HRMN 400 7980 Human Resource Management: Issues and Problems

Assignment 1 Job Analysis Power Point Presentation – 

Worth up to 18 points and 18% of course grade

Objective of the assignment:

Job analysis is a core skill for HR professionals and a key task for organizations to perform. So many of the employment decisions are based on this one task. The purpose of the activity is for you to gain practice in conducting a job analysis and to gain knowledge about the methods to collect data for the analysis.

Deliverable:

For this assignment, you are asked to develop a plan to gather data for a job analysis, use at least two of the methods to gather data, write a short job description and job specification based on the data you have gathered. Please do not use your own position and do not use a job description already written. If you do not work outside the home, you have other opportunities for positions to analyze. If you do not have a position in a typical office, retail establishment or production facility you can use, seek out a position from elsewhere. The opportunities could include a server at a restaurant, a service provider in your home, your hair stylist, a sales assistant, the receptionist at your doctor’s office or perhaps your child’s au pair, tutor, teacher or nanny.

First review the material presented in the course about how to conduct a job analysis, the various methods for collecting data and the pros and cons of the various methods.

After you have selected your methods for collecting the data, select the position (a job) to analyze and use at least two of the methods for collecting data, collect the data using the methods selected and summarize your findings in a short job description and job specification. .

Place the power point presentation in the assignments folder AND in the discussion forum for all to see. In the power point presentation, share the following:

1.  Provide an academic definition of job analysis and a short description of how it is used in organizations. Provide an in text citation for the definition. 

2.  The position you selected to analyze.

3. The methods you selected for gathering data, an academic definition of each, an in text citation and the pros and cons of each data collection method you selected.

4. The rationale for why you selected the methods you did (tell why you selected the methods you did).

5.  A description of your experience in collecting the data (how did it go? – was it easy, hard, stressful? for example).

6.  A short sample position description and job specification you were able to design based on the data you gathered. Include an academic definition of position. description and specification along with the in text citation for each.

7.  Suggestions for data gathering if you were to complete this assignment again and desire to make it even more accurate.

Please try to present your data in no more than 10 slides including your title slide and reference page (recall that if you have in text citations you must also have a reference page and it is to be in APA format including displayed in alphabetical order).Keep all the relevant content in the slide content area and use the notes area on the slide for other supplemental information

Additional information on job analysis:

http://managementstudyguide.com/job-analysis-methods.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Job-Analysis-Methods&id=4258790

http://www.zeepedia.com/read.php?job_analysis_methods_of_collecting_job_analysis_information_observation_source_of_data_human_resource_management&b=33&c=15

Assignment 2  Literature Review Paper –

Worth up to 20 points and 20% of course grade..

The learning outcome of this assignment is to understand how to conduct research on a given topic. Also, the outcome includes the application of your research about strategic human resources planning for your HR practice. Research and staying current on HR related topics is a critical need for an HR practitioner as is the knowledge of how to strategically plan for the Human Resources function. 

For this assignment, you are asked to develop a literature review on the topic of strategic human resource management. The paper requires you to develop a short (about three to five pages) document on the current thinking and research in the area of strategic human resource management. You may include examples in your paper about how the Human Resources function creates initiatives that are strategic such as targeted recruitment, a Total Rewards program, engagement studies just to name a few, but the main focus on the paper is on the strategic nature of the Human Resource function.

You want to conduct a scholarly review of the literature, and you must have a minimum of three citations (excluding our course materials). Again, your topic is strategic human resource management but you may provide examples of strategic HR initiatives. 

Review the paper provided “Writing a Literature Review Paper.” Keep in mind that a literature review is not merely a bibliographic list of resources. A literature review is your synthesis of the scholarly research available on the subject.

Your literature review can be used to inform management for decisions that are pending and/or serve as a basis for mere knowledge sharing. Literature reviews can be stand-alone documents or parts of a larger document. This assignment is to create a stand-alone literature review. Your literature review must use scholarly references and it must be written in a narrative format synthesizing the research from your citations, which must be in presented in APA format. Be sure to use topic headings such as Introduction, Main Findings and Conclusions. The paper will include at the least the following::

1.  Title page

2.  Introduction and Purpose of the Paper

3.  General Findings of the Research (including definition of the topic)

4.  Synthesis of the Findings

5.  Conclusions

6.  Reference Page

Asssignment 3 Recruitment and Staffing Proposal –

 Worth up to 18 points or 18 % of total grade in the course.

 Objective of the assignment: The objective of this assignment is to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of the steps required to recruit and staff for an important segment of the workplace and to demonstrate your strategic skills to the CEO. You will share some of the essential strategic and administrative steps for this important function of Human Resources and will include metrics for which to evaluate the recruitment and selection approach that will be implemented.                      

The situation: Suppose that you are the new HR Director at HSS (the case study presented in our Course Resources under modules) and you have already made a presentation to the CEO and the Board of Directors on the need for HR planning and and enhanced strategic role that HR must play in the organization. After that presentation, and having read the research on managing human resources strategically that you have presented (assignment 2 literature review), the CEO confides that she has been thinking about how the senior staff in the organization are recruited and selected. As a result, she has asked you to propose new recruitment and selection methods for the senior level employees.

Deliverable:

The CEO’s directive to you is to prepare a short (approximately five-page double spaced) proposal that includes at the least:

 1.  A cover memo to the CEO providing an overview of the task assigned and a summary of your proposal

2.  A description of at least three recruitment approaches that could be considered

3.  A description of at least three selection approaches that could be considered

4.  A cost/benefit analysis and comparison of the approaches of both the recruitment and selection approached

5.  Metrics the organization could use to evaluate the effectiveness of the on-going recruitment and selection of senior level employees. Propose at least three metrics for the evaluation (include the time frame for your evaluation period such as six months after entry into the position).

