HRM Strategy

Running head: HRM STRATEGY
HRM Strategy
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1HRM STRATEGY
Answer 1
Planned indicates deciding and making arrangements for any action in advance for the benefit of
an organization. Future indicates time period coming ahead. Competitive advantage refers to
the strategic edge, based on resources or capabilities that a firm achieves when other competitors
cannot imitate that. Changing environment refers to the dynamic situations in which an
organization operates. The conditions or situations are internal and external, which influences the
actions and performances of an organization, and these are extremely dynamic. Configuration
of resources and competencies means adaptation of the capabilities of the organization based
on the available resources and the environment. This is done to meet the organizational goals and
objectives according to the resources and competencies. Stakeholders are those who have
interest in the organization and its growth. Stakeholder expectation refers to the hope of
meeting their needs by the organization. All these concepts imply that a business has
stakeholders, whose needs must be fulfilled by planning and taking actions with the available
resources and capabilities in a dynamic working situation.
Answer 2
Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce retail giant. External environment includes overall
industry trend, industry structure, similar business, competitors and customers. Analysis of
external environment leads to the information on the opportunities and threats for the firm.
Opportunities of amazon are product differentiation, global expansion, acquisitions and opening
of physical stores like Amazon Go. The threats are the low barriers to entry in e-commerce

2HRM STRATEGY
business, government regulations in different countries and local competition from other e-
commerce sites.
Internal environment includes resource, capabilities and core competencies, value chain, and
7S framework, that is, strategy, structure, systems, styles, skills, staff and shared values. This
analysis results in the information on strengths and weakness. Strengths of Amazon are cost
leadership, efficient delivery system, customer centric approach. The weaknesses are very small
profit margin, leading to unprofitable business in some location, failure of innovations, like the
Fire TV and Fire phone, and thus negative reputations for its product innovations.
Answer 3
HR functions have been existing in the business world since long but in different forms and
perspectives. These functions evolved overtime to meet the demands of the technology and
business environment. Up to 1940s, HR functions were present in the form of labor welfare. The
environment involved minimum government intervention, owner’s attitudes and beliefs played a
major role in labor exploitation, and the functions were passive and reactive. During 1950s to
1960s, there was a continuous economic and job growth, and employee motivation and ethics,
job classification, growth of the trade unions and development of the job categories occurred,
focusing on personnel admin or industrial relations. In 1970s to 1980s, the concept of HRM was
developed. During this time, labor legislations developed and professionalism emerged, leading
to the development of framework for the HR functions. Between 1990s and 2000s, growing
globalization, competitiveness, outsourcing, cost reduction and technological advancement
required strategic HR activities and management functions. Since 2010, smart or digital HRM is