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Q1. Why is the HR department playing a more significant role in theorganization today than it did 20years ago?
Ans:
The role of HR has changed greatly since medieval times when the major motivationalfactors were basic human necessities and the role of HR was to arrange for these in proportion tothe work done. Today’s company should consist of fast, flexible and dynamic teams of enthusiastic, motivated, creative and fully self expressed people. Human resource will have to play a substantial role in the business. In order to perform this role HR professionals shouldhave: Thorough Knowledge of business as well as of Human resource functions, the ability tolead any change process, innovation, problem solving , the leadership ability to influence theorganization, etc.There is a paradigm shift to align people to the business and so today there is a demand to haveHR professionals as business partners. There are 4 basic roles as HR professionals. One as anadministrator, two as an agent of change, three as a employee champion (as opposed toemployer champion)and four as a business partner. Since there are different sets of people whohave different expectations, there have to be newer roles and newer competencies of HumanResources.
Role of HR department
HR department with the right skills can contribute to a Six Sigma initiative at both strategic andtactical levels. This article describes the areas in which HR should play a role in Six Sigma anddiscusses how HR professionals can increase their chances of being included in Six Sigmadecision-making and implementation.To appreciate the important role HR has in Six Sigma, it isimportant to begin this discussion by having an understanding of what Six Sigma is, all the roles played by others in a Six Sigma implementation, and the factors critical to a successfulimplementation.
The Challenges of Workplace
The future success of any organizations relies on the ability to manage a diverse body of talentthat can bring innovative ideas, perspectives and views to their work. The challenge and problems faced of workplace diversity can be turned into a strategic organizational asset if anorganization is able to capitalize on this melting pot of diverse talents. With the mixture of talents of diverse cultural backgrounds, genders, ages and lifestyles, an organization can respondto business opportunities more rapidly and creatively, especially in the global arena (Cox, 1993),which must be one of the important organizational goals to be attained. More importantly, if the
 
organizational environment does not support diversity broadly, one risks losing talent tocompetitors.
Planning a Mentoring Program-
One of the best ways to handle workplace diversity issues is through initiating a DiversityMentoring Program. This could entail involving different departmental managers in a mentoring program to coach and provide feedback to employees who are different from them. In order for the program to run successfully, it is wise to provide practical training for these managers or seek help from consultants and experts in this field. Usually, such a program will encourageorganizations members to air their opinions and learn how to resolve conflicts due to their diversity. More importantly, the purpose of a Diversity Mentoring Program seeks to encouragemembers to move beyond their own cultural frame of reference to recognize and take fulladvantage of the productivity potential inherent in a diverse population.An organization that sees the existence of a diverse workforce as an organizational asset rather than a liability would indirectly help the organization to positively take in its stride some of theless positive aspects of workforce diversity.
Conclusion
The role of the HR manager must parallel the needs of the changing organization. Successfulorganizations are becoming more adaptable, resilient, quick to change directions, andcustomer-centered. Within this environment, the HR professional must learn how to manageeffectively through planning, organizing, leading and controlling the human resource and beknowledgeable of emerging trends in training and employee development.At present, there are automated Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) as well as benefits management systems that assist employees in managing their facilities and incentives.Because of this aspect, the role of HR is changing.A growing trend in modern day HR practice is the need to integrate Decision SupportManagement Systems (DSM). Just as an organisation’s business and financial development isaugmented with the use of sophisticated analytical tools, HR decisions today are supplementedusing DSM programmes. HR decisions need to be focused towards the common goal of supporting business decisions. HR managers therefore have to administer systems to foster 
 
effective decision-making abilities in individuals. The ultimate goal is to produce a leader for tomorrow. While making a decision, the quality of the decision itself is very important. To permit DSM, the HR manager should identify vital indicators of success within himself, theemployees and the company. The indicators act as a framework to facilitate the decision-making process.The quality of the decisions also depends on identifying appropriate outcomemeasures in all aspects of decision-making. The outcome should be long-term and not short-term. HR is about administering the system to get an outcome and not ensuring that a system isin place, but still does not provide the necessary outcome.
Q 2 Why should even very small firms (10 to 100 employees) beconcerned with HRM?
Ans :
Small firms, with limited opportunities, limited markets and limited resources, must useevery means available for improving performance and insuring survival. Although many humanresource management (HRM) practices are advocated as leading to firm improvement and/or survival, little research in this area pertains to small businesses.Small firm owners have been poked and prodded and studied, but we still know very little abouttheir management capabilities. Additional research is needed to provide more understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of these owners. In a study of managerial skills, there are many places to start. But, if small firms are creating new jobs and hiring new employees, then one place to begin would be in the area of human resource management (HRM). HRM also hasvalue because it provides an interface between an owner and the firm's current employees.This study examines determinants of the formalization of HRM practices with small firms. Wederive five hypotheses that identify possible determinants of the level of formalization, including
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