Chapter 1: The Dynamic Environment of HRM
Reviewing Important Concepts
1. How have globalization and changes in workforce composition contributed to the
need for understand diversity and inclusion in our organizations? (LO 1, 4, 5)
HR managers to acquire a global skill set that involves managing a global workforce,
understanding a wide variety of cultures and legal environments and economic systems.
HRM needs to address language differences in a multi-lingual workplace, cultural
2. Describe ways HRM uses HRIS to provide information and services more
efficiently. (LO 2)
Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) automate many HR tasks such as payroll,
3. Explain the legal issues relevant to the workplace and HRM. (LO 3)
Court decisions, federal, state and local laws all affect HR and change quickly. Legal
4. Explain the roles HRM plays in dealing with current employment challenges such as
mergers, offshoring, the economy, and ethical issues. (LO 9)
Mergers, offshoring, and the economy all can lead to layoffs. Morale suffers as
employees who survive layoffs feel fear and resentment. Retraining becomes necessary
as retained workers assume increased responsibilities. Benefits may need to change to
save money and key employees may be difficult to retain as they begin to look for
employment with another firm they consider to be more stable. HR professionals can
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5. What is the purpose of a continuous improvement program? What role does HRM
play in assisting continuing improvements? (LO 7)
Continuous improvement involves constant efforts to provide better products and service
to customers, with today’s definition of customer including everyone both external and
internal to the organization.
6. What are the necessary ingredients for a successful employee involvement program?
(LO 8)
Organizational culture and top management must support involvement. Employees at all
levels will need to delegate some of their activities and responsibilities. Involving
7. Explain what ethics are and how organizations and HRM can promote ethical
behavior. (LO 9)
Ethics is a set of rules or principles that defines right and wrong conduct, what is
considered “right” and “wrong” in the organization. HRM can establish ethics training
Evaluating Alternatives
8. “Diversity and inclusion is nothing new. Thousands of immigrants came to the
United States in the early 1900s and they integrated into the workplace just fine.
Pay them a fair wage and treat them equally. That’s all workers want.” Evaluate
this philosophy of managing workplace diversity and explain your personal opinion
on the best way to manage workforce diversity and inclusion. (LO 1, 4, 5, 9)
Although workers welcome fair wages and equal treatment, much has changed in the last
100 years. Workers have more rights. Employers need workers with skills that didn’t exist
100 years ago. Organizations are global in reach. Expanded views of diversity require
9. Juliet is the owner of a design firm that survived the recession, but just barely. Her
firm has grown 25% each of the last 2 years, but she is wary of hiring any full-time
employees. “Firing half of my staff was the most stressful thing I’ve ever done” she
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explained. “I’ll just keep hiring contract designers. There’s a lot of good talent out
there with fresh ideas and they don’t have any expectation of a permanent job.”
Evaluate Juliet’s point of view and explain the advantages and disadvantages of
using contingent workers instead of full-time core employees. Explain what you
think she should do. (LO 6)
Students may see the value of any one of several alternatives including agreeing with
Juliet and relying heavily on contingent workers, reducing or eliminating the use of
Research and Communication Skills
These activities require students to research a topic and report the findings to the instructor or the
Activity Summaries
10. Students will research the HRM activities of a local organization with a visit or by using
11. Technology based businesses require knowledge workers and this activity requires
students to investigate effect of technology on the human resource aspects of a
5)
Making a Difference: Service Learning Projects
Overview: Service Learning Projects provide students with opportunities to develop and
demonstrate HR skills and build a professional network that will assist in getting a job in HR.
The activities that relate to this chapter on Selection are a variety of projects that involve
Case Application 1-A: Growers’ Choice
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A boring internship suddenly gets interesting when the antiquated, but common HR policies and
Questions:
1. In what ways could HRIS software make the HR department more efficient at
Growers’ Choice? How could it have prevented the problem with the falsified time
sheets? (LO 2)
HRIS software could automate the process of recording time and requests for time off as
well as all payroll functions. It could also handle applicant tracking, training and
development, performance management, payroll, benefits administration, succession
2. Explain the legal and ethical issues involved in the case. (LO 3, 9)
Growers’ Choice is legally obligated to keep track of worker’s hours and pay. The lack of
security of their current paper system may create data security and employee privacy
issues. Their treatment of the injured employee creates ethical and possibly legal issues.
Failing to accommodate her injury shows a lack of inclusion for people with disabilities
3. How can Growers’ Choice improve their views of diversity and work/life balance?
(LO 5)
4. Research: Examine the Careers section of two to three supermarket chains in your
area. What evidence do you find of HR use of technology?
Examples may include online applications, job search, online job descriptions, applicant
Case Application 1-B: A War for Talent
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The U.S. Navy may not be the first employer that comes to mind when you think of employers
that are making efforts to help employees with work/life balance issues. However, the Navy has
1. Contrast the differences and similarities of the challenges of managing the human
resource functions in the Navy from the public sector employers.
The Navy faces the same challenges as the public sector, including: recruiting new
employees for the organization, training those employees in specialized positions,
assisting them with attaining their educational goals and managing their careers,
encouraging the retention of those employee and having shortages of employees trained
in certain areas and a surplus of employees trained in other areas. The Navy is also
2. How do the economic, technological and cultural environments affect human
resource management in the Navy and other branches of the armed forces?
Recent technological changes have allowed the Navy to have a strong social media
presence on such sites as Facebook and Twitter. These sites are one source that the Navy
has used to address such issues as diversity. In addition, the Navy has responded to the
3. What role does work/life balance play in recruiting and retention?
Human Resources should help the organization identify the need to modify, create and
support work/life practices. This is done, in part, by making sure HR management
understands the diverse needs of the workforce. By being attuned to the needs of the
company’s workforce, an organization can migrate to a culture that supports these needs
while still accomplishing its goals. Flexibility around work schedules is key. Supporting
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followed by employees. Without actual actions by others of these examples, it is highly
unlikely that employees will believe work/life balance is valued, regardless of what is
4. Research: How well have the Navy’s recruiting and diversity initiatives worked?
Explore the Navy’s recruiting and diversity websites as well as news and current
events for evidence of successes and failures in their efforts to manage diversity and
hire and retain people with critical skills.(LO 5)
The Navy’s website, navy.com has a career section with many efforts to connect with
diverse groups including interviews with sailors of diverse backgrounds. Other sources of
Online Case Application 1 – C: Team Fun!
Questions:
1. Explain how TEAM FUN! is currently affected by globalization and globalization issues they
may face in the future. (LO 1)
2. How does government regulation affect Team Fun? (LO 3, 4, 9)
3. What other external factors and challenges in chapter 1 seem most relevant to Team Fun?
(LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9)
4. How would employee involvement and continuous improvement programs benefit Team
Fun! and help Kenny and Norton get in touch with what’s going on? (LO 7)
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