M & Co. After attending a week-long virtual planning meeting with the senior management team, in the autumn of 2022, Mimi Brown, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at a small privately-owned company in Toronto, Canada was ready to take the next steps to move the company towards their newly set Corporate Strategy. The executive team set a long-term goal of growing their company, M & Co., globally within the next five (5) years. The Board of Directors approved the plan to open 3 or more offices in the European Union and 2 offices in Asia within 5 years. However, before they could fully focus on their plans for international growth, they first had to deal with current issues within the company. Ms. Brown knew that she needed to analyze the situation before making any recommendations. Summarized below are her notes about the current state of the organization.

Media Production The Media Production side of the company was in serious decline. The mass availability of high-quality cameras in phones and tablets has resulted in a significant if not complete reduction in the consumer demand for Photographers and Videographers (Media Production). employees take & edit images/videos for clients/customer employees provide prepared images/video(s) to a customer. customers make a one-time purchase of images & videos there is no recurring revenue stream -purchases are "one & done" not subscriptionbased employee profiles/titles photographer videographer graphic artist approximately 1/3 of the company's employees work in this department B to C (business to customer) business/sales model The Media Production line of business is obsolete.

Media Distribution The Media Distribution side of the company is growing. They are experiencing an increased consumer demand for software programs that enable them to post and present their photos/images/videos on their website and social media platforms. employees create software that customers (other businesses) buy to merchandise and market their product(s) and/or services online (websites, social media platforms) M & Co. provides their customers with technology solutions that improve their ability to present their goods/services online to their target customers (a businessto-business or B-to-B sales model) customers pay a licensing fee that allows them to use this special software/technology to e-market and sell their product/service (e.g., website, social media) This type of business is known as SaaS (software as a service). Businesses buy licensing contracts from M & Co. for multiple years (2+ years). to ensure client websites and social media platforms do not "crash" due to the removal of key software coding at the end of the contract period, contracts automatically renew unless cancellation is specifically requested before the expiry date. The customer's software automatically updates within the life of the contract if the license fees are paid in full. this sales model means that revenue is recurring and predictable over the life of the customer contract Employee profiles/titles in the Media Distribution department are: Computer software programmer Software developer Computer system administrator Account salespeople Customer service representative 2/3 of the company's employees work in this department Profits realized in the software subscriptions business model are very high. Customers base their purchase decisions on the reliability and value-added of the software, not on the lowest price.

Long-Term Goals and Objectives The long-term goal of growing the company globally requires the achievement of some key objectives. The decline of the Media Production department with the resulting labour surplus must be addressed. The company must have an HR Strategic Plan in place for their International Growth/Expansion A recurring revenue stream is necessary to make the company viable in the long term.

SWOT analysis follows:

Strengths

The company has a dominant position in its target market of online marketing and distribution

2/3 of M & Co. staff have the software programming skills needed to create online marketing and merchandise tools.

The Media Distribution side of the business is quite profitable.

Weaknesses

1/3 of the employees are working in the obsolete part of their business (media production)

The media production department is operating at a loss (continuing to operate the media production department is costing the company money)

The staff working on the production side of the business lack the necessary education and software programming skills needed to work in the media distribution side of the business.

Opportunities

Profits available in the distribution department are high

A differentiation strategy can allow the company to command a very substantial profit margin in the software licensing side of their current business

Online businesses are experiencing evolutionary change with their customers demanding visual and virtual online experiences before making their purchase decision.

Threats

The market for buying the services of specialized photographers/videographers is in decline

Existing customers find no perceived value in the production side of the business Skills needed to film and edit images and videos are markedly different from the skills needed to create online marketing and merchandise tools

Competition in their target market has intensified

Questions

SIHRM Strategy Implementation Plan: Once the Downsizing strategies have been completed, XXXXXX also needs you, as their HR Manager,to aligned Strategic International Human Resources Management (SIHRM) strategy focused on their future growth. Remember, XXXXX is a global corporation pursuing a growth strategy using a differentiation business/competitive strategy.Hint: the key HR areas or systems typically included and aligned are: Employee Profile (KSAO's), HR Planning/Succession Management, Selection, Compensation, Training, Performance Evaluation/Management and Labour Relations.