Introduction and Alignment

Human resource management (HRM) refers to the policies, practices, and systems that influence employees’ behavior, attitudes, and performance. Many companies refer to HRM as involving “people practices.” The strategy underlying these practices needs to be considered to maximize their influence on company performance. (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2019, p. 4)

The textbook reading for this Workshop One assignment is Chapter 1—“Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage.” The learning concepts in the reading include:

• Roles and activities of a company’s human resource management (HRM) function
• Implications of the economy, the makeup of the labor force, and ethics for company sustainability
• How human resource management affects a company’s balanced scorecard
• What companies should do to compete in the global marketplace
• How new technology—such as social networking, artificial intelligence, and robotics—is influencing HRM
• Human resource management practices that support high-performance work systems (Noe et al., 2019, p. 2)

Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:

• Discuss human resource management practices that support high-performance work systems.
• Assess opportunities to recognize and respond to generational issues through effective HR practices.

Resources

• Textbook: Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage
• Media: Overview of Human Resource Management–Presentation A
• Webpage: What Is a Scholarly Article?

Background Information

The HR department is solely responsible for outplacement, labor law compliance, record keeping, testing, unemployment compensation, and some aspects of benefits administration. The HR department is most likely to collaborate with other company functions on employment interviewing, performance management and discipline, and efforts to improve quality and productivity. Large companies are more likely than small ones to employ HR specialists, with benefits specialists being the most prevalent. Other common specializations include recruitment, compensation, and training and development. Many different roles and responsibilities can be performed by the HR department depending on the size of the company, the characteristics of the workforce, the industry, and the value system of company management. (Noe et al., 2019, pp. 6–7)

In this case study, you will evaluate how Marriott utilizes HR practices focused on putting employees first. Built on the principle, “Take care of associates and they will care of customers” (Noe et al., 2019, p. 63), this approach to HRM, based on employee satisfaction and engagement, has helped contribute to success in a highly competitive industry.

Instructions

1. Read Chapter 1, “Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage,” in the Human Resource Management textbook.
2. View the media “Overview of Human Resource Management–Presentation A.”
3. Read “Marriott: HR Practices Result in Engaged Employees and Satisfied Customers” at the end of Chapter 1, then navigate to the discussion topic and answer the following discussion prompts adapted from the case:
   1. HR Practices. Which HR practices do you believe are the most critical for Marriott to maintain and grow its competitive advantage? Explain why.
   2. Outcomes. Would Marriott have been successful without its current HR practices? Explain.
   3. Values. Can companies in other industries such as health care, manufacturing, or research and development adopt Marriott’s values and practices and have similar success? Explain why or why not.
   4. Suggestions. What other types of HR practices should Marriott consider adopting that would appeal to its growing number of millennial employees? (Noe et al., 2019, p. 64)
4. Provide a detailed post that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking. Your initial posting should be 200–300 words in length.
5. Organize your initial post by using a heading for each response to match those shown in bold text in Step 3.
6. Your initial posting is to include, at a minimum, three sources properly cited and referenced: (a) the Human Resource Management textbook, and (b) two academic journal articles obtained through OCLS that are at least three pages in length and published within the last five years.
   1. For an explanation of what constitutes an academic source, review “What Is a Scholarly Article?”
7. Post your initial discussion by the end of the fourth day of the workshop.
8. Conduct a critical analysis of postings by two of your classmates by the end of the workshop.
9. Each discussion response to a classmate should facilitate engaging dialogue and evidence critical thinking when addressing your classmate’s posting. Utilize the following ways to engage in scholarly dialogue and expand learning around the topics in this workshop:
   1. Extension: Expand the discussion.
   2. Relevancy: Relate the topic to a current event.
   3. Exploratory: Probe facts and basic knowledge.
   4. Challenge: Interrogate assumptions, conclusions, or interpretations.
   5. Relational: Make comparisons or contrasts of themes, ideas, or issues.
   6. Diagnostic: Probe motives or causes.
   7. Action: Identify an application or an action in personal or work life.
   8. Cause and Effect: Cite causal relationships between ideas, actions, or events.
   9. Hypothetical: Pose a change in the facts or issues.
   10. Priority: Seek to identify the most important issues.
   11. Summary: Elicit synthesis. (Teacher Stream, 2009, p. 5)
10. Each response should be 200–300 words in length and include, at a minimum, three sources properly cited and referenced: (a) the Human Resource Management textbook, and (b) two academic journal articles that are at least three pages in length and published within the last five years.
    1. At least one academic source is to be different from the two academic sources provided by your classmate.
    2. For explanation of what constitutes an academic source, review “What Is a Scholarly Article?”

Select here to begin the discussion.

Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2019). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage (11th ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill Education.

Teacher Stream, LLC. (2009). Mastering online discussion board facilitation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/stw/edutopia-onlinelearning-

mastering-online-discussion-board-facilitation.pdf

Respond to the following discussion prompts:

1. HR Practices. Which HR practices do you believe are the most critical for Marriott to maintain and grow its competitive advantage? Explain why.
2. Outcomes. Would Marriott have been successful without its current HR practices? Explain.
3. Values. Can companies in other industries such as health care, manufacturing, or research and development adopt Marriott’s values and practices and have similar success? Explain why or why not.
4. Suggestions.What other types of HR practices should Marriott consider adopting that would appeal to its growing number of millennial employees?