CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Case Study Analysis and Continuous Professional Development



Table of Contents

Reflective Summary1

Introduction1

Discussion2

Packaging Industry2

Cindy's Objectives3

Evaluation of the HRM Problems and Theoretical Framework4

Strategy5

Structure5

Systems and Style6

Staffing8

Skills8

Shared Values9

Centralization and Hybrid Structure9

Recommendations11

Conclusion12

References13

Sonoco Products Company

Reflective Summary

The module has been extremely helpful in the learning of core HR theories and concepts, which helped me during the analysis of case studies and identification of HR issues. The learning outcomes of the module will also help in my career and workplace, where I can apply the theories and concepts in practical life and manage the organizational and HR challenges. I believe that the growing challenges faced by organizations require a grasp on core concepts and theories of HRM and organizational behavior. Therefore, it has been a successful learning experience because I have gained significant knowledge and skills to identify issues and devise effective solutions to deal with the challenges.

Introduction

The case study pertains to Sonoco Products Company. The case study requires a thorough analysis of the HRM issues and challenges in Sonoco and how the company incorporated changes to deal with the challenges. Furthermore, the analysis of the case aims to identify the priorities set by Cindy Hartley as she joined the company in the middle of the global changes faced by the packaging industry. These changes had an impact on Sonoco, which resulted in issues such as policies and practice and performance management.

Discussion

Packaging Industry

In the later part of the 1990s, there were approximately 100,000 packaging companies, which generated annual worldwide sales of approximately $400 billion. The packaging industry went through a phase of sudden changes, characterized by globalization and competitive challenges. There was a significant share of the United States in the global revenue of the packaging industry, constituting to $115 billion followed by Asia and Western Europe. When it comes to consumer packaging, there was a representation of about 70 percent of industry wide production revenues. On the other hand, the share of industrial packaging stood at 30 percent. However, the share of paper and board in the entire revenue was 34 percent. One of the significant changes in the packaging industry was the substitution of metal and glass by durable and cost-effective plastic in the food and cosmetic industries.

With the advent of globalization and new challenges, the packaging industry in the United Stated started to face significant changes. There was overcapacity in the industry and firms started to consolidate. In addition, a number of companies started to move their operations to countries such as China where labor was cheap. These activities in the packaging industry indicated a new trend. The market share of the most significant companies in the United States increased from 40 to 60 percent between 1998 and 2000. There was also a huge role of marketing and branding strategies in the changes in the packaging industry. Companies wanted more line extension than before due to the needs of the domestic consumers especially in the food and beverage industry. Furthermore, there was also a huge role of packaging in the branding ...