Human Resource Management Term Paper

Total Length: 1070 words ( 4 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1+

Page 1 of 4

secret and open salary information policies in which the author argues in favor of an "open" policy. Attempt has been made to discuss both sides of the picture and the conclusions have been drawn after a thorough analysis of the arguments.

Salary Information: Secrecy or Openness?

A case can be made both for and against a secret as well as an open pay policy. That is why we find almost an equal number of organizations that follow either of the two systems. There are surprisingly large numbers of organizations, particularly in the private sector, that not only keep the salary information of their employees secret but also require the staff to keep such data under wraps. Punishment for release of pay information in these companies is often severe and can even lead to dismissal. Although there is always some merit in a counter argument, I am convinced that an open salary information policy has greater benefits while a secret pay policy can lead to serious organizational and motivation problems.

Let us look at some of the arguments that have been put forward by the proponents of wage secrecy and analyze whether there are any merits in these contentions. First of all, it has often been claimed that it is the employees themselves who want their pay kept secret, it being privileged information. This claim is not supported by facts. If it did, why would most public organizations, where the labor unions are usually strong, almost unanimously follow an open pay policy? (Ivancevich, 2001. page 337). Only a very few employees would want to keep their pay secret -- the ones who were hand in glove with a manipulative management, or the ones who were unfairly benefiting through such a policy.
The vast majority of employees are in favor of an open pay policy, and there is now an increasing recognition in the corporate world that most employees want an open pay system. (Bartol and Martin, 1989). Moreover, the 'privileged information' argument is a negation of one of the fundamental principles of democracy and open societies: the right to know and the freedom of access to information. It is a wonder how the management of so many companies is flouting this very important cornerstone of a free society in the U.S. Of A, the torchbearer and bastion of the free-world.

It can also be said that pay-secrecy saves embarrassment to underpaid or under-performing employees. On the contrary, to my mind, one of the most compelling motivating factors for most people is the desire to move away from pain. If embarrassment at being underpaid were a painful experience for an employee, he would try his utmost to move away from such a situation. Such an effort on the part of an employee can be harnessed effectively by the organization for mutual benefit.

Another argument that has been advocated by supporters of a secretive pay policy is that pay secrecy lessens the opportunity for comparisons among employees and the exposure of perceived inequities. It has been said that no pay system will ever be perceived as fair by everyone and that knowledge of what other employees are being paid, would only highlight the perceived inequities and….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


Related Essays

Review of Human Resource Management

Organization Brief Description International Human Resource Management (IHRM) can be delineated as a set of activities purposed at the management of organizational human resources at the global level to attain organizational aims and accomplish competitive advantage over rivals at national and global levels. It encompasses characteristic human resource management functions like training and development, recruitment and selection, as well as performance appraisal undertaken at the global level. So as to closely incorporate company operations across the globe, multinational corporations try to cultivate and instigate standardized human resource management practices by transmitting the practices being… Continue Reading...

Human Resources

its people. Human resources refer to the people who comprise the organization. The practice of human resource management includes employee recruitment, hiring practices, employee development and retention, discipline, motivation, and to a degree, organizational culture and socialization. Human resource management also involves job or role definitions and clarifying hierarchies and relationships within an organizational structure. Ethical codes and codes of behavior may also be covered under the rubric of human resources management. Human resources departments often operate independently but in conjunction with other departments to create a cohesive strategy for management and organizational structure. Training for human resources management can vary, and often little more… Continue Reading...

Strategic Resource Management Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Activity 1: Human Resource Management (HRM) HP Corporate Objectives Profit: Recognizing that profit constitutes the single most effective measure of the organization's contributions to the community, in addition to being the most basic source of business strength. Attaining maximum possible levels of profit in line with other business goals is the aim. Striving for constant advancement in company offering (i.e., services and products) quality, value, and utility (Hewlett-Packard, 2016). Field of Interest: Focusing efforts and constantly pursuing fresh development opportunities, whilst simultaneously limiting participation to areas wherein the company possesses capability and… Continue Reading...

Johnson and Johnson Human Resource Value and Contribution

It is divided into three distinct sections. That is organizational structure, organizational strategy and human resource management. So, J&J organization structure will be explored, the various strategies that the company has pursed over the years will be elaborated and finally J&J human resource management practices will be discussed. Other sections in the paper include organizational design theory and emerging issues in HR management. Organizational Design Theory Organizational design (OD) theory is “the study of how organizations function and how they affect and are affected by the environment in which they operate” (Stanford, 2015). An organization is defined as the deliberate arrangement of people to… Continue Reading...

Diversity Management

diversity management as an important element of the overall strategy of an organization. Indeed, the notion of strategic human resource management (SHRM) has gained immense popularity in recent times. It has now become important… Continue Reading...

Conflict Management in the Workplace

nationalities, racial and ethnic backgrounds because of increased globalization and rapid technological advancements. As a result, human resource management practices in today’s business atmosphere have incorporated diversity as a crucial component towards promoting the wellbeing and success of the workforce. Diversity is seen as an important factor in enhancing the contributions of the workforce toward achievement of organizational goals and objectives. However, organizations are faced with the need to handle conflicts effectively because of the diverse nature of the workplace and workforce (Oni-Ojo, Iyiola & Osibanjo, 2014). Therefore, workplace conflict management has emerged as an important factor toward promoting the suitable functioning of the workforce. Effective… Continue Reading...

