1. Journal Reflection Weeks 4,5,6,8
Momo Ueda
Griffith University Gold Coast Campus

2. Reflective Journal for Week 4
Individual/Firm Performance and Sectoral Differences
Word count: 621
Explain:
There are various types of HR systems and different HR systems are associated with
different organisation patterns. Coherence and consistency are desirable in HR
systems however trade-offs occur between the organisation and the employee. It is
identified that there are delicate links between the espoused and in-use behaviours of
managers which lead employee responses and organisational outcomes. This link is
hard to manage in large organisations.
Boxall & Purcell (2011) identified that work systems are fundamental to operations
and HR in organisations. Work systems are connected to economic survival and
performance and are perceived to be a principle source of job satisfaction and
turnover. The manufacturing sector uses scientific management and High
Involvement Working Systems (HIWS) where mass service sector for large firms
follow Taylorism and small firms use informal methods of control. Moreover,
professional services focus on high quality, discretion and pay. The public sector is
demonstrated to be a mix of a bureaucratic work system with focus on budget
constraints, workforce downsizing and increase in bureaucratic control elicit a mixed
response from the workforce.
Explain:
The three main findings of Combs, Liu, Hall, & Ketchen (2006) are as follows. HIWS
have a positive effect on organisational performance excluding performance
appraisals, teams and information sharing. Systems of HIWS have a stronger effect
than individual high performing workers. Finally, HIWP should have stronger effects
among manufacturers then service organisations because manufacturers need help to
maximise adaption to environmental change. However service sector has less need
because they are less burdened by complex machinery. The customer outcomes in the
service economy will be a good measure of the viability and success of an

3. organisation (Lee, Yoo & Dongkeun, 2000). Furthermore, HIWS include three areas
of management practice: high skills by employees, employee discretion and employee
collaboration (Batt, 2002). In addition, the relationship and communication with the
manager equates to a direct impact on employee and organisational outcomes (Gittell,
2003). Similarly a manager’s behaviour leads to customer outcomes mediated by an
employee’s perception (Anderson, 2006).
In Contrast, Boxall (2012) illustrated that the highly performing element in HRM is
variable and depends on the fit and compatibility with the environment as well as the
business strategy and is constantly changing. Moreover, in NHS the HRM role was
likely to suffer as managers retreated to being a clinician. Lack of appropriate skills,
knowledge and poor investment in training was identified as a key constraint. In order
for the managers to be effective the managers need to learn people management skills
and require a blame-free trusting culture (Hutchinson & Purcell, 2010). Finally the
findings of Savaneviciene & Stankeviciute (2012) are HRM practices have most
impact on HR related outcomes. AMO framework and role of line managers are two
crucial variables by which HRM practices influence HR related outcomes. However
only when HR outcomes are achieved it is possible to expect higher performance.
Analysis:
Toyota, a car manufacture has re-designed their working system from mass
production Taylorism to Just-in-time approach (TPS, 2008). In order for this to work
there must be great overlap between the espoused and in-use practices. Proof of this
system working is the one employee doing the quality check at the end of the line. To
support this system Toyota has a supportive culture focused on respect and
implemented “kaizen” to strive for continuous improvement. According to literature,
work systems are fundamental to organisational success. In stark contrast, Google is a
service provider thus customer outcomes are a good indicator of the viability and
success of the organisation. In order to achieve high customer satisfaction the
employer drives productivity (Life at Google, 2012). This is achieved by designing
the workplace to suit the needs of each employee creating a place where they never
have to leave.

