in various organizations. But when we observe HRM in practice, a gap exists in their implementation. Conventional HRM practices need to be redesigned to add more value to the most crucial assets of organization i.e., human resources. Application of sustainable HRM practices in India is still in its infancy. This research work tries to pinpoint the need of creating awareness among employees and management regarding implementation of sustainable HRM practices.

4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This is an empirical research for which first hand data was collected from the teachers working at various designations in degree colleges of Abohar area in Punjab. The study aims at exploring the perception of employees towards sustainable HRM practices.

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1. Location of Study: The study was conducted in Abohar area of Punjab.

2. Data Collection: Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire designed on 5- Point Likert Scale. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part focused on demographic information of the respondents and the second part comprised of various HRM practices and employees perception about them.

Unstructured interviews were also used to collect qualitative information.

3. Sample Size: The primary data was collected from 50 teachers working at various designation in four degree colleges in Abohar.

4. Sampling Techniques: Respondents were selected through convenience sampling.

An attempt was made to have representative sample size from each of the four colleges.

5. Statistical tools: The data was analyzed using percentage and means of central tendency. Research findings are depicted through tables, bar diagrams and pie charts.

5. RESEARCH ANALYSIS

5.1 Conceptual Framework of the study

HRM practices can be built around the principles of sustainability by following this model

HRM Practices Features of

Sustainability Justice & Fairness

Sustainable HRM Practices Recruitment Built

Around

Social

Responsiveness

Results in Selection Ethics & Spirituality

Training &

Development

Long run well being of employees

Career and

Succession Planning

Satisfaction of stakeholders

Motivation Ecological concerns

Fig. No. - 1 – The conceptual framework of Sustainable HRM Practices 5.2 Analysis of Data

The data was collected through a structured questionnaire in two parts; hence its analysis is reflected accordingly. First part was related to the demogahic characteristics of respondents like their gender, age and teaching experience etc. The second part consisted of various questions to judge their awareness and perception about HRM practices and the elements of sustainability in them.

The outcome of analysis is reflected through pie-charts, bar graphs and tables.

5.3 Demographic Analysis of Data

Fig. No. 2 - Gender Demographics of Respondents

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Fig. No. 3 - Gender Demographics of Respondents

Fig. No. 4 - Teaching Experience of Respondents 5.4 Analysis of Employees Perception

The analysis of data is reflected using Likert‟s five point scale.

Table No. 1 -Employees Perception regarding HRM practices Sr.

No.

HRM Practices on Various Aspects of sustainability

Strongly Agree

Agree Mode rate

Disagr ee

Strongly Disagree

1 Awareness about

sustainable HRM practices

10 80 10 - -

2 Fairness in Recruitment &

Selection

15 70 15 - -

3 Balanced focus on Knowledge, Skills &

Attitude while selecting employees

35 50 15 - -

4 Existence of uniform policy for training & development

50 50 - - -

5 Application of standardized performance appraisal system

35 60 5 - -

6 Getting due recognition &

records for their performance

5 75 20 - -

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6 7 Existence of proper

grievance redressal system 10 75 15 - -

8 Maintenance of work life

balance 25 65 10 - -

9 Promoting qualities of work

life for employees 30 70 - - -

10 Self Appraisal of employees 60 30 10 - -

11 Recognition & use of

potential 5 75 20 - -

12 Freedom allowed in Decision Making

10 25 65 - -

13 Experimentation permitted in teaching methods

40 60 - - -

14 Motivation and its positive outcome

30 60 10 - -

15 Satisfaction with Job 50 40 10 - -

16 Satisfied with managerial practices

10 75 15 - -

17 Contribution of HRM practices towards long term wellness of employees

25 70 5 - -

18 Encouraging social

responsiveness 20 65 15 - -

19 Integration of individual &

organizational goals 20 75 5 - -

20 Perceiving a difference in personal values &

organizational values

- 10 25 55 10

6. FINDINGS

The results of the analysis suggest that

 There is a high level of awareness among employees about sustainable HRM practices. Majority of the employees feel that there is no difference between HRM policies announced and practices implemented.

 85% of the respondents perceive fairness in recruitment and selection. Majority of them also agree about the application of standardised performance appraisal system. This is because of the standard guidelines provided by UGC.

 75% of the respondents agree that they get a due reward and recognition of their efforts

 Majority of the employees feel a work life balance in their jobs. They admitted that it is a major positive aspect of their jobs.

 Grievance redressal, job security, motivation and uniform HRM practices make employees perceive a good quality of work life.

 65% of the respondents moderately agree to the extent of freedom provided to them in decision making.

 The element of creativity also exists as teachers are allowed to experiment with teaching interventions.

 Majority of respondents also agree on the long run wellness aspect of HRM practices.

 It is also strongly perceived that there is an integration of individual goals and

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values with organisational goals and values and the existence of element of social responsiveness.

