UHRM3009 Understanding Human Resource Management Spring 2017 Coursework Brief Handout: [Time (am/pm), Date Month Year] Deadline for Submission: [Time (am/pm), Date, Month Year] Submit this coursework through the Student Portal with a Turn-it-in Report Word Limit: 1000 words (Plus or minus 10%) Learning outcomes assessed: • Identify the various forms of organisational structure, culture and management styles and to be able to give examples. • Describe the role of an HR department within the context of an organisation. • Demonstrate key activities managers undertake and the skills required when managing people within an organisation. This coursework is worth 50% of the total marks for this module. Coursework Instructions Please read carefully • Carefully read the module handbook, the marking criteria and the grade descriptors. Academic Misconduct You are responsible for ensuring you understand the policy and regulations about academic misconduct. You must: • Complete this work alone except where required or allowed by this assignment briefing paper and ensure it has not been written or composed by or with the assistance of any other person. • Make sure all sentences or passages quoted from other people’s work in this assignment (with or without trivial changes) are in quotation marks, and are specifically acknowledged by reference to the author, work and page.   Blank   Assignment Questions Individual Report TASK 1 Marks and Spencer With more than 120 years of heritage, Marks & Spencer is one of the best-known British retailers. Marks and Spencer went through structural changes. This is because the power culture used by the company was not matching with its new objectives. Due to the several management levels involved in the decision-making process, the structure was not the swiftest way to react to competitors. On the other hand, it hampers the innovation as only selected people can take part of the decisions. Thus, the company has had to adjust. Now employees throughout the business have more responsibility. This enables them to make quick decisions when required. At the same time, these employees have more accountability than before. This means that they must be prepared to explain and justify the decisions that they take. Many employees have bigger jobs. There are higher expectations that staff can contribute more to the organization. Marks & Spencer needs to keep its staff well-trained and able to respond to the business needs. Marks and Spencer is committed to direct employee engagement and participation through democratically elected Business Involvement Groups and Works Councils. At the end of every 6 months a performance review or appraisal takes place. Employees discuss their progress with their line managers. Employees are given ratings for the skills and competencies they have shown over the past year. These are compared with expected skills profiles for these areas. This feedback helps employees identify how they are performing in relation to the expected technical skills and business competencies and reveals any gaps. All staff have a personal development plan in which they set objectives based on the feedback from their performance review. This helps them to construct a realistic and focused career path. They use training and development to improve the technical skills and business competencies they need to undertake management roles. 1. What is the organizational structure of Marks and Spencer (e.g. flat or tall) and why has it adopted this structure? (200 words). 2. Using Charles Handy model, Explain the corporate culture at M&S (200words) 3. Which ONE of the three management styles does M&S have and how does it influence its management activities? (200 words) • Autocratic • Laissez Faire • Democratic 4. Explain these two HRM functions and relate to M & S. (200 words) • Performance Management • Training and Development Reference your answer with evidence from a range of books, articles and websites. (1000 words, +/- 10%) Each point carries equal marks Your report should comprise of the following sections:  An introduction (100 words)  The body should include the discussion of all the four points (Approximately 200 words per point).  Conclusion and Recommendations (100 words)  Bibliography showing all sources of references. End of Assignment Brief   Marking Criteria KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING INTELLECTUAL & COGNITIVE SKILLS Graduate Skills: transferable, employability, practical and academic skills Factual and conceptual knowledge and understanding; use of class materials; independent reading Critical thinking; conceptualisation; creativity; synthesis, analysis and evaluation; application; problem solving and research/investigation Written, oral and presentation skills; interpersonal, group and teamwork skills; leadership skills; numeracy; digital skills; practical, professional and academic skills (including referencing/presentation MARKING BAND CLASSIFICATION WEIGHTED AT 45% WEIGHTED AT 30% WEIGHTED AT 25% 86 - 100% FIRST (1ST) Includes all required factual content, accurately summarised. Well developed, relevant, reasoned introduction and conclusions. Within word count or presentation time. Accurate identification of relevant concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level and likely to extend beyond core of classroom content Clearly and logically structured material. Accurate spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. Structured appropriately Excellent understanding of factual and conceptual material, relative to this level. Information or data selected from a good range of appropriate primary and/or secondary sources, and categorised, analysed or evaluated using relevant methods or techniques. Fluent, interesting writing style, appropriate to the assignment OR engaging, confident, audible and well-paced presentation. Well developed, coherent arguments, referencing primary and secondary literature. Appropriate visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Well-developed integration of theory and practice, for this level, using defined conceptual frameworks. Correct use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. Outstanding, consistent delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Substantiated, relevant, logical recommendations. Insightful reflection on own strengths and weaknesses in relation to defined professional and practical skills. 70 - 85% FIRST (1ST) Includes all required factual content, accurately summarised. Well developed, relevant introduction and conclusions. Within word count or presentation time. Includes relevant factual content only. Well-structured material. Accurate spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. Structured appropriately Accurate identification of relevant HR concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level. Information or data selected from a good range of appropriate primary and/or secondary sources, and categorised, analysed or evaluated using relevant methods or techniques. Fluent writing style, appropriate to the assignment OR engaging, audible and well-paced presentation. Structured appropriately Very good understanding of factual and conceptual material, relative to this level. Coherent arguments, referencing primary and secondary literature. Appropriate visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Very good integration of theory and practice, for this level, using defined conceptual frameworks. Correct use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. Very good, consistent delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Relevant and logical recommendations. Good reflection on own strengths and weaknesses in relation to defined professional and practical skills. 