Marks and Spencer: Human Resource Management

Marks and Spencer: Human Resource Management In 1998 it became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over  £1  billion, though a few years later it plunged into a crisis which lasted for several years. In November 2009, it was announced that Marc Bolland, formerly of Morrisons, will take over as chief executive from Stuart Rose in early 2010; Rose will continue as chairman until mid-2011. MSs Present situation of Recruitment, selection and training: As MS persist to grow the business and invest for the future, it is more essential than ever to keep amplification the team of employees at every level, from the shop-floor through to management. To attract and retain the best talent in the industry, HRM has to exhibit each day that MS is a good employer, dedicated to creating all the people feel respected and providing them with career opportunities and quality training. Recruitment and retention: The company employs around 71,000 people in the UK, 75,000 worldwide. MS has one of the lowest employee turnover rates in UK retail, at 27% for customer assistants and 12% for management. Around 40% of the people have been with it for over 5 years and 22% for more than ten years. MS can offer graduates a fast track into management and last year HRM received a record 8,500 applications in just over two months. Each year the company employ between 150 and 200 graduates and business placement programmed undergraduates for positions in retail, food technology, design, HR, buying, IT and other specialist roles. MS won four major graduate recruitment awards, including the 2008 Times Graduate Employer of Choice for retail. Training and development: The company needs to train people comprehensively to do their jobs, but also want to keep their skills and experience by giving them real opportunities to plan and build a career with Marks Spencer. MS has defined career paths in place for many of its people, including Customer Assistants and store management. During the year it introduced new career paths for store Section Managers and HR and marketing teams. Everyone joining in the stores completes a thorough induction and up to 26 weeks ongoing training the longest on the high street. MS has over 7,500 people in stores who act as coaches to train and support their less experienced colleagues. This year the company has also run specialist training for people moving into senior management roles or taking up international assignments. Additionally, more than 4,000 people completed Buying Academy and Food Academy courses. MS now testing similar types of academies for womenswear and merchandisers. MSs Ethics and Code is communicated across the company and senior management is asked to confirm acceptance annually with breaches reported to the Audit Committee. The recruitment and selection process of human resource in the company go through in two parts, Store and Head Office. Store Retail Sales MS has two schemes available in the stores: Selling and HR. Selling is where most of the graduates join, and offers the chance to be fast-tracked into senior level retail management. HR is where personnel train to be an HR manager, gaining experience into everything from managing recruitment to carrying out disciplinary procedures. Figure 4 Store Roles Store management Managing HR in store Store stock management Head office In a head office role, the personnel get the opportunity to develop professional skills and capabilities, and then use that acquaintance to influence strategies and confine growth across the rest of the business. MS provides opportunities in  IT, design, merchandising, garment, buying and food technology and product development. Figure 5 Designing Store development Accounts and finance Head office Roles Procurement Product development Information technology UK and International marketing Information technology Human resource management Recruitment and Selection Procedure of MS Job centre Recruitment Agencies Recruitment Sources Advertisements On-line application Schools, colleges, universities Friends and relatives of existing employees Executive search agencies Interviews Work-based tests Selection Procedures Bio-data analysis Psychological analysis References Analytical ability test Training and development process: MS wants its people to enjoy their work and feel they have all the skills they need to do their job to the best of their ability. Therefore, the company offers in-depth training and performance coaching, and regularly assess the peoples development needs to ensure everyone has the support to achieve their potential. For once in my life I can truly say that I enjoy going to work every day and I really like the buzz you feel all around the store. Brian MS Staff It does not a matter in which area of the business someone joins, he/she will receive an induction that will help to settle into the team, giving a feel for what role will involve and leave to feel passionate, inspired and excited about the career with Marks Spencer. The following provides the nature of training one can expect in MSs stores and at head office, and how the company looks at developing future leaders of the business. Marks Spencer offers the majority of the training for store teams is on-the-job. It helps them learn in  real life situations. The section managers also receive specific training on stock management, driving sales and motivating their teams, while the store managers are regularly assessed to address any senior level development needs they may have. Finally, the retail business transforms fast and making sure each of the employees has a flexible and diverse range of skills is as significant to the future of MSs business as it is to the people who work in it. That is true whether an employee joins the company for a short period of time or to pursue a long-term career. The training MS offer is designed to help individuals build up their talents and capabilities, develop their experience and fulfill their career ambitions. MS aim is to ensure that the employees have the skills they need to deliver the kind of service that customers expect from MS. Evaluation of the Human Relations School of management in relation to Motivation of staff: In 1920 an experiment conducted by the Hawthorne plant of Western Electric (in Cicero, IL) known as the Hawthorne Experiments from which the human relations management evolved. This human relations management approach includes different models, ways and ideas. Through this experiment an important observation was noted. As the employees were divided in to two