Please discuss several areas in which HR can affect organizational culture positively or negatively.

Expert Answer

Content

1. Introduction

2.Areas to focus:

1. Creating Awareness
2. Compensation Plans
3. Hiring Practices
4. Behaviour

3. Research Work

4. Conclusion

5. Refrences

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Introduction:

The HR department has been playing an important role from ages in helping to determine the organizational culture. It helps to develop and also implement various policies and numerous procedures required to be done in key areas of an organization such as hiring practices, compensation given to its employees, management practices with its employee force and employees conduct in the team & elsewhere and also their behavior. The decisions which are made by the HRs usually have significant impact both positive and negative implications have been found on the cultural quality & stability of the organization on a whole.

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Areas to focus

1. Creating Awareness:

Many a times it has been seen that the top ladder of the firm are not very clear on the mission or vision of the company and they do not usually want to practice existing or newer policies and procedures shared by HR as it might not be helping them to show the required numbers to show productivity. However certain key things are required to be done for the employees specialy policies which are famous amongst them. This will help employees to be more productive. However when top management is not inclined towards the same goals or doesn’t have a clear understanding, it is important that the HR plays an important role in creating awareness, obviously it can have both positive and negative impact on the top management who may or maynot be inclined to follow suit to the same rules as laid before them.

2. Compensation Plans

Creating of compensation plans are majorly done by the HR management after discussing from the top management and taking regular feedback from existing employees. Thus when an incentive plan or market correction or similar compensations are brought before the employees, based on their perception and expectation it can have both a positive or a negative impact. Lets say its not justified compared to peers in other organization or may be within the organization itself, there is lot of variations, then obviously it will have a major impact.

3. Hiring Practices

The recruitment process is designed by the HRs and they have a key role in hiring new people. Most commonly they look for qualifications and relevant experience in order to hire a person, however it may fit the organization but many a time when personality traits and behaviour are not adequately checked if it fits their organizational culture, it can have issues and the hiring of wrong people may overall backfire and impact the organizational culture heavily.

4. Behaviour

Organizational behaviour and how its members should conduct themselves should be well documented and presented before employees to follow. In case the code of conduct written is weak or just said once for the sake of it, it will hamper the organizational behaviour on a whole. thus the behaviour needs to be thought through keeping in mind that people from various places have come together to work for a common org.

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Research Work:

In order to analyse the HR best and worst practices we took a survey of few employees(approx 100) to check how they work for Infosys and which policies help them and which does not act as a motivator for them to continue.

Good Prcatices made by HR.

1. Policies are well laid out- leave management, Attendence mangement, Income tax related, Medical stuffs, other allowances, etc so the ease to get info is quick and it helps. this is because the intranet for Infosys is one of the world’s best.

2. Work from home policy is liberal enough to help employees maintain work life balance.

3. Lateral hired are generally satisfied with their compensation.

4. Women workforce enjoy the friendly and comfortable environment.

Practices which do not have a good response among employees

1. Compensation of existing employees not competitive enough.

2. Strict timings to follow.

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Conclusion

HR practices have a vital role in helping an organization to scale new heights or get lost with passage of time if their HR system is not thoughtful enough to bring up new policies, review & correct existing policies.

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Refrences

1. How to Write a Code of Ethics for Business

2. The 4 Hiring Practices of Highly Successful Organizations

3. Sibson Consulting: HR at the Table – Increasing HR’s Impact on the Business