Running Head: GLAXOSMITHKLINE

GLAXOSMITHKLINE

Name of the Student

Name of the University

Author’s note
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Table of Contents

GLAXOSMITHKLINE.............................................................................................................4

Introduction................................................................................................................................4

GSK at a Glance.....................................................................................................................4

SWOT analysis...................................................................................................................4

PESTLE analysis....................................................................................................................5

External Issues and People Management...............................................................................7

Strategic Intent and Human Management at GlaxoSmithKline.............................................8

GSK Recruitment, Training and Retention Strategy............................................................10

HR Challenges and remedies for GSK.................................................................................12

Conclusion................................................................................................................................15

Appendix..................................................................................................................................16

References................................................................................................................................17
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Executive Summary

GlaxoSmithKline is one of the most notable pharmaceutical companies in the global space.

The firm has placed a number of strategies in place to retain its position as one of the most

prestigious pharmaceutical brands. However, in the dynamic global space, the firm is faced

by several challenges. This report has made the use of critical analysis tools such as the

SWOT and the PESTLE to analyze the current position of the firm. Furthermore, the firm’s

HR practices are also evaluated at length. The report after careful consideration of the HR

practices has also devised and noted a number of strategies that can be used to improve the

firm’s HR practices.
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GLAXOSMITHKLINE

Introduction

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is a British pharmaceutical firm with R&D centers in the

United States, Belgium, and China as well as the United Kingdom. Vaccines for hepatitis A,

hepatitis B, and whooping cough are among the company's offerings, as are therapies for

migraines, heart failure, and cancer. Dentist-care, over the counter, nutritional and smoking-

cessation solutions is some of the other goods available. Thriving as a global company,

managing its HR practices considering procurement and retention is a major part of the global

brand. Furthermore, therefore the main aim of this paper is to understand the firm’s HR

strategy while adequately analyzing the internal as well as the external challenges are

addressed in its compound.

GSK at a Glance

SWOT analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

 Strong R&D wing  Bad PR and allegations

 Strong market presence  Wrongful product forecast

 Good consumer relationships

 Good expenditure on training and

development

 Good network of sales and

distribution
Opportunities Threats

 Increasing demand of quality  Intense competition

healthcare
 Regulations from the government
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 New product launches  Price control

 Opportunity for growth via

collaboration and acquisition

 Better technologies

The company has a global presence and therefore with its effective sales and

distribution techniques has established quite a consumer base. Furthermore, it spends heavily

on its Research and Development wing which enhances its probability to bring in more

advances in the healthcare arena (Sharifat, 2016). The company also provides good training

opportunities to its members and therefore advances its area can be seen. However, in the

past, the company was placed under scrutiny due to allegations concerning fraud and

imbalance which made a dent in the reputation of the company. Likewise, the firm also has to

face losses due to improper product forecast. However, with the continuously evolving

technology the firm has a good opportunity to make significant healthcare advances as well

as collaborative approaches might also profit the firm. However, the firm faces intense

competition and has to abide by several government regulations across numerous nations

which might be problematic and can call legal trouble. Further, the aspect of price control

also affects the profit margin of the firm.

PESTLE analysis

Political Factors: GSK Consumer Healthcare is a global leader in private healthcare. It is a

well-known producer of OTC and dental care products. As a multinational firm, it must deal

with many political issues worldwide. A politically stable climate simplifies global corporate

operations. Consider a public statement that healthcare is a critical component of COVID-19

economic recovery. The governments have taken new initiatives in health. Global firms are

strongly influenced by regulatory changes.

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Economic factors: Pharmaceutical sales are impacted by economic variables such as inflation,

income, and currency exchange rates (Moiro, 2007).

Social factors: Age, gender, wealth, region, and education all play a role in deciding the

optimal course of action. Lifestyle and social class structure are important sociological

factors to consider. Even increased public awareness of the need for quality healthcare hurts

pharmaceutical sales.

Technological factors: It is GSK Consumer Healthcare's competitive advantage in the

healthcare business. It keeps investing in AI and machine intelligence to transform

healthcare. It helps expand medical research and innovation. Interconnectivity and IOT's rich

patient data are also helping this business reach its full potential (Moiro, 2007). This

company uses e-commerce platforms to advertise and sell its items. The addition of cutting-

edge technology to its R&D pipeline is helping patients find new medical treatments and

vaccinations.

Legal factors: Regulatory compliance is important to the company's global commercial

activities. When doing business in any nation, the rules and regulations must be considered. If

detected distributing illegal narcotics, this firm may face legal issues. Any medicine or drug

sold in a country must meet strict legal requirements. Likewise for countries that have banned

the selling of certain pharmaceuticals. Solving legal issues is necessary to avoid sales being

hampered.

