Posts Tagged ‘Management’

Ethics On Human Resources Management

The human resources plays an important role in building an ethical environment in an organization. Every action taken by the HR department can be held responsible if they do not comply with the ethical standards. It is important for the employees to adhere to ethics, it is equally important for the HR to build the standards of ethics.

ETHICS IN DECISION – MAKING:

An individual can use three different criterions in making ethical choices. They are

Utilitarian Criterion.
Whistle Blowers.
Justice.

Utilitarianism is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. It is consistent with good goals like efficiency, productivity and high profits.

Rights calls on individuals to make decisions consistent with fundamental liberties and privileges as set forth in documents such as the Bill of Rights. An emphasis on right in decision – making means respecting and protecting the basic rights of individuals  such as the right to privacy, to free speech, and to due process. Use of this criterion would protect “whistle – blowers”. Whistle blowers are individuals who report unethical practices by their employers to outsiders.

A third criterion is justice. This requires individuals to impose and enforce rules fairly and impartially, so that there is an equitable distribution of benefits and costs.

A focus on utilitarianism promotes efficiency and productivity, but it can result in ignoring the rights of some individuals, particularly those with minority representation in the organization. The use of rights as a criterion protects individuals from injury and is consistent with freedom and privacy, but it can create an overly legalistic work environment that hinders productivity and efficiency. A focus on justice protects the interests of the under represented and less powerful, but it can encourage a sense of entitlement that reduces risk – taking, innovation and productivity.

Ethics are being regarded as crucial in the external self – presentation and public perception of organizations. HRM plays a vital role in introducing and implementing ethics. This paper tries to focus on ethical and non – ethical situations faced by the Indian HR managers. Ethical considerations are important for organizational decision making. People with high ethical standards are less likely to engage in unethical practices, even in organizations or situations in which there are strong pressures to confirm.

Because ethical people essentially avoid unethical practices, managers should be encouraged to screen job candidates to determine their ethical standards. By seeking out people with integrity and strong ethical principles, the organization increases the likelihood that employees will act ethically.

ETHICAL ISSUES:

The attitude of a business towards its employee’s acts is a litmus test for its ethical character. The relationship between the business and its employees is based on the employee contract.

An ethical organization follows the principle of ethical selection for hiring prospective employees. According to this principle, an organization should hire a person who is expected to contribute the maximum towards enhancing long – term owner value.

According to the principle of ethical selection factors like age, gender, religion and nationality are irrelevant for hiring a person.

ETHICAL TRAINING:

Ethics are based on values, and value systems are fixed at an early age. By the time employers hire peoples, their ethical values have been established. The critics claim that ethics cannot be formally “taught”, but must be learned by example. Ethics training would be effective because helps employees to recognize ethical dilemmas and to become more aware of the ethical issues underlying their actions and it reaffirms an organization’s expectations that members will act ethically.

HR RELATED SECURITY BREACHES – ANALYSIS & PREVENTION:

MAJOR CAUSES:-

Inadequate internal controls
Poor hiring practices
Diluting hiring policies informally

PREVENTION METHODOLOGIES:-

Effective pre – employment screening.
External/ Client audit review.
Improved security measures
Train internal auditors.

MANAGERIAL ETHICS IN INDIA:

Indian managers experience a clash between the values acquired from their education and professional training and those drawn from Indian culture and society. Values drawn by Indian managers from their training mirror training mirror emphasize on western instrumental rationality and rule following, whereas the values drawn from family and community emphasize affiliation and social obligation.

Western management assumes a preference for the ethical puzzle stance. Accountants, for example, have been trained to work in a rule governed manner. Within their job roles, Indian managers may express Indian social values.

ETHICAL ISSUES AT WORK:

critical if high – standards are to be upheld and if consistent practices are to be achieved. The liberalization of the Indian Economy has created opportunities for increased collaboration between Indian managers and those from collaborating countries. In this context, the importance of professional ethics of managers, employers, and everyone involved in global transactions has increased. Values drawn by Indian managers from their training mirror emphasize on western instrumentality and rule following, whereas the values drawn from family and community emphasize affiliation and social obligation.

There is a possibility that managers may exhibit stress in dealing with the clash of values within their managerial roles. The value conflicts that Indian managers experiencing can be illustrated by the issues of redundancy and down sizing. Downsizing is a deliberate attempt to improve organization.

Indian managers experience tension between their private ethical beliefs and those they are required to apply at work. They regard family and social connections as an important aspect of conventional ethical thinking.

