Human Resource Management Assignment

Hi I have a assignment paper with the following question that i am finding it hard to understand.

"Organizations have struggled to cope with uncertainty due to the apparent inability of human resource management to cope. Identify and critically discuss some of the major challenges facing HR managers and specialists in today's rapidly changing work environment?"

I need to know what contents do i need to include in the assignments. I am very confused by the question asked and have tons of information and no idea what is revelant to the question.

Anyone can help me?

Thanks
Adrian

Well, why don't you brainstorm your topic and see what ideas you come up with. You must have some idea what challenges HR managers face. And you can probably figure out which ones involve the notion of uncertainty. That would give a place to start . . .

Hi Sean, thanks for the reply. Actually i have some ideas but it seems not enough. Like as usal those environmental challenges such as technology, economic factors, globalization, outsourcing, aging workforce...etc.....then do i touch on managing knowledge based organizations, managing total quality management and resistance to changes?

Thanks again
Troubled student

Can you see any unifying threads you could use to draw together your material into a strong essay? Is there some way in which most or all of the issues you mention involve the same factors? Is there an approach to solving one of these problems that would work with some or all of the others? I can only ask you questions that will guide you in the right direction. My own background is in English, not business, so I couldn't supply you with answers directly, even if I were inclined to do so.

Hi sean, Actually i am just looking for relevant information guide to answering the question and not the answers as i know that not the correct way to learn. The problem of answering this question is that i can lump everything in together but with no sub heading that i can spilt it up so that it does not look like a chump of info all lump together.

U have helped me a lot by prompting questions to guide me. I really appreciate it.

Look at the things you listed -- "technology, economic factors, globalization, outsourcing, aging workforce" -- and ask yourself for each, "how does this create uncertainty for human resource managers?" I'd say that all but the last do create uncertainty, and that technology, the economy, and ongoing globalization create the most uncertainty. So, your thesis could be that each of these create major challenges for human resources by creating uncertainty. Then you could explain why that is for each of those three things.

You might also look at the nature of the uncertainty created. Technology, for instance, can make entire workforces obsolete in a very short time, without anyone realizing it until the process is well underway. The economy creates uncertainty too, but only within certain parameters. That is, throughout the early part of this century, no one could predict exactly when the next recession would hit. Everyone knew, though, that a recession would eventually hit, and nothing that has been happening recently is particularly different from what always happens in a recession. So, the sort of uncertainty is qualitatively different when it comes to the economy than it is for technology. If you looked at the uncertainty created by the other factors you list in the same way, you might be able to develop an interesting thesis.