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Hrmg 432:Strategic Human Resource Management Question Paper
Hrmg 432:Strategic Human Resource Management
Course:Masters Of Human Resource Management
Institution: Kenya Methodist University question papers
Exam Year:2010
FACULTY : BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES
DEPARTMENT : BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
TIME : 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS Answer Question ONE (compulsory) and any Other TWO Questions
Question 1
CASE STUDY
Siemens Builds a Strategy-Oriented HR System
Siemens is a 150-year old Company, but its not the company it was even a few years ago. Until recently, Siemens focused on producing electrical products. Today the firm has diversified into software, engineering, and services, and is also global, with over 400,000 employees working in 190 countries. In other words, Siemens became a world leader by pursuing a corporate strategy that emphasized diversifying into high-tech products and services, and doing so on a global basis.
With a corporate strategy like that, human resource management plays a big role at Siemens. Sophisticated engineering services require more focus on employee selection, training and compensation than in the average firm, and globalization requires delivering these sevices globally. Siemens sums up the basic themes of its HR strategy in several points. These include:
1. A living Company is a learning Comapany. The high-tech nature of Siemen’s business means that employees must be able to learn on a continuing basis. Siemens uses its system of combined classroom and hands-on apprenticeship training around the world to help facilitate this. It also offers employees extensive continiung education and management development.
2. Global teamwork is the key to developing and using all the potential of the firm’s human resources. Because it is so important for employees throughout Siemens to feel free to work together and interact, employees feel they are part of a strong unifying corporate identity. For example, HR uses cross-border, cross-cultural experienced as prerequisites for career advances.
3. A climate of mutual respect is the bais of all relationships – within the Company and with society. Siemens contends that the wealth of nationalities, cultures, languages, and outlooks represented by its employees is one of its most valuable assets. It therefore engages in numerous HR activities aimed at building openness, transparency, and fairness, and supporting diversity.
Required
a) Describe your opinion on how Siemens rates people as a vital tool in creating organizational competitive advantage (10 marks)
b) How do the 3 key models of Strategic Human Resource Management apply at Siemens from the information in this case (10 marks)
c) Advice Siemens on how it should go in drafting a Training and Development Strategy and show how it should be linked to other HR functional strategies (10marks)
Question 2
Discuss FIVE key HR strategies an organization can formulate and show how linkages between them influence organizational success in competitive scenarios (20 marks)
Question 3
a) Identify SEVEN barriers to the successful implementation of HR strategies (7 mark)
b) Explain how the barriers identified in 3(a) above can be overcome (8marks)
c) Explain the strategic role of HR in organizational transformation (5marks)
Question 4
a) A partnership agreement may be the best way of getting employee relations strategies into action. Explain FIVE ways in which organizations can achieve enhanced business performance by developing partnerships with their employees. (10 marks)
b) Overcoming resistance to change is a key element in the development of a change strategy. Explain FIVE actions that can be taken by managers to deal with resistance to change. (10marks)
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