The need for global organizations to establish ethical principles for decision makers in countries such as China and India, and modifying them to reflect cultural norms, may be

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Use Employee Surveys and to Improve Overall Human Resources Management

As a CEO or business head, you sometimes fail to see the world in the eyes of your employee. You think of numbers while an employee thinks of compensation and job security. Remember that your employees are the front line of your company who engage with your clients on a day to day basis and they are the only ones who can produce the numbers that you want. Neglecting an employee is the gravest mistake you can ever do because he or she is an intrinsic force in your organization that has the power to influence other employees that can impact lost productivity or worse, lost employees and dissatisfied workers. Not only that, they know your business by heart, sometimes more than you do, and can contribute extensively on how you can drive your business to success. Have you ever found yourself taking care of a problem and asking your employee what best to do?

A modern way in approaching employee-management relationships is through employee engagement. Actively interact with your employees on a daily basis to encourage a lighter atmosphere and openness in the working environment. But for starters, implementing employee surveys for a collective analysis of how your management is perceived is the best solution.

Employee surveys aim to identify the important drivers that motivate them for the utmost productivity, allow them to contribute suggestions and practical solutions to driving business success and determine how long an employee plans to serve your company based on how they feel. On a larger scale, it identifies the health of your current working environment and the immediate changes you need to make to spur success. Ensure that you read every survey and consider every suggestion.

Once these changes are made, you will see the impact almost immediately on higher productivity, healthy camaraderie, motivated employees and what you need most, higher returns. The logic behind this is simple, a motivated employee does not need to be managed as closely because he or she wants to succeed on their own and require less overseeing. This also applies to other aspects that drive your workforce like a “Pareto Principle”. If you can identify what causes twenty percent of the challenges your organization is facing and eliminate them, then you have just solved the other eighty percent of the problems that were caused by them.

Customer satisfaction is client retention. Businesses believe that it is more expensive to acquire new clients than retain the old ones. In a sense this is true, but would you not rather keep old clients and gain new simultaneously and expand your client base?

Why is customer satisfaction important? Satisfied clients are those who keep you in business. You see, a satisfied customer can create a positive viral effect on your business. For instance, you open a coffee shop, you have very few visitors for the first few days but nevertheless you give every customer feel special by providing them with the best coffee you have while offering today’s newspaper to accompany their cup of coffee in case he wants to read it. The customer gets the newspaper, scans the headlines and makes a comment about it; you smile and make an opinion of your own then they retreat to a cozy corner chair and go through the paper. When you see that their cup of coffee is almost empty, you approach them and offer a refill. When they are done and ready to leave, you smile and ask if they enjoyed the coffee and if they have any suggestions. It doesn’t stop there. They go home, they tell their spouse, who tells their friends and they decide visit your coffee shop the very next day. And the cycle goes on and on, by the time you know it, your business is expanding rapidly. It was not the coffee at all, it was the experience.

The same goes for unsatisfied clients. The best way to avoid unhappy clients is by asking every customer to relate their experience through customer satisfaction surveys and by asking what you could have done better on their next visit. It also aims to validate what your employee surveys data tells you. This is the only way you can retain your client base and create innovative ideas for your human resources management to bring your business to the next level.

www.dilbert.com by Scott Adams Dilbert’s Wally sells his soul and Catbert is a cat without pity. In Soul-O-Meter, Catbert says, ‘According to my soul-o-meter you still have 1 percent of your soul. I’ll give you a doughnut for it.’ Wally says, ‘Sold! It’s funny how quickly a good day can become a great day.’ In Catbert, Evil HR Director, Dilbert says, how can I achieve my full potential? Catbert says, you already have, seriously you’ve peaked. Dilbert says, I came to human resources for some guidance. Catbert says, that’s what tipped me off.

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Interim Human Resources Management – Reasons to be Flexible

 

Growing numbers of employees want to work more flexibly in order to achieve a better balance between their jobs and the rest of their lives. But while growing numbers of organisations are trying to accommodate their employees’ requests, they are doing it not out of altruism but for good business reasons. Benefits range from increased motivation, productivity and retention, to better customer service and considerable reductions in both costs and CO2.

However, many employers still resist the strong business case for flexible working. They fear that staff working from home will shirk, and that customers will lose faith if they can’t talk to whom they want exactly when and where they want. Some employers believe that a desire to work flexibly implies a lack of commitment, that it is primarily a benefit for working mothers and that it will breed resentment among those who don’t work flexibly.

But these very attitudes represent the biggest obstacle to flexible working. Other key elements include winning the buy-in of line managers by showing them how it can benefit the team, the customer and the business; communicating flexible working as a benefit for everyone, not just women; having strong policies and practices; learning to trust human employees; and, crucially, monitoring output, not input.

In companies such as DSGI, BT, Lloyds TSB and First Direct, which have been strong pioneers of flexible working, flexibility for front-line staff and management levels are managed quite differently. The firms provide an array of different flexible working options, including term-time or school hours working, evening or night working, compressed hours, home working and rolling shifts, and attempt to accommodate the needs of front-line staff as far as possible by scheduling them in against the requirements of the business on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis.