Environmental factors: GSK Consumer Healthcare is concerned about the environment as

well as profit. Diverse measures are being done to lessen its carbon footprint. The system

depends completely on renewable energy electric automobiles for electricity generation and

transportation. It is also using digital technologies to streamline operations and reduce

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greenhouse gas emissions. This corporation enjoys a major environmental advantage over

many of its competitors.

External Issues and People Management

Globalization has brought a lot of changes in organisations and this also stands true in terms

of people management as a diversified employee base brings a number of challenges to the

firm. Organizations must continually evolve owing to the volume and pace of change, as well

as the unpredictability of change. This includes the creation of a global market place, how to

achieve sustainability in a world of diminishing resources and increasing environmental

pollution, how to manage an increasingly diverse workforce, and how to manage ethically at

a time when business leaders are considered less trustworthy than ever before. Strategic

change management is required as a result.

In today's firms, change management is a major issue for managers. An organization's ability

to compete in today's market depends on its ability to be flexible, adaptable, and ready for

change. It can be difficult to develop new procedures, stay abreast of market trends, and keep

personnel engaged and flexible in the face of constant change. Organizational transformation

is achievable and may be effective if the correct change management tools, organizational

structure, and leadership style are used (Marete, 2010).

The goal of change management is to take into account the impact new procedures and

technologies will have on people. Organizational alignment with new strategies and processes

is essential, as are having jobs and skill sets aligned with the new organizational direction and

utilizing effective communication strategies. Customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders

must understand and support the effort while minimizing resistance to change is also an

important consideration. For instance, the local employee base may not be happy with the

influx of foreign employees being added into the fold. Cultural differences may be a major
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issue in such scenarios which might affect productivity as well as employee relations.

Furthermore, collaboration and extensions might also affect the morale of the employees as

many might not be accommodating towards the change (Marete, 2010). Therefore issues as

such are to be intelligently managed by the HR managers in the global space.

Strategic Intent and Human Management at GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline, like any other business, relies on its human resources department to

find new employees. As a result, one of the most important services they do is recruiting. It's

common for this organisation to post job openings in numerous media venues and then use a

stringent screening procedure to guarantee that only the most qualified candidates are allowed

to join their ranks. The HR department is also tasked with the task of onboarding new

employees. In order for GSK to be a successful organisation, new employees must be taught

how their unique talents may be put to good use.

The HR staff is not only involved in this process, but it is also actively involved in

succession planning as well. Planning for succession is something that HR professionals do if

an individual is up for promotion or intends to leave the organisation. It's not uncommon for

human resources professionals to begin strategizing about succession planning even before

some of their employees go for better opportunities elsewhere. Human resources also

provides a service known as talent management. The majority of the time, the company's

focus is on training and expanding its workforce. It's essential to have training and

development programmes in place here. As a result, employees are often given the

opportunity to work in a variety of fields so they may get the most out of their jobs.

This company's success may be attributed in large part to its employees' commitment

to professional growth. It is a firm believer in rewarding employees for achieving specific

objectives and aims. For example, the organisation has designated specified periods of the
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year for an employee's work, duties, and responsibilities to be reviewed and examined. After

that, employees are polled to learn about their long-term career goals, which are then

included into the company's succession planning and other future endeavors. It has been

demonstrated that organisations that pay attention to the needs of their employees in terms of

incentives have extremely favorable reactions in terms of performance (Dechawatanapaisal,

2018). That's why it was included in GlaxoSmithKline's strategic business strategy. Health

care is one example of a benefit the corporation provides to its employees in the hopes of

increasing employee loyalty. When the mental and physical health of its employees is in good

shape, the organization's prospects of exceeding expectations are high. Employee production

before and after health services has increased by 20%, according to a study conducted by the

company's HR department. Rather of only relying on monetary incentives to improve

performance, this strategy takes use of a variety of possibilities that may be accessible to the

company at any given moment.

Furthermore, the firm provides its members with a variety of vacation packages and

incentive programmes, all of which support the latter claim. It is also committed to fostering

a positive work environment. In order to better educate its employees for the global system

that is already strongly represented in the organisation, it has developed a diversity

programme. According to GSK's strategic plan, the business seeks to expand its product lines

and activities at a rapid pace (McCartney, 2011). As a result, the organisation needs to find

ways to bring in international talent. To meet this strategic objective, HR services inside this

organisation have been specifically adjusted to ensure recruiting efforts result in a diverse

workforce.

