Page 20 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Managing Human Element at Work

Notes and the human resource helping the company to achieve it or work towards it are at all
levels benefited and at the same time not deviated from their main objective.
1.7.1 Personnel Management Policies

A policy is a statement or general guidelines for employees to make decisions in respect
to any course of action. Personnel policies provide guidelines for a variety of employment
relationships and identify the organization’s intentions in recruitment, selection, development,
promotion, compensation, motivation etc. According to Armstrong, “personnel policies are
continuing guidelines on the approach the organization intends to adopt in managing its
people. They define the philosophies and values of the organization on how people should
be treated and from these are derived principles upon which managers are expected to act
when dealing with personnel matters”.
The objectives of HR or personnel policies are described by Peter Drucker in the following
words, “The management must gear its policies and objectives in such a fashion that the
employees perform their work and do their assigned tasks it implies also a consideration
of human resources as having, unlike any other resources, personality, citizenship, control.”
Over where they work, how much and how well and it is the management, and
management alone, that can satisfy these requirements.

HR or personnel policies are required in the following areas:
• Acquisition of personnel
• Training and development

• Appraisal and compensation of human resources
• Human resource mobility
• Working conditions and work schedules, and
• Industrial relations.
The HR policies allow an organization to be clear with employees on:

• The nature of the organization
• What they should expect from the organization
• What the organization expects of them
• How policies and procedures work

• What is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour
• The consequences of unacceptable behaviour.
1.7.2 Purpose

The establishment of policies can help an organization demonstrate, both internally and
externally, that it meets requirements for diversity, ethics and training as well as its
commitments in relation to regulation and corporate governance. For example, in order to
dismiss an employee in accordance with employment law requirements, amongst other
considerations, it will normally be necessary to meet provisions within employment contracts
and collective bargaining agreements. The establishment of an HR Policy which sets out
obligations, standards of behaviour and document disciplinary procedures, is now the
standard approach to meeting these obligations.
The HR policies can also be very effective at supporting and building the desired
organizational culture. For example, recruitment and retention policies might outline the
way the organization values a flexible workforce, compensation policies might support this

14 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY