Since the publication of the fifth edition of Human Resource Management, the role of management has changed. Organizations have fewer layers, and a broader set of skills is expected of all managers, including human resource management skills. This "general managers perspective" of HRM has become quite popular and quite essential, and the sixth edition emphasizes general management applications even more so than the fifth edition. In addition, other significant changes continue to occur in the HRM area. Changing government and legal requirements, new information systems, downsizing, demands for a more skilled work force, increasing attention to diversity in the work force, and intensifying global competition are just a few of the factors that have contributed to the complexity of HRM issues for todays companies.