Welcome to MGHA12! Human Resource Management Professor Samantha Montgomery Fall 2025 IC 208 1 Land Acknowledgment • I wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron -Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississauga's of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. Agenda Introductions Review Syllabus About HRM at UTSC Review Chapter 1 Group Activity Review Chapter 2 Group Activity Questions and Announcements Copyright © 2023 by Cengage Canada 1-3 About the Instructor (according to LinkedIn) • Samantha Montgomery, PhD (she/her) About the Instructor (according to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter) About the Instructor (according to other random photos you can find on the internet) 1-6 What does this all have to do with Human Resource Management (HRM)? • Potential employers can see what you put on the internet! • HRM is a broad range of activities that center the people in organizations, including: − Identification, Recruitment & selection of talent − Developing leaders & strategic planning − Retaining talent through competitive salaries and benefits − Responding to external dynamics (e.g. politics, economics, pandemics; etc.) − Labour Relations & Collective Bargaining Getting to know each other • How many of you are first year students? • How many of you were born in Canada? • How many of you are HR majors? • How many of you have had a job before? • Was it paid? • Were you in a union? • Were there employer policies/a Collectively Bargained Agreement (CBA) that you reviewed? • How many of you have supervised someone before? 1-8 About the Course (According to the Syllabus) Component Mid-term Exam Individual Assignments Group Assignment Participation Final Exam Weight/Value 25% 15% 15% 10% 35% Relevant Date(s): October 7 See course schedule See course schedule Every class TBD Most up-to-date version of syllabus available on Quercus STUDYING HRM @ UTSC • Completing a B.B.A. with a specialist in HRM will make you qualified to work in any area of HRM, to take a graduate degree in HRM, and to obtain CHRP certification (after completing CHRP exam) required by many organizations for upper-level HR positions. MANAGEMENT COURSES NEEDED FOR CHRP: • Human Resources Management (MGHA12): A foundational course in the principles and practices of HR management. • Organizational Behaviour (MGHB02): Focuses on understanding individual & group behavior within organizations. • Financial and Management Accounting (MGAB01): Provides knowledge of financial & management accounting principles. • Human Resource Planning (MGHD27): Covers the process of forecasting & planning for an organization's future HR needs. • Occupational Health & Safety (MGHD24): Addresses the legal & practical aspects of workplace health & safety. • Training and Development (MGHD26): Deals with designing, delivering, & evaluating training programs. • Industrial/Labour Relations (MGHC53): Focuses on the relations between employers & employees, including unions & collective bargaining. • Recruitment and Selection (MGHD25): Covers the processes of attracting, selecting, & hiring qualified candidates. • Compensation (MGHD28): Deals with designing & administering employee compensation & benefits packages. 1-10 CHAPTER 1 The World of Human Resources Management Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-11 Learning Outcomes – 1 LO1-1 Describe the strategic importance of human resources management (HRM) and the rewarding career opportunities it offers. LO 1-2 Explain how good human resources practices can help a firm gain a sustainable competitive advantage and how COVID-19 may impact this relationship. LO 1-3 Describe how technology can improve how people perform their work and how they are managed. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-12 Learning Outcomes – 2 LO 1-4 Explain the dual goals human resources managers have in terms of increasing productivity and controlling costs. LO 1-5 Discuss how firms can leverage employee differences to their strategic advantage and how educational and cultural changes in the workforce are affecting how human resources managers engage employees. LO 1-6 Provide examples of the roles and competencies of today’s human resources professionals. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-13 1-1a What Is Human Resources Management? • Human resources management (HRM) − The process of managing human talent to achieve an organization’s objectives Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-14 1-1b Why Study Human Resources Management? • Work with people to help solve organizational issues. • Attract top-notch people to come to work with you and your firm. • Determine the right people to hire so your team and company are a success. • Help and coach people so they become top performers. • Make pay and reward decisions that may influence people’s lives. • Establish the strategic direction your firm should take. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-15 1-1c Human Capital and HRM • Human capital: Knowledge, skills, and capabilities of individuals that have economic value to an organization − Intangible − Cannot be managed the way organizations manage jobs, products, and technologies • Organizations must find ways to better use the knowledge of their workers. − Managers of all types must carry out the specific activities for a company to effectively do so. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-16 Figure 1.1 Overall Framework for Human Resources Management Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-17 1-2 Competitive Issues and Human Resources Management • Responding strategically to crisis, changes, and disruptions in the local and global marketplace • Competing, recruiting, and staffing globally • Setting and achieving corporate social responsibility and sustainability goals • Advancing HRM with technology • Containing costs while retaining top talent and maximizing productivity • Adapting to employee differences and diversity for strategic advantage Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-18 1-2a Responding Strategically to Crisis, Changes, and Disruptions in the Local and Global Marketplace – 1 • COVID-19 and HRM − COVID-19 resulted in one of the most extreme organizational transformations in the past century. − It has highlighted the pressing need for a feeling of community and common objectives. • HR managers and business strategies − HR managers need an intimate understanding of their firms’ competitive business operations and strategies. − “No change means chance” Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-19 1-2a Responding Strategically to Crisis, Changes, and Disruptions in the Local and Global Marketplace – 2 • Human resources managers need to understand the following: − Six Sigma − Reengineering − Downsizing − Outsourcing − Change management − Reactive changes − Proactive changes Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-20 1-2a Responding Strategically to Crisis, Changes, and Disruptions in the Local and Global Marketplace – 3 • Six Sigma − A set of principles and practices whose core ideas include understanding customer needs, doing things right the first time, and striving for continuous improvement • Reengineering − The fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in cost, quality, service, and speed Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-21 1-2a Responding Strategically to Crisis, Changes, and Disruptions in the Local and Global Marketplace – 4 • Downsizing − Planned elimination of jobs (reducing “head count”) • Outsourcing − Contracting out work that was formerly done by employees • A common denominator of these strategies is that they require companies to engage in change management Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-22 1-2a Responding Strategically to Crisis, Changes, and Disruptions in the Local and Global Marketplace – 5 • Change management − Systematic way of bringing about and managing both organizational changes and changes on the individual level Team members collaborate in a hybrid meeting post– COVID-19. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-23 1-2a Responding Strategically to Crisis, Changes, and Disruptions in the Local and Global Marketplace – 6 • Good HR managers know that they can be key players when it comes to driving the business strategies of their organizations to make changes. • Reactive changes − Changes that occur after external forces have already affected performance • Proactive changes − Changes initiated to take advantage of targeted opportunities Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-24 1-2b Competing, Recruiting, and Staffing Globally • Globalization: The trend toward opening up foreign markets to international trade and investment − Approximately 65 percent of Canada’s economy is affected by international competition. − China could surpass the United States to become the largest economy in the world by 2041, and India could be the third largest. • How globalization affects HRM − Need to balance a complicated set of issues related to different geographies, including different cultures, employment laws, and business practices Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-25 1-2c Setting and Achieving Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Goals • HR’s responsibilities include the development and implementation of corporate citizenship throughout the organization, including good environmental management • Corporate social responsibility − The responsibility of the firm to act in the best interests of the people and communities affected by its activities • Sustainability − Closely related to corporate social responsibility − Doing business in a way that does as little harm to the environment and depletes as few natural resources as possible Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-26 1-3 Advancing HRM with Technology • Computer networks and “cloud computing” − Unlimited amounts of data can be stored, retrieved, and used in a wide variety of ways • Collaborative software: Allows workers anywhere, anytime, to interface and share information with one another electronically, and has changed how and where people and companies do business Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-27 1-3a Knowledge Workers, Virtual Learning, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence – 1 • Knowledge workers − Workers whose responsibilities extend beyond the physical execution of work to include planning, decision making, and problem solving • Virtual learning • Video conferencing platforms − Zoom, Webex, Teams, and Hangouts − COVID-19 broke down barriers and expedited the transformation process Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-28 1-3a Knowledge Workers, Virtual Learning, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence – 2 • Automation and artificial intelligence − Automation is affecting not only blue collar and routine jobs, but others as well. − On gig work platforms such as Uber and Lyft, algorithms are essential to allocate, monitor, and reward gig work. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-29 1-3b Influence of Technology on HRM – 1 • Human resources information system (HRIS) − A computerized system that provides current and accurate data for purposes of control and decision making • Impact of HRIS: − Operational − Relational − Transformational Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-30 1-3b Influence of Technology on HRM – 2 • Operational − Automating routine activities, alleviating administrative burdens, reducing costs, and improving productivity; “self-service” access to information • Relational − Using software to recruit, screen, and pretest applicants online • Transformational − Changing the way HR processes are designed and executed; setting developmental goals Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-31 1-3b Influence of Technology on HRM – 3 • Workforce (HR) analytics − The process of gathering and analyzing data to improve a firm’s human resources management − Big data is useful for recruitment and selection and a variety of other reasons such as performance appraisal and management, training and development, and assessment of organizational climate and culture. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-32 1-4 Containing Costs While Retaining Top Talent and Maximizing Productivity • Organizations take many approaches to lowering labour-related costs: − Downsizing − Furloughing − Outsourcing − Offshoring − Employee leasing − Productivity enhancements Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-33 1-4a Managing the Size of the Workforce – 1 • Downsizing − Widespread throughout North America − Virtually every major corporation has undergone some cycle of downsizing. − Beginning in the 1990s, the layoffs began to encompass white collar workers in greater numbers in knowledge-intensive industries. − Amid COVID-19, many industries have had to resort to downsizing. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-34 1-4a Managing the Size of the Workforce – 2 • Hidden costs of layoffs include: − Severance and rehiring costs − Accrued vacation and sick-day payouts − Pension and benefit payoffs − Potential lawsuits from aggrieved workers − Loss of institutional memory and trust in management − Lack of staffers when the economy rebounds − Survivors who are risk averse, paranoid, and political Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-35 1-4a Managing the Size of the Workforce – 3 • Benefits of a no-layoff policy include: − Fiercely loyal, more productive workforce − Higher customer satisfaction − Readiness to snap back with the economy − Recruiting edge − Workers who are not afraid to innovate, knowing that their jobs are safe Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-36 1-4a Managing the Size of the Workforce – 4 • Furloughing − An alternative to downsizing − A situation in which an organization asks or requires employees to take time off for either no pay or reduced pay − Gained widespread use since the COVID-19 crisis started − Can hurt a company’s recruiting efforts when the public discovers it has resorted to such a measure Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-37 1-4a Managing the Size of the Workforce – 5 • Outsourcing: − Employment relationship between companies and employees has shifted from relationship based to transaction based − One of the most prominent HR trends • Offshoring (or “global sourcing”): Sending jobs to other countries • Nearshoring: Moving jobs closer to one’s home country • Homeshoring: Moving jobs to work-from-home domestic independent contractors Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-38 1-4a Managing the Size of the Workforce – 6 • After an unsafe factory collapsed, killing textile workers in Bangladesh, approximately 70 retailers, mostly European, signed an agreement to inspect factories they offshore work to and finance safety upgrades for them. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-39 1-4a Managing the Size of the Workforce – 7 • An alternative to downsizing, outsourcing, offshoring, and furloughing is employee leasing: − The process of dismissing employees who are then hired by a leasing company (which handles all HR-related activities) and contracting with that company to lease back the employees • Productivity enhancements: − Providing work flexibility is a good way to improve the productivity and motivation of valuable employees. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-40 1-5 Adapting to Employee Differences and Diversity for Strategic Advantage • One of the major challenges facing managers in Canada is adapting to the country's demographic changes. • Significant challenges due to demographic changes in Canada: − Diversity and immigration − Age distribution of the workforce − Gender distribution of the workforce Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-41 1-5a Demographic and Diversity Challenges of the Workforce – 1 • Diversity and immigration − In 2022, Canada was home to over 8 million permanent residents, constituting slightly over 20 percent of the entire Canadian population. This is the largest proportion among G7 nations. − Asia, including the Middle East, was the predominant continent of origin for recent immigrants to Canada, accounting for 62 percent of all newcomers. − India emerged as the top country of birth for almost one in five recent immigrants, making up 18.6 percent. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-42 Figure 1.2 Top 10 Ethnic Origins in Canada, 2021 Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-43 1-5a Demographic and Diversity Challenges of the Workforce – 2 • Age distribution − Imbalance in the age distribution of the labour force is having a significant effect. − Large portions of workforces are nearing retirement. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-44 1-5a Demographic and Diversity Challenges of the Workforce – 3 • Gender distribution − Women make up nearly half of the workforce in Canada, and the educational attainment of women is increasing relative to men. − Many organizations struggle to sufficiently attend to the needs and issues that transgender and gender-nonconforming people face. − Initiatives should address and improve the conditions for LGBTQIA+ people. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-45 1-5b Educational Shifts Affecting the Workforce • According to the 2016 Census, more than half (54.0 percent) of Canadians aged 25–64 had either college or university qualifications, up from 48.3 percent in 2006. • It is important to note, however, that whereas the complexity of jobs is increasing significantly, the skills gap is huge and widening. More than 3 million Canadians (aged 16–65) have problems reading printed material. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-46 1-5c Cultural and Societal Changes Affecting the Workforce • Cultural and societal changes affecting the workforce − Employee rights − Privacy concerns − The changing nature of the job − Changing attitudes toward work − Balancing work and family Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-47 Figure 1.3 Factors Related to the Best and Worst Places to Work Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-48 1-6 The Role HR Managers Play and Their Partnership with Other Managers • Successful organizations combine the experience of line managers with the expertise of HR specialists to develop and use the talents of employees to their greatest potential. • Line managers are non-HR managers who are responsible for overseeing the work of other employees. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-49 1-6a Responsibilities of the HR Manager • The major activities for which an HR manager is typically responsible are: − Strategic advice and counsel − Service − Policy formulation and implementation − Employee advocacy − Business mastery − HR mastery − Change mastery − Personal credibility Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-50 1-6b Competencies of the HR Manager • The HRM profession is currently experiencing changes, both in Canada and globally. • There is a need for HR professionals to become more accountable to those they serve. • Good HR managers help their organizations build a sustained competitive advantage. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-51 Figure 1.4 SHRM Competency Model Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-52 Activity: Challenges in Organizations Today • Which of the following issues do you think will have the most significant impact on your working life? What strategies should organizations employ in order to address the challenges posed by the issue you chose? − Responding strategically to crisis, changes, and disruptions in the local and global marketplace − Competing, recruiting, and staffing globally − Setting and achieving corporate social responsibility and sustainability goals − Advancing HRM with technology − Containing costs while retaining top talent and maximizing productivity − Adapting to employee differences and diversity for strategic advantage Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 1-53 CHAPTER 2 Strategy and Human Resources Planning Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-54 Learning Outcomes – 1 LO 2-1 Explain how human resources planning and a firm’s mission, vision, and values are integrally linked to its strategy and firm performance, and the role of high performance work systems (HPWS). LO 2-2 Define and differentiate between the concepts of mission, vision, and core values in the context of strategic planning, and identify the unique characteristics and functions of each concept. LO 2-3 Understand how an organization’s external environment influences its strategic planning. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-55 Learning Outcomes – 2 LO 2-4 Understand why it is important for an organization to do an internal resource analysis. LO 2-5 Explain the linkages between competitive strategies and human resources. LO 2-6 Understand what is required for a firm to successfully implement a strategy and assess its effectiveness. LO 2-7 Describe how firms evaluate their strategies and human resources implementation. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-56 2-1a The Link between HRM and Strategic Management • Strategic planning − Procedures for making decisions about the organization’s long-term goals and strategies • Human resources planning (HRP) − The process of anticipating and providing for the movement of people into, within, and out of an organization • Strategic human resources management (SHRM) − The pattern of human resources deployments and activities that enable an organization to achieve its strategic goals Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-57 2-1b High-Performance Work Systems • Human resource practices that have been proven to increase employee and organizational performance − First subsystem – involving employees by creating awareness about the organization’s vision − Second subsystem – acquiring and developing talent − Third subsystem – encompassing employee empowerment − Fourth subsystem – aligning leaders so that leaders can support the growth and evolution of the organization Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-58 2-1c Strategic Planning and HRP: Linking the Processes • Strategy formulation – providing input as to what is possible given the types and numbers of people available • Strategy implementation – making resource allocation decisions, including decisions related to structure, processes, and human capital • The integration of HRP and strategic planning tends to be most effective when there is a reciprocal relationship between the two processes, which occurs when a firm’s top management team recognizes that strategic planning decisions affect—and are affected by—HR concerns. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-59 Figure 2.1 Linking Strategic Planning and Human Resources Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-60 2-2 Step 1: Mission, Strategic Vision, and Core Values • Mission − The basic purpose of the organization as well as its scope of operations • Strategic vision − A statement about where the company is going and what it can become in the future; clarifies the longterm direction of the company and its strategic intent • Core values − The strong and enduring beliefs and principles that the company uses as a foundation for its decisions Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-61 2-3 Step 2: External Analysis • Environmental scanning − Systematic monitoring of the major external forces influencing the organization • The business environment − Economic and ecological changes − Technological changes − Demographic changes − Social changes − Legal and regulatory changes Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-62 2-3b Competitive Environment – 1 • Competitive environment − Customers − Rival firms − New entrants − Substitutes − Suppliers − Stakeholders Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-63 2-3b Competitive Environment – 2 • Stakeholders − Key people and groups that have an interest in a firm’s activities and that can either affect them or be affected by them • Primary stakeholders: investors, employees, customers, suppliers, and creditors • Secondary stakeholders: the community in which the firm operates, the government, business groups, and the media Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-64 2-3c HR’s External Supply of Labour • Labour-supply changes directly affect hiring plans in the area where the organization is located or plans to locate. • HRP must consider the implications for recruitment and replacement policies. • Other factors: migration in and out of the area, mobility of the population, firm’s demand for specific skills, unemployment rates, educational level of the workforce, government labour regulations, etc. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-65 2-4 Step 3: Internal Analysis • A growing number of experts argue that the key to a firm’s success is based on establishing a set of core capabilities. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-66 2-4a Core Capabilities • Core capabilities − Integrated knowledge sets within an organization that distinguish it from its competitors and deliver value to customers • Can consist of a combination of three resources: 1. Processes 2. Systems (technologies) 3. People • Value creation: What the firm adds to a product or service by virtue of making it; the quantity of benefits provided by the product or service once the costs of making it are subtracted Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-67 2-4b Sustaining a Competitive Advantage through People • Four criteria: 1. The resources must be valuable. 2. The resources must be rare. 3. The resources must be difficult to imitate. 4. The resources must be organized. • Different skill groups in any given organization can be classified according to the degree to which they create strategic value and are unique to the organization. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-68 Figure 2.4 Mapping Human Capital Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-69 2-4c Corporate Culture • Cultural audits: Audits of the culture and quality of work life in an organization − How is business conducted within your organization? − How do people communicate with one another? − How are conflicts and crises resolved? Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-70 2-4d Forecasting – 1 • Managers must continually forecast both the firm’s future needs and its future capabilities to do an effective job at strategic planning. • Forecasting involves: 1. Forecasting the demand for labour 2. Forecasting the supply of labour 3. Balancing supply and demand considerations Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-71 Figure 2.5 Model of HR Forecasting Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-72 2-4d Forecasting – 2 • Forecasting a firm’s demand for employees − Quantitative approach example • Trend analysis: A quantitative approach to forecasting labour demand based on an organizational index such as sales − Qualitative approach example • Management forecasts: The opinions (judgments) of supervisors, department managers, experts, or others knowledgeable about the organization’s future employment needs Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-73 2-4d Forecasting – 3 • Forecasting the supply of employees − Staffing tables • Graphic representations of all organizational jobs, along with the numbers of employees currently occupying those jobs and future (monthly or yearly) employment requirements − Markov analysis • A method for tracking the pattern of employee movements through various jobs Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-74 Figure 2.6 Hypothetical Markov Analysis for a Retail Company Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-75 2-4d Forecasting – 4 • Quality of fill: A metric designed to assess how well new hires are performing on the job • Skill inventories: Files of personnel education, experience, interests, and skills that allow managers to quickly match job openings with employee backgrounds • Replacement charts: Listings of current jobholders and people who are potential replacements if an opening occurs • Succession planning: The process of identifying, developing, and tracking key individuals for executive positions Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-76 Figure 2.7 An Executive Replacement Chart Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-77 2-4e Assessing a Firm’s Human Capital Readiness: Gap Analysis • Human capital readiness − Evaluating the availability of critical talent in a company and comparing it to the firm’s supply − Any difference between the quantity and quality of employees required versus the quantity and quality of employees available represents a gap that needs to be closed. − Figure 2.8 shows how PharmaCo, a specialty chemical manufacturing company, approaches its assessment of human capital readiness. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-78 Figure 2.8 Assessing a Firm’s Human Capital Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-79 2-5 Step 4: Formulating Strategy • Strategy formulation − Moving from simple analysis to devising a coherent course of action • SWOT analysis − A comparison of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for strategy formulation purposes − Using the strengths of the organization to capitalize on opportunities, counteract threats, and alleviate internal weaknesses Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-80 2-5a Corporate Strategy • A firm’s corporate strategy includes the markets in which it will compete, against whom, and how. • Some firms choose a concentration strategy that focuses on only a limited portion of the industry. • Growth and diversification − Growth hinges on three related elements: 1. Increased employee productivity 2. A greater number of employees 3. Employees developing or acquiring new skills Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-81 2-5b Business Strategy – 1 • Low-cost strategy – means keeping your costs low enough that you can offer an attractive price to customers (relative to competitors) − Critical success factors for this strategy focus on efficiency, productivity, and minimizing waste. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-82 2-5b Business Strategy – 2 • Differentiation strategy – provides something unique and distinctive to customers • Often based on high product quality, innovative features, speed to market, or superior service Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-83 2-5c Functional Strategy: Ensuring Alignment • Vertical fit/alignment − Focuses on the connection between the business objectives and the major initiatives in HR • Horizontal fit/alignment − Aligning HR practices with one another internally to establish a configuration that is mutually reinforcing Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-84 2-6 Step 5: Strategy Implementation • HRM is instrumental to almost every aspect of strategy implementation. • Figure 2.10 shows the classic 7-S framework. − “Hard S” category • Strategy, structure, systems − “Soft S” category • Shared values, style, skills, staff Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-85 Figure 2.10 The 7-S Model Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-86 2-6a Taking Action: Reconciling Supply and Demand – 1 • Organizations have many staffing options: − Hiring full-time employees, having current employees work overtime, recalling laid-off workers, using temporary or contract employees, and outsourcing or offshoring some of their business processes • Several options are available to employers when dealing with surplus employees − Layoffs, attrition, and termination − Layoff decisions are usually based on seniority and/or ability. Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-87 2-6a Taking Action: Reconciling Supply and Demand – 2 • Attrition: A natural departure of employees from organizations through quits, retirements, and deaths • Hiring freeze: A practice whereby new workers are not hired as planned or workers who have left the organization are not replaced Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-88 2-6a Taking Action: Reconciling Supply and Demand – 3 • Termination: Practice initiated by an employer to separate an employee from the organization permanently − Severance pay: A lump-sum payment given to terminated employees by an employer at the time of an employer-initiated termination Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-89 2-7 Step 6: Evaluation and Assessment • Firms should define desired objectives and the metrics to measure their achievement. • Benchmarking: − The process of measuring one’s own services and practice against the recognized leaders to identify areas for improvement • Two categories of metrics: 1. Human capital metrics: Assess aspects of the workforce 2. HR metrics: Assess the performance of the HR function itself Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-90 Figure 2.11: An Example of an HR Dashboard Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-91 2-7b Measuring a Firm’s Strategic Alignment • Balanced scorecard (BSC) − A measurement framework that helps managers translate strategic goals into operational objectives • The model has four related cells: 1. Financial 2. Customer 3. Processes 4. Learning Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-92 Figure 2.12 Building the Metrics Model Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-93 2-7c Ensuring Strategic Flexibility for the Future • Organizational capability − The capacity of the organization to act and change in pursuit of sustainable competitive advantage • Flexibility can be achieved in two primary ways: 1. Coordination flexibility – occurs through rapid reallocation of resources to new or changing needs 2. Resource flexibility – results from having people who can do many different things in different ways Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-94 Activity: SWOT Analysis • Using your educational institution as the example, describe: − The current strengths and weaknesses of the institution − The current opportunities and threats in the post-secondary education sector • Using your answers to the above, what should your institution do in order to capitalize on external opportunities, counteract external threats, and alleviate internal weaknesses? Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-95 Online Appendix 2A Calculating Turnover and Absenteeism Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-96 2A-1 Employee Turnover Rates • 2A-1a Computing the Turnover Rate Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-97 2A-1 Employee Absenteeism Rates • 2A-1d Computing Absenteeism Rates Copyright © 2026 by Cengage Learning Canada, Inc. 2-98
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