DECONSTRUCTING A LITERATURE REVIEW

DECONSTRUCTING A LITERATURE REVIEW

In the recent decade, organizations and governments have depended entirely on talent management to initiate positive operational outcomes. Talent management is a foundation for enhancing business leadership since it intensifies competition among companies and businesses. The deconstruction of the various studies made on the significance of talent management among companies focuses on how it continues to change the market. The paper evaluates the role played by talent management in handling complex occupations and the flexible nature of the organizational structure of companies. It identifies the evolution of talent management in the last decade, and why it is needed in initiating the desired growth among organizations. The diverse nature of talent management (inclusion of knowledge, skills, and training initiatives) is the backbone of the presentation of this paper. This means summarising and critiquing the article by Thunnissen, Boselie, and Fruytier, (2013, p. 1744-1761). The deconstruction of the existing literature should focus on identifying the topic through all its elements.

Summary of the Article

Thunnissen, Boselie, and Fruytier (2013, p. 1744-1761) provide a critical evaluation of different literature on the concept of talent management and any intended improvements to initiate the growth of businesses and companies in the market. The themes of the evaluation focus on talent exploration, effects of talent management, and diverse talent management practices. A more comprehensive investigation of the above topics and their limitations occurs. The primary outcomes revolve around the conceptual nature of the academic literature on talent management.

The literature is seen as being a one-dimensional and narrow approach. The article shows that talent management has changed in the last decade. The situation has seen it experiencing significant attention from academic literature (Thunnissen, Boselie, & Fruytier, 2013, p. 1749). Despite the focus, not much empirical research exists in the market. Therefore, the perception of the literature suggests that the field of talent management may currently be associated with the infancy developmental phase. Since much growth is needed, and continuous progress still affects the development of talent management, the adolescent period of an area of study is moving into the adolescence phase.

The field of talent management has to be broadened to a more equal status to fit the needs of employees and the interests of their organizations (Bethke-Langenegger, Mahler, & Staffelbach, 2011, p. 531). The article has shown that new perspectives have to be developed to motivate a theoretical framework that seeks unique contexts of talent management. The literature presented by different sources is unitarist and managerialism. The conclusion of the literature review shows that future research should acquire a more explicit nature when it comes to perspective and assumptions associated with talent management.

Critiquing the Article

In regards to the strengths the talent management practices, the effects of talent management on companies, and perceptions associated with the definition of talent management discussed comprehensively. The topic is presented through the use of diverse ranges of articles that are up to date. Also, the comparative nature of studies on talent management facilitates a clear understanding of the differences in terms of the comprehension and application of talent management. (Cooke, Saini, & Wang, 2014, p. 231). It ensures the introduction of multiple goals in the operational environment of organizations.

The weaknesses of the article revolve around the inadequate content regarding talent management by the literature. The nature of the literature review has failed to touch on the diverse ranges of talent management and their relationship to the business environment. With inadequate data, it means that a gap exists in the research created by the literature. Talent management is diverse and requires a clear understanding and how possible it is to maximize on its status to influence positive developments in an organization (Alias, Noor, & Hassan, 2014, p. 235). The situation has seen the conclusion focusing on the evaluation of more goals, extended consideration of practices, and a more balanced approach associated with talent management.

In my opinion, I believe that the article is one example of the need to establish new incentives that serve as an alternative to talent management. I think that talent management is not the only solution for organizations to deal with competition in their markets of operations. New perspectives are essential in ensuring that talent management is not just acquired but nurtured in the environment of development (Dries, 2013, pp. 265). The article has failed to present a clear perspective of how talent management may be specialized to fit the needs of an organization in its operational market.

The main limitation associated with the literature is that it fails to present ways to promote the applicability of talent management in the business sector. It is crucial to focus on creating a flexible approach with a dynamic focus on the interaction between the leadership in an organization and existing talents. The relationship forms a much comprehensive aspect of ensuring that individuals can understand how their skills and knowledge can change the professional environment for the better and encourage development (Al Ariss, Wayne, & Jaap, 2014, p.175).

In conclusion, the literature presented by Thunnissen, Boselie, and Fruytier (2013) has shown that the different used sources that are conceptual. This means that they have a limited perception of human resource practices and activities. Hence, the knowledge has to expand to become pluralistic to ensure the active development of talent management. Talent management has to be reevaluated from the new perspectives to create a broader theoretical framework that allows the positive development of organizations in different business environments. Future research should take a more explicit turn in explaining assumptions and perspectives associated with talent management. Talent management has to be pursued through several research areas to ensure maturity and promote an effective human resource management initiative.

