The Extent to Which the Human Resource Management Strategy Is Aligned to the Organizational/business Strategy: the Case of Walmart

ABSTRACT

This assignment paper attempts to analyze the extent to which the human resource management strategy is aligned and affiliated with organizational and business strategy. The largest retailer in the world in terms of revenues and number of employees Walmart is taken as a model to explain and analyze how its human resource management is aligned to their business strategy.

Primarily, the report defines and explains the meanings of human resource management and strategic human resource management. Then, it enlightens the differences between the two and how they are both beneficial to the existence and accomplishments of the organization in terms of its goals and long term plans.  Then, the report provides a brief introduction about the chosen company (Walmart), its vision and mission statements, its business and organizational strategies. It also highlights how the human resource department of Walmart addresses its human capital through employee training and performance management to enhance their capacity, effectiveness and efficiencies.

Furthermore, the report analyses in detail Walmart’s recruitment and selection strategy and its training and development strategy and how both of these strategies are aligned with the business and organizational strategy of the company. It also explains how these chosen strategies are implemented in the HR department of Walmart and how they contribute to the organization’s achievement of its both short and long term goals.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT        

1.        Introduction        

2.        Human Resource Management        

3.        Strategic Human Resource Management        

4.        Difference Between HRM and SHRM        

5.        Walmart Stores Inc.        

5.1       Walmart’s Recruitment, Selection and Retention Strategy        

5.1.1        Walmart’s Recruitment Sources and Methods        

5.2        Walmart’s Training and Development Strategy        

5.2.1        Walmart’s Training and Development Design        

5.2.2        Walmart’s Performance Management Practices        

6.        Conclusions and Recommendations        

7.        Appendixes        

7.1.        Appendix 1: Benefits of Training and Development        

8.        References        

The extent to which the Human Resource Management strategy is aligned to the organizational/business strategy: The case of Walmart

1. Introduction

Today’s organizations have to rely on and manage a number of different resources in order to function properly, achieve their business objectives and succeed in local as well as global arena. As such, an organization is required to have access to equipment and materials to manufacture a product or service, land to produce from or operate administrative works, capital to fund the operations and distribution channel to market and sell the products and services (Torrington et al., 2011). Besides all these, the organization also has to rely on human resource to run efficiently with adequate expertise and knowledge of the company, tasks and industry.

However, more scarce resource, especially human resource, may lead to the organization to critical situation and hence, more skills, time and effort would be required to manage relationship with the employees, labour market and human resource (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin & Cardy, 2012). Moreover, alongside managing all other resources, the organization needs to effectively and adequately manage its valuable human resources to sustain and succeed in the competitive market economy.  

1. Human Resource Management

Martin (2010) defines HRM as the managing discipline which specialises in the supervision of employees in organisations. HRM is also known as the function with in an organisation that deals with the recruitment, management and providing direction of the employees. On the other hand, Armstrong (2009) defines HRM as a vital, incorporated and rational approach to deal with the vocation, advancement and prosperity of the employees working in associations.

Further, HRM handles any issues relating to people including hiring, compensation, security, training, administration and organizational development. Mainly HRM administers the relationship between management of the company and its employees. Therefore, which ever way HRM is defined it is all about human capital of the organizations.    

HRM is the source of all organisation’s activities, however its not the basis of all business activities. In this manner, a business may depend on a very basic level on having an exceptional product or on acquiring the essential financing, or on recognizing a formerly unnoticed business sector specialty; the basis of administration and management is dependably the same: getting the people of the business to get things going profitably and productively, so that the business flourishes and achieves both of its long-term and short term goals and plans (Torrington et al., 2011).  

Table 1: The Goal and Objectives of HRM[pic 1]

Therefore, the general objective of HRM is to guarantee that the corporation can achieve success through it’s people. It targets to increase the organisational efficiency and capability; the ability of a company to achieve its ambitions targets by making the best use of the resources available to it (Armstrong, 2009). Table 1 above, presents and explains a compilation of the objectives and goals of HRM from several perspectives of different sources.

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