1.

1 A brief analysis of the concept and components of HPW

High-performance working can be described as a combination of strategies that aim to

stimulate the employees to perform better and improve their skills. There is no specific way to

describe HPW since there is a lack of a model that clearly states the elements and the activities to

be included in the process (Armitage & Keeble-Allen, 2021). The concept ensures that the

employees are in a position to give their best while executing their duties based on the conditions

that have set by the organisation. Performance management is also an element that should be

applied in order to ensure that employee performance is in line with the objectives of the

organisation. Performance management should be able to set the objectives, improve employee

performance and also ensure that all the stakeholders involved are held accountable.

A crucial aspect of HPW is High-Performance Working practice, whose main aim is to

improve the organisational performance through optimal utilisation of the skills available among

the employees. Good leadership techniques and management styles are contributors to

improvement in the performance of the employees (CIPD, 2020b). This is attributed to the fact

that the management is in a position to improve the areas where the organisation may not be

operating effectively and also come up with ways that will enhance the already existing

structures. There are several components that are important in order to achieve a high-

performance working environment.

One of the components is training and development, and this ensures that the employees are

able to improve their skills and knowledge. Providing avenues where the employees can be able

to improve their skills and develop their career path is one of the best ways of motivating the

employees. At the same time, training ensures that the employees are well equipped with the
necessary skill set that is required in order to effectively perform their duties in order to achieve

the organisational goals and objectives (Armitage & Keeble-Allen, 2021). This reduces the cost

that may be incurred in acquiring new talent since the already existing employees can be able to

give the intended results.

The remuneration is also another component that is necessary in HPW. The employees may

feel appreciated by the organisation and therefore will be willing to give in their best in order to

give value for the amount they are paid (Nyazi & Batool, 2021). A contingent pay is one of the

best retention practices, but at the same it also leads to motivation of the employees. When the

employees are properly motivated, they are in a position to effectively operate and ensure that

the organisation is able to get optimum results.

Rewarding the employees and recognising their effort is also a component of HPW. Having a

system that encourages the employees to perform better through rewards and recognition is a

sure way of ensuring there is high performance. It is essential to ensure that the reward process is

fair for all the employees and that there is no discrimination due to affiliations. Giving bonuses

to the employees after a successful year is one of the ways that organisations that utilise in order

to motivate the employees to improve their performance (CIPD, 2020b). The employees will also

put in more effort in order to ensure that they meet the organisational goals so as to facilitate the

bonus process.

The other component is ensuring that the employees are actively involved in the decision

making process. One of the main benefits of involving the employees in the decision making

process is to ensure that the organisation comes up with policies that are favourable for optimum

employee performance (Nyazi & Batool, 2021). The decisions made also affect the immediate

employee environment, which is crucial for ensuring that the employees are able to bring their
best to the organisation. The right working environment will motivate the employees and in turn

have a positive impact on HPW. It is therefore an essential aspect to ensure that before policies

that affect the working environment of the employees are made, the management involves the

employees and takes their opinions into consideration.

1.2 The link between HPW and sustained organisation performance, employee well-being

and competitive advantage

HPW is a practice that deals with creating trust, cultures, open communication, and

truthfulness in the organisation to motivate and engage employees in sharing a common purpose

& objectives (Caruso, 2020). High-performance working will ultimately lead to improved and

sustained organisational conduct. Generally, HPW can be said to be a product of; sustained

organisation performance, the well-being of the employees and competitive advantage. These

factors create an environment that is suitable and conducive to the employees, resulting in an

overall positive change in the organisation's output.

Sustained organisational performance is when an organisation maintains its profitability,

doing well and achieving its primary objectives. When the organisation is meeting its objectives

sustainably, it can be said to have high performance working. The relation is that the two are

directly proportional in that the more sustained an organisation's performance is, the higher the

performance working. According to (Service Brand global, 2020.), some critical factors through

which the management can attain organisational performance include; having conscious leaders

who lead by example, having resilient teams, & engaging in values-based cultures. When these

factors are put into effect, the organisation will record high performance working.
 Employee well-being is how capable or equipped a person is to carry out their daily

activities. Employee well-being can be the environmental condition, psychological health,

quality of safety, the climate at work, and how they are treated. The employee's well-being is a

critical factor in determining an organisation's long-term effectiveness, performance, and

productivity. (International Labour Organization, 2020).In an organisation where workers are

treated right, through motivation, salary raise, gifts cards, promotions, dividends, insurance

covers etc., this acts as an encouragement and boosts morale. As a result, workers tend to work

extra harder, which results in improved productivity, organisational performance and high

performance working. The well-being of the employees has a direct connection with healthy

working environments and productivity.

