Summary

The HR model for the IE is not ideal. Skill-based management may better recognize human intelligence, but it can also mean the end of people protection mechanisms and evaluation systems that are more brutal. Furthermore, the reality of high technology is often formed out of professional contexts where the pressure is very high, where the competition is always very tough and where working hours are endless. The terms burn-out and work/life balance frequently crop up in the analyses, ^[4] and raise the question about what happens to those who are not top talents. Although building strong company culture has been instrumental in the success of some companies, it may also increase pressure and social control, putting employees at risk of being irrevocably excluded by their peers if they do not respect the behavioral norms of the community. Similarly, the inherent flexibility and pace of change in the high-tech world can be difficult for some. Finally, gardener management can be nothing but a manipulation in a world where profits and keeping the shareholders happy are the only real indicators of success.

In short, the regions that are going to develop will be those who offer the best infrastructures in terms of training, quality of life, and network dynamics. The companies of the future will be those who best know how to develop their human and social capital. And successful individuals will be those who constantly learn and take risks to invent new models.

About the Author

This appendix was written by Thierry Picq , professor of human resources management at E.M. LYON, a leading French business school. Thierry teaches both students (master's in management and MBA) and executives in the fields of organizational behavior, team management, and project management. He was previously a consultant in the largest French consultancy company, Bossard/Gemini Consulting, where he carried out many projects in organizational change and management development for large French and international companies.