Assignment 1 Submission Guidelines
HRMT 20007, Term 1, 2012
Course Coordinator: Dr Ezaz Ahmed (e.ahmed@cqu.edu.au)
On campus, Distance and Metropolitan Campus Students:
• All assignments for HRMT 20007 must be submitted through Moodle site.
• All assignments submitted electronically through Moodle must be through the Student
Portal http://my.cqu.edu.au
• Failure to submit electronically will be taken as a failure to submit, and therefore you may
disadvantage yourself by not achieving a passing grade for this course.
• NOTE: Copy detection software (TurnitIn) is used in this course and work found in
contravention of the copying and plagiarism rules will be investigated. Severe penalties
apply in the case of proven instances of copying, plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
• Access CQUcentral to print a personalised Assessment Cover Sheet for each assignment
submission. Instructions for generating your coversheet are at:
http://dtls.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/getFile.do?id=23407
• Students must submit their requests for extension of assignment submission date through
CQU system, no email or telephone request will be accepted.
Policies and Procedures for Assessment:
• Students must familiarise themselves with the following policies and procedures at
http://policy.cqu.edu.au:
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Assessment and examination policy and procedures Assessment of Coursework Policy
Assessment of Coursework Principles
Assessment of Coursework Procedures
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Assignment preparation and presentation Guide for Students, Referencing style links:
http://www.cqu.edu.au/about-us/service-and-facilities/communications-learningcentre/academic-communication/useful-websites
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The Faculty of Arts, Business, Informatics & Education 2011 Guide for Students
http://content.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/getFile.do?id=40465
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The Faculty of Arts, Business, Informatics & Education generally uses the Harvard
(Author/date) style of referencing except for education, history and law courses. More
information on the styles used by various schools can be found at
http://facultysite.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=3955
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Applying for assignment submission extensions, Assessment grading and Plagiarism links
http://www.cqu.edu.au/faculties/faculty-of-arts,-business,-informatics-andeducation/assessment
Important Dates:
Assignment 1 Submission Date and Time: Week 6: 13 April, 2012, Friday, 11.45 pm AEST
(Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Assignment 2 Submission Date and Time: Week 12: 25 May, 2012, Friday, 11.45 pm AEST
(Australian Eastern Standard Time)
Examinations (if applicable):
Standard Examinations: 31 May - 08 June, 2012
Deferred/Supplementary Examinations: 06 - 10 August, 2012
Note: A recess is held during term. Please consult the CQU handbook for specific dates and other
information at: http://handbook.cqu.edu.au
Contacting Teaching Staff
During the course, students should initially contact their local teaching staff to answer any queries
related to the course that they may have. Contact details for local teaching staff can be found on
the Moodle course website. If local teaching staff cannot fully answer the query or it is of a
personal nature, students can contact the Course Coordinator Dr Ezaz Ahmed and here is Dr
Ahmed’s contact information:
Dr. Ezaz Ahmed
Lecturer, Human Resources Management
School of Management and Marketing
Central Queensland University
Martin Hanson Building, G 06-7
Bryan Jordan Drive, Gladstone, QLD 4680
Australia
Email: e.ahmed@cqu.edu.au
Tel: +61 7 4970 7206 (office)
Skype: ahmedezaz
Fax: +61 7 4970 7252
Student Contact
A directory of assistance containing information for both on-campus and off-campus students will
be provided on the web, before term starts, at:
http://content.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?site=534
The university allocates every student an individual email address, the format of which is
firstname.lastname@cqumail.com (e.g. john.citizen@cqumail.com). This is the official email
address that the university will use for all email correspondence. Student emails can be accessed
through http://my.cqu.edu.au
Students are expected to check their official email address on a frequent and consistent basis (at
least once weekly). Students are encouraged to review the new Student Email Principles
university policy relating to email communication at http://policy.cqu.edu.au which has been
introduced to ensure all course and program updates are received. Regular student access to email
is required for this course. Regular student access to the Internet is required for this course.
Students are expected to follow a self directed study schedule which meets the required deadlines.
Student use of the course website is mandatory. This is provided using the Learning
Management System (LMS) which can be accessed through the MyCQU Student Portal:
http://my.cqu.edu.au
This course uses Moodle extensively. If you have difficulty logging in, please contact Helpdesk
on (07) 4930 9233.