ASB-4904: Applied Business Project (HRM) Assignment 2016

QUESTION: Critically assess the impact of the 2008 global fin" rel="nofollow">inancial and economic crisis on HRM practices in" rel="nofollow">in organizations. The assignment question reflects some core themes addressed durin" rel="nofollow">ing the ABP HRM module. The aim of the assignment is to encourage students to combin" rel="nofollow">ine theoretical and practical aspects of HRM by referrin" rel="nofollow">ing to organization case study examples when assessin" rel="nofollow">ing the core themes in" rel="nofollow">in the HRM academic literature. In particular, students are expected to engage in" rel="nofollow">in critical analysis of relevant HRM academic literature, from sources recommended below, in" rel="nofollow">in the module outlin" rel="nofollow">ine, at the end of lecture slides, or sources derived from their own wider readin" rel="nofollow">ing. It is not enough to rely on lecture notes or non-academic in" rel="nofollow">internet sources. Students that can show evidence of critical thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing and engagement with academic literature, and illustrate this with practical ‘real world’ examples, are more likely to achieve favourable grades. Background: In 2008, the most serious fin" rel="nofollow">inancial and economic crisis to hit the global economy sin" rel="nofollow">ince the Great Depression began in" rel="nofollow">in the US and spread rapidly to Europe. Many economies are still experiencin" rel="nofollow">ing negative or declin" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing growth rates and economic restructurin" rel="nofollow">ing, as well as unemployment and austerity (ILO, 2014). While various studies have explored the impact of fin" rel="nofollow">inancial and economic crisis at the macro and micro level - examin" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing issues such as firm growth and survivability, fin" rel="nofollow">inancin" rel="nofollow">ing, market in" rel="nofollow">investment, and organisational strategy - less attention has been given to the human resource management (HRM) and employment relations implications of the global economic downturn, how this has affected organisations, HR management in" rel="nofollow">in organisations, the employment conditions and livin" rel="nofollow">ing standards of workers, and so forth. SELECT ANY ONE ORGANIZATION CASE with which you are familiar – one that you can access relevant HRM in" rel="nofollow">information about (for example, one you have worked for, an organisation familiar to family/friends, or that you have been able to fin" rel="nofollow">ind detailed in" rel="nofollow">information about in" rel="nofollow">in journal articles, books, newspapers, in" rel="nofollow">internet). In completin" rel="nofollow">ing the assignment question, you are expected to address the followin" rel="nofollow">ing issues: 1. Broad political economy context: start by providin" rel="nofollow">ing a general summary of the overall impact of the 2008 fin" rel="nofollow">inancial and economic crisis on HRM practices, jobs, work and employment in" rel="nofollow">in the country or countries where your chosen case organization operates; 2. Impact on strategy in" rel="nofollow">in your chosen case organization: then, assess the impact of the 2008 fin" rel="nofollow">inancial and economic crisis on the case organization’s overall busin" rel="nofollow">iness strategy and then its overall HRM strategy. 3. Impact on HRM policies and practices: next, analyse the effects of the 2008 fin" rel="nofollow">inancial and economic crisis on the various specific components of HRM policy and practice in" rel="nofollow">in the case organization under the four main" rel="nofollow">in HR functions covered in" rel="nofollow">in the module: resourcin" rel="nofollow">ing the organization, human resource development (HRD), employment relations, managin" rel="nofollow">ing performance and reward. The list of HRM policies and practices that might be assessed under these four areas in" rel="nofollow">include: talent management, recruitment and selection, organizational culture, train" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing and development, employee voice and participation rights, pay and reward, performance management and appraisal (these might have other labels). 4. Context: Another theme to be discussed in" rel="nofollow">in your assignment is how different organizational, sector/in" rel="nofollow">industry, country, and in" rel="nofollow">international contextual circumstances might in" rel="nofollow">influence and mediate the impact of the 2008 fin" rel="nofollow">inancial and economic crisis on your chosen case organization. 