4. References
Anderson, J.R. (2006). Managing employees in the service sector: A literature
review and conceptual development. Journal of Business & Psychology,
20(4), 501-523
Batt, R. (2002). Managing customer services: Human resource practices, quit
rates, and sales growth. Academy of Management Journal, 45(3), 587-597.
Boxall, P. (2012). High performance work systems: what, why, how and for
whom? Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 50(2): 169-186.
Boxall, P. & Purcell, J. (2011). Work systems and the changing economics of
production. Strategy and Human Resource Management. 3rd
d. London:
Palgrave Macmillan. Pages 125-158.
Combs, J., Liu, Y., Hall, A., & Ketchen, D. (2006). How much do high-
performance work practices matter? A meta-analysis of their effects on
organisational performance. Personnel Psychology, 59(3), 501-528
Gittell, J.H. (2000) Organisising work to support relational coordination.
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(3), 517-539.
Hutchinson, S. & Purcell, J. (2010). Managing ward managers for roles in HRM
in the NHS: overworked and under-resources. Human Resource
Management Journal, 20(4), 357-374.
Lee, H.L., Yoo, Y., & Dongkeun, Y. (2000). The determinants of perceived
service quality and its relationship with satisfaction. Journal of Services
Marketing, 14(2/3), 217-231.
Life at Google (2012). Inside Google's lair - How google employees work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA54HWLZ2e4
Savaneviciene, A. & Stankeviciute, Z. (2012).Human Resource Management and
Performance: From Practices Towards Sustainable Competitive
Advantage. Chapter 8. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/47800
Toyota Production System (TPS). 2008. Lean Manufacturing Toyota Production
System JIT Kaizen Kanban Value Stream 5S
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlcrqb2qMAA

5. Reflective Journal for Week 5
Changing Human Resource Roles & Outsourcing
Word count: 612
Explain:
The main roles of HR are; administrative expert, employee champion and change
agent. However, due to the five main challenges such as the economy, globalisation,
technology, intellectual capital and change, the HR function is required to develop a
more strategic focus. Achieving a strategic focus will legitimise the position of HR as
a business partner. As a business partner HR will be accountable for their practices,
define the organisational architecture and many other tasks. In order to achieve a
strategic focus HR outsourcing has arrived.
The main findings from Ulrich (1998) are managers should define the deliverables
from HR and hold them accountable for results, invest in innovative HR practices and
provide employees with the tools to execute their new objectives. The quality of HR
staff needs upgrading as HR cannot expand its role without the required expertise.
Becoming a strategic partner demands knowledge about the economy and strategy. In
order for HR to effect real change in the organisation they must have skills and
confidence to earn respect.
Explore:
Between 1900- 1970s social elements and the needs of workers had a significant
impact on output and their well-being. This has highlighted the importance of work
group and social structures of organisations. Currently, HR is perceived as a business
partner because HR is recognised as a critical function of organisations (Deadrick, &
Stone, 2014). However, Glaister (2014) suggests that HR outsourcing is implemented
by organisations to gain short-term credibility. However, Reichel & Lazarova (2013)
found outsourcing core HR tasks did not increase strategy to the HR department
although outsourcing noncore tasks did. In addition to this increased devolvement to
line managers did not increase the strategy in HR.
In order to become a business partner HR needs to be re-branded. It is suggested that
HR should focus on internal training and development of skills to hone in on the
employee champion and change agent roles to achieve operational excellence. There
are many impacts on the function and roles of HR such as economic demands and
changing business conditions. However, HR professionals tend to face trends
dependent on the movements of the economy. As a business partner it is required to
provide insights and solutions and be accountable for results. Furthermore in addition
to the main roles of HR, HR professionals must also be a credible activist. They must
build trust through business acumen and deliver on promises to gain trust and
reliability (Ulrich, Younger, Brockbank, & Ulrich, 2013). Finally, the HR role is
defined as a pattern of behaviours (Tubre & Collins, 2000). Role clarity is correlated
with employee perceptions of role performance (Bray & Browley, 2002a) work

6. demands and support (Blises & Castro, 2000). Therefore to be a successful business
partner HR must be clear about what their role is.
Analysis:
For the purpose of critically reflecting on the key concepts above, the organisation of
G8 Education ltd has been chosen. At my time at this organisation I have assisted
with the implementation of HRIS systems to decrease data entry tasks increasing time
to focus on more strategic assignments. However as my role as an intern, most of my
day-to-day activities require data entry thus, with the implementation of this new
system I feel as if my role is now made redundant. This leaves me uncertain about
what my future role will be within HR. In addition to this the HR function is
becoming more strategic aligning with the mission to be the leading provider in high
quality, developmental and educational childcare services in Australia (G8 Education,
2015). Due to the HR function becoming more strategic I feel as if this will greatly
impact my role resulting in uncertainty of my future role.

