Running head: UNDERSTANDING KELLER 1

Understanding Keller and Hardy’s Insights: Linkages to HR Branding and Employer Practices

Marcia Colson-Snuggs, Mohamed Ndoinjeh, Vladimir Belyaev and Richard Shore

Liberty University
UNDERSTANDING KELLER AND HARDY’S INSIGHTS: 2

Understanding Keller and Hardy’s Insights: Linkages to HR Branding and Employer Practices

Introduction

Keller and Alsdorf (2012) documented theological worldviews using the Christian

worldview model to assimilate connections between religious practices and work. Three main

insights pertained to Valentine’s (2020) discussion on employee performance management and

appraisal processes and correlated the role of sin with individual work performance, employee

work purposefulness as measured within performance goals, and idolatry as it pertained to

diverting employee and employer objectives from ethical practices. These associations help

readers better understand employee-employer relationships, the value of HR performance

management practices, and how God’s purpose on work can maximize job performance and

value creation.

Hardy (1990) researched the rationale of work as it allied with the evolution of religion

providing emphasis Christian reform. He illustrated historical impacts originating with Martin

Luther and Genevan reformist John Calvin through prevailing religious practices to explain

work as a vocation and worker involvement with societal changes. Hardy’s research provided

three major insights applicable to employee training and career development processes. These

involved one’s vocational choice and the availability of employer training resources, career

advancement as attainable with firm’s career development program, and employee management

as shepherded through a firm’s talent management program.

Valentine (2020) depicted interactions between employers and their employees as they

existed within the framework of industry-recognized Human Resource Management (HRM)

practices. Major understanding of HR topics included business environment, jobs and labor,
UNDERSTANDING KELLER AND HARDY’S INSIGHTS: 3

talent development, remuneration, and employee relations in a globalized setting. HR subject

matter formed the foundation for integrating the paper’s research against author insights,

employer branding, and recommendations for [Company X] HR-related improvements. The

goal of this group paper is to address four questions to help employees and businesses utilize

God’s purpose to enhance HR practices and overall business performance.

Discussion

The Role of Sin with Individual Work Performance

The first HR practice impacted by Hardy’s thinking involves employee performance.

Employee Work Purposefulness as Measured Within Performance Goals

Valentine (2020, p. 151) discussed several recognized models to illustrate major factors

Idolatry Diverting Employee and Employer Objectives from Ethical Practices

Hardy Insight 1

Hardy Insight 2

Employer Branding

Key Differentiator 1

Key Differentiator 2

Focus on [Dell Inc.]

Introduction

In a hiring process, recruiting and selecting the right candidates from bunch of

applicants, are always critical towards the success and growth of organizations. For the purpose

of this assignment, Dell Incorporation would be used as, one of the team member’s employer.

However, before providing any strategic HR recommendations for improving employee

recruitment and selection for Dell Incorporation, it would crucial or important to provide brief

background of Dell, so that readers will have better understanding about the recommendations

as they read. Dell is an innovative and technological organization, “which was established in

1984 by an individual call Michael Dell” (Simchi-Levi, Kaminsky & Simchi-Levy, 2008). The

motive for establishing Dell Inc. was to serve the technological and innovative needs, with

regards to data collection and information processing, for all Americans and other nations on

the globe. Dell Inc. as an organization have several locations around the globe including China,

but its operational headquarter as learned is located at Texas, in the U.S.A. Dell Inc. is one of

the largest employers of Americans, including one of our team members. Dell have about one

hundred and fifty seven employees across the globe, and is considered as one of the best

company to work for, due to their benefits and flexible work schedules.

Due to the above reason, HR departments in organizations, such as Dell Inc. are

expected to efficiently administer all HR related activities, ranging from recruitment, selection,

training and development, performance evaluation etc. However, organizations with highly

educated and cautious HR professionals, will have the expertise and experience to recruit,

select, train and develop plans and mechanisms that will ensure or foster employees’ retention,

within organizations. More so, good HR team at Dell Inc. have always make sure that front line

managers are well train and “always ready to assist the department when the needs
UNDERSTANDING KELLER AND HARDY’S INSIGHTS: 5

arise”( Sawyer & Tapia, 2006). As earlier stated above, recruiting the right individuals into

certain vacant positions within organizations, such as Dell Inc. are not easy task by any means.

