Compensation Is a Core Function of Human Resource Essay Example

Compensation Is a Core Function of Human Resource Essay Compensation is a core function of human resource management, one that has important direct or indirect implications for recruitment, appraisal, training, retention, and labour relations. At the centre of competency, cost, and productivity issues in government, pay for performance is a key methodology in the compensation field and a central component of contemporary civil service reform. This technique is a fitting topic for the anniversary symposium. Most organizations, in fact, say they recognize merit, and most personnel believe that remuneration should be tied to contribution. Managers see pay for performance as a basis of control, and employees embrace its intuitive appeal. It is not surprising, then, that public and private organizations claim to give great deference to merit, the civil service system is even named for it. Yet substantial discontinuity exists between rhetoric and reality, as business scholars point out that performance pay â€Å"may not be as desirable, as easy to implement, or as widely used as commonly believed† (Fisher schoenfelt, Shaw, 2006, p. 512). But the Public service experts such as Jonathan Bruel, IBM Centre for Business of Government, likewise find that it is â€Å"complex and deceptively difficult, both technically and politically† (Mosquera, 2008, August 18). Indeed, the managerial discretion promised by contingency compensation confronts agency missions lacking in simple profit maximization metrics, personnel who may be motivated as much by public interest as private gain, and legal provisions against political manipulation of employees. It is by no means clear that the benefits of developing such systems outweigh the costs. We will write a custom essay sample on Compensation Is a Core Function of Human Resource specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Compensation Is a Core Function of Human Resource specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Compensation Is a Core Function of Human Resource specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, the concept of merit today is associated with commercial values and corporate-style performance pay. Although it takes many forms for most administrative, technical, and professional work, pay for performance typically seeks to use a portion of salary increases to award personal productivity. Seemingly consistent with well-known motivation theories and simple common sense, no one argues that people should not be paid for achievement incentive plans have grown in popularity in both the public and private sectors. It is the increasing diffusion of this approach to compensation that suggests the need for a re examination of merit pay for individual performance. This study assesses the practical experience, policy findings, and political realities of performance compensation in the federal government in contemporary history, followed by a discussion of its persistence. The analysis is informed by scholarly research, news media articles, government publications, and data from 15 unstructured, 30- to 50-minute telephone interviews in fall 2008. This small, diverse group of stakeholders offered insights into the promise, problems, and prospects of contingency compensation. Chosen on the basis of reputation and accessibility, it included representatives from news outlets, unions, nonprofits, consultancies public agencies, and academic. Practical Experience To summarize this section, pay clearly matters. But as experience demonstrates, it is difficult to link compensation policies to desired results; good intentions are not necessarily assumed in a political environment, and in any event are simply not enough. For example, President Barack Obama, while not rejecting the concept of contingency compensation, has indicated concern about troubled pay-for-performance systems and seeks to have a civil service bill that includes compensation reforms passed by the 2010 elections. For most agencies, it is a major administrative undertaking to implement performance pay, a task that includes the continuous re-evaluation of motivation and productivity, identification of additional levels of contribution that warrant recognition, and provision of incentives on an equitable and timely basis. As Bob Behn (2004) observes, who gets how much for what are insidiously complicated issues. Too good to be true, pay for performance might be â€Å"a wonderful theory . . . unfortunately details matter† (p. 2; also see U. S. Merit Systems Protection Board, 2006). Although that may not be a reason not to do it, dealing with performance compensation â€Å"is always unsatisfactory,† according to Mark Abramson (personal communication, December 2, 2008) of Leadership, Inc. ; not only is every agency’s situation different, but also the topic is complex and multifaceted. It is easy to see why, in light of the record, simpler, â€Å"set-it-and-forget-it† compensation programs historically have been widespread in the public and private spheres. Indeed, performance pay promoters— tellingly—have not sought to apply the technique to presidents, members of Congress, agency secretaries, or the uniformed services. Policy Findings Shortly this section, research findings demonstrate that to avoid crippling drawbacks, a set of strict policy prerequisites is needed to implement the methodology. Although organizations do not necessarily have to wait for perfect conditions, an honest assessment of their readiness and realistic understanding of pay-for-performance pitfalls is needed (Kerr, 2008). Even in favourable circumstances, incentive remuneration may not be successful because the detailed requirements are very demanding and often impractical. Metzenbaum (2006) reported that â€Å"an overwhelming body of research and experience suggests that promising rewards . . . seldom works when the rewards are linked to attainment of specific targets, progress relative to peers, progress relative to the past, or per unit of product† (p. ). Government agencies should use incentives sparingly and rely instead on â€Å"intrinsic motivators† such as goal setting and feedback. In fact, because those in public service have strong intrinsic motivations, there is reason to expect that a â€Å"market model may actually reduce performance† (Moynihan, 2008, p. 256). Politic al Reality It is difficult to overstate the attractiveness of pecuniary incentives in a political arena. When called into question by practical experience in the field and policy findings in research, stakeholders deny the undeniable and seize on performance pay as a solution to human resource problems. Success is not required, failure is overlooked, and new programs are inaugurated with little attention to agency histories or systematic studies. There are a lot of obstacles regarding performance and pay when we looked into the politic reality of certain country controlled by communism and dictators. The pay is based on revenue of a country not by the performance. Conclusion When unexamined cultural beliefs, well-meaning ideas, ideological goals, and political loyalty prevail, administrative values are overpowered and the ability to manage is thereby impaired. What accounts for the difficulty encountered by performance pay schemes is that the normative framework of contemporary civil service reform (one that takes an inaccurate, glorified view of corporate programs) is simply inappropriate for effective public human resource management (Bowman West, 2007; Riccucci Thompson, 2008). The distinction, stated differently, between pursuing objectives as a function of monetary exchange versus as a function of duty, between an obligation to personal gain versus public good, and between extrinsic versus intrinsic work motivation (Crenson, 1995, p. 90; Perry Hondeghem, 2008). The values of economic rationality inherent in performance pay systems, as David Dillman (2007, p. 892) observes, are inconsistent with the civil service ethos. In the end, government is a public service. The claim that â€Å"people tend to believe things they want to believe† offers a plausible explanation for why so many are so wrong for so long and seem unable to l earn from error. Some of the worst mistakes are not those that take people by surprise but rather those that were made with eyes wide open, a kind of â€Å"false consciousness† that dictates that what is preferred is inevitable. It follows that the more that performance compensation is discredited, the more that such testimony is ignored. Promoters convince themselves over and over again that the methodology will function properly. It is striking, for instance, how unaware some of its champions seem to be of criticisms levied against incentive pay. The legend dictates that no matter what empty, misguided pay-for-performance models should work.

