Role of Human Resource Management on Employee’s Well-Being: A Case Study of Central Library, Mizoram University

1. INTRODUCTION

Every employee‘s well-being is crucial in any workplace or organisation; no product or service can be created without the assistance of a human being. Therefore, employees are to be given an utmost priority to see the development of the particular organization. According to various research (Page & Vella-Brodrick, 2009; Chopde & Sheikh, 2011; Ficarra et al., 2020), an organization‘s growth is primarily due to its workers, or employees. These workers are so crucial that their satisfaction and well-being might bring about a change in their works, be it in a good way or bad way. Promoting happiness at work can assist to reduce stress and foster a healthy work atmosphere. As a result, a better working environment will be created if employees are satisfied with their wages, working hours, duties, role, job stability, justice, and balance. The top-to-bottom collaboration would be considerably better, and this would eventually contribute to the organization‘s growth and increased production. On the other hand, the decline and degradation of one organisation has been proven to be related to disgruntled employees, poor employee financial well-being, and a lack of prioritisation of employee well-being. Furthermore, poor overall job performance, loss of attention, and short-term decision-making can negatively impact an employee‘s health and the organization‘s productivity. Emotional well-being, physical well-being, social well-being, workplace well-being, and societal well-being are the five major forms of well-being identified by Davis (2019). To develop into a responsible human being, all of these factors are equally necessary. Like any other organisation, the health and well-being of library employees is essential. Promoting the well-being of library employees can assist to reduce stress and promote pleasant work environments in which individuals and organisations can thrive and achieve better results. The current exact condition of the Mizoram University (MZU) Central Library would be easily recognised if the condition of the staff members and their well-being were understood and prioritized. This would aid in identifying the various areas in which the library could be improved, enhanced, and expanded. As a result, it is important to consider the well-being of library employees when implementing initiatives to improve the library.

―Human Resource Management (HRM) is the process of recruiting, selecting, inducting employees, providing orientation, imparting training and development, appraising the performance of employee, deciding compensation and providing benefits, motivating employees, maintain relations with employees and their trade unions, ensuring employees safety, welfare and health measures in compliance with labor laws of the land and finally following the orders/ judgment of the concern high court and supreme court if any‖ (Whatishumanresource.com, n.d.). As a result, HRM

Mizoram University (MZU) is a Central University established on 2nd July 2001, by an Act of Parliament i.e. Mizoram University Act, 2000. The university is located in Aizawl, the capital city of Mizoram. The university was accredited ‗A‘ grade by NAAC in 2019 and also ranked as one of the top 100 universities in India assessed by the NIRF rankings in 2016, 2017, and 2018 under MHRD. Currently, the university has 33 functioning academic departments offering undergraduates, postgraduates, M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs (Mizoram University, n.d.). Central Library of Mizoram University is situated in a convenient location of the university campus. The university library has a collection of 1,12,719 books. Besides reading material university library is supplemented by e-resources. Automated circulation system using barcode technology has been used since long back; also, the library upgraded its existing library management software time to time. Central Library also earned the appreciation of the NAAC Peer Team as 'having good facilities, good maintenance and a beautiful library‘. It is one of the best University Libraries in North-East India. At present, 30 professional staff are working in Central Library with different levels of hierarchy under the supervision of Librarian (Central Library, n.d.).

