THE CHANGING WORKPLACE, Resources and the future Human capital.
THE CHANGING WORKPLACE, Resources and the future Human capital.
“Corporate America needs to get ‘unstuck’ when it comes to advancing
women to leadership,” said Ilene Lang, president and chief executive of Catalyst,
a non-profit organization that advocates greater opportunities for women.
The study found that 136 of the Fortune 500 companies had no women
executives. Among those with no women were Exxon Mobil, Berkshire Hathaway,
Citigroup, Costco Wholesale and Sears, the study said.
Women held 14.4 percent of executive officer positions in 2010, up from
13.5 percent in 2009, and female executive officers held 7.6 percent of the top
earning positions, up from 6.3 percent in 2009, the 2010 Catalyst Census said.
The best five companies in terms of women in the executive suit were: Gap 50
percent, H&R Block 50 percent, Limited Brands 50 percent, TIAA-CREF 50
percent and Western Union 45.5 percent. Reuters. There are number of barriers
and have various types, some of the majors are given below.
Internal business barriers
The following business-based barriers were identified:
Outreach and recruitment practices that fail to seek out or recruit
women and minorities, Prevailing culture of many businesses is a white male
culture and such corporate climates alienate and isolate minorities and women
Initial placement and clustering in staff jobs or in highly technical and
professional jobs that are not on the career track to the top Lack of mentoring
and management training. Lack of opportunities for career development, tailored
training, and rotational job assignments that are on the revenue-producing side
of the business Little or no access to critical developmental assignments such
as memberships on highly visible task forces and committees Special or
different standards for performance evaluation Biased rating and testing systems
Little or no access to informal networks of communication Counterproductive
behavior and harassment by colleagues
Governmental barriers
The Federal Glass Ceiling Commission pinpointed three governmental
barriers to the elimination of the glass ceiling. They are: Lack of vigorous
and consistent monitoring and law enforcement Weaknesses in the collection of
employment-related data which makes it difficult to ascertain the status of
groups at the managerial level and to disaggregate the data Inadequate
reporting and dissemination of information relevant to glass ceiling issue
Other barriers
Different pay for comparable work. Sexual, ethnic, racial, religious
discrimination or harassment in the workplace Lack of family-friendly workplace
policies (or, on the flipside, policies that discriminate against gay people,
non-parents, or single parents).Exclusion from informal networks; Stereotyping
and preconceptions of women's roles and abilities; Failure of senior leadership
to assume accountability for women's advancement; Lack of role models; Lack of
mentoring Requiring long hours for advancement, sometimes called the hour-glass
ceiling The reason HR is in the driver's seat now is because some of the most
pressing issues facing people, businesses and society come down to one
thing—and it happens to be our thing: Human capital. And as the workplace and
workforce continue to shift drastically we can expect more to come. Think about
it. Not more than fifty years ago, the typical American worker was male. He
went into an actual, physical office where he worked 9 to 5 and then enjoyed an
easy commute home. There he spent an evening with family uninterrupted by his
job. He started at the bottom of a company, worked his way up and after 30 or
40 years of dedicated service retired. Likely, with a guaranteed pension. (Some
of that actually sounds nice, doesn't it?) But all of us in this room know this
so-called "typical" worker no…longer…exists. The kind of company
where he worked likely no…longer…exists.
The way we approach the relationship between the two. The basic
employee/employer arrangement was built for business in the 1960's. But we're
in a brand new world. Employers, for their part, are up against new technology
and changing employee needs. They face intense global competition, and are
trying to manage rising costs—costs of healthcare, costs of compliance and
costs of just keeping the doors open. Their entire business model can be
overturned overnight or their industry can be disrupted in just a few years by
a new technology. So they've made tough choices. Many had to forego long-term
obligations like pensions. Some scaled back critical investments in workforce
training and development. And yet in this environment, they're fighting to find
the right talent with the right skills for their organizations. That's the
employer side of things.
