Therefore, the research and development personnel require special attention from the company and a special reward system. It is recommended that employees in this field benefit from more days of leave on pay than other categories of employees. Also, they can be rewarded with trips to other countries, or experience exchanges with professionals from other companies or other countries.

The amount invested by the company in the reward for each category of employees must be proportional with the effort made by the employees in case and with the importance that each job position has in the company's activity.

Performance management

Performance evaluation represents a central activity in the company's HR management because of the fact that it affects numerous decisions of the HR management system, like: recruitment and selection, identifying training requirements, distribution of rewards, evaluation of the HR projection process, promotions, and others (Ferris & Buckley, 1996).

In addition to this, certain specialists in the field recommend that the term "evaluation" is not used for this process, in order to not create a negative perception of employees regarding this process (Hudson, 1992).

In the case of Oasis Bicycles the performance evaluation process is consisted of several distinct activities: evaluating the potential and the evolution and development ability of employees, evaluating behavior, and evaluating employees' performances.

Evaluating the potential and the evolution and development ability of employees

This type of evaluation is performed based on the traits and personal characteristics of the employee in case, but also based on data and information about the person itself, and not necessarily about the behavior at work.

Although the starting point in this type of evaluation is represented by previous appreciations and accomplishments, the evaluation must be oriented towards the future.

This activity brings into attention a series of issues, because some uncertainties of the future may represent the cause of reconsidering many aspects of future evaluations and promotions, and the limited range of opportunities may determine further negative issues to emerge.

Also, the validity of results may be questioned and certain evaluations can be easily contested. In addition to this, such an evaluation will not provide significant feedback for employees.

Evaluating behavior

This type of evaluation takes into consideration behavioral manifestations that are related to performance characteristics. This type of evaluation is very important in the case of Oasis Bicycles. The importance of this type of evaluation is represented by the fact that the company produces goods that are directly used by consumers, and also, certain employees categories deal directly with customers. In such cases, the employees' behavior is very important, and so is its evaluation.

Performance evaluation

This type of evaluation is directed towards the following purposes: performance improvement and development, progress and planning, investment in human resources.

Performance evaluation objectives

Certain theoreticians in the field have performed thorough research in the field, and in numerous companies, revealing the diversity of objectives included by companies' HR managers in the performance evaluation process (Robbins, 1993).

The objectives and their priority regarding the performance evaluation process in the case of Oasis Bicycles are revealed in the following table:

Table1. Performance evaluation objectives

Objective

Priority

1.

Compensations

81%

2.

Performance feedback

60%

3.

Promotions

53%

4.

Personnel planning

60%

5.

Research

30%

6.

Personnel integration

49%

7.

Development base

57%

8.

Motivational support

40%

Performance evaluation process

In order to be successful, the performance evaluation process that will be applied at Oasis Bicycles must follow the following stages. The process must start with the stage consisting in defining the objectives of performance evaluation. In the case of Oasis Bicycles, the objectives of this process are listed in the table presented above.

The process must continue with establishing the moments in which the evaluation will be performed, and also establishing the persons responsible with performing these tasks. Therefore, it is recommended that personnel's evaluation at Oasis Bicycles is performed twice a year. The persons in charge with performing this activity are the managers of each department.

Furthermore, it is recommended to clearly establish the aspects that will be subjected to the evaluation in case. The most important aspects that may be evaluated are: results obtained by employees, their behavior, or their potential (Beardwell & Holden, 1997).

The evaluation criteria, the specific elements and attributes that define performance for each job position must be clearly determined before the actual evaluation takes place. In addition to this, it is important...

The obtained data and information are then analyzed. The results of the evaluation must be communicated to employees in order to prevent the emergence of conflicts that might affect employees' behavior in the workplace.
Once the results of the evaluation have been analyzed, the HR department must identify strategies for improving employees' performance and the future workplace behavior. In addition to this, employees with poor performances must be counseled and supported in order to improve their performance in the future.

The development of the performance evaluation process at Oasis Bicycles may take into consideration the following activities, in accordance with the needs of the company at a given point in which the process is implemented: integrating established characteristics into an evaluation system, transmitting performance standards to managers, evaluators, and to employees that are being evaluated, preparing evaluators and managers, using several evaluators or managers (Dessler, 1991).

Learning and development

Although the customer is the central part of the company's strategy, the company's employees are just as important in delivering the objectives and goals established by Oasis Bicycles' managers. The company is in a continuous development process and its employees must also adapt to this process.

The market is characterized by rapid changes and Oasis Bicycles must adapt to these changes through its employees. Therefore, it is very important that employees benefit from programs and training processes that help them develop existing skills, abilities and knowledge, or to develop new ones (Price, 2007).

The learning process should be a continuous one, because of the changes and developments that keep emerging in any field of activity. The learning process is even more important in the case of Oasis Bicycles, since the company relies on developing new products constantly, products that require new technologies.

The Application of a Strategic Human Resources Management Model

Given the cycle in which Oasis Bicycles is currently situated and the circumstances that compose the company's internal and external environment, it is recommended that the company tries to implement a HRM descriptive-behavioral model.

Oasis Bicycles is expanding its activity on international level, there are significant changes affecting the company's production and marketing activity. These changes must be identified, analyzed by the HR department. The department must further identify any kind of problems that might emerge in this internationalization process and that might have an impact on the performance of the company's human resources.

The company must analyze the workforce market in each country addressed by Oasis Bicycles. Each country has a distinct workforce market, with different characteristics that must be addressed in different manners.

Also, the recruitment and selection process must be adapted to the situation in each country. Although the company employs HR professionals of great efficiency, it is recommended that the recruitment and selection process is implemented by local HR companies in each country in which Oasis Bicycles intends to open plants or to sell its products.

In addition to this, it is recommended that the top managers and the department managers in each country come from internal recruiting sources, and have been previously employed in the company's national branches. The rest of the employees will be recruited from external sources, belonging to the local community in each case.

The reason behind this action relies on the fact that the company should take as least risks as possible, given the uncertainties of the environment. Therefore, it is necessary for each branch opened abroad to be managed by professionals already know how Oasis Bicycle works, what its possibilities and needs are at a certain point.

The main advantage of this HRM model is represented by its efficiency. It is easy to apply and it does not require extensive strategies, it can be quickly implemented, is mostly based on experience.

This model is mostly suitable for companies opening branches in different countries, like in the case of Oasis Bicycles.

However, there are certain limitations to the effects that this model is able to produce. For example, this model is efficient only in the first stages of developing a business. Once the company or the business in case expands, and develops, another model of HRM is required. This is because the importance of human resources increases in accordance with the development of the company's activity.

Managing a Global HR Structure and System

Although Oasis Bicycles is an international company, it has several production plants in different countries, it is present on several markets across the world, one cannot consider the company's HR structure and system as having a global dimension.

The reason behind this statement relies on the differences between each country and the particularities of the workforce in each country. There are also certain barriers that are difficult to be crossed. Such barriers include: language barriers, culture barriers, and others.

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