HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE - Fichier PDF

248 ❚ Organizational behaviourRole incompatibilityStress and poor performance may be caused by roles having incompatible elements,as when there is a clash between what other people expect from the role and whatindividuals believe is expected of them.Role conflictRole conflict results when, even if roles are clearly defined and there is no incompatibilitybetween expectations, individuals have to carry out two antagonistic roles. Forexample, conflict can exist between the roles of individuals at work and their roles athome.IMPLICATIONS FOR HR SPECIALISTSThe main implications for HR specialists of the factors that affect individuals at workare as follows:●●Individual differences – when designing jobs, preparing learning programmes,assessing and counselling staff, developing reward systems and dealing withgrievances and disciplinary problems, it is necessary to remember that all peopleare different. This may seem obvious but it is remarkable how many peopleignore it. What fulfils one person may not fulfil another. Abilities, aptitudes andintelligence differ widely and particular care needs to be taken in fitting the rightpeople into the right jobs and giving them the right training. Personalities andattitudes also differ. It is important to focus on how to manage diversity asdescribed in Chapter 57. This should take account of individual differences,which will include any issues arising from the employment of women, peoplefrom different ethnic groups, those with disabilities and older people.Personalities should not be judged simplistically in terms of stereotyped traits.People are complex and they change, and account has to be taken of this. Theproblem for HR specialists and managers in general is that, while they have toaccept and understand these differences and take full account of them, they haveultimately to proceed on the basis of fitting them to the requirements of the situation,which are essentially what the organization needs to achieve. There isalways a limit to the extent to which an organization, which relies on collectiveeffort to achieve its goals, can adjust itself to the specific needs of individuals. Butthe organization has to appreciate that the pressures it makes on people can resultin stress and therefore become counter-productive.