Disruptive Talent Management : A case study of a talent management system in times of disruptive technology advancements

Abstract: The relatively new concept of talent management has been recognized to have a strategic role in disruptive business environments by both researchers and practitioners. A resourced-based view proposes that organizations should focus on internal resources and foster their own unique resources, for instance human resources. These unique and valuable resources are managed to become a core competence for facilitating organizations to seclude imitators and achieve competitive advantages. The proposition that initiate the research question of this thesis aims at delving into the relationships between talent management systems (TMS) and environmental volatility. The concept of talent management and other related theoretical concepts have formerly been theoretically ambiguous and remains empirically unexplored. This thesis aims to find out how TMS are managed in times of technology advancements. In order to achieve that goal, the authors integrated theoretical knowledge from the field of talent management and further developed a resource-based integrated TMS framework accordingly. Based upon a qualitative and abductive research approach, a single case study of a Nordic company operating in financial services was conducted to answer the research question and to test the framework. By following the order and structure of the framework, the semi-structured interviews were designed and analyzed respectively. The empirical findings reveal that strategic talent management proved to be of great importance in times of technology advancements. A lightweight structured talent management system addressing on flexibility and agility is managed to adapt to environmental uncertainty. Accordingly, the resource-based integrated TMS framework is reviewed and modified for future researchers and practitioners to use and further elaborate upon.