Social Welfare Administration Concepts of social welfare and public administration Social Welfare
It is a dynamic process that circles around social problems and ways in which society responds to these problems. Social problems affect individuals and the society at large.
Social problems come from from unfulfilled individual needs. Individuals have a variety variety of needs, some more basic like food, clothes and shelter, some more sophisticated like dignity and status, some are intangible like love and affection. These needs are usually met by the individuals individuals themselves or their family or the society society in which they live. But when these needs are unfulfilled they lead to social problems. Some of the social problems present in our society are poverty, inadequate housing, unemployment, loneliness and crime. The whole body of remedial and ameliorative services for the weaker sections of our society are covered by social welfare. These include curative and preventive services. Social welfare contributes to change and adjustment of social institutions to the creation of the required infrastructure of community services and
can enable people to accept and provide social change for overall development. Social welfare can be defined as: “the organized system of social welfare i nstitutions designed to aid disadvantaged individuals and g roups to attain satisfying
standards of life and health. It aims at personal an social relationship which permits individuals to develop their full capacities capaciti es and the promotion of their wellbeing in harmony with the needs of the community” (Titmus, 1968) Administration
The word ‘administer’ is derived from the Latin word adminstere, which means to care for or to look after people, to manage affairs. Administration may be defined as “group activi ty which involves cooperation and coordination for the purpose of achieving desired goals or objectives”.
Broadly speaking, the term administration appears to bear at least four different meanings or different senses depending upon the context in which it is used:
as a Discipline: the name of a branch of learning or intellectual discipline as taught and studied in colleges and universities. as a Vocation: type of work/trade or profession/occupation, especially one that involves knowledge and training in a branch of advance
learning. as a Process: the sum total of activities undertaken to implement Public Policy or policies to produce some services or goods .’
Manmohansingh as a Synonym for word ‘executive or Government’: such other body of persons in supreme charge of affa irs, for example, Manmohansingh
administration, administration, Bush administration. administration.
Felix A. Nigro defined administration as: “Administrati on is the organisation and use of men and materials ot accomplish a purpose”.
L.D. White: “the art of administration is the directi on, co-ordination, and control of many persons to achieve some purpose or objective”. In brief, Administration comprises two essentials: (1) Cooperative effort, (2) pursuit of common objectives.
Social Welfare Administration
Social Welfare Administration Administration is a process through which social policy is transformed transformed into social services. It involves the administration of government and non-governmental agencies.
John C. Kidneigh (1950): “SWA is the process of transforming social policy into social services. This is a two way processes; (i) transforming policy into
concrete social services and (ii) the use of experience in recommending modification of policy.
Arthur Dunham (1962): “SWA is the process of supporting or facilitating activities which are necessary and incidental to services by a social agency.
Administrative activities range from the determination of function and policies, and executive leadership to routine operations such as keeping
records and accounts and carrying on maintenance of services. Herleigh Tracker (1971): “SWA is a process of working with people in ways that release and relate their energies so that they use available resources to accomplish the purpose of providing needed community services and programmes.”
The American Council of Social Work Education: “SWA is the process of transforming community resources into a programme of community services, in accordance with goals, policies and standards which has been agreed by those involved in the enterprise. It is creative in that it structures roles and relationships in such a way as to alter and enhance the total product. It involves the problem solving process of study, diagnosis and treatment”. According to Rosemary Sorri (1971) social welfare administration is concerned primarily with the following: Translation of social mandates into operational policies and goals to guide organizational behavior.
Design of organization structures and processes through which the goals can be achieved. Securing of resources in the form of materials, staff, clients and societal legitimization necessary for goal attainment and organizational survival.
Selection and engineering of the necessary technology Optimizing organizational behavior directed towards increased effectiveness and efficiency; and
Evaluation of organizational performance to facilitate systematic and continuous solution of problems.
Principles of Social Welfare Administrati Administration on
The objectives and functions of a social welfare agency should be clearly defined Its programe should be based up on actual needs, it should be limited in scope and territory to a field in which it can operate effectively. The agency should be soundly organized; it should have a clear cut distinction between policy making and execution. The agency should operate on the basis of sound personnel policies and good working conditions The work of the agency should be characterized by a basic desire to serve human beings; an understanding of the individuals whom it seeks to serve and of their needs, and spirit of freedom, unity and democracy All those who are connected with the agency in any capacity should develop attitudes and methods of work which will build sound public relations. The agency should operate on the basis of an annual budget. It should maintain its records in an accurate and comprehensive but simple manner to be easily accessible when needed. Its clerical and maintenance services and facilities should also be adequate in quantity and quality and efficient i n operation. The agency should put itself to the test of a self-appraisal at appropriate intervals to take stock of its successes and failures in the past year, its present status and programs, its performance, its strength, weakness, problems, and its future plans.
Public Administration
Public administration that part of the science of administration, which has to do with the government.
