1. What do you think the role of the employee champion is in terms of the human resource (HR)

function discussed in the chapter? Whether a company employs fi ve or fi ve thousand people, its greatest resource is those workers. Many of today’s companies view their workforces as part of their overall competitive strategy—the best people producing the best products. Human resource managers at large fi rms such as PepsiCo may be viewed as strategic business partners. No longer do they simply sign paychecks, approve vacations, and process health benefi t claims. At PepsiCo, HR managers play an integral role in the day-to-day success of the business.

Headquartered in Purchase, New York, PepsiCo is a global organization, with more than 143,000 employees worldwide. The company produces and markets such brands as PepsiCo beverages, Frito-Lay snacks, Gatorade and Tropicana drinks, and Quaker Foods. PepsiCo brand products are available in nearly 200 countries and territories. But recruiting, selecting, training, and managing more than 100,000 workers requires planning to meet the career needs of so many people. Let’s look inside the management workplace at PepsiCo to see how the company does it.