OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Human Resource Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the human resource frame
2. Apply the human resource frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

The organization that I am researching in this assignment is the United Auto

Workers (UAW). I work for an automotive supplier as a sales analyst. The company I
work for was impacted by the automotive strikes that happened in the Fall of 2023 by the
(UAW). My role would be considered external since I do not work directly with the
UAW, but decisions made by the UAW can directly affect the company that I work for.
Every four years, the automotive union contracts end for General Motors (GM),
Stellantis, and Ford. The contracts have to be agreed upon by all parties involved,
otherwise a strike happens. This leads to businesses temporarily shutting down and a loss
in business for other companies. Since I work in the sales department, we have lost
business due to these strikes and the automotive companies deciding not to move forward
with certain projects.

2) Describe how the human resources of the organization influenced the situation.

During the strikes that happened with the members of the UAW and the three
automotive companies, the human resources department acted as a mediator between
labor and management. This was a challenge because of the employees in human
resources having to balance the demands on both sides of the issues. Human resources
had to make hard decisions regarding layoffs and compensation adjustments beyond the
employees that were a part of the strike (Striking a Balance: UAW’s Strike and Its Impact
on Human Resource Management, n.d.). The human resources department of all three
major companies had to make these calls, but the human resources department of
automotive suppliers and manufacturers had to make calls for their companies as well.
These issues extended further than the three companies on strike.

The role of human resources is to manage and maintain the employee morale and
trust. They have the responsibility of communicating efficiently with the employees,

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 providing a support system and making sure that everyone feels like they are being heard
(Striking a Balance: UAW’s Strike and Its Impact on Human Resource Management,
n.d.). In this case, human resources has to make sure they are being heard on the benefits
that they want to receive from the company so they supported the strike that was
occurring. They were there for the employees. They were not there for the company or
any of the company's customers.

3) Recommend how you would use the human resources for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

There are some things that could have been done differently while the strikes were
going on. There are several lessons that human resources could learn from. One thing that
I would recommend is to have a plan put in place in advance of the UAW contract
ending. I would recommend that the members of human resources speak to their
employees ahead of time to understand what type of benefits they are wanting and what
they would like to see in the new contracts. They can be proactive with their
communication. If this was done, there is a possibility that the strikes would have never
happened and an agreement would have been made ahead of time.

If human resources were a priority when these strikes happened, then layoffs
could have been eliminated. The layoffs that happened months after the strike may have
never happened since they may have come to an agreement much sooner than they did.
According to the book, there are many firms that honor job security as the framework of
the human resource philosophy (Bolman & Deal, 2021, pg. 142). The human resource
department of a company is responsible for protecting the jobs of the employees. Instead,
many jobs were lost during the strike and even months after the strike ended.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

The first thing that I would do differently is give the employees a chance to speak
on what they expect to come out of the contract ahead of the contract expiring. I would
make sure that human resources and the employees are having transparent conversations
about the company and what the employees think they deserve. Communication is one of
the most important aspects to have in a company. It would be important to be transparent
with the employees before any layoffs are made instead of making it a surprise. It would
be beneficial for the employees if they are prepared. This is especially important after the
strike ends because many employees may think they are safe since the strike has ended.

The other thing that I would do differently is to protect as many jobs as possible. I
feel like they were just listening to the decisions to lay off employees instead of trying to
find ways to protect those jobs and the employees. One reason a mass layoff happens is
because they need immediate results, and the executives come to the conclusion that

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reducing costs and reorganizing is more likely to result in a quick hit (Bolman & Deal,
2021, 140). Human resources are not a priority when these decisions are made. The
priorities in these cases have the focus of the financials in mind.

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 References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership

(7th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Striking a Balance: UAW’s Strike and its Impact on Human Resource Management. (n.d.).

International Talent Partners. Retrieved April 1, 2024, from

https://www.internationaltalentpartners.com/striking-a-balance-uaws-strike-and-its-impac

t-on-human-resource-management/