Read the Hartley Electronics Ltd case study that is reproduced as Appendix 1 at the end of this handbook. The case is Case Study 5.1 in Farnham, D. (2015) Human Resource Management in Context: Strategy, Insights and Solutions, 4th ed., London, CIPD, pp. 199-200, from which it has been reproduced by acknowledgement. For assignment 1, you are asked to take on the role of an external consultant and to write a report to the chief executive that:

1) identifies the main human resource problems facing the company and, more importantly,

2) provides a reasoned argument justifying whether the company should adopt a ‘best practice’, ‘best fit’ or resource-based view of the firm model of HR strategy to achieve a long-term solution to these HR problems.