As a result of economic reforms initiated in the recent past, the Ghanaian economy has been globalised. The regulations and controls have been relaxed. Many more multinationals have been inclined to make their entry in Ghana. Consequently, market dynamics especially nature of competition has been drastically changed. Ghanaian organisations are finding it difficult to compete with their counterparts coming from outside. You are a manager in one of the well-established pharmaceutical company already working in Ghana for the last 20 years. To compete with multinational company you personally feel that production as well as distribution systems are to be made cost effective so that better quality of medicines can be produced and distributed at reasonable cost. For improving cost-effectives of the system you carry an opinion that your organisation is overstaffed. You are bringing this fact to the knowledge of the managing director. He is discussing this problem with you in the light of human resource planning and development. The managing director of the company is asking you the following questions.

Questions:

1. What is human resource planning?

2. What are the activities involved in human resource planning?

3. Discuss various steps involved in human resource planning?

4. How will you convince your managing director that human resource planning and development would help in making production and distribution systems cost effective?