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Strategic Human
Resource
Management

Fifth Edition

Australia • Brazil • Mexico • Singapore • United Kingdom • United States

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Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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Contents | vii

READING 6.1: Sexual Harassment Versus Workplace Romance: Social Media Spillover


and ­Textual Harassment in the Workplace 205
Reading 6.1 Appendix 219

7 Employment Law  221


Employment-at-Will 222
Scope of Laws 223
Federal Antidiscrimination Laws 223
Equal Pay Act 224
Civil Rights Act of 1964 225
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 226
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 226
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 226
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 227
Civil Rights Act of 1991 228
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1992 228
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 230
Enforcement of Federal Laws Under the EEOC 231
Executive Orders 234
Affirmative Action 234
Sexual Harassment 235
What Sexual Harassment Is 236
Problems in Managing Sexual Harassment 237
Strategy for Managing Sexual Harassment 239
Complications Abroad 240
Trends in Employment Litigation 240
Conclusion 243 / Critical Thinking 243 / Exercises 244 / Chapter References 244
Reading 7.1: In Defense of Preference 246
Reading 7.2: The Management of Organizational Justice 252

Part two
Implementation of Strategic Human Resource Management
8 Staffing 267
Recruiting 268
Temporary Versus Permanent Employees 268
Internal Versus External Recruiting 269
When and How Extensively to Recruit 271
Methods of Recruiting 272
Selection 278
Interviewing 279
Testing 282
References and Background Checks 286

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viii | Contents

International Assignments 287


Documentation of Employment Eligibility 288
New Trends in Staffing 288
Conclusion 291 / Critical Thinking 292 / Exercises 293 / Chapter References 293
READING 8.1: Recruiting Practices in Transition 296

9 Training and Development 303


Benefits of Training and Development 306
Planning and Strategizing Training 307
Needs Assessment 307
Objectives 308
Design and Delivery 309
Evaluation 310
Organizational Development 312
Integrating Training with Performance ­Management Systems and Compensation 317
Conclusion 318 / Critical Thinking 318 / Exercises 318 / Chapter References 319
Reading 9.1: Strategic Organizational Development ­Interventions:
A Case of Microsoft Corp. Limited 320

10 Performance Management and Feedback 327


Use of the System 329
Who Evaluates 331
What to Evaluate 334
How to Evaluate 337
Measures of Evaluation 338
Other Considerations 342
Why Performance Management Systems Often Fail 342
Addressing the Shortcomings of Performance Management Systems 343
Conclusion 345 / Critical Thinking 346 / Exercises 346 / Chapter References 347
Reading 10.1: The Performance Management Revolution; The focus is shifting from
accountability to learning 348

11 Compensation 357
Equity 358
Internal Equity 361
External Equity 365
Individual Equity 366
Legal Issues in Compensation 369
Executive Compensation 372
Conclusion 373 / Critical Thinking 374 / Exercises 374 / Chapter References 375
READING 11.1: Exposing Pay Secrecy 376
READING 11.2: The Development of a Pay-for-Performance Appraisal System for
Municipal Agencies: A Case Study 390

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Contents | ix

12 Labor Relations  407


Why Employees Unionize 410
The National Labor Relations Act 411
Behavior During Organizing Campaigns 412
Collective Bargaining 413
Failure to Reach Agreement 414
Unions Today 415
Conclusion 417 / Critical Thinking 418 / Exercises 418 / Chapter References 419
READING 12.1: Social Media, Employee Privacy and Concerted Activity: Brave New
World or Big Brother? 420
READING 12.2: The Labor Movement and the Dilemma of Direct Confrontation 427

13 Employee Separation and Retention Management  435


Reductions in Force 436
Turnover 440
Retirement 446
Alumni Relations 447
Conclusion 448 / Critical Thinking 448 / Exercises 449 / Chapter References 449
READING 13.1: Retaining Talent: Replacing ­Misconceptions with Evidence-Based
Strategies 451

14 Global Human Resource Management  467


How Global HRM Differs from Domestic HRM 469
Assessing Culture 469
Strategic HR Issues in Global Assignments 472
Repatriation 476
The European Union 478
Mexico and Canada 479
China 480
India 481
Conclusion 482 / Critical Thinking 482 / Exercises 482 / Chapter References 483
READING 14.1: In the Eye of the Beholder: Cross Cultural ­Lessons in Leadership from
Project Globe 484

SUBJECT INDEX 507


NAME INDEX 511
COMPANY INDEX 512

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PR EFAC E

Since the publication of the fourth edition of this text, heightened attention continues to be shown
and greater appreciation paid toward the value of strategic human resource management in orga-
nizations. Boards of directors, business owners, stockholders, and senior executives are gaining a
greater understanding of the relationship between HR and organizational, market, and financial
performance as cutting-edge research illustrates the connection between HR practices and firm
performance.
Scholarly HR-related publications continue to thrive, while practitioner-oriented management
publications—traditionally dominated by articles focused on marketing and finance—are publishing
an increasingly significant number of articles on human resource management, particularly strategic
aspects of HR. Within the academy, there continues to be a significant increase in the number of HR-
related articles in journals focused on general management and even those related to strategy. No
longer is HR simply relegated to specialized journals that deal with HR. This significant movement
toward the publication of more HR-focused articles in both the general management academic and
practitioner literatures illustrates clearly that executives are realizing the role HR plays in an orga-
nization’s success as well as the fact that HR is a general management responsibility and its effective
practice a key to successful operating results.
Also since the publication of the fourth edition, the resources that are available to those of us
who teach have greatly expanded. The Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest
HR professional association, has continued to develop programs and materials to support HR educa-
tion which include (1) curriculum guidebooks and templates for both undergraduate and graduate
programs; (2) dozens of cases and learning modules to assist with course design and delivery; and
(3) a significant database of the latest research and position papers on critical issues in strategic HR,
which allow instructors to remain very current on trends, best practices, and legislative and court
activity. Much of this material is available to nonmembers at the SHRM Web site, www.shrm.org. In
addition, the Journal of Human Resources Education (JHRE), continues to publish exciting original
work that supports HR education.

Organization and Content


Strategic Human Resource Management, 5e is designed for: (1) graduate students enrolled in survey
courses in human resource management who would benefit from a general management approach
to strategic HR; (2) working professionals enrolled in specialized HR and executive programs as a
capstone offering; and (3) undergraduate students enrolled in a capstone course in an HR degree
program or those seeking an advanced-level HR course to complement their strategy course.
The text is organized into two sections. The first section, Chapters 1–7, examines the context
of strategic HR and develops a framework and conceptual model for the practice of strategic HR.
The chapters in this section examine employees as “investments”; explore trends that affect human
resource management practice; describe what strategic HR is, particularly in contrast to more tradi-
tional approaches to HR; and look at how both the design of work systems and relevant employment
laws influence the practice of managing people in organizations. The second section, Chapters 8–14,
examines the actual practice and implementation of strategic HR through a discussion of strategic
issues that need to be addressed while developing specific programs and policies related to the tradi-
tional functional areas of HR. Covered within this section are strategic issues related to staffing, train-
ing, performance management, compensation, labor relations, employee separation, and managing
a global workforce. Both the integrative framework that requires linkage between and consistency
among these functional HR activities and the approach toward writing about these traditional func-
tional areas from a strategic perspective distinguish the text from what is currently on the market.

x Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
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Preface | xi

Chapter Features
All chapters contain the following:
• an opening “in practice” vignette featuring a well-known organization to introduce the chap-
ter topic as well as numerous additional vignettes within each chapter that illustrate pertinent
c­hapter concepts
• carefully selected readings that are integrated within the text discussion
• end-of-chapter discussion questions and exercises designed to apply chapter content and facili-
tate discussion of issues

New to the Fifth Edition


As the field of strategic human resource management has evolved since the fourth edition, this text
has similarly done so in response. Many of the end-of chapter readings are new to this edition. The
retained readings are those that have become “classics” and are presented alongside those that rep-
resent the latest in thinking and practice in human resource management. There are also numerous
new original exhibits that explain chapter concepts; 17 new “in practice” vignettes that describe stra-
tegic HR practices in a wide variety of organizations; and 73 new references.
There is also significant new content in each of the 14 chapters. This includes, but is not limited
to, new or greatly expanded coverage of HR analytics; sexual orientation, gender identity, and related
legislation; religious expression; employee engagement; alternative dispute resolution; medical mari-
juana; independent contractor status; transparency in compensation; and union recruiting strategies
as well as legal and legislative updates with the latest court rulings on existing laws.