However, when it comes to back office and central support functions, where people work in smaller teams, flexibility is managed more informally. Melissa Godfray, senior manager, equality and diversity at Lloyds TSB, says that good line management, reinforced by training – along with a big dose of common sense – are crucial.

“In our team, for example, we have a weekly location planner so that everyone – both internally and externally – knows where everyone else is and when they are available, even if it is on the phone or by email. And you should avoid scheduling meetings at 7.30 in the morning if some of the team can’t make it,” she says.

Indeed, some of the most senior and demanding jobs are being done on a flexible basis. Godfray says: “Our head of expatriate banking flies the world all the time, but works a compressed fortnight so that he can spend sensible chunks of time with his family when he’s in the UK.”

Likewise, Caroline Waters, director, people and policy at BT Group, works from home one or two days a week, another BT senior executive works a compressed week and yet another works entirely from home. “We have examples at every level,” says Waters.

But managing flexible working successfully, particularly at management level and above, is also a matter of give and take, points out Godfray. “Staff might need to switch their day off from a Friday to a Monday, for example, to accommodate an important meeting, or be prepared to take an urgent call when they are at home.”

They might also need to be flexible if, for some reason, their request for a given pattern of working is turned down. “But we encourage line managers not just to turn down a request outright, but to explore more workable alternatives. Giving individuals time to mull over a compromise solution is also important, because these things can be very emotive,” says Godfray.

In these leading companies, flexible working is communicated as a benefit for all staff, not just working mothers, and take-up is the same among both men and women. “Communicating successful flexible working is enormously important too, and we take every opportunity to showcase the people – men and women at all levels – who do it,” says Godfray.

Working more flexibly doesn’t mean working less hard; it often means just the opposite. BT’s research shows that the average productivity of an individual working from home is 20% higher than when they are in the office. The growth of homeworking at BT delivers an additional £8m onto the bottom line every year. And the savings don’t stop there.

Waters explains: “Since 2000 we have taken £500m off our real estate costs. Our return rate after maternity leave is 99% compared to the UK average of 40%, which saves us between £4m and £5m in recruitment costs. Overall, our staff turnover is 3% in an industry where 17-18% is the norm.” People also travel less. “In one year alone we used 12m litres less fuel, saving £10m and 54,000 tonnes of CO2.”

Flexible working is good for business, but for most organisations it requires a shift in mindset and culture.

Previously published in the Business Review, Impact Executives.

Human Resources Management

Find a senior interim hr manager.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips On Proper Human Resources Management

Staff management is about caring for your employees and realizing that they too have needs both social and material. By taking care of the needs of your employees, you can be sure that business operations will run smoothly. Some business owners fail to recognize that their employees are also human begins who have a social life. It is therefore prudent that any company that wants to succeed in the business world to strive towards maintaining their best employees.

Running a business is similar to having a family. Anywhere that people meet, there is bound to be relationships since people are social beings. During this interaction, people will cross each others path and some will even go ahead to have affairs. Good people management calls for one to attend to these issues immediately before they get out of hand and affect business operations.

Depending on the situation, the best way of handling issues is by referring to the rules and regulations of the company. An excellent approach is not to delay until things get out of hand but rather take action immediately issues crop up.

An example of an issue that if left unattended can get out of hand is where a good performing employee becomes arrogant. Some workers think since they are good they are indispensable and may end up affecting other employees and business operations in general. Proper people management would be to call in the person and directly educate him on proper manners and values.

With sound staff management, your company can be sure of not only maintaining good workers but also making sure that discipline is maintained thus better business operations. Also the human resource team needs to make sure that all employees learn and grow with the company. This will help in case those employees that think they are indispensable decide to quit.

All About Human resource Management – HRM

Human resource Management (HRM) is the leg of management that concerns itself with the direction of an disposal’s most alive resources – the people who separately and together encourage to the activity’s maturation and developing. Originally referred to as “section direction”, HRM essentially deals with staffing, processing the capabilities of fill, retaining, and compensating them in obligation with their mortal performances and organizational requirements.

The HRM correction is an pedagogue theory that believes that employees are individuals with varying needs and goals, and cannot be thought of as honourable creation resources. The correction takes a optimistic canvas of employees, and seeks to correct their personalized goals with those of the organisation, thus superior to the utilisation of the two in synergy. For this end, HRM also seeks to render employees with decent preparation and mentoring so that they obtain an apprehension of processes and systems exemplary of the organization.

HRM in fashionable organizations includes the activities concerning manpower planning, achievement of talent, stimulus or onboarding, grooming and processing, and rectification and action assessment. HRM may also render to plow travel management, experience relations, and employee benefits direction.

