How can the HR Management sustain the motivation of the employees Dissertation

How can the HR Management sustain the motivation of the employees during a period of company downsizingAn approach of HR practi - Dissertation Example Some did achieve short-term benefits in terms of cost savings but in the long-run organizations paid for it in terms of loss of human capital. The neglect of human capital resulted in low employee morale which adversely impacted the post-downsizing productivity. Employee motivation is currently the major issue facing businesses today. The role of HR has changed from being mere personnel management to strategic human resources management. HR managers could play a vital role in sustaining motivation of employees that are retained with the organization after downsizing. While downsizing affects both the leavers and those that remain, the scope of the study is limited to focusing on the motivation of those that remain with the organization. Thus, with the aim to evaluate the role of HR in sustaining employee motivation during downsizing, three objectives and four research questions were set. After extensive literature review, the study adopted qualitative method for research based purely on secondary data. The study finds that motivation is disrupted which is evident from increase in political behaviors such as anger, fear, and antagonism. This in turn manifests in adversely impacting customer satisfaction, organizational efficiency, and productivity. Employee motivation is invariably affected in downsizing firms regardless of the downsizing strategy adopted. The attention during downsizing is focused on the process and also in trying to avert negative publicity. As a result human capital is neglected, which results in lowered motivation to work and lowered commitment, loyalty and inefficiencies. Various downsizing strategies have been reviewed and the study finds that a proactive approach to downsizing can avert neglect of human capital. This requires the involvement of HR managers right from the beginning in designing and implementing the downsizing process. The study recommends the role that HR should adopt in sustaining the motivation of employees during all th e stages of the downsizing process. Table of Contents Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Rationale for Research 5 1.3 Research Aims and Objectives 8 1.4 Research Questions 9 1.5 Scope of the Study 9 1.6 Structure of the Study 9 Chapter II Literature Review 2.1 Chapter Overview 11 2.2 Definitions 11 2.3 The Growth of Downsizing 15 2.4 Rationale for Downsizing 16 2.5 Downsizing methods 20 2.6 Impact of downsizing 21 2.7 Downsizing management by organization and its implications 25 2.8 Downsizing implementation 26 2.9 Downsizing Models 30 2.10 Trust and Empowerment in downsizing 33 2.11 HR practices during Downsizing 36 2.12 Strategies to manage the Survivors 37 2.13 Chapter Summary 38 Chapter III Methodology 3.1 Research Philosophy 39 3.2 Research Phenomenon 39 3.3 Research Design 39 3.4 Choice of Method 40 3.5 Research Approach 41 3.6 Data Collection Strategy 43 3.7 Data Analysis 45 3.8 Validity and Reliability 45 3.9 Ethical concerns 45 Chapter IV Findings & Discussions 4.1 Chapter Overview 46 4.2 Findings 46 4.3 Analysis and Discussion 56 Chapter V Conclusion & Recommendations 5.1 Conclusion 63 5.2 Recommendations on the role of HR during downsizing 67 5.3 Limitations of the Study 70 5.4 Recommendation for further research 71 5.5 Personal reflection 71 References 74 Tables and Charts Table 2.1 Different Ways of describing Downsizing 13 Table 2.2 Reasons for Downsizing by Firms 19 Table 2.3 Downsizing Strategy 28