Several studies have looked into the role of human resource management and employee well-being in various ways. Every organization‘s primary goal should be to improve employee well-being. As a result, Page and Vella-Brodrick (2009) conducted research at Monash University‘s School of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Psychological Medicine on the ―what, why, and how‖ of employee well-being. They divided their research into three categories: why employee well-being is essential in any organization, what comprises employee well-being, and how well-being may be consistently improved. Their research discovered that when employees are satisfied with their jobs, they develop self-acceptance, positive interpersonal relationships, environmental mastery, autonomy, a sense of purpose in life, and personal progress. The HRM job should be given top priority in order to ensure the smooth operation of the library's staff well-being. The researchers used a structured questionnaire and an unstructured interview to collect data for their research. They emphasised the necessity of HRM in libraries, particularly in light of rapid advancements in ICT and dwindling budgets. They also emphasised the importance of hiring the best and brightest human resources to assist clients in meeting their information needs at the right time and in the right manner. They also came to the conclusion that current HRM trends support innovation and creativity. In addition, O‘Riordan (2017) presented an outline of human resource management in her paper, which encompasses all aspects of how people are employed and managed in the organisation? and emphasised the need to improve human resources and performance, with a focus on career development and advancement chances, training opportunities, involvement and communication, performance management and appraisal systems, work balance, job influence, and challenge. She stated that positive organisational culture requires top-down leadership, and that human resource management is required to improve a positive approach to people. She also stated that HR performance should be evaluated in terms of its own capability and contribution to the organisation. Chopde and Sheikh (2011) discussed the relevance of human resource planning in their book ―Industrial Management,‖ emphasising the necessity of job analysis and description, recruitment, and selection processes, and how these might contribute to employee well-being. They argued that job analysis and job descriptions assist us in determining the quality and quantity of manpower necessary in each organisation, as well as the importance of recruitment and selection in determining the organization‘s potential employees. They also came to the conclusion that using a well-knit job analysis, selection, and recruitment strategy to pick and recruit the correct type of employees for various jobs in the organisation is always a smart idea. In their work, Riego de Dios & Lapuz (2020) studied the management style, performance appraisal, and employee development of selected personnel from a Central Luzon academic institution. The data was gathered using the survey approach, with 75 people participating in the process. The study also found that the people under investigation agreed that the organization‘s system of these three relationships is for the betterment. They also discovered that the linkages between the three factors provided a new perspective on the issues that confront organisations today, and they felt compelled to carefully manage this relationship in order to avoid a future disaster. They finished by stating that in order to meet any obstacles, the organisation must invest in more training, latest research, and professional development programmes. with 59 top leaders and staff from faith-based higher education institutions. There were two categories of work variables: happy and unhappy. According to the findings, unhappy employees had arguments concerning judgement, prejudice, and promotion concerns, but happy employees were consistent. In addition, the researchers looked into how organisational cultures might affect employee happiness and sadness in any organization. They came to the conclusion that employee happiness should be a top priority. The positive view of a happy employee can create a company‘s organisational culture by providing a healthy and enjoyable working environment, as employee happiness can eventually contribute to business success. In his work, Ikonne (2015) investigated the stress and well-being of library employees. The analysis and distribution of jobs, as well as the working environment, are all examined in the study. A standardized questionnaire and survey approach were used to conduct the research among the university library‘s 125 employees. The study‘s overall findings suggested that employees were having difficulty handling technology and were also dealing with an excessive amount of work. According to the researcher, providing sufficient training and workshops for employees, as well as taking steps for their welfare and psychological well-being as part of a strategic plan, will assist manage the needs and obstacles that each employee faces. Masters (1996) mentions the relevance of total quality management (TQM) in his paper ―Total Quality Management in Libraries,‖ stating that TQM is a continual improvement of an employee toward participative management and oriented on the needs of consumers. He emphasised the need of improving employee well-being in libraries so that library administrators may focus on providing the finest services possible while also being open to change and striving for continual development. Employees, he said, are the library‘s most precious resource, and they should be encouraged to report concerns without fear of retaliation from management. He sought to give library employees a sense of purpose and authority so that they could be held accountable and make decisions that would improve the quality of their work. According to Shanhong (2000), knowledge management (KM) is a completely new concept and strategy for library management. It operates by transforming library employees into higher-productivity forces such as competitiveness, power, and new value, all of which lead to library advancement. He also stated that the core of knowledge management in the library is human resource management, and that the goal of knowledge management is to encourage knowledge innovation. Shanhong emphasised the importance of library staff having up-to-date knowledge and a positive attitude in order to face challenges such as promotion, storage, and dissemination of library collections, as well as stating that human resource management within the library is Stilling et. al. (2018) conducted a survey to investigate and assess how academic libraries evaluate the work of their professional librarians. Library directors were asked for details regarding their library‘s annual assessment procedure for professional librarians, as well as other situations when librarians‘ employers rely on it to indicate if organisational goals are being met and consumers are happy for the study. According to the survey, several major corporate libraries have already abandoned appraisal and evaluation processes and barely examine their librarians. The librarian received employment feedback more than once a year in certain instances. Vance and Kuhnert (1988) investigated the impact of job security and insecurity on employees‘ mental and physical health. Through a survey method, data was acquired from employees of a large mid-western manufacturing company that produced items for material removal applications. Employees‘ emotional and physical health, job security, job performance, dedication to their organisation, job performance, and employee demographic information are among the questions being investigated. The investigation looks to be quite complex, and it discovered that there were a large number of employees seeking for employment elsewhere, as well as doubt and dissatisfaction with internal organisations. In comparison to newly hired staff, the older employees were mostly unaffected by feelings, according to the study. They recommended that the organization's leadership should investigate these issues and make some necessary improvements.

