Best Study Help: Human Resource Management

School of Business

Human Resource Management

Introduction AIMS:

To develop a critical and analytical understanding of the changing nature of HRM in a global context, from a primary focus on supporting line managers to manage their people well, to a more specialised and professional one of delivering sustainable organisation capability and performance.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon the successful completion of this module the student will be able to:

1. Critically review and appraise current research and advanced scholarship so to enable them to evaluate managerial and business environments; and analyse how resourcing an organisation is affected and informed by internal and external factors that in turn serve to influence the policies, procedures and processes adopted by the organisation

2. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of current issues in HRM and IHRM within a variety of organisations so to enable them to manage effectively the design and implementation of fair, efficient and effective policies and procedures that serve to deliver upon the strategic aims of the organisation.

INDICATIVE CONTENT:

• The history and context of HRM and a critical appraisal of the HR function, role and standing within varying sectors including small, medium and large enterprises nationally and internationally

• Organisation design, culture and development including the analysis of internal and external environments that impact upon the work of personnel professionals

• National and international employment markets from which organisations source and mobilise staff; how employment markets are evolving and/or changing

• Human resource planning processes employed by organisations and how these are now influenced by technology; including administering these processes lawfully, fairly, efficiently and effectively

• Socialising personnel into the organisation; building the business activist; employer bonding and branding

• Processes of managing performance; innovating new working practices; delivering outstanding customer service; breeding an environment where talent may grow; job design

• Ethics and professionalism; commitment to equality of opportunity; managing diversity.

LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGY:

The learning and teaching strategy for this module has been designed to facilitate a rich learning experience for students from different educational and cultural backgrounds.

The focus of the strategy is based on research and the practical application of theoretical models and concepts relevant to workplace scenarios detailed in a selection of pre-seen case study material. Throughout the module, students will be expected to take significant personal responsibility for their own learning and exercise initiative in the undertaking of all new learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom.

Focusing on the importance of managing human and organisational resources in developing and maintaining organisational success and competitive advantage, the module further aims to promote student confidence to enable them achieve an enhanced understanding of, and sensitivity to, the managerial dynamics and processes that influence the behaviours and performance of people at work.

The module aims to develop critical analysis, self-reflection and problem solving techniques to learn how to develop and implement the creative and strategic HR solutions that drive organisational performance. The approach therefore requires student-centred learning strategies. Seminars, tutorials and workshops will form the majority of the learning strategy to allow students to interact with material through case studies, group discussions and practical exercises. Students will also be encouraged to attend relevant guest speaker presentations and carry out their own research for dissemination to the rest of the group. Material for discussion in seminars and tutorials will be in a variety of formats such as DVD, documentary evidence, pod casts, case studies, questionnaires and presentations with plenty of opportunity for formative feedback regarding their critique and application of the material.

SESSIONS will cover:

• Introduction to HRM

• The nature of HRM and Personnel Management

• Current issues in HRM

• Recruitment, selection and evaluation process and practice

• Equal opportunities and diversity in the workplace

• Employment Legislation

• Performance Management

• Reward Systems and Reward Management

• Dismissal issues and termination of employment

• Human Resource Development and Training

• Employment Relations, Industrial Relations and Business Etiquette

• International Human Resource Management

• Human resource management strategies I

• Human resource management strategies II

• Human resource planning

• Human resource management and organisational culture

• Human Resource Management – Leadership and Change

• Performance management – further development  The Future of the Human Resource Management Function  Consolidation.

READING LIST:

Essential Texts:

Armstrong M. (2012) Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice 12^th Ed.

Henderson, I. (2011) Human Resource Management for MBA Students, London: CIPD

Background Reading:

Beardwell, I. and Gold, J., (2009) Human Resource Development, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Beardwell, J. Claydon, T. (2010) Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach, Financial Times: Prentice Hall

Bratton J and Gold J (2012) Human Resource Management Theory and Practice 5^th Ed Palgrave.

