Assessment 2 - Essay question: Why is employee engagement an essential component of contemporary people management? Overview Through completion of this assessment, students will learn how to:  Research a contemporary issue in employment relations.  Construct a sustained argument in response to the question.  Utilise and conform to the principles of academic rigour in the production of an acceptable, formal response to the question. Each student will submit an individual essay plan worth 10% and a final essay worth 30%. Both parts have unique submission requirements and marking criteria and standards. The marking guides set out the criteria and standards against which your essay plan and final essay will be marked. Further assistance will be provided in tutorials and any additional information will be placed on vUWS. Details – Part 1: Essay plan 10% (Individual) 300 words The essay plan counts for 10% of your final mark. This exercise is to have you put some thought towards your final essay as opposed to approaching it in a last minute rush. We will also take the opportunity to draw attention to any concerns in terms of the planned structure and / or other aspects that need further consideration. Guidelines/ instructions There are three parts to the essay plan and introduction: 1. A brief discussion of the topic and Introductory paragraph Write one paragraph discussing the topic, followed by one paragraph detailed introduction. As a starting point, use the essay introduction model (follow the steps and include sentences that set out why the topic matters today / why it is important; define key terms; provide context; tell the reader ‘how’ you will develop the argument – what are the steps you will take to develop the essay argument? Set out the claims and conclusion). As a guide, this should be two paragraphs that discuss the topic and then introduce the essay. 2. An essay plan in the form of the claims/body using dot points. Set out 4 or 5 paragraphs to describe each key claim that will comprise the essay argument. List them in order of how they will appear in the essay – that is – the strongest should appear first. In each paragraph for each claim, you may like to include an overview of the examples and evidence that the claims with draw upon to develop your argument (i.e., answer the question). 3. The reference list (i.e., The Research!) Provide a list of 6 credible academic/ scholarly references in Harvard UWS referencing style, that you have consulted so far for your essay. These references will support your claim, in that they provide reliable evidence underpinning your argument. Marking criteria and standards – Part 1: Essay plan 1. Does the discussion demonstrate adequate initial knowledge of the topic area and give an indication of preliminary research and an ability to address the topic/question? (/4) 2. Are there sufficient statements / claims / arguments upon which to build your essay? (/3) 3. Are the resources listed indicative of initial research using credible materials? (/3) Details – Part 2: Final essay 30% Essay question Why is employee engagement an essential component of contemporary people management? Research To answer this question, you will need to conduct independent research on the topic of employee engagement. Journals are the most useful source of scholarly material because they contain contemporary research that has been reviewed by experts in the field. Some examples include: Albrecht, S., Bakker, A., Gruman, A., Macey, W. & Saks, A.(2015),’Employee engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage’, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Vol. 2 Iss 1 pp. 7 – 35. Carter, R., Nesbit, P., Badham,R., Parker, S. & Sung, L. (2016), ‘The effects of employee engagement and self-efficacy on job performance: a longitudinal field study’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, DOI:10.1080/09585192.2016.1244096. Guest, D. (2014),’Employee engagement: a sceptical analysis’, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Vol. 1 Iss 2 pp. 141 – 156. Presbitero, A. (2017) ‘How do changes in human resource management practices influence employee engagement? A longitudinal study in a hotel chain in the Philippines’, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 16:1, 56-70. Do not limit your research to journal articles. Academic sources include statistics, media releases, newspaper reports and textbooks. Academic textbooks can help with definitions and many of the issues in managing people at work are found in a range of areas, including: Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development Employment Relations and Industrial Relations Organisational Behaviour and Critical Management Studies Psychology and Sociology It will be crucial for this assignment that you start researching the topic well before the deadline. It will take time to understand the key issues and to create a sustained and coherent argument throughout the essay. You will not be able to analyse every possible issue, so you will need to select only a few significant issues for your discussion – this is the nature of critical analysis. Guidelines for the essay Your essay should have a clear introduction, body and conclusion. Headings are permitted, but should be used sparingly. Assignments should be in Arial, 11 point font, 1.5 line spacing with appropriate margins. All students must use Harvard style referencing. The 1500 word limit must be adhered to within the acceptable range of + or – 10%. All essays must cite at least six academic sources relevant to the topic. You must distinguish clearly between your own words and analysis and those of your sources. You must do this by providing appropriate citations using the Harvard style referencing. Failure to provide appropriate citations is plagiarism. See WSU academic misconduct policy. Your list of references should include only material cited in the paper. This is an individual assessment task – if a submitted essay is assessed as not being the work of a single author then academic misconduct rules apply. Marking criteria and standards – Part 2: Final essay CRITERIA FAIL 0 – 49% Unsatisfactory performance PASS 50 – 64% Satisfactory performance CREDIT 65 – 74% Above average performance DISTINCTION 75 – 84% Advanced performance HIGH DISTINCTION 85% + Superior performance Topic Unclear or minimal understanding of the topic under investigation. Fails to answer the set question. Demonstrates a basic/clear understanding of the topic under investigation. Demonstrates a developed understanding of the topic under investigation. Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the topic under investigation. Demonstrates an excellent understanding of the topic under investigation, showing reasoning, self-confidence and originality. Critical analysis and research Descriptive. Reproduces information from lectures and readings. Over-reliance on quotes and close paraphrasing. Inadequate use of source material. Demonstrates an adequate level of integration of concepts and some consideration of alternate perspectives evident. Requires further research. Able to identify relevant and contrasting arguments. Offers clear analysis, but may lacks consistency. Goes beyond minimum of 6 sources. Able to accurately interpret evidence and statements. Offers analyses and evaluation of alternative points of view. Utilises a good range of sources in an original way. Clearly demonstrates a high level of integration of readings and/or alternative perspectives into own writing. Critically analyses and evaluates alternative points of view. Structure and argument Disjointed, unfocussed, poorly structured argument. Disconnected paragraphs; no clear line of argument. Basic line of argument is apparent, but a great deal of improvement is needed to create coherence. Organisation of ideas is relatively clear, but structure and development of argument may require further justification. Able to construct a coherent line of argument throughout. Introduction, body and conclusion are logically developed and integrated. Able to construct a coherent line of argument throughout, and to effectively synthesise and integrate abstract ideas. Clarity of written expression Incomprehensible. Poor communication of ideas due to careless writing and lack of proof-reading. Unacceptable number of errors. Some inconsistency in sentence structure. Clarity of expression could be enhanced by some revision. A satisfactory standard of expression. Few spelling and/or grammar errors. Consistent expression. Use of advanced language and HRM specific terminology and conventions. Comprehension enhanced by excellent written expression and superior grammar and spelling skills. Work has a clear ‘voice’. Referencing Inadequate, inappropriate or inaccurate referencing that does not conform to the conventions of Harvard Referencing may result in the essay receiving a fail grade overall and the possibility of academic misconduct. Marks may be deducted for poor referencing technique but marks will not be awarded for appropriate referencing technique. TIPS To answer this question, you will need to conduct independent research on the topic of employee engagement. Journals are the most useful source of scholarly material because they contain contemporary research that has been reviewed by experts in the field. Some examples include: Albrecht, S., Bakker, A., Gruman, A., Macey, W. & Saks, A.(2015),’Employee engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage’, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Vol. 2 Iss 1 pp. 7 – 35. Carter, R., Nesbit, P., Badham,R., Parker, S. & Sung, L. (2016), ‘The effects of employee engagement and self-efficacy on job performance: a longitudinal field study’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, DOI:10.1080/09585192.2016.1244096. Guest, D. (2014),’Employee engagement: a sceptical analysis’, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Vol. 1 Iss 2 pp. 141 – 156. Presbitero, A. (2017) ‘How do changes in human resource management practices influence employee engagement? A longitudinal study in a hotel chain in the Philippines’, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 16:1, 56-70. Do not limit your research to journal articles. Academic sources include statistics, media releases, newspaper reports and textbooks. Academic textbooks can help with definitions and many of the issues in managing people at work are found in a range of areas, including: Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development Employment Relations and Industrial Relations Organisational Behaviour and Critical Management Studies Psychology and Sociology It will be crucial for this assignment that you start researching the topic well before the deadline. It will take time to understand the key issues and to create a sustained and coherent argument throughout the essay. You will not be able to analyse every possible issue, so you will need to select only a few significant issues for your discussion – this is the nature of critical analysis. Guidelines for the essay Your essay should have a clear introduction, body and conclusion. Headings are permitted, but should be used sparingly. Assignments should be in Arial, 11 point font, 1.5 line spacing with appropriate margins. All students must use Harvard style referencing. The 1500 word limit must be adhered to within the acceptable range of + or – 10%. All essays must cite at least six academic sources relevant to the topic. You must distinguish clearly between your own words and analysis and those of your sources. You must do this by providing appropriate citations using the Harvard style referencing. Failure to provide appropriate citations is plagiarism. See WSU academic misconduct policy. Your list of references should include only material cited in the paper. This is an individual assessment task – if a submitted essay is assessed as not being the work of a single author then academic misconduct rules apply.