But workers face some tough
challenges, also. Work is no longer a "9-to-5" arrangement. Thanks to
technology, people can work from anywhere and work at any time of the day—for
better or for worse. They face pressure to do more to do it faster and at
higher skill levels. But so far those higher expectations and productivity,
have not necessarily meant higher pay. And the middle-class jobs that, for
generations, provided stability and economic opportunity for families are
either disappearing—or coming back in a form that requires higher skills.
All of this is just scratching the surface of what people and businesses
are facing each and every day in today's world. So is it really any surprise
that we have seen:
● The decline of the long-tenured career?
● The rise of the freelance worker?
● The calls for equal and higher
wages?
● The anxiety around humans versus the machine?
Or
● The debate about immigration
and migration?
You know, it's time for a candid
conversation about our evolving workplace—And I say that no one is better
qualified to lead that discussion
References
Kerr, S., “On the
Folly of Rewarding A While Hoping for B,” Academy of Management Journal, 1975,
18, pages 769-783. Republished in Academy of Management Executive, 1995,9(1) pages 7-16.
Le, H., Oh, I.,
Shaffer, J. and Schmidt, F.L., “Implications of Methodological Advances for the
Practice of Personnel Selection: How Practitioners Benefit from Meta-analysis,”
Academy of Management Perspectives, 2007, 21(3) pages 6-15.
Michaels, E.,
Handfield-Jones, H. and Axelrod, B., The War for Talent, (Harvard Business
School Press, 2001)
O’Reilly, C. A. III
and Pfeffer, J., Hidden value: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary
Results with Ordinary People (Harvard Business School Press, 2000)
Schweitzer, M. E.,
Ordonez, L. and Douma, B., “Goal Setting as a Motivator of Unethical Behavior,”
Academy of Management Journal, 2004, 47(3) pages 422-432.
Waldron, H., quoted
in Bennett, A., “The Hot Seat: Talking to People Responsible for Setting Pay,”
The Wall Street Journal, April 17, 1991.
(END)
Interesting topic. The way forward for businesses in this competitive world is inclusiveness. This is a very broad word which simply eliminates all types of descriminations in the workplace. Inclusiveness is significant to build an innovative, stable and sensitive working environment.
ReplyDeleteYes you are right. Organizations working towards any goal should be properly evaluated for innovation. The changing nature of innovation in the world must be tackled with determination. I agree with you.
Deletehe article highlights how women are not advancing in corporate boardrooms and their compensation and how the corporations need to break the barriers and promote and mentor women to progress in their careers. The article mentions the barriers that hinder the promotion of women, including biased rating systems, counterproductive behavior and harassment by colleagues, and little access to informal networks of communication. The lack of family-friendly workplace policies, stereotyping, and preconceptions of women's roles and abilities, and the failure of senior leadership to assume accountability for women's advancement are also mentioned as barriers. The HR department can help break these barriers and promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. (Briscoe, Schuler, & Tarique, 2012)
ReplyDeleteI agree that the lack of advancement of women in corporate boardrooms and their compensation is a concerning issue that needs to be addressed. The barriers that prevent women from advancing their careers are numerous and varied, including internal business barriers, governmental barriers, and other barriers. (Gilmore & Williams, 2009) The HR department can play a crucial role in breaking these barriers by promoting diversity and inclusion, providing mentorship and management training, offering career development opportunities, and creating family-friendly workplace policies. (Farnham, 2015) It is essential for corporations to acknowledge these barriers and take proactive measures to promote diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. (Harzing & Pinnington, 2011)
Your comments are greatly appreciated. This should not happen in any way. At any time, to achieve the goal of the organization, both parties should present both ideas and suggestions.
ReplyDeleteNice explanation Seneth . The ability to embrace change will continually help businesses to find and nurture new business ideas and opportunities. Having stellar change strategies will help any business to move forward into new areas brought about by the new ways of working. Kelley says that “Since typically you learn the most in your first few years on a job, changing jobs can develop a broader knowledge base that makes you more marketable,”
ReplyDeleteYes. From the beginning, the same organization works for the first few years of existence and gradually ensures long-term existence. But it is the heads of the organization who make the decisions for its existence and whether the organization will be long-term or not depends on their decisions and tasks.
