Contexts Of Human Resources Assignment Sample

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INTRODUCTION - Contexts Of Human Resources

Human resource is a department w in businesses which are the bridge between the employees and management and help in making sure that the internal working is healthy. The government's policies have changed as a result of Covid-19, HR must ensure that an effective workforce is hired and that existing employees are properly trained. Training and development is also provided to the employees from this department and relationship to be maintained. 

Overview of the company- Sainsbury’s is a public limited company and belongs to the retailing industry. Founder of the company is John James Sainsbury and headquarters are in London, United Kingdom. Number of location which the business is having are 1,428 and the net income is £152 million. Sainsbury’s has had a lot of changes after Covid-19 which changed the management strategies and working of the business that would be discussed further.

The report would discuss the impact of external factors on business HR agenda’s and tools with which a business must be operating helping the business to be able to grow further. External circumstances in the market necessitate strategy modifications; this allows the business to retain its standards in the market for the long term.

Four different contemporary external factors impacting on the organisation’s business and the HR function

The external factor of the business is changing due to Covid-19 and Sainsbury’s must take care of this factor so that they get a better positioning for themselves with falling economy and multiple shut down of production units and supply chain breakouts. There are changes which need to be implemented instantly so that Sainsbury’s would be able to have the right profitability.

• Social and technological trends

Due to Covid-19 which is the major external factor that got in a lot of changes in the social and technological trends which is online shopping. Sainsbury's is a retailer, developing an online platform took time, as did ensuring that the site and apps met the needs of customers. Easier ways to access the website are required, and the use of technology will ensure that this process is carried out efficiently (Namugenyi, Nimmagadda and Reiners, 2019). Income level of the clients has also fallen due to the fall in the cash flow in market therefore they are shifting to reasonable products at low prices which Sainsbury’s is providing. It is important for the company to make sure that they are following the measures of trends in income level or spending on lifestyle current, according to the customers and the technological advancement that is taking place.

• Government policy

The government of the United Kingdom also imposed a lockdown in order to prevent the Covid-19 virus from spreading throughout the populace and putting people in risk. This harmed Sainsbury's and other significant merchants in the industry, as they were unable to reach out to customers as effectively. When the stores were shut down then the company focused on online shopping as this was the only way that the organization would be able to gain the right profitability in the market for the long run (Gallego?Alvarez, Rodríguez?Domínguez and Martín Vallejo, 2020). Sainsbury’s make the employees be trained for online promotions and working methods so that there would be better distribution of working that will be there and that improves the working and adaptation to changes.

• Communications

Covid-19 has implemented work from home, which has resulted in a lot of confusion among employees, which has a negative influence on customer satisfaction. Businesses in the market, particularly Sainsbury's, a reputable firm, must ensure that they have the appropriate communication in order to sell themselves (Psychogios and Prouska, 2019). This way the company would be able to gain competitive edge as well when the communication is strong as its makes the employees be aware of their roles and responsibilities.

• Globalization

Sainsbury’s would not be able to expand themselves in other countries as Covid-19 has stopped the trading and transportation (Tinti and et.al., 2017). The company is gradually expanding in developing countries in order to build a larger consumer base, which is beneficial to the company's overall operations. Sainsbury’s can globalise them on online platform if they follow the policies and regulations of the country so that they can gain a good competitive edge for future also.

Forces that are currently shaping the organisation’s HR agenda

Sainsbury's today has a number of forces at work, all of which are influencing the company's HR department. Sainsbury's has a superior solution for all of their operations, which will have an impact on the current procedure. The further report would discuss the HR functions to get in the changes accordingly due to Covid-19.

• HR functioning

Sainsbury's HR has taught the personnel in order to ensure that they are able to expand and have an online presence. By training the employees to match the standards, the company may equal the rivals' standards and working methods, as well as the value they have in the market. Motivating the employees is also the work of the human resource department in order to be able to have the right working (Faraci and Ferlito, 2019). Sainsbury's staff is being rewarded because they have the proper solution and plan for achieving a competitive advantage in the market. Achievement is required in order to achieve the desired level of success, which will benefit the economy as well.

• Motivation

One of HR's main responsibilities is to ensure that they have the correct personnel in place so that they can find the ideal job for them. When Sainsbury's employees are motivated, they are more likely to give their all in order to meet the needs of their customers and help the company obtain a competitive advantage.

