Postselection Considerations of Staffing

Abstract

A corollary of the argument that operation of ForestCo’s internal labor market (ILM) as a whole can be viewed from both vacancy chain and staffing action perspectives is that a full appreciation of organizational staffing should include consideration of the context in which staffing occurs. As noted in Part I, staffing actions and vacancy chains occur in the economic, social, and demographic history of the organization. Also, as noted in Part II, most staffing actions occur in the context of other staffing actions, especially prior staffing choices, that constitute that particular vacancy chain. Aspects of temporal context also influence staffing through requirements associated with managing lines of progression and assisting with the development of individual careers. Appreciation of these contextual influences on current choices encourages conceptual links between past experiences and potential future outcomes. Past experience frames current staffing choices, which shape the orientations of managers toward potential consequences of those choices.