HR Simulation: Not exactly live fire
I enjoy watching films. Many war films that I have seen have some sort of training scenes. Some versions have soldiers running obstacle courses and marching, some versions have soldiers firing rifles and practicing killing people, and the closest step in training to battle is not having you shoot a gun it is having someone fire a gun at you.
This might seem far from the topic of management but I feel it is a parallel to the HR Simulation. While the simulation allows students to examine the inner decisions of human resource departments it is a much better learning experience than simply talking about the theory of human resource management. However, there is a flaw. No one is shooting at us. After examining some of the top companies to work for I have noticed that they all have some sort of strong corporate culture that instills something in its employees that appears to motivate them and allow them to grow. Sadly, I have no idea how to add this to the simulation. I have no method of incorporating words into numerical calculations that a computer could return with respect to employee views. So, until that day I will practice with my rifle and techniques and wait for the bullets.
Comments
Posted by: Grace Lee
Posted on: October 13, 2006 07:44 PM
I agree with the point about the unrealistic feel of the HR simulation, but I don't have an answer to the problem either. Certain "programs" supposedly boost morale in the simulation, but the programs come already structured and they don't always work. Real employees have a choice of place to work, but the simulations workers seem trapped and unmotivated. That could be the reason they're angry even after a supposedly great program is implemented.
Posted by: Benjamin Meck
Posted on: October 13, 2006 11:53 PM
I agree with both of you, perhaps there could be some way to generate feedback about WHY morale is at the level it is. Last quarter, we got a small comment about how our employees were annoyed that we were hiring only minorities and women. Comments like that help guide our decisions and seem more realistic than just "Morale Increased." Hopefully we'll receive insightful comments on our next quarter.