• PESTLE factors

Policies by the government have changed according to Covid-19 and even the working of employees must not be more than 9 hours which has to be monitored by HR (Rhou and Singal, 2020). It is because of social alienation and a lack of training sessions, communication gaps and other challenges will grow, causing serious disruptions in the workplace that must be addressed. Even the economic component is not favourable in the market, therefore employees will be laid off or their salaries will be reduced in proportion to their investment in the company.

• Stakeholder expectations

The stakeholders want to make a profit or at least find the company in a situation where they do not make a profit but not even loss. For this to be maintained, the HR department must ensure that the appropriate actions are taken, such as terminating employees or forcing them to make compensation concessions for the company's benefit (Soleimanof, Rutherford and Webb, 2018). Right comprehension of the personnel and engagement with them in order to ensure that good job is done. HR can obtain economic stability in order to find greater working and functioning opportunities and good transparency is being provided as well to the stakeholders.

• National trends

Unemployment is a national trend in the country, and having the correct income level of the population will have a huge impact on product price. At this stage in the country, it is critical for Sainsbury's to maintain a strong price strategy in order to attract the proper customers (Ballesteros and Gatignon, 2019). HR will assist in ensuring that the company has the correct staff and that the demands of the clients are met. HR will drive them through physical and mental rewards, ensuring that they have the proper foundation in place.

Different tools HR might use for analysing the organisation’s business environment

HR will have to use tools to be able to understand the business environment so that they would be able to have the right working and performance. The human resource department must plan to eliminate the greater performance and balance of the competition that is already existent. Employees must be looked after in order to achieve increased productivity and operations, as well as to ensure that the right standards are met in the Sainsbury's market. Sainsbury's has set a standard for them in the market that must be upheld in order to find the ideal working conditions that are beneficial to the whole operation.

• PESTLE

This framework not just helps management to be able to make decisions but the HR department to be able to find the right positioning for them. It is critical for HR to assess the market in order to identify the proper job, for example, social factors, which are changing market trends as a result of Covid-19. Changes in productivity and methods used by the organisation occur, and personnel must adapt to these changes in order to carry out the best operations in the long run. When the HR team knows the personnel in relation to the business environment, the impact will be much greater. The disadvantage of this element is that the planning can alter at any time because the business's external factors are not stable (Yong and et.al., 2020). In Sainsbury's, technology such as artificial intelligence and others evolves throughout time, and this aspect must be considered in order to achieve the best results. Human resource departments invest a significant amount of money in the firm because they must train, manage, and inspire personnel, as well as hold events for them in order to get the most out of them.

• Porter’s Five Forces

Porter’s five forces are going to make sure that the competitors, rivalry, substitute, customers and suppliers are under the control of management and HR. The performance of the workforce must be tracked in order for them to have better operations and working conditions, which will make the tools more practical. Techniques solutions must be discovered for concerns such as alternatives or suppliers that will inevitably arise (Allen and et.al., 2020). In order to find the correct working and processing that the organisation requires, good communication and relationships must be maintained. Porter's five forces have a negative influence in that reviewing takes time and that it will be time consuming to ensure that they are doing the appropriate measures. Planning will ensure that HR talent management is in place and that the company's goals and objectives are met to the best of its ability.

Key stages of strategy formulation and implementation in the organisation, and how HR are involved in, or support this process

Sainsbury's HR department must plan properly for the stages of implementation and formulation in order to find higher operations. HR must acquire employee support, thus it is critical for them to have a good plan in place and ensure that they can achieve increased profitability. In strategic formulation, there are primarily four stages, which will be described in more detail in the report.

• Strategic objectives and analysis

Sainsbury's must ensure that they have the appropriate life objectives and ambitions, as this will have a significant impact on their overall performance. The firm and its departments begin to work and plan in accordance with the objectives and goals in order to improve productivity. These targets must be attainable, and they must be set in the correct context in order to achieve increased profitability (Tinti and et.al., 2017). Analysed objectives which are achievable has to be decided by Sainsbury’s in order to make plans for the future. This is going to help in right promotions and awareness which the company would be able to have and accordingly the workforce can be motivated as well.