J.M. Pfiffner: “Public administration consists of getting the work of government done by coordinating the efforts of people s o that they can work
together to accomplish their set tasks”.
M. Ruthanaswami: “when administration has to do with the affairs of a state or minor political institutions like the municipa l or country council, it is
called public administration. All the acts of the officials of a government, from the peon in remote office to the head of a state in the capital, constitute public administration”.
F.A. Nigro and L.G.Nigro: “Public administration:
is co-operative group effort in a public setting; covers all three branches- executive, legislative, and judicial and their inter-relationships; has an important role in the formulation of public policy and is thus a part of the political process; is different in significant ways from private administration; and is closely associated with numerous private groups and individuals in providing services to the community”.
In sum..
Public Administration:
is the non-political public bureaucracy operating in a political system; deals with the ends of the state, the sovereign will, the public interests and laws; is the business side of government ans as such concerned with policy execution, but it is also concerned with policy-making; covers all three branches of government, although it tends to be concentrated in the executive branch; provides regulatory and service functions to the people in order to attain good life; differs significantly from private administration, especially in its emphasis on the public; and is interdisciplinary in nature as it draws upon other social sciences like political science, economics and sociology.
Public and Private Administration:
According to Simon: Public administration is bureaucratic where as private administration is business like:
Public administration political where as private administration is non-political. And Public administration is characterised by re-tape where as private administration is free from it.
According to sir Josiah Stamp, the four principles which differentiate public from private administration, are: Principle of uniformity: common and uniform laws and regulations mostly regulate public administration.
Principle of external financial control: the representatives of the people through a legislative body control government revenues and heads of expenditure.
Principle of ministerial responsibility: public administration is accountable to its political masters and through them to the people. Principle of marginal return: the main objective of a business venture is profit, however small it may be. However, most of the objectives of public administration can neither be measured in money terms nor checked by accountancy methods.
The more distinguishing features of public administration are:
Political direction: public administration is political, while private administration is non-political. Absence of profit motive: the primary purpose of governmental organisation is to provide services to the people and promote social good. Prestige: public administrators who serve in the government enjoy high status and prestige, especially in developing countries. Public gaze: the public closely watches all the actions of public administration.
Service and cost: most governments spend more money than their income or revenues. That is the reason for findng generally a deficit budget, that is, expenditure exceeding income.
Legal frame work: public administration is rule oriented. Their responsibilities are fixed by a set of constitutional practices, laws and regulations. Consistency of treatment: the officials are required by law to be consistent in dealing with clients. It is a legal obligation not to discriminate against
any person. Public accountability: public administration is accountable to the public, through political executive, legislature, judiciary, etc. Large-scale administration: it is said that any thing under the sky is directly or indirectly under the domain of public administration. Monopolistic and essential services: No person or bodies of persons are allowed to establish or perform functions related to public services like national security, foreign relations, law and order, mint and currency, etc. which are important for community to prosper. Officials remain anonymous: the identity of the officials are kept anonymous, as what ever they do, they do in the name of government and not in their own name.
Financial meticulousness: Because it is working as a custodian of people’s money, they have to be very careful in financial m atters.
Lower level of efficiency: with profit as the major motive, coupled with excessive control and flexibility in personnel administration the level of efficiency in private organisation is much higher.
Similarities between public and private administration:
Both public and business administration rely on common skills, techniques and procedures. In modern times the principle of profit motive is not peculiar to private administration, because it is now accepted as a laudable objective for public sector enterprises also. In personel management, the private organisations have been influenced greately by the practices of public organisations. The private concerns are also subjected to may legal constraints. Government is exercising much control over business firms. There is a similar type of hierarchy and management systems, both in public and private sectors. Both public and private administration carries on continuous efforts to improve their internal working and also for efficient delivery of services to people or customers. Both serve people and have to keep in touch with people to deliver services and get feed back. Public relations help them to inform and improve their services to the people.
Origin and importance of SWA in Indian Context SWA in Pre-independence India..
Mutual aid has been part of every community. Indian traditional view of social welfare is based on the concepts of daya, dana, dadshina, bhiksha, samya-bhava, swadharma and tyaga, the essence of which are self-discipline, self-sacrifice and consideration for others. Well-being of all depends on these values upheld by people individually and through commuity action
All the religions urges upon their devotees to put aside a potion of their income to be utilized for charitable purposes, which will provide them
happiness in this world and salvation in the next world. The kings and the royal families of earlier days extended help to the affected population during emergencies like floods, earthquakes, fires, droughts
and other natural calamities. From the administrative angle, in India, the reigns of king Ashoka, Harsha, Chandra Gupta Maurya, Akbar, Sher Shah Suri and Feroze Tuglak, were the
landmarks of administration who took care of the social needs of the people. The British government also established an administrative set-up intended mainly for maintaining law and order. Some social reform measures were taken up by banning sati and permitting widow remarriage by acts passed in 1829 and 1856 respectively.