DeleteWithin this article, the author highlighted a few areas, such as the importance of woman's employment and leadership, However, woman's employment has increased gradually in the last few years. The author highlighted the barriers under three main categories, such as internal barriers from a business point of view, government-based barriers, and other barriers. Under the internal business barriers, discussed the limitations of minorities and women's employment, career development, and performance evaluations, and further author examined workplace discrimination and harassment. In my point of view, those barriers and limitations can be observed within Small and medium size organizations, Here HR department has to play the most critical part in preventing those issues by initiating HR policies and practices
ReplyDeleteThere are no two men and women. In fact, in some cases, the organization is concerned about its long-term existence as it is equipped with practical knowledge. Every aspect of the organization can continue to grow, whether or not women are recruited. I obey and respect your word.
DeleteNice debate Sineth. The changing workplace, resources, and the future of human capital are all interconnected. The traditional model of employment with a 9-to-5 office job, long-term job security, and guaranteed pensions is no longer the norm. Employers are facing challenges with new technology, global competition, and rising costs, which has led to changes in their business models and employment practices. Many have had to forego long-term obligations like pensions and scale back investments in workforce training and development. On the other hand, workers are facing challenges with changing expectations, increased productivity demands, and the need for higher skills. As a result, we are seeing a decline in the long-tenured career, with more workers opting for freelance or gig work that offers flexibility but may lack stability. There are also calls for equal and higher wages as workers seek fair compensation for their skills and contributions. The rise of automation and technology has also led to concerns about the impact on human workers, with debates about humans versus machines in the workplace. Work-life balance and flexible work arrangements have become important considerations for workers as they strive to juggle their personal and professional responsibilities. Employers are increasingly recognising the need for family-friendly workplace policies and other initiatives to support the well-being of their employees.
ReplyDeleteTo address these challenges and shape the future of human capital, it is important for businesses, governments, and society as a whole to work together. This may involve rethinking traditional employment models, investing in workforce training and development, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, ensuring fair compensation for all workers, and embracing new technologies in a way that benefits both employers and employees. By recognising the changing dynamics of the workplace and taking proactive measures to adapt, we can create a future where human capital is valued, supported, and empowered to thrive in the evolving world of work.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The changing workplace, resources and the future of human capital are all intertwined and woven into the story. Long-term job security is now waning and employers are facing challenges with new technology, global competition and rising costs. Many have had to forego long-term commitments such as pensions, impacting workforce training and development. Workers face challenges with productivity demands and the need for higher skills. As a result, more workers offer flexibility but may lack stability and lead to a decline in long-term careers. There are also demands for equal and higher wages as workers demand fair compensation for their skills and contributions. The rise of automation and technology has also fueled concerns about the impact on human workers, with debates about humans versus machines in the workplace. Work-life balance and flexible work arrangements have become important issues as workers try to juggle their personal and professional responsibilities. Employers are increasingly recognizing the need for family-friendly workplace policies and other initiatives to support the well-being of their employees. These are some very valuable ideas. More designs can be made on this idea. Thank you for your valuable comments and thanks.
DeleteThis is a good article for an HR Professional to get an understanding barriers to HR Management.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. Regarding awareness of ideas.
DeleteThe article highlights the lack of advancement of women in corporate boardrooms and compensation as identified by a study by Catalyst. The author identifies various barriers that exist in the workplace that include internal business barriers, governmental barriers, and other barriers. The article further explores the reason why HR is in the driver's seat now because some of the most pressing issues facing people, businesses, and society come down to human capital. The author also discusses the changing workplace and workforce that has resulted in the decline of long-tenured careers, the rise of freelance workers, and the anxiety around humans versus the machine.
ReplyDeleteOne critical comment is that while the article provides valuable insights into the barriers that exist in the workplace and the changing nature of work, it lacks a deeper analysis of how these barriers can be addressed. The article briefly mentions some of the tough choices employers have made, such as forego long-term obligations like pensions and scaled back critical investments in workforce training and development. However, it does not offer any solutions to the problem of the lack of advancement of women in corporate boardrooms and compensation. A question that arises is how can organisations address the barriers identified in the article to promote greater opportunities for women and minorities and foster a more inclusive workplace?