This unit provides you with the opportunity to further develop your knowledge and understanding of strategic human resource management and its critical importance to the achievement of organisational objectives. You are a manager in the HR department of an established multinational manufacturing company EasiClean plc., which produces soaps and detergents. You report directly to the Head of HRH. The organisation has been in existence for almost l years and has seen significant change during this period. This has been in terms of the product range. the investment in research and technology and the diversification to paper based products such as tissues and baby wipes. In addition the company has embraced the sustainability agenda and managed global expansion so that it now operates in 15 countries. It has also acquired subsidiaries. which focus on beauty products. This is a challenging business environment with keen competition from organisations such as Procter and Gamble and Unilever. In his letter to shareholders at the time of the last annual report. the CEO made it clear that the company needs to do better and will have to streamline and strengthen the product portfolio. Productivity will need to improve but with a focus on managing costs and operating to budgetary constraints. There needs to be a general raising of performance to consistently deliver balanced growth. The Human Resources Department will play a key role in delivering this efficiency agenda and a strategic human resource management strategy will need to be created. Your line manager has called a meeting of the managers in the department to discuss the implications for this strategy. In preparation for the meeting he has allocated certain tasks to individual managers