6.  Your recommended approach and your arguments/justification to defend your choices.

7.  A conclusion section that includes a summary of the approaches recommended, the benefits and any other aspects to the proposal you want to highlight.

Notes: Use topic headings to organization your presentation, include in-text citations for statements of fact, and provide a reference page if in text citations are used in the proposal, use professional level language and writing. 

Additional resources:

Module three (found in week three) offers some information helpful about how to recruit. You may add to your thoughts by researching the topic but following are a few articles you may find helpful. If the links do not work, please just cut and paste them into your browser. The last resource I’ve listed is a very good research article from the Center for Creative Leadership about selecting executives. If the links do not work, please copy and paste into your browser.

 http://jobsearch.about.com/od/recruiting/a/how-companies-recruit.htm

 Clear Fit. (2012, November 22). How Recruiting Methods Have Changed Over the Past Ten Years. Retrieved from Clear Fit: http://www.clearfit.com/resource-center/candidate-sourcing/hiring-and-recruiting-how-recruiting-methods-have-changed-over-the-past-ten-years/

Demarco, E. & Rossini, R. (2013, August 13). Creative recruiting: 7 innovative ways to land  your dream hire. Retrieved from http://www.hrmorning.com/creative-recruiting-land-dream-hire/

HRMorning.com.  http://www.hrmorning.com/creative-recruiting-land-dream-hire/

Chris Joseph, eHow Contributor. (n.d.). The Advantages of Recruitment From Newspaper Want Ads. Retrieved January 30, 2014, from ehow.com:http://www.ehow.com/info_7935787_advantages-recruitment-newspaper-want-ads.html

Giles, Karl. “7 Benefits of Social Media of Recruitment.” 7 Benefits of Social Media of Recruitment. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2014. <http://www.employmentguide.com/careeradvice/_Benefits_of_Social_Media_of_Recruitment.htm>.

Root, George N. “Advantages & Disadvantages of Internal Recruitment.” Small Business. Chron, n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-internal-recruitment-11212.html

http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/ExecutiveSelection.pdf

Assignment 4 Final Assessment Case Study –

Worth 20 points and 20% of course grade.

Objective of this assignment:

This activity serves as a final assessment for the course. It provides you the opportunity to demonstrate how well you have achieved the learning outcomes of the course. You are to provide your knowledge of the strategic and administrative function of Human Resources by thinking about the situation of Southwest Airlines recent merger and their expansion.

Deliverable:

Read and reflect on the case study below and prepare a response paper of not less than five pages (excluding title and reference pages) with appropriate in text citations. Demonstrate your research and analytical skills in developing your comprehensive paper by using the organizations website and outside articles written about the organization to supplement the information provided in the case study. However, the case study is unique in that it is focused on the HR ramifications and most of the outside reports you will locate articulate the business side of the merger or expansion possibilities. Tailor your paper to the HR ramifications of the merger and expansion. 

Keep in mind that the purpose of this final assessment is for you to demonstrate your knowledge of the strategic and administrative function of Human Resources. While the business side of the situation is the foundation, it is the command of the needed tasks and role for the Human Resource function that you are to focus most of your attention. 

Key Components

The key components of the paper are as follows:

1.  Title page

2.  Introduction in which you restate the issue(s) and state the purpose of the paper

3.  SWOT analysis from the HR perspective  

4.  Recommendations to address the issues. Scholarly research is expected to support the recommendations.

Examples of issues that may want to be elaborated upon may be possible redundant positions, maintaining the culture of both organizations (or not), combining compensation and benefits plans and union involvement (just to name some).

5. There are many tasks for recruiting and hiring for the expansion (in various global locations). Think about and list what those tasks are. 

6. Provide the metrics for evaluating the outcomes of the expansion of the organization (again, from an HR perspective).

7.  Synthesize and summarize your thoughts about the merger and expansion (from an HR perspective), including recommendations for aligning the HR function of the two organizations and addressing any of the S.W.O.T. assessment HR related elements as appropriate. 

6.  Reference page containing at least five scholarly references cited in the paper and presented in APA guideline format

Situation:

Southwest Airlines is a major airline in the United States with limited flights outside the country. The organization has a strong culture which is described in the following excerpt from Gary Kelly, CEO Southwest Airlines found on the Southwest Airlines Website. http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/index.html?int=GFOOTER-ABOUT-ABOUT 

Living the Southwest Way

(Gary Kelly states that)…..I ask three things of the 46,000 Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways Employees every day: Work hard, have fun, and treat everyone with respect. We call this Living the Southwest Way, and it comprises three characteristics that we look for in job candidates and require of our Employees: a Warrior Spirit, a Servant’s Heart, and a Fun-LUVing Attitude. While it may sound simple (and it is), the impact can be profound. Our Culture has long been admired and has earned Southwest much recognition, including a yearly spot on Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list (we ranked seventh this year) and the distinction of being named one of the Best Places to Work in Glassdoor.com’s 2013 Employees’ Choice Awards. Our Culture is not a program or a campaign; it is the sum of the personalities and behaviors of our People who Live the Southwest Way every day.

(The following is fiction but is the situation to consider for this assignment). Due to the recent acquisition of AirTran Airways and with the possibility of acquiring other airlines that will expand the organization to other countries, Southwest Airlines will add thousands of employees quickly from any number of existing airlines in a variety of global locations.

Faced with the tasks of maintaining the values of the organization, consider and propose steps the Human Resources team will need to take to achieve a successful merger of the two companies and to expand to additional global locations.

PLEASE NOTE: Much has been written about Southwest Airlines, its culture and the recent merger. While that information may be used as reference material, the situation you have been asked to use for your application of your knowledge about HR is unique. Do not merely cut and paste from what you find in the documents you locate.