Cook, M. (2009) Personnel selection: adding value through people. 5th ed. Chichester: John Wiley.

Dowling, P., Festing, M. and Engle, A. D. (2007) International human resource management: managing people in a multi-national context. 5th ed. London: Thomson Learning.

Edenborough, R. (2007) Assessment methods in recruitment, selection and performance: a manager’s guide to psychometric testing, interviews and selection. London: Kogan Page.

Laroche, L. and Rutherford, D. (2007) Recruiting, retaining and promoting culturally different employees. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.

Marchington, M. and Wilkinson, A. (2008) Human Resource Management at Work, Wiltshire: CIPD

Pilbeam, S. and Corbridge, M. (2006) People resourcing: contemporary HRM in practice. 3rd ed. Harlow: Financial Times / Prentice Hall.

Taylor, S. (2008) People Resourcing, Fourth Edition, Wiltshire, CIPD

Taylor, S. (2010) Resourcing and talent management. 5th ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Torrington, D. Hall, L. Taylor, S and Atkinson, C. (2009) Fundamentals of Human Resource Management: Managing People at Work, London: Prentice Hall

Journals:

British Journal of Management

CIPD Journal ‘People Management’

Coaching at Work

Education and Training Journal

Et alia

Harvard Business Review

HRM Review

Human Resource Management Journal

Industrial and Labour Relations Review

International Journal of Employment Studies

Journal of International Business Studies

Journal of Labour Economics

Journal of Management Development

Journal of Organizational Behaviour

Journal of Workplace Learning

Management Today

People and Strategy: Journal of the HR Planning Society

Personnel Review

Personnel Today

Public Personnel Management

Research and Practice in HRM

Strategic HR Review

Strategic Management Journal

The Academy of Management Review

The Journal of Business

The Journal of Human Resources

The Journal of Industrial Economics

Work Employment and Society

ASSESSMENT

Assessment 1 – Report, 50% of overall mark Assessment 2 – Report, 50% of overall mark

TASK DESCRIPTION

Assignment 1

Report, 50% of overall mark

You have been appointed as the new Director of Human Resources in a large, but very traditional manufacturing company where the workforce have been locally recruited and often through existing employee networks. However, top management has come to understand that, if properly managed, human resources can be an important source of competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive world. Also, that talent needs to be managed and that hiring the right people and then equipping them with the right skills and abilities can substantially affect the quality and quantity of production, and that properly motivated and committed employees can add immeasurable value to an organisations chances of succeeding in an increasingly competitive business world.

You have been asked to present a briefing paper that informs senior management of the direction to take in relation to Recruitment and Selection practices and how the HR function will contribute to R&S and thereby enhance company performance in the context of an increasingly competitive business environment.

You may set your answer in the context of the UK or elsewhere if you chose – but make this clear in the introduction to your report.

The assignment must be in Report format – word limit minimum 2500 words maximum 3000 words (excluding Bibliography and Appendices).

Assignment 2

Report, 50% of overall mark

You have now decided to re-direct your career, taking a significant salary cut but determined to ‘givesomething-back’, and have therefore taken up a post as the HR Manager for a large charity/social enterprise that provides training and work opportunities for people with significant physical and learning disabilities.

The Charity is based in old workshops where carpentry, paintwork, gardening and IT skills are taught, but the organisation has developed quickly since founding five years ago, with more staff, many volunteers, more beneficiaries, and better funding. However, contracts with the local authority are in danger unless there are the commonly accepted and legally required HR practices and policies in place – at the moment they are not. Fortunately, you report directly to the Board and have been asked to prepare a briefing paper about your priorities.

Your briefing papers needs to establish the following:

• What do you consider to be the main HR priorities and why?

• What actions would you take as the new HR Manager?

You may set your answer in the context of the UK or elsewhere if you chose – but make this clear in the introduction to your report.

