Cathy L. Z. DuBois Kent State University

Human Resources increasingly drive organizational excellence & competitive advantage Knowledge & Service focused organizations Human Resource Management: Shared responsibility between management and the HRM function HRM v. Organizational Behavior in MBA programs

Natural Environment increasingly limits the Business Environment: Growing pressures on the carrying capacity of the planet s natural systems Social Environment increasingly pressures the Business Environment Expectations and Transparency Create potentially discontinuous change that affects the entire organization: Strategy & work systems/processes Employees at all levels in all locations

Embedded Sustainability Deeply engrained in the core of the organization: Whole systems sustainability; Organizational Values, Culture, Leadership; Permeates Thinking and Action at all organizational levels Bolted-on Sustainability Surface / Symbolic efforts of the organization: Partial / piecemeal /inconsistent sustainability; Present in pockets of the organization for limited time Greenwashing / Image focused

Strategic HRM: Whole Systems Design Thinking Environmental sustainability progress: limits to technology! Social Systems within organizations: Human Capital Systems Employee engagement is key Shaping/influencing behavior is key HRM increasingly playing design & leadership roles in organizational transformation

MBA Students are or aspire to be managers HR-Manager Partnership HR Function builds HRM systems Managers use HRM systems: They DO HRM Hiring decisions, performance management/appraisal, training/development decisions, etc. Embedding sustainability into HRM systems plays a critical role in embedding sustainability into the organization. Hence, the need for the HR-Manager partnership.

Introduce Sustainability The Business Case & HRM/Manager Roles Whole Systems Thinking Introduce the Sustainability & HRM Model Revisit throughout the course Employ throughout the course: Sustainability-related video segments Sustainability-related discussion questions Sustainability-related company examples Sustainability-related test questions Sustainability-related course project

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983.

Economic Social Environmental The Balancing Act Among Sustainability Domains

Natural Environment Social Systems Economic Systems 21 st Century Organizational Reality

Organizational Context Drivers / Stakeholders Insufficient Natural Resources Energy, Metals/Minerals, Climate, Air, Forest, Species, Water, Food, Soil Increasing Expectations Regulators, Investors, Employees, Consumers Radical Transparency NGOs, Activists, Technology/Social Networks, Media Organizational Ecology Organizational Environment Leadership Vision Values Competitive Business Strategy Value Creation Organizational Culture Organization Structure Work Systems Work Processes Reporting Human Resource Management Design: Policies/Systems Implementation Transformational HRM Leadership Leadership Development Management Alignment Traditional HRM & Transactional HRM HRM Strategy Organizational Culture & Work Systems Organizational Talent Management Systems Horizontal Alignment Vertical Alignment HRM System Architecture Development Organizational Development Communications Innovation & Engagement Knowledge Management HR Planning Work/Job Design Recruiting & Staffing Training & Development Performance Management / Appraisal Rewards/Recognition Employee Health /Well-being

Insufficient Natural Resources: Energy, Metals/Minerals, Climate, Air, Forest, Species, Water, Food, Soil Increasing Expectations: Regulators, investors, employees, consumers Radical Transparency: NGOs, Activists, Technology / Social Networks, Media

Leadership: Vision Values Competitive Business Strategy Value Creation Organizational Culture Organizational Structure Work Systems Work Processes Reporting

Design of HRM Policies and HRM Systems Stakeholder input Vertical Integration: consistency with strategy Horizontal Integration: consistency across systems Implementation of Policies and Systems Work with line managers Double loop (ongoing) learning and adjustment Transformational HRM: increased attention Traditional HRM: key managerial roles Transactional HRM: increased automation

Leadership Leadership Development Managerial Alignment HRM Strategy HRM System Architecture Development Organizational Culture & Work Systems Organizational Development Communications Innovation & Engagement Knowledge Management HR Planning

Talent Management Systems Vertical & Horizontal Alignment Work/job Design Recruiting & Staffing Training & Development Performance Management/Appraisal Rewards/Recognition Employee Health / Well-being

Ray Anderson: Interface Carpet Company How RA became vision http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3owmmem2m60 Profitability of Green business http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4uhod3_z3e Employee Commitment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-syic9dvqo

Consider the legal context of HRM from the perspective of balance issues among the 3 domains of sustainability. Identify examples within each separate space of the 3 overlapping circles. Use these examples to explain the notion of balancing interests across the domains. Use these examples to address the notion of short/long term maximization from a whole v. partial systems perspective.