7. Reference
Bliese, P.D. & Castro, C.A. (2000). Role clarity, work overload and organisational
support: Multilevel evidence of the importance of support. Work and Stress, 14
(1), 65-73.
Bray, S.R. & Brawley, L.R. (2002a). Role efficacy, role clarity, and role performance
effectiveness. Small Group Research, 33(2), 233-352.
Deadrick, D.L. & Stone, D.L. (2014). Human Resource Management: Past, present and
future. Human Resource Management Review, 24, 193-195
Glaister, A. J. (2014). HR outsourcing: the impact on HR role, competency development
and relationships, Human Resource Management Journal, 24(2), 211-226.
G8 Education Ltd (2015). Investing in the future of childcare. http://g8education.edu.au/
Reichel, A. & Lazarova, M. (2013). The effects of outsourcing and devolvement on the
strategic position of HR departments, Human Resource Management, 52(6), 923-
946.
Rousseau, D. M. & Barends, E. (2011). Becoming an evidence-based HR practitioner.
Human Resource Management Journal, 21(3), 221-235.
Tubre, T.C. & Collins, J.M. (2000). Jackson and Schuler (1985) revisited: A meta-
analysis of the relationships between role ambiguity, role conflict, and job
performance. Journal of Management, 26(1), 155-169.
Ulrich, D. (1998). A new mandate for Human Resources. Harvard Business Review,
76(1), 124-135
Ulrich, D., Younger, J., Brockbank, W. & Ulrich, M.D. (2013). The state of the HR
profession. Human Resource Management, 52(3), 457-471.

8. Reflective Journal for Week 6
Global Strategic HRM
Word count: 596
Explain:
There are three types of international strategy, multi-domestic, global and
transnational. Some countries converge or diverge to globalisation. Differences
between domestic and international HRM/IHRM were compared. Operational issues
in IHRM were also discussed. Hofstede’s framework was also displayed to illustrate
the many considerations when working with other countries. Finally, the management
style of China and India were highlighted with global mobility of talent.
The prescribed reading by Schuler and Tarique (2007) illustrates the advancements of
IHRM over the past 15 years. The main findings derived from the literature were
IHRM was designed for MNEs to be successful globally and has become significant
due to globalisation. The observations of MNEs are applicable to small businesses.
Findings show in order to be successful globally, MNEs must be (a) Competitive
throughout the world (b) efficient (c) locally responsive (d) flexible and adaptable in
short periods of time (e) capable of transferring knowledge and learning across
globally dispersed units. Finally, there are exogenous and endogenous factors which
impact on the strategy of MNEs thus, strategic IHRM was developed which
contributes to the effectiveness of the MNE. In order be strategic IRHM needs to be
aware of the global realities of MNEs.
Expand:
Originally cultural comparisons were made between Eastern and Western cultures.
Where the ‘West’ meant everything west of Turkey and ‘East’ meant everything east
of Turkey. However there are many sub-cultures that fall under these two cultures
where practices differ from countries and even across provinces e.g. China and India
(Thite, 2004; Hofstede, 2007). There is an emerging talent crisis in these countries
due to the economic resurgence. There is a growing labour market and high demand
for high skilled workers (Revill, 2011). The talent shortage has posed some
challenges such as the decline of Human Capital. The key to resolving this is through
HRM functions such as recruitment and selection as well as motivation and reward
(Chatterjee, Nankervis & Connell, 2014). However this should be tackled with use of
Hofstede and Bond’s (1988) 5 main dimensions of national culture, as what motivates
and rewards Indians differ to the needs of Americans. Organisations strive to
maximise the talent of employee’s to gain competitive advantage however
management of talent is inadequate (Farndale, Scullion, & Sparrow, 2010).
In China, middle mangers are reported to lack soft areas of training and career
development (Xie, Zhu & warner, 2013). Unlike Indians who heavily invest in their
employees and can provide up to 30 days of training for low-skill industries (Cappelli,
Singh, Singh, & Useem, 2010).
As a result of the talent shortage high skilled employees have the ability to reject
overseas assignment especially in countries such as China, India and Russia where the
projects are considered to highest difficultly. The constraints of individuals to be

