Webcast: On the Future of Global HR

What issues will affect human resources management in the coming decade? Senior HR leaders from around the world share perspectives in this webcast from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The panel includes executives from Boston Consulting and E.ON Group in Germany; the VP-HR of Tata Communications in India; and SHRM’s former president and CEO in the U.S. They cover wide terrain, discussing:

• Top HR issues worldwide: talent management; leadership development; work-life balance; and demographics/managing an aging workforce
• The phenomenal scale of skill shortages, and HR strategies to deal with them in India, Europe and the US
• How the election may redirect HR’s attention from strategic issues to compliance as the environment becomes more regulated in the US
• Strategies for developing leaders and providing international experience to your employees.

Case Study: Changing Police Culture in Oz

This case study describes a strategy that radically – and quickly – transformed the culture of the Victoria Police Force in Australia, after various failed attempts. At the outset, the force’s culture was "deeply entrenched" and "dysfunctional," with widespread racial and gender discrimination. By the end, the force had embraced "a diversity-inclusive culture."

The authors, both Australian academics, explain how this change used traditional strategies (e.g. organizational artifacts representing the new culture). Then they analyze how traditional change models were adapted, sharing lessons learned. For example, leaders - knowing that change in public organizations often fails due to strongly embedded cultures, and that the police are a prime example - decided to work on changing the culture first - not last, as in traditional models.

Details of this case study are found in Human Resources Management, Vol. 47, Issue 2, pages 369-387.

Globetrotting and Employment Law

For HR pros and employment lawyers, determining which countries’ employment laws apply to an expat or mobile employee can be tricky.

"Assume host-country law applies but be alert to exceptions," advises an article in the newsletter of White and Case LLP - an international labour and employment law firm based in New York.

In addition to the general rule that "local employee protection laws" are likely to apply, the article discusses three main refinements on that rule. Learn more about "long business trips," "The Communist and Arab exception," and "Extra-territorial reach" - a few countries such as the US, UK, France and Venezuela extend their rules to citizens working aboard.

Report: Key Trends in Human Capital

This file from PricewaterhouseCoopers focuses on global trends of interest to people management professionals. It covers Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, as well as various industry sectors.

Commentary focuses on developments in five key areas: human capital impact, which refers to bottom-line trends with measurable financial results; human capital drivers, such as leadership and engagement; human capital foundations, including demographics and diversity; human capital futures, which are issues that influence organizational thinking such as risk management; and the HR function – what’s new in terms of emerging structures and HR’s role.