When talking of competitive advantage, we consider the factors that enable an organisation

to compete with the rival company regarding productivity, market, price-quality products, etc.

Employees become your competitive advantage in situations where they offer the idea to counter

the rival product or idea that makes the company’s product better through creative solutions to

creativity, innovation and remarkable customer services (Brandau, 2019). As a result of this, the

high performance working increases as well.

When organisations have high-performance working strategies, they become a

competitive advantage. Human resource management capabilities are essential for attracting,

selecting cases, retaining, motivating and developing the workforce in an organisation (Özçelik

et al., 2016). In other cases, when firms have high performance working, that means that they

also enjoy the economies of scale like access to natural resource, high skilled labour, brand

image recognition, ability to manufacture good at relatively low costs, which competitors

otherwise restrict. (CFI, 2021).  

The success of high-performance working depends on the attributes such as trust and

confidence, which the team members and the employees have towards each other. The positive

factors are what makes their collaborative functioning. When the trust and confidence are

broken, this leads to the whole organisation falling apart, hence reducing productivity, which

negatively affects the company's performance. These issues can be a significant barrier to high

performance working.

Also, when it comes to problem resolution, for various issues or conflicting matters, the

high performance working may not offer a quick resolution response. Still, as most workers

spend their time focusing on the wrong matters, solving irrelevant issues, this generally affects

the growth and progress of the company.

The absence of a proper feedback framework is also a barrier in that constructive feedback

facilitates performance improvement and helps the workers improve continuously on work. In

most cases, feedback is vital as it plays an essential role in the steps to be considered in making

future decisions for the organisation. Also, the employee can learn from other people's mistakes

and avoid making the same mistakes again.

In the absence of role clarity among the employees, conflict is doom to happen, which

ultimately impede the overall performance of the high performance working. For every

organisation or company to thrive, communications must be sufficient. Information may be

misinterpreted due to lack of proper communication; hence without proper coordination, the

workers will fail to meet the business objective, which might eventually lead to closure or

dissolution of the firm.

politics overrule good judgment or fair decision making, the high-performance team are about to

suffer. When it comes to running big organisations, skilled leaders are mandatory. In case

otherwise, the firm ends up being bankrupt. In another instance, when the leaders do not show a

good example, we know workers look up to their leaders. In the absence of leadership, the

performance of the team members is bound to suffer. Leaders enforce a framework of

compliance, establish a high-performance culture for the team members, and motivate and ignite

the workers to archive superior benchmarks at work (June, 2015). Poor interpersonal relationship

among the workers can pose a significant threat to the successful performance of the high

performance working. The members will tend to priorities the individual well-being and success

of the team.

The policies set in most cases are designed to ensure that the management is always in

control and can drive the organisation in a particular direction. The policies and procedures also

directly impact the performance and may affect the innovativeness of the employees (Makeadent

leadership, 2021). Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that there is flexibility in implementing the

policies and procedures to allow the employees to fully express themselves and perform to the

best of their ability.

2.1 Summarise the main stages of the performance management cycle and the role of

development and performance reviews

Main stages of performance management cycle

The performance management cycle is one of the most important elements of

performance management strategy. Following the cycle gives the organisation and the

management an opportunity to come up with the right performance management policies and
ensures that the employees get the best policies to improve the performance. It also ensures that

the organisational objectives are put into consideration and the needs of the employees are also

considered. The combination of the organisational needs and the employee needs ensures that

there is an alignment of the two in order to have optimum performance (Valamis, 2019). There

are four main stages that are particularly involved in the performance management cycle as per

the diagram below.

