At present, the accelerated changes in the business world force organizations of any kind to define strategies that allow them to remain in time or in the market, depending on their established objectives. It is convenient to start with a small review of the concept of competitive strategy, in this sense Narváez and Fernández (2008) review different concepts which have been evolving over time.
At first the Porter model was presented in 1986, which constitutes the base paradigm of this type of strategy, in this model the author establishes the so-called generic strategies, in which companies can achieve competitive advantages through low costs or cost leadership, that is, participating in the market with a cost advantage that is attractive to customers; differentiation, through the incorporation of tangible or intangible attributes, which allow the product to be perceived by customers as unique; and through the high segmentation strategy, focusing on a particular group of buyers, on a segment of the product line or on a geographic market.
Similarly, Antonio Francés raises the "paradigm of coopetence", which is based on combining competition between companies through cooperation. The starting point for a strategy based on cooperation is to think about the complements, that is, the interdependence between different actors for the creation and development of markets and compete to distribute them.
Subsequently, the model called "strategic design" is proposed. Its theoretical foundation establishes: competing for the future, rather than for the present. The strategic design recognizes that companies do not compete only within the boundaries of existing industries, but also for the future conformation of industries (Narváez and Fernández, 2008).
On the other hand, a new paradigm is proposed called: the competitive polynomial = business + government + community, in this model an integrating system of a series of interdependent elements, their relationships, their conditioning factors and accelerators is proposed. This approach seeks to generate competitive economic platforms that enhance and receive the interrelation between public administration and governments committed to a long-term strategic process of competitiveness and well-being (Narváez and Fernández, 2008). This model shows the interaction that must exist between the business sector (companies and industries), governments and the community, constituting a responsible basis for the attraction-generation of competitiveness and well-being for all clients, citizens or stakeholders that under its control. area of interest,they are involved in the development of a new society based on new contracts and relationships (Narváez and Fernández, 2008).
Now, the evolution that has been generated in the concept of competitive strategy from the formulation made by Porter to the new paradigms established today, in which different elements have been incorporated, modifies the way of defining, explaining and even more. apply the competitiveness model, especially if there is certainty of the existence and interrelation of multiple factors typical of a dynamic, changing environment that increasingly condition and configure a new way of conducting oneself in the business world. Based on the above, it can be affirmed that there are different modes of behavior, means, techniques and business models that can facilitate the development of competencies and conditions to respond to the demands of the environment and a global market (Narváez and Fernández, 2008).
Strategic competitiveness is achieved when an organization successfully formulates and implements a strategy for the creation of value, when it implements a strategy that creates value and of which other organizations cannot duplicate the benefits or consider it too costly to imitate, this organization has a sustained or sustainable competitive advantage (Hitt et al, 1999).
An organization has a certain competitive advantage only when the efforts of other organizations to imitate its strategy cease or fail; in many cases, when the organization achieves a competitive advantage, it can only sustain it for a certain time. The speed with which competitors acquire the necessary skills to duplicate the benefits they obtain from the strategy to create value, determines the time that the competitive advantage will last, it is important that the company understands how to take advantage of its advantage in order to obtain returns superior to the average (Hitt et al, 1999).
Once the concepts associated with business competitiveness are clear, it is convenient to know and define how internal organizations should be in terms of resources, capacities and core aptitudes in order to guarantee the proper functioning of the same in favor of the achievement of the competitiveness objectives. Human talents are critical. Developing the ability to recruit, manage, motivate, and organize staff is an important skill that increases the core competence of an organization. If the organization manages this capacity effectively, it is likely to become one of the most important companies in the ranking of the most admired corporations or to stand out among the most outstanding private companies (Hitt et al, 1999).
Core resources, capabilities, and skills are the foundation of competitive advantage. Resources can be defined as inputs in the production process or participants in the provision of services, depending on the organization's cut. These can be classified as tangible or intangible. In the intangible resources are the technological ones, for innovation and reputation. With regard to tangible resources, financial, physical, organizational and human resources (or human talent) can be mentioned, the latter are attributed the greatest importance within the production process, since they are responsible for the execution Of the activities that generate value in the organization, the following characteristics are highly valued and appreciated in human talent: training, experience,good judgment, intelligence, discernment, adaptability, commitment and loyalty to the values and objectives of the organization (Hitt et al, 1999).
For all the above, it is presumed that the management team of an organization can and must, through different competitive strategies, develop and enhance each of the different spaces or resources that make up the organization in order to take advantage of all its strengths and opportunities.. Human talent should not be exempt from these strategies based on the great responsibility and importance that within an organization. It is convenient to carry out an excellent management of said talent in order to maximize its performance and align it to the objectives of the organization, without neglecting the complex factors of the human being, understanding it not as a mechanical being but as a thinking person, who feels, with experiences and a set of qualitative aspects that make it unique.
In this sense, the role of the manager should contemplate the ability to search for the essential balance between the organization and its environment, which becomes one of its fundamental responsibilities. The manager must lead his management towards the optimization of the resources that are placed under his responsibility both in the technological and production fields, as well as in the administrative and human fields, the managerial capacity necessary to coordinate the use of resources should be taken into account based on objectives and the function of the appropriate strategic criteria, finally, the manager should channel in the same direction, all efforts and initiatives aimed at the integral development of the organization (Quero, 2008).
When delving into the responsibilities of Human Talent Management, Calderón (2003) performs a bibliographic review on the roles that should be present in management in order to efficiently manage the human talent of an organization. These roles respond to the expectations of senior management. Below are the models compiled by Calderón (2003).
