Write a 1,000-word team paper. Your team must choose any Fortune 500 company(Coca-
Cola) and apply Exhibit 4.11 from Mello (2019) (see 1st Link Below) as a means of
investigating and assessing the HRD practices of the firm.
Provide 3 distinct sections for your team paper.
Section 1: profile of the subject organization (e.g. corporate strategy, revenue base,
financial performance, employee base, ownership structure, product/service mix,
competitive position, primary locations for operations, etc.).
Section 2: analysis and assessment of the strategic and theological soundness of the
HRD practices of the subject organization (paying special attention to HR strategy,
staffing, training and development, performance management, compensation, and
labor relations).
Section 3: posit 5–7 key recommendations for improving the strategic and
theological soundness of the HRD practices of the subject organization.
Required Sources
Use both primary research data/evidence as well as secondary research data/evidence. Be
sure to include in-text citations for your primary and secondary sources, and include these
sources on the reference page.
In addition, you must include the following sources in your reference page and in-text
citations as follows:
At least 2 citations from the Mello
(2019).https://books.google.com/books?id=iOLKAgAAQBAJ&pri...
At least 2 citations from Hardy
(1990). https://books.google.com/books?id=5HGFXfOrBYgC&pri...
At least 2 citations from Keller
(2012).http://booksdescr.org/ads.php?md5=D87806901321E6DF...
At least 2 citations from related scholarly journals (e.g. Human Resource
Development Quarterly, Human Resource Development Review, Human Resource
Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Strategic Human
Resource Management, Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, Christian
Scholars Review).
At least 1 citation from a related trade/practitioner publication (e.g. Harvard Business
Review, HR Magazine, T&D Magazine, Business Week, Wall Street Journal).
Running head: GROUP 3 TEAM PAPER 1
Group 3 Team Paper
Busi750 Human Resource Development
Matthew Krause, Jamie Meseke,
Emmanuel Myrtle and Gabriel Skaria
Liberty University
July 27, 2019
GROUP 3 TEAM PAPER 2
Profile and Overview of the Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company, and Atlanta, Georgia-based total beverage company, offers
more than 500 brands and 4,300 products worldwide. Prominent brands include Coke, Powerade,
Minute Maid, Sprite, Gold Peak, Honest Tea, Dasani and Schweppes, and Coca-Cola produces
four of the top five selling soft drinks in the world: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite (The
Coca-Cola Company: Competitor Profiles, 2019. The company is publicly traded on the New York
Stock Exchange under the symbol “KO.” As of 2018, Coca-Cola Company’s net operating revenue
was approximately 31.9 billion U.S. dollars, and the net market capitalization was 202.1 billion
(Coca-Cola At A Glance, 2019). The company’s global revenue base is split as follows: North
America approximately 20%, Latin America 27%, Europe, Middle East, and Africa 30% and Asia
Pacific 23% (Coca-Cola At A Glance, 2019). The top three competitors are Pepsico, Nestle and
Keurig Dr. Pepper (The Coca-Cola Company: Competitor Profiles, 2019).
The Coca-Cola system is global but operates on a local scale across more than 200
countries. The system is comprised of the Coca-Cola Company and more than 225 bottling partners
(The Coca-Cola System, 2018). Including partners, Coca Cola employs more than 700,000 people
worldwide (History, 2018). In 2016, the Coca Cola Company restructured its global business
model with a strategic focus on driving organizational transformation through three key areas:
Talent management and stewardship; linking development to specific outcomes; and enabling
performance and accountability. The company has also partnered with Harvard Business School
to offer the Contour Leadership Experience, a multi-year talent development curriculum for top
senior people leaders (Valy-Panayiotou, 2018).
