This reflection has two parts: the reflection itself, and the requirement to make a substantive comment on another learner's post.

Read the following case. Then complete the questions that follow.

Strategic HR at Colgate$-$Palmolive $($Azmi$,$ F$.$ T$.,2019,$ pp$.33-35)$

Colgate$-$Palmolive Company $($C$-$P$)$ is a global company with sales of over $$5$ billion that recently received new "marching orders." The new CEO developed and communicated a new strategic direction for the company based on what he called his "corporate initiatives." Among other things, the new strategy emphasized concentrating on new products, being the low$-$cost producer, and simplifying businesses and people management procedures. It also focused on changing structures, pushing decision$-$making downward, promoting entrepreneurial action, and improving morale and motivation. The new strategy was aimed at making Colgate a leaner, more responsive competitor in its global markets and in focusing the company more clearly on health$-$related products.

Consistent with this new strategy, several steps were taken. Four major businesses were divested, including two sports and recreation companies. A major reorganization took place, which merged two levels of senior management.

HR programmes at C$-$P got a new mandate to help Colgate achieve its new goals. The programmes laid out for Colgate provide a glimpse of how HRM today is being pressed to get involved in strategic management. At C$-$P$,$ HRM was directed by the CEO to develop and execute programmes designed to create a company culture that would achieve the following:

Encourage a spirit of teamwork and cooperation among business units in working towards common objectives, with emphasis on acknowledging and rewarding individual and unit excellence.$$

Foster entrepreneurial attitudes among the managers and innovative thinking among all employees.$$

Emphasize the commonality of interest between the employees and shareholders.

To that end, numerous HRM programmes had to be designed. For example, the company's executive incentive compensation plan was redesigned to place more emphasis on individual performance and achieving operating targets. Employee benefits were redesigned to make them more flexible and responsive to employees' needs. The bottom line was that by implementing these programmes, HRM helped refocus employee efforts in a manner that contributed to the extension of Colgate's strategic plan. $$

Soon, C$-$P topped the list of the $25$ best big companies for work$$life balance. C$-$P offerssome great employee benefits, such as flexible work hours, telecommute options, and nearby back$-$up childcare centres, which is a nice perk for work$-$at$-$home parents. As a result, C$-$P has a high rate of employee retention, which is a testament to their work culture. Colgate truly is a world of opportunity. To support employee development and job satisfaction, Colgate proudly offers global career opportunities and access to world$-$class training and education programmes. Colgate encourages employees to expand their professional horizons. Attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people is a priority for the company. C$-$P has a two$-$pronged approach to developing people:

Individual development planning $($IDP$)$: Colgate IDPs enable employees to partner with their managers to identify skills, behaviours, and knowledge needed to achieve specific goals.$$

Succession planning: Colgate relies on global succession planning to identify and develop a continuous stream of the next two to three generations of Colgate leaders.$$

One major problem that C$-$P is facing in the current scenario is how to sustain organizationalexcellence in a perpetually disruptive job market. With large scale turnover taking place across all industries and retiring baby boomers in the western world, getting a good supply of people is a challenge, and C$-$P is learning to grapple with that challenge currently.

C$-$P managers realize the need for an even more coherent HR$-$strategy integration. Colgate is a truly global company being globally diversified in over $120$ countries in all continents. As such, it is important to attract, develop, and retain people of all backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities. Building this global mindset and cultural sensitivity in the people is critical to their business survival and to the family's satisfaction while operating abroad. This requires having superior communications up$,$ down, and across the organization, and to have values in place that encourage cooperation, sharing of information, and joint decision$-$making.

There is a need to integrate people, processes, and functions along a common theme. It must begin by developing the competencies, getting senior management commitment, communicating the intent and encouraging everyone, from the administrative staff to the most senior staff to come together. This certainly requires establishing processes which bring forth and tap the ability of all employe