At the higher destruct, HRM strategy deals with the good structure to complete HRM policies. Spell an activity’s HRM policies may treat various aspects specified as accomplishment, breeding, appraisals, and rectification, an coverall strategy is required to array all areas of HRM.

Various universities request programs for the ponder of HRM. The honours make for the college-level speculate of HRM, the Civilize of Manual and Proletariat Relations was set up by Altruist University. Since then, a classify of colleges in the US know initiated courses for the contemplate of HRM. Whatever of these let the Lincoln of Minnesota, Newmarket Denote University, and River Nation Lincoln.

HRM may include jobs that covering mass HRM functions or specialised HRM functions. There may be careers exclusive concerning achievement and placement, or there may be positions only for upbringing utilization managers. Sometimes, rectification and benefits tasks are handled by compensation analysts or salary administrators.

Apart from the orderly high colleges message programs in HRM, there are a majuscule umpteen remaining courses procurable for managers who may necessary to advance themselves or strike course courses in ordering to intensify advance options or fitting alter their knowledge of the master. Post-graduate credentials programs are lendable in various great colleges. These sight with the new innovations in the facility of HRM and inform people with the current developments in the installation.

For the diligent managers, there are few leave instant courses in HRM addressable as advantageously. These can be attended in the evenings or on weekends. A semiprecious alternative for those fill who are unable to assert time off from their daily jobs, the curriculum of the start abstraction courses should be premeditated with assist before decisions to recruit are arrogated up. Play careful that the curriculum suits your preparation needs before you gesticulate up. Also, analyse out of the row achieved your goals.

 

 

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Internet Security: Human Resource Management Implications

The rise of the Internet has resulted in many important issues being raised. One of these major issues relates to privacy and security concerns.

These issues become important ones for organizations to consider for several reasons. Firstly, because private employee information is recorded on computers, secondly because organizations have their own important information recorded on computers, and thirdly because many organizations conduct business over the Internet via an informational home page or by Internet retailing.

The question of security will become an important one for organizations and will likely become the responsibility of the human resource department in many organizations, with the questions of security and privacy an extension of information systems generally handled by the human resource department (Bernardin & Russell).

In this paper, the privacy and security issues that arise from the Internet will be investigated. Recognizing that the Internet is relatively new and rapidly changing, the investigation will be completed with an eye for looking forward to the future.

Firstly, I will discuss the modern history of the Internet and how it relates to privacy and security concerns. I will then discuss several key security and privacy issues relevant to organizations. I will then briefly discuss the protection options available to deal with these issues.

THE INTERNET AND PRIVACY & SECURITY

Privacy is not a new concept, but one that has been of importance to people for centuries.

The advent of the Internet however, is taking privacy issues to a new level. Privacy is described as “the ability of individuals to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about them is communicated to others” (IBM).

Security also becomes of wider concern. With the importance of the Internet and information technology to society, it becomes a tool that can be used against national security, against individuals or against organizations.

As well as this, the mass of information available on the Internet can be misused.

The Internet has become a profound part of our society, impacting on every aspect of it. With this wide impact, security issues reach out across various topics and take on various forms.

Also relevant is the fact that the Internet remains in its infancy, with the Internet revolution described as “one that experts estimate is less than 10 percent complete” (IBM).

As the Internet grows and changes, new security and privacy issues will appear. As the environment changes, the privacy and security issues will be reconsidered.

There is no doubt that the issues the Internet creates are likely to change, as the Internet and society continue to adapt to each other. Even recognizing this, by assessing the issues now we can begin to see their current impact and also their future direction.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES

Hackers

Everyone is under threat from hackers, from the organization, to government information, and through to individuals. The reason for hacking varies as widely as those that become victims of hacking,

“crackers are not necessarily after secret files or valuable corporate data, many just want a machine – fast. Most victimized machines are merely launch pads for other attacks” (Tanase). Essentially, hackers hide themselves by operating through a chain of machines.

Reasons for hacking are extremely varied and can include accessing information, changing information records and launching viruses.

For the organization, information may be extracted to be used against the organization. This information could then be used in various way. Disgruntled employees may seek information to use against the organization.

The threat of misuse also depends on the nature of the organization. A university for example has a threat of students changing their results records, while an organization involved in controversial issues, such as a gun manufacturer may be threatened by anti-gun protesters. Hackers may also operate by damaging company web sites.

The reasons and form of Internet hacking crimes are just as varied as typical crimes.

As the Internet becomes more widespread, Internet crimes may come to mirror all crimes. For example, just as a disgruntled employee may vandalize their place of employment, a disgruntled employee may vandalize the organization’s web site.

Current Effect on Business

Hacker attacks are the largest threats for governments and businesses, with ninety percent of business and governments suffering hacker attacks each year (Krebs).

Of those businesses, only one third were willing to report the attacks to the FBI (Krebs).

