Rethinking world business in the light of technological change.

Where big company capitalism reigns supreme

In the Blue World, big company capitalism is thriving. Catering to the individual outweighs a focus on collective social responsibility. Blue World companies are deeply invested in size, technology, the talent pipeline, strong leadership and sophisticated metrics. They have highly engaged, skilled workforces who are well trained and who operate globally with ease.

When the global financial crisis forced large-scale cost-cutting, Blue World companies stripped costs by removing poorly performing individuals and sections with minimum disruption. With the inevitable upturn, Blue World companies were well positioned to draw from their elaborate metrics programme to spot opportunities for growth and to nurture strong performers.

See how Yao, a fictitious pharmaceutical company, emerged from the downturn

Four factors of the blue world

The Blue World is defined by big-company capitalism where the globalisers take centre stage, consumer preference dominates, and a corporate career separates the haves from the have-nots.

Strategies for managing people in a Blue World

Blue World organisations must develop models and systems, designed and run by HR professionals, that enable individuals and their agents to negotiate the value of their human capital based on employees' personal investment strategies.

• Companies have become the key providers of services to employees. People management now encompasses many different aspects of employees' lives, often including housing, health and education for their children.
• This strategy has led to an increase in staff retention rates, but top talent is still hard to attract and retain. Many senior executives use personal agents to seek out the best deals.
• Leadership teams, now strongly focused on the corporate culture, have enacted rigorous recruitment processes to ensure new employees fit the corporate ideal. Existing staff are subject to compulsory corporate culture learning and development programmes.
• Huge people costs require robust metrics and analysis. Employee engagement, performance and productivity are all measured systematically: individual data is available on a daily basis. This also provides an early warning signal of non-corporate behaviour or below-standard performance.
• Technology pervades every realm of business and leisure activity. The line between inside work and outside work is often blurred by technology, with employers providing the platform. This also provides employers with added insights to staff preferences

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How did one Blue World company master its talent pipeline?

Uncover Yao's HR strategy