Among the choices and results of HR strategy are which people to “put on the field,” “when and where they play,” and “getting them to play together.” Today, the people who work for an organization may come from down the street or from across the sea. Moreover, they may be physically co-located or only “meet” virtually. “Getting them to play together” has never been more challenging, especially when the game is being played on a field and in a context that includes changing fan preferences, changing rules and regulations, global franchises, and the technology that enables, records, and broadcasts the game. In this chapter we identify some of the challenges that businesses face in today’s world. Our objective to is identify key forces and trends that are helping to shape how business is transacted, and how it will be transacted in the future, with particular emphasis on forces and trends that have implications for how strategy and human capital connect. Let us begin by considering two mega-trends: the effects of globalization and technology on organizations. Figure 2.1 illustrates other aspects of the external environments of organizations that we discuss in this chapter.