Eighty percent reported financial losses as a result but the majority were not willing to quantify these financial losses (Krebs).

The majority of organizations and government departments do suffer from security breaches. Also noted is that this is not all from hackers, a major component is also from company staff. The fact that the majority are not willing to report or verify the problems, is an indication that this is a problem that is thought to be significant as well as damaging.

Organizations generally avoid reporting such problems to avoid alarming shareholders, while government departments avoid public concern. With shareholders and the public warranted in their right to know of these breaches, there is a future likely, where such breaches will be required to be reported.

The reality is that these threats cannot be ignored. A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology recognized that “information and the systems that process it are among the most valuable assets of any organization. Adequate security of these assets is a fundamental management responsibility” (NIST).

The report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology provides a framework for determining a security system program. The needs of the programs are twofold:

“Agency programs must: 1) assure that systems and applications operate effectively and provide appropriate confidentiality, integrity, and availability; and 2) protect information commensurate with the level of risk and magnitude of harm resulting from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, or modification” (NIST).

This considered system and approach to determining may mirror how organizations will approach security considerations in the future.

It is also noted that “many organizations and consumers are only just beginning to realize the value of applied information technology and the increased efficiency and effectiveness of innovations in data collection and management” (IBM).

With increased realization will come increased use of information by organizations, and with this increased use will come a greater need for privacy and security considerations.

Information on the Internet

The Internet is also capable of infringing on a person’s privacy as a publisher of information.

We can see the Internet as a tool for communicating information, just as television, newspapers and other media are.

The difference with the Internet is that the information published is not as well controlled.

With television and newspapers, controls are in place to determine what will be communicated. It is generally not possible for a person to publish information without it being verified in some way.

However, with the Internet, a person can publish and communicate messages to people from all over the world with no requirement to have checks on the information.

Essentially, the Internet allows anyone to say anything, and to say that anything to a lot of people.

This leads to the Internet being capable of being used as a tool to defame others.

A recent court case shows that this does happen, where the case is described as follows:

“A state-court jury awarded -million Tuesday to a University of North Dakota physics professor who sued a former student for libel after she accused him in an online article of being a pedophile. The professor, John L. Wagner, 41, filed his lawsuit after an article titled “Kinky, Torrid Romance by Randy Physics Professor” was published on the Web site Undnews.com” (Bartlett).

This example shows how information on any subject can be widely published on the Internet. The guilty verdict indicates that the law does consider this to be a case of defamation.

The ease of publication on the Internet and the difficulty in controlling it is also evidenced by the fact that the article is now posted on another web site (Bartlett).

This situation is one that may find controls placed on it in the future, controls that act as a safeguard for what can and cannot be published on the Internet as fact.

The guilty verdict in this case also leads the way for other defamation claims to be made and defamation laws to be determined for the Internet.

While this is a case against a person, it is also possible that this same type of defamation could be carried out in regards to an organization, its products or its services. It is feasible that a disgruntled customer could publish damaging reports about the company.

More Possibilities

The possibilities of using the Internet for illegal advantages include scams as new and ingenious as the Internet itself.

One opportunity that is not currently illegal, though is concerning, is using one piece of software as a means for distributing another.

One example that is causing universities concern is KaZaA, software that is used to store and swap video clips and MP3 files. This software is specifically targeted at students and is downloaded by large numbers of students. It has been reported that this software has “software attached to it that could allow the company to use student computers and university bandwidth for commercial ventures, such as serving Internet advertisements or selling computer storage space” (Carlson).

While this is not an illegal process, it is a misleading one for the user. It also shows how technology can be used for purposes other than that which we purchase them for. This is important because this is one way information can be hidden within programs and there is potential for this to be used illegally in the future. It is also said that universities are specifically targeted because they have a considerable amount of unused hard drive space (Carlson). This could apply equally to many organizations, so organizations may also become a target of these programs in the future.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY PROTECTION

Security Programs

Security programs currently consist of two main types. The first are virus programs that prevent damaging computer viruses from being received. One of the most interesting things about these programs is that they require constant updating.

These constant updates illustrate how quickly virus concerns change. Essentially, one group of people are constantly creating new viruses, while a second group remain alert to these viruses and create antidotes for the viruses.

The second type of security program is firewall software. Firewall software prevents hackers from accessing a computer. Just like viruses, these programs are under constant upgrading to keep up with hacker technology changes.

Security and Privacy Consultants

Security and privacy concerns have also created a new industry of consultants, who offer advice, personnel and systems to governments, organizations and also individuals.

An example of one of these firms is Rent-A-Hacker, whose company profile reads as follows:

“Rent-A-Hacker was formed to afford anyone the means to protect their valuable information assets. Unlike most Cybersecurity firms whose goal is to sell you security products, our focus is on auditing, detection and proactive prevention” (Rent-A-Hacker).

