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Tuesday, April 4, 2023

4. Agile HRM: From Theory to Practice

 Agile Human Resource Management (HRM) is an approach to HR that emphasises flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness. It has gained popularity recently as organisations look for ways to stay competitive and adapt quickly to market changes. Agile HRM is designed to help organisations respond rapidly to changing business needs and customer demands while creating a more engaged and empowered workforce. This article will explore how to convert Agile HRM theories into practice by providing actionable steps.

 


Step 1: Evaluate Your Organization's Culture

Implementing Agile HRM requires a shift in mindset and culture. Therefore, evaluating your organisation’s culture is essential to identify improvement areas. It involves moving away from traditional hierarchical structures and embracing a more collaborative and flexible approach. Cross-functional teams can be created that are empowered to make decisions and work collaboratively towards a common goal (Gao et al., 2015).

Step 2: Embrace a Collaborative Decision-Making Approach

Agile HRM emphasises collaboration and continuous improvement based on the principles of Agile software development (Stettner & Konradt, 2017). To implement Agile HRM, embracing a collaborative decision-making approach is essential. Employees can be encouraged to share feedback and ideas for improving processes and workflows, and opportunities for training and development can be offered that align with the organisation’s goals and objectives. This approach can create a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Step 3: Create Cross-Functional Teams

Cross-functional teams can be created that are empowered to make decisions and work collaboratively towards a common goal (Gao et al., 2015). Agile HRM requires flexible roles and responsibilities, and cross-functional teams can provide the flexibility to adapt quickly to changing business needs. This approach also allows employees to take ownership and responsibility for their work, which can lead to higher engagement levels.

Step 4: Offer Flexible Work Arrangements

Flexible work arrangements, which are remote work or flexible schedules, allow employees to work in a way that suits their needs. This approach can create a more engaged and empowered workforce. Employees can work in a way that allows them to balance work and personal responsibilities, leading to higher job satisfaction.

Step 5: Prioritize Employee Development

Agile HRM requires a focus on employee development. Opportunities for training and development can be offered that align with the organisation’s goals and objectives. This approach can create a more engaged and empowered workforce better equipped to respond to changing business needs.

In conclusion, Agile HRM is a concept that organisations can use to stay competitive and adapt quickly to market changes. By prioritising flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration, organisations can create a more engaged and empowered workforce better equipped to respond to changing business needs. Organisations must evaluate their culture to implement Agile HRM, embrace a collaborative decision-making approach, create cross-functional teams, offer flexible work arrangements, and prioritise employee development.

 

References:

  1. Gao, J., Greenberg, R., & Wong-On-Wing, B. (2015). Agile project management with Scrum. Springer.

  2. Stettner, U., & Konradt, U. (2017). Agile human resource management: A conceptual framework. Journal of Business Research, 70, 1-9.

 

 

6 comments:

  1. The article provides a useful overview of the steps that organizations can take to implement Agile HRM. The approach emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, and collaboration, which are essential for organizations to respond rapidly to changing business needs and customer demands while creating an engaged and empowered workforce. The steps provided in the article can help organizations implement Agile HRM and create a more responsive and engaged workforce, ultimately leading to greater success in today's fast-paced business environment.

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    1. Thank you for engaging in this conversation. I appreciate your input and look forward to further discussions in the future.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Human Resource theories is a general term for the strategies, tactics and objectives used by business owners and managers to administer policies and procedures related to employees. Human resource theories explain how management practices and structures can influence employee behavior in a favorable or bad way. In your article, you have clearly mentioned how the theories can turn to practice. what is your opinion on practical problems that we face when we try to use it as practical?

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    1. Thank you for engaging in this conversation. In my opinion, one common practical problem is the resistance to change from employees, who may be accustomed to the old way of doing things. Human resource theories often require changes in the organisational structure, job roles, and performance evaluation, which can be met with resistance from employees who may feel uncomfortable with new policies and procedures.
      Another challenge is the lack of proper training and development for both employees and managers. Human resource theories may require managers to adopt new skills and knowledge to manage their teams effectively. However, if managers are not trained properly, they may struggle to implement these theories, leading to a gap between theory and practice.
      Finally, the practical problem can arise due to the limitations of resources such as time, money, and technology. Implementing human resource theories may require investment in technology, hiring new staff, or restructuring the entire organisation. However, not all companies may have the necessary resources to make such investments, limiting the ability to implement these theories in practice.
      To overcome these practical problems, involving all stakeholders in the change process and ensuring proper training and development is crucial. Communication and transparency are also vital to helping employees understand the reasons behind the changes and how they can benefit from them. Companies should also prioritise and allocate the necessary resources to implement human resource theories successfully.

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  4. Agile HRM is not a accident, rather it based on the innovation , rapid changes in the business, stay ahead of the competition. And re-evaluate HRM functions more frequently , which make sure all the department in the organization work closely to bring the entity to the next level. And how technology has transformed the HRM over the time. Well structured article.

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