Examination of the Relationship between HRM Practices and Retention of Thesis

Examination of the Relationship between HRM Practices and Retention of Skilled Workers - Thesis Example among many empirical studies is the discovery of how HRM practices actually result in improved firm performance, although firm performance is construed in different ways. Some pertain to enhancement of specific employee skills. For Prieto and Santana (2012), the specific skill they sought to confirm was ambidexterity – i.e., the ability to simultaneously explore new knowledge domains while exploiting current ones. A field study of 198 Spanish companies was conducted, focusing on three categories of high-involvement human resource practices: ability-enhancing, motivation-enhancing and opportunity-enhancing HR practices. Factor loading and regression analysis were conducted on the HR practices and three other variables – social climate (as the mediating factor), ambidexterity, and firm performance. Findings from the study showed that HR practices contribute to establishing social climates which, in turn enhance ambidextrous learning and ultimately firm performance. One ob servation that may be made on this study is that the effect of HR practices on ambidexterity is not directly causal, but indirect. It is likely that the social climates created by HR practices also enhance a number of other skills likewise favourable to firm performance. HR practices are therefore contributory, but not determinative, of the likelihood of skills development, including ambidexterity. HR practices are also seen to impact on firm performance relative to the ownership structure of the firm. Castrogiovanni and Kidwell (2010) examined the effects of HR practices on employee or franchisee managers and the resultant performance of their business units. A business unit that operates as a franchise imposes a different set of constraints upon management than that of a business unit integral to the parent corporation. Franchising has variably been described as a geographic expansion strategy, a type of vertical integration, an organisational form, or an approach to conducting business,

Total Environments, Health, and Safety Management Research Paper

Total Environments, Health, and Safety Management - Research Paper Example Employees who are working on the construction site are subjected to a constant change in their nature of work, mix of workers and location of work. In view of most of the people, construction industry has most risky working environment as compared to other industries (Broadbent, 2004). In case of construction industry, the concept of safety culture is relatively a naà ¯ve concept. However, in recent past this concept has gained popularity due to its unique ability of accepting all the psychological, behavioural, perceptional and managerial factors. Multitasking and paying attention to more than one tasks (professional or non professional) at a time result in accidents. While employees are performing their duties without wearing their protective equipments or just talking on their cell phone, they place themselves at risk just only to make themselves comfortable or to save time. In short, in construction industry most of the accidents occur not due to the lack of skill, training and knowledge but are related to relatively poor decision making skills (Cooper and Phillips, 2004). Management, starting from the individuals, who are occupying the highest position in hierarchical order, all the way through the low level management (leaders, superintendents, supervisors etc.), and all the way down to the people working in production area must engage themselves in the combine efforts to systematically reduce or eradicate the chances of being exposed to any of the hazardous condition or situation. An effective and successful safety culture has following elements: By developing and managing the process of safety in a more effective manner, any organization can reduce the chances of injuries, increase the awareness among workers about safety, can increase overall productivity and also raise the morale of the workers. In order to check compliance, the