Instructor Manual: Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
Instructor Manual
Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources
Management
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter ........................................................................... 2
Chapter Objectives ............................................................................................................... 2
What’s New in This Chapter ................................................................................................ 2
Chapter Outline ..................................................................................................................... 3
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 1
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of how human resource (HR)
managers and other leaders can advance their careers by strategically utilizing people
to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It emphasizes the importance of HR
practices in addressing challenges such as globalization, competition, and
sustainability. This chapter also examines how technology enhances employee
performance and management, while highlighting the dual goals of increasing
productivity and controlling costs. Additionally, it discusses leveraging employee
diversity for strategic benefit and the influence of educational and cultural shifts on
employee engagement. Finally, it explores the evolving roles and competencies of HR
managers in collaboration with other managers.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
LO 1 Explain how human resource (HR) managers and other managers can have
rewarding careers by helping their firms gain a sustainable competitive
advantage through the strategic utilization of people.
LO 2 Explain how good human resource practices can help a firm address strategic
challenges such as globalization, competition, and sustainability efforts.
LO 3 Describe how technology can improve how people perform and how they are
managed.
LO 4 Explain the dual goals HR managers have in terms of increasing productivity
and controlling costs.
LO 5 Discuss how firms can leverage employee differences to their strategic
advantage and how educational and cultural changes in the workforce are
affecting how human resource managers engage employees.
LO 6 Provide examples of the roles and competencies of today’s HR managers and
their relationship with other managers.
[return to top]
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:
• Introduction to HRM
o Added new examples of companies and how they manage human
capital
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 2
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
o Updated definitions and explanations of such key terms as HRM, human
capital, and organizational culture
• Globalization and HRM
o Expanded discussion on globalization’s impact on HRM
o Added new case studies and examples of global companies
• Technology and HRM
o Updated the section on technology’s impact, including new examples
and trends
o Added information on social media’s role in HRM
• Productivity and Cost Management
o Revised strategies for managing workforce size, including new
techniques
o Updated examples of companies like Southwest Airlines and Nucor
• Diversity and Inclusion
o Expanded on the importance of diversity in the workplace
o Added new statistics and case studies on diversity management
• Roles and Competencies of HR Managers
o Added new roles and competencies required for modern HR managers
o Included examples of how HR managers can influence firm strategy
[return to top]
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Introduction (PPT Slide 4)
i. Human resources management (HRM) is the process of managing
human talent to achieve an organization’s objectives. It involves a
wide variety of activities including analyzing a company’s
competitive environment and designing jobs and teams
II. Why Should You Study Human Resources Management? Will It Pay Off?
(LO 1, PPT Slides 5–8)
i. Understanding HRM is key for all leaders and business owners, not
just for those in HR. Every leader handles some parts of managing
people. They pick the right workers, teach and inspire them, judge
their work, help them grow in their careers, and more.
ii. While great business plans and products can easily be copied by
your competitors, great people cannot. Their knowledge and
abilities are among the most distinctive and renewable resources
upon which your company can draw.
a. Human Capital and Organizational Culture
i. The idea that organizations “compete through people” highlights
the fact that achieving success increasingly depends on an
organization’s ability to manage its human capital.
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 3
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
ii. Unlike physical capital and resources, human capital is
intangible—so it cannot be managed the same way that
organizations manage jobs, products, and technologies.
iii. To build human capital in organizations, managers must continue
to develop superior knowledge, skills, and experience within their
workforces, and retain and promote top performers.
iv. Organizational culture affects how people in an organization work
and treat each other and their customers. A negative
organizational culture stifles employees and leads to lower
productivity and morale.
v. In contrast, a positive organizational culture not only helps
employees acquire knowledge and skills, but also fosters
curiosity among employees, allows them to grow and thrive, and
creates mission-driven teams that achieve success.
vi. Although “competing through people” and “organizational culture”
are major themes of HRM, on a day-to-day basis, managers of all
types need to carry out specific activities for a company to
succeed.
vii. Professional organizations such as the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM) conduct ongoing studies of the
most pressing competitive issues facing firms.
III. Strategic and Global Challenges (LO 2, PPT Slides 9–17)
i. When the COVID-19 pandemic devastated economies, businesses,
jobs, and families around the world, the challenges of HRM took
center stage. Never had senior leaders depended more on their
HR colleagues to keep people safe, get them back to work, and
help bolster the culture of collaboration and mutual support.
ii. Being able to adapt has become the key to capturing
opportunities and overcoming obstacles, both domestically and
abroad. In fact, it is often the key to the very survival of
organizations.
a. Responding Strategically to Changes and Disruptions in the Marketplace
i. Agility is a firm’s ability to make quick changes to gain a
competitive advantage. Achieving agility often involves eliminating
managerial layers that can slow down decision-making and make
an organization less nimble. It means project teams that can gear
up fast, make their own decisions, and disband quickly are
utilized to develop and get new products out the door while
they’re “hot.”
ii. Human Resources Managers and Business Strategies: In decades
past, HR departments were often focused on performing
administrative tasks, dealing with unions, and complying with
labor laws. While these remain potentially important issues for
many firms, HR management is vastly different today.