60 - 69% UPPER SECOND (2:1) Includes most required factual content, mostly accurately summarised. Relevant introduction and conclusions. Appropriate visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Includes relevant factual content only. Clearly structured material. Mostly accurate spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. Mainly accurate identification of HR relevant concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level. Information or data selected from some relevant primary and secondary sources, and categorised, analysed or evaluated using relevant methods or techniques but with some gaps or misunderstandings. Mainly fluent writing style, appropriate to the assignment OR mainly engaging, audible and well-paced presentation. Sound understanding of factual and conceptual material, relative to this level. Mostly coherent arguments, referencing primary and secondary literature. Mostly appropriate visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Good integration of theory and practice, for this level. Mostly correct use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. Independent reading and research from sufficient and mostly authoritative primary and secondary sources, appropriate to this level. . Consistent delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Some relevant recommendations. Clear reflection on own strengths and weaknesses in relation to defined professional and practical skills. 50 - 59% LOWER SECOND (2:2) Includes essential required factual content, but with some gaps or misunderstandings. Adequate introduction and conclusions. Within 10% of word count or presentation time. Includes some irrelevant factual content. Mostly clearly structured material. Some mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. Some identification of relevant HR concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level. Writing style is appropriate but not always fluent OR a presentation that is not always engaging, audible or well-paced. Adequate understanding of factual and conceptual material, relative to this level. Limited arguments, referencing mostly secondary literature. Inconsistent visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. An adequate attempt to relate theory to practice, for this level, using defined conceptual frameworks. Inconsistent use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. Some independent reading and research from mainly secondary sources, appropriate to this level. Adequate application of numerical and statistical methods to defined problems, with gaps, errors or misunderstandings. Inconsistent delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Basic recommendations. Some evaluation of own strengths and weaknesses in relation to defined professional and practical skills. 40 - 49% THIRD (3RD) Includes limited required factual content, with many gaps or inaccuracies. Basic introduction and conclusions. Within 10% of word count or presentation time. Includes considerable irrelevant factual content. Unevenly structured material. Frequent mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. Limited identification of relevant HR concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level. Information or data selected from secondary sources, and poorly categorised, analysed or evaluated using inappropriate methods or techniques. Awkward or inappropriate writing style OR a presentation that is not engaging, audible or well-paced. Limited understanding of factual and conceptual material, relative to this level. Sense of emerging argument, mainly descriptive or personal opinion, with little reference to literature. Clear but inappropriate visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Limited attempt to relate theory to practice, using defined conceptual frameworks. Inconsistent or incomplete use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. Limited independent reading and research from secondary sources, appropriate to this level. Weak application of numerical and statistical methods to defined problems, with many gaps or errors. Unreliable delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Recommendations lack clarity or may be incomplete. Limited reflection on own strengths and weaknesses in relation to defined professional and practical skills. 30 - 39% FAIL. POSSIBLE COMPENSATION. Includes insufficient required factual content, with significant gaps or inaccuracies. Incoherent or irrelevant introduction and conclusions. More than 10% outside word count or presentation time. Includes substantial irrelevant factual content. Incoherently structured material. Serious mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. Very limited or inaccurate identification of relevant HR concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level. Little selection of information or data, and Poor writing style OR a presentation that is not engaging, audible or well-paced. Very limited understanding of factual and conceptual material, relative to this level. Little or no argument, entirely descriptive or personal opinion, with no reference to literature. Poor visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Theory only sporadically related to practice, using defined conceptual frameworks. Inaccurate or incomplete use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. Minimal independent reading and research, appropriate to this level. Poor delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Irrelevant recommendations. Very limited reflection on own strengths and weaknesses in relation to defined professional and practical skills. 16 - 29% FAIL. NO COMPENSATION. Includes almost no required factual content, and with very significant inaccuracies. Incoherent or missing introduction and conclusions. More than 10% outside word count or presentation time. Includes mainly irrelevant factual content. Very incoherently structured material. Serious and extensive mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. No identification of relevant HR concepts, theories and/or principles. No evidence of the selection, categorisation, analysis or evaluation of information or data. Incoherent writing style OR an inaudible, poorly paced and unengaging presentation. No understanding of factual and conceptual material, relative to this level. No argument, entirely descriptive or personal opinion, with no reference to literature. Very poor visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Theory not related to practice. Very inaccurate or no use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. No independent reading and research, appropriate to this level. Minimal application of numerical and statistical methods and techniques to defined problems, with significant errors. Very poor delivery of group work obligations, where relevant. No recommendations. Minimal or no evaluation of own strengths and weaknesses in relation to defined professional and practical skills. 0 - 15% FAIL. NO COMPENSATION. Does not include required factual content. No introduction and conclusions. More than 10% outside word count or presentation time. Includes entirely irrelevant factual content. Very incoherently structured material. Serious and extensive mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraphing. No identification of relevant concepts, theories and/or principles. No evidence of the selection, categorisation, analysis or evaluation of information or data. Incoherent writing style OR an inaudible, poorly paced and unengaging presentation. No understanding of factual and conceptual material. No argument, entirely personal opinion, with no reference to literature. Exceptionally poor visual presentation, including font, spacing, margins, headings, graphics, images and appendices. Theory not related to practice. No use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. No independent reading and research, appropriate to this level. No application of numerical and statistical methods to defined problems. No delivery of group work obligations, for this level. No recommendations.