groups for the purpose of experiment groups got varied attention from the management. And it was found that the group which got majority of attention got highly motivated and seemed their work as significant one and turn out to be more productive. Because of this particular work people understood that workers also need special attention as they were treated as some force which will do the job otherwise would be terminated at that era. And this observation helped to introduce a new horizon in the outlook of managers and help come into view human relations management. This school of management is now there for quite a long time and withstands the test of time. This view is sometimes regarded as theory of motivation and the treat people working in the organization quite differently than other theories such as autocratic. Among different theories McGregors X and Y Theories presume workers can act in both ways that is some workers may be unmotivated and reluctant about the work imposed on them (Theory-X) and some may seem motivated and treat the work as trust vested upon them (Theory-Y). So management needs to be pretty much careful in handling workers. Management should design its different program by keeping human relations management. In this modern world workers are not only used like machines to make the job done rather they will have to nourish which will in turn provide nourishment to the organization. To motivate employees to the work this approach recommends some steps that management can follow: To treat employees as if work is as common as doing daily activities in normal mode. The target of the employees work is aimed share those objectives to make the work more acquainted with the employees. Make sure employees can take major decision on their own and can prove their own potential. Provide proper training and increase work load as they become more capable. Appreciate and motivate employees on doing successful projects and set standards which are achievable. This approach tells us that employees are not motivated only by monetary benefit but also by different fringe benefits such as appreciation, sense of togetherness etc. Program of Motivational Factors for a Small to Medium Sized Business:. Motivational program is set to achieve the following objectives: To Perform jobs as efficiently and timely as possible and Be ready to take latest challenges as they are presented to them and stood confident to cope with those challenges. So to design a program for a small to medium business the following factors or observations need to be addressed: Ability and motivation: The program designed must be able to locate the areas which will motivate employees and the purpose of the program will be to motivate employees. The program should include something that increases employees eagerness to do the job willingly. Reinforce employees positively and train them as it becomes necessary. Always maintain and ensure fairness, respect, and honesty in treating employees. It is one of essentials of the program. Identify, understand and talk to employees about their miseries, provide assistance if needed. Job rotation, job redesign, restructuring or reorganizing job descriptions when necessary will make the employees more capable of doing different jobs and will reduce dependency on some key employees. Based on the performance establish reward system which may range from providing monetary to non monetary benefits. After the inclusion of all these factors or observations there will be a turnaround in the way of doing things in a small or medium sized business. Classical and Scientific School of Management: To manage work and train the workers to reduce dissatisfaction of the workers Classical management theory evolved during the Industrial Revolution. It mainly find the best way to perform the job assigned. There are two branches of Classical School of Management: classical scientific and classical administrative. Classical scientific school: The  classical scientific branch  deals with the process of work and the skills of the workers and to increase productivity. Taylor, Henry Gantt, and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were the main contributors of this school. Taylor believed that organizations should study tasks and develop precise procedures. Henry Gantt is the creator of the Gantt chart, a bar graph that measures planned and completed work along each stage of production. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth,  studied job motions. Frank was an apprentice bricklayer, he was interested in standardization and method study. He studied about the workers slowness and inefficiency. The scientific management was developed to divide work between employees, methods of doing jobs, the teamwork building and training and developing workers. Classical administrative school: The classical administrative School deals on the total organization such as the development of managerial principles rather than work methods. Max Weber, Henri Fayol, Mary Parker Follett, and Chester I. Barnard were the main contributors.   Max Weber  believed that the organization should be run by structured rules and it should not be run as family-like basis. He didnt think that authority should be based on a persons personality. He thought authority should be something that was part of a persons job and passed from individual to individual as one person left and another took over. This nonpersonal, objective form of organization was called a  bureaucracy. All bureaucracies have the characteristics as Division of work, A good hierarchy and Rule and regulations, competence and the relationships between managers and employees. Henri Fayols 14 principles of management gives clear idea how a manager manage his department and staff. The 14 principles are: Division of work, Authority and responsibility, Discipline, Unity of command, Unity of direction, Subordination of individual interest to general interest, Remuneration of personnel, Centralization, Scalar chain, Order, Equity, Stability of tenure of personnel, Initiative, Esprit de corps. Mary Parker Follett   encouraged managers to share their power with the employees. She began to talk about such things as ethics, power, and leadership. She stressed the importance of people rather than techniques a concept very much before her time. As a result, she was a pioneer and often not taken seriously by management scholars of her time. But times change, and innovative ideas from the past suddenly take on new meanings. Much of what managers do today is based on the fundamentals that Follett established