CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW 27
3.3 Human Resource Policies and Practices
change through transformation, employees need to understand where the organisation is going and should have some say in its destination. (Pascale, Millemann, Gioja, 1998) This should also apply to change through developments in Human Resource policies and practices.
However, is this happening in organisations - are employees able to come up with solutions
on their own and be involved in the change process or is it controlled participation that is
confined to their immediate tasks rather than with matters of policy?
particular objective will be best for the interests of the particular company"(Seybold, No.169: 5). A policy cannot be enforced by law; it is not a legal obligation but rather a commitment by management to make decisions according to what is set out in that policy.
~ In writing. Setting a policy down in writing helps to ensure consistency because
individuals in the organisation can see exactly what is involved in the policy and behave accordingly. A written policy is a firm commitment by the organisation to that issue.
~ Stated in broad t~rms. Policies set out general guidelines and goals and allow for a certain amount of judgement when exercising policies. They set up boundaries around decisions and work towards channelling the thinking of organisational members to remain consistent with the goals of the organisation. Circumstances do change, however, and there needs to be room for flexibility whilst still working towards the same goal.
~ Not disregarded or broken as long as this is within the power of management. In other words, "policies are designed to apply everywhere throughout the company, at all times, with no deviation and no exceptions" (Seybold,No.169: 7). There should be no
exceptions within policies; the moment an exception is allowed, the door is wide open.
This does not apply, however, to circumstances where management has no control such as forces of nature; the law of the land etc.
~ Formulated through a high level o/thinking and contemplation. Policy developers need to think ahead and plan for any future obstacles. The company's intent needs to be contemplated and decided so that a frame of reference is provided for future decisions.
~ Approved by the highest authority in an organisation. Because policies apply to the Board of Directors as well as shopfloor employees, the top members of the organisation need to be actively involved in developing these long-range goals of the company.
~ Long term. Policies extend right through the foreseeable future. They provide stability and assurance for workers that they can depend on.
What are the reasons for having policies? Management makes use of policies to clarify what the guidelines for action or behaviour in fact are. Most importantly, however, is that policies produce consistent behaviour. They force management to behave in a consistent way and this benefits employees because they know what to expect from the organisation as well as from management. This provides a greater sense of security for employees. (Torrington and Hall, 1991) Policies also provide for continuity in management so that when members of
management leave the organisation and are replaced by new managers, the business is still conducted in relatively the same way because the new managers have to abide by the
company
's policies. Often organisations will want people to join their company who believe in their values, beliefs and policies so that the status quo can be more easily maintained.
Policies also save time for supervisors and line managers. Instead of having to always refer to their superiors for final decisions, the policies will guide them and save time through often avoiding consultation with senior managers. This also relates to the different units in the organisation which operate away from the organisation's headquarters. Policies provide the guidance necessary so that managers within those units can make decisions with the
assurance that they will obtain top management approval.
This cuts down the constantconsultation which would usually be necessary with head office. Policies also simplify the decision making process as it allows the decision maker to rule out a number of alternatives at once because they do not measure up to the policy. It means that decisions are not based on what an individual believes is right but on what the principles within the policy set out. No matter what the reason for policies, it is vital that management continuously communicates its policies with employees. Employees should be involved to the extent that they will in fact want to work towards the goals and beliefs established through the policies.(Seybold,No.169)
Now that it has been established what Human Resource policies are and why they are necessary, it is important to consider how policies are developed and implemented.
Organisations can develop policies either through using the policies of another organisation as a guideline or starting with a blank piece of paper. The latter option, however, does pose the problem that the writing of the policy will be largely influenced by the values and beliefs of the person who drew up the policy rather than the values and beliefs of the organisation.
This is vital for the present study as it considers the impact that the author of the Human
Resource policies, the Human Resource practitioner, has on the policies that he develops. Do policies reflect the values ofthe organisation or are they a reflection of the practitioner's own values and beliefs?
Torrington and Hall (1991) establish a four pronged procedure to developing policies:
1. Identify the topic.
A policy needs to be drawn up around a topic at the right time which can either be as a result of new legislation; a management initiative or questions from employees about the issue.
2. Selling the idea.
Support needs to be gained for a policy to be developed. Organisational
members must be consulted and their reactions tested in order to ascertain whether there
will be commitment to the policy or not.
Itis important that the policy is seen as relevant
to the organisation otherwise gaining commitment from employees will be difficult.
3. Determine the key features. The general idea first needs to be accepted and developed before the key features of the policies can be determined.
4. Agree the details. Lastly, the exact details ofthe policy need to be agreed on. These will later be interpreted and implemented.
Following the development of the policy, it then needs to be implemented or put into operation within the organisation. The policy needs to be made public so that everyone knows what it entails, understands the policy and accepts it. Most companies do not send a copy of the new policy to everyone but it is often posted on the office walls and is explained to employees by their managers. Along with the development of the policy, the procedures and practices needed to implement that policy also need to be developed. The practices and procedures help the policy to operate and where policies may not readily be accepted, the procedures need to be simple and understandable so as not to discourage individuals completely. It is also important to constantly monitor the policy and its implementation to ensure that it keeps to its original intention and goal. Human Resource departments also need to ensure that they modify the policies where they are seen to be wrong in some way. Policies do become out of date, and coupled with external and internal changes, they often need to be constantly developed and changed. (Torrington and Hall, 1991)
When looking at Human Resource policies and practices, it is important to identify who is involved in the drawing up of these policies and with whom they consult. One approach to this question is to center the development of policies on one person - often the Human Resource practitioner. This approach has been substantiated by saying that allowing one person to be involved means that they will ensure a single style in the policy no matter how many different suggestions are taken into account. This approach is not held by all, however, as there is the threat that with only one individual involved, their personal values, beliefs and opinions may have an important effect on what is included in the policy. In terms of who they consult with, this will "obviously depend on the subject of the policy, but we repeat that the involvement of those affected by the policy will improve its chances of translation into practice" (Torrington and Hall,1991: 44). This relates to the debate in the present study as to whether employees who are affected by the Human Resource policies and practices should in fact participate in the process to draw them up or not.