An exploration of the effect of devolution on Human Resource Management.

This dissertation seeks to explore how the techniques used in Human Resource Management [HRM] have changed in recent years. It will review the changes that have happened in HRM over the last 10 years. It will review the theory as put forward by the acknowledged experts in the field and will review how the theory has been implemented over time and compare it with the organisation I am studying with particular emphasis on resolving the objectives I have set out in this chapter. It will look at the development of HRM within a large manufacturing organisation, the role devolution has played in that development and what benefits it can bring to the organisation. 1.1 My objectives 1. To determine what has been the driving force behind HRM change. 2. To investigate the effect HRM change has had on the organisation [HR department, management of employees and on the employees]. Chapter 2 will explore the theories put forward by the acknowledged experts in the field. There is an abundance of theory on this subject and I propose to show how this theory has developed over time. I will talk about the strength of competition in the organisation’s industry. This will allow a sense of the unique competitive pressures that are present in the environment it operates in. Chapter 3 will outline the methodology I followed in completing my research. I will give an outline and explanation of the research methods I used including Qualitive and Quantitive sampling and explain why I chose them. I will provide a profile of the respondents to my surveys and the reasons why I chose them. Chapter 4 analyses the results of my research. Here I will be looking for trends and patterns to emerge so I can gauge what stage the organisation is at in the HRM change process. This data will form an important part of developing my hypotheses and will help link the different strands of the dissertation together. Chapter 5 consists of my conclusions based on the information I have gathered and how it ties in with the theory. I will put forward some recommendations that may benefit the organisation. I would hope to be able to make recommendations to any organisation that is contemplating streamlining it’s HR function. I will also outline what areas I would concentrate more on if completing a similar dissertation in the future