• Strategic formulation

When it comes to achieving goals and ensuring that they are met, strategy formulation is necessary. HR is the backbone of all internal actions that take place in order to ensure that the staffs meet the company's long-term goals. The working purpose must be clear, and the correct data must be obtained in order for the formulation to be effective. Effective communication is also required for formulation, which Sainsbury's must have. It leads to better coordination and assist in making the culture at the workplace more coordinated and positive for better run of all the operational activities. 

• Strategic implementation

Following the establishment of defined objectives, roles and responsibilities are assigned through efficient communication. The HR department can sustain this communication if they have the correct relationships in place so that they can have the right working environment, which is critical. Leadership must be present in the organisation in order to implement the strategic formulation, which necessitates the HR department bringing in a powerful individual to oversee and govern the current operations (Ahammad, 2017).

• Strategic evaluation and control

Finally, it's critical to assess whether the techniques are working and, if so, whether they're achieving their goals. It is simple for management to develop and implement strategies, but they must also ensure that the workforce is implementing them properly, which is a fantastic way. If such techniques aren't working, management will have to adjust them as well, which will aid in the maintenance of employee connections. Sainsbury’s is having the right controlling factor as the HR is very involved in the processing and working of the organization so that they would be able to have the right working and operations to take place for the best. HR plays as a medium between the management and workforce to evaluate and control the strategies in action so that Sainsbury’s would be able to benefit in the market.

HR contributes to business ethics and accountability in the organisation

Human resource work is a vital component in a company's ability to expand its operations and receive better responses. Sainsbury's HR department is working hard to improve the company's ethical culture. Employee output does not grow as a result of the ineffectiveness of ethical culture at work. Sainsbury's, for example, must ensure that its employees' ethics and cultural values are not jeopardised. There are distinct expectations of the working environment's employees, which must be met. Receiving the best of working has to be there so that they would have the right working and processing that is going to be there for the best. It is critical for the business to ensure that HR is striving to establish ethical considerations in the workplace (Willcocks, Lacity and Craig, 2017). With a better culture and structure, ethics can serve to improve overall working conditions, boost workplace motivation, and provide support to employees. The ethics include workplace laws, which Sainsbury's Human Resource department is working to improve. Employees benefit from the regulations since they help to create a better working environment for them, as well as a safe working environment in which they feel at ease.

Professional development is also a priority for Sainsbury's HR department. The corporation must provide a working environment that is focused on increasing organisational performance. They can achieve greater results by developing the proper amount of work and producing a superior development approach. When a company's ethics are strong, its employees work harder and contribute to the company's success by taking responsibility for their actions. HR contributes to ethics and accountability by improving employee training and development through a more effective development process. Example, Sainsbury’s and other large organizations make sure that they are having the professional development in order to be able to find the right working and management to be better as well. Working on the hiring process as the HR can assume the candidates by questions and interview about their ethics and behaviour (Paviotti and et.al., 2021). This provides them a strong data about the person and then can take the right step in the recruitment. Recruitment must be conducted anew in order for them to continue working in the same capacity as previously. The recruitment process can help HR comprehend the situation and can also help them make the best selection possible. HR is working on Sainsbury's complexity in order to improve results and establish an ethical environment. Discrimination must be eliminated, and employees must be promoted based on their performance. Sainsbury's HR uses it to assist create a better working environment at the company and to improve employee confidence.

Working on the development of workplace ethics, HR improves their working methods, increases employee privacy, and resolves concerns on a private level to maintain workplace decorum. It is critical for them to manage the security of employee and organisation privacy. Providing each employee with the appropriate amount of opportunities for rewards and opportunities to advance within the company can aid in the development of greater business ethics. HR contributes to accountability by increasing training and ensuring that the workplace meets all standards and upholds Sainsbury's reputation. The process of regularly overseeing, reviewing and monitoring the firm's complete contribution to the workplace culture and structure is to develop and grow (Cooke, 2018). Creating equitable working conditions also helps human resources contribute to ethical behaviour for better coordination. Ethics are crucial, and in order to boost their market performance, the company is developing work on ethics by HR. The ethics give the organisation a competitive advantage in the market, which they may exploit by building a better team and increasing performance

Organisation’s performance is evaluated and how HR supports the business to maintain its required performance, through ongoing business planning and change management

Organizations must ensure that they are assessing the way their firm operates in order to achieve higher levels of performance. All of the changes that are taking place, as well as the methods that are being adjusted, require planning. Sainsbury's must ensure that they are taking the appropriate steps in order to get the best possible results in the market. The next study will go over the examination of Sainsbury's company performance in the market.