The assignment must be in Essay format – word limit minimum 2500 words maximum 3000 words (excluding Bibliography and Appendices).

Please note the following when completing your assignment:

1. Writing: Written in English in an appropriate business/academic style 2. Focus: Focus only on the tasks set in the assignment.

3. Length: 2000 words (maximum)

4. Formatting: Typed on A4 paper in Times New Roman or Arial font 12 with at least 2.5 centimetre space at each edge, double spaced and pages numbered.

5. Document format: In business report format (unless otherwise directed), with a clear title, course, and name or ID number on a cover sheet and including a bibliography using Harvard referencing throughout.

6. Research: Research should use reliable and relevant sources of information e.g. academic books and journals that have been peer reviewed. The research should be extensive.

GUIDANCE FOR STUDENTS IN THE COMPLETION OF TASKS

NOTE: The guidance offered below is linked to the five common assessment criteria overleaf and specifically aligned to the “exceptional” outcome category to which we anticipate students aspire.

1. Research-informed Literature

Your work must embed and be informed and supported by relevant and credible scholarly material that is accessible in the learned journals listed on the module schedule. You should refer to at least 10 such sources. Additionally, you should refer to text books, current news items and benchmark your organisation against other organisations to ensure your assignment is current and up-to-date. High-level referencing skills using the Harvard Method must be demonstrated throughout your work and all sources listed alphabetically within your bibliography.

2. Knowledge and Understanding of Subject

Your work must demonstrate the growing extent of your knowledge and understanding of concepts and underlying principles associated with the subject area. This means that within your work, you should provide evidence of your growing mastery in critical awareness of current challenges, new insights and the constant need for innovation within the field. Furthermore, a critical awareness of the ambiguities and limitations of knowledge and even understanding, should be considered and examples of such, illustrated within your work.

3. Analysis

To be considered masters worthy, your work must contain evidence of analysis, evaluation and synthesis. This means not just describing “What!” but also justifying: Why? How? When? Who? Where? And at what cost! At all times, you must provide justification of your arguments and judgements. Evidence that you have reflected upon the ideas of others on matters occurring in the real world of business is crucial to you providing a reasoned and informed debate within your work. Your choice of methodologies to gather data and information must be rigorously defended. Furthermore, you should provide evidence that you are able to make sound judgements and convincing arguments in the absence of complete data, since within the real world of work, we rarely have access to, or know all the information! Persuasive conclusions are especially necessary and must be derived from the content of your work – there should be no new information presented within your conclusion. Your work should aspire to resemble work which is of journal publishable quality.

4. Practical Application and Deployment

It is essential that you rationalise how you decided upon certain methods, materials, tools and techniques to inform and complete your work. You must demonstrate what informed your decision(s) to apply certain concepts that enabled you to formulate innovative and creative solutions to the challenges presented to you or that you identified for yourself. Plausible, costed and justifiable recommendations are demanded and where these are absent, your work is undermined. Your work should provide evidence that you are growing in mastery in developing cutting edge processes and techniques within the subject area.

5. Skills for Professional Practice

Your work must provide evidence of your attributes in the application of professional practice. This includes demonstrating that you are highly capable of individual and collaborative working. Regarding the presentation of your work, you must demonstrate your ability to select and deploy the appropriate media that is “fit for purpose. Additionally, you must exhibit your ability to: communicate with an exceptionally high level of professionalism; work professionally, autonomously and within a team; develop leadership skills; and produce/present work that is coherent, cogent and specifically addresses the challenges set for you or you have set yourself. Importantly, your work should be easily understood by specialists and non-specialists in the field.

MARKING CRITERIA

This section details the assessment criteria for each assignment. The extent to which these are demonstrated by you determines your mark. The marks available for each criterion are shown. Lecturers will use the space provided to comment on the achievement of the task(s), including those areas in which you have performed well and areas that would benefit from development/improvement.