SWA in post-independence India..
After independence, the old administrative pattern was more or less continued with necessary changes to suit the social, poli tical and economic setup that had evolved. In the field of social welfare, during the First Five Year Plan, government of India realized that the government alone can not manage the enormous range of social problems across the length and breadth of our country and sought the help of voluntary organizations to help them in the process.
So created a unique administrative machinery consisting of an autonomous board named CSWB (Central Social Welfare Board) in August 1953. Similarly, social welfare advisory boards were established at state level.
The main purpose of the Board has been to provide financial and technical assistance to voluntary organizations working in the field of social welfare. Before 1964, social welfare programes were being managed by different ministries such as education, home industries, health, and labor.
The Renuka Ray Committee in its report submitted in 1960, recommended the establishment of the Department of Social Security. Under the Prime Ministership of Lal Bahadu Shashtri, a social security department was established and located in the ministry of law on th 14 June 1964. In 1966, it was renamed as Social Welfare Department. Its status was raised ot a ministry in the year 1979. Its name was further changed to the Ministry of Social and Women Welfare in 1984.
It was again renamed as the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 1985. Subordinate organizations..
National Commission for Scheduled Castes/ Tribes, Minorities commission, National Institute of Social Defense, National Institute for the Visually Handicapped, National Institute of Rehabilitation Department of Women and Child Development, National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development, National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science CAPART. NABARD. etc.
Elements of administration (POSDCORB) Functions of Social Welfare Administration (POSDCORB-EF)
Luther Gullick has given a magic formula (POSDCORB) to express the functions of social welfare administration. It means Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting and Budgeting.
It was felt that an important component namely Evaluation and Feedback were left out and so they were added and it became POSDCORBEF.
Planning
According to Terry and Franklin: ‘Planning is selecting information and making assumptions regarding the future to formulate activities necessary to
achieve organizational objectives.
Urwick (1943) defines it as follows: ‘Planning is fundamentally an intel lectual process, a mental predisposition to do things in an orderly way, to think before action, and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses’.
Major steps in planning: Define the problem
Collect all relevant data and information about the activities involved. Analyze the information. Establish planning criteria and standards Preparation of different action plans for achieving the goal. Decide on one plan from the different alternative plans Arrange detailed sequence and timing for the plan Provide channels for feedback Implement the plan Evaluate the plan performance
Organizing
Organizing means establishing effective behavioral relationship among persons, so that they may work together efficiently and gain personal
satisfaction in doing selected tasks under given environmental condition for the purpose of achieving some goal or objective. The need for an organization emerges when one individual cannot perform all the necessary tasks. As number of individuals increase, they are further divided into groups, each of which are given a specific set of tasks to perform. How and o what basis these tasks are divided among individual s and group is the role of ‘organizing’ in management.
Factors to be taken into account while organizing (Trecker): The administrative worker in the social agency must organize his work not solely as an individual but always in relation to may other people. He must organize his work with a comprehension of the whole job to be done. He must organize his work in relation to clear set of goals and purposes which are inherent in the nature of the agency, which he represents.
He must organize his job with a special regard for priorities and arrangement of tasks in terms of significance and importance.
He must organize his job so as to take into account his own and the needs fo others to divide large assignments into manageable units, so that a sense of productivity is forthcoming without excessive delay.
He must organize his job so as to consider his own readiness to do a certain thing and the readiness of others to respond. He must organize his job so that there is a systematic arrangement of tasks in relation to the capacities and capabilities of his associates
He must organize small units for smooth functioning.
Staffing
Administration of staff in a welfare agency is very challenging. One needs to plan well before recruiting staff for various functions. A social work professional must be competent enough to do this very important task with efficiency. It is an important administrative function as the abilities and sincerity of staff determine the qualities of service provided by the social welfare agency. Even poorly devised machinery may be made to work, if it is manned with well trained, intelligent, imaginative ad devoted staff. O the other hand, the best planned organization may produce unsatisfactory results, if it is operated by mediocre or disgruntled people. Staffing includes recruitment, selection, service conditions, promotion, leave, working conditions, welfare, legal issues, etc. staffing also includes training, orientation, supervision, grievance procedure, retirement rules etc.
Directing
Directing is the managerial function of guiding, supervising and leading people. According to Chandan: ‘it is concerned with directing the human efforts towards organizational goal achievement’. Direction implies the issuing of necessary guidelines and instructions for the implementation f the programmes of an organization, and the removal of any difficulties which may arise in their execution. The directions relating to the procedure are to ensure efficient and smoother working of the organization for the achievement of its appointed purpose. The purposes of direction are: To see whether the work is carried out in accordance with the instructions and rules.
To assist staff in keeping record of the work being done. To harmonize team work between employees
To maintain and develop standards of performance To produce orderliness in performance.
To get acquainted with the weaknesses of the programme and to correct them.