GROUP 3 TEAM PAPER 3
References
Coca-Cola At A Glance: KO101 Video and Infographic. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/infographic-coca-cola-at-a-glance
History. (2018). Retrieved July 23, 2019, from https://www.coca-colacompany.com/history
The Coca-Cola System. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.coca-colacompany.com/our
company/the-coca-cola-system
The Coca-Cola Company: Competitor Profiles. (2019). Retrieved from
http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.the_coca-
cola_company.3f8a006eaf87d773.html?aka_re=1
Valy-Panayiotou, S. (2018, October 17). Supporting Transformation At The Coca-Cola
Company. Retrieved from https://www.harvardbusiness.org/supporting-transformation
at-the-coca-cola-company/
Matthew Krause
Section 2
Human Resources Strategy
The Coca-Cola, human resources strategy, is one that must align with an organization that
operates in nearly 200 countries, works with more than 225 bottling partners, and has a unique
strategy investment philosophy related to ownership and divestiture of resources (CocaCola
Company). As Coca-Cola continues to compete against PepsiCo. Red Bull, Dr. Pepper, and the
transition of non-healthy to healthy products like water, the company must continue to develop
and strengthen its workforce to provide a competitive advantage. Coca-Cola states that one of the
biggest challenges that the organization faces is the constant growth through organic and non-
organic methods. This rapid growth forces Coca-Cola to have a top-down human resources
strategy that ensures consistency and a level playing field. As Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
is a means for acquiring market share, leadership, and innovation in the marketplace, research has
shown that human resources are the foundation to successfully grow through M&A (Lupina –
Wegener, 2013).
Staffing and Recruitment
As Coca-Cola employs nearly 63,000 people across the world, the organization’s HR
structure and policies must be equipped to handle this size and growth. The recruitment and
staffing philosophy of 1994 is also reflected in the best-practices that the organization currently
pursues. As researched by Anfuso (1994), the global HR strategy of Coke allows the organization
to act according to local needs, laws, and cultures. Additionally, local people are more equipped
to conduct business at their home locations than international people. The staffing philosophy for
HR is essential as these policies must align with the value and growth of Coke from a corporate
strategy advantage. Coke’s diversity and staffing policy states, “our diversity workplace strategy
includes programs to attract, retain, and develop diverse talent, and educate all associates so that
we master the skills to achieve sustainable growth (Global Strategic Framework, 2013). Mello’s
(2019) research expands on this discussion by emphasizing the importance of employee fit with
the culture of the organization, and that technical skills alone do not determine the success of an
employee.
Training and Development
Coca-Cola University (CCU) provides a comprehensive education curriculum, which
includes classroom training, e-learning, and field training to all associates across the entire
organization (Associate Training, 2012). Along with training and development, the organization
invests heavily in employee well-being, workplace environment and perks, while also offering
competitive pay. Corporate training is an expenditure that is necessary to the growth of an
organization as it identifies an immediate need for skill-building while addressing the current needs
of the organization (Sung & Choi, 2013). Training and development programs are equally
important to the employer and employee, as these programs increase the likelihood of recruiting
the correct candidate while also building a sustainable competitive advantage (Mello, 2019).
References
Anfuso, D. (1994). Coca-Cola’s staffing philosophy supports Its global
strategy. Workforce,73(11), 116.
Associate Training. (2012). https://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/associate-training
Global Strategic Framework. (n.d.). https://www.coca-
colacompany.com/content/dam/journey/us/en/private/fileassets/pdf/2013/01/global-
diversity-strategic-framework.pdf
Mello, J. A. (2019). Strategic human resource management (5th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western.
ISBN: 9781337887243.
Sung, S., & Choi, J. (2013). Do organizations spend wisely on employees? Effects of training
and development investments on learning and innovation in organizations. Journal of
Organizational Behavior,35(3), 393-412. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/doi/full/10.1002/job.1897.