7. SUGGESTIONS

The colleges are basically service sector organizations where quality of service is dependent on the quality of teachers. If the teachers of a nation are nurtured on the grounds of sustainability, it would have a strong positive impact on the quality of human capital formation in a country. Above study indicates that employees perceive lack of freedom in decision making related to their job. These institutes must work on enhancing employees‟

empowerment. Hence it is important to imbibe the elements of sustainability mentioned in the conceptual model discussed above in this study in HRM practices in these organizations.

8. CONCLUSION

The emerging concept of sustainable HR practices has important implications both for organizational performance and for employees‟ satisfaction. The development and implementation of a sustainability strategy for any nation or for any organization can be possible only by adopting a holistic approach and integrating it with the basic framework of human resource management.

REFRENCES

1. Anuradha, S., & Prasanth, M. S. (2016). Employees‟ perception towards HRD practices among select public sector banks in Puducherry. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 6(2), 249–252.

2. Aswathappa K., (2009) “Human Resource Management”, Tata McGraw Hill Education Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

3. Bal, P. M., Kooij, D. T. A. M., & De Jong, S. B. (2013) How do developmental and accommodative HRM enhance employee engagement and commitment? The role of psychological contract and SOC strategies.

Journal of Management Studies, 50, 545– 572.

4. Cohen, E., Taylor, S., & Muller-Camen, M. (2012). HRM‟s Role in Corporate Social and Environmental Sustainability. SHRM Report.

5. Decenzo A. Devid, (2004) “Personnel/Human Resource Management”, Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi

6. Ehnert, I.; SParsa, S.; Roper, I.; Wagner, M.; Muller-Camen, M. Reporting on sustainability and HRM: A comparative study of sustainability reporting practices by the world‟s largest companies. International Journal of Human Resource Management 2016, 27, 88–108.

7. Mahajan R.K., Kaur H & Garg M. (2019) “Human Resource Management”, Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana.

8. Mazur B. (2013), Linking diversity management and corporate social responsibility, Journal of Intercultural Management 5 (3), pp. 39-47

9. Pfeffer, J. (2010). Building Sustainable Organizations: The Human Factor. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(1), 34–45.

10. Taylor, S., Osland, J. & Egri, C. P. (2012). Guest Editors‟ Introduction: Introduction to HRM‟s Role in Sustainability: Systems, Strategies, and Practices. Human Resource Management, 51(6), 789–798.

11. Thom, N. and Zaugg, R. J. (2004). Innovativation and Personal management: in E. J. Schwarz:

Innovations management, Wiesbaden: Gabler, 217-245.

ANNEXURE QUESTIONNAIRE INTRODUCTION:

Human resources are the most crucial factor in any type of organization. The quality of HR practices has a strong bearing on the performance and the behavior of employees as well as on the development of organization. Sustainable HR practices, contributes simultaneously towards individuals, social and organizational development. This questionnaire will help me to collect and analyze first hand information regarding employees‟ awareness and their perception of sustainable HR practices in their institutes. The information provides by you will be confidential and only group data will be used for analysis purpose of my research work. I appreciate and thank you for sparing your valuable time to fill in the necessary information.

Part A

1. Name of the institute - 2. Designation-

3. Qualification- 4. Age-

5. Gender-

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8 6. Marital status-

7. Years of service- Part B

Rate the following statements at a 5 point scale according to the order of importance.

Please tick the relevant box.

Strongly

Agree Agree Moderate Disagree Strongly Disagree 1. I am clear about the HRM

practices in my organization.

2. There exists no gap between the HR policies announced and HR practices followed.

3. I feel that HR practices should bee linked with sustainability.

4. My organization follows HR practices which impacts long term well being of employees.

5. My organization motivates me to work for social causes.

Please tick the relevant box.

Strongly Agree

Agree Moderate Disagree Strongly Disagree 6. The recruitment practices in

the organization are without any favoritism or bias

7. The attitude of the candidates is equally important as their skills and knowledge in selection decisions.

8. There are standardized training and development programmes for employees.

9. Counseling and monitoring of employees is a regular practice in my organization.

10. I take the initiative to grab every opportunity to learn.

11. I am allowed to experiment with innovative techniques in teaching and learning.

12. There is a standardized performance appraisal system for employees.

13. Every employee undergoes a self appraisal process.

14. My organization knows my potential and tries to use that potential.

15. I can take some decisions about my job without referring to higher authorities.

16. My organization provides freedom to organize my job.

17. My job consists of performing a variety of tasks.

Please tick the relevant box. Strongly

Agree Agree Moderat

e Disagre

e Strongly

Disagree

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9 18. I am able to balance my

personal life and work life.

19. I feel a good quality of work life in my organization.

20. I fully enjoy my job.

21. I will opt for a training or a development program even if it is not linked with my salary or promotion.

22. I go beyond normal levels of standard while performing my duties.

23. My organization motivates me to perform in the best way.

24. I am satisfied with the reward system in my organization.

25. I get due recognition for my efforts in the organization.

26. My grievances in organization are solved properly.

27. I feel satisfied with the managerial practices in my organization.

28. I am satisfied with my job.

29. I feel that my personal goals are fulfilled while working for the organizational goals.

30 I feel a difference between my values and organizational values.