MN2705 Human Resource Management 2021-22 Assignment
What are the core objectives of Human Resource Management? Why do HR practices vary across different organisations?
Your answer must refer to key concepts and ideas from the module. Most of the relevant concepts are covered in the first two sessions (e.g. hard/soft HRM, internal/external fit, HR & performance, the wage/effort bargain, unitarism/pluralism etc.). Note that this is an indicative list of concepts, not a complete or ‘required’ list, and your answer will depend on your own reading and your own interpretation of the question.
Your answer must also reference relevant academic sources, for example textbooks and journals mentioned in the module reading list. Stronger answers may evidence wider reading. It is not acceptable to rely on websites like Wikipedia and of course not acceptable to lift material from standardised essay websites. Your answer needs to show evidence that you have engaged with relevant and contemporary academic sources, and these need to be properly cited and referenced.
MN2705 Assignment
The essay question is in two parts:
- What are the core objectives of Human Resource Management?
- Why do HR practices vary across different organisations?
Clearly it is important that you answer both parts. However, there is no set word length requirement for each part. Neither is there any particular structure or approach that we are looking for. You could address part 1 followed by part 2, or alternatively blend your answers to both parts together. This is entirely your decision. You will not be penalised, or rewarded, for either approach. What matters is that you do address both parts.
As with many essay questions, and hopefully you have noticed this, the first part is intentionally rather broad, and the second part is more detailed. Also intentionally, the second part builds upon the first part. Clearly it is most important that you address part 2 properly in order to obtain a higher mark. So, for example, simply listing some key HR policies and saying that each one of them is useful will not receive a high mark. The better answers will be those that grapple more fully with the question of why HR practices vary. In doing so, you will need to first briefly describe how HR practices vary and then offer an explanation as to why they do so.
As mentioned on the essay brief, several relevant issues and concepts to help you do this are discussed in the first two lectures, and many of the textbooks also discuss these issues, especially in their opening chapters. Again, there is no set number of concepts that we are looking for. You need to use your judgement, based on your understanding of the lectures and your wider reading and note taking. This is part of the challenge of the assignment task. Better answers will apply relevant concepts in order to explain why some organisations manage their human resources in different ways to other organisations. We will not respond to individual requests for any more detailed guidance on the use of particular concepts – to repeat, this is part of the assessment of your work.
Some of you have also asked about part 1 of the essay, and in particular what we mean by the core objectives of HRM. This is really asking you to outline the essential or general aims and objectives of HRM. In simple terms, what is HRM all about?, what are HR strategies and policies trying to achieve? This more general part of the essay might include mention of particular areas of HR policy, and the second more specific part would then, as we have said, consider why different policies and different strategic approaches to human resources are used in different organisations (e.g. hard v soft etc.).
Again, there are clues and relevant concepts in the first two lectures. However, we would also stress that these two lectures are not the only sources you need to use. As always, essays which rely solely on repeating points from a lecturer’s powerpoint slides will not receive high marks. The essay brief stresses the requirement to consult relevant readings, and to cite these properly. You do not have to cite a vast quantity of sources. Usually around 5-10 is fine. But of course the key is the quality of these sources and how you have used them, so that you show evidence of appropriate reading and that your citations match and illustrate the key points and arguments being made.
Overall, there is no set blueprint or ‘one best way’ to answer the question, and we are very open to different approaches. There is also no ‘catch’ to the question, and it is not designed to be especially complex or challenging, but rather is designed to allow you the opportunity to show that you can engage with and understand the course material, and that you can write clearly using appropriate essay techniques. We want you to do well in your essay as this provides a strong foundation for tackling the exam later in the year. All essays that show an engagement with the course material and coherently address both parts of the question within the word limit will receive a good mark.
Of course there can be other reasons, apart from the content or substance, why essays can lose marks. Regarding appropriate essay technique, I would strongly encourage you to read the SBM Essay Writing and Referencing Guide, which I have also added to the moodle page (below this document). This does not take long to read and is full of very useful guidelines. The more closely these are followed, the better your essay will be. In particular I would refer you to the sections on taking notes, essay composition, use of information, and clarity. This is all very good advice to follow. Of course it is also important that you are fully cognisant of plagiarism and how to avoid it, which is also covered very clearly in this guide.
If you have further queries, please raise these in the Guided Learning sessions and Workshops. Tutors will be putting time aside in these sessions to address questions about the assignment. That way, everyone benefits equally from the answers and the discussion.
APA
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