Common Assessment Criteria Applied
1. Research-informed Literature Extent of research and/or own reading, selection of credible sources, application of appropriate referencing conventions.	20
2. Knowledge and Understanding of Subject Extent of knowledge and understanding of concepts and underlying principles associated with the discipline.	30
3. Analysis Analysis, evaluation and synthesis; logic, argument and judgement; analytical reflection; organisation of ideas and evidence	30
4. Practical Application and Deployment Deployment of methods, materials, tools and techniques; application of concepts; formulation of innovative and creative solutions to solve problems.	10
5. Skills for Professional Practice Attributes in professional practice: individual and collaborative working; deployment of appropriate media; presentation and organisation.	10
TOTAL 100

COMMON ASSESSMENT AND MARKING CRITERIA

	OUTRIGHT FAIL	UNSATISFA CTORY	SATISFACT ORY	GOOD	VERY GOOD	EXCELLENT	EXCEPTION AL
Assessment Criteria	0-29%	30-39%*	40-49%	50-59%	60-69%	70-79%	80-100%
1. Researchinformed Literature Extent of research and/or own reading, selection of credible sources, application of appropriate referencing conventions	Little or no evidence of reading. Views and findings unsupporte d and nonauthoritativ e. Referencin g convention s largely ignored.	Poor evidence of reading and/or of reliance on inappropria te sources, and/or indiscrimin ate use of sources. Referencin g convention s used inconsisten tly.	References to a limited range of mostly relevant sources. Some omissions and minor errors. Referencin g convention s evident though not always applied consistentl y.	Inclusion of a range of researchinformed literature, including sources retrieved independe ntly. Referencin g convention s mostly consistentl y applied.	Inclusion of a wide range of researchinformed literature, including sources retrieved independe ntly. Selection of relevant and credible sources. Very good use of referencing convention s, consistentl y applied.	A comprehen sive range of research informed literature embedded in the work. Excellent selection of relevant and credible sources. High-level referencing skills, consistentl y applied.	Outstandin g knowledge of researchinformed literature embedded in the work. Outstandin g selection of relevant and credible sources. High-level referencing skills consistentl y and professiona lly applied
2. Knowledge and Understanding of Subject Extent of systematic knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of concepts and underlying	Major gaps in knowledge and understand ing of material at this level. Substantial inaccuracie s.	Gaps in knowledge, with only superficial understand ing. Some significant inaccuracie s.	Evidence of knowledge and understand ing of current and relevant concepts and underlying principles but with some gaps	Knowledge is accurate with a good understand ing of the field of study.	Knowledge is extensive. Exhibits understand ing of the breadth and depth of established and contempor ary views.	Excellent mastery of a complex and specialised area of knowledge and skills, with an excellent critical awareness of current	Exceptional mastery of a complex and specialised area of knowledge and skills, with an exceptional critical awareness of current

principles associated with the discipline.			or errors.			problems and/or new insights at the forefront of the field. Clear awareness of challenges to established views and the limitations of the knowledge base.	problems and/or new insights at the forefront of the field. A critical awareness of the ambiguities and limitations of knowledge.
3. Analysis Analysis, evaluation and synthesis; logic, argument and judgement; analytical reflection; organisation of ideas and evidence	Unsubstant iated generalisati ons, made without use of any credible evidence. Lack of logic, leading to unsupporta ble/ missing conclusions . Lack of any attempt to analyse, synthesise or evaluate.	Some evidence of analytical intellectual skills, but for the most part descriptive. Ideas/findi ngs sometimes illogical and contradicto ry. Generalise d statements made with scant evidence. Conclusions lack relevance.	Evidence of some logical, critical thinking and some attempts to synthesise, albeit with some weaknesse s. Some evidence to support findings/ views, but evidence not consistentl y interpreted . Some relevant conclusions and	Evidence of logical, analytical, critical thinking and synthesis. Can analyse new and/or complex data and situations without guidance. An emerging awareness of different stances and ability to use evidence to support the argument. Valid conclusions and	Evaluates methodolo gies, current research and ideas critically and, where appropriate , proposes new hypotheses /ideas. Evaluates and synthesises complex issues both systematica lly and creatively. Makes sound judgements and proposes convincing arguments in the	Excellent critical evaluation of methodolo gies, current research and ideas and, where appropriate , proposes new hypotheses / ideas. Evaluates and synthesises complex issues systematica lly and creatively. Makes excellent judgements and proposes convincing	Exceptional critical evaluation of methodolo gies, current research and ideas and, where appropriate , proposes new hypotheses / ideas. Evaluates and synthesises complex issues at a high level of mastery. Makes outstandin g judgements and proposes highly