Textbook: Competing Through Sustainability examples in each chapter Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright HRM-in-the-News: 5 minute student presentations on HRM-related articles; students choose sustainability-related articles where possible Local Examples Corporate Roundtable Case studies

Christopher Connor, CEO: as a corporate citizen, we call on the vibrancy of our people to truly change the face of our world for the better. And they deliver, time and again.

The overarching paradigm of this course is sustainability. 1. Diagram and briefly outline what organizational sustainability means, as discussed in this course. 2. Briefly explain why the HR function, in general, is central to implementing sustainability, particularly for embedding sustainability into the core of the organization. 3. Consider the legal content we covered in Chapter 3 of this course: Briefly explain the challenge of balancing interests across the 3 sustainability domains (provide examples of how meeting needs in one domain might conflict with meeting needs in another domain.) NOTE: For full points address individual, organizational and societal levels.

HRM Content in Sustainability Reports This project has 5 goals: 1. Become familiar with the Global Reporting Index Sustainability reporting format 2. Locate GRI sustainability reports for companies: choose 1 report for each person in the group 3. Identify and organize the HRM-relevant information in the report; chart this information across organizations. 4. Draw conclusions/make relevant recommendations 5. Deliver to the class a professional presentation that summarizes your findings

When asked to identify the 2 major points or principles that you found most meaningful in this course : 21 of 26 Students noted Sustainability Sustainability is a mindset, not a buzzword. It is a credo to live by and increasingly a way that business is being done Sustainability: I always knew this was an important issue, but not to the extent to which it was addressed in this class.

Thinking about the big picture: Knowing how things interact with one another, processing information instead of trying to minimize it and fitting all the pieces of a puzzle together. Sustainability: We are all part of the environment, a social context and a global economy. Making decisions while thinking about these broad concepts helps us to become better managers as we would always ask ourselves the question: What impact does it have on the other aspects which we must consider?

System thinking better articulation of course concepts e.g., EEO law/diversity/inclusion Deeper understanding of current business environment and organizational challenges Connections to students: Advisor for Net Impact & Sustainability Collective Connections to area organizations Connections to researchers

Leadership: Since 1909 a values-based company: innovation, integrity, growth, people, performance, quality, service CEO initiated at executive team retreat in 2006 EcoVision led by Sr. VP HRM & Sr. VP Operations Excellence Competitive Business Strategy Value Creation: Sustainable Processes & Green Products Organizational Culture: Caring in Full Color Organizational Structure Work Systems & Processes allow communication & innovation CSR Report: first in March 2009

Transformational HRM Leadership: ES Leadership at all levels; ES goals for managers HRM Strategy Vertical & Horizontal alignment: work closely with operations excellence Organizational Culture & Work Systems Workers come to SW for rational reasons & stay for emotional reasons Organizational Development: Built EcoVision on the passion of the true believers task forces, forums, etc. Communications: ES suggestion system, go to CEO! Innovation & Engagement: paint can filling system & water Knowledge Management: multinational database for ES ideas

Traditional/Transactional HRM Talent Management Systems Vertical & Horizontal Alignment Work/job Design: Employee suggestions on redesign Recruiting & Staffing: Most at entry level; appeal to passion for sustainability among youth, and acquire considerable talent. Performance Management/Appraisal: employee participation in goal setting; employee teams Rewards/Recognition: Corporate Awards to individuals and teams Employee Health / Well-being: safety, voice, caring