Paper Example on International and Comparative HRM

Introduction

Nations have different practices concerning human resource practices such as employment systems, policies, and practices. The exercises may be shaped by aspects such as technology, communications, and business experience. Additionally, the government may design laws to be applied concerning employment. The rules and guidelines can be aimed at regulating the association between the employer and employee concerning issues such as discharge, hiring or employment conditions. The laws are usually designed after considering certain aspects such as the demography, major economic activities, and level of education or qualification among the public. Also, the educational system and the mechanism used to accumulate human capital is vital. All these elements usually vary from one country to another and therefore depict the variation among them concerning specific human resource strategies, practices, and policies. Morocco is a developing country while France is a developed nation. As such, various issues regarding their human resource strategies, policies and practices are likely to differ. However, some of this elements may be similar.

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France is the most massive nation in Western Europe with a highly developed infrastructure and qualified personnel. As such, it attracts a large number of countries that want to engage with them and primarily due to their fundamental role in Europe and the global market. On the other hand, Morocco has a moderately contemporary labor structure where the workforce is divided into various sectors. There is agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and construction. Also, there is finance and trade with an informal sector constituting of domestic employees, street vendors and other people who are either poorly paid or underemployed. Therefore, Morocco and France can be compared and contrasted concerning their human resource strategies, policies, and practices. Furthermore, their labor market demographics and employment may be explored. The paper will thus constitute an exploration of the social and cultural traditions of France and Morocco concerning their effect on the development of employment relations and human resource practices. It will also entail a description of every country regarding their labor market and employment data. The function of the state in the two nations will further be compared and will constitute elements such as protective legislation, the form of government and economic, social or welfare policy.

PART A: National Context of Morocco

Legal, religious and social settings influence employment relations and human resource practices in Morocco. The dominant religion is Islam and has had a significant effect on the way work should be undertaken. Work is viewed as a religious act and thus vital as prayer. Employees are required to take their duties with dedication and almost to perfection. Also, the management practices are influenced by family traditions and tribalism. There is a high inclination to submission among a large number of Morocco citizens. In most cases, decisions made by the top management are final. Significant respect is given to the hierarchical superiors and employees do not have an option or tendency to initiate change. The aspect is associated with the traditional elite who usually insist on loyalty and commitment (Aljayi et al., 2016). As such, it may be depicted that centralization is highly valued in Morocco and the perfect boss is a compassionate tyrant.

The managerial values in Morocco have been profoundly influenced by colonialism which was done by the Spanish and French. Through the years, Morocco has emulated French concerning the terms of human resource management, business norms, and language. The workforce in Morocco has high regard for the place of employment and is not very interested in obtaining alternatives or attempting to enhance themselves at the expenditure of the firm. Additionally, the organizational structure of Morocco normally ranks and positions connect with the superiority and age. The aspect of group work is crucial than individuality in the Moroccan culture and has been widely embraced by organizations (Budhwar and Mellahi, 2016).

The employment relation in Morocco has also been affected by the element of the authoritarian culture. Workers are usually hired with less consideration on the rationale of bureaucratic evaluation of skills and knowledge. The human resource practice is more disposed to hiring people based on how they conduct their duties in a charitable and honorable way. Employees' functions, on the other hand, are more of linking the social, religion-cultural and ethical types. It can further be defined as a model of gift-exchange culture. During interviews, these religion-cultural and moral binds are significant and also intersect in specific ways with broader belief, dependence and religion systems (Aljayi et al., 2016).

The national culture of Morocco is opposed to risk and has a high score in the uncertainty avoidance guide of the cross-cultural contexts. Firms in Morocco would be expected to rely on the written policies of human resource. Nonetheless, this does not occur due to the oral and informal custom of the culture in the country (Aljayi et al., 2016). Organizations that implement an effective human resource management tactic view the policies as crucial. However, they do not utilize them regularly and consistently. Additionally, firms that implement a responsive human resource management method do not find it essential to have the policies in place and thus do not even apply them in the workplace environment (Siddique, Khan and Zia, 2016).

