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Ideal Human Resources Department Essay

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Ideal HR Department 1. Introduction The role of the human resources (HR) department can play a significant role in the success and achievements of an organization. The department, which has evolved from the personnel department where the main tasks were the functional management of hiring and firing, to one which can have a significant impact on the organization as a whole, including culture, strategy development and motivation. In the modern environment the HR department may be able to make the firm a "great place to work". Many firms that are acknowledged for their good employee cultures, such as Google and Gore &Associates, place a high level of reliance in the development and maintenance of the employment relationships, …show more content…

The work by Mayo in the Hawthorne studies demonstrated that the employment relationship was important, and that were employees felt the employer cared and they felt important they were likely to work harder (Gillespie, 1993). Employees regularly state that the best employers are those that provide a workplace which is stimulating and enjoyable, where there is trust and they feel they are treated equitably (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2011). While some of these elements may be assessed by looking at issues such as compensation and working condition, they are all likely to reflect the organizational culture and the attitude towards looking after employees. Therefore, before looking at specific strategies and approaches to different aspects of HR, the concept of culture, which will impact on all areas of operations needs to be considered. Hofstede (2003) defined culture as "the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another". Corporate culture refers to the intangible aspects of companies, including the interactions at an interpersonal level, and values, morals and ethics which permeate the way that decisions are made and polices are implemented (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2011). Just as when one undertakes international travel, and sees different cultures where there are different attitudes and traditions, one can also observe different

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