To achieve these goals, the organizations makes use of experts in Internet security and in hacking. This organization is an example of where the future of Internet security may lead.

With experts developing new ways to breach Internet security, software programs may no longer be enough. A defence system of equally effective experts may be the only way to combat hackers and other breachers of both security and privacy.

Government Actions

The Government plays an important role in effecting privacy and security concerns and does this on two levels. The first is in their role in setting the rules for the private sector. The second is in establishing guidelines for the government’s own use of information (IBM).

With the broad implications of the Internet it is also recognized that government control becomes essential, “the growing interconnectedness of society underscores the need for government officials to understand the broad implications of the Internet and the information technology revolution (IBM).

The government meets this challenge by producing a set of internationally-accepted principles, with these principles developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and are known as the OECD guidelines (IBM).

These guidelines include ‘fair information practices’ for organizations that outline appropriate security of data and disclosure of data practices (IBM).

IBM describes the US security and privacy measures, saying:

“The US has legislatively-required protections in focus areas: government, credit reporting, banking and finance, health, and children’s information. In other commercial areas, such as retail and online marketing, the US relies on its common-law traditions coupled with industry responsibility and leadership to chart the way” (IBM).

Legal Protection

The legal component of the Internet is handled largely by the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. The actions of the section are described, saying:

“Section attorneys advise federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents; comment upon and propose legislation; coordinate international efforts to combat computer crime; litigate cases; and train all law enforcement groups. Other areas of expertise possessed by CCIPS attorneys include encryption, electronic privacy laws, search and seizure of computers, e-commerce, hacker investigations, and intellectual property crimes” (CCIPS).

Legal protection in the US is wide and varied, covering a variety of issues that the Internet relates to.

This includes the considerations of e-commerce, covering topics including Internet gambling, online sales of healthcare products and consumer protection (CCIPS).

Laws are also existent relating to computer crimes. These crimes include cyberstalking, Internet fraud, child pornography and identity theft (CCIPS).

Insurance Protection

Another industry that reflects the rising importance of Internet security is the insurance industry.

Policies purchased for 2001 were just under 0 million in 2001, with it expected to rise to at least billion by the year 2007 (Salkever).

The policies available for organizations include protection from “virus attacks, denial-of-service assaults, cracking into company systems, and Web-site defacements. Some companies even write policies that cover cyber-extortion, where an online intruder or an insider steals crucial data such as customer credit-card files and demands a payoff. The rising tide of lawsuits against companies whose employees have used corporate e-mail inappropriately has also caught the attention of e-insurers” (Salkever).

It is also noted that with the insurance industry becoming a major part of Internet security, they will have the opportunity to shape the computer security business.

This will occur by insurance companies defining what types of security products and practices are acceptable. Following this, premiums will differ based on what software protection systems are used, effectively rating product systems and influencing the business consumers choice.

This is also expected to effect business, with e-insurance becoming a requirement, “as cyber-insurance goes from exotica to a business necessity, the computer-security industry will have to adapt to keep the insurers happy” (Salkever).

There is certainly potential for insurance companies to influence both the coverage required by organizations and the products and actions required to attain this coverage, “that’s the wave of the future, as insurers exert even more pressure on the technology practices of any company wishing to insure this increasingly important facet of business” (Salkever).

Also recognized is the possible relationship between insurance companies and security products with it being argued “that insurers will demand responsibility from software companies for flaws in their products — and that they’ll have the legal firepower to hold the software outfits accountable” (Salkever).

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Human Resource Management as based in Philips furniture company

Introduction

As a human resource manager in Philips Furniture I would try to utilize my skills and knowledge of human resource management in solving the problems facing this company. From the case study, the Philips Furniture Company is currently faced with the problems of management, leadership and planning. This is evident from the fact that, there is a problem of space where according to the nature of the company; the space of the main retail store is not adequate. Additionally, this company is facing the problem of inadequate stores for the storage of manufactured furniture. From the case study it can be revealed that, as the company expanded in terms of sales there was need for an adequate space and stores. This inadequacy resulted to the company been unable to satisfy all the customers with furniture (Lundy & Cowling, 1996).

Moreover, there was the problem of training where the management of this company did not plan for the training of personnel. This problem brought about challenges to the new personnel manager as I have never been a manager or head of department and here I am required to oversee the whole activities carried out in this company. The problems of poor management and planning are brought about by poor leadership qualities. This is because Mr. Philips the owner of the company could not delegate some duties to other people within the company. The planning problem can be seen in the case where Philips looks for new customers by opening up satellite stores while the company does not adequately satisfy the present customers. For a company to develop and increase its productivity as well as profitability; there must be good leadership qualities which will help in the arrangement of planning and management. In the future, the Philips Company will be faced by the problem of space as relocating from the center of the city to another spacious place is not easy since a lot of funds are required and some other expenses will be experienced. Additionally, no training program has been put in place which means that there are no trained personnel to be promoted as the personnel managers. Further, this company will lack customers as they will run away as a result of lack of effective service (Brotton & Gold, 2001).

