Reference no: EM132630361 , Length: word count:1500

Case Study

Global Science in Action (GSA) is an American multi-national corporation which manufactures and provides support services for a range of scientific instruments. It has a global workforce of approximately 65,000 employees and operates in 28 countries. Its customer base covers around 90 countries. GSA has its headquarters in Boston, USA, where there is an Executive Management Team comprising a President, a Senior Vice President and ten Vice Presidents, including a Vice President People. The values of GSA are based on entrepreneurship, integrity, commitment and trust. Its mission is to ‘Advance the boundaries of science and technology'.

The operation of GSA is truly global and is divided according to geographic regions. These include Europe, North America, Far East, Middle East, Africa and India, with an Assistant Vice President (People) for each global region. At country-level there is a People Manager and team of Advisors, who work on the development and integration of HR strategy as it is cascaded down the organisation, and Assistants who provide a more transactional role. The European Office is based in the UK city of Norchester, famous for its science and engineering innovations dating right back to the industrial revolution. A unique and highly specialized scientific instrument industry still thrives there and attracts inward investment. GSA is one of only five major organisations in this niche area of scientific instruments, and one of three with a strong presence in the Norchester area.

Norchester was home to a number of eminent scientists who developed innovative and sophisticated scientific and engineering products and processes. GSA recognises the importance of this inheritance and the prestige that it brings to the city and views it as the natural location for the ‘high-tech' end of its business. GSA (UK) has built upon this inheritance of pioneering research and development. Today, the company's reputation for product development and after-sales care of ‘high-tech' scientific instrumentation has global recognition. It is a product leader, with a brand that attracts both customers and employees from across the world. The Norchester site is home to all of GSA's ‘high-tech' scientific instrumentation, involving Research and Development (R&D) and Installation and Service (I&S).

Competition to recruit specialist scientists and engineers is strong as there is a global shortage of qualified scientists of high calibre who have specialized in scientific instrumentation. This applies equally to the UK as elsewhere. As well as looking for highly qualified and trained staff the recruitment strategy at GSA (UK) is based on attracting those scientists and engineers who can bring entrepreneurship and some element of risk to their work. This is particularly needed for those in R&D, whose role requires them to keep the organisation ahead in developing new methods of scientific analysis. Those who work on I&S usually work autonomously and need to be good decision-takers, self-motivated and have good customer-facing skills. I&S staff travel globally and may spend anything from three days to three weeks on each assignment.

GSA (UK) employs staff from a wide range of countries and prides itself on this diversity. It also acknowledges that it has to recruit internationally to attract high calibre applicants in a market where there is a global shortage of suitably qualified people. There is collaboration between countries on recruitment. Science and engineering staff (particularly those in installation and service) tend to regard themselves as part of a boundary-less global workforce. Currently GSA (UK) employs around 130 specialists in R&D. It also employs 45 I&S staff and manages a further 60 located across the other 27 countries from which GSA operates. R&D staff regularly work on projects alongside their contemporaries in other countries, with some travel required.

Despite the success of GSA (UK) and its pivotal place in ‘high-tech' scientific instruments, there has been speculation that both it, and the European Headquarters will be moved to the European mainland as it is looking increasingly likely that the UK Government Draft Regulations 2020 on immigration will come into law. The draft Regulations contain proposals that were initially put forward in the government White Paper, 2019, three of which are:

Everyone will be required to obtain a permission if they want to come to the UK and to work or study here.

There will no longer be one immigration system for non-Europeans, and another for EU citizens. The future system will apply in the same way to all nationalities - EU and non-EU citizens alike - except where there are objective grounds to differentiate.

Following the advice of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), we will prioritise skilled migrants. A skilled-based migration policy will ensure the UK remains a hub for international talent from the EU and the rest of the world, which attracts people to work in our vibrant and diverse communities in jobs that drive up productivity and wages, and deliver essential services.

GSA (Europe) has established a ‘Brexit Task Force' bringing together its different business functions to prepare the company for the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. The Human Resource Manager (UK) is a member of the task force.

You are one of two HR Advisors at GSA (UK) reporting to the HR Manager (UK). As one of the HR Advisors at GSA (UK), the HR Manager has asked you to draft a briefing paper to help her prepare for a forthcoming meeting of the ‘Brexit Task Force', that she is due to attend.

Drawing on research and current practice she has asked you to include the following:

1. In considerationof the implications of Brexit on people management at GSA (UK) complete a robust STEEPLE analysis to identify the main externa factors that will determine the HR agenda.

2. Based upon this analysis, identify and justify what you believe to be the 3 main priorities for the HR function, recommending some key initiatives that could be considered when dealing with these issues.

3. Explain with clear justification what HR strategic model would you propose as the most appropriate, given the circumstances that GSA (UK) face

Attachment:- Case Study.rar