Internal environment influences; Strategy : indicates what an organizations key executives hope to accomplish in the long run as a plan,

n, it takes the frim into the areo of competition in the environment and into alignment with the resource of the firm Goals: all departments have goals that include employee satisfaction, survival and adaptability to change Diversity: refers to any mixture of themes characterized by differences and similarities organization culture: refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the organization from other organizations

the essence of firms culture is shown by :

1. the firms way of doing business, the manner in which it treats customers and employees 2. the extent of autonomy or freedom that exists in departments or offices 3. the degree of loyalty expressed by employees about the firm. Nature of the task: HRM as the effective matching of the nature of the task with the nature of the employee performing the task degree of knowledge and ability to use information technology: knowledge workers are now expected to plan, decide and solve problems using databases, computer programs and other technology driven information sources

degree of empowerment: empowered worker can complete his job task because h has information, knowledge and power

degree of physical exertion required: most people prefer work involving minimal physical exertion. Some companies, believe that working with the mind is better for curing productivity problems than working with the back

edgree of environmental unpleasantness: contrast the environment of a coal miner with that of a bank teller. People generally prefer physically pleasant and safe condition

physical location of work: some jobs require the employee to stay in one place. Others permit moving about. There are differences in preference for physical location

time dimension of work: some jobs require short periods of intense effort; others require long hours of less taxing work. Ex. Automobile assembly, toll booth operation, call centers

 human interaction on thejob: some jobs require interaction with others. Contrast the position of a radar operator in an isolated location with that of a receptionist in a busy city hall offices

degree of variety in the task: the amount of freedom and responsibility a person has on the job determines the degree of autonomy provided in the work

task identity: the degree of wholeness in a job- feeling of completing a whole job as opposed to contributing to only a portion of a job. Contrast the jon of an auto assembler with that of a tax accountant

 task differences and job design: jobs are not created by nature, engineers and specialists can create jobs with varying attention to the characteristics described above

Work group: A work group consists of two or more pople who consider themeselves a group, who are interdependence with one another for the accomplishment of a purpose, and who communicate and interact with one another on a more ore less continuous basis. An effective group is one which: members function as and act as a theme memebers participate fully in group discussion group goals are clearly developed resources are adequate to accomplish group goals members furnish many useful suggestions leading to achievement of goals

Strategic challenges facing HRM technology the trends of technology revolution are recognizable as the following: 1. growth in knowledge needs (biomedicine, robotics and engineering) 2. shift in human competencis (employment growth will be in knowledge workers by 2015) 3. global market connection (technology is dissolving borders and creating an interconnected marketplace) 4. business streamlining (communication, electronic mail, e-conferencing, databases are creating instantaneous dissemination of data) 5. rapid response (technolgy permits quick communications, which allows faster decision making) 6. quicker innovation (product conception, design , R&D)

7. quality improvement (process of making, marketing, servicing through monitoring system)

8.

industrial revolution (from working close to homes, to travelling to work locations or factories, to work from their homes and engage to telework, or telecommuting)

Diversity: building a competitive workforce American workforce has changed in dramatic ways: two decades ago, the American workforce was predominantly white and male in the 70s, non-Hispanic white males represented about 68 percent of the workforce by 2006, white males represent less than 40 percent of the workforce why? Women have entered the workforce in record numbers In 2006, over 60 percent comprises the workforce by women workers

 Number of Hispanic, Asian, and older workers increased Baby boomers (born between 1946-63) are staying the workforce longer. Generation x (born between 1964-81) are vying for jobs held onto by older workers Facts : the changing look, age and needs of the workforce have resulted in more concern about child care, elder care and taining in understanding diversity A few success stories about diversity management that appear in the literature and serve as the best examples for practice: United airlines expecienced an increase in spanish speaking travelers when it installed a spanish speaking telephone reservation line Avon product had significan revenue growth after it hired american, hispanic american, and asian american sales and marketing personnel Pillsbury company and Kraft general foods both recorded access to more of the the african american and hispanic american markets after increasing the

number of sales and advertising professionals from these ethnic groups Caliber of workforce: Recruiting and developing skilled labor are important for any company concerned about competitiveness, productivity, quality and managing a diverse workforce effectively.

Restructuring: Means changing the reporting and authority relationships within a firm. Downsizing: People are laid off, friends and colleagues are given new job responsibilities , and feeling of trust and job security are threatened

Contingent workers

Includes temporaries, part-timers, contract or leased workers (outsources), and other individuals who are hired to handle extra job tasks or workloads Outsourcing Also called employee leasing, is the practice of hiring another firm to complete work that is important and mus be done efficiently. Advantages of outsourcing: Can save a firm money Reduce risks Improve its efficiency Focus on its core business operations Employees attitudes and preferences:
An attitude is a characteristic and usually long lasting way of thinking, feeling, and behaving toward an object, idea, or person.

Preference is a type of attitude that evaluates an object, idea, or person in a positive or negative way

Assumption: that a positive attitude will result in higher quality performance and increased production