NOTE: As per revised Chegg guidelines, we can answer only one question at a time. Please post the other question separately, so that we would love to help you with that too.

Answer for 3.1 Question

Competitive advantage is the favorable position an organization seeks in order to be more profitable than its rivals.

For example, if a company advertises a product for a price that's lower than a similar product from a competitor, that company is likely to have a competitive advantage.

Answer for for 3.2 Question

Every Organization intends to have edge over its competitors in order to sustain and gain competitive advantage. Existing research suggests that service Organizations have paid strategic attention in aligning human resources to sub-serve this cause. Organizations find it extremely difficult to recruit, motivate, develop and retain competent manpower in fiercely Competitive environment these days. This research paper reviews how competitive advantage is developed using HR practices. Based on a case study of the State Bank of India from the employees' perspective, an attempt has been made to make generalization in this regard for emerging economy. The study uses primary data collected with the help of well structured questionnaire. Using Factor analysis, it identified five key factors as recruitment and reward system, training and skill development practices, organization climate, employee participation and empowerment; and effective communication system to determine competitive advantage in the banking industry in an emerging economy.

Here are some of the many ways the HR team can help create and maintain a competitive advantage for the organization:

• HR can use data to analyze turnover rates and determine where problems may lie, thus allowing the company to more quickly find issues and get them resolved. For example, if the data show that most turnover is from new hires, the team can focus on what problems may be the cause of that. Or if the data show that one group has a higher turnover rate than the rest of the business, focus can be turned there.
• HR can help managers source the right talent to get the skills the company needs to grow and be competitive. HR expertise can allow the organization to know where to look for specialized talent when needed. (If your organization doesnt already assess which talent streams are best utilized for different types of candidates, you can start now!)
• HR can provide insight into the going market rates for talent and what it might take to get high-quality hires on board. HR can review the competitive talent landscape and determine what compensation strategy will be best aligned with company goals.
• HR can give insights into how other organizations within your industry are structuredthere may be information that can be useful in determining which positions the company still needs to create or fill to become or remain competitive.
• HR can use data to show how the skill sets of the employees are evolving over time, and to show business leaders where skills gaps may exist so those gaps can be addressed proactively.
• HR can also design employee development pathways that take into account the strategic and long-term needs of the organization, ensuring that key employees get the right training before it must be utilized. This impacts retention and improves the skill sets for the organization as a whole, all while ensuring the organization is addressing big-picture competitive issues proactively.
• HR can use data to find potential employee issues before they become problematic. By tracking employee engagement scores over time, for example, HR can discover when engagement levels are waninghopefully before they have a significant impact on morale and turnoverso the organization can take action sooner rather than later.
• HR can put together succession plans that take into account the organizations strategic goals. This can allow the organization to remain competitive even when there is turnover in key roles. (This is a critical time when a less organized company may falter.)
• HR can analyze which employees are high performers and alert the management about who should be fast-tracked for promotions and new projects.
• HR guidance on legal issues can keep the organization out of costly legal problems. This not only saves the company money but it can also save the company from major setbacks

Question 3

3.3 Provide a practical (work-related) example for each paradigm and justify your answer (10)