Instructor’s Resources
Also available are an Instructor’s Manual and PowerPoint slides to accompany the book which were
prepared by the author. They can be accessed by visiting www.cengage.com/login. The Instructor’s
Manual includes chapter outlines, answers to end-of-chapter content, and suggested topics for stu-
dent papers, while the PowerPoint slides offer all main text concepts to encourage classroom discus-
sion and classroom engagement.

MindTap: Empower Your Students


MindTap is a platform that propels students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete
control of your course, so you can provide engaging content, challenge every learner, and build stu-
dent confidence. Customize interactive syllabi to emphasize priority topics, then add your own mate-
rial or notes to the eBook as desired. This outcomes-driven application gives you the tools needed to
empower students and boost understanding and performance.

Access Everything You Need in One Place


Cut down on prep with the preloaded and organized MindTap course materials. Teach more effi-
ciently with interactive multimedia, assignments, quizzes, and more. Give your students the power to
read, listen, and study on their phones, so they can learn on their terms.

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xii | Preface

Empower Students to Reach Their Potential


Twelve distinct metrics give you actionable insights into student engagement. Identify topics trou-
bling your entire class and instantly communicate with students who are struggling. Students can
track their scores to stay motivated toward their goals. Together, you can be unstoppable.

Control Your Course—and Your Content


Get the flexibility to reorder textbook chapters, add your own notes, and embed a variety of content,
including Open Educational Resources (OER). Personalize course content to your students’ needs.
They can even read your notes, add their own, and highlight key text to aid their learning.

Get a Dedicated Team, Whenever You Need It


MindTap isn’t just a tool, it’s backed by a personalized team eager to support you. We can help set up
your course and tailor it to your specific objectives, so you’ll be ready to make an impact from day
one. Know we’ll be standing by to help you and your students until the final day of the term.

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ABO U T T HE AU T H O R

Jeffrey A. Mello
Rhode Island College
Jeffrey A. Mello is Dean of the School of Business and Professor of Management at Rhode Island
­C ollege. He previously held faculty and administrative positions at Barry University, Towson
­University, the George Washington University, the University of California at Berkeley, Golden Gate
­University, and Northeastern University, from where he received his Ph.D. He has been a recipient
of the David L. Bradford Outstanding Educator Award, presented by the Organizational Behavior
Teaching Society, and has received international, national, and institutional awards for his research,
teaching, and service. He has authored six books and published more than 100 book chapters, jour-
nal articles, and conference papers in journals such as the JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS, BUSI-
NESS HORIZONS, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, BUSINESS
& SOCIETY REVIEW, JOURNAL OF EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION LAW, SETON HALL
LEGISLATIVE JOURNAL, JOURNAL OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS, PUBLIC PER-
SONNEL MANAGEMENT, EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS JOURNAL, LABOR
LAW JOURNAL, JOURNAL OF LAW AND BUSINESS, and the JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT
EDUCATION. He has served as an editor for the JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT EDUCATION,
JOURNAL OF LEGAL STUDIES EDUCATION, and EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND
RIGHTS JOURNAL as well as on numerous editorial boards. He is a member of the Academy of
Legal Studies in Business, Organizational Behavior Teaching Society, Society for Human Resource
Management, and Academy of Management.

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xiii
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
The Context of Strategic Human
Resource Management

PA R
T 1
Chapter 1
An Investment Perspective of Human Resource
Management

Chapter 2
Social Responsibility and Human Resource
Management

Chapter 3
Strategic Management

Chapter 4
The Evolving/Strategic Role of Human Resource
Management

Chapter 5
Strategic Workforce Planning

Chapter 6
Design and Redesign of Work Systems

Chapter 7
Employment Law

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
C hapter 1
An Investment Perspective of
Human Resource Management

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES Human Resources at Nordstrom
• Understand the sources of How can a retailer gain a competitive advantage in a cut-throat marketplace?
employee value ­Middle- and high-end retailers generally locate in close proximity to each other
• Gain an appreciation of the and often carry similar—but not identical—merchandise. Consequently, their
importance of human capital sales and profit margins are usually in tandem. Nordstrom, however, has consis-
and how it can be measured tently produced above-industry-average profits and continues to be profitable
and analyzed when its competitors’ profits are falling or flat.
• Understand how competitive The key to Nordstrom’s success lies with the different way it manages its
advantage can be achieved employees. Sales employees are known as “associates” and considered the orga-
through investment in nization’s most valuable asset. The company’s success is rooted in its strategy
employees of providing superlative customer service. Associates are encouraged to act as
entrepreneurs and build strong personal relationships with customers, or “clients.”
• Gain an appreciation of
In fact, many clients shop only with a particular Nordstrom associate and call in
metrics, their measures, and
advance to determine the associates’ schedules or to make appointments.
their usefulness
Nordstrom’s strategy involves a heavy investment in the organization’s sales
• Understand how metrics force. Nordstrom provides associates with extensive training on merchandising
relate to analytics and how and product lines and offers high compensation. Its commitment to its employees
HR analytics are used in is evident from the fact that the company’s organization chart is depicted inverse
organizations from that of a traditional retailer. Associates are at the highest level on the chart,
• Understand the obstacles that followed by department and merchandise managers and, finally, executives. This
prevent organizations from depiction cements the organization’s philosophy that the customer is king. All
investing in their employees efforts of senior-, middle-, and lower-level managers should support the efforts of
the sales force.

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4 Part 1 The Context of Strategic Human Resource Management

E
ffective organizations are increasingly realizing that of the varied factors that contribute to per-
formance, the human element is clearly the most critical. Regardless of the size or nature of an
organization, the activities it undertakes, and the environment in which it operates, its success
is determined by the decisions its employees make and the behaviors in which they engage. Manag-
ers at all levels in organizations are becoming increasingly aware that a critical source of competi-
tive advantage often comes not from having the most ingenious product design or service, the best
marketing strategy, state-of-the-art technology, or the most savvy financial management but from
having the appropriate systems for attracting, motivating, and managing the organizations’ human
resources (HR).
Adopting a strategic view of HR, in large part, involves considering employees as human
“assets” and developing appropriate policies and programs as investments in these assets to increase
their value to the organization and the marketplace. The characterization of employees as human
assets can have a chilling effect on those who find the term derogatory because of its connotation
that employees are to be considered “property.” However, the characterization of employees as assets
is fitting, considering what an asset actually is: something of value and worth. Effective organizations
realize that their employees do have value, much as the organization’s physical and capital assets have
value. Exhibit 1.1 illustrates some of the value employees bring to an organization.

EXHIBIT 1.1
Sources of Employee Value

Technical Knowledge
• Markets • Customers
• Processes • Environment

Ability to Learn and Grow


• Openness to new ideas
• Acquisition of knowledge/skills

Decision Making Capabilities


• Analytical skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Change-management and
implementation skills

Motivation
• Job satisfaction
• Challenging work
• Perceived “fit” with organization

Commitment
• Belief in mission • Engagement

Teamwork
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership ability

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Chapter 1 An Investment Perspective of Human Resource Management 5

Adopting an Investment Perspective


The characterization of employees as human assets has important implications for the strategic
management of HR in that it allows us to consider HR from an investment perspective. Physi-
cal and capital assets in organizations, such as plant, property, machinery, and technology, are
acquired and subsequently managed most effectively by treating them as investments; the organi-
zation determines the optimal mix of high-performance, high-return assets to its strategic objec-
tives. Analyses are made of the costs and benefits of certain expenditures, with judgments made
concerning the riskiness and potential returns of such expenditures. Viewing HR from an invest-
ment perspective, much as physical assets are viewed, rather than as variable costs of production,
allows an organization to determine how to best invest in its people. Furthermore, considering
the risk and return on possible expenditures related to acquiring or developing human assets
allows an organization to consider how current expenditures can be best allocated to meet long-
term performance goals.
In considering whether to undertake the expense of a new training program, for example, an
organization needs to consider not only the out-of-pocket costs for the training but also the related
opportunity costs, such as lost time on the job, and weigh these costs against the potential benefits of
the training, such as enhanced performance, potential increased loyalty, and motivation. The train-
ing also needs to be assessed relative to risk because the enhanced marketability of employees makes
them more desirable to competitors. Similarly, in considering compensation programs as an invest-
ment, an organization needs to consider what it is “investing” in when it pays someone (knowledge,
commitment, new ideas, retention of employees from competitors). The potential return on the
organization’s financial outlay in compensation will determine whether its compensation system is a
viable investment strategy.
Taking an investment perspective toward HR/assets is critical considering that other physical
assets, such as facilities, products and services, technologies, and markets, can be readily cloned or
imitated by competitors.1 Human assets cannot be duplicated and therefore become the competitive
advantage that an organization enjoys in its market(s). This is becoming increasingly important as
the skills required for most jobs become less manual and more cerebral and knowledge-based in
nature.2 Rapid and ongoing advances in technology have created a workplace where laborers are
being replaced by knowledge workers. An organization’s “technology” is becoming more invested in
people than in capital. Thought and decision-making processes as well as skills in analyzing complex
data are not “owned” by an organization but by individual employees. This is in stark contrast to
traditional manufacturing organizations where the employer usually owns or leases the machinery
and production processes, and duplication of the organization’s “capital” is restricted primarily by
cost considerations.

Managing Employees at United Parcel Service


Although taking a strategic approach to HR management usually involves looking at employees
as assets and considering them as investments, this does not always mean that an organization
will adopt a “human relations” approach to HR. A few successful organizations still utilize prin-
ciples of scientific management, where worker needs and interests are subordinate to efficiency.
United Parcel Service (UPS) is a prime example of this. At UPS, all jobs from truck loaders to
drivers to customer service representatives are designed around measures of efficiency. Wages
are relatively high, but performance expectations are also high. This approach toward manag-
ing people is still “strategic” in nature because the systems for managing people are designed
around the company’s strategic objectives of efficiency. Consequently, all employee training,
performance management, compensation, and work design systems are developed to promote
this strategic objective of efficiency.

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6 Part 1 The Context of Strategic Human Resource Management

Managing an organization’s employees as investments mandates the development of an appro-


priate and integrated approach to managing HR that is consistent with the organization’s strategy.
As an example, consider an organization whose primary strategic objective involves innovation. An
organization pursuing an innovation strategy cannot afford high levels of turnover within its ranks.
It needs to retain employees and transfer among employees the new knowledge being developed in-
house. It cannot afford to have its employees develop innovative products, services, and processes and
then take this knowledge to a competitor for implementation. The significant investment in research
and development ends up having no return. Because the outcome of this expenditure (research and
development) is knowledge that employees have developed, it is critical as part of the organization’s
overall strategy for the organization to devise strategies to retain its employees and their knowledge
bases until the “new knowledge” becomes “owned” by the organization itself (through diffusion
throughout the organization) rather than by the employee.
This leads to a dilemma involving investing in human assets. An organization that does not
invest in its employees may be less attractive to prospective employees and may have a more difficult
time retaining current employees; this causes inefficiency (downtime to recruit, hire, and train new
employees) and a weakening of the organization’s competitive position. However, an organization
that does invest in its people needs to ensure that these investments are not lost. Well-trained employ-
ees, for example, become more attractive in the marketplace, particularly to competitors who may be
able to pay the employee more because they have not had to invest in the training that the employee
has already received. Although an organization’s physical assets cannot “walk,” its human assets can,
making the latter a much more risky investment. An organization can certainly buy or sell its physi-
cal assets because it has “ownership” of them, but it does not own its human assets. Consequently,
organizations need to develop strategies to ensure that employees stay on long enough for the orga-
nization to realize an acceptable return on its investment relative to the employees’ acquired skills
and knowledge, particularly when the organization has subsidized the acquisition. This requires the
organization to determine the actual “value” of each employee. Valuation of human assets has impli-
cations for compensation, advancement opportunities, and retention strategies as well as how much
should be invested in each area for each employee.

Valuation of Assets
Five major kinds of assets or capital that organizations can leverage to aid in performance and
add value to operations are financial assets/capital, physical assets/capital, market assets/­capital,
operational assets/capital, and human assets/capital, as shown in Exhibit 1.2. Financial assets/
capital include equity, securities and investments, and accounts receivable. Physical assets/capital
include plant, land, equipment, and raw materials. Market assets/capital include goodwill, brand-
ing, customer loyalty, distribution networks, product lines and patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
Operational assets/capital include management practices, the structure of work, and the use of tech-
nology. Human assets/capital include employee education levels, knowledge, skills, competencies,
work habits and motivation, and relationships with coworkers, customers, suppliers, regulators,
and lenders.
Financial and physical assets/capital are relatively easy to measure via accounting practices.
Most of these assets are tangible and have some clear market value. Market and operational assets/
capital are a bit more challenging to measure, but accounting practices have been developed that
can place a general subjective value on such assets. Human assets/capital, however, are very diffi-
cult to measure; attempts to do so are at the forefront of current research being conducted in HR
management.
A direct result of this difficulty in measuring human assets is that the valuation of current and
future human assets is often ignored from consideration when organizations are facing economic
and financial challenges. The media and financial markets usually respond favorably when decision
makers announce restructurings or right-sizing initiatives, which reduce the size of the organization’s
workforce, allowing it to reduce short-term costs. Such actions, however, involve the loss of human

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Chapter 1 An Investment Perspective of Human Resource Management 7

assets, which have value to the organization, often without consideration of the long-term impact of
such losses on the organization’s ability to regain its position in the marketplace. Effective manage-
ment recognizes that the organization’s survival and renewal require the right size and mix of human
capital and balances short-term needs to reduce or restructure costs with a clear strategy for the
future. The key issue organizations face here is how to leverage the value of the organization’s human
assets for the good of the organization in the immediate, short, and long term.

EXHIBIT 1.2
Types of Organizational Assests/Capital
Ease of
measurement

Easier Examples
• Financial • equity
• securities and investments
• accounts receivable

• Physical • plant
• land
• equipment
• raw materials

• Market • goodwill
• branding
• customer loyalty
• product line
• distribution networks
• patents, trademarks, copyrights

• Operational • management practices


• structure of work
• technology

• Human • education
• knowledge
• skills
• competencies
• work habits and motivation
• personal relationships
More difficult

Understanding and Measuring Human Capital


Given that employees and their collective skills, knowledge, and abilities represent a signifi-
cant asset for organizations, a critical issue for organizations becomes measuring this value as
well as its contribution to the organization’s bottom line. One of the first studies that success-
fully demonstrated this relationship was conducted by Huselid in the mid-1990s. This study
identified what were called “high performance work systems” (HPWS) and demonstrated that

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
8 Part 1 The Context of Strategic Human Resource Management

integrated, strategically focused HR practices were directly related to profitability and market
value.3 A recent study by Watson Wyatt Worldwide found that the primary reason for organiza-
tional profitability is the effective management of human capital. This involves, in part, provid-
ing employees with rewards that are commensurate with their contributions and ensuring that
investments in employees are not lost to competitors by actively managing employee retention.4
Another study found that effective, integrated management of human capital can result in up
to a 47 percent increase in market value.5 A landmark study conducted by Becker, Huselid, and
Ulrich that examined a variety of HR management quality indices found that the top 10 percent
of organizations studied enjoyed a 391 percent return on investment (ROI) in the management of
their human capital.6
Extending these findings, Dyer and Reeves attempted to define what can be called the HR
“value chain.”7 They argued that performance could be measured via four different sets of out-
comes: employee, operational, financial and accounting, and market-based. More importantly, they
proposed that these sets of outcomes had a sequential cause-and-effect relationship, as indicated in
Exhibit 1.3. Each outcome fueled success in a subsequent outcome, establishing a causal link between
HR practices and an organization’s market value.
Given this proven link between integrated and strategic HR practices and bottom-line per-
formance, HR practitioners have been faced with the task of developing appropriate HR met-
rics, which specifically illustrate the value of HR practices and activities, particularly relative
to accounting profits and market valuation of the organization. This task has proven to be far
more complex than anticipated, given the difficulties of measuring human assets/capital. One
study concluded that 90 percent of Fortune 500 organizations in the United States, Canada, and
Europe evaluate their HR operations on the basis of three rather limited metrics: employee reten-
tion and turnover, corporate morale and employee satisfaction, and HR expense as a percentage of
operational expenses.8 Such “staffing metrics” simply document the extent to which HR performs
traditional job functions without necessarily illustrating how HR impacts company profits and
shareholder value. Moreover, a focus on such staffing metrics involves a demonstration of how
employees can be treated as expenses rather than as assets that can be managed, invested in, and
leveraged for profit.

EXHIBIT 1.3
HR Value Chain

Employee Operational Financial/ Market-


Outcomes Outcomes Accounting based
Outcomes Outcomes

• attitudes • productivity
• behavior • quality • expenses • stock price
• commitment • customer • revenues • valuation/
• engagement satisfaction • profitability capitalization
and loyalty

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Chapter 1 An Investment Perspective of Human Resource Management 9

Senior HR executives in these organizations stressed that they lacked accurate and meaningful
methods that measured performance, despite the fact that human assets/capital can account for as
much as 80 percent of the value of an organization.9 One reason is that most accounting valuation
methods stress the past and current value of assets. Much of the value of human assets/capital rests
with the value of an organization and its ability to proactively meet challenges that lie ahead, rela-
tive to responsiveness to changing economic, political, and market conditions. As a result, valuation
of human assets/capital and analysis of human capital investments can be value-laden, subjective,
expensive—and, hence, ignored.

Measuring Human Assets/Capital at Dow Chemical


Dow Chemical has been a leader in forging the frontiers of measuring human capital. Dow
has attempted to develop a reliable measure to help calculate each employee’s current and
anticipated future contribution to the financial goals of the business. A pilot project is cur-
rently being tested in a single business unit; it examines employee performance on proj-
ect assignments by using two specific metrics: expected human capital return (EHCR) and
actual human capital return (AHCR). EHCR involves a calculation of the break-even point
of investment in an employee, above salary and additional outlays, such as recruiting and
training expenses. AHCR involves a calculation of the “value created” by the employee based
on the projects he or she worked on. This metric considers the skills and knowledge of each
employee relative to the net present value of a specific project. The desired outcomes of these
measures are assisting managers with matching employee talents and project needs, identify-
ing employee development opportunities, and creating a more efficient and effective means
for project team staffing. Although the program is still in the pilot stage, with validation stud-
ies in progress, Dow anticipates rolling out the metrics to other business units in the very
near future.10

Given the complex nature of measuring human assets/capital and return on such investments,
where does an organization begin in assuming such an undertaking? One helpful model has been
developed by Mercer, which can allow those concerned with measuring HR performance and docu-
menting the value added by specific initiatives to demonstrate to senior management the value added
and bottom-line impact.11 This model involves six steps: (1) identify a specific business problem that
HR can impact; (2) calculate the actual cost of the problem to the organization; (3) choose a HR solu-
tion that addresses all or part of the problem; (4) calculate the cost of the solution; (5) 6 to 24 months
after implementation, calculate the value of the improvement for the organization; and (6) calculate
the specific ROI metric.
One caveat should be obvious from not only Mercer’s approach but also that currently being
employed at Dow Chemical. Unlike the returns on other types of assets/capital, the ROI in human
assets/capital are often not realized until some point in the future. Key decision makers need to be
patient in waiting for these results, and HR also needs to subsequently take interim measures and
provide status reports to senior management that illustrate preliminary beneficial results. HR needs
to move away from mere data collection, however, and perform more comprehensive analysis of per-
formance measures that relate to the critical metrics for which operating divisions are held account-
able. Toward this end, HR needs to partner with chief financial officers to understand the language of
investment and asset management. If HR continues to be seen as a cost center, it will be the primary
target during cost-cutting operations, given that labor is the primary cost incurred in the ­service-
and information-intensive sectors, which are fueling the growth in our economy. One study places
the relative expenses for human capital as high as 70 percent of overall expenditures.12 Hence, the
challenge for HR is to provide senior management with value-added human capital investments
backed by solid and meaningful financial metrics.

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10 Part 1 The Context of Strategic Human Resource Management

Moneyball and the Oakland Athletics


The 2003 best-selling book, Moneyball, later made into a motion picture in 2011, chronicled the
real-life application of HR metrics in major league baseball and their impact on performance.
Starting with his appointment in 1998 as Oakland Athletics general manager, Billy Beane was
forced to rethink how he selected players given the fact that his small-market team could not
compete financially with big-market teams, such as those in New York and Boston, which con-
sistently ended up signing the biggest name free-agent players at hefty salaries. Beane looked
beyond traditional statistical measures of player “value” (such as batting average and home runs
for position players and games won, earned run average and strikeouts for pitchers) to seek out
players who were generally undervalued. Beane and his statistician instead considered alterna-
tive metrics, such as on-base percentage and average number of pitches required to complete
an at-bat, and discovered that such metrics had a higher correlation with games won by a team.
Applying these new metrics as part of an ongoing staffing plan, Beane’s cash-poor team quali-
fied for the post-season from 2000 to 2003 with an average of 98 victories per season despite
having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Soon, other teams were copying Beane’s approach
and the Athletics lost their competitive advantage. Beane’s approach illustrates that the use of
staffing metrics can translate into significant success for an organization. The key is selecting the
appropriate metrics and analytical techniques, which may be different from those currently in
use by the organization or standard within the industry.

HR Metrics and Analytics


Many CEOs openly acknowledge the importance of effective and strategic HR management in their
organization’s success. Jack Welch noted in one of his last General Electric annual reports: “Develop-
ing and motivating people is the most important part of my job. I spent one-third of my time on
people. We invest $1 billion annually in training to make them better. I spend most of my time on
the top 600 leaders in the company. This is how you create a culture.”13. One recent study of Fortune
100 annual reports found that 14 percent of such reports contained at least one quantitative measure
of HR management, such as turnover rate, investment in training, percentage of pay that is variable,
or results from an employee attitude survey.14 Despite this, Wall Street analysts still generally fail to
acknowledge human capital in their assessment of the potential worth of a company’s stock or the
effects that human capital measures can have on a company’s stock price.
Perhaps one reason for this lack of reporting of and respect for metrics related to human capital
rests with the fact that there are no universally accepted metrics for the valuation of human cap-
ital or a standard format for measuring and reporting such data. Indeed, the Society for Human
Resource Management has identified a number of common metrics for measuring the performance
and value of human capital, a number of which are presented in Exhibit 1.4. These are measures that
can easily be translated into bottom-line measures of performance as well as compared to industry
benchmarks. Exhibit 1.5 provides examples of how five of these metrics that are often regarded as the
most prominent measures of human capital management can be calculated and utilized. Nonethe-
less, stock analysts are more concerned with talking with operations, accounting, and finance heads
rather than those in HR, as analysts usually have their training in, understand, and are most familiar
and comfortable with these areas.
There are no “perfect” metrics, however, the appropriate human capital metrics would depend
on the organization or business unit’s strategy. Organizations concerned about minimizing costs
might be most concerned with metrics related to turnover and revenue per employee. Organizations
pursuing a strategy of aggressive growth might rely on metrics such as time to fill, while those con-
cerned with innovation might closely monitor training costs per employee. Divisions or ­subsidiaries
within the same organization might use totally different metrics, dependent on their unit’s goals
and strategies.

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Another random document with
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The internal surface is also of cuticle, and beneath it is a layer of
cutis. Between these two very thin layers of skin, is interposed an
equally thin layer, composed of two sets of very slender muscular
fibres, separated from each other, and running in two opposite
directions. The outer fibres run in fasciculi from the lower and inner
edge of the mandible; those from its base pass downwards, those
arising more anteriorly pass gradually more forwards, and spreading
out, reach the middle line of the pouch. The inner fibres have the
same origin, and pass in a contrary direction, backwards and
inwards. From the hyoid bone to the junction of the two crura of the
mandible, which takes place almost at the very tip, there extends a
thin band of longitudinal muscular fibres, in the centre of which is a
cord of elastic tissue. By means of this apparatus, the sac is
contracted, so as to occupy little space. When the bill is opened, the
crura of the lower mandible separate from each other to a
considerable extent, by the action of the muscles inserted into their
base, this depending upon their oblique position, and the sac is
expanded. The upper mandible is capable of being moved to a
considerable extent.
Below the anterior angle of the eye is a small sac about 5 twelfths of
an inch in length, with an external aperture of 2 twelfths, and filled
with a pulpy substance. The nostrils are linear, about 3 twelfths of an
inch long, and quite concealed by the wrinkles of the skin. The
aperture of the posterior nares 8 twelfths. The tongue is an
extremely small, papilliform body, 3 1/2 twelfths of an inch long, and 1
twelfth in diameter. The aperture of the glottis is linear, 8 twelfths in
length, destitute of papillæ behind.
The pharynx is about 2 1/2 inches in breadth. The œsophagus a, at
the commencement, or opposite the tongue, has a diameter of about
6 inches, and contracts until the middle of the neck, where it is 3
inches in width; at its entrance into the thorax at b it contracts to 1 1/2
inch, but is dilatable to 3 inches; at this part, its inner coat is thrown
into very prominent longitudinal rugæ. The structure of the
œsophagus is similar to that of the Loon already described, but its
muscular coat is much thinner. On entering the thorax, it again
expands to a diameter of 3 inches. Its length from the glottis,
exclusive of the proventriculus, is 2 feet. The proventriculus, cd,
when not extended, has a diameter of 2 inches, its length being 4
inches and 8 twelfths. It is marked internally with six longitudinal
broad ridges, about half an inch in breadth, and separated by
grooves; and its cuticular lining is 1 1/2 twelfths thick, of a compact
but soft texture, elevated into tortuous reticulated ridges. The
glandules, which are cylindrical, the largest 3 twelfths of an inch
long, 1/2 twelfth in diameter, form a complete elongated belt. The
muscular coat is also very thick, its inner layer composed of
transverse, its outer of longitudinal fibres, and the greatest thickness
of the walls of the proventriculus is about 4 1/2 twelfths of an inch.
The stomach, e, properly so called, is extremely small, being of a
roundish, compressed form, 1 1/4 inches in length, and of the same
breadth; its muscular coat composed of slender fasciculi, and not
presenting a distinction into lateral and inferior muscles, its inner
coat smooth. Appended to it on the right side is a sac f, of a roundish
form, 1 9/12 inch in length, and 1 1/2 in breadth, joining it by a
contraction, of which the diameter is 1/2 inch, and opening directly
into the proventriculus, as well as into the stomach; its walls thin, its
inner surface smooth, with numerous mucous crypts irregularly
disposed. The pylorus, g, is exceedingly small, 1 1/2 twelfths in
diameter, with a thickened margin.
The duodenum g, h, i, passes backwards and upwards to the length
of 6 1/2 inches, returns upon itself enclosing the pancreas, receives
the biliary ducts at the distance of 14 inches from the pylorus. The
gall-bladder is oblong, 2 inches long, and 10 twelfths broad. The
intestine then forms numerous convolutions, j, k, l, occupying the
whole abdomen, and lying in part over the stomach and
proventriculus. Its entire length is 10 feet 10 inches. Its diameter
varies little, it being at the upper part 5 twelfths of an inch, towards
the rectum 3 1/2 twelfths. The rectum is 5 1/2 inches long, including
the cloaca, m, which is globular, and about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
The cœca are 1 inch and 1 twelfth in length, 4 twelfths in diameter,
cylindrical, rounded at the end. The muscular coat of the intestine is
very strong, the inner villous.
One of the testes is 1 inch long, the other 1 1/2; their form oblong. In
the proventriculus and stomach is a vast accumulation of small
lumbrici, about 1 1/4 inch in length, and amounting to about 1000.

The trachea is 1 foot 10 inches long, a little flattened, 1/2 inch in


diameter throughout, but a little narrower about the middle; the rings
160, not ossified, excepting the lower. The contractor muscles are
very small; as are the sterno-tracheal; and the inferior larynx is
destitute of muscles. The bronchi are large, 5 twelfths in diameter, of
25 half rings.
The upper mandible is hollow in its whole extent; but the lateral
spaces intervening between the edges of the median bone or ridge
and the margins, are filled with a beautiful net-work of bony spiculæ.
The two superior maxillary branches of the fifth pair of nerves, which
are very large, being about 1 twelfth of an inch in diameter at the
base, run close together along the median line, sending off branches
at intervals, and extending to the end of the mandible. The lower
mandible is also hollow, and similarly reticulated. The inferior
maxillary branch, having entered on the inner side at the base, runs
in like manner along its whole length, and is of the same thickness;
by an aperture on the outer side near the base, it sends off a branch
almost as thick, which runs within the membrane of the gular sac,
parallel to the mandible, and about half an inch distant from it,
sending off branches at intervals. The sac is plentifully supplied with
blood vessels.
The nasal cavity is of an oblong form, 1 inch and 5 twelfths in length,
passing obliquely backwards and upwards from the aperture of the
posterior nares, and opening externally by curving forwards; its
greatest diameter 5 twelfths, in its lower third 3 twelfths, and so
continuing until it expands into the inferior slit-like aperture, which is
8 twelfths long. The cavity of the nose is thus small, and the olfactory
nerve, which passes out from the anterior part of the brain, is a
slender filament, about 1/3 of a twelfth in diameter. It runs at first
through a bony tube, then passes along the bony septum of the
orbits, in contact for a short space with the superior maxillary nerve
of the fifth pair, which at its commencement makes a great curve
upwards, and crosses the orbit to enter the maxillary cavity, which
has no communication with the olfactory. Fig. 2 represents the
sternum viewed from before. It is remarkable chiefly for its great
breadth and convexity. Its sides, a, b, c, d, are nearly parallel; its
posterior margin broad, with two shallow notches, e, f, separated by
a short conical obtuse median process. The crest or ridge, h, i, is
carried forward in front, where it is only, however, of moderate
height, and is not continued to the posterior extremity, but terminates
at i, in the most convex part. The coracoid bones, i, i, are extremely
large, very broad at their lower part, and having a deep groove and
thin elongated process, j, at the upper for the tendon of the pectoralis
medius, which raises the wing. The furcula, k, k, l, is anchylosed with
the crest of the sternum, at h, has its crura moderately stout and
much diverging, and its upper extremity very broad and recurvate.
The scapula, of which only the anterior process t, l, is seen, is small.
A sternal apparatus like this indicates a steady and powerful flight,
the wings being supported upon a very firm basis, and well
separated. The great mass of the pectoral muscle being thrown
forward, it acts more directly than in such birds as the Gallinæ and
Ducks, in which it is placed farther backwards, and although its bulk
is not so great as in them, it is more advantageously situated. The
sternal apparatus of this Pelican is thus extremely similar to that of
the Cormorant, and the American Anhinga, and is also constructed
on the same plan as that of the Gannets, although in the latter its
body is more elongated.
LONG-TAILED DUCK.

Fuligula glacialis, Bonap.


PLATE CCCXII. Male and Female in Summer, Male in Winter,

and unfledged Young.

In the course of one of my rambles along the borders of a large


fresh-water lake, near Bras-d’or in Labrador, on the 28th of July
1833, I was delighted by the sight of several young broods of this
species of Duck, all carefully attended to by their anxious and
watchful mothers. Not a male bird was on the lake, which was fully
two miles distant from the sea, and I concluded that in this species,
as in many others, the males abandon the females after incubation
has commenced. I watched their motions a good while, searching at
the same time for the nests, one of which I was not long in
discovering. Although it was quite destitute of anything bearing the
appearance of life, it still contained the down which the mother had
plucked from herself for the purpose of keeping her eggs warm. It
was placed under an alder bush, among rank weeds, not more than
eight or nine feet from the edge of the water, and was formed of
rather coarse grass, with an upper layer of finer weeds, which were
neatly arranged, while the down filled the bottom of the cavity, now
apparently flattened by the long sitting of the bird. The number of
young broods in sight induced me to search for more nests, and in
about an hour I discovered six more, in one of which I was delighted
to find two rotten eggs. They measured 2 inches and 1/8 long, by
1 4 1/2/8 broad, were of a uniform pale yellowish-green, and quite
smooth.
My young companions had, unfortunately for me, walked that
morning to Blanc Sablon, about thirty miles distant, down the Straits
of Belle Isle; and having no dog to assist me in procuring some of
the young ducks, I was obliged to enact the part of one myself,
although the thermometer that day was 45° 50´, and the atmosphere
felt chilly. I gave chase to the younglings, which made for different
parts of the shore, as I followed them up to my middle in the water,
while they dived before me like so many Water-witches, the mothers
keeping aloof, and sounding their notes of alarm and admonition. I
was fortunate enough to procure several of the young birds, and
afterwards shot one of the old, which having young much smaller
than the rest, was more anxious for their safety, and kept with them
within shot. She and the young were afterwards put in rum, to be
subsequently examined. I counted eleven broods on the same pond,
and Mr Jones assured me that these birds always breed in numbers
together, but rarely on the same lake two successive years. Their
plumage was ragged, in so far as I could judge, and the individual
which I shot was similar. They never dived while in my sight, but
seemed constantly to urge their young to do so, and the little things
so profited by the advice of their parents, that had they remained in
the water, instead of making, after a while, for the land, I believe I
should not have succeeded, after all my exertions, in capturing a
single one of them.
The gentleman above mentioned informed me that the old birds
keep the young in the ponds until they are quite able to fly, or until
the end of August, when the flocks remove on wing to the sea, and
soon after leave the coast, seldom reappearing before the first days
of May, or about two weeks before most other kinds of ducks. The
little ones which I procured, were as you see them represented in my
plate. Those that were larger were of the same colour, and none
shewed any feathers on their bodies. Now and then, like all other
young ducks, they would skim over the surface of the water with
astonishing rapidity, emitting a sharp note somewhat resembling the
syllables pee, pee, pee, and would then dive with the quickness of
thought. When squatted among the moss, they allowed me to take
them without making any attempt to escape. The young were put in
a tub, and had some soaked biscuit placed near them; but they were
all found dead the next morning.
The range of this noisy, lively, and beautiful duck, extends along our
coast as far south as Texas, and it is also found at the mouth of the
Columbia River; but the species is never found on any of our fresh-
water courses, and I am quite confident that Mr Say mistook for it the
Pintail Duck, Anas acuta, when he says that he found it on the
waters of the Missouri. During all my residence in the neighbourhood
of the Mississippi, and in the course of all my journeys on and along
its waters, I never saw one of these birds, or heard of any having
occurred on that stream above its confluence with the Gulf of
Mexico; whereas the Pintails are extremely abundant there, as well
as on the Missouri, the Ohio, and all our western streams, in spring
and autumn. Few Long-tailed Ducks are to be seen in the market of
New Orleans, and in fact they are altogether what our gunners
usually call “sea ducks.”
The period of the first appearance of this species in autumn depends
much on the state of the weather. I have known a difference of a
whole month in the Sound, and quite as much in Chesapeake Bay, in
both of which it is most abundant in winter, rarely proceeding farther
south until driven away by extreme cold. Their advance from
Labrador and Newfoundland along the coast, until they reach Long
Island, is more hurried than afterwards. They arrive in small flocks,
which are soon joined by others, and as they are prone to
congregate, vast numbers are seen together in winter, when their
cacklings, though different from those of our frogs in spring, are
almost as incessant from sunset until dawn. For my part, I have
never perceived any resemblance which their notes bear to the
words “south-southerly,” but think their noisy cries as duckish as
those of the Mallard, although sharper and more musical. The best
imitation is given by my friend Nuttall, but if you attempt to reduce
the syllables to sounds, there is some probability of your at least
succeeding in exciting laughter in yourself or others. He says the
notes are “ogh, ough, egh,” and again “ogh, ogh, ogh, ough, egh,”
and adds that they are guttural, and have a ludicrous drawling tone.
Dr Richardson informs us that “the peculiar cry of this duck is
celebrated in the songs of the Canadian voyagers.” This to my mind
would imply that the Long-tailed Ducks are seen by these
adventurous travellers on the waters of the inland streams, which
would appear to be at variance with their usual habits, for unless
during the breeding season, they give a decided preference to the
sea; and indeed generally keep in deep water. Owing to their
reiterated cries these birds are named “Noisy Ducks;” but they have
various appellations, among others those of “old wives,” and “old
squaws.”
Although, like all sea-ducks, the “Old Wife” swims deeply, it moves
with a grace and celerity, which if not superior to those of any of its
tribe, are at least equal; and when the weather is rough, and the
waters agitated, it raises its tail in the same manner as the Ruddy
Duck and Pintail. When advancing in smooth water, its speed is such
as to cause a considerable swell before it, such as sea-faring
persons usually call a “bone.” Like all others of its tribe, it also
prefers swimming against both wind and tide, as then it can sooner
take wing if necessary. In calm and pleasant weather, like its
congeners, it is fond of throwing its body almost over, and of pluming
itself in that position. When on wing, the long feathers of its tail do
not seem to aid its progress, any more than in other species.
It seldom removes from the north on its way to our Middle Districts in
large flocks; but at the approach of the breeding season, and after
the birds appear to be all paired, they fly northward in long lines, or
broad fronts, moving high or low according to the state of the
weather, passing at times at a considerable distance from the
shores, but flying close to the points of every cape, although they
never pass over an isthmus however narrow. Their flight is swift, well
sustained, and accompanied with a well-marked whistling of their
wings. Being expert divers, it is difficult to kill them on the water; and
if you happen to wound one but slightly, I would advise you, Reader,
to give up the chase, unless you have hit it while on the ice, in which
case you will find that it runs rather awkwardly. Their flesh is none of
the best, being dark, generally tough, and to the taste fishy; for which
reason they are now-a-days frequently brought to our markets
plucked, with the head and feet cut off, and called by the venders by
all names excepting old wives, squaws, noisy ducks, or south-
southerlies. The food of this species consists chiefly of shell-fish; but
in the stomachs of those killed on fresh water in Labrador, I found
small fishes, and a quantity of grass and its roots.
From the great number of specimens which I have procured in our
Middle Districts in winter, and those which I have seen killed during
the love season in the north, I am induced to think that the elongated
feathers of the tail of this species scarcely if at all, differ in length at
these different periods, although some writers have said that in
spring they are much longer than in winter, in which latter season,
however, I think the old males differ only in the colour of their
plumage from their state in spring. I have obtained male specimens
at New York and at Baltimore early in March, when they were
already much changed from their appearance in winter; but my friend
Bachman informs me that he has never seen one with any
appearance of the summer plumage at Charleston in South Carolina,
where however, he adds, this species is not common.
I have represented two male birds, one in its full spring dress, the
other in that of winter. You will also find in the same plate the first
figure ever given of an adult female, accompanied with as many
younglings as I could conveniently introduce. Wilson gave the figure
of a young male in the first winter as that of a female.

Anas glacialis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 203.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p.
864.
Fuligula glacialis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis, p. 395.
Long-tailed Duck, Anas glacialis, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 93. pl. 70.
fig. 1. male, pl. 70. fig. 2. female.
Long-tailed Duck, Harelda glacialis, Richardson and Swainson, Fauna
Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p. 460.
Long-tailed Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 453.

Adult male in summer. Plate CCCXII. Fig. 1.


Bill shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, gradually
depressed toward the end, the sides nearly parallel, the tip rounded.
Upper mandible with the basal angles inconspicuous, the dorsal line
descending and straight to the unguis, then convex and decurved,
the ridge broad and flattened at the base, convex toward the end,
the sides sloping and convex, the unguis roundish, the edges
membranous, very narrow at the base, enlarged towards the end,
with about thirty lamellæ ending in a projecting point. Nostrils sub-
basal, oblong, direct, large, pervious, near the ridge, in an oblong
groove with a soft membrane. Lower mandible flat, a little curved
upwards, the angle very long and narrow, the unguis broad and
rounded, the erect edges with about forty direct lamellæ.
Head oblong, compressed, of moderate size. Eyes of moderate size.
Neck rather short. Body compact, rather elongated, and somewhat
depressed. Feet short, stout, placed rather far behind; tarsus very
short, compressed, anteriorly with a series of small scutella,
externally of which are five in a line with the outer toe, the rest
reticulated with angular scales. Hind toe very small, with a free
membrane beneath; outer toe, which is the longest, almost double
the length of the tarsus, middle toe scarcely shorter than outer;
anterior toes with numerous narrow scutella, webbed, the margin of
the webs concave; inner toe with a two-lobed expanded margin.
Claws small, slightly arched, blunt.
Plumage dense, blended, elastic, stiffish; but soft and glossy on the
head; the feathers broad and slightly rounded at the end. Scapulars
elongated, acuminate, the posterior decurved over the wing. Wings
shortish, narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the
second longest, exceeding the first by about one twelfth of an inch,
the rest rapidly decreasing; secondaries broad and rounded, the
inner elongated and pointed. Tail of fourteen pointed feathers, the
outer very short, the middle extremely attenuated and slightly
recurved, the intermediate proportional.
Bill black in its basal half, orange-yellow towards the end, the unguis
bluish-grey. Iris bright carmine. Feet light bluish-grey, the webs
dusky, claws black. A large oblong greyish white patch on each side
of the head from the bill to behind the ear; the upper part of the head
and nape black, that colour being narrowed in front by the
encroachment of the white patches. The neck all round, and anterior
half of the breast, of a rich dark chocolate-brown; the back and wing-
coverts brownish-black; the scapulars broadly margined with light
reddish-brown; the quills are of the same chocolate tint as the
breast, the secondaries margined externally with lighter, the
primaries internally. The middle four feathers of the tail brownish-
black, the outer two of these slightly margined with white, all the rest
white, but the inner with a longitudinal dusky patch on the outer web.
Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 15, to end of claws
17; extent of wings 29 1/2; wing from flexure 9 1/2; middle tail-feathers
10, lateral tail-feathers 2 1/2; bill along the ridge 1 2/12, along the
edge of lower mandible 1 8/12; tarsus 1 2/12; outer toe and claw
2 3/12, middle toe and claw 1 2/12, hind toe and claw 7 1/2/12.

Female in summer. Plate CCCXII. Fig. 3.


The female is somewhat less than the male, and differs not only in
colour, but in the scapulars, which are not elongated, and in the tail,
which is short and rounded. The bill and feet are dusky green, the
iris yellow. The head is dark greyish-brown, with a patch of greyish-
white surrounding the eye, but not extending to the bill; there is a
larger patch of the same colour on the side of the neck, the hind part
of which is similar to the head, the fore part greyish-brown, the
feathers broadly margined with whitish. All the upper parts are of a
dark greyish-brown, the two lateral tail-feathers edged with white; the
lower parts white, the feathers under the wings slightly tinged with
grey.
Length to end of tail 15 3/4 inches, to end of wings 14 1/2, to end of
claws 16 5/8; extent of wings 26 1/2; wing from flexure 8; middle tail-
feathers 2 9/12, lateral 2 1/4; bill along the ridge 1 2/12, along the edge
of lower mandible 1 5/12.

Adult male in winter. Plate CCCXII. Fig. 2.


The outer half of the bill rich orange-yellow, that colour extending to
the base along the ridge, the unguis and the basal half black, as well
as the unguis and edges of the lower mandible. The head, neck, the
fore part of back and scapulars, white; the space about the eye pale
greyish-red, and a large oblong patch of chocolate brown on the side
of the neck. The upper parts, including the four middle tail-feathers,
are brownish-black, but the secondary quills tinged with reddish-
brown, and having paler margins. The anterior half of the breast
chocolate brown, the rest of the lower parts and the four lateral tail-
feathers white.
Unfledged young. Plate CCCXII.
The young when newly excluded are covered with stiffish down. Bill
and feet greenish-dusky; the upper parts chocolate-brown; a small
spot of white under the eye; throat and lower parts whitish, as well as
an oblong patch on the cheeks.
The young male in winter, that is, after its first moult, has the bill and
legs dusky green. The head and half of the neck are whitish; the
upper part of the former and a patch on the side of the latter mottled
with brownish-black and chocolate. The upper parts brownish-black,
variegated with brownish-red, the still unelongated scapulars chiefly
of the latter colour. A broad undefined belt of reddish-brown over the
lower fore part of the neck; the rest of the lower parts greyish-white.
Length to end of tail 22 inches; extent of wings 29.
The young female in winter is similar to the adult, but with the upper
parts paler, the light-coloured patches on the head and neck more
dusky, and the lower parts of a less pure white.
Adult males, assuming the summer plumage, about April, present a
curious intermixture of the variously coloured feathers of the two
seasons.
In a male bird, the tongue is 1 inch and 5 twelfths long, papillate at
the base, fleshy, with two rows of bristles along the edges. There are
35 lamellæ on each side of the upper, and about 40 on the lower
mandible. The œsophagus is 7 1/2 inches long, 7 twelfths in diameter
at the upper part, towards the lower parts of the neck dilated to 1
inch, and continuing so to the end. The proventriculus is 1 inch 3
twelfths long, its glandules cylindrical and 2 twelfths long. The
stomach is a very powerful gizzard, of a roundish form, 1 3/4 inch in
length, 2 inches and 2 twelfths in breadth; its tendons large; the right
muscle 10 twelfths, the left 11 twelfths in thickness. The cuticular
lining is thick, and slightly rugous; the grinding plates thicker and
denser. The contents of the stomach are small muscles and particles
of quartz, some of which are 3 twelfths in diameter. The intestine is 5
feet 6 inches long, its diameter nearly uniform, about 4 twelfths; the
rectum enlarged to 5 twelfths, its length 2 1/2 inches. Cœca 4 3/4
inches long, 3 twelfths in diameter, their extremity rounded; the
cloaca globular, about 9 twelfths in diameter.
The trachea, moderately extended, measures 6 inches in length, its
breadth at the top 5 twelfths, about the middle 3 3/4 twelfths. The
number of ordinary rings is 72; at the lower part there are 6
expanded rings which are broad posteriorly and on the sides, but
extremely narrow before; beyond this is a solid bony expansion of 7
united rings, forming anteriorly a transversely oblong case, having a
membrane in front. The contractor muscles are very large, for two
inches at the top expanded over the fore part, sending off two cleido-
tracheals, then passing down along the edges of the six enlarged
rings, and terminating on the drum, where the sterno-tracheals come
off.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL.

Anas discors, Linn.


PLATE CCCXIII. Male and Female.

Is it not strange, Reader, that birds which are known to be abundant


on the Saskatchewan River during the breeding season, and which
have been observed as far north as the 57th parallel, should also be
found breeding at nearly the same period in Texas? Stranger still it is
that species should proceed from certain points, or winter quarters,
to both of the above-mentioned regions, without paying any regard to
the intermediate districts, which yet seem to be as well adapted for
breeding in, as they afford thousands of convenient and secluded
localities for that purpose. Yet these facts, and many others
connected with Nature’s wonderful arrangements, we may look upon
as intended to increase the innate desire which every true lover of
Nature has to study her beautiful and marvellous works.
Having for some years observed such habits exhibited by the Blue-
winged Teal and other birds, I have been induced to believe in the
existence of what I would term a double sense of migration in many
species, acted upon both in spring and in autumn, and giving to them
at the latter period, the power as well as the desire of removing from
the higher latitudes to opposite or meridional parts, thus to enter into
the formation of the Fauna of different countries, from which again
they are instigated to return to the place of their nativity, and thence
diverge toward new sections of the globe equally adapted to their
wants. If these observations should prove not unfounded, we need
no longer be surprised to meet in different portions of the world with
species which hitherto were supposed to be inhabitants only of far
distant shores.
The mouths of the Mississippi, surrounded by extensive flat
marshes, which are muddy, and in some degree periodically
inundated by the overflowings of that great stream, or by the tides of
the Mexican Gulf, and having in the winter months a mildness of
temperature favourable to almost all our species of Waders and
Swimmers, may be looked upon as the great rendezvous of the
Blue-winged Teals, which are seen arriving there coastways, in
autumn and the greater part of winter, to meet the multitudes that
have travelled across the interior from the north and west. At New
Orleans, and during spring, when this bird is in full plumage, it is
called by the Creoles of Louisiana “Sarcelle Printanniere;” and in
autumn, when scarcely an individual can be seen retaining the
beauty of its spring plumage, it is known as the “Sarcelle
Automniere;” in consequence of which double appellation, many
persons imagine that there are two Blue-winged Teals.
They are the first ducks that arrive in that part of the country,
frequently making their appearance in the beginning of September,
in large flocks, when they are exceedingly fat. They depart, however,
when the cold becomes so intense as to form ice; and in this respect
they differ from the Green-winged Teals, which brave the coldest
weather of that country. Toward the end of February, however, they
are as abundant as ever, but they are then poor, although their
plumage is perfected, and the males are very beautiful. During their
stay, they are seen on bayous and ponds, along the banks of the
Mississippi, and on the large and muddy sand-bars around, feeding
on grasses and their seeds, particularly in autumn, when they are
very fond of the wild pimento. Many remain as late as the 15th of
May, in company with the Shoveller and Gadwall Ducks, with which
they are usually fond of associating.
On my reaching the south-western pass of the Mississippi, on the 1st
April 1837, I found these birds very abundant there, in full plumage,
and in flocks of various sizes. On the 11th of the same month, when
about an hundred miles to the westward, we saw large and dense
flocks flying in the same direction. On the 15th, at Derniere Isle, the
Blue-wings were very plentiful and gentle. Two days after, they were
quite as numerous round Rabbit Island, in the Bay called Cote
Blanche; and on the 26th they were found on all the ponds and salt
bayous or inlets of Galveston Island in Texas, as well as on the
water-courses of the interior, where I was assured that they bred in
great numbers. Though on account of the nature of the localities in
which these Teals breed, and which cannot be explored otherwise
than in extremely light canoes, or by risking being engulphed in oozy
morasses covered with tall grass, we were not so fortunate as to find
any of their nests, we could easily judge by their manœuvres both
while on wing and on the water, that we were not far from their well-
concealed treasures and the females which we procured
unequivocally exhibited the state of exhaustion common in the
course of incubation.
During the months of September and October, this species is
plentiful on the Ohio, and in the whole of the Western Country,
through which they pass again in April, but without tarrying. On the
other hand, they seem to prolong their stay at this season in our
Eastern Districts more than in autumn; and this is also the case in
South Carolina, as I learn from the observations of my friend John
Bachman, who has seen them mated there as early as February. I
have found them in the Boston markets on the 8th of September, but
it is very rare to see any of them there in full spring dress. I saw or
heard of none when I was in Labrador and Newfoundland; from
which it may be inferred that those found in the Fur Countries reach
them through the interior. They also occur on the Columbia River. On
the 21st of March 1821, I saw many Blue-winged Teals copulating on
the Mississippi, a little below Natchez; yet none of these birds have
been known to breed in that section of the country. They were at the
time mentioned on a sand-bar in company with some American
Widgeons, which also were similarly employed.
The flight of the Blue-winged Teal is extremely rapid and well
sustained. Indeed, I have thought that, when travelling, it passes
through the air with a speed equal to that of the Passenger Pigeon.
When flying in flocks in clear sunny weather, the blue of their wings
glistens like polished steel, so as to give them the most lively
appearance; and while they are wheeling over the places in which
they intend to alight, their wings being alternately thrown in the
shade and exposed to the bright light, the glowing and varied lustre
thus produced, at whatever distance they may be, draws your eyes
involuntarily towards them. When advancing against a stiff breeze,
they alternately shew their upper and lower surfaces, and you are
struck by the vivid steel-blue of their mantle, which resembles the
dancing light of a piece of glass suddenly reflected on a distant
object. During their flight, they almost constantly emit their soft
lisping note, which they also utter when alighted and under
apprehension of danger. I have never observed them travelling in
company with other ducks, but have seen them at times passing
over the sea at a considerable distance from land. Before alighting,
and almost under any circumstances, and in any locality, these Teals
pass and repass several times over the place, as if to assure
themselves of the absence of danger, or, should there be cause of
apprehension, to watch until it is over. They swim buoyantly, and
generally in a close body, at times nearly touching each other.
Indeed, during their first appearance in autumn, when you are apt to
meet with a flock entirely composed of young birds, you may, by
using a little care, kill a considerable number at one shot. I was

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