Coordinating
Every organization is characterized by division of work and specialization. Its employees are assigned their respective duties and they are not supposed to interfere in the work of their colleagues. Thus, in every organization an effort is made to avoid overlapping and duplication of functions and to achieve maximum team work among the various personnel of their organization in order to achieve its objectives. This arrangement of ensuring cooperation and team work among the employees is termed as coordination.
According to Charlesworth (1951): “Coordination is the integration of several parts into an orderly whole to achieve the purpose of the undertaking”.
Newman describes coordination as “the orderly synchronization of efforts to provide the proper amount, timing and direction o f execution, resulting
in harmonious and united actins to a stated objective. Reporting
An official presentation of facts is called report. It is a summary of activity covering a specific period of time. Reports are made periodically. They are
the tools or devices for use in carrying on the work of the agency. On the basis of records maintained by the agency, it is easy to discover the extent to which, it has accomplished the objectives.
They enable to summarize the results of work together and help the board to formulate new objectives. Agency planning can be sound only when it is based upon an adequate report. Need for effective reporting:
Reporting keeps the management informed about the organization’s performance.
Reporting allows the management to take corrective actions, when things go wrong. Reporting inculcates a sense of responsibility among employees, as they have to report the programme activities t the higher authorities.
Reporting is also essential for preparing projects for future funding.
Budgeting
The word ‘budget’ originally meant a bag, pouch or pocket attached to a person. But in modern sense, a budget is a compl ete statement regarding
the organization's income and expenditure of the past financial year, and provides and estimate of the same for the coming financial year.
The budget is passed by Board of Managers or governing council. A budget contains the expenditure, income and outcome planned for a specific period of time. Need for budgeting: Finance is the fuel on which the organization runs. One of the most effective ways of directing and controlling the organization is by controlling the financial part of the organization.
Budgeting helps to control the excessive expenditure Budgeting helps in preventing administrative and financial malpractices. Budgeting improves the coordination in the organization. Budgeting helps in measuring the performance of the organization. Budget allocation to various activities of the organization reveal the priorities of the organization.
Evaluation and Feedback
Evaluation is an exercise which will show whether the progames and projects are going in the desired direction. Periodical evaluation will help in identifying hurdles and areas that require special attention. It is always helpful in successfully completing any project well within the time frame. Evaluation can be done at different time periods- weekly, monthly, half yearly and annually. Evaluation can be done by different teams: Intra-agency evaluation, funding agencies and outside evaluation teams.
Periodical feedback is an essential aspect of any programme and project. Feedback helps the organization to re-examine the success and failures and
take appropriate action to rectify the wrong, if any. Feedback will only help in strengthening the project/ organization. It will also enable in re-appropriation of funds for better results. Feedback will ultimately ensure the sustainability of any project/ agency. Organizational Behavior Definition
The study of employees’ behaviour in an organization and tis effects on the performance of the organization.
A field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organization’s effectiveness.
Changing paradigms:
in the advent of globalization, numerous changes have occurred in the work culture and the organizational climate. Employees are from different socio-cultural back ground and with diverse personality types, values and priorities. Social work paradigm ahs also changed from welfare to empowerment orientation. Perspective and process of service delivery have also changed remarkable. Service providers are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and other factors. Likewise, certain categories of workforce diversity, say religious and caste minorities, SC/ST/OBC, disabled persons, displaced persons, gender issues, age factors, temporary/ casual contracts and so on influence social work profession than any other.
Challenges and opportunities for OB
Responding to globalization Increased foreign assignments Working with people from different cultures Managing work force diversity Responding to the coming labour shortage Improving customer service Improving people skills Empowering people
Stimulating innovation and change Helping employees balance work / life conflicts
Improving ethical behaviour
OB includes the core topics like:
power, authority, motivation, leadership behaviour, interpersonal communication, group structure and processes, learning, attitude development and perception, change process, conflict, work design, work stress, etc.
Authority and Power
Authority is defined as the decision making right- when a right to take a decision wih regard to a particular matte is vested n a particular position, that position is said to possess the said authority.
Power is one’s ability to influence other’s behaviour.
It may so happen that an individual influencing others’ behaviour is at a very low level in the organizational hierarchy. Thu s, authority is legal or
legitimate while power is non-institutional.
Authority may be traditional (derived from tradition or norms), charismatic (derived from personal charisma or divine or exceptional powers) and legal authority
Power can be legitimate ( power holder enjoys legal/ legitimate authority ), reward (power holder has the power to grant promotion, rewards, etc.), coercive (power holder has the power to hire, fire), expert( poer holder possesses specialized knowledge, which other lack) and referent (power holder has amicable attractive personality or connection with high-ups in the organization).
Motivation
The process that accounts for individual’s intensity, direction and persistence of efforts towards attaining a goal.
Theories:
Abraham Maslow’s Need Priority Model
Physiological needs- safety needs – social affiliation needs- esteem need – self actualization need.