more than 80 years ago. Relevance of Maslows Theory in Todays Workforce: The dynamic world of business needs to motivate employees which contradict the past dictatorship by the top management. Through this process of development different perspectives arise and made their mark in motivating employees. Maslows hierarchy of needs alternatively known as the theory Z is one such remarkable innovation that never lost its eminent prospect in motivating employees and still followed all around the world. The Maslows hierarchy calls for the meet up of employees physiological needs on the first hand. In todays world firms focus on issues such as food, housing etc which falls in the physiological category to motivate employees. In USA Toyota has a village for its employees that provide housing facilities for its employees. The second parameter is safety. Employees need job security, health support for them and for their families so if this can be ensured employees will surely be motivated. The example of Toyota village can be mentioned once again here. People are by nature hungry for love and as human beings employees also need love and affection. So the insurance of appreciation, sense of belongingness will motivate them and theory Z is very much appropriate in identifying it. In self esteem case employees act as confident contenders in performing a job. They will want achieve something for them and to obtain respect from others. Maslow rightly identified this need as low and mid level managers always try to be achievers. And they want top management to believe in them to take some decisions for which they will be responsible. Employees at certain time become more creative in what they usually do. In this process of self actualization employees will need to be handled carefully as they can take the business to a whole new level. So Maslows theory is very much in line with the todays workforce. Evaluation of the autocratic and democratic ways of implementing changes within the organization: Every company always tries to manage the changes by using democratic or participatory managerial style. Change management is a personal journey along with the organization changes. So each stakeholders views, complaints and concerns needed to be heard and this input needs to be incorporated into the change management process. If the organizational changes are imposed on the individuals without showing much respect towards the individual employees the firm should at the same time be prepared for a lot resistance. Change management is difficult as there are negative reaction from the employees. The managers should be very much intelligent and competent to change and they must manage employees that they will not be affected badly. People should be given information be open and honest about the facts, but dont give overoptimistic speculation. The information should be given everyone in the organization. People should be given time, to express their views, and support their decision making, providing coaching, counseling or information as appropriate. Where the change involves a loss, identifies what will or might replace that loss loss is easier to cope with if there is something to replace it. This will help assuage potential fears. Where it is possible to do so, give individuals opportunity to express their concerns and provide reassurances also to help assuage potential fears. Linkage between management style and motivational programs: Generally with the democratic style of management, employees are highly motivated and inverse is the case with the autocratic style of leadership. But this simple statement needs better modification. While answering this question I will try to focus on the different motivational practice backed by the motivational theory and its linkage with the management style. According to the Maslows hierarchy of need theory people at a specific point of time has a specific level of need. After the fulfillment of that need a second stage need occurs. Employee who currently has safety and psychological needs will not care about the style of management for getting motivated. But in case of employees, who have love, esteem or self- actualization needs cares about the motivational level at the workforce and they will be much motivated with the scientific style of management. According to Douglas McGregor of MIT Sloan School of Management Employees can be narrowly divided into two generic classes- one set of people who are innovative and love to work as to them working is equivalent to play. For motivating them he proposed democratic leadership, flatten hierarchy and team work (components of modem management technique). According to McGregor, another set of employee do not work hard since they find no real interest in the job and like to follow the command instead of thinking creatively. For motivating those types of employees he proposed autocratic leadership, strong chain of command (components of classical management technique). Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist, has segregated different factors at the workplace that affect the productivity motivators and hygiene factors. If there are no motivators like challenging work, responsibility, good management although he doesnt leave the job but still he is not motivated. Firms which are more concerned about the efficiency not retention should incorporate scientific management to motivate the people. Should Higher Education be free to students? Should Higher Education be free to students? Introduction By the end of this essay I will be explain how the system work I will be talking about how education can effect people i will also carry out a research on the background history of how the higher education system and its funding in UK over past years and I will analyse some off the point which I have researched over the internet and analysed .I will show the advantages and disadvantages if higher education should be free Higher Education University is an important right of passage an opportunity to establish independence, to study on areas of interest and hopefully to do so in, stimulating environment meeting new people, and considering new ideas and .I think it is important that everyone should attend this stage Higher education is provided for free in by most off the countries, or maybe at a a considerate price , but not in the UK, The UK has presumably more money at the institutions disposal. However, it also means that higher education may be not that unaffordable to many people at a lower circumstances. Scholarships and loans As we how that there is scholarships