Some contemporary observers of the business scene attribute this
stepped-up interest to a desire by HR professionals to become more
involved in strategic business planning (SBP) as a way of increasing
their own importance. At the same time, however, top managers
often say they want proactive HR professionals who can participate
meaningfully in strategic business planning and who can play
a strategic leadership role in helping their organizations attract,
retain, and develop the intellectual capital and human talent that
is increasingly important to business success in a fiercely competitive
global marketplace (Rothwell, Prescott, and Taylor, 1998).
While other resources can be acquired easily, it is human talent that
has emerged as the most difficult to acquire, yet it is key to competitive
success and is the energy that founds new businesses,
invents new products, discovers new markets, and serves customers.