Employee Champion Research Articles

Human Resource Management Roles & Skills Shortages in Malaysian Organisations

Human Resource Management (HRM) theorists reported that the key roles of HRM were four inter-related broad competencies namely, strategic partner, change agent, employee champion and administrative expert. If properly managed, these roles could create efficiency, commitment and cultural construction improvement in organizations. The roles were practiced differently to suit organizational objectives, industries and cultural values. But, without skilled, knowledgeable, qualified and experienced employees; it may affect organisational performance. This research was aimed to address HRM roles and Malaysians skills shortages from the perspectives of a sample of HR managers in a variety of Malaysian organisational types and sizes. The findings revealed that HR professionals were mostly performing their tasks as ‘administrative expert’ and less ‘strategic business partner’ in large companies. It was also found that Malaysians were lacking of accounting, Information Technology and human resource management skills.

The Roles and Competencies of Human Resource Professionals within Human Resource Transformation in Sidoarjo and Pasuruan Manufacturing Industries

Objective - This survey research identifies and describes the current execution of the roles and competencies of human resource professionals in Sidoarjo and Pasuruan manufacturing industries. It also examines the significant influence of those competencies on roles of human resource professionals within human resource transformation. Methodology/Technique - Referring to the complexity of the research framework and amount of samples, mean score and partial least squares are used to analyses data. The result shows that respondents possessed Operational Executor competency focusing in labor legislation and performed Employee Champion roles focusing on participating to build employee's morale. HR Competencies on HR Professional Competencies have the most significant influence on HR Roles on Operational Focus. Findings - In conclusion, the respondents' position is still on traditional human resource function and work more on day-to-day activities (operating). It reveals that human resource transformation is not done in their companies yet. Novelty - Implication to respondents is that they need a human resource consultant to help them implement human resource transformation because they are still lack of competencies and roles. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords : Human resource roles, human resource competencies, human resource transformation, human resource function, business environment changes.

Defining HR Roles of Nursing Line Manager in Workplace Learning

In this paper, HR roles of nursing line manager towards effective workplace learning in Malaysia are discussed. Numerous researches had examined the devolving of the HR roles in various perspectives and general roles of line managers in nursing. However, less study has been paid specific to the HR roles of nursing line manager towards effective workplace learning, especially in the context of Malaysian public hospitals. This paper argues that line managers play a vital role in the development of their employees. In Malaysian healthcare services, where Malaysian nursing shortage is critical, it is essential that nursing line managers play pertinent roles in the development of their nurses learning. In this paper, the researchers integrate HR Business Partnership Model by Conner and Ulrich into HR roles of nursing line managers in Malaysian public hospitals. In particular, this paper attempts to explore the level of nursing line managers’ involvement in HR roles in relation to strategic partner, change agent, administrative expert, and employee champion roles. Several prepositions are highlighted and developed.

Managing electronic communications: a new challenge for human resource managers

Advances in information and communication technology are not only changing the way work is conducted but also influencing the development of human resource management (HRM) as a field of practice. In order to understand how HR managers are grappling with this issue we review the misuse of electronic communication in the workplace through the international literature and also recent court and tribunal cases in Australia. In particular, we consider the impact of new communication technologies in blurring of the boundaries between home and work and the way in which this is being dealt with by HR managers. In this paper we draw out the challenge of balancing the interests of employees and organisations, and outline the tension between HR as a strategic partner and employee champion. While not advancing a dystopian view, we argue that in many workplaces new surveillance technologies are being routinely utilised to increase employer control and that such low-trust practices are likely to be counterproductive and may undermine the profession of human resources management.

Calling line managers in employee continuous professional development in South East Asia

Purpose: The paper aims to study the relationship of Line Managers’ (LMs) Human Resource (HR) role and its facets within employee’s Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach using 100 questionnaires were distributed to line managers in a South East Asia with a response rate of 87%. Findings: Results depict that LMs are actively involved in Strategic Partner, Employee Champion, and Change Agent roles. Study also shows that these three HR roles correlate with employee CPD. LMs’ are neither involved in Administrative Expert role, nor it correlates with employee Continuous Professional Development. Research limitations: Inability of the line managers to be fully involved with the four HR roles constraints the process of line manager deployment of HR roles specifically to employee CPD. Practical implications: Argues that the importance of strategic partner, employee champion, and change agent roles are the most important barrier and enabler of employee CPD, thus indirectly promoting organizational success and productivity. Social implications: Highlights the difficulties of managing organisations by getting the line managers directly involve in the development of employee CPD. Many line managers have to be made and given opportunities to develop their capabilities on this platform. Contends that HR can help an organization to succeed, provided that all line managers understand their roles, work together and take responsibility for their contribution. In addition is the adoption of the HR roles for the smooth delivery of HR functions which aligns with the overall organizational success. Originality/value: Specific HR roles are significant importance to the development of employee CPD within the setting of this South East Asian organization.