9. mobile have led to organisations to new sources of talent such as self-initiated movers
and hiring Host Country Nationals with MNC experience (Tharenou, 2003; Sparrow,
Brewster, & Harris, 2004).
Analysis:
In order to reflect on the key concepts mentioned above, the video shown in class on
Aramax International was chosen. Aramax is a top global provider of complete
logistics and transportation solutions. Their purpose is to enable and facilitate regional
and global trade and commerce responsibly. They strive for quality and innovation in
their people to produce excellent service and to meet customer needs. Thus, they
endeavour to attract and retain their talent while nurturing and providing them with
opportunities to achieve and innovate (Aramax, 2015). Furthermore, to retain the
talent in a global company the organisation must understand the differences in culture
and what motivates people of that culture.

10. References
Aramax International (2015). About Us.
http://www.aramex.com/about-us/default.aspx
Cappelli, P., Singh, H., Singh, J. & Useem, M. (2010). The India way: Lessons for the
U.S. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(2), 6-24
Chatterjee, S., Nankervis, A. & ConneLl, J. (2014). Framing the Emerging Talent
Crisis in India and China: A Human Capital Perspective. South Asian Journal
of Human Resource Management, 1(1).
Farndale, E., Scullion, H., & Sparrow, P. (2010). The role of the corporate HR
function in global talent management. Journal of World Business, 45(2), 161-
168.
From Local to Regional to Global Player: The Evolution of Aramex International
http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/products/pages/evolutionofaramexin.as
px
Hofstede, G. (2007). Asian Management in the 21st century. Asia Pacific Journal of
Management, 24, 411-420.
Hofstede, G., & Bond, M.H. (1988). The Confucious connection: From cultural roots
to economic growth. Organisational dynamics, 16(4):4-21.
Schuler, R.S. & Tarique, I. (2007). International Human Resource Management: a
North American perspective, a thematic update and suggestions for future
research. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(5), 717-
744.
Sparrow, P.R., Brewster, C., & Harris, H. (2004).Globalising human resource
management. London, UK: Routledge.
Thite, M. (2004) Managing people in the new economy, Sage: New Delhi. 220-262
Tharenou, P. (2003). The initial development of receptivity to working abroad: Self-
initiated international work opportunities in young graduate employees.
Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology, 76: 489-515.

