Work-flow is a highly dynamic process. A well-designed organizational structure will ensure that work is performed efficiently and produces a high quality product or service. Chapter 2 discusses the various aspects of organizational design and structure, as well as the flow of work within the structure to accomplish an organization's goals and objectives. The term organizational structure refers to relationships among people and groups in an organization. Work-flow refers to the way that work is organized within the structure to meet production or service goals. Work-flow can be viewed from three different perspectives within the organizational structure: the entire organization, work groups, and individual employees. When business conditions or organizational strategy and objectives change, often the design and structure of the organization will also undergo change in order to adapt, and each of the three elements may be affected. Job analysis is a tool used by organizations to document and describe job content and to measure how much and what types of work are necessary to achieve organizational objectives. Contingent workers and alternative work schedules as a means to create a flexible workforce are also explored in this chapter. Finally, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) applications are discussed, and the management of security and privacy issues is explored.
Chapter 3 examines the aspects of HR law and regulations. The goal is to identify and discuss the laws themselves and how best to comply with them and do what is best for the organization. This chapter unveils why understanding the legal environment is important and the context in which HR regulation occurs. The chapter further explores the challenges to legal compliance. It ends with ways for the effective manager to avoid the pitfalls in the EEO legal environment.
One of the greatest challenges facing organizations today is managing workforce diversity in a way that both respects the employees' unique attitudes and promotes a shared sense of corporate identity. Chapter 4 explores the issues that are intrinsic to diversity management. In the United States, as abroad, the design and implementation of HR programs cannot ignore the diverse nature of the workforce. Thus, by the end of this chapter, you should have a better grasp of diversity issues and how to handle them successfully.