The corporation is also interested in simplifying its operational approach. Due to its

focus on the strategic capability of its team members and subsequent efforts to reduce

superfluous burden, the human resources department has helped the organisation accomplish
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this strategic goal (Asif and Nisar, 2022). Administration, change management, strategic

business partner, and employee champion are all terms used to describe HR services provided

by David Ulrich. According to this HR paradigm, the job of a strategic business partner is

responsible for simplifying processes. A job that promotes more conducive working

conditions, on the other hand, might be considered a function of change management.

GSK Recruitment, Training and Retention Strategy

GSK employs a uniform talent evaluation process that is conducted twice a year by

each division of the company. As part of the leadership team's talent assessment, they look at

criteria including learning ability, wide leadership potential, and knowledge. It's a

collaborative and open approach that helps them identify individuals with the potential to

advance to leadership positions or become subject matter experts in their respective fields in

the future. Other managers will also look at talent far deeper than this, so it's occurring at

every level and they're aware of what skill they have and what they lack.

Their personnel strategy includes a strategic workforce planning method that lets

them look five years into the future and identify what talents they'll need, whether this is for a

new geographic or therapeutic area, in order to look forward. As a result of this, they are able

to identify their deficiencies and, in certain cases, they may need to turn outside of the

company and hire (Mittal and Agarwal). If they know the need and supply of talents, they

know if they can grow talent internally or if they need to recruit because the timeline is too

short or they lack the capacity.

GSK like several other multinationals face difficulties in identifying people who have

the potential to become senior leaders in the future, and in healthcare they typically find that

employees motivated by becoming specialists don't want to spend time managing large teams

and budgets because what they love is the science. When evaluating potential senior
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executives, they should also consider the culture and values of the organisation as a whole. In

order to establish the right tone for that portion of the organisation if they hire employees at a

high level, they need to be aligned with your company's culture and values.

GSK understands that employees who participate in incentive programmes may feel

more at home in their jobs (Ahmed, 2021). It is possible that employees who regard the

company as if it were their own may be encouraged to come up with new and better ways of

doing things, rather than just focused on their usual tasks. Employees now feel they have

more of a stake in the firm and believe their efforts have a stronger influence on the bottom

line, rather than simply receiving a monthly payment. Because of their participation in an

incentive programme, people's opinions and the employee-employer relationship can be

influenced in positive ways (Dechawatanapaisal, 2018). Thus, employee retention may be

improved by providing incentives as part of a complete benefits package to attract and retain

qualified employees. The firm manages a variety of voluntary employee incentive

programmes as part of their human resource talent retention strategy (Ahmed, 2021).

Therefore, I too believe that incentive programmes have a direct correlation to the

recruitment and retention of high performers.

According to GSK's study, employees who participate in training programmes are

more inclined to think about their long-term potential at their employer. As a result, there is a

possibility that young people will become more conscious of the importance of financial

stability as a result of this. Asset growth and retirement planning strategies are popular with

the baby boomer generation, which places a higher value on financial security than younger

generations of people. The research also outlines that, in addition to financial rewards,

companies should provide employees with training and development opportunities, as well as

a strong corporate culture that fosters a feeling of pride in one's work and place. There are a
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variety of values in various nations, markets, and cultures, and what works in one may not

work in another.

HR Challenges and remedies for GSK

HR managers are facing a significant challenge because of the generational transfer

and cultural shift in attitudes. The only thing that will be able to keep up with the cultural

upheaval will be the constantly shifting expectations of future generations. A well-known fact

about millennials is that they are effective in today's technologically-driven job environment.

Generation Z, the first truly digital generation, is now reaching the age of majority, and

managers will confront a new set of challenges as a result. It is possible that current trends,

such as working from home, may be replaced by calls for more equality and engagement in

society as a whole. In the midst of a continuously changing world, GSK must devise

strategies for managing employee expectations and happiness levels. Despite some success in

terms of the values and advantages they provide, numerous recent studies have found that

career growth and development, as well as senior management's belief and trust, have fared

badly in the workplace (McCartney, 2011).

GSK needs to show that it has attributes that appeal to the talent pool in order to

recruit and retain top talent. Increasing openness and being consistent in your messaging and

approach to all employees is critical, but it's also crucial to customise. With 31.67 percent of

respondents saying it's a key trait when evaluating new positions, acknowledging uniqueness

is becoming increasingly appreciated. A more personalized approach to career development

and performance management might potentially help GSK recruit more employees. 46.27

percent want additional hands-on experience while 41.14 percent want to know how their

abilities will be put to use (McCartney, 2011). Employers collect and provide this data in a

variety of ways. How are companies able to track and promote the growth of their employees'
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skills? Employers must address these issues if they hope to see an increase in the rates at

which they are able to attract and retain talent.

