MAPS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

MAPS - Essay Example The organisation secured a substantial new contract that can create 850 new jobs in the next two years but has to live up to the avowed standard of customer service. The company specializing in management services to businesses and the general public has a turnover of 40 million and employs a staff of 1400 (fifteen years ago the company employed 3500 people) in 4 divisions in different locations in the North East of England. The special techniques and management systems the company developed made it an attractive 'outsourcing' destination for business services from a broad customer base including engineering and construction industries. Increasing operational costs and the advent of information technology altered the business scenario and dwindled contracts. In order to ward off staff lay offs, the company opened its services to the general public. The services include the contract purchase of telecommunications time, gas, electricity and oil sold at a premium. However the business remained unprofitable and the company had to continually discharge staff in spite of many re-structuring activities. 2.1 MAPS' human resource management: Human resource development according to Armstrong (2003 523) is "concerned with the provision of learning, development and training opportunities in order to improve individual, team and organisational performance." One of the axioms of huma... Training employees to develop necessary skills Evaluating, motivating and rewarding performance Resolving or avoiding conflict situations Creating an atmosphere of security (psychological contract) and equitable opportunities A properly implemented human resource management system ensures attracting and retaining the right talent, motivating the workforce, developing workforce skills and resolving or avoiding conflict situations to achieve organisational goals cost effectively. Marchington et al. describe the best HRM practices as: Employment security and internal promotion Selective hiring and sophisticated selection Extensive training, learning and development Employee involvement and voice Self-managed teams/teamworking High compensation contingent or organisational performance Reduction of status differentials/harmonisation (2003 179) 2.2 Selection and recruitment: The absence of an HRM department at MAPS is stark. The company has no rational organisational structure. It has four divisions: operations, supporting services, (which lumps together finance and accounts, estates management like maintenance, security, porters and catering, internal information technology and personnel services), information technology services and marketing and sales. These divisions are located in different parts of the country making intra-divisional co-ordination very difficult. Each division has devised its own system for recruiting, negotiating pay structures and staffing. The largest and most important of the divisions viz., 'operations' employing a staff of 950 has the most ad hoc recruitment policies. Operational managers recruit staff either from within the organisation or without, based on the exigencies of work. The