Readiness of Malaysian human resource professionals to be a strategic partner

The Ulrich’s HRM Four-Role Model is used in this study. The various roles that are examined are strategic partner, change agent, administrative expert and employee champion. All these roles will be tested whether or not they are significantly related to a firm’s performance. This study also examines the potential barriers that hinder the HR professional from being a strategic partner in an organisation. The sample employed here consists of HR professionals from Malaysian manufacturing companies in the southernmost state of Malaysia, Johor. The total number of firms involve in this study are 89 respondents. This study uses quantitative method such as spearmen rho correlation and multiple regression analysis to test the variables. The finding shows that the role of an administrative expert and employee champion obtained highest score in this study. All HR roles are tested and are significantly related to firm performance. Furthermore, it is found that role of strategic partner and change agent contributes most to firm performance. This study also found that the main barrier that hinders HR professional to play strategic roles in an organisation is they have no time to address both administrative and strategic issues.

The introduction of e‐HRM at Philips: some lessons for large organizations

PurposeThe paper aims to describe attitudes toward electronic human resource management (e‐HRM) at Philips (Electronics) Netherlands.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents the results of an online questionnaire, in which 99 managers and 257 employees of the company participated. Managers and employees answered questions as to their previous experiences with regard to IT systems in general, their preferred HR roles, and their attitude to e‐HRM systems.FindingsThe paper reveals that differences in perceived usability of current IT systems, as well as the preferred HR roles of strategic partner (high preference) and employee champion (low preference), were related to a positive attitude towards e‐HRM systems. For managers, user support was also found to be a predictor of a positive attitude towards e‐HRM.Practical implicationsThe paper highlights the importance of not leaving the introduction of e‐HRM to technical people alone.Originality/valueThe paper helps HR specialists in large organizations to implement e‐HRM as smoothly as possible.

The changing nature of the HR function in UK local government and its role as “employee champion”

PurposePublic sector reforms and external performance review has meant that the HR function in UK local government is not only expected to continuously review working practices but is also facing major changes in its role and its own service delivery. This paper explores how changes driven by the pursuit of efficiency and cost cutting may impact on the function's ability to fulfil the employee champion role that Ulrich identifies as essential to it making a valuable strategic contribution.Design/methodology/approachThe findings are drawn from interviews, focus groups and desk research conducted in three large local authoritiesFindingsThe emergent concerns, tensions and dilemmas across the case study organisations suggest that changes, both planned and actual, to HR's role and services will impact on the function's ability to act as an “employee champion” due to reduced employee contact and more fragmented HR roles.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are based on three case studies, so there is an issue of their wider application – and they provided rather more insights into the views of HR staff and line managers than of other employee groups.Practical implicationsThe devolved, decentralised, outsourced and self service models of HR service provision require careful internal evaluation as this study's findings indicate they may well have hidden costs in terms of promoting employee commitment in large public sector organisations.Originality/valueA qualitative study of how changes to the HR function's role and service delivery can impact on the HR's responsibilities for employee relations rather than the more usual considerations of cost effectiveness and efficiency.

Attitude towards E‐HRM: an empirical study at Philips

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a research project on attitude towards electronic human resource management (E‐HRM). A research model was formulated, based on two theories from complementary research areas: Davis' technology acceptance model and Ulrich's model on HR roles.Design/methodology/approachThe study used an online questionnaire, in which 99 managers and 257 employees within Philips (Electronics) Netherlands participated. Managers and employees answered questions as to their previous experiences with regard to IT systems in general, their preferred HR roles, and their attitude towards E‐HRM systems.FindingsDifferences in perceived usability of current IT systems, as well as the preferred HR roles strategic partner (high preference) and employee champion (low preference), were related to a positive attitude towards E‐HRM systems. For managers, user support was also found to be a predictor of a positive attitude towards E‐HRM.Originality/valueThis research suggests a multi‐factorial framework that can help organizations in understanding and solving difficulties of implementation with E‐HRM systems, as far as attitude towards these systems is concerned.

Analisis Implementasi Peran Sumberdaya Manusia Sebagai Mitra Strategik, Ahli Administratif,Employee Champion, dan Agen Perubahan: Studi pada Top Companies di Indonesia

The change and increasingly complex business environment has forced many companies to make radical organizational transformation. Facing with this new challenge, the organization should develop their competitive advantage on the basis of organizational capabilities and the execution of new roles of human resource. This research analyzes the execution of the human resource roles at top companies in Indonesia. The result shows that generally top companies in Indonesia have executed four types of human resource roles (strategic partner, administrative expert, employee champion and the change agent role), nevertheless the execution pattern of human resource roles are different. The execution of one role will support the execution of other role. Keywords: The change and increasingly complex business environment, radical organizational transformation, the new roles of human resource.