A firm’s human resources are the people in an organization that are crucial to its performance and the quality of work life within it. Unlike computers, human beings have the potential to grow and develop, to increase our depth, complexity and capacity over time. Human resource management can be defined as designing management systems to ensure that human talent is used effectively and efficiently to accomplish organizational objectives. Furthermore, HRM is considered the nuts and bolts of an organization. Thus, managers and leaders should focus on investing and developing their human resources who have the capacity to make significant contributions to the organization’s overall mission. Many organizations have noticed the importance of continuously training their employees and offering educational incentive programs to help keep employees up-to-date in their fields because in a significant number of cases, people actually get worse at their jobs over time. Performance can be enhanced if an employee is able to learn new ways of conceptualizing complex situations and deciphering abstract information. An employee should have knowledge of new research and advancements in his or her respective field in order to be able to adapt and overcome any organizational change. By performing at higher levels and being productive, an employee starts creating value for an organization. Most employees are evaluated by the value they create. Top managers seek employees who can bring value to an organization. When employees feel appreciated, they tend to perform at higher levels, producing more value. Unfortunately, most organizations are unable to “indulge” their employees and as a result, employees all over the world feel neglected and inundated. Interestingly enough, Schwartz, Jones, and McCarthy (2010) explain that:

Only 38 percent of employees worldwide believe their senior managers are genuinely interested in their well-being. More than 50 percent feel they’re treated as if they don’t matter at all or that they’re just another part of the organization to be managed. Only one out of every ten employees feels they’re treated as vital corporate assets (p. 162).

With employees all over the world feeling like they “don’t matter” in their organizations, it is important for upper level administrators to continuously develop their leadership strategies. Furthermore, with organizations constantly evolving, strategic human resource management is the optimum way to enhance performance levels. At IBM, for example, a thousand software developers working in different time zones have been given the flexibility to decide when they work. Different strategies should be implemented in organizations all over the world to help “humanize” the workplace.

Reference: Schwartz, T., Jones, J., & McCarty, C. (2010). The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working. New York, NY: Free Press. (This book is not required).

Drawing on the material in the background readings and doing additional research, please prepare a 3- to 4-page paper (not including the cover and reference pages) in which you:

• Research the role of HR management in any organization. Next, what does human capital mean and why is important?
• What can HR do to help employees feel as if they do matter?
• As an HR manager, how would you humanize the workforce?

1. How should an HR department evolve to match a company’s expansion overseas? Which leadership roles are most important in this scenario?

2. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing MNC’s in today’s economy and why? Allow for political, technological, and economic challenges.

3. Characterize the future of US-based companies desiring to expand overseas within the next 5 years. What political, economic, and technological challenges might those companies face and why? How can they be overcome?

4. Which of the cross-cultural themes discussed in Chapter 4 do you feel is most vital to the success of an MNC and why?

5. Why is it useful to have an 8-step negotiation model? What are the consequences if a step is skipped?

This week you were introduced to environmental science. With some of your background knowledge, and what you have learned from your readings, consider the following statement:

The world will never run out of resources because we can use technology to find substitutes; this will help us reduce resource waste.

Do you agree with this statement? Explain your position.

To begin your exploration of the Environmental Problems, please visit the National Library for the Environment (NLE)(http://www.thecre.com/fedlaw/legal34b/84171448.htm). The NLE is a single point of entry for articles, links, and references on environmental topics). Please bookmark this website as it will provide good background information about environmental problems and serve as a good resource for some of your assignments.

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary study of how the earth works, how we interact with the earth, and how we deal with environmental problems. One of the most profound, prophetic, inspirational statements made on the environment was a speech given to President Franklin Pierce by “Chief Seattle” in 1854. President Franklin made an offer for two million acres of Indian Land and promised a Reservation for the Indian people. The text of Chief Seattle’s speech is his reply to President Pierce’s offer. Visit the following link to read the text of his speech http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/chiefsea.html. Consider the message that this speech teaches all of us about the environment.

Much controversy surrounds the authenticity of Chief Seattle’s speech. Some feel the speech was actually written by Ted Perry, who wrote a biography of Chief Seattle. Various versions of the speech exist. Each translation loses or embellishes parts of his message. The Ted Perry text of the speech was used for a film on pollution and ecology called “Home”. Film producers used the script without his knowledge, removed his name, and made posters with the speech. This began the confusion that exists today. Perry is pleased that his words have served as a powerful inspiration to many. The Chief Seattle Speech has a message to teach all of us about the environment. Would Chief Seattle agree or disagree with the spirit of the message?

World populations are putting pressure on the earth’s resources to meet our wants and needs. We classify these material resources as perpetual renewable or nonrenewable. In 1968, biologist Garrett Harden called the degradation of renewable resources the Tragedy of the Commons (http://science.sciencemag.org/content/162/3859/1243.full). It happens because each user reasons “If I do not use this resource, someone else will. The little bit I use or pollute is not enough to matter, and such resources are renewable”.

Supplying each person with renewable resources, and absorbing wastes from such resource use, creates a large ecological footprint or environmental impact. It measures the average environmental impact of individuals in different countries and areas.

Most of the harmful environmental problems we face in the world are the unintended results of human activities designed to increase the quality of life. Underlying causes of environmental problems include:

• Rapid population growth
• Poverty
• Excessive and wasteful resources
• Not including environmental costs in market prices
• Inadequate understanding of how the earth works.

Matter is defined as anything that has mass and occupies space. The building blocks of matter are atoms, ions, and molecules. Atoms are made up of a nucleus containing protons and neutrons which are surrounded by a cloud of varying numbers of electrons. Compounds may be organic or inorganic (natural or synthetic). All organic compounds have a backbone made of carbon atoms. Inorganic compounds such as water, carbon dioxide, and table salt, are not based upon carbon atoms bonded together. The following website explains these concepts in detail: Matter: Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter (http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=49).

Matter can undergo chemical and physical changes. The Law of Conservation of Matter limits such changes. It states that there is no “away” in “throw away”. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that we cannot get something for nothing in terms of energy quantity. The second Law of Thermodynamics describes that in terms of energy conversion we always end up with less energy than we start with.

With the same talent management strategy in mind from Assignment 3, write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Determine which performance management process you will employ to measure employee talent.
2. Analyze the key concepts related to the talent pools and the talent review process.
3. Develop appropriate talent management objectives to measure functional expertise.
4. Assess the key elements of global talent management as they apply to your organization.
5. Recommend a process that optimizes a sustainable talent management process.
6. Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.
• The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Determine the effects of leadership in the management of talent pools and the talent review process.
• Compare and contrast the talent assessment and employee performance management processes.
• Review the process of developing functional expertise and setting and measuring talent management objectives.
• Discover how the management process affects global talent management.
• Determine the organizational benefits of strategy-driven talent management and building a sustainable process.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in talent management.
• Write clearly and concisely about talent management using proper writing mechanics.