IHRM4032 Introduction to Human Resource Management Spring 2017 Coursework Brief Handout: [Time (am/pm), 13th February 2017] Deadline for Submission: [Time (am/pm), 25th, April 2017]Subject to External approval Submit this coursework through the Student Portal with a Turn-it-in Report Word Limit: 2500 words (Plus or minus 10%) Learning outcomes assessed: • Explain how organisational and HR strategies and practices are shaped and developed and explain the purpose and key objectives of human resources management and the HR function within a contemporary business environment. • Identify the purpose and key objectives of the HR function in contemporary organisations and be able to demonstrate the process of evaluating current and future human resource needs within the business environment; both in terms of numbers of people and skills and competencies. • Appraise the relationship between organisational performance and effective HR management and development. Know how to identify and respond to short-term changes in the business and external contexts and provide solutions to address them. • Explain the significance of employment legislation to an organisation’s HR practices and evaluate how to harness effective HR practices in a global marketplace in terms of adding value and positive contribution to sustained organisation performance. This coursework is worth 100% 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.   Assignment Questions The Case Study You have just been appointed to work as HR Manager for Palermo Safe Storage, an organisation which, despite its mission statement of ‘Our people are our future’, operates with a range of personnel and development policies which pay little heed to employees’ rights or needs at work. You find, for example, that wages and salaries are below the national average, that employees are required to work overtime at short notice, that several staff have been dismissed for trying to establish a trade union! Health and safety rules are frequently ignored, recruitment and selection procedures are haphazard and ad hoc, and training is non-existent. You approach the chief executive and explain that personnel and development practices are out of line with the mission statement and that something needs to be done. She shrugs her shoulders, saying that this has not caused any problems in the past. Nobody has complained to her and, anyway, she runs a successful organisation. In the end you persuade her to let you make a presentation to the board. Your Assignment: Prepare a report which you will present to the executive board of the company based upon what you would do to improve the situation with Palermo Safe Storage. You should use the tasks below as your basis for the report. Task 1 Explain the meaning of HRM and the HR function and why it is important within the organisation. In doing so, explain how HR strategies and practices fit within the overall business objectives. Task 2. Demonstrate the purpose of HR Planning and how this can be useful in finding the right skills and competencies for the business. Task 3. Explain how Training and Development contributes to improving the overall performance of the organisation. Task 4. Explain the process for managing change within the business and its global external environment. Use a HR change model to illustrate your argument. Task 5 Identify the ways in which the organisation can take account of employment legislation within its HR practices. Task 6 Suggest ways in which the organisation can take advantage of globalisation to add value to the business and sustain its future growth. Suggested Structure Introduction This is the introduction to the entire assignment as a whole and not a particular task. It should introduce the purpose of the report and what it intends to cover (125 words) (10 marks) Main Body This is where all the tasks should be discussed. Please do not copy and paste the questions for each task. Below is a suggestion of possible headings for the tasks. However, feel free to use any other headings you deem appropriate: HRM and the HR function This heading should cover task 1 (350 words) (10 marks) HR Planning This heading should cover task 2 (400 words) (15 marks) Training and Development This heading should cover task 3 (350 words) (10 marks) Change Management This heading should cover task 4 (400 words) (15 marks) Employment Legislation This heading should cover task 5 (400 words) (15 marks) Globalisation This heading should cover task 6 (350 words) (10 marks) Conclusion/Recommendations This conclusion should be a summary of your recommendations (What you will do to improve the existing situation at the organisation based on your analysis of the topics covered within the tasks). Your recommendations should contain issues, solutions, benefits and the potential acceptability, or otherwise, of your proposals (125 words) (10 marks) The remaining 5 marks will be awarded for overall presentation. End of Assignment Brief   GSM LONDON GENERIC ASSESSMENT MARKING CRITERIA LEVEL 4 Level 4 introduces students to HE. Students are expected to demonstrate relevant skills and competencies; to be articulate in expressing ideas orally; and to be coherent and structured in terms of written or other media.Forms of expression at this level may be descriptive or imitative, but students are expected to demonstrate an increasing understanding of the theoretical background of their study and the analytic competence to explore it, as well as its relationship, where appropriate, to particular skills. Students are expected to develop awareness of strengths and weaknesses in their skill sets. These criteria are designed to be a reference point for assessment criteria in all subjects. Where the generic criteria are deemed to be sufficient, they can be used directly for assessing students' learning. 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. Calculations are accurate, clearly set out, with explanations. 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. Very good application of numerical and statistical methods to defined problems. Outstanding, consistent delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Substantiated, relevant, logical recommendations. Very good awareness of ethical issues, where relevant. 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 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. Calculations are accurate, clearly set out, with explanations. Very good integration of theory and practice, for this level, using defined conceptual frameworks. Correct use of academic conventions, references and bibliography. Good application of numerical and statistical methods to defined problems. Very good, consistent delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Relevant and logical recommendations. Good awareness of ethical issues, where relevant. 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 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. Calculations are mainly accurate, mostly clearly set out, with mostly good explanations. 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. Mainly good application of numerical and statistical methods to defined problems, with some gaps, errors or misunderstandings. Consistent delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Some relevant recommendations. Satisfactory awareness of ethical issues, where relevant. 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 concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level. Information or data selected from mainly secondary sources, and categorised, analysed or evaluated using mostly relevant methods or techniques but with gaps or misunderstandings. 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. Calculations may have inaccuracies, or issues relating to set out and explanation. 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. Satisfactory awareness of ethical issues, where relevant. 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 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. Calculations are often inaccurate, with many issues relating to set out and explanation. 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. Little awareness of ethical issues, where relevant. 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 concepts, theories and/or principles, appropriate to this level. Little selection of information or data, and little attempt at collation, categorisation, analysis or evaluation. 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. Calculations are mostly inaccurate, or incorrectly set out or explained. 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. Very weak application of numerical and statistical methods to defined problems, with significant errors. Poor delivery of group work obligations, for this level. Irrelevant recommendations. Little or no awareness of ethical issues, where relevant. 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 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. Calculations are inaccurate, with no explanations. 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. No awareness of ethical issues, where relevant. 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. Calculations are missing, with no explanations. 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. No awareness of ethical issues, where relevant.