I need help with a discussion

P2C.docx

Home >Education homework help >I need help with a discussion

Upper-level undergraduate students will work through issues associated with developing and sustaining an HR department to support an organization facing labor shortages and high product demand. At the end of the study, students learn how to:

1. Align HR initiatives with corporate

2. Develop a complete HR organization structure, including roles and responsibilities, and then adjust the structure to support the structure to support the organization.

You are hired as the HR director for the fictitious Motors and More, Inc. Motors and More, a business-to-business sales company, manufactures small motors and accessories for industrial and home products. The industry is highly competitive, and the company follows a prospector strategy.

A prospector strategy takes advantage of new markets and products (Gomez-Mejia, Galkin and Cardy, 2001). Organizational emphasis is on growth, innovation and new product development. A prospector wants to be first to market. To respond to competitive and rapidly changing markets, prospectors have flexible, flat and more decentralized organizational structures.

Motors and More is headquartered in a small southern town of 28,000 people, with a low unemployment rate of 3.1 percent. This means that demand for workers exceeds the labor supply. There is a technical school and a community college within 50 miles of Motors and More. Motors and More’s president is former military and is highly patriotic. He is committed to staying in the community. Recently, several other local companies have experienced labor organizing activities.

Motors and More employs 116 people. Until you were hired, there was no HR department. Recently, the organization’s employee turnover rate has been higher than normal. The marketing and sales department continues to sell products to an expanding market. Because of this increased product demand, output must be increased by 96 percent.

Eighty-eight percent of Motors and More employees are Caucasian. With the exception of one female supervisor in the customer service department, the president and all other managers are Caucasian men. Management promotions have been based on seniority. The local labor market population is approximately 48 percent minority. There is a growing Hispanic and Kurdish population that have not been accepted into the community.

All the employees in manufacturing (including quality control), customer service and operations (responsible for shipping and receiving; distribution of raw materials, components parts and finished goods inventory; and maintenance and cleaning) have at least a high school degree or GED. The organization provides some skills training courses. Please refer to the organizational chart in Figure 1 for more details.

Figure 1: Motors and More Organization Chart

References

Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Galkin, D., & Cardy, R. (2001). Managing human resources. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc

Suggested Readings for Case Study

1. Anthony, W., Kacmar, K. M., & Perrewe, P. (2006). Human resource management: A strategic approach. Mason, OH: Thomson Custom Solutions.

2. Daft, R. L. (2003). Essentials of organization theory & design. Manson, OH: South-Western, Thomson Learning. DeNisi, A. S., & Grifﬁn, R.W. (2001). Human resource management. Boston: Houghton Mifﬂin Company.

3. Grifﬁn, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2006). Fundamentals of organizational behavior, managing people and organizations. Boston: Houghton Mifﬂin Company.

4. Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Galkin, D., & Cardy, R. (2001). Managing human resources. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

5. Jackson, S., & Schuler, R. (2006). Managing human resources though strategic partnerships (9th ed.). United States: Thomson South-Western. Kirkpatrick, D. L. (1994). Evaluating training programs: The four levels. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

6. Mathis, R., & Jackson, J. (2006). Human resource management (11th ed.). United States: Thomson South-Western.

7. Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. (2007). Human resource management (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Robinson, D. G., & Robinson, J. (1996). Performance consulting: Moving beyond training. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publisher

The scenario provides background information and a framework for the progressive case study. You will be asked to address the organization’s issues through discussion board assignments. Assumptions for this assignment include:

· Motors and More, Inc. has adequate resources to support any reasonable initiatives.

· Motors and More, Inc. produces products and services that will continue to be in demand.

· Motors and More, Inc. does not have a succession plan.

· Entry-level employees in the manufacturing department are paid minimum wage as mandated by federal law.

· Wage rates are defined for employees in the different divisions.

· Student will define the organization’s compensation. Student will decide if Motors and More, Inc. meets, leads or lags the competition. Student should consider where the organization stands in comparison to other organizations in the area. Search for information that will help you decide the organization’s approach to pay.

· Regarding benefits, Motors and More, Inc. provides unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and Social Security withholding for employees as mandated by law.

· Part C. Identify the HR practices required to support a prospector strategy. To complete this activity, please answer the questions listed below. Post your answers in Discussion Board C. Make sure to type the question and then your response.

·

· PART C | Question 1. Define a prospector strategy and its objective.

· PART C | Question 2. Describe an organization that uses a prospector strategy. What is their key objective? Describe the environment in which they operate.

· PART C | Question 3. Identify HR practices inherent in a prospector strategy.

nstructions: You may use the template shown below for your Discussion Board C Post. This template will help you include all the information required for this assignment. The required information is highlighted with red font. Once you are done, change the font color to black font. Then, copy and paste the document into the discussion board post. To receive full credit, you need to post your responses by Wednesday.

The assignment also requires two reply posts. Below the template, you will find a checklist with the required information on the two reply posts. Note the two reply posts are due on Saturday.

TEMPLATE FOR DISCUSSION BOARD C

PART C | Question 1. Define a prospector strategy and its objective.

RESPONSE:

Insert definition of prospector strategy (insert citation here).

Insert objective of prospector strategy (insert citation here).

PART C | Question 2. Describe an organization that uses a prospector strategy. What is their key objective? Describe the environment in which they operate.

RESPONSE:

Insert description of an organization that uses a prospector strategy.

Insert explanation of key objectives of the prospector strategy.

Insert a description of the environment of organization using the prospector strategy.

PART C | Question 3. Identify HR practices inherent in a prospector strategy.

RESPONSE

Insert list of 7 HR practices in a prospector strategies

Insert HR Practice #1

Insert HR Practice #2

Insert HR Practice #3

Insert HR Practice #4

Insert HR Practice #5

Insert HR Practice #6

Insert HR Practice #7

Rubric

Responses to Questions (Maximum 61 points]

PART C | Question 1.

· Clear definition of concept [5 POINTS]

· Clear explanation of objective [5 POINTS]

PART C | Question 2.

· Clear description of organization using prospector strategy [10 POINTS]

· Clear explanation of objective of prospector strategy [10 POINTS]

· Clear explanation of environment in which a prospector strategy organization operates [10 POINTS]

PART C | Question 3.

· Identify 7 HR practices inherent in a prospector strategy [21 POINTS]