Information Needs by Position, Function and Role Essay

Information Needs by Position, Function and Role - Essay Example Certainly, having an appropriate organizational model in place is a precondition for long stint success (Pugh, 1990). This is because of its ability to identify and address the innumerable business and human realities of the corporation in question. An organization is a three layer system where at the bottom the organization’s material flows (activities of the first kind). Decision makers, managers of the organization are at the top. The middle layer receives information from the bottom, processes it and presents it to the decision makers. Decisions made in the top layer influence the bottom layer activities. For organization mangers to make qualitative decisions, they need to receive qualitative information on time (Pugh, 1990). This will result in the delivery of decisions to the bottom layer on time. Qualitative realization is attained if these information flow procedures are ensured by the middle layer. The two fundamental requirements of an organizational structure includ e division of labor into distinct tasks and coordination of that labor. This is such that the workers are able to accomplish the company’s goals. ... It may choose to cluster these utilities together under the department of marketing. Bigger establishments may organize so much of these undertakings that they isolate sales into a department different than the other functions (Pugh, 1990). Hence, qualitative information is required on the customer’s needs as well as the company’s performance in the market. The company should have information on how to establish market niche. The other information needed is the need for competitor intelligence. The company should be equipped with strategies to beat the competitor. Roles Once a corporation has proven how functions are convened, then functions must be allocated to the people who have the capability to perform them. Many establishments make roles to execute these functions. Companies should have information on ranks with job explanations that will assist employees to know the range, function and parameters of their roles. This will create a system of accountability and rel iability between all the people working in an organization (Pugh, 1990). In corporations big enough to have several people in a branch, roles aid in making sure that each person is taking care of central functions without replication or desertion of tasks. For instance, in a finance division, they might have a controller, accounts payroll person and an accounts collections person. All these people form part of a crew with an inclusive job to manage the firm's cash flows. However, every one of them has a set of duties that boost efficiency and ensure the assiduousness of the team. Information needs associated with organizational roles include information on training programs and motivation strategies for the employees. There is a need for

Human resource management challenges in knowledge-intensive sectors Essay

Human resource management challenges in knowledge-intensive sectors and solutions - Essay Example Based on this research human resource management (HRM) is of crucial importance for the optimum functioning of the organisation, irrespective of whatever sector they operate in. As the organisations in all the sectors including knowledge-intensive sectors will have humans or employees, human resource management is inevitable. With the organisations in the knowledge intensive sectors maximally dependent on the employees and their intellectual assets than other sectors like manufacturing, service, etc., (which could have use of infrastructures and machineries), HRM has to play a major role to solve all the HRM centric challenges. In any organisation, Human Resource Department (HRD) in association with other departments will play a variety of roles. HRD as part of HRM will select of the right people for the right jobs or designations through aptly conducted recruitment drives. Then, they have to provide a healthy and effective work environment for them to exhibit high productivity. Effe ctive work environment in the sense, the employees can be made to work as part of teamwork, can be involved more in the decision making processes and importantly could be given timely incentives so that their efficacy levels are always at the peak. All these key aspects have to be taken by the organisation or the management with good inputs from the HRD in line with optimum HRM. Workers are the integral part of any successful organisation and that includes Knowledge-Intensive Firms (KIP). This paper will discuss the HRM centric challenges and problems that will normally arise among the employees in KIPs, and importantly discuss how it can be solved, thus making the employees provide optimum productivity and thereby keep the operations of those firms, running in a smooth, well lubricated manner. Knowledge-intensive sector or Knowledge-Intensive Firms (KIPs) The concept of KIFs is apparently distinct from other organisational categories or organisations in other sectors. This is becau se in other traditional organisational categories, the emphasis will be more on the raw materials, capital, machineries, etc., with employees and their intellectual assets playing a complementary role. However, in the case of firms in the Knowledge intensive sectors, their entire operations will depend on humans and their knowledge. â€Å"KIFs are generally considered to be diametrically opposite to traditional manufacturing firms in that the knowledge rather than physical or financial capital is central to the companies’ existence† (Jorgensen, Becker and Matthews 2009, pg. 451). Thus, the firms operating in the Knowledge Intensive sector carry out their operations based on the professional knowledge exhibited by their employees. That is, using the knowledge of the employees, they mainly provide knowledge based support, service and even products for other business processes. As stated by Rylander and Peppard (2005, pg.4), â€Å"KIFs are characterized as organisations where well-educated and qualified employees form a major part of the work force and engage in mainly â€Å"intellectual work†. Certain organisations, which do and provide these types of works or services comes under this knowledge intensive sector. For example, consulting organisations, financial companies, law firms, private banks, architecture companies, etc., comes under this sector because these companies will use their employees’ knowledge and data analysis skills to provide service to the other businesses or clients. Because of this main focus on the employees and their knowledge, more than their physical skills, their mental abilities will be focused. Thus, these firms will have a different employment structure than the traditional firms. For example, â€Å"their employment structures are heavily weighted towards scientists, engineers, auditors and other experts in specific fields.† (Metcalfe and Miles 1997, pg. 8). Thus, it is clear that the organisation al and employment struct