11. Reflective Journal for Week 8
Ethics, CSR & Sustainability
Word Count: 577
Explain:
The presentation highlighted that professional, societal and individual ethics all
contribute to the organisation’s code of ethics. For an organisation to display
corporate social responsibility they must promote the welfare and wellbeing of
society. CSR is the way that an organisation achieves balance between business and
overall positive impact on society. Responsible leadership promotes ethics within an
organisation. This leader should be advocating and abiding by ethical standards and
enthuse others to do the same. Finally, in order for an organisation to be sustainable
they must be able to meet the needs of the present without compromising future
needs.
Ethics is a part of every policy, procedure and practice. The HR function helps the
organisation develop an enabling and supportive culture that facilitates integration of
ethical practices into the core of the organisation. The main issues identified with HR
ethics are employee welfare, the selection and recruitment process in terms of
discrimination, employee rights and confidentiality, compliance, responsibility and
accountability for all members of the organisation. In order to address these issues
organisations should develop and implement HR practices and values of ethical
behaviour. (Sloan & Gavin, 2010)
Expand:
Analysis of literature displayed that recruitment, selection and rewards, are very
important areas to ensure ethical practices. In order to drive ethical compliance top
management support must be gained and transparency to demonstrate the ethical
practices of management will also assist in driving engagement and in turn ethical
behaviour (Cohen, Taylor, & Muller-Camen, 2012). Similarly, Mantroop, Singh and
Ezzedeen (2014) discovered top management must act as role models for the rest of
the organisation. The resource-based view suggests that HR can directly influence an
organisation’s performance through development of resources and culture. Similarly,
RBV argue that the resources of an organisation represent and create value. Thus
where organisations pursue socially focused initiatives it is seen as a source of
competitive advantage and enable organisations to operate in an ethical and
sustainable manner (Garavan, & McGuire, 2010).
The findings from Write and Snell (2005) illustrate that HR leaders are required to
implement different value systems in an organisation for long-term viability. HR
leaders must be the guardians of the firm’s strategic capability, ethical and moral
integrity. Finally, Greenwood (2002) suggests that there is a need for ethical
principles that are acceptable across the board which is considered as a minimum
standard. Furthermore in this paper it is contended that individuals and organisations

12. must treat individuals with respect and do not have the right to interfere with the
freedom of an individual.
Analysis:
In order to objectively reflect on the key concepts above, Smith’s (2012) Toyota’s
Approach article was chosen. Toyota prides itself on its culture of xyz. In line with its
values of transparency they had chosen to release the criteria for retrenchments and
make the number of retrenchments very public. Although they were perceived as
being ‘honest’ and ‘transparent’ whether this was ethical is questioned. It is said that
the loss of a job is similar to the pain felt when grieving (Smith, 2012). Thus, having
the retrenchment of your job public would provoke emotions of embarrassment and
perhaps even shame (Smith, 2012). In addition most organisations tend to keep
retrenchments and redundancies of staff private. However, from the findings in the
research above it is suggested that in order to gain compliance managers are required
to be transparent in their practices. Thus, although it may not be seen as best practice,
I believe it to be ethical.

13. References
Beatty, R.W., Ewing, J.R. & Tharp, C.G. (2003). HR’s role in corporate governance:
Present & prospective. Human Resource Management, 42(3), 257-269
Cohen, E., Taylor, S. & Muller-Camen, M. (2012). HR’s role in corporate social
responsibility and sustainability. SHRM Foundation Executive Briefing.
Alexandria, VA: SHRM Foundation.
Garavan, T. N. & McGuire, D. (2010). Human resource development and society: Human
resource development’s role in embedding corporate social responsibility,
sustainability and ethics in organisations. Advances in Developing Human
Resources, 12(5), 487-507.
Greenwood, M.R. (2002). Ethics & HRM: A review & conceptual analysis. Journal of
Business Ethics, 36, 261-278
Manroop, L., Singh, P. & Ezzedeen, S. (2014). Human resource systems & ethical
climates: A resource-based perspective. Human Resource Management, 53(5),
795-816
Sloan, K. & Gavin, J.H. (2010). Human Resource Management: Meeting the Ethical
Obligations of the Function. Business and Society Review, 115(1), 57-74
Smith, F. (2012) HR experts ‘stunned’ at Toyota approach. Australian Financial Review,
18, April, 2012.
http://www.afr.com/p/national/hr_experts_stunned_at_toyota_approach_lZXX800
MhYmvJrTl21fSlJ
Wright, P. & Snell, S.A. (2005). Partner or guardian? HR’s challenge in balancing value
and values. Human Resource Management, 44(2), 177-182