The link Between People and Business Strategy

Question: comment below post and give some feedback regarding the post. 1) Technology has finally reached the stage whereby it's no longer possible to sustain a competitive advantage through product features or by pricing.So you focus on the peripheral features - aftersales service etc.This is known ascreating a competitive edge through people- orcreating value out of peopleCan you think of examples of other industries where this point can be illustrated? 2) Firms have over the years been faced with people resourcing challenges owing to the dynamics inherent in the business environment. In addition to the difficulties of creating the need for employee loyalty and retaining the required best hands, customers also tend to influence human resource management decisions invariably because virtually most businesses aim at customer satisfaction (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010; Ullah and Yasmin, 2013). Achieving adequate customer satisfaction is perceived differently across organizations be it in the production or service industry. The customer voice have become increasingly so powerful in recent times such that they determine the lifeline of a business in their demands for the provision of quality products and services (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010; Ullah and Yasmin, 2013). Because organizations aim to gain competitive advantage by being more customer-focused, it leaves a corresponding impact on the human resources (managers and employees) used to drive and achieve such organizational goals. It tends to require a high level of flexibility, proactivity, responsiveness and emotional labour management for all employees (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010), cascaded in such a way that it is in the best interests of top management to take care of line managers, who in turn ensure workers are aligned to these objectives. The demands of excellent customer service should be adequately managed such that workers do not feel overwhelmed, coerced and alienated or left emotionally drained especially when certain rules are developed and imposed on them (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). For example, workers may have official 40 work hours a week with the option of working from home; yet some line managers in the bid to achieve set targets imply that extra hours be put in and wi thin the workplace so as to be closer to the clients/customers. While some workers may enjoy the overtime payments or perceive this as a source of job satisfaction, others may feel burdened by such rules. As such, managers may be compelled to employ workers willing to 'work under pressure and with little supervision'; a phrase synonymous with the Nigerian work environment where I am based. Although not yet common, human resource managers may also make use of the firms customer satisfaction index and ratings during recruitment and selection of personnel (Luo and Homburg, 2007). Again, having to provide excellent customer service has progressively created a need for unique after-sales attractions especially for companies that produce similar products and services, causing them to adopt high performance work systems that include comprehensive recruitment methods, trainings, compensations, and appraisals designed to enhance employee participation and development (Chuang and Liao, 2010; Ullah and Yasmin, 2013). It is also important for managers to adopt HR practices that form the right organizational climate which will impact employees collective behaviors to attain exceptional performance standards that involves customer satisfaction (Chuang and Liao, 2010). These points to the strong link between internal customers (employees) and external customers satisfaction (Ullah and Yasmin, 2013) which from my experience strongly suggests that both have to be adequately compensated using suitable HR strategies in order to gain optimal organizational performance; a cruc ial task for HR managers and other line managers, given the constant changes experienced in the business environment.comment on above post and give some feedback regarding the post. 3) The competitive environment is a major driver to change in the world of work (Pilbeam, S and Corbridge, M., 2010, p. 7). Though, some organizations can survive delivering standard services and products within traditional hierarchical organizational structure, however, for most organizations changing environment compels to create competitive advantage, which results changing the nature of work. Increase in customer orientation and accordingly product differentiation and service support, demands changing the form of organization (Pilbeam, S and Corbridge, M., 2010, p.7)The success of organizational changes will depend on effectiveness of people management in new organizational environment (Cardy, R.L., Gove, S., DeMatteo, J, 2000, p.159) In order to be effective in organizational changes HRM need to adapt practices to changes within organization. Customer influence has HRM implications both on managers and employees. It may influence recruitment, redundancy or job restructuring activities.For example customer preferences, purchasing activities and customer purchasing capacity may influence managerial decision on increasing or reducing personnel. For example increasing of customer population may lead to managerial decision of increasing working stuff in the organization. In opposite case management and supervisors delayering can be decided.Employee implications may relate to changing the structure of job as well as recruitment and redundancy activities. For example customer increase may reflect working hours of employees. Increased consumer population may be a reason for increasing of employee work hours. It also may lead to increase of personnel in the organization. In its turn, customer decrease may be a reason for increasing part time employees and redundancy.No doubt customers have tremendous influence on organization. Their demand of good quality products and exceptional service give them a power to affect structure of organization, management decision and employee. Customer demands responsiveness and flexibility from employee in order to satisfy its needs, where managers need to be aware of consequences of the emotional labour employee provides. (Pilbeam, S and Corbridge, M., 2010, p.8)In general, organizations increase competitive advantage by becoming customer-focused, increasing responsiveness, focusing on quality and continuous improvement, introduction of new technology and operating losing cost flexibly. (Armstrong, M, 2006, p. 21). Answer: Feedback1. All organizations regardless of how small or large have three main critical resources which should be applied efficiently for the association to be thriving (Williams, 2002). These important resources are the technology which is applied to generate the product or service delivery; the investments the company applies to provide financial support for whatever it needs and the employee whose talents and skills are used to perform the task which is required. In this post the author has mentioned with few examples but with less illustration on the core matter (Baron and Armstrong, 2007). As a whole in a few sentences the author explained what is meant by forming an aggressive edge though public or forming the value beyond people. Feedback2. This post has systematically structured explanation on the workers resourcing challenges due to the dynamics intrinsic within the business environment (Egeland, Harmer and Stoddard, 2011). To illustrate this point the author has also focused on the customer voice that has become increasingly very powerful in current times in a way that they determine the sustenance of a business for the provision of quality services and products (Aligholi, 2014). The writer has also mentioned the reason behind the aim to obtain advantage by being more customer-centered, work under pressure along with little administration and ultimately focused on the strong link between external and internal customer satisfaction. Feedback3. The writer has constructively mentioned the altering patterns in the world of work. Work is an essential part of the human lives. It offers a sense of identity and purpose along with an income to meet up the material needs (Driver, 2009). Work is the chief way, depending on which people can relate to one another. The writer has mentioned that mostly organizations are compelled to generate competitive advantage within the altering environment that results altering the work nature. The author has also focused on the organizational success, human resource management and the influence of the customer on human resource management. The writer has illustrated the same with a simple example for better understanding of the readers. He has finally concluded that customers have strong influence on organizations (Mondy, Noe and Gowan, 2005). To meet the requirements of the customers, in terms of good quality product and services managers should be aware of the outcomes of the emotional labor wor ker provides. Ultimately, the author has nicely correlated different parameters in the context of increasing competitive advantage, customer focused services, increasing awareness, continuous quality improvement and thus introduction of innovative technology. References Aligholi, M. (2014). Investigation of Link between Customer Satisfaction and Customers Price Sensitivity.Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. Baron, A. and Armstrong, M. (2007).Human capital management. London: Kogan Page Ltd. Driver, M. (2009). From Loss to Lack: Stories of Organizational Change as Encounters with Failed Fantasies of Self, Work and Organization.Organization, 16(3), pp.353-369. Egeland, J., Harmer, A. and Stoddard, A. (2011).To stay and deliver. [New York, N.Y.?]: Policy Development and Studies Branch (PDSB), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Mondy, R., Noe, R. and Gowan, M. (2005).Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Williams, S. (2002). Strategic planning and organizational values: links to alignment.Human Resource Development International, 5(2), pp.217-233.