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 4
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
Instructor Manual
Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources
Management
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter ........................................................................... 2
Chapter Objectives ............................................................................................................... 2
What’s New in This Chapter ................................................................................................ 2
Chapter Outline ..................................................................................................................... 3
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 1
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of how human resource (HR)
managers and other leaders can advance their careers by strategically utilizing people
to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It emphasizes the importance of HR
practices in addressing challenges such as globalization, competition, and
sustainability. This chapter also examines how technology enhances employee
performance and management, while highlighting the dual goals of increasing
productivity and controlling costs. Additionally, it discusses leveraging employee
diversity for strategic benefit and the influence of educational and cultural shifts on
employee engagement. Finally, it explores the evolving roles and competencies of HR
managers in collaboration with other managers.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
LO 1 Explain how human resource (HR) managers and other managers can have
rewarding careers by helping their firms gain a sustainable competitive
advantage through the strategic utilization of people.
LO 2 Explain how good human resource practices can help a firm address strategic
challenges such as globalization, competition, and sustainability efforts.
LO 3 Describe how technology can improve how people perform and how they are
managed.
LO 4 Explain the dual goals HR managers have in terms of increasing productivity
and controlling costs.
LO 5 Discuss how firms can leverage employee differences to their strategic
advantage and how educational and cultural changes in the workforce are
affecting how human resource managers engage employees.
LO 6 Provide examples of the roles and competencies of today’s HR managers and
their relationship with other managers.
[return to top]
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:
• Introduction to HRM
o Added new examples of companies and how they manage human
capital
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 2
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
o Updated definitions and explanations of such key terms as HRM, human
capital, and organizational culture
• Globalization and HRM
o Expanded discussion on globalization’s impact on HRM
o Added new case studies and examples of global companies
• Technology and HRM
o Updated the section on technology’s impact, including new examples
and trends
o Added information on social media’s role in HRM
• Productivity and Cost Management
o Revised strategies for managing workforce size, including new
techniques
o Updated examples of companies like Southwest Airlines and Nucor
• Diversity and Inclusion
o Expanded on the importance of diversity in the workplace
o Added new statistics and case studies on diversity management
• Roles and Competencies of HR Managers
o Added new roles and competencies required for modern HR managers
o Included examples of how HR managers can influence firm strategy
[return to top]
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Introduction (PPT Slide 4)
i. Human resources management (HRM) is the process of managing
human talent to achieve an organization’s objectives. It involves a
wide variety of activities including analyzing a company’s
competitive environment and designing jobs and teams
II. Why Should You Study Human Resources Management? Will It Pay Off?
(LO 1, PPT Slides 5–8)
i. Understanding HRM is key for all leaders and business owners, not
just for those in HR. Every leader handles some parts of managing
people. They pick the right workers, teach and inspire them, judge
their work, help them grow in their careers, and more.
ii. While great business plans and products can easily be copied by
your competitors, great people cannot. Their knowledge and
abilities are among the most distinctive and renewable resources
upon which your company can draw.
a. Human Capital and Organizational Culture
i. The idea that organizations “compete through people” highlights
the fact that achieving success increasingly depends on an
organization’s ability to manage its human capital.
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 3
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Instructor Manual: Snell & Morris, Managing Human Resources, 20e, 2026, 9798214042954;
Chapter 1: The Opportunities and Challenges of Human Resources Management
ii. Unlike physical capital and resources, human capital is
intangible—so it cannot be managed the same way that
organizations manage jobs, products, and technologies.
iii. To build human capital in organizations, managers must continue
to develop superior knowledge, skills, and experience within their
workforces, and retain and promote top performers.
iv. Organizational culture affects how people in an organization work
and treat each other and their customers. A negative
organizational culture stifles employees and leads to lower
productivity and morale.
v. In contrast, a positive organizational culture not only helps
employees acquire knowledge and skills, but also fosters
curiosity among employees, allows them to grow and thrive, and
creates mission-driven teams that achieve success.
vi. Although “competing through people” and “organizational culture”
are major themes of HRM, on a day-to-day basis, managers of all
types need to carry out specific activities for a company to
succeed.
vii. Professional organizations such as the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM) conduct ongoing studies of the
most pressing competitive issues facing firms.
III. Strategic and Global Challenges (LO 2, PPT Slides 9–17)
i. When the COVID-19 pandemic devastated economies, businesses,
jobs, and families around the world, the challenges of HRM took
center stage. Never had senior leaders depended more on their
HR colleagues to keep people safe, get them back to work, and
help bolster the culture of collaboration and mutual support.
ii. Being able to adapt has become the key to capturing
opportunities and overcoming obstacles, both domestically and
abroad. In fact, it is often the key to the very survival of
organizations.
a. Responding Strategically to Changes and Disruptions in the Marketplace
i. Agility is a firm’s ability to make quick changes to gain a
competitive advantage. Achieving agility often involves eliminating
managerial layers that can slow down decision-making and make
an organization less nimble. It means project teams that can gear
up fast, make their own decisions, and disband quickly are
utilized to develop and get new products out the door while
they’re “hot.”
ii. Human Resources Managers and Business Strategies: In decades
past, HR departments were often focused on performing
administrative tasks, dealing with unions, and complying with
labor laws. While these remain potentially important issues for
many firms, HR management is vastly different today.
a
© 2026 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or 4
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
