Description

Essay Two: A 2000-word essay (+/- 10% and excluding the reference list) on one of the following essay topics (50% of the course mark).

1. Recruitment and selection policies and practices are said to be crucial to the achievement of corporate and business strategy. Critically assess how such achievement can be secured.

2. Analyse the requirements needed to implement an effective human resource development strategy.

3. Analyse the requirements needed to implement an effective performance management system.

4. Conflict is often said to lie at the heart of the employment relationship.  How might employee relations processes and practices help to resolve such conflicts?

5. The notion of learning is said to be critical to organisational effectiveness.  Discuss the factors that can help or hinder the learning process in organisations.

6. Compare and contrast Taylorite job design principles with the principles associated with the Job Redesign Movement.

7. What factors need to be borne in mind if payment systems are to be regarded as effective by management and fair by employees?

8. Critically evaluate how human resource management may influence employee motivation both positively and negatively.

•      Choose a topic that interests you

•      Analyse the topic/question and look for key words that indicate what you have to do

•      Make sure your essay answers the question; do not stray off into less relevant aspects

•      Review teaching/reading material relating to the topic: lecture slides plus the Henderson text as a minimum; try also to access the other texts indicated in the Course Guide (the Grugulis, Randal/Sim and Wilkinson, et al texts) and follow-up one or two of the references they indicate concerning the topic

•      Avoid over-reliance on generic web-based materials (“MyMBA”; “All-you-need-to-know-about”; etc.) but do look at respected sites such as those of the major consultancies (e.g Deloitte, PwC, etc.) for indications of current trends

•      Aim to make use of about 10 or 12 key sources/references

•      In your analysis addressing the essay question/issues make sure you support your arguments by evidence and references to the literature or other respected sources of information

•      If appropriate do make use of your own experience/ideas concerning the topic or your organisation’s approach or that of some other organisation you are familiar with … but balance this with appropriate academic sources.

•      Structure of your essay:

o   Remember the old idea:

Ø  Tell them what you’re going to tell them

Ø  Tell it

Ø  Tell them what you’ve told them

In other words:

Ø  Introduction: outline the main parts of your essay; what you will cover and in what order.

Ø  Main Body: outline the key terms relating to the topic and how these relate to the core task you are asked to undertake in the essay; make use of evidence/references to support the points made; remember that there may be different views expressed in the literature – it is quite alright to indicate a variety of views but come down in favour of one approach or another and say why; assemble your arguments to support the position you wish to communicate about the task; get a logical order organised and work through them in writing this part of your essay.

Ø  Conclusion: briefly summarise the range of ideas covered, your key arguments and any final thoughts that you wish to convey. 

Ø   

You can make use of headings/sub-headings if you want to but they are not necessary.

These websites will be worth looking at in relation to your topic:

•      http://www.cipd.co.uk/

•      http://www.acas.org.uk/