There is a massive challenge concerning employee training in Morocco due to the needs in productivity, employability, competitiveness and developing a society based on knowledge. Free trade policies and globalization dynamics have recently required that Morocco review the aim of their training systems. It can thus be depicted that the significance of education and training has increased and further been established as a national precedence. As such, organizations are being encouraged to adopt a proactive human resource management approach that emphasizes the need to train workers. It is viewed as mutually beneficial to workers and employees. Besides, the development of such a plan has supervisors, line managers, employees and human resource managers being responsible and further ensuring that effective training has been offered. Therefore, training activities will be designed to satisfy all the needs of workers (Budhwar and Mellahi, 2016).

The employment rate in Morocco increased from 40.70% in the third quarter of 2017 to 41.90% in the fourth quarter of 2017. From 1999, the employment rate was at an average of 45.03% up to 2017 (Tradingeconomics.com, 2018a).

National Context for France

The previous analysis of employment relations and human resource strategies in Morocco has depicted that it emulated those of France. France has strict employment and labor regulations applicable to elements such as discrimination, employment contracts, and terminations among others. As such, it indicates that the human resource practices and employment relations follow strict guidelines. Employees are viewed as significant assets in France and not the company. Therefore, most of the laws and human resource practices consider them first before they are implemented. There is a different hierarchy between the sources of rules governing the relationship of employers and employees in France.

On the other hand, the size of the organization in France usually determines whether there will be an employee delegate, works council, and a health and safety committee. The employee representatives ensure that the rights of workers on matters such as dismissals have been upheld. Before hiring a worker, it is crucial to have a written contract of employment despite their level of grade. Also, the employment contract should be written in French. There are also rules about dismissal which must be upheld. When a person has been hired, they cannot just be dismissed without providing a specific reason. It is also essential for the reason given to be recognized by the French Statute or French Case Law (Colson, Elgoibar, and Marchi, 2015). Additionally, there is a process for dismissal which must be followed failure to which the courts may reverse the dismissal and further command the restoration of the personnel (Marinas and Condruz-Bacescu, 2009).

A closer analysis shows that France constitutes a high level of hierarchy and authority on one side and perception and diagnostic capabilities on the other one. On the other hand, the regular working hours are thirty-five hours per week, and any addition is viewed as overtime. However, the thirty-five hour work week rule is not applicable to individual executives who are relieved from overtime requirements. Moreover, the law in France does not have an openly legal structure for taking care of the background checks of applicants. It does nevertheless offer provisions on the acceptable attainment of data that relays to the candidates (Marinas and Condruz-Bacescu, 2009).

The human resource policy in France has been designed due to the substantial effect of the legal, demographic and political features of the country. Various characteristics of the human resource policies such as enrollment, training, administration, and reimbursement are part of the French specificity. The human resource policies of France are aimed at utilizing strong potentials and capabilities. Organizations thus ensure that they interpret the human resource guidelines in various deadlines and work agendas. Most firms in France have been observed to have the best human resource policies in the world. The strategies are also focused on ensuring that aspects such as commitment, quality, and motivation of the workers are adjusted to deliver work of the best quality. The policies are carefully coordinated with the corporate strategies and are never a hindrance to the objectives of the firm. Continuous improvement of the systems and capitalization of competencies are highly encouraged (Reiche et al., 2016).

The employment rate in France has been observed to be on the increase in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 65.70% from 65.10% in the third quarter. On the other hand, the employment rate was at an average of 64.2% from 2003 up to 2017 and managed to reach a maximum of 65.7% in the fourth quarter of 2017. It was low during the first quarter of 2006 at 63.5%. It is vital to note that the employment rate in France measures the number of individuals aged fifteen to sixty-four who have a job as a proportion of the workforce from the same age group (Tradingeconomics.com, 2018b).

PART B. Role of the State

The employment systems and human resource strategies of France and Morocco can be compared on precise dimensions. One of this is the scope and form of public sector employment. In France, collective bargaining occurs at the national, industry and firm levels. At all these levels, there are comprehensive rules regarding the individual who can negotiate and the requirements for a contract to be considered legal. Similarly, Morocco also has collective bargaining which is restricted to specific sectors. They entail refining, fish canning and automotive industry and telecommunication among others. The constitution has also granted workers the right to create and join unions, strike and bargain collectively but with some restrictions (Export.gov, 2017). Also, in France, a law was passed that gave unions and employers a precise function in developing legislation in aspects of employment and training and industrial relations. They also have the right to strike and bargain collect...