Planning; in this stage, the organisation should ensure that they have set down the goals and

objectives that they intend to achieve in the performance management cycle. This should happen

before the organisation engages the employees so as to clearly establish what is expected. The

goals in this stage should be set down using the SMART policy where the employees and the

employers are able to have realistic goals and objectives. The goals should be specific, and the

actions to be taken in order to achieve them should be set out. It is also important to ensure that
the importance of the goals are highlighted in the plan. The goals should also be measurable and

the correct indicators should be used in order to determine whether it is possible (AIHR, 2019).

At the same time, the goals should be achievable, and therefore the organisation should ensure

that the performance management will not stretch the employees to a point where they might be

order to carry out their duties effectively. The goals should be relevant to the objectives set and

Time-bound in order to have deadlines for the same.

Monitoring; the performance and progress of the employees should be monitored on a regular

basis. In this stage, it is important for the management to critically evaluate all the aspects that

may affect the performance and development of the employees. The importance of this stage is

to ensure that the changes implemented are positively affecting the performance and the

development of the employees and at the same time meeting the organisational goals. It also

gives the employer an opportunity to look at what is working in the performance management

(Hearn, 2017). The focus should be on the overall team performance as well as individual

performance so as to have an idea of how things are working. The already achieved results

should also be audited in this stage.

Reviewing; this stage mainly looks at the achievements made as a result of the strategy. It looks

at what is working and how they have affected the performance of the employee and at the same

time looks at the objectives set. It evaluates whether the changes put in place are able to meet the

organisational goals in order to make critical decisions on the way forward. At this stage, the

management is able to select the strategies that are working and also those that do not work

(Sands, 2021). In this stage, proper training should also be done in order to ensure that the

employees are able to adapt to the changes and enable them to achieve the organisational goals.
Rewarding; in this stage, the rating of how the employees have performed is done. The rating is

aimed at coming up with the required protocols that will be applied in the reward process.

Rewarding the employees is an important aspect of the process as this is one of the best ways of

motivating the employees to perform effectively. In cases where the employees feel that they

have achieved the goals set and the organisation did not reward them, cases of reduced

productivity may occur (Valamis, 2019). It is therefore important to have a proper structure that

will guide the reward process and ensure that there is a justified and proper channel.

The role of development and performance reviews

Development of the employees is an important aspect for the organisation. Developing

the people is one of the methods used in order to facilitate the achievement of organisational

goals. Development ensures that the employees are properly motivated to achieve the objectives

set by the organisation. It also ensures that the employees are able to grow on an individual level,

and this builds trust and loyalty to the organisation (CIPD, 2021). The main challenge that the

organisation may encounter is coming up with the right development strategy that will be able to

meet both the objectives of the employer and the employer. It is, however very crucial for

organisations to ensure that they have put in place development strategies in order to tap the full

potential of the employees. When the employees operate at their full potential, the organisation

benefits from the efforts and is able to achieve the goals set in the strategy.

The performance reviews are important to both the employer and the employee. The

reviews create an opportunity for the employer and employee to have a discussion on the

objectives that were set and whether the employee was able to achieve them. The reviews, which

are also referred to as appraisals also enhance the communication process between the employer

and the management. During this time, the manager may opt to give recommendations to the
employee on the areas they should improve and at the same time highlight the areas where they

performed and met the expectations (CIPD, 2020c). The appraisals also allow the organisation to

determine the bonuses and also the salaries increments that will be awarded to the employees

based on the performance. Conducting a performance appraisal should be conducted in a

professional manner, and personal issues should not be used as a pillar of rating the employees.

2.2 Give some examples of different ways of involving line managers in the performance

review process

The line managers have the direct link with the employees and therefore are best placed

when it comes to conducting performance reviews. It is crucial for the line managers to ensure

that there is no bias in the performance appraisal process in order to ensure that the employees

are evaluated in the right manner. One of the ways through which the line managers can be used

in the appraisal process is motivating and engaging the employees. The line managers have the

responsibility of sitting down with the employees and going through the key performance

indicators that were set for the employees (CIPD, 2020a). This ensures that the employee is

satisfied with the review and this will motivate them to perform more effectively. Therefore, the

line managers should have the proper tools to motivate and effectively engage the employees

during the appraisal process.

At the same time, the line manager have the responsibility of implementing the

organisational HR policies. The line manager is able to continually interact with the employees

and thus they are better placed to implement all the policies during the appraisal process. Being

in this position means that the line managers should be trained and have information on all the

HR policies to be utilised during the performance review process (Juneja, 2015). Once the line

managers are privy to the policies, they should ensure that the same are followed to the later
during appraisals as this will give the organisation n accurate representation of how the various

employees have performed. The appraisals will then enable the organisation to plan effectively

and compare with the objectives set.

The line managers can also be used in coming up with the rewards for the employees

based on the appraisals. Since the line managers have the first hand information on the

performance of the employees, they are better placed when it comes to deciding the magnitude of

the rewards given to the employees. From the reviews, the line managers may also come up with

learning and development strategies that will empower the employees to improve their

performance moving forward (Juneja, 2015). Learning and development of the employees

remains one of the best retention practices, and thus, the line managers should pay the relevant

attention to the same. The organisations should also empower the line managers with the right

tools to achieve the proper training and development.

2.3 Provide a brief evaluation of the contribution of the performance management process

to promoting challenges, capability or recognising and rewarding talent

The main challenges in performance management is coming up with a strategy that will

be achievable and one that will not strain the employees. When implementing the performance

management process, the SMART goals model should be applied (Juneja, 2016). This means that

all the objectives set should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

Achieving this might be difficult for the organisation, and at the same time, there might be a

negative impact on the employees. However, the high performers should be given goals that are

a bit unachievable in order to ensure that they get to their full potential and are not stuck in the

comfort zone.
 The capabilities that arise in the performance management process are important for both

the organisation and the employee. It is essential for the organisation to have an understanding

on the individual capabilities of their employees, and this will ensure that they are able to

develop the existing talent and at the same time ensure that the right people are allocated the

right tasks. The capabilities of employees can be enhanced through training and development,

which can be done in different ways (Juneja, 2016). The management can assign the employees

who are good at their job the responsibility of training the employees who might be left behind in

order to ensure that there is a combined team effort that will improve the general organisational

performance. Other learning and developing facilities can be provided for the employees and this

will improve the skillset and professionalism which leads to an increase in performance.

When it comes to rewarding talent, the performance management process should ensure

that there is no bias in the processes involved, it should also ensure that the rewards much up to

the efforts and performance of the employees. In this case, the high performers can be promoted

in cases where there is a succession plan, and at the same time, bonuses and salaries increment

should be discussed in the process (CIPD, 2020b). Rewards are considered as one of the best

way to motivate the employees, and the organisation should invest resources in order to avoid a

high employee turnover and lack of motivation.

3.1 Recommend some of the ways of building trust, enthusiasm and commitment in support

of a high-performance culture

One of the most effective ways of building trust, enthusiasm and commitment in a high

performance culture is the creation of a conducive working environment. The employees should

be in a position to trust that the management is operating on the employees’ best interest. To

achieve this, the organisation should first of all ensure that the line managers have the proper
training to handle the employees without bias or involvement of personal disagreements when

executing their roles. This means that the line managers should always act professionally and

treat all the employees with the respect they deserve irrespective of their roles and position

within the organisation. The treatment should be observed right from the orientation process all

the way to the performance appraisal process, and it will create trust between the employee and

the organisation (Reitz & Ruger, 2018). Once the employees are able to confidently interact with

the line managers, it becomes easier for both teams to execute their roles due to the commitment

that will arise from the direct interaction and motivation from the leaders.

Another way of building trust among the employees in order to ensure that there is a

HPW is engaging the employees in the decision making process. Allowing the employees to take

part in the decision making process ensures that policies are made in accordance with the needs

of the employees. Once the employees feel like the organisation is able to adjust based on their

demands, they gain trust and become more enthusiastic in their daily activities. The employees

also become loyal to the organisation and therefore there is more commitment from all the

employees. Ensuring that there is transparency in the reward process is also another way of

creating trust with the employees (Reitz & Ruger, 2018). The employees will feel more

appreciated once they realise that the reward process is fair and transparent for everyone, and

there will be no cases of disgruntled employees due to the lack of knowledge on the reward

process. In general, it is important to ensure that there is effective communication between the

employees and the employer, and this creates trust, enthusiasm and commitment.