Disguise in Shakespeare

Disguise in Shakespeare Characters often resort to disguise in Shakespeare plays. This is a plot device that the Bard uses over and over again ... but why? We take a look at the history of disguise and reveal why it was considered controversial and dangerous in Shakespeares time. Gender Disguise in Shakespeare One of the most common plot lines used in relation to disguise is when a woman such as Rosalind in As You Like It disguises herself as a man. This is looked at in more depth in Cross-Dressing in Shakespeare Plays. This plot device allows Shakespeare to explore gender roles as with Portia in The Merchant of Venice who, when dressed as a man, is able to solve the problem of Shylock and demonstrate that she is just as bright as the male characters. History of Disguise Disguise goes back to Greek and Roman theater and allows the playwright to demonstrate dramatic irony. Dramatic irony  is when the audience is party to knowledge that the characters in the play are not. Often, humor can be derived from this. For example, when Olivia in Twelfth Night is in love with Viola (who is dressed as her brother Sebastian), we know that she is in fact in love with a woman. This is amusing but it also allows the audience to feel pity for Olivia, who does not have all of the information. The English Sumptuary Laws In Elizabethan times, clothes indicated a persons’ identity and class. Queen Elizabeth had supported a law pronounced by her predecessor named ‘The English Sumptuary Laws’ where a person must dress according to their class but also should limit extravagance. People must protect the levels of society, but they must also dress so as not to flaunt their riches- they must not dress too sumptuously. Penalties could be enforced such as fines, the loss of property, and even execution. As a result, clothes were regarded as a manifestation of a persons’ position in life and therefore, dressing in a different way had a lot more power and significance and danger than it has today. Here are some examples from King Lear: Kent, a nobleman disguises himself as a lowly servant called Caius in order to stay close to the King to keep him safe and remain loyal despite being banished by him. This is a deception but he does it for honorable reasons.  The audience has sympathy for Kent as he debases himself in honor of the King.  Edgar, Gloucester’s son disguises himself as a beggar called Poor Tom after he is wrongly accused of plotting to kill his father. His character is altered as well as his appearance as he becomes intent on revenge.Goneril and Regan disguise their true intentions rather than wearing a physical disguise. They flatter their father in order to inherit his Kingdom and then betray him. Masque Balls   The use of Masques during festivals and carnivals was commonplace in Elizabethan society both among the aristocracy and the common classes. Originating from Italy, Masques appear regularly in Shakespeare’s plays. There is a masked ball in Romeo and Juliet, and in Midsummer Night’s Dream there is a masque dance to celebrate the wedding of the Duke to the Amazon Queen. There is a masque in Henry VIII, and The Tempest could be considered a masque the whole way through- Prospero is in authority but we come to understand the frailty and vulnerability of authority. Masque balls allowed people to behave differently to how they may do in everyday life. They could get away with more merriment and no one would be sure of their true identity. Disguise in the Audience Sometimes members of the Elizabethan audience would disguise themselves. Especially the women because even though Queen Elizabeth herself loved the theater, it was generally considered that a woman who wanted to see a play was of ill repute. She may even be considered to be a prostitute, so masks and other forms of disguise were used by the audience members themselves. Conclusion Disguise was a powerful tool in Elizabethan society- you could instantly change your position, if you were brave enough to take the risk. You could also change people’s perception of you. Shakespeare’s use of disguise could foster humour or a sense of impending doom, and as such, disguise  is an incredibly powerful narrative technique: Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as haply shall become the form of my intent. (Twelfth Night, Act 1, Scene 2)