Strategic

Alignment of Talent Development and Organizational Design in Global Business

Services

Aini Aman, Ruhanita Maelah, Syaima Adznan, Yusasniza Mohd Yunus, Zaini Embong, Zakiah
Muhammadun Mohamed and Zarith Nurzarifah Khairudin, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Abdul Aziz Ahmad, Multimedia University.


Abstract

Recently, Global Business Services (GBS) model becomes a platform for business support
functions. GBS are designed to capture additional value through savings from lower cost
resources in different locations throughout the world and value derived from access to higher
skilled labor (implied at lower costs/economically feasible costs) (Huber and Danino, 2012).
The rise of GBS model brings multiple Finance and Accounting (F&A) processes shared in
multi-function, multi-region, multi-source and multi-business (Deloitte, 2013). Such F&A
transformation contribute to new processes, talent and technologies to achieve the desired
objective of GBS. The main challenges include identifying, developing and retaining the right
talent for F&A processes that are normally embedded in new technology platforms such as
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or SAP. Hence, the main objective of this study is to
understand how GBS firms strategically align their talent development with the new F&A
processes to supports business growth. Based on the data gathered through interviews and
roundtable discussion with various stakeholders, this article presents cross case analysis of
selected GBS firms located in Malaysia. Findings indicate that talent development in each GBS
firms are unique and depend highly on the firms organizational design and business
processes. The output of this study provides empirical evidence and best practices on the
important of understanding GBS firms business processes and organizational designs when
designing talent development program.

Key words: Global Business Services, Talent Development, Malaysia, Organizational Design,
Finance and Accounting, Business Processes