Question Details

How Do Changing Business Environments Influence HRM?

Continuing on with how to formulate organizational policies, change processes, and increase organizational effectiveness, Unit 2 looks at the second responsibility of the first content area. Today's innovative environment requires that HRM professionals be highly sensitive to, and aware of, a rapidly changing business environment. Though this may seem the purview of other disciplines in the organization, HRM professionals must be ready to source or realign human resources to support new organizational strategies. To effectively do this, we again look at critical sources of information; one focus is the impact of technology on the industry that the organization is a part. Additionally, the rapidly evolving economic and technological environments must be carefully assessed, and of course, knowledge of the makeup of the participating labor force is vital. Last, all organizations in the United States operate within highly regulated settings, and it is very important for HRM professionals to be aware of changing laws and regulations. All of the elements discussed above are components of the organization's strategy and strategic planning efforts.

For this discussion, select one of the topic areas below and analyze how the changes associated with that discipline influence HRM activities with specific attention given to organizational strategy, goals, and objectives.

• General business environment.
• Industry practices and developments.
• Technological advances.
• Economic environment.
• Labor force.
• Legal environment.
• Regulatory environment.

Use proper APA style and formatting when appropriate.

Response Guidelines

Read the posts of your peers and respond to two other learners by providing comments and questions that encourage critical thinking and insight on changing business environments. Your responses should extend the discussions on how HRM activities are influenced and stimulate other learners to clarify, strengthen, and extend their dialogues.