5. Fin" rel="nofollow">inally, provide a conclusion summarizin" rel="nofollow">ing your arguments, and, if appropriate, identify any practical recommendations relatin" rel="nofollow">ing to HRM practice. Assignment guidelin" rel="nofollow">ines: • Length should be a maximum of 3,000 words (- or + 10%) (excludin" rel="nofollow">ing references). • It must in" rel="nofollow">include correct and appropriate referencin" rel="nofollow">ing, which will in" rel="nofollow">influence marks (see the Bangor Busin" rel="nofollow">iness School referencin" rel="nofollow">ing guidelin" rel="nofollow">ines placed on blackboard). • Please ensure the assignment is carefully proof-read. • Requests for extensions will only granted due to serious personal mitigatin" rel="nofollow">ing circumstances, supported by appropriate evidence (e.g. medical certificate). • No plagiarism or cuttin" rel="nofollow">ing and pastin" rel="nofollow">ing of in" rel="nofollow">internet sources! Assignments are checked on Turnitin" rel="nofollow">in. • It should be presented in" rel="nofollow">in the format below. Assignment format: - Title - Short abstract/summary (approximately 100 words) - Introduction - Main" rel="nofollow">in body: combin" rel="nofollow">ination of discussin" rel="nofollow">ing the impact of the 2008 crisis on HRM practices in" rel="nofollow">in the case organisation and relatin" rel="nofollow">ing this to critically analysin" rel="nofollow">ing relevant academic literature (use sub-headin" rel="nofollow">ings for tidy/structured presentation) - Conclusion and possible recommendations - References Selected recommended readin" rel="nofollow">ing* *Additional readin" rel="nofollow">ing is listed in" rel="nofollow">in the ABP HRM module outlin" rel="nofollow">ine on blackboard Books and journal articles Beardwell J. and Claydon, T. (2010) Human Resource Management a Contemporary Approach (6th edition). Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. Boxall, P. and Purcell, J. (2015) Management, work and organisations. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Bratton, J., and Gold, J. (2012) Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice (5th edition). Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Collin" rel="nofollow">ing, T. and Terry M (2010) Industrial Relations Theory and Practice (3rd edition). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Delbridge, R., Hauptmeier, M. and Sengupta, S. (2011), ‘Beyond the enterprise: broadenin" rel="nofollow">ing the horizons of in" rel="nofollow">international HRM’, Human Relations, 64(4): 483-505. Frege, C. and Kelly, J. (eds.) (2013) Comparative Employment Relations in" rel="nofollow">in the Global Economy. Oxon: Routledge. Gilmore, S. and Williams, S. (2013). Human Resource Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Harvey, G. and Turnbull, P. (2010), ‘On the go: walkin" rel="nofollow">ing the high road at a low cost airlin" rel="nofollow">ine’, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(2): 230-41. Heyes, J., Lewis, P. and Clark, I. (2012), Varieties of capitalism, neoliberalism and the economic crisis of 2008–? Industrial Relations Journal, 43: 222–241. Lansley, S. (2012). All in" rel="nofollow">in this together? An audit of the impact of the downturn on the workforce. TUC. Lapavitsas, C. (2011), ‘Theorizin" rel="nofollow">ing fin" rel="nofollow">inancialization’, Work, Employment & Society, 25(4):611-26. Martin" rel="nofollow">inez Lucio, M. (ed.) (2014) International Human Resource Management: An Employment Relations Perspective. London: Sage. Kramar, R. and Syed, J. (2012), Human resource management in" rel="nofollow">in a global context. Basin" rel="nofollow">ingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Thompson, P. (2013). ‘Fin" rel="nofollow">inancialization and the workforce: extendin" rel="nofollow">ing and applyin" rel="nofollow">ing the disconnected capitalism thesis’, Work, Employment & Society, 27, pp. 472-488. Williams, S. (2013) Globalization and Work. Cambridge: Polity. Williams, S. (2014). Introducin" rel="nofollow">ing Employment Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Other reputable sources Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): http://www.cipd.co.uk/ Click on HR Resources for helpful factsheets on various HRM topics. The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/ The Fin" rel="nofollow">inancial Times: http://www.ft.com/home/uk European Foundation for the Improvement of Livin" rel="nofollow">ing and Workin" rel="nofollow">ing Conditions http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ LabourStart http://www.labourstart.org/news/ Advisory Conciliation & Arbitration Service (Acas) http://www.acas.org.uk/in" rel="nofollow">index.aspx?articleid=1461 Markin" rel="nofollow">ing Scheme for ABP HRM assignment (assessment criteria) Excellent 70+ 60s 50s 40s & below/ Fail Poor Excellent assignment, eg. well researched, focused, presented & referenced Poor assignment, eg. little research, poor focus, in" rel="nofollow">inadequate /in" rel="nofollow">incorrect referencin" rel="nofollow">ing, spellin" rel="nofollow">ing/typin" rel="nofollow">ing errors Appropriate review of relevant literature. Evidence of in" rel="nofollow">independent thought and ‘critical analysis’ of academic literature. Superficial, descriptive & limited literature review Presents ‘new’ material and makes a strong contribution Merely re-presents lecture notes or cuts & pastes in" rel="nofollow">internet sources Demonstrates clear grasp of HRM and HR practices in" rel="nofollow">in the case organisation, and relates to theory/academic literature. Demonstrates little understandin" rel="nofollow">ing of HRM generally and/or HR practices in" rel="nofollow">in the case organisation Uses real examples, or experience, to relate theory to practice Makes no attempt to use any examples or draw on experience Prof Tony Dobbin" rel="nofollow">ins, June 2016