Human Resource Planning and Performance, In-State Sector.

Introduction

 

What is HRM?

 

• HRM can be described as a strategic, integrated, and coherent approach to the employment, development, and well-being of the people working in an organization (Armstrong, 2010)
• Walker (1992) says that effective Human Resource Management is argued to deliver competitive advantage to firms

 

How HR developed?

Development in when referring extant literature in HRM, one thing which is coming into mind is that majority of the HRM concepts are developed for private sector organizations which are aiming for higher profits and operational excellence

 

What is the applicability in the State Sector institutions?

The applicability of HRM to state sector organizations has had a really low concentration and focus in the past among HRM practitioners.

Sri Lankan Situation

Very less emphasis is put on the HRM issues in the state sector of Sri Lanka. Role of the “Public Service Commission” (PSC).

PSC is the body which sets all the rules and regulations related to the employees of the state & Privet sectors in Sri Lanka.

To see the complete description of powers and other administrative matters related to PSC, it is recommended reading sections 54(1), 54(2), 54(4), 54(7), 54(8), 54(10), 55(1) – 55(5), 56(1), 57(1), 58(1), 58(2), 59(1) – 59(3) and 61(1) sections of the constitution of Sri Lanka. Also, The central bank of Sri Lanka manages the recruitment of public servants.

Establishment Code

Establishment Code is a document that describes how HRM functions should happen within the state sector in Sri Lanka. This document has been compiled by The Ministry of Public Administration.

The objective of this document is to formulate efficient public policies on Recruitment, Remuneration and other Service Conditions in Human Resource Management (HRM) of Public Service.

Human Resource Planning

 

What is Human Resource Planning?

Process that identifies the human resources need for organization in the current situation or future needs in order to achieve the goal and objectives of such an organization.

‘’Prepares forecasts of human resource requirements and plans for the acquisition, retention, and effective utilization of employees, which ensures that the company’s needs for people are met.’’ (Armstrong,2010)

With the changing the external environment, to face the challenges from competitors, organizations consider human resource planning as a main HRM function of the origination. Human resource planning has a link with human resource management and the strategic plan of an organization.

Situations can arise in HR planning

 

Human Resource Planning in Sri Lankan State Sector Context

When it comes to Sri Lanka as a country, a lot of activities are carried out by the Sri Lankan government sector organizations to make sure that the Sri Lankan population gets proper education and thereby good literacy. Sri Lanka is the best country in terms of literacy rate in the developing South Asian region.

When speaking about human resource planning happens in the state sector organizations in Sri Lanka, the situation is quite different. The proper planning process is not carried out by the administrative divisions of any state sector organization. Even they do such a planning process, by the time that plan gets approved the requirement might have changed.

 

Human resource planning process, following questioned are answered.

How many people we need?

What sort of people we need?

How can we ensure that we attract and retain high-quality people?

How can we make the best use of our people?

How can we ensure that we create a work environment which gives people the opportunity to obtain satisfaction from their work and to use and develop their skills?

Answer to all of the questions from the state side were No

 

Because the government is promoting a single document for human resource management for every organization. State sector organization is not carrying out succession planning, employee retention programs, labor turn over-analysis, etc. Because they depend on the establishment code to do whatever thing they are doing related to human resource management. Sri Lanoka’s state sector is functioning without the aid of human resource planning.  establishment code has made it impossible for the state sector to go for an organization-specific human resource planning process.

Performance Management

Performance management can be defined as ‘’a systematic process for improving organizational performance by developing the performance of individuals and teams’’ (Armstrong, 2010)

Identifying, measuring, influencing and developing job performance of employees Performance management comprises the actions an organization takes to apply objective information to management and policymaking in order to improve results.

 

Performance Management has two meanings

 

Performance Evaluation or Performance Appraisal

Performance Management as the process of evaluating employee performance against the standards set for them and helping the employees develop action plans to improve their performance.

 

Performance Management

establishing objectives based on strategic goals of organization, employee feedback, coaching for employee development and appraisal.

 

Performance Management in the Private Sector

Performance Management in the State Sector

Two types of employees exist in the state sector

 

 

Differences between the State Sector and Private Sector

Issues of not having a proper Performance Management System

There is a serious labor productivity problem when considering the contribution of the public sector to the GDP. There is a large number of people in Sri Lanka who show a level of performance and there is no method to identify, manage, and increase their performance.

The most serious problem here is that both efficient and inefficient peoples benefit equally. It makes efficient people dissatisfied and makes them inefficient too.

 

Conclusion

In the Global Competitive Index 2019 published by World Economic Forum, Sri Lanka has been ranked as the 84^th most competitive economy in the world out of 141 countries.

From 2012 onwards, as a country, Sri Lanka has declined in rankings.

In 2012 Sri Lanka had been the 52nd most competitive economy in the world.

Three Factors have heavily contributed to this dip in the ranking.

labor market efficiency, macroeconomic environment, and technological readiness.

Out of these factors, labor market efficiency is the most contributing factor for the dip in the rankings.

Compared to the state sector, private sector employees are giving frank effort to make their organizations profitable, because they know that it will be good for them if the company performs well.

The HR function is limited to the administrative division in the all the state sector organizations in Sri Lanka.

They were not aware about most of the modern human resource management planning and performance concepts.

One of the biggest barriers the state sector has in making human resource management a strategic function is the establishment code, Also, recruitment on political policies as well as the influence of trade unions adversely affect staff management

The requirement of setting the HR function to achieve their goals and objectives of the organization, instead of restricting those organizations to a document like establishment code.

Resistance from the state sector employees to do changes in the HR system

The government can be started with a pilot project for the state sector organizations, without going for an island-wide program. If the program gives good returns, the government can think of going island-wide.

Government attention is required to do the changers in the HR mechanism. to this, the government should make arrangements to get good policy decisions for making a better human resource management system

Though it would be a time consuming and a tough effort to rectify these issues, it is a thing that government should focus on, because this is directly affecting the country’s development.

 

References

Armstrong, 2010

Establishment cord publish by Ministry of administration in Sri Lanka

Constitutions in Sri Lank, para 54(1), 54(2), 54(4), 54(7), 54(8), 54(10), 55(1) – 55(5)           

                                                  56(1), 57(1), 58(1), 58(2), 59(1) – 59(3) and 61(1)     

The Global Competitiveness Report 2019.