Talent management : Which tensions between organizational performance and employee engagement can arise when using talent management?

Abstract: Title:                 Talent Management   Author:             Simon Kjellman Level:               Master Thesis 30, hp Keywords: Talent management, Organizational Performance, Employee engagement, Human resource management Background: Today business is pressured to provide result and profit, but at the same time provide health and stimulate work environment for the employees. Human resource is rising to be the organizations new winner to get a competitive advantage. In order to be successful and continue to grow, companies need to attract and maintain their talent. Research question: Which tensions between organizational performance and employee engagement can arise when using talent management?  Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to develop an understanding of which tensions    between organizational performance and employee engagement that can arise when using talent management. By focusing on employee engagement and organizational performance, I put the emphasis on the approaches used when using talent management and therefore I also developing what characterizes the used approach. Method: A qualitative research approach was applied, which included a case study design consisting of multiple cases. Unstructured interviews and observations were the methods used for collecting the empirical data. The seven respondents were selected from two Swedish companies, based on a theoretical sampling method. The data analysis method included a cross-case analysis. Theoretical framework: Based on the purpose, the concepts that I find most relevant and coherent with Talent Management, Employee engagement and Organizational performance will be introduced and explained in the following sections. At first, Talent Management is defined and explained and then the employee engagement and organizational performance come as following. The theories will provide the basis for a detailed investigation and analysis over Talent Management. Findings: Swedish companies uses a collective approach to talent management. What characterizes the work with talent management in a collective culture are inclusion, democracy, soft culture and communication. They are using democratic and human ways of treating their employees. This causes the tension to be low in overall because usually the desires are met on both sides. Signs of separation in developments plans between different professionals can start a tension. The communication is important when using talent management to get a stable work environment.