The solutions to the above problems will be grouped together as remedies for planning, management and leadership problems. In this case, this company needs to plan for future in order to prevent future problems. On this basis, good planning will tackle the problem of space as the manager will plan for relocation to a place where expansion is possible. Additionally, the problem of failing to adequately satisfy all customers will be solved by building a warehouse that will make sure that customers will always be supplied with furniture. Moreover, the problem of leadership will be solved by delegating duties to employees rather than having all the duties performed by one person. Further, training of the employees is very essential as it will reduce the challenges faced by promoted personnel into managerial levels. As a matter of fact, the Philips Furniture Company is expanding at a very high rate and therefore training, good leadership qualities and good planning will help in solving the present and future problems (Lundy & Cowling, 1996).

As the case of Philips Furniture Company, good planning is the most essential solution to the present and future problems of this company. On this basis, planning will encompass all the other solutions and help in maintaining and even increasing the productivity of this company. As a matter of fact, good planning will put into consideration the expansion of the company and assist in relocation especially now that this company has the control of the Martin Furniture. Additionally, through planning the company’s management will arrange for the training of employees in order to make them ready for any promotion. When employees are trained they will be given duties which will help them gain experience in management issues like good qualities of a leader (Brotton & Gold, 2001).

Good planning will assist in retaining the present customers by adequately satisfying them rather than looking for new ones and the old ones are not adequately satisfied in terms of servicing them effectively. Effective planning will mean coming up with recruitment programs that will help in providing the company with adequate and effective employees. Lastly, effective planning will enable building of a warehouse in order to adequately service the customers. In each and every business, customer is the most valuable asset and hence should be adequately satisfied. If there were effective planning in this company, Mr. Philips could have planned for the training of a personnel manager well in advance. On this basis, each manager was conducting his/her duties individually rather than in a cooperative manner (Lundy & Cowling, 1996).

As the personnel manager I will implement planning by identifying the areas which need to be planned for. I will also seek consultation from the other managers in order to have their views in relation to planning. On this basis, planning in each department or any program of planning will be implemented in relation to the amount of money the company has. In order to effectively plan for the future, I will delegate duties to the other managers and require a report from them after a certain period of time (Brotton & Gold, 2001).

After being promoted as the personnel manager of this company, I would work hard to solve the problems facing the company and even the future problems. In this case, I would tell Mr. Phillips that I will focus on planning for the future of the company by building a warehouse, relocating to a place where expansion is possible, and planning for the training of employees. In this connection, there is a great need for a warehouse in order to have great stock of manufactured products especially now that the Philips Furniture company is in control of Martin Furniture manufacturing firm. This company is expanding at a very high rate and there is a need for a warehouse adequately services all customers (Lundy & Cowling, 1996).

With the increasing expanding rate of this company, there is need to relocate to a place where expansion is possible as there is no space the place where the company is located. This expansion will help in building warehouses and other stores which will ensure that there are adequate products for the customers. In the present state, there is inadequate furniture for the customers making them dissatisfied by the ineffective service of the company. Training is very essential for all employees in a company as they get prepared for any promotion within the company. Additionally, when employees are well trained they will be delegated duties (Brotton & Gold, 2001).

My first actions would to identify the problems affecting this company and the possible solutions. These problems are for the present time and also the future and hence if not solved they will lead to financial instability of this company. The main reason of identifying these problems is to look for viable solutions to them in order to save the company collapsing in future. Some of these problems will be compounded and hence it will be very hard to solve them in future. On this basis therefore, there is a great need of solving them presently before they get compounded (Lundy & Cowling, 1996).

Human Resources Document Control and Management

Is your Human Resources department drowning in paper? Human Resource departments are notorious for tremendous amounts of paper due to the primary processes they maintain such as Recruiting documents, Hiring and Job Applications, Employee Reviews / Writeups, I9 Forms, and Benefit Documentation to name a few.

But most importantly with the onset of a multitude of regulatory acts to comply with, such as HIPAA, FERPA, FACTA, FMLA the Human Resources department needs to know all of that documentation is secure from theft or intrusion. And having these as paper documents can open a company up to loss in other ways as well, like for instance a fire of the facility. If there is no external archive of every single document that company has lost valuable information.

There is a better way to meet these requirements AND insert efficiency for your HR department using a document conversion process. You can take all of those invaluable documents holding the personal information of all you present and past employees and putting them in to a digital format that is more readily available and archive-able.

