The Challenges of Human Resource Management

Bjorkman, Evans, and Pucik. (2011). The challenges of international human resource management. The Global Challenge. (2^nd ed.). Retrieved from: http://create.mcgraw-hill.com. (Transformational Global Leadership. McGraw-Hill Create p. 5-46).

Robert Owen came to be known as the father of “modern personnel management” because he noticed the amount of money being spent on machinery and not enough money being spent on pay for workers. He then implemented new ideas: child labor laws regarding payment, housing and food for workers, education opportunities, and even opened evening recreation for workers. He would have definitely been the man to work for at such a hard time in the industrial field. It seems that he just took common sense-care-and implemented that into the workplace. This obviously creates happier workers who in turn work harder. It was then that the ideas of industry started to change and throughout time evolved with each and every change in the economy.

I thought it was also interesting to think about the change in women vs. men workers during the war. When women came to work in the factories for men, the management had to adapt the machines and change the work for novice workers since women had no former experience in these types of fields. I find that so intriguing because in the workforce now, women have many of the same jobs as men and some women are even more successful. I can’t help but think about how if we had novice workers come into a field, it would be young employees. These younger employees would probably find a better, more efficient way to get the same job completed because they are of the new generation of problem solvers.

Basically, globalization has been around for centuries. It just took time for each organization and country to figure out HOW the globalization was being implemented and when. It then took time and effort from companies to make it work from one country to the next, but that is still an ongoing problem. Some of the main issues that need to be addressed when working globally include: technical systems, people skills, and cultural values. I believe these three areas to be an ongoing issue for the world forever; especially as technology is changing and the generations are improving rapidly. Values will continue to change and people skills will increase and decline due to that same technology increase. We as a community have to work together to keep it all functioning properly-even across borders. Without this communication ability, companies will falter.

Thomas Friedman suggests that the world is now “flat.” I don't know if I agree that the world is flat. I think the examples he describes as "flatteners" have actually made us more well-rounded people. I think they have made us who we are today and that we are working with people all over the world to make the world circular.

This literature made me think and consider further the changes companies face as they become global and what will make them successful in the future. It’s interesting to note that companies with strong areas of communication find more success…isn’t that in everything in life?