Gómez et al (1997) classify these roles by stages: 1): focused on avoiding people's problems, 2): called for functional specialization, emphasizing tools and techniques, 3): limited strategic consideration: their role is restricted to comment on the consequences that different strategic plans have on human talents and 4): strategic partner: when senior management believes that talents can provide the company with a competitive advantage.
Wintermantel and Mattimore (1997) classify roles in phases according to the mission assigned to them by senior management. Phase I: they are considered service providers according to their clients' requirements. Phase II: they optimize human talent management processes and systems in a reactive way. Phase III: they build competitive advantage by developing organizational capabilities aligned with the specific strategies of the organization. Phase IV: they collaborate in shaping the success of the business, they are considered a member of the strategic team and participate in the formulation of the strategy. Phase V: when its role is the creation, preservation and use of human and intellectual capital.
Camelo et al. (2000) classify the roles of human talent management, according to development phases, in: Phase I: called administrative; considers human talents as a cost to be minimized and their management will be control. Phase II: management, which seeks a fit between the organization and the person. Phase III: conciliation between the needs of the individual and the organization, considers human talent as a resource that must be optimized and has a more proactive management. Phase IV: strategic, in addition to being a resource to be optimized, people are considered determinants of organizational competitiveness.
Ulrich (1997a) classifies the human talent function according to the assigned role. Thus, you will be an administrative expert when you emphasize the design and efficient and correct delivery of your own human talent processes, such as hiring, training or evaluation. Champion of the employees when it is dedicated to the attention of the day-to-day problems of the employees, their expectations and their needs. Change agent, if you identify and implement change processes and strategic partner when aligning the practices and strategies of human talent with the business strategy.
Buyens and De Vos (1999) classify Human Talent Management in relation to participation in decision-making. It will be a generator of value, if the management is involved in the decision-making process from the first moment the situation to be dealt is detected, an intelligent toolbox, if it creates the instruments and support so that line managers take responsibility to implement the solutions; Executive when involvement in the decision-making process is limited to the implementation of human talent activities without any active and reactive role, if management is only consulted when things go wrong or are not going as expected.
From these visions of various researchers, some elements in common can be obtained: first, that there is no single way to add value by human talents, even in the administrative expert classifications (Ulrich and Camelo et al.) Or that of service provider (Wintermantel and Mattimore) or in the reagent (Buyens and De Vos), human talents can make strategic contributions by working on reducing costs or improving service quality.
Second, as greater recognition of human talents by the organization is achieved, a more active role is played by management, with a greater probability of influencing the critical factors for organizational success. Third, the possibility of influencing the decision-making process is important and this is achieved when management is considered a generator of value, capable of being an agent of change that guarantees the company the adaptability and flexibility necessary for the new competitive environment and fourth, each type of role is related to different levels of management development. (Calderón, 2003).
Beyond the models or roles proposed, it is the organizations themselves who must choose based on different parameters, for example, objectives, production process (and associated specific methodologies), service provided, values of the organization, mission, vision, structure. organizational, among others, what will be the role model that suits you best.
However, the model proposed by Ulrich (1997a) is the most attractive since it allows the human talent manager or any member of management to behave in one way or another depending on the current dynamics, since, as indicated Previously, organizations, being made up of people, being complex humans by their own nature, in the same way become a complex entity, which is why the human talent management model must be sufficiently adaptable and not rigid, allowing it to adapt more easily to the changing environment.
Traditional vertical structures, from the point of view of organizational design, seem to be going out of fashion with the emergence of new models and the implementation of others, based on agility, self-directed teams, high-performance teams, horizontal structures, organizations cell phones, virtual organizations, remote work modality, teleworking or remote, among others, which also supposes an adjustment in terms of the role models and responsibilities of the Human Talent Management so that it allows adaptation to new ways of working and therefore new ways of organizing talents at work.
Bibliographic references
- Buyens, D., and De Vos, A. (1999). The added value of the HR department. In International HRM. Contemporary Issues in Europe. London: Brewster and Harris. Calderón, G. (2003). Human resources and competitiveness management. Innovate, 13 (22), 157-172. Retrieved 2018-07-07. Available at: http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0121-50512003000200013&lng=en&tlng=. Camelo, C., Martín, F., Romero, PM y Valle, R. (2000). Business strategy and human resources management: a study of the Spanish case. Financial Studies. Labor and Social Security Magazine, 213. Gómez L., Balkin, D., and Cardy, R. (1997) Human resource management. Madrid: Prentice Hall. Hitt, MA, Ireland, RD, Hoskisson, RE (1999). Strategic management: Competitiveness and globalization: concepts and cases.Third Edition. Mexico, International Thomson Editores, Narváez, M., and Fernández, G., (2008). Competitive strategies to strengthen business activity sectors in the global market. Venezuelan Management Magazine. Volume 13, Number 42. Maracaibo, Venezuela. June. 2008. Accessed on: 07/07/2018. Available at: http://www.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1315-99842008000200005. Quero, L. (2008). Competitive strategies: key development factor. Negotium Magazine, 0 (10), 36-49. Accessed on: 07/07/2018. Available at: http://ojs.revistanegotium.org.ve/index.php/negotium/article/view/65/57. Ulrich, D. (1997a). Human resources champions: The next agenda for adding value to hr-practices. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Wintermantel, K. and Mattimore, K. (1997). In the Changing world of human resources:Matching measures to mission. Human Resource Management, 36 (3), 337-342.