Introduction
A. Topic/focus of the essay
B. Thesis Statement
Body
First paragraph description
A. Summary of first piece of supporting evidence/information
B. Summary of second piece of supporting evidence/information
Second paragraph description
A. Summary of first piece of supporting evidence/information
B. Summary of second piece of supporting evidence/information
Third paragraph description
A. Summary of first piece of supporting evidence/information
B. Summary of second piece of supporting evidence/information
Conclusion
A. Restatement of thesis
B. Concluding remarks
Running head: COCA-COLA HRD PRACTICES 1
Recommendation for Improving HRD Practices
Names
Institution
COCA-COLA HRD PRACTICES 2
The Coca-Cola Company operates within a global market faced with competition and
cultural differences within partner organizations. The improvement of human resource
development focuses on training, staff recruitment and incentives, which are the main pillars of
global human resource practice. Global Companies often face challenges due to different
demographic factors in different localities. Coca-Cola Company, for example, should address the
demographic diversities that exist within its workforce. Different demographic groups exhibit
varying satisfaction levels on an organization's incentive structure, and therefore, their
consideration is necessary for human resource development (Mello, 2019). Addressing
demographical differences associated with generational changes can be instrumental in staff
motivation and improve performance (Kauflin, 2016).
The employee development plan at Coca-Cola contributes to growth and cohesiveness in
partnership with other local bottlers Companies. However, there are changing needs that may
limit employee development due to the rigid incentive system that Coca-Cola Company uses.
The model of evaluating short assignments limit the optimization of employees' potential or
ability and therefore demotivates employees who miss on incentives. The traditional human
resource incentive systems should be designed to recognize skill development and promote
retention of talents. Companies have a role in integrating the changing staff expectations,
technology, and changing demographics in reward systems to ensure staff retention.
As Coca-Cola Company expands its global reach and markets, human resource strategies
should be formulated to address gap analysis within the existing workforce. The current Coca-
Cola structure involves a top-down policy structure that may not solve the diversities in different
localities of operations. Handling global operations require an understanding of both global and
COCA-COLA HRD PRACTICES 3
local marketing diversities. Engaging experts and training local and regional strategists fills the
gaps that exist in a top-down policy system.
The assessment and evaluation of a workforce are essential for any global Company. The
evaluation system at Coca-Cola helps in boosting production levels but would be improved by
the integration of analysis of employee motivation and productivity. According to Gratton and
Scott (2016), most employees achieve optimum performance after four and a half years. To
retain top talents after the four and a half turnover period, global companies should build systems
that allow employees an alternative career within the same Company. Periodic evaluation of
employees is vital in assessing motivation levels and redefining career pathways within the
Company.
Coca- Cola Company has a reliable recruitment system that attracts talent through its
global brand and an employee-friendly environment. The recruitment focuses on the Company
and the needs of the local partners. However, the dynamic nature of global business requires a
candidate focused recruitment process that ensures selected staff fit within the Company
(Scheufele, 2017). Apart from qualification and evident talent, it is crucial to determine whether
the Company suits the candidates. Technologies are available for assessing cognitive fit during
recruitment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, human resource development is dynamic, and the changing factors force
organizations to implement strategies that address the future. Global companies like Coca-Cola
need to address the demographic factors associated with generational changes to avoid future
human resource challenges. Competition within the soft drink industry is likely to continue;
therefore, Coca- Cola Company and other Companies have to ensure that they remain attractive
COCA-COLA HRD PRACTICES 4
to employees. Coca-Cola should redesign human resource practices to respond to career pathway
changes common with employees after a few years of work. Periodic evaluations of structures
and employees are essential in filling gaps that exist in global operations of a business.
COCA-COLA HRD PRACTICES 5
References
Gratton, L., & Scott, A. (2016). The 100-year life: Living and working in an age of longevity.
Bloomsbury Publishing.
Kauflin, J. (2016). The Happiest Companies To Work For In 2017. Forbes. Available from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkauflin/2016/12/02/the-happiest-companies-to-work-
for-in-2017
Mello, J. A. (2019). Strategic human resource management (5th ed.). Mason, OH: South-
Western.
Scheufele, P. (2017). Assessement of the Coca-Cola Company’s HR-processes in regard of
current trends.
