Human resource issues and practices in business management

Business Management -- Human Resource Issues and Practices

Best Practices in Relation to the Concept of Best Fit for the Organization

In general, the concept of best practices is applicable throughout modern business management and administration. In principle, it is a systematic method of objective analysis through which organizations can identify optimal practices that are conducive to maximum output and profitability given the initial parameters and resources available to the organization (George & Jones, 2008).

However, the concept of best practices cannot be applied in a vacuum; rather, it must always take into full account and incorporate organizational values and the stated objectives of the principals and of the organization (Robbins & Judge, 2009). In that regard, what may indeed be defined legitimately as best practices in one organization may not necessarily be appropriate in another, notwithstanding the fact that the two entities are identical in their industry, organizational structure, and product or work output (Robbins & Judge, 2009).

That is mainly because best practices encompasses more than elements capable of strict empirical analysis or valuation. In many respects, the defining values established by each organization and its strategic vision will dictate the manner in which it pursues its long-term goals (George & Jones, 2008). Therefore, best practices must also reflect those determinants and cannot possibly operate independently or the same way in different organizations (George & Jones, 2008; Robbins & Judge, 2009).

Evaluation of Substantive Human Resource Suggestions

Even before reaching the most important issue of compatibility of best Human Resource practices in this case, it is necessary to address the substantive quality of the other suggestions and initiatives raised by Sue. Specifically, Sue argued for a more thorough and comprehensive background check of prospective employees; that is a suggestion that is likely a candidate for a universal element of best practices within virtually any professional or other business organization. However, Sue's other principal suggested appears to make much less sense.

Sue's belief that new prospective hires can be better evaluated through cognitive testing rather than through college performance seems to contradict contemporary vies about the ways that human talents and abilities manifest themselves through measurable behavior. If anything, college performance is widely acknowledged as a better indicator of career potential than raw cognitive intelligence, certainly much more so than the reverse (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). Generally, the set of college students who have the ability to channel their superior cognitive skills into productive directions is a subset of all college students who have the requisite cognitive abilities. Moreover, sustained high academic performance demonstrates specific qualities that are useful in the professional realm that many individuals possessing superior raw cognitive ability may lack (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008).

While that issue is not directly relevant to the issue of best practices, it does provide one measure of Sue's comparative lack of experience and professional intuition and it should play at least some role in the prism through which her superiors can evaluate the degree of autonomy Sue deserves and expose the various limits on her current level of understanding of all of the issues that pertain to decisions within her professional purview.

Analysis of the Apparent Disconnect between Human Resources and Management

In this case, Sue has taken it upon herself that specific human resource practices are the right course for her new organization despite explicit indications from management that those particular practices do not fit the organization's strategic vision, organizational values, or available resources. In her inexperience, Sue has employed a myopic view of the concept of best practices, largely oblivious to the significance of best fit (George & Jones, 2008).

Sue has assumed that all best practices in her previous professional environment necessarily correspond to best practices in her current environment. In fact, the distinguishing features between the two entities whose relevance and significance Sue fails to appreciate make the approach that works in the public sector inappropriate for a private-sector organizations such as that of her current firm. Generally, employment opportunities in the public sector offer different comparative benefits and limitations from those available in the private sector.

For example, even highly skilled public-sector professionals typically earn substantially less than their colleagues with comparable qualifications working in private organizations. However, they generally enjoy shorter and more regular hours, more generous non-monetary perks (such as government tuition assistance). By contrast, private organizations may provide an entirely different corporate culture that includes regular overtime commitments; and they may compensate for sacrifices expected of employees through higher salaries or bonuses. Unlike public-sector employers, private organizations (particularly smaller ones) cannot necessarily afford to invest as heavily in every employee, especially without specific merit.

Appropriate Resolution

Had Sue been more sensitive to the needs of her organization, she might have approached management on the topic of employee development through educational assistance before broaching that subject with employees. Creating the expectation on their part without first inquiring into the feasibility of the concept from management's perspective was irresponsible. She should not have assumed that what constituted an element of best practice in one organization necessarily was a best fit for another (George & Jones, 2008).