In addition to the quantitative information gathered in surveys (chapter 2), the Task Force also considered the views of the constituencies that its members represented. In this chapter, we present these perspectives. The material, sometimes including recommendations, was prepared by individual members of the Task Force. Where consensus on solutions was reached, they were incorporated into the recommendations presented in chapter 4.
The business perspective
An enormous amount of change is taking place in the economy and in the organization of work: the push for total quality management, growth of the information economy, rapid implementation of new technologies, changes in the demographic structure (e.g., decline in the labour force participation of youth and increase in that of members of visible minorities), the majority of job creation in small firms, and workplace empowerment. As well, the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the recent General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) have ensured that, in a decade from now, Canada's borders will be open to quota-free and duty-free products from everywhere in the world. Collectively, these phenomena have generated a substantial amount of change in the economy and the world of work.
For employers, these changes mean increased competition from domestic and foreign firms and consumers who demand better quality products and services, competitive prices, and more variety. For some employers, they might also present a myriad of opportunities to penetrate foreign markets and expand businesses domestically. To succeed in this environment, employers are transforming the way they operate on a day-to-day basis. For many owner-managers, the workplace of today and tomorrow will demand skilled, flexible, and adaptable workers who can respond to constant change. In the workforce as a whole, the trend is away from unskilled labour toward skilled and semiskilled workers, and toward teamwork and innovative workplace organization. Consequently, employers are recognizing that human resources planning is increasingly becoming the foundation for business success.