Employee performance and conflict resolution Essay Example

for these positions. When a company goes overseas human resource managers must select an appropriate individual that is capable of working in a foreign environment. Human resource managers must assess the cultural issues of the country and the candidate.

The human resource managers must also evaluate the training requirement for the position and develop strategies that can successfully supply managers the resources needed for the company to compete overseas. Human resource managers must also develop compensation packages that are consistent with the assignment. Compensation and reward benefits are a significant issue when working overseas because of fluctuations in currency value and the potential damage a large influx of US dollars can have on some economies. Some companies have attempted to address these issues by providing cost of living adjustments and housing allowances. Human resource management contributes to an organization success by hiring effective employees, assessing training programs and effectively planning the human resource needs of the organization.

By hiring effective employees and terminating those individuals that can not contribute to the organization Human Resource managers improve the performance of the company. The value of the Human Resource management function could be expressed in a monetary value of the cost associated with ineffective employees. Human resource managers should assess training programs within a company and assist the manager in developing effective training programs. Dollars values should be placed on the cost associated with poor ineffective training. This value could be determined by expressing the dollar value of production lost as a result of a lack of training or poor training. Human resource managers should also act as performance coaches.

Additionally, human resource managers should evaluate line managers counseling technique

and provided feedback to managers and provide guidance focused on improving employee performance and conflict resolution. The History of Human Resources Management in the past has been characterized by a continuing attempt to justify the function within an organization. Increased labor laws and the rise of unions have made effective human resource management essential. Additionally, the expansion of companies into foreign markets has created the need for managing human resources from an international perspective.

The developing global economy and the continually increasing need to manage labor and management relations have given greater importance to Human Resource Management (HRM). HRM has moved from the position of justifying its position in an organization to adding to the organization profits by managing its most important asset: people. Employee recruitment in other countries is subject to more government regulations than it is in the United States. Regulations range from those that cover procedures for recruiting employees to those that govern the employment of foreign labor or require the employment of the physically disabled, war veterans, or displaced persons. (Sherman, Bohlander, and Snell; p.634)

All countries have work permits or visa restrictions that apply to foreigners. A work permit is a document issued by a government that grants the authority to foreigners to find employment in that country. Foreign workers invited to come to perform needed labor are the guest workers. The employment of foreigners may involve lower direct labor costs, but indirect cost such as language training, health services, recruitment, and transportation and so on may be substantial. The selection process for an international assignment should provide a true picture of the life, work, and culture to which the employee may

be sent. Human resource managers should prepare a comprehensive description of the job to be done.

The description should note responsibilities that would be unusual in the home country. The responsibilities might include negotiating with public officials; interpreting local work codes; and responding to ethical, moral, and personal issues such as religious prohibitions and personal freedoms. The selection process should emphasize different employment factors, depending on the extent that one would have with the local culture and the degree to which the foreign environment differs from the home environment. If a candidate for expatriation is willing to live and work in a foreign environment, and indication of his or her tolerance of cultural differences should be obtained. The finding employees who can meet the demands of working in a foreign environment is one of the toughest jobs for many organizations.

Many companies have been hesitant to send women on overseas assignments. Executives assume that women do not want international assignments, but the reality is that the rate is equal to that of men. It is also important that companies are increasingly using transnational teams to conduct international business. These teams are especially useful for performing tasks that the firm as a whole is not yet structured to accomplish. They might be used to transcend the existing organizational structure to customize a strategy for different geographic regions, transfer technology from one part of the world to another, and communicate between headquarters and subsidiaries in different countries.

The fundamental task in forming a transnational team is assembling the right group of people who can work together effectively to accomplish the goals of the team. Many companies try to build variety

into their teams in order to maximize responsiveness to the special needs of different countries.