Changing Psychological Contract Implications for HRM

the employee (Smissen, Schalk & Freese, 2013). The shifting psychological contract has consequently presented a significant challenge for organizations, specifically their human resource management (HRM) function. The challenge relates to maintaining and improving employee motivation, commitment, and job satisfaction, which tend to be crucial drivers of both individual organizational productivity and performance (Smissen, Schalk & Freese, 2013). It is imperative for organizations to acknowledge the shifting psychological contract, and create new contracts that are favorable to both the employer and the employee. With reference to literature in the area of organizational behavior and HRM, this paper explores the changing employer-employee relationship and its implications on HRM. First, a comprehensive definition of… Continue Reading...

IBM Supply Chain Concerns

resources, information system management and supply chain management. Human Resource Management Human resource management plays a valuable role in the overall operations of an organization. Moreover, it is inextricably linked to management information systems and supply chain management since it is ultimately an organization’s people which are responsible for its success (Gerstner Jr., 2008). There are a number of functions that human resources fulfills that are divided into two categories. The first pertains to sustainability; the second relates to competitive advantage. Compensation and benefits packages are required to keep the personnel working for an organization. Similarly, mandates for… Continue Reading...

Multinational Companies

Harzing, 2003). One of the major complexities MNCs face relate to human resource management (HRM). Indeed, managing human resources in the international context can be a daunting task. This is particularly because of considerable cultural, institutional, economic, and political differences across countries (Thite, Wilkinson and Shah, 2012). National (country-of-origin) characteristics tend to influence how MNCs behave in the host country. They influence not only corporate strategy, but also the kind of HRM practices MNCs adopt in the host country (Sethi and Elango, 1999; Yu, Park and Cho, 2007; Cox, 2014; Chung and Furusawa, 2015). For their subsidiaries or overseas operations, MNCs… Continue Reading...

Pay for Performance

(Barello et.al 2012) The Office of Personnel Management was created under the Civil Service Reform Act in 1978. Some of the functions of this office included: Overseeing the human resource management of the Merit Systems Protection Board and prevent abuse of office. (Eijkenaar et.al 2013) The act also had provision for performance appraisal for the employees, merit pay for different levels of employment, and ways to deal with poor performance. In addition, the act specified that employees would get only half of their normal normal salary increase. The other half would be shared… Continue Reading...

High Working Performance in Organizations

working” owing to its wide ranging and assorted usage. In spite of this aspect, Mkamwa (2010) argues that HPW can be defined as a distinct assimilation of human resource management practices, structures for the work setting and procedures which make the most of employee knowledge, competencies, dedication and flexibility. The conception of high-performance working assimilates practices that facilitate and encourage them to make the most of this greater empowerment. Furthermore, it affords the employees with a change to taking part in significant decisions, motivates the development and advancement of worker competencies and provides them with incentives to engage in making decisions. High Performance Culture Definition Culture determines the manner in which an organization conducts its operations on… Continue Reading...

Company Progressive Discipline Policy

laws, and best practices in human resource management. Procedure Step 1 – Verbal Warning A manager, supervisor or human resource professional will issue a verbal warning to an employee privately in case of violation of company policy or in the event of an undesirable behavior/action in the workplace (Workable, 2017). When providing the warning, the employee will also be provided with necessary coaching or advice regarding the company’s progressive discipline steps. A written documentation will then be created by the supervisor within five working days of the verbal warning, which will then be signed by… Continue Reading...

HRM Leader

Sally is a proficient and experienced Human Resource Management (HRM) leader at ABC Bank. In the contemporary, Sally feels overwhelmed owing to the recent acquisition of the Local Bank by ABC Bank. There are various key aspects that present a HRM challenge for Sally. To begin with, the workforce at the new branch comprises of 40% of older workers that possess knowledge and wisdom. However, there is a need to instigate new technologies to provide additional consumer convenience and therefore a decision as to be made whether the current set of workers should be laid off… Continue Reading...

Factors Affecting Employee Retention in an Organization

premise that employee retention is a crucial component of organizational success and has significant implications for personnel and human resource management as well as organizational behavior. A descriptive research design was utilized to conduct this study through a Likert scale survey instrument comprising of seventeen questions. The survey was administered to a group of participants from three military-affiliated organizations. The survey found that various factors impact organization’s ability to retain its employees including organizational culture, gender roles within the company, family conflict. However, female employees are more affected because of family and children issues such as sick children and daycare problems. Keywords: employee, organization, retention, company, work, absenteeism,… Continue Reading...

The Formation of Virtual Teams

on trust, mutual respect, and mutual empowerment. Purpose statement This study stands out to be significant and relevant to the businesses and human resource management departments in the contemporary business environment. The study will look into the in depth understanding of EI, the various measures of… Continue Reading...

sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Human Resource Management" (2002, February 17) Retrieved May 18, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/human-resource-management-55731

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Human Resource Management" 17 February 2002. Web.18 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/human-resource-management-55731>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Human Resource Management", 17 February 2002, Accessed.18 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/human-resource-management-55731