In this regard, employee engagement is also an important consideration, and working

together in teams may be made easier with the aid of specialized collaboration tools like Quip

and Chatter. Knowledge sharing is also critical in this regard. Collaborating with people of all

ages and experience levels is a fantastic way to improve your job, and it should be

encouraged. An integrated system of engagement, accessible via many channels, is needed

for all employees, including those who use smartphones and those who use the internet via

social networks. To promote engagement, it should be rewarded as well. Game-based

learning may be used to make products more user-friendly and manage incentives for staff

development and mentorship. Technical and procedure guides should be updated, as well as

tailored to individual departments rather than based on demographics. Knowledge

distribution and decision-making must be accelerated, visibility improved by breaking down

data silos, and employee participation must be increased. Staff will be able to solve problems

faster and come up with new ideas as a result of this.

Employees are motivated by a variety of factors, but what is it that drives them?

Definitely, a lot of respect for what they've done. Employee productivity tends to grow when

this occurs. From the top down, this is the case. There are two kinds of cultures in the

workplace: those who openly support and applaud outstanding work, or those that are

inconsistent in their praise, leaving people unclear about their performance and sometimes

causing conflict. When asked what motivates people to work hard, 56% of respondents said

that they are encouraged to do so by receiving praise and recognition for their efforts, as well

as the capacity to recognise the efforts of others. Employees, as we've seen before, prefer a

well-defined career path. An employee's expectation is to know what areas of their

performance they must improve upon before they can advance in their current function.
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When it comes to job advancement, is it the talent and competence of an individual or his or

her personal relationships that are most important? Employee loyalty may be sustained by

using phrases like "clarity" and "fairness."

When it comes to productivity, employee well-being is vital, and failing to prioritise it

will have far-reaching effects for both your organisation and its employees. Alexander and

Huggins (2012) research found that employees who are in good physical and psychological

health are 13 percent more likely to report excellent performance at work and are 41 percent

less likely to quit their employment than those who are not. Additionally, they are 32 percent

more likely to remain with their company. Aside from that, employees who suffer from ill

health are more than twice as likely to be disengaged from their jobs and three times more

likely to experience severe stress than their counterparts. Companies should strive to create

an environment that is conducive to their employees' well-being as part of their broader

corporate culture. In the context of a complete wellness programme that includes a central

employee resource as well as education sessions, employees can be trained on food, exercise,

and stress-management techniques and strategies. When the workers are not working, they

may choose to take a break by volunteering or giving back to the community in which they

live. It is necessary for managers and leaders to show support and set a good example in their

own day-to-day lives at work for workers to feel that they have permission to step away from

their daily tasks and take time for their own well-being.

In order to meet talent shortages and build the framework for what we anticipate will

be the demands of the workplace in the future, it is critical that GSK establishes systems that

will allow it to do so. It is widely believed that the application of artificial intelligence (AI)

and machine learning (ML) would improve firm performance and drive automation across all

industries, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, which includes GSK (Halim et al.,

2020).
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Conclusion

Employees are to be considered as more than just a mechanism to ensure productivity.

They are to be recognized as individual entities who form the very fundamental chain of

multinationals and other firms. Employees from a range of backgrounds are becoming more

computer literate and social media savvy in today's digital age, which is assisting in the

transformation of the sector. Millennials and Generation Z, in particular, are at the forefront

of the digital transformation. People are abandoning time-honored ways in favour of more

practical ones that can be adjusted to their own needs rather than traditional ones. From

banking and transportation to entertainment and retail, this has become the new normal across

a wide range of companies and sectors. As a result, the expectations of employees are

changing. However, although the fundamentals such as work stability and happiness,

monetary compensation, and a clear career path continue to be important, other

considerations are becoming increasingly important. Also emphasised is an organization's

ability to communicate with its surrounding community as well as its commitment to

diversity and inclusion. Workers have made it plain that they want a more holistic experience

from their jobs. Many organisations will need to undergo a cultural transformation as a result

of this, but it does not have to be a dramatic one. Steps can be made to improve employee

engagement, to accomplish objectives, but they can also be done to measure and analyze the

results. It is possible that the combination of culture, data, and technology will enable

organisations to define clear objectives within frameworks that fulfill the needs of both

employees and the commercial economy.

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Appendix

GlaxoSmithKline Company's Human Resource Strategy

Case study: GlaxoSmithKline - Human Resources Online

HR PRACTICES AT GSK - SlideShare

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