The scope of the study is limited to the Central Library of Mizoram University, Aizawl. The Central Library has 30 professional staff. This study included all staff members in evaluating the role of HRM in the well-being of employees. Thus the study is confined to 30 professional staff.

The study‘s main aim is to assess the role of human resource management on library employees‘ well-being. The study‘s specific objectives are to: a) Determine the role of HRM in Mizoram University‘s Central Library. b) Determine the current state of employee well-being among the Central Library employees. c) If necessary, make recommendations to promote employee well-being.

suitable to undertake the study. A structured questionnaire about the study was distributed to 30 library staff at Mizoram University‘s Central Library. With the help of MS Excel, the acquired data was inspected, tabulated, and analysed to draw inferences.

The data were tallied, evaluated, and interpreted based on the responses. Structured questionnaires were distributed to the 30 library employees at Mizoram University‘s Central Library for data gathering. The survey was completed by all members of the library staff (100%).

Table 1 shows the total number of employees at the Central Library, with 50% of employees having professional status and 50% having semi-professional status.

It is essential to be aware of the gender status of employees at the Central Library. Table 2 reveals that there are 30 employees, 46.6 percent of whom are men and 53.3 percent of whom are women, working on various sections and levels of work.

Recruitment and selection policy is very important for every library. A transparent method for recruiting and selection is required for a successful library. A question was posed to the Central Library staff regarding their satisfaction with their current and selection policy, whereas 26.6 percent were dissatisfied. On the current recruitment and selection policy, 6.6 percent of employees had an ―undecided‖ view.

Induction, training, and development are required in every organisation, including the library, especially for new staff to enable them to perform their duties. It is an element of the welcoming process that can also instil confidence. The library staff was asked if they felt the need for better induction, training, and development in order to preserve their well-being. It was revealed that the whole library staff (100%) agreed that better induction, training, and development should be practised.

Employees can increase their skills in each functional area by using a job rotation method. A question was posed to the 30 library employees to obtain their thoughts on the job rotation. Table 4 reveals that 70% of library employees agree that work should be rotated throughout the library, while 30% are undecided.

In order to get a successful outcome in any organisation, the employee‘s status and pay scale are important. Similarly, the library must provide fair and accurate compensation, perks, awards, and recognition to its employees, as happy employees can influence others positively. Table 5 employees expressed ―undecided‖ feelings about pay.