1. Reduce your storage costs – Open up the space you are currently using to file all of these documents and either make is more productive or no longer pay the monthly rent.

2. Reduce you document retrieval costs – An average of 7 minutes is spent every time you have to look for a paper document, reduce that time to seconds by using an internal, secure, search feature.

3. Increase document security – You have unlimited control over every document that is converted to a digital format. You can give admin rights to certain people in your company allowing them access to only certain level files, and give the managers increased access. And when an employee changes positions you can immediately revoke their access.

4. Regulatory document compliance – Regulatory acts can be integrated in the system as they are created without having to duplicate and move heavy paper files to a different secure facility. You can require ‘need to know’ verification access as well.

Imagine having a desk that is not covered in paper, and being able to respond to employee requests with the use of your keyboard. That is the daily objective of document conversion and management, because converting paper documents is only part of the solution. The HR department needs to have ultimate control over every document for individual security as well as meeting regulatory compliance.

Selecting a document management system should account for the applications and processes you currently have in place. Because the new system should integrate in to your current work environment applications and allow you to easily transfer your current process in to a more efficient system. If you are having to recreate your entire process for the department to fit a new document management software I would highly recommend that you continue to research or verify that you NEED to make that change. Some companies do … but in general, most companies have a smooth HR process transition.

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Duty of the Human Resource Management Team in Employee Retention

Research has proved that the reason why people change or remain in their job will bear resemblance all over the world. The human resource management of every organization needs to constantly investigate and find ways of retaining their workforce especially the best workers.

One way of ensuring that workers are motivated and hence retain them is by having a good manager or supervisor. Managers should be trained on communication skills that allow them to correspond openly to their juniors, recognize when good work has been done and more so do this consistently. Staff should be give freedom to perform their duties. In addition, a good superior should work towards establishing teamwork in his/her department.

Top on the list of most workers is career development, and the way to ensure this is by allowing your workforce to learn and grow in their profession. Offer them study leave or even pay for their studies if you can afford. Employees also look for a job that is challenging, exciting and helps them grow their personal lives.

Most of the time money is never the main cause of employees exiting a company. Rather, most of the time displeasure with the management drives workers to change jobs. Anytime the management is considered unreasonable, employees take the opportunity to include money in the equation. The mistake most business owners do is adding salaries to complaining workers in the hope it will help retain them. But they fail to see that they are simply addressing the warning signs and not the root causes of discontent.

Anytime one of your best employee leaves for a better job, rather than blaming the staff blame the manager in that particular department. It is the duty of the manager to provide a favorable working environment. These are some of the facts that every human resource management team needs to work on in order to maintain their best workforce.

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Courses in Human Resource Management will help you to be the people’s person!

The sudden rise in the number of courses in human resource management has proven that inevitably this is one of the most sought after and popular courses in management education. Most top B schools in India mandatorily include a course in hr management since students opting for this particular field are quite high in number.

A qualified human resource personnel is in much demand since most MNC’s, big organization with numerous employees and offices working with different departments need responsible individuals, who can control high caliber workers and professionals. Even small to medium sized companies are on the lookout for youths who have obtained degrees from top B schools India pertaining to a course in hr management.

The day to day management of innumerable employees; looking after their grievances, managing day to day complex affairs all fall under the job responsibilities of a qualified HR personnel. A course in human resource management is also a very lucrative and rewarding career option with the opportunity to reach the top managerial position in a short time. This field also brings with it an attractive pay package including perks, benefits etc. This course is more suitable for individuals with the characteristic of communicating with the masses and the ability to mix with different sorts of people. India is a viable destination where courses in hr management is concerned, since there are various reputed institutes of management education who teach students to be perfect with labor laws and other such needs. Most top B schools in India teach students the art of taking employees in confidence, the patience to listen to their grievances, handling untoward incidents and the confidence to handle adverse situations. Without such qualities it will be simply impossible for a person in the HR field to stay on the job and move ahead.

Management education in India has reached a tremendous height with various renowned business schools offering the best curriculum, state-of-the-art infrastructure, all modern amenities like Wi-Fi, ac labs, excellent collection of books and other study materials for the benefit of their students. Usually most top B schools India conduct campus interviews where top notch companies, both local and international, come over and absorb the students there itself. This is a big advantage for management students pursuing courses in HR management in India.

This job involves immense responsibility, patience and a clear mind to develop as well as implement strategies that is beneficial both for the organization as well as for its employees. It involves a step-by-step plan of action to develop and define the corporate mission and objectives. It is very important to understand that being successful in HR depends on communication and inter-personal skills and the ability to understand strategies, the value of organizational goals and the tactful decisions that can satisfy employees as well benefit the organization.

Skilled providers are THE most important resources to improving care and maternal health around the world. This educational video from Every Mother Counts explores the importance of human resources.