A) What are HRM programs aimed at?

b) What is the key reason for the ever-increasing role of employment decisions?

c) What is special about foreign competitors?

d) How can companies with rather high labour costs compete?

e) Why do human resource managers have to give special attention to laws involved in making employment decisions?

f) What kind of employees is required by the use of new technology in business operations?

g) How is HRM connected with the introduction of new technology into business operations?

Discussion

Work in small groups. Say which of the following suggestions would be appropriate activities or inappropriate activities for a human resource manager.

If I were a human resource manager...

a. ... I would be responsible for lowering labour costs.

b. ... I would have to make laws affecting employment decisions.

c. ... I would make every effort to meet the needs of the organization for an effective work force.

d. ... I would fire unqualified employees.

e. ... I would try to find skilled employees in the general work force.

f. ... I would be in charge of developing skills in current employees.

Reading

1. Skim through text 2 and think of the suitable title.

TEXT 2

A basic activity of HR managers is collecting information to use in making job-related decisions about individuals. Most HR programs use some combination of three types of information: job characteristics, worker qualifications, and job performance.

Job analysis is the systematic process of gathering information about important work-related aspects of a job. It identifies the first of two types of information, which includes the tasks that make up the job; the worker knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed on the job; the information, equipment, and materials used; and the working conditions.

Table 1 provides some example task statements and KSAs that are appropriate for the position of regional sales manager.

Performance appraisal, discussed in a later section, is the process of collecting the third type of information, job performance of individual employees.

Table 1

A partial list of tasks and KSAs for the position of regional sales manager

2. Comprehension check.

Working in pairs, answer the questions.

a) What information must be collected to have full characteristics of job?

b) What does the abbreviation KSAs mean?

c) What must a good sales manager be proficient in?

d) What must a regional sales manager do to work out a sales forecast for each product item?

e) What does a regional sales manager need a sales forecast for?

f) In what way does a regional sales manager select applicants for sales positions?

Writing

You are going to be interviewed for the position of HR manager. To be well prepared, you need to make a table showing duties and KSAs that are required for this job.

UNIT 2

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1018