Employees were questioned to see what they thought about the best form of promotion scheme for the library. Because a correct, fair, and reasonable means of promotion can raise employees‘ desire and passion for reaching goals, it‘s always useful to know what employees think about how they want their promotion system to work. Table 6 shows that 10% of library staff believe that promotion should be based on ―seniority,‖ while 86.6 percent believe that promotion should be based on ―seniority plus merit.‖ Only 3.3 percent of library employees believe that promotion should be based only on ―merit.‖

A performance appraisal, also known as an annual review, is a process of assessing an employee's job performance in order to identify and discuss areas where it can be improved, as well as to determine achievement and growth (or lack thereof). It's an important opportunity for library employees to receive feedback on their job. Among the library staff, the subject of whether performance appraisal is an effective instrument for library well-being was raised. Table 7 shows that 60% of library staff support (agree) performing regular performance appraisals and believe that it is a successful tool for improving employee well-being, while 23.3 percent are ―unsure‖ about how performance appraisals work for employee well-being. The performance appraisal was ―disagreed‖ by 16.6% of library staff.

Feedback enables an individual to gain a better understanding of their work in the workplace. It is the recognition of one‘s own flaws and capabilities, as well as acts that have an impact on others. As a result, every employee must remind oneself from time to time in order to achieve a better result. A question was raised among library employees as to whether they wanted feedback on their performance from the appropriate authority. Out of the total of 30 library staff, 60% were willing to receive feedback on their performance from authority, while 40% were ―unsure‖ if they would like to receive feedback on their performance (as shown in table 8).

Promotion is necessary from time to time in order to maintain high production and maximise employee potential. It‘s useful to know how satisfied employees are with their present library promotion scheme in this regard. Table 9 demonstrates that 40% of library staff were delighted with the present promotion system, while 16.6% were ―dissatisfied‖ with the current promotion system. 43.3 percent of library employees had ―undecided‖ feelings about their existing library promotion system.

Employees that are satisfied have positive attitudes and are less stressed. They also encourage and support one another, resulting in a tranquil and healthy work environment. As a result, it is beneficial to investigate how employees feel about their workplace and, if necessary, make changes. A question was posed to the library staff to gauge their degree of satisfaction with the working environment at the library. Table 10 shows that 73.3 percent of library staff were delighted with their current working environment, while 26.6 percent were ―not satisfied‖ at all with their current working environment.

Employees who are happy with their jobs and have a good work-life balance are more likely to be mentally pleased, engaged, and productive at work. Salary issues, work-life balance, job security, respect and recognition, and security issues were among the questions posed to the library staff in terms of job satisfaction. Sixty-six percent of the library staff (out of a total of thirty) were satisfied with their work-life balance, whereas 50 percent were satisfied with the salary. Eighty-three percent of library employees were comfortable with their job security, while sixty percent were satisfied with the respect and recognition they receive on the job. Seventy percent of library employees were happy with their advancement in their careers. Table 11 shows that, aside from ―salary‖ issues, the majority of library employees were satisfied with their jobs in terms of work-life balance, job security, respect and recognition, and career progression.

important for the smooth functioning of the library. Employees feel more valued when their needs are met, physically, mentally, and financially. So, the role of the human resource management system is very important for the effective management of employees as it offers excellent growth and opportunities which will eventually lead to the development of the library. Central Library of Mizoram University is considered to be the biggest and most advanced library in terms of library collections and infrastructure in Mizoram. So, it is lookup by many smaller libraries concerning their staff‘s management, nature of work, pay scale, security, etc. Considering all of these matters, the library staff should be an example of a satisfied employee, right from the top to the bottom. University libraries should provide a challenging environment for the practice of HRM which will eventually assist in the overall employee well-being. From the study, it is revealed that the library staff was satisfied only to some extent on present human resource management practices prevalent in Central Library. Moreover, some particular areas like status and pay scale, training & development, and job security, etc. need more attention and consideration. With the advancement of technology and increase in user demand, human resource management should be revised from time to time and be prioritized inside the library. By doing so, will result in better employee well-being.

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Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Library & Information Science, Mizoram University, Aizawl – 796 004 lallawmawmi243@gmail.com