Y Douglas Mc. Greger XY theory _ve x: Employees by nature dislike work,+ve y: employees are self directed
Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory
ERG (Existence, Relatedness, Growth) theory
Goal setting theory Specific, difficult goal with feed back lead to higher performance Reinforcement theory
Behavior is environmentally caused Equity theory
Two sets of factors: Motivators and Dis-satisfiers Modified version of Maslow’s theory
Individual compare their input/output with those of others and try to reach equal
Leadership
The ability to influence a group towards the achievement of goals. His task varies depending on the stage of organizational development. Some theories: Trait theory Certain inherent qualities / traits determine leadership Behavioral theories People can be trained in leadership Transactional leadership Guide and motivate followers in the direction of goals by clarifying goals and task requirement.
Transformational leadership
Those who inspire followers to transcend their own self-interest.
High job turnover
Voluntary sector is characterized by adhocism, regional imbalance, social Darwinism. Programs are fund driven, than need driven Social workers to compete with other disciplines in welfare jobs Job dissatisfaction due to low salaries, job insecurity, not much independence for implementation of creative and innovative ideas.
Conflict resolution
Many instances: easy to recognize, not easy to resolve. How to resolve unhealthy conflicts: Emphatic, active and attentive listening Helping aggrieved party to nullify emotions Explore reasons for conflict, identify misconceptions, values personality
Weighing every possible alternative solutions. Agree on most appropriate one (Negotiation, bargaining, compromise)
Conciliation: settlement reached in front of third party ‘conciliation officer’
Arbitration: decision of arbitrator binding on both parties. Burn outs
“become extinguished due to lack of fuel”
How to deal with burnouts? Maintain awareness about changing climate, values, widen perspectives Learning: looking at each challenge as opportunity to learn new things
Working in their field of one’s own interest.
Time management and stress management.
Possess personal value system, consistent with the value system of human service Find a personal life style sufficiently satisfying different from professional life.
Ten most frequently cited skills of effective managers with regard to OB:
Verbal communication
Managing time and stress Managing individual decisions
Recognizing Defining and solving problems Motivating and influencing others Delegating Setting goals and articulating a vision Self awareness Team building Managing conflicts
Human Resource Management Definitions
“Managing the employment relationship” – Tyson, 1987.
“A diverse body of thought and practice, loosely unified by a concern to integrate the management of personnel more closely w ith the core management activity of an organization” – David Gross (1996).
“A strategic and coherent a pproach to the management of an organization's most valuable assets – the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its goal” – Armstrong (1999).
“HRM is a distinctive approach to employment management which s eeks to obtain competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of highly committed and skilled workforce, using an array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques” – Storey (1995).
Characteristics (Kurlis-Randa 1990)
A focus on horizontal authority and reduced hierarchy: A blurring of rigid distinction between management and non-management. Employees are viewed as subjects with potential for growth and development. The purpose of HRM is to identify this potential and develop it in line
with the adaptive needs of the organization’ HRM suggests that management and non-management have a common interest in the success of the organization. Its purpose is to ensure that all
employees are aware of this and committed to common goals. Human resource management
The integration of all processes, programs, and systems in an organization that ensure staff are acquired and used in an effective way The quality and effectiveness of the organization is determined by the quality of the people that are employed. Success for most organizations depends on finding the employees with the skills to successfully perform the tasks required to attain the company’s strategic goals. Management decisions and processes for dealing with employees are critical to ensure that the organization gets and keeps the right staff. In order to get the most out of staff, human resource management integrates all processes, programs, and systems in an organization designed to ensure that employees are acquired and used in an effective way.
Human Resource Planning
These are the key HR processes in an organization. You will note that these processes do not function in isolation: HR management functions within the culture of the organization . And of course, the organization is impacted by its environment. By paying careful attention to these facts, an organization can recruit competent, highperforming employees who are capable of sustaining their performan ce over the long term. You will also see that many factors introduced in Chapter 1 (for example, globalization, technology, and demographics) directly affect all management practices, but their effect is probably greatest in the management of human resources. This is because that whatever happens to an organization ultimately influen ces what happens to its employees. Since it is important to have the right people in the right jobs at the right time, human resource planning is the process to achiev e that. What the organization will do is make an assessment of the current capabilities of its employees, determine what it will need in the future, and design a program to meet those needs. Depending on the organization’s objectives and strategies, demand for human resources is contingent upon demand for the organization’s products or se rvices and on the levels of productivity. After estimating total revenue, management can estimate the number and kinds of human resources needed to obtain those revenues. After it has assessed current capabilities and future needs, management can estimate future human resources shortages and over-staffing. Then, it can develop a program to match these estimates with forecasts of future labour supply.
HR Planning
We have found the gap, how do we fill this void? How much time should we spend on identifying the right person?
Lets follow the trail of what it takes to hire a new team member in an oganization. Human Resources Management
Recruitment
The process by which a job vacancy is identified and potential employees are notified. The nature of the recruitment process is regulated and subject to employment law.