			recommen dations, where relevant.	recommen dations, where relevant	absence of complete data. Sound, convincing conclusions / recommen dations.	arguments in the absence of complete data. Strong, persuasive, conclusions , justifiable recommen dations. Work is of conference publishable quality.	convincing arguments in the absence of complete data. Highly persuasive conclusions . Work is of journal publishable quality.
4. Practical Application and Deployment Effective deployment of appropriate methods, materials, tools and techniques; extent of skill demonstrated in the application of concepts to a variety of processes and/or contexts; formulation of innovative, original and creative solutions to solve problems.	Limited or no use of methods, materials, tools and/or techniques. Little or no appreciatio n of the context of the application.	Rudimentar y application of methods, materials, tools and/or techniques but without considerati on and competenc e. Flawed appreciatio n of the context of the application.	A satisfactory awareness and mostly appropriate application of well established methods, materials, tools and/or techniques. Some appreciatio n of the context of the application.	A good and appropriate application of standard methods, materials, tools and/or techniques. Good appreciatio n of the context of the application, with some use of examples, where relevant.	A very good application of a range of methods, materials, tools and/or techniques. Very good considerati on of the context of the application, with perceptive use of examples, where relevant. Evidence of some originality, innovation and creativity.	An advanced application of a range of methods, materials, tools and/or techniques. The context of the application is well considered, with extensive use of relevant examples. Application and deploymen t extend beyond established convention s. Originality, innovation	Outstandin g levels of application and deploymen t skills. Assimilatio n and developme nt of cutting edge processes and techniques.
						and/or creativity evident throughout .
5. Skills for Professional Practice Demonstrates attributes expected in professional practice including: individual initiative and collaborative working; deployment of appropriate media to communicate (including written and oral); clarity and effectiveness in presentation and organisation.	Communic ation media is inappropria te or misapplied. Little or no evidence of autonomy in the completion of tasks. Work is poorly structured and/or largely incoherent.	Media is poorly designed and/or not suitable for the audience. Poor independe nt or collaborativ e initiative. Work lacks structure, organisatio n, and/or coherence	Can communica te clearly to specialist and non- specialist audiences in a suitable format but with some room for improveme nt. Can work autonomou sly and as part of a team, but with limited involvemen t in group activities. Work lacks coherence in places and could be better structured.	Can communica te effectively in a suitable format, but may have minor errors. Can work effectively autonomou sly and as part of a team, with clear contributio n to group activities. Mostly coherent work and is in a suitable structure.	Can communica te well, confidently and consistentl y in a suitable format. Can work very well autonomou sly and as part of a team, with very good contributio n to group activities. Work is coherent and fluent and is well structured and organised.	Can communica te professiona lly and, confidently in a suitable format. Can work professiona lly autonomou sly and within a team, showing leadership skills as appropriate , managing conflict and meeting obligations. Work is coherent, very fluent and is presented professiona lly.	Can communica te with an exceptional ly high level of professiona lism. Can work exceptional ly well and professiona lly autonomou sly and within a team, showing advanced leadership skills. Work is exceptional ly coherent, very fluent and is presented professiona lly.

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Human Resource Management