Description

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

By the end of this course you should be able to understand:

1.     Understand how the strategic management of Human Resources contributes to the achievement of organisational objectives.

2.     Be able to develop Human Resource plans for an organisation

3.     Understand Human Resources policy requirements in an organisation

4.     Be able to examine Human Resources management in an organisation

Course Learning Outcomes Covered

PART 1 – CLO 1, 2

PART 2 – CLO 1, 2, 3

PART 3 – CLO 1, 2, 4

PART 1: Essay. Attempt all the questions below. Explain comprehensively your answers (with introduction, body and conclusion) – no bullet points allowed.

1.          Since its inception, Human Resource Management is concerned with the people dimension in management and has certainly evolved from just being what was originally known as Personnel Management. In this regard, compare and contrast HRM with Personnel Management in terms of: (1000 Words)

1.      Focus

2.      Employee Satisfaction

3.      Approach

4.      Job Allocation

5.      Aim

2.          Miller and Friesen (1984) contended that organizations tend to move in a linear sequence of five stages, otherwise known as the Business Life Cycle, consisting of five phases. (750 words)

1.      Explain the 5 phases using an industry example.

2.      Using the same industry example, when product / business reaches the 3rd and the 4th phases and assuming that there is a proper HR, how would the effectiveness of doing HR be affected using the 8-box model of Paul Boselie?

3.     According to the Economist (2015), the advent of machine learning, in which computers teach themselves tasks and rules by analyzing large sets of data will surely lead to large-scale worker dislocation and will eliminate wide swaths of white-collar workers and that many jobs currently performed by humans will be substantially taken over by robots or digital agents by 2025. (750 words)

1.      How would Upskilling and Reskilling help the employees from losing their jobs?

2.       Relating this to the study conducted by the British Council in 2018, give the two

(2) skills that potential employees must acquire and/or nurture and are considered the foundations of future jobs in the UAE as its economy grows. Why? Justify your answer.

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 PART II: Case Study. Answer the questions below. (1250 Words)

Jenny and Franklin are post graduates in Management under different streams from the same Business School. Both of them are close to each other since their college days and the same friendship manifests in the organisation, as they work in the same company, Hy-tech technology solutions. Jenny is in the HR department as Employee Counselor and Franklin in the Finance Department as key Finance Executive. As per the grade is concerned, both are at same level but when responsibility is concerned, Franklin holds more responsibility being in core finance.

Jenny is friendly by nature and is always ready to help. Franklin is naturally introverted but is ready to help if approached personally. They have successfully completed 4 years in the organization and the management is more than satisfied with both of them as employees.

Jenny feels that Franklin behaviourally changed. During normal conversations, she feels that Franklin taunts her constantly about being famous among the employees in the organisation while he goes around unrecognized.

One morning, Mr. Mehta, the General Manager of Hy-tech technology solutions, received a mail from Franklin stating categorically his resignation. Mr. Mehta called Jenny immediately and discussed about the same due to her closeness to Franklin. Jenny herself was surprised and naturally expressed her perception about Franklin’s behavioural change. Mr. Mehta vowed to convince Franklin not to resign.

Mr. Mehta took Franklin to the company’s cafeteria to make him comfortable to create a colloquial, informal environment. Franklin, after some hesitations, expressed his sentiments. He narrated the following experiential issues-

1)  When he comes alone to the cafeteria, people don’t even recognize him unless he is with Jenny who is treated well by others.

2)  One day, while entering the company’s premises with Jenny, the security at the gate greeted them, but when he came alone the next day, the same security did not do so.

3)  During meetings, the points raised by Jenny would get more attention and value.

The perceived indifference did not sit well with Franklin. To face such degradation each day affected his confidence. Franklin also highlighted the fact that “Jenny and myself have the same qualifications from the same institution, have the same number of experiences in the organisation, equally productive and even so, I have more responsibilities and far more valuable. Inspite of, I am being ignored by my fellow employees.”

Listening intently, Mr.Mehta realized what really the problem is. He explained to Franklin the reasons for the seemingly behavior of the employees. Once the informal meeting was over, Franklin apologized for his reaction and recanted his resignation.