Below are some of the strategic HR recommendations to Dell Inc. for improving recruitments

and selection processes as required: Provide training and development opportunities for

employees, establish retention mechanism or techniques, establish and facilitate effective means

of communication.

Strategic HR Recommendation 1

Provide training and development opportunities for employees:

The first recommend to Dell Inc. as a global organization is to develop training and

development opportunities for employees at all level within the organization. Valentine et al

(2020) pointed out that for employees to become successful and efficient in performing their

responsibilities, there must be plans in place, for providing them with the tools and training they

need and deserve. Furthermore, it is strongly believed that, providing employees with essential

training and development opportunities within the organization, would generally contribute

towards decreasing employees desire or plan to leave or seek employment with other

organizations.

More significantly, providing effective training as recommended above would also help

in easing concerns from organizations, such as Dell Inc. about losing employees, because

providing employees the proper training that, “they needed to carry out their job would also

make them become more marketable, valuable and respected”(O'Regan & Ghobadian,

2009).Training employees can occurs in two folds, which includes training the frontline

managers or supervisors to make sure that, their subordinate are managed well with dignity and
UNDERSTANDING KELLER AND HARDY’S INSIGHTS: 6

respect. Proper training would ensure that managers become accountable for their actions,

which farther help organization to grow.

Strategic HR Recommendation 2

Establish employee’s retention mechanism or techniques:

The second strategic HR recommendation to Dell Inc. is to establish and maintain

employee’s retention techniques or plans within organizations. Employees’ retention plans or

techniques are very crucial in the strategic HR operations for organizational sustainability and

growth. Valentine et al (2020) opined that providing employees with flexible work schedule

would facilitate employee’s retention at higher rate in all kinds of organizations. However,

based on what was understood from the readings and course materials, getting the most out of

established retention management plans, organizations HR professionals would need to have the

ability to carefully analyze what benefit or problems would be gain by investing into

employees’ retention plans. Valentine et al (2020) believed that investing into employees

retentions plans are more cost effective, when compare to new recruitment and selection process

of employees.

To become successful in retaining and maintaining employees, organizations, such as Dell Inc.,

should have HR designees who might have the potential to identify the problems leading to the

loss of valuable employees, so that the organization would be able “to design, implement, and

evaluate strategies, which can help to improve retention techniques, which would meet

organizations unique needs” (Chilvers, Richards, Fletcher, Aylward, Dean, Salisbury &

Campbell, 2019). Moreover, Valentine et al (2020) stated that, by first understanding problems

of any kind, is what help organizations or individuals to tackle those challenging problems,
UNDERSTANDING KELLER AND HARDY’S INSIGHTS: 7

which might crucial or critical to development and growth. Valentine et al ( 2020) provided an

insight for all job seekers that , organizations can only retains employees whom they think are

motivated and understand their role, and “the roles of others in contributing to the overall

success of the organization”(Chandon& Wansink, 2012)

Strategic HR Recommendation 3

Establish and facilitate effective means of communication:

Effective communication is very crucial for business and organizational development

and growth. The team therefore recommended that, organizations such as Dell Inc. establish and

facilitate effective communication strategies, which would help organizations, such as Dell Inc.

achieve its goals and objectives. Communication as understood from Valentine et al (2020) is a

process by which information or messages are share among employees within the organization

using different medium of transformation. However, for organizations, such as Dell Inc. to

succeed in recruiting and selecting qualified individuals, during hiring process, Dell Inc. would

have to make sure that effective and clear communication exist at every level of the

organization, which is believed would help in preventing most recruitment and selection error or

problems that might be related to hiring process.

In addition, effective communication within organizations would contribute towards providing

solutions to many performance issues faced by employees, by making sure that, relevant

information flows right across the organizations. The adoption or adherence of the above

recommendation would also help Dell Inc. as an organization to facilitate regular conversations

among its employees’ and their supervisors, “which would result in a complete understanding of

what would be needed as everyone's contribution towards achieving organizational goals and
UNDERSTANDING KELLER AND HARDY’S INSIGHTS: 8

objectives” (Twigg, Wright, Kirkdale, Desborough & Thornley, 2017). Through effective

communication, employees would also become aware, as where exactly they stands in relation

“to achieving goals, objectives and reaching performance milestones, which is believed would

contribute towards individual growth and development” (Jackson, 2017).

Conclusions
UNDERSTANDING KELLER AND HARDY’S INSIGHTS: 9

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