Learning outcomes and assessment criteria specific to this assignment:
Apply relevant concepts, models and theories to analyse and critically evaluate management issues, situations and problems
Examine and assess the contribution of management theory to management practice.
Critically analyse organisations in terms of their internal aspects, functions and processes and evaluate their diverse nature, purposes and management.
Evaluate different HR practices and apply these to specific organisational situations.
Overview
The module this termprovides you with the opportunity to develop your skills focussing within the ‘Management' and ‘Human Resources' contexts. The method of development and assessment for the module will be the creation of an individual essay, submitted at the end of the module. This individual essay is weighted at 100% of the module coursework. This is not an easy module - there is extensive reading and team working that will be set at frequent intervals.
Essay question - 2,500 words
You are a member of a multi-disciplinary Senior Management Project team in an international pharmaceuticals company, with specific responsibilities for HR. The company operates in most countries of the world, and is seeking to develop and expand business in developing third world markets.
As a result, the company is opening a new plant in a year from now, in a South American country where it has not operated previously. The building work is underway and initial commissioning will be done by the team, who have been drawn from existing operations worldwide. The product line will be agro-chemicals, with an emphasis on environmental considerations. Longer-term, it is possible that the product range will be extended to include animal and human health pharmaceutical products.
The Senior Management project team is now asked to look at HR policy for the plant - and the Main Board has told the team that the current reliance on expatriates to manage the business locally is not sustainable in the longer-term and that they want rapid moves made so that the plant has a high proportion of locally-recruited managers within 5 years, aiming for totally local management within 10 years.
YOUR TASK is to write a report of 2500 words for the Senior Management project team on (a) what the principles of the HR policy should be and (b) what steps are needed to ensure that the planned start of production can take place within one year as scheduled.
More specifically, you may want to consider:
- What the theory of HR policy is and how it is treated in contemporary literature
- With reference to contemporary literature, evaluate the extent to which management within organisations impact on the process of HR policy.
Credit will be given for a clear demonstration that you have:
- Extensively read appropriate literature and made use of relevant, contemporary theoretical work on HR policy.
- Considered your own experience of organisations (schools, colleges and Universities are all organisations) and offered explicit examples where appropriate.
- Considered contemporary HR techniques in your own culture and offered some examples where appropriate.