Answer each Question

#1

Talent management (TM), knowledge management (KM), and high-performance work systems (HPWS) are all HR practices, which if used effectively, can help an organization achieve a competitive advantage. To avoid any confusion, you should distinguish between the first two, which are often seen as related concepts. TM practices are those used by an organization to identify, acquire, and generate the talented human capital needed to reach HR and strategic goals. They are aimed at acquiring “talent.” The central idea behind TM is that an organization can achieve a competitive advantage by developing and maintaining a set of unique talents throughout the organization.

TM is related to, yet distinct from, KM practices. KM practices are used to create and share knowledge throughout the organization, which often impacts the organization’s performance. The idea behind KM is to focus on how to leverage an employee’s or a manager’s knowledge (or human capital) to collectively add to the organizational knowledge. Then the organization can achieve a competitive advantage.

HPWS impact the performance of the organization through people. In particular, these systems impact productivity levels, quality, levels of customer service, and, ultimately, financial indicators of performance. Bundled systems of recruitment, selection, training and development, performance management, and incentive pay are all part of what is termed as HPWS. The primary goal of HPWS is to achieve a competitive advantage through the performance of people, by designing work and reward systems that motivate employees to achieve high levels of performance and facilitate employee engagement and skill enhancement.

Many of these HR practices are bundled to effectively provide a competitive advantage through the acquisition or development of people within the organization. The set of practices ultimately must be aligned to the context of the HR and organizational strategies and be bundled in a way to complement one another. In this Discussion, you analyze a few of these HR practices more in depth.

• Can organizations that utilize HR practices that focus on talent management, knowledge management, or high-performance work systems achieve and sustain a competitive advantage over their competition in a global environment? Why or why not? Be specific and provide references/examples from the literature.

• Which HR practice do you believe is the most critical for organizations to focus on to achieve or sustain a competitive advantage over their competition in a global environment and why? Be specific and provide examples.

#2

Talent management (TM), knowledge management (KM), and high-performance work systems (HPWS) are all HR practices, which if used effectively, can help an organization achieve a competitive advantage. To avoid any confusion, you should distinguish between the first two, which are often seen as related concepts. TM practices are those used by an organization to identify, acquire, and generate the talented human capital needed to reach HR and strategic goals. They are aimed at acquiring “talent.” The central idea behind TM is that an organization can achieve a competitive advantage by developing and maintaining a set of unique talents throughout the organization.

TM is related to, yet distinct from, KM practices. KM practices are used to create and share knowledge throughout the organization, which often impacts the organization’s performance. The idea behind KM is to focus on how to leverage an employee’s or a manager’s knowledge (or human capital) to collectively add to the organizational knowledge. Then the organization can achieve a competitive advantage.

HPWS impact the performance of the organization through people. In particular, these systems impact productivity levels, quality, levels of customer service, and, ultimately, financial indicators of performance. Bundled systems of recruitment, selection, training and development, performance management, and incentive pay are all part of what is termed as HPWS. The primary goal of HPWS is to achieve a competitive advantage through the performance of people, by designing work and reward systems that motivate employees to achieve high levels of performance and facilitate employee engagement and skill enhancement.

Many of these HR practices are bundled to effectively provide a competitive advantage through the acquisition or development of people within the organization. The set of practices ultimately must be aligned to the context of the HR and organizational strategies and be bundled in a way to complement one another. In this Discussion, you analyze a few of these HR practices more in depth.

• Based on this week’s readings, how might employees’ trust in HR positively or negatively impact their acceptance of new HRM practices? Be specific and provide examples.

• How might employee trust in HR be rebuilt when it is low or does not exist?

• How might you effectively communicate new HRM practices to gain employee understanding and acceptance?

• Be specific and provide examples.

#3

As you have learned throughout this course, it is important for HR professionals to align HR and organizational strategies. In addition, HR professionals need to be knowledgeable in the strategic influencers in order to develop strategies that fit the organization appropriately. Today more than ever, HR professionals need to have a global perspective and be knowledgeable in various influencers that will impact all aspects of their business. Having a global perspective and knowledge in global influencers provides balance, ultimately creating an opportunity to assist in implementation of globally focused HRM initiatives. It will also assist in building a corporate global culture, one that is robust and enables the organization to have a consistent set of organizational values and culture across nations and regions while providing flexibility for any local customs or restrictions.

• Identify the key influencers, either internal or external (e.g., legal, cultural, economic), that are important to consider when an organization in that region of the world is developing strategic HR practices.

• Discuss why these strategic influencers have the most significant impact on that particular region of the world you are researching for your group project.

• Provide an example of an organization in that same region that demonstrates your argument of key strategic influencers for that region and explain why.

#4

In order to achieve the desired outcomes of new strategic HRM practices and positively impact organizational performance, it is absolutely essential to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with leaders and employees throughout the organization. Formulation of HRM strategies and implementation of supporting practices must involve the collective inputs of many constituents—employees, HR professionals, line managers, and executive leadership. Building this essential partnership can be a challenge and involves communication in the delivery of strategic HRM practices in multicultural settings around the globe. HRM professionals need to understand organizational strategy, the organization’s customers, and competitors in order to assist in the process of transformation, act as a change agent, and add value through HRM practices.

You have reviewed many of these practices in the previous weeks. This week there is an emphasis on the need to work as internal consultants. HR professionals should be able to highlight business opportunities and challenges through people and proactively consider human resource implications and opportunities that may add value. The strategic HR partner provides information on various options, which are part of a plan to realize organizational vision, and also appraises executive management of potential HR challenges, opportunities, and implications.

You also learned through this course that what distinguishes the field of strategic HRM from earlier transactional models is the focus on organizational outcomes, including financial performance and the ability of HR policies and practices to positively impact HR resources and enable the organization to realize and sustain a competitive advantage within a global economy. Even with a new emphasis as a strategic partner, HR still has opportunities to act in a transactional role or service provider.

• Which role(s) do you believe are most critical for the success of an HR professional as a strategic partner: change agent (transformational), internal consultant (business partner), or service provider (transactional) and why?

• What are some ways to gain support for new strategic HRM practices from all organizational members?

• Review your post from Week 1 in the Discussion on HR professionals’ role as strategic partners. Reflect on whether your perceptions have changed and/or any insights you have gained as a result of this course.