and loans available now but scholarships are obviously not going to be available to everyone and the loans are the loan is a big debt after graduating so as you can see the student dont have a chance in either however to soclize the higher education in the U.K we will need a big overhaul system that will handled with care. The Government has said half of young people are getting into higher education is failing. Far from rising by around 4 per cent a year. maybe this is why higher education is not free the government cant afford to invest money on student education and student are failing . Well we should consider education to be an investment. Statistics suggest that, on average, these with a higher education earn higher incomes. THE Background When the New Labour took power in 1997, students had means-tested maintenance grants and no fees. After a year they took off the grant was gone and a means-tested fee regime of up to  £1,000 a year after 2004 the higher education pushed it up to  £3,000 and this will increase very academic year. As you see that huge increase from 1997 to 2009 the normal fees was 1,000 than was increased to  £3250 The means testing will allow poor people and people with low income to go university .Those how are from low income families should still be able to attend university however the middle classes benefits the most from university education At the moment there has been a very high drop out rate from university and the reason is because students have to drop out because they cant afford the fee Funding Must universities in Britain are state financed, with only one private university à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“University of Buckinghamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  where the government does not support the tuition fees. Undergraduate and posgradute Undergraduate students and the students from EU countries have to pay university fees up to a maximum of  £3,225 09/10. Loans are available to students depending on there income assist. This may only be used for tuition fee costs. However in Scotland it different they have their fees paid by the students awards agency for Scotland rather than student Finance.. However postgraduate students are responsible for all there fees but however postgraduate have a variety of scholarship and assistantship schemes they might chooses from that may provide support e.g Economic and social research council and many more .The main sources of funding for postgraduate students are through research councils Advantages of making Higher Education Free Here are some off the advantages points * Higher Education leads to situations this is when students graduating end up having extremely high debt on them this was lead to the student loan . Also if higher education was free student will take extra courses which is more effectively * It will decrease the students from drop out ,and push up the passing rate This will than boost the economy with the amount off student graduating from there universities with a degree * There will be equal opportunity to everyone to attend higher education this means the poor people and the low-income families will have the right to apply .As you can see that the middle class people are using this opportunity using the money and leaving the poor and low incomes missing the opportunity Disadvantages of making Higher Education Free * There will be less jobs available for everyone the reason because the people who didnt attend university was a high number and by making the higher education free it will increases the graduates and will than decreases the amount of jobs available * The disadvantage about free higher education is that the government will be paying it but however the stistics shows that half off the higher education student fail there course every year this will than show an down decrease in the economic structure Supply and demand The Supply and demand is an economic of price in a market. It explains that in a market, price will function to equal the quantity demanded by consumers, and the quantity supplied by producers, resulting in economic equilibrium of price and quantity. The demand schedule, shows a graphically as the demand curves , represents the amount of goods that buyers who wants to purchase at different prices. The price of goods remain the same however Following the law demand the demand curve is almost always represented as downward line this means that if the price decreases the consumers will buy more of the good. This means that if higher education was to be free the demand on the education will increase .The reason because the people who didnt mange to go for reasons like the fees for the courses they will have an opportunity to apply however there will be a very high demand as because the students use to pay for it now it free. As you can see on the graph Excess Supply If the price is set too high, excess supply will be created within the economy and there will be allocative inefficiency. , but those consuming the goods will find the product less attractive andpurchase less because the price is too high This is how it looks like when higher education is not free ,the fees are too high and student will not be able to attend just how it shown on the graph Shifts A shift in a demand or supply curve occurs when a goods quantity demanded or supplied changes even though price remains the same. For example if the fees for the university was FREE and the quantity of off student applying shows the demanded However this shows that if higher education was free there will be an increase in demand Conclusion In conclusion I have identified how higher education should be free to students managed to find out what the student thought about free education I also showed what the advantages was for the free education and the disadvantages I managed to get some ideas however I also used the supply and demand and excess supply I managed to compare them and analysed them .I researched the background of the higher education and got some important information which I also analysed . http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26storycode=403698c=2 http://ingrimayne.com/econ/Introduction/ScarcityNChoice.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/mar/04/highereducation.tuitionfees http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_in_the_United_Kingdom http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2337183.stm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_in_the_United_Kingdom http://www.economicshelp.org/2007/10/why-top-up-fees-are-good-idea.html