• Financial success

Sainsbury's data gathering must be present in order to be able to find the correct working and presence of the company. Businesses must ensure that they have the appropriate goal planning in place in order to identify the appropriate processing in the future. There is a lot of investment which Sainsbury’s is having for themselves so that they would be able to have the right promotions and working which is good for the overall growth that they would have had. Changes are made but those require investment as well and due to Covid-19 Sainsbury’s and other large organizations like Tesco and Marks & Spencer is also not doing that entire great in the market (Ahammad, 2017).

• Balanced scorecard

Employees should also test themselves to ensure that no discriminatory actions or promotions are taking place. Employees benefit from a balanced scorecard since it creates a positive working environment for them (Dirani, Nafukho and Irby, 2018). Businesses must ensure that their employees are working in the best possible environment, which may be provided by It when they resolve difficulties and disagreements among employees.

• Achievement of objectives

Every firm has a set of goals that must be met in order to succeed in the market. For this reason, the HR department works hard to ensure that employees follow the implementation procedures in order to obtain the best position for them among the present competition. To be able to find strong profitability and sales in the market, objectives must be achieved, resulting in a better and improved brand value and image.

• Efficiency

Employees need to understand the changes which are required in the organization and make decisions accordingly so that they can help the business be able to achieve their goals (Caligiuri and et.al., 2020). There is a certain level of expectation that a company has of its employees that must be met. By training and motivating them, the human resource department would ensure that they are being worked on. Changes must be trained in order for them to be implemented effectively. Employees hired by Sainsbury's HR department contribute to efficiency, which is necessary for the company to continue to expand and thrive.

Three different sources of business data and explain how HR might use these to support planning activities

HR activities are planned on the business data as the objectives are established from them and to be able to find the right operations it is very important for them to have the right base. HR department needs to be aware of all the activities and actions which are taking place so that they would be able to have the right operations for the long run. There are internal and external business data, qualitative and quantitative or secondary and primary data which can be gathered by the department in order to be able to plan their activities.

• Internal data

Businesses need to have a good HR department so that they would be able to make them be able to have the right internal data collection which helps in planning. Strategies and trends keep changing in the market therefore the internal working has to be changed as well for that the business will have to get in better workforce and do recruit according to the situation as well. HR will motivate the employees accordingly as well when they have the right understanding and working which is going to be there for the better functioning (Rhou and Singal, 2020). Number of employees, demand of products, wages, etc. is all internal data which Sainsbury’s HR department takes care of and they must do it with experience which helps the business be able to grow further in future. 

• Secondary data

Collecting secondary data would be done from another third party which is journalists, media, newspaper, etc. This can make the HR of Sainsbury’s have the right idea of the company and make sure that they are taking in the right actions for the overall working that is going to be there. HR will plan according to this data which they would be collecting as the competitors are high and Sainsbury’s will have match that in order to find the higher base for themselves. Productivity and operations of the company depends on the data which is present so that they would be able to make the right improvement for the future as well. Government information which would be appropriate for the business to have could also be received from here and that would help in a lot of ways possible.

• Quantitative data

Numerical data collection is quantitative which is very exact for the data to be collected and this can be very helpful for the business to be able to make the right decisions (Lämsä and Keränen, 2019). This gives an exact look of the organization through which Sainsbury’s would be able to make sure that they are having the right productivity in them. Customer base and pricing factor can be understood and making sure that the company is being able to match that is very essential. It did help in knowing the exact figures and results of the market trends and overall rankings to attribute the business practices effectively. 

CONCLUSION

From the above report it can be analysed that human resource does play a very important role within an organization so that the internal working would be done effectively. There are a lot of responsibilities and planning which this department has to do in order to be able to find the right working and positioning for themselves in the market. Trends in the market are changing therefore that businesses are changing their strategies as well and they have to be implemented effectively in an organization so that they do not have any loss. HR helps the business be able to match up the standards and gain competitive edge as well when they motivate the employees and help the environment of the business be healthier for the workforce. Evaluation and measurements have to be taken by HR as well in order to make the goals of an organization be achieved and change their strategies and planning from time to time. Businesses in the market have to change according to the demand of the workforce which is present so that they feel satisfied and the productivity and operations remain high.