Critical Evaluation and Suggestions for Improvement

The major themes depicted in the article include the definition and conceptualization of talent, the practices involved in talent management, and the outcomes of talent management. Half of the materials studied in the research explains the definition of ability and the significance of conceptualizing talent in the study of talent management. Many of the publications under review revealed the effects of talent management.

According to Beechler and Woodward (2009), the aim of managing talent is to motivate, retain, and develop ability. The management is meant to meet the needs for human capital and decrease the gap in demand and supply of labor. About 70% of the articles reviewed discuss the activities involved in talent management. The practices include recruitment, creation of staff, enhancement of succession plan in the company, training, and retention of employees (Stahl et al., 2012). It is crucial to align the activities of talent management per the external and internal environment of the organization.

According to Pauwe (2007), there has been an increase in the significance of finding talented people in business. The need to have competent employees will increase the competition for talent, creating a significant effect on the companies. In the 21st century, talent management has become of strategic importance for companies. According to Lewis and Heckman (2006), talent management is still considered to be at its infancy stage due to the lack of its consistent definition and the conceptual framework created from empirical research.

The authors explore the possible limitations of the available concepts and definition on talent management, which are discovered to be too narrow and uses one-dimensional approach. The current definition of talent management is categorized as unitarist and managerialist and the view human resource practices is limited. According to Gallardo-Gallarrdo et al. (2012), there is the assumption that each individual and competence must meet the requirements of a company. The achievements and performance of the business goals are the prevailing attributes in the publications under review making them managerialist. Talent management is used as a tool to improve the employee performance and ultimately achieve the goals of an organization such as productivity and quality. The system has no regard for the well-being of the employee and the society. The major concepts of talent management are unitarist since the top management has a role to play in the activities of talent management (Guthridge et al., 2008). The actors of the management have a general interest and do not have their own views or goals.

The literature on talent management is built on a variety of academic traditions such as strategic HRM and organizational behavior such as management and career development. Many of the literature provided talent management are based on conceptualization of the field whereas only a few articles provide results from an empirical research. The articles create a link between strategy and talent management and explores the performance contribution and competitive advantage of talent management. According to Mellahi and Collings (2010), there arises challenges in managing global talents and the need to address talent management in multinationals emerges.

The article seeks to expand the view on talent management to a more pluralist and balanced approach. There exists a limited amount of empirical research on talent management which must be achieved. The main research question is what the field of talent management has achieved up to 2012 and what can be learnt from past literature and research conducted. The literature brings in new ideas and perceptions such as the extended consideration of practices, the stakeholder theory and the creation of multiple objectives. In the stakeholder theory, the various stakeholders in a workplace should be acknowledged as well as the multiple outcomes and goals (Greenwood, 2002). A pluralist view must be adopted at the workplace which in return has various consequences such as the expansion of organizational goals to meet the needs and orientation of other stakeholders. Individual and societal goals must be considered as equal goals of talent management where the well-being of an employee is not used as a means to drive company goals but is treated as a separate entity. The activities and practices in talent management should be viewed as a scope with multiple aspects with a set of complete and interrelated practices beyond the HR function. With respect to Wright et al. (2001) the talent management system should include the expression of ‘people’ in its definition which shows that it includes both work and the people involved. The ideological advancements create a broader theoretical framework and development in the study of talent management.

However, to ensure that talent management grows to maturity and gain a strong position in human resource management (HRM), the authors suggests a pursuit various area of research. Consensus on the principles of talent management must be achieved since academic traditions are not integrated in the literature publications. The article recommends strengthening the theoretical foundation of talent management by creating integrated organizational theories and HRM.

List of References

Al Ariss, A., Wayne , F. C. & Jaap , P., 2014. Talent management: Current theories and future research directions. Journal of World Business, 49 (2), pp. 173-179.

Alias, N. E., Noor, N. & Hassan, R., 2014. Examining the mediating effect of employee engagement on the relationship between talent management practices and employee retention in the Information and Technology (IT) organizations in Malaysia. Journal of Human Resources Management and Labor Studies, 2(2), pp. 227-242.

Bethke-Langenegger, P., Mahler, P. & Staffelbach, B., 2011. Effectiveness of talent management strategies. European Journal of International Management, 5(5), pp. 524-539.

Cooke, F., Saini, D. & Wang, J., 2014. Talent management in China and India: A comparison of management perceptions and human resource practices. Journal of World Business, 49(2), pp. 225-235.

Dries , N., 2013. Talent management, from phenomenon to theory.. Human Resource Management Review, 23(4), pp. 267-271.

Thunnissen, M., Boselie, P. & Fruytier, B., 2013. A review of talent management:’infancy or adolescence?. The international journal of human resource management, 24(9), pp. 1744-1761.