This assignment is designed to encourage you to examine the role of human resource management in helping organizations achieve strategic goals. In particular, you are encouraged to use the different perspectives (e.g., Best Practice Model, Best Fit Model, Resource-based View) to analyse the strategic role of human resource management in the organization you select, identify and discuss the theoretical and/or practical issues and relate these to the wider literature on strategic human resource management.
You need to justify your arguments by using direct evidence related to the specific organization you select. Relevant information on a company can be found on websites, journal articles, research papers, public reports, and so on. To better illustrate your ideas, you can also compare the company with their competitors, and discuss how its SHRM approaches lead to the relative competitive advantages (or disadvantages) in the hospitality, events or tourism industry. When you are writing in an academic style, you are expected to cite your sources of information, and provide full references for these citations at the end of your paper. Failure to cite your sources of information could result in the charge of plagiarism.
The word limit will make it essential for you to be selective about your sources and arguments, and also practical about the essay’s structure. Try to keep a balance between the different sections of the essay. The following sections are essential for the report:
? A brief overview of your theoretical perspective and methods of information collection;
? An analysis of the background, missions and strategies of the organization(s);
? A systematic discussion on relationships among strategies, HRM practices and organization performance.
The following papers provide excellent examples on how to do case analysis on SHRM.
– BOXALL, P. & STEENEVELD, M. (1999). Human resource strategy and competitive advantage: A longitudinal study of engineering consultancies. Journal of Management Studies, 36, 443-463.
– KNOX, A. (2014). Human resource management (HRM) in temporary work agencies: Evidence from the hospitality industry. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 25, 81-98.
– MOLINEUX, J. (2013). Enabling organizational cultural change using systemic strategic human resource management – a longitudinal case study. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24, 1588-1612.
– NANKERVIS, A. R. & DEBRAH, Y. (1995). Human resource management in hotel: A comparative study. Tourism Management, 16(7), 507-513.
– SLOCUM, J., LEI, D. & BULLER, P. (2014). Executing business strategies through human resource management practices. Organizational Dynamics, 43, 73-87.
– YEUNG, A. (2006). Setting people up for success: How the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel gets the best from its people. Human Resource Management, 45, 267-275.
Specific Report Requirements
o This is an individual report. The University policy will apply in case of copying, plagiarism or any method by which students have obtained unfair advantage.
o Late submissions will be subjected to normal late penalties (please check your PG Handbook for details).
o The essay should be a maximum length of 2000 words of text (excluding references), word-processed, double spaced, using 12 point, preferably Times New Roman font, using one inch (about 2.5cm) margins as a minimum to right and left. You should include the word count on your front page.
o Plagiarism: The University’s regulations are very strict and cases of suspected plagiarism will be heavily penalised (see your PG Student Handbook). All sources of information should be fully referenced using the Harvard System.
o Please refer to the ‘Indicative Marking Criteria’ that should guide your work.
