UGANDA MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

MANAGING HR COURSEWORK

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QUESTION

Please refer to the article provided:

From Personnel Management to HRM:Key Issues and Challenges

By Síle Fleming

And

Develop a six-page CRITICAL REVIEW paper by drawing parallels from Ugandan situation

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1.0. Introduction

This is a Committee for Public Management Research (CPMR) Discussion Paper 16 entitled

“From Personnel Management to HRM: Key Issues and Challenges” authored by Síle

Fleming.

Síle Fleming tries to raise up the need for informed research in relation to the professionalization

of HRM and the devolution of HR responsibilities has been given particular emphasis by the

recent publication of the fifth national social partnership agreement, the Programme for

Prosperity and Fairness. His argument focus on a range of issues and challenges associated with

the process of developing a strategic approach to HRM including; the devising of HR strategies

during the process of business strategy formulation, The devolution of appropriate HRM matters

to line managers can free up resources in the personnel section to develop strategic policies, The

selection and development of personnel staff with appropriate expertise is crucial in ensuring that

the personnel section is equipped to take on its strategic role and the change process which must

be planned for and carefully managed.

Basically, the author outlines his findings from in-depth interviews conducted with a range of

key informants at central, line department and trade union level he brings out a general view that

reveal a limited progress has been made to date in reforming HRM in the Irish civil service. He

issues a series of recommendations that will provide an appropriate approaches to delivering on

HRM reform, including; developing an integrated approach to HRM; professionalizing the

approach to HRM; devolution of appropriate functions to line managers; decentralization of

appropriate HRM issues from central departments.

MY RESPONSE:

As much as the issues raised by the author are of great significance, am reluctant to okay his

argument. This is because of a number of loopholes, which kills the credibility, and the reliability

of the documented data:

First: the methodology- the methods used to collect data, the population and sample size are

handled exclusively, neglecting key areas such as the operational level of management. Why did

he have to include the Trade Unions and leave out the public and operational employees?2

2.0. Summary

1st ISSUE:

The author unveils his discussion with a fundamental issue of drawing a distinction between

personnel management and Human Resource Management (HRM). He clarifies the

distinction between the two using four features:

The link with corporate strategy;

Focus given to the commitment of employees rather than their compliance;

Obtaining of employee commitment through an integrated approach to human resource

policies

Ownership i.e. line managers as a means of fostering integration.

RESPONSE:

A closer look to the two disciplines, the author has failed to bring out a clear distinction. His

arguments. I believe that whether personnel or Human Resource manager, the role played in the

formulation of corporate strategy is more or less the same.

In the current society, there is no way an institution can be compliant without being committed.

Therefore, compliance and commitment are two inseparable features that are both within HRM

and personnel manager.

2nd ISSUE:

Again, the author tries to present Best practice models of HRM. I concur with his reasoning

that While there is no best ‘fit’ or generic model of HRM which would be entirely applicable to

the public sector, key features of some of the most influential models. He bases his argument on

the 'Hard' and 'soft' approaches to HRM where he identifies a range of other situational factors

which influence HR policy choices, including prevailing management philosophy, laws and

societal values. He identifies a range of stakeholder interests including unions, government and

management which he purpose, influences the HR policy choices.

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To the Government, he points out that the significance of this stakeholder influence is of

particular relevance for public sector organisations, because government acts as both stakeholder

and employer. Government may act as a key driving force for HRM reform.

To the Management, he argues that it has the ability to bring coherence, direction and form to a

cluster of existing personnel policies, which are perceived by the organization to be outdated or

ill fitted to new environmental demands.

To the Unions, the author points out that the nature of HRM is to maximize employee

commitment to organisational goals, may be viewed by unions as a threat to their traditional

negotiating and representative roles.

RESPONSE:

It’s worthy that the understands that there is no best or worst mode of managing people.

However the author does not justify himself as to why he focuses on only there parties. Does it

mean that in the public sector there are only the Government, Management and Unions? What

about the employees? What about the public?

3rd ISSUE:

Another aspect the author has tried to raise out is the integrative aspects of HRM. He raises

facts fact from different scholars who looks at the heart of HRM to comprise an integration at

three levels: HRM policies with business strategy (external fit); integration of a set of

complementary HRM policies (internal fit) and integration of HRM into the line management

function.

RESPONSE

I have no disagreement at all with the calls “an integrative aspect of HRM” What will you

consider while integrating policies with external fit? What proper policies can work with the

complementary HRM policies? What line management functions will form the integral part? All

these are issues that the author did not clarify.

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4th ISSUE:

Another key aspect that the author has raised is the Professionalizing the HR function. I totally

agree with the issues he brings out pertaining the achievement of the three integrative aspects of

HRM. He pictures out the centre-line structure such as that which exists in the Irish civil service,

the level of allocation of responsibility for HRM will also influence the role of the personnel

section and its ability to develop integrated HRM policies. His argument is that the development

of a rewards-based performance management system may be limited if pay policies are

determined at central level. He bases his arguments on Armstrong (1997) to outline a

competency profile which might be used to select, appraise and develop personnel specialists:

strategic capability, business awareness, professional development and understanding, internal

consultancy skills, organisational effectiveness, quality and service delivery.

RESPONSE

I strongly concur with what the author has tried to raise out that Irrespective of where the

employee comes from, it is important that a systematic approach be adopted to select, train and

develop staff for positions within the personnel area. However, it is true that Training alone will

not ensure the professionalization of the HR section. Established routine procedures may be the

way to go.

5th ISSUE:

The final aspect that the author tries to portray it’s the Implementation of HRM in the public

sector. He suggests that it is necessary to consider the relevance of the foregoing themes to the

public sector, since it is frequently argued that there are unique dilemmas, which characterize

management in the public domain. He defends his Argument by outlining three responses to this

question: Strategic management may be perceived to be of secondary importance to the public

service manager; Management practices, including HRM, may be perceived to be generic and

equally applicable to the public sector. Finally, they describe a new public management (NPM)

model, which differs from both public administration and private management.

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Síle Fleming winds up his article by looking at the Current profile of HRM in the Irish civil

service. He looks at the Existing structure with how Recruitment is conducted by the Civil

Service Commission (CSC) on behalf of departments and offices, while internal promotion is

carried out by individual line departments.

He also looks at the Pay and grading structure where The Department of Finance exercises the

responsibility for the management and development of pay policies for the civil service and the

wider public service. He points out that Pay policies are negotiated through the Conciliation and

Arbitration Scheme, which comprises public sector unions and Department of Finance

representatives.

Training and development comes up also as a key element of The Civil Service Centre for

Management and Organisational Development (CMOD) which is seen as a part of the

Department of Finance plays a central role in relation to the provision of training and

development for the civil service. CMOD comprises a number of units including Organization

Development Services, a number of IT units, and Human Resource Development Services

(HRDS).

3.0. Conclusion and Discussion

The author presents an extensive review of literature highlighting a range of challenges involved

in the process of developing a strategic approach to HRM. Regardless of whether an organization

wishes to emphasize a hard (control focused) or soft (commitment focused) approach to HRM,

typically what it wishes to achieve is the integration of HRM policies with business strategy,

internally and at line management level. He points out that it is worth noting that Key

stakeholders influence, and in some situations can undermine, the process of integration at these

levels. Accordingly, there is a need to plan for and carefully manage the change process.

The need for change, the process involved and the benefits of such change, need to be clearly

communicated and key stakeholders such as unions and line managers should be involved.

Partnership can be a valuable mechanism in involving stakeholders, but to be successful, it

requires a significant change in mindset among the various groups involved.

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