Strategies Human Resources

Strategies Human Resources

MBA 530 Human Capital Developments

Introduction

Alternative Solutions to Strategic Human Resources problem is included below and described by six different companies. The companies will illustrate current issues they are experiencing or have been challenged. The companies discussed are Coca-Cola Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, American Express, Google, Inc., Cisco System, Inc., and DirecTV/TiVo. The scenario shared will cover organizational structure, recruiting used, the development in human capital, training, human resource management and the cultural diversity.

Coca-Cola Company

What does it take to become one of the largest global companies in the world? The Coca-Cola Company answered this question by inventing a great product, implementing great company values for employees and creating a vision that has evolved into a Manifesto for growth (Coca-Cola, 2006). The Coca-Cola Company was created in 1886, in Atlanta, Georgia, by Dr. John S. Pemberton. His first marketing campaign was a sample of the carbonated drink with the slogan of "Delicious and Refreshing"; a theme that is used to this day in their globalization marketing campaign (Coca-Cola, 2006). E. Neville Isdell is the current CEO and Chairman and under Isdell, Coca-Cola has had sales over $23.1 billion with approximately 55,000 employees of which 44,000 work outside of the United States. Due to the size of the company, Coca-Cola had to adopt the Task Force.

The Task Force is an external body created to report on progress for the company on specific human resource goals. This all came about because of a discrimination lawsuit filed in November 2000, against the Coca-Cola Company. The Task Force creates an assessment that provides oversight to Coca-Cola and is submitted to the United States District Court/Northern District of Georgia as part of the settlement (Coca-Cola). The Task Force evaluates HR policies and practices, recommends improvements, investigates complaints, and provides periodic reports on the Company's progress toward fulfilling the terms of the settlement agreement (Coca-Cola, 2006). In the latest report (Coca-Cola, 2005), the Task Force commends Coca-Cola's achievements and works-in-progress in areas such as, best practices associated with the mentoring program, success of career development program, fairness in compensation programs, and commitment by company leaders to identify and cultivate a diverse talent pool for senior-level positions (Coca-Cola, 2006). Coca-Cola is still working very hard in three areas to achieve their "gold standard" status. These areas are: 1) monitoring and training around performance management; 2) maintaining fair staffing and selection process; and 3) continuing to execute the company's diversity strategy. In achieving the "gold standard," The Coca-Cola Company becomes closer in becoming the ultimate goal which is the Manifesto of Growth.

Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation answered the globalizing question very similar to the Coca-Cola Company. Toyota Motor has also developed a great product and implemented an amazing human resource development strategy that has led them to be the number one car company in Japan and top 10 in the world. Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of the Toyota Motor Corporation, successfully completed the A1 prototype vehicle in 1935. That was the beginning of the history of the corporation. Today, Toyota's CEO is Katsuaki Watanabe, and under him the company has had approximately 10,191.8 billion yen in Net Sales and 65,798 employees around the world (Toyota Overview, 2006). Toyota Motor Corporation's main goal has been to enrich society through its car making and by winning the trust and respect of the international community. Their vision is to keep implementing their strong belief of respect and organized work in all countries and communities.

However, Toyota Motor has had a difficult issue in the past implementing their human resource management practice in a foreign country. On December 16, 1992, Toyota Motor Corporation introduced Toyota Motor Manufacturing to the United Kingdom and started producing cars in Derby, England (MCB, 1994). They chose England to be the headquarters for Europe due to the tremendous economic growth they were expecting after the recession (MCB, 1994). In 1994, Toyota maintained a high profile human resource management policy that made the company a complete benchmark manufacturing company complete with a new "model" workforce, apparently totally committed to corporate goals (MCB, 1994). In the United Kingdom, the employees were not willing to work for the strict policy that was implemented by the company. The United Kingdom was under examination for a year after the implementation of the new policy.

Toyota's human resource management policy in the United Kingdom would seem to endorse an ethic of keeping one's proper station, of carefully regulating social distance and of maintaining both reciprocal and asymmetrical social relationships. Toyota demanded this. The United Kingdom cultural context demanded that certain practices needed to be modified to fit with their working conditions. Some of the human resource management policies that were modified and designed to complement the United Kingdom sector were employee commitment, flexibility, adaptability, and quality of working life (MBC, 1994)

American Express

American Express is familiar and accustomed to handling various products and services throughout the world. American Express centered in doing business in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company provides numerous services as travelers checks, credit cards, travelers services additionally provided card network services. "American Express (AMEX) is one of the largest providers of travel related services, payment services, financial advisory services and banking services in the world." (AMEX, Company Profile, datamonitor.com, First Paragraph, page 5).

Things began as early as 1850 by two men known as Henry Wells and William Fargo. The first products that they introduced were money orders and travelers checks. With a long-standing history, American Express has faced some challenges and benefits through out the years. It has experienced various adaptations to current times. For example, in the late fifties, it launched the very first credit card. Then the company found them selves recasting things in the late 1990's. Due to the drop in the market results from competitors like MasterCard