Main forms of recruitment through advertising in newspapers, magazines, trade papers and internal vacancy lists.
Recruitment
Job description – outline of the role of the job holder Person specification – outline of the skills and qualities required of the post holder Applicants may demonstrate their suitability through application form, letter or curriculum vitae (CV)
Recruitment
Process of locating, identifying, and attracting capable candidates Can be for current or future needs Critical activity for some corporations. What sources do we use for recruitment Once managers know their staffing needs, they can begin to look for capable people to fill those needs. The process to do this is called recruitment. It is a process that locates, identifies, and attracts capable candidat es for the work. For many organizations, this has become a critical activity. As the business demands change, so do the skills required. And there are some skill sets that are in high demand which means organizations have to have a good plan to locate the people with the unique skills.
But where do companies go to recruit employees? Many companies are finding new employees through the Internet. Organizations that are looking for people
with a high-level of technological skills may focus their recruitment efforts by using the Internet. The web sites of organizations frequently have a link for enabling the browser to submit a resume. The source that is used should reflect the labour market, the type or level of position, and the size of the organization. Are certain recruiting sources better than others? Recent studies have demonstrated that employee referrals generally produce the best candidates. This is because current employees screen applicants before referring them. Second, current employees believe that their reputations with the firm will be reflected in the candidates that they recommend; so, they refer only those who they believe will not make them look bad. Employee referrals, however, may not generate the diversity and mix of employees that is desirable.
Selection
The process of assessing candidates and appointing a post holder
Applicants short listed – most suitable candidates selected Selection process –varies according to organisation:
Selection
Interview – most common method
Psychometric testing – assessing the personality of the applicants – will they fit in? Aptitude testing – assessing the skills of applicants In-tray exercise – activity based around what the applicant will be doing, e.g. writing a letter to a disgruntled customer Presentation – looking for different skills as well as the ideas of the candidate
You Hired; Now What?..
Orientation
Process to introduce new employees to organization Familiarize new employee to job and work unit
Help employee to understand values, beliefs, and acceptable behaviours Besides having the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform on the job, new hires must be socialized to the organization’s culture (orientation) and
trained to do the job (training). Orientation is a process whose major objectives are to reduce the anxiety level that all new employees feel; to familiarize them with the job, the work unit, and the organization; and to embed organizational values, beliefs, and accepted behaviours. Successful orientation maximizes new hire on-the-job success and minimizes turnover. Employment Legislation
Increasingly important aspect of the HRM role Wide range of areas for attention Adds to the cost of the business Even in a small business, the legislation relating to employees is important – chemicals used in a hairdressing salon for example have to be carefully stored and handled to protect employees.
Discrimination
Crucial aspects of employment legislation: Race
Gender Disability
Discipline
Firms cannot just ‘sack’ workers
Wide range of procedures and steps in dealing with workplace conflict Informal meetings Formal meetings Verbal warnings
Written warnings Grievance procedures
Working with external agencies
Development
Developing the employee can be regarded as investing in a valuable asset A source of motivation A source of helping the employee fulfil potential
Training
Similar to development: Provides new skills for the employee Keeps the employee up to date with changes in the field Aims to improve efficiency
Can be external or ‘in -house’
Training and Development
Learning experience that seeks relatively permanent change Involves changing skills, knowledge, attitudes or behaviours Training tends to be done for current job Develop usually means acquiring skills for future work
Training and development is important to ensure that people continue to learn skills, etc. to help the company be successful. Employee training is a learning experience that seeks a relatively permanent change in employees such that their ability to perform at their current job improves. This may mean changing what employees know, how they work, or their attitudes toward their jobs, co-workers, managers, and the organization. Management is responsible for deciding when employees are in need of training and development and what form it should take. Employee Training However, before any training takes place, and organization should determine is training is the appropriate intervention. Managers can be alerted to training needs by numerous signals: for instance, productivity related signals like decreases in output and quality or increases in accidents; and, future elements like jobs that have been redesigned or technological breakthroughs. Most training takes place on the job. Such training is convenient and cost effective. But, on-the-job training can disrupt the workplace, and some skills are too complex to learn on the job. In such cases, training should take place outside of the work setting. Rewards Systems
The system of pay and benefits used by the firm to reward workers
Money not the only method Fringe benefits Flexibility at work Holidays, etc.
Compensation Management
Process of determining cost-effective pay structure
Designed to attract and retain Provide an incentive to work hard
Structured to ensure that pay levels are perceived as fair How does management decide who will get paid $12.65 an hour and who will receive $325,000 per year? The answer lies in compensation administration : the
process of determining a cost-effective pay structure that attracts and retains competent employees, provides incenti ves for hard work, and ensures that pay levels will be perceived as fair. The primary determination of pay is the kind of job an employee performs: that is, the higher the skills, knowledge, and abilities—and the greater the authority and responsibility—the higher the pay. Other factors which influence employee compensation are the nature of the business, the environment surrounding the job, geographic location, and employee performance levels and seniority. Regardless of these factors, there is one other most cr itical factor: management’s compensation philosophy. Some organizations don’t pay employees any more than they have to while other organizations want to pay people above are salary levels. Factors That Influence Compensation There are a number of factors that can influenced compensation levels. This slide (Exhibit 9-7) displays the various factors. For example, private-sector jobs typically provide higher rates of pay than comparable positions in public and not-for- profit jobs. Likewise, employees who have been with an organization for a long time may have had a salary increase each year. Because skill levels tend to affect work efficiency and effectiveness, many organizations have implemented skill- based or competency-based pay systems. These types of systems reward employees for the job skills and competencies they can demonstrate. These systems also tend to mesh nicely with the changing nature of work and today’s work environment. But the most critical factor is management’s compensation philosophy. Trade Unions
Importance of building relationships with employee representatives Role of Trade Unions has changed Importance of consultation and negotiation and working with trade unions Contributes to smooth change management and leadership
Labour Relations
Relationship between union and employer
Union functions as the voice of employees Collective bargaining is a process to negotiate terms and conditions of employment
Bargaining produces a written document called a collective agreement Labour relations refers to the relationship that exists between an organization and a union. It has evolved over time and is governed by legislation. The role of the union is to be the voice of employees, particularly during collective bargaining. Collective bargaining produces a collective agreemen t which is a legal document outlining the terms and conditions of employment. If an employee or union feels that the company is violating the collective agreement, a grievance may be initiated.
Productivity
Measuring performance:
How to value the workers contribution Difficulty in measuring some types of output – especially in the service industry Appraisal Meant to be non-judgmental Involves the worker and a nominated appraiser Agreeing strengths, weaknesses and ways forward to help both employee and organisation Performance Management Integration of management practices that includes a formal review of employee performance How often should this take place? Includes establishing performance standards and reviewing the performance
Means to ensure organizational goals are being met
It is important for managers to help their employees achieve the results expected. This is done through managing the performance of the employees the manager is responsible for. In managing performance, the manager identifies and communicates the expected performance standards and then evaluates or measures the performance against the standard. There are a variety of ways to assess a person’s performance which we will review next. Performance Review Methods
There are several ways in which managers can evaluate or measure the performance of their employees. Written essays that describe an employee’s performance and suggestions for improvement require no complex forms or extensive training. But a
good or bad
appraisal may depend as much on the writing skill of a manager as on the actual performance of an employee. With the critical incidents method, the appraiser writes down what an employee did that was especially productive or counterproductive. The key is to cite specific and key behaviours. With graphic rating scales , performance factors are listed such as quantity and quality of work, depth of knowledge, or initiative. The appraiser then rates each factor on an incremental scale. This method cannot provide the depth of information of essays or critical incidents, but it is less time consuming to develop and administer, and yields results that can be quantified. Behaviorally anchored rating scales BARS combine the critical incidents and graphics rating scale approaches. The appraiser rates employees on items along a continuum. The points along the scale are examples of actual on-the-job behaviour rather than general descriptions or traits. Multiperson comparisons are relative measuring devices. Group order ranking requires the rater to place employees into a particular classification, such as the top one-fifth. Individual ranking orders employees from best to worst. Paired comparisons rank each employee with all other employees and rates each as either the weaker or superior member of the pair. MBO, which was discussed in Chapter 5, assesses employees on how well they accomplish a specific set of objectives that have been determined to be critical in the successful completion of their jobs. Because MBO emphasizes ends rather than means, this method allows managers to choose the best path for achieving their goals. A 360-degreereview seeks feedback for the person being rated from a variety of sources: such as peers, supervisors, and customers. Research shows that 360 degree appraisals offer more accurate feedback, empower employees, reduce subjective factors in evaluation, and develop leadership in an organization. If Performance Falls Short
Train Discipline Coach Out the Door
If an employee not meeting the performance goals, the manager needs to determine what is going on. It could be because the e mployee is mismatched for the job or because the training was insufficient. If this is the case, the manager can either reassign the person to more suitable work or to train the person. However, if the problem results from the person not desiring to do the job, then it is a discipline problem. If the employee has a discipline problem , the manager can rely on employee coaching and disciplinary action. A process intended to help an employee overcome performance-related problems, employee coaching attempts to discover and remedy the reasons for poor performance. Employee coaching can benefit both the company and the employee. But, if the worker either cannot or will not accept help, then management must use discipline to enforce the expected performance or acceptable behaviours and actions of the organization. Employee Benefits
Indirect financial rewards
Designed to enrich employees’ lives Vary widely in scope
Costs range from 30% to 40% of payroll costs In addition to the salary or wage an employee receives, the employee will usually have some employee benefits. As indirect financial rewards intend ed to enrich employee’s lives, today’s employee benefits programs seek to provide something that each employee can value. Some of the benefits are required by legislation such as Canada Pension Plan while others are voluntarily provided such as life insurance coverage. The scope of these benefits varies considerably. Health and Safety
Employers are responsible for ensuring a healthy and safe work environment
Employees are required for follow instructions and any legal requirements Workplace violence is a growing concern
Both employers and employees have an obligation to follow health and safety legislation. There is a growing concern for safety on the job because no organization is immune from workplace violence. Companies want to prevent violence from occurring. But because the circumstances of each incident are different, a specific plan of action for comp anies is difficult to detail. However, several suggestions can be made. First, the organization must develop a plan to deal with the issue. Furthermore, organizations must train managers to identify troubled employees before the problem results in violence. Organizations should also implement stronger security measures. Financial management Three important factors in financial management:
The attitude of the administrator and the staff members toward money and budgets. The amount of income and money available to the agency
The effective (or ineffective) use of the money available.
The budget
The word budget derives from an old French term, “bougette”, which means a “little bag”, a sack or pouch. The British adopte d the word to describe
the motion engaged in by the chancellor of the exchequer when he presented his annual financial statement to Parliament. He was said to open his ‘budget’ or bag which contained the various financial documents.
Gross suggests that the budget is a plan of action. “it represents the organization’s blueprint for the coming months, or years, expressed in monetary terms”.
The budget has two main functions: to record in monetary terms realistic goals or objectives of an organization for the coming year, and to provide a monitor for the financial activities throughout the year.
The following elements need to be present in budget:
The budget must be well-conceived, and have been prepared or approved by the board.
The budget must be broken down into periods corresponding to the periodic financial statements. Financial statements must be prepared on a timely basis throughout the year and a comparison made to the budget, right on the statements.
The board must be prepared to take action where the comparison with the budget indicates a significant deviation.
Types of Budgets:
Line-item budgeting It is based on line-item accounting and incremental increases in projecting ahead for a year or more. This system indicates how the money is to be spent but does not depict what the agency does. It is not program oriented. Program budgeting Program budgeting relates to services offered by the agency. Goals and objectives are a significant part of this system. Program budgeting is essentially output oriented. A program budget is constructed by regrouping all line item expenditures into their respective program area. Functional budgeting
This system encompasses program services but emphasizes the supporting administrative services that are needed for operating an agency. Programs and services are put into categories that can be monitored on a functional-accounting basis.
Zero budgeting Zero-based budgeting operates on the premise that an agency must start from scratch and each year justify every financial request it makes. In other words, the agency starts with no money each year and describes and justifies all expenditu res that are claimed for the ensuing year, whether they have existed before or not.
The budget making process
Setting specific goals related to the needs of the agency
Ascertaining facts regarding the agency’s operation
Looking at specific alternatives for the operation of the agency, particularly in terms of money.
Deciding upon priorities for the agency Finalizing decisions regarding the budget.
Providing adequate interpretation and public relations.
Public relations The need
The agency should be known to the community in which it is working. It is only through strong PR that we put this into practice.
We can ensure community participation through strong PR Objectives: Keeping the taxpayers and donors informed about how their money is being spent
Informing prospective beneficiaries about the benefits available for them through an agency’s service.
Keeping the agency alert about the public criticism and to maintain minimum standard PR work is also a method of getting more contributions, increasing membership and throwing service open to more people.
Bringing about modification, if necessary, in the attitude of people towards social problems/ social needs.
PR works can be classified into 3 main heads:
Personal contacts: Contacts of boards members, members of managing committee and the staff with the members of the community, beneficiary, donors is very effective method of PR. This could be done by inviting various people to visit the agency, arranging seminars, and conferences and inviting a few people into annual meeting of the agency and by attending meeting and conferences organized by other agencies.
Visual means: Under this head can be included news paper magazines, reports, folders and pamphlets, photographs and slides. Before deciding to choose a particular medium, attention is to be focused on the kinds of the groups to be informed. A close contact with the journalists and editors of the area will prove very useful in making use of local newspapers and journals. Some agencies issue monthly newsletters and bulletin to those readers in order to acquaint them with the day-to-day work. Spoken words:
Use media, community meeting, lectures may be some of methods to be used for this purpose. To make use of the services of AIR, news, features, interviews with the beneficiaries, the staff and the board members of an agency would form part of a bigger programme focusing public attention on a particular problem.
Principles of PR
Focus should always be on various groups whom we are trying to approach
While preparing any publicity material we whould have in mind a theme of each agencies’ work
The attitude of the staff towards the general public is vey important and the qualities of servies is a fundamental aspect of PR. Some of the influenceial people of the community may be a very good media of PR because they are always in touch with the important and useful people in the community.
PR are a continuous process. There should be a regular time table for using different media of PR and approaching different groups at different times of the year.
A separate committee consist of influential people of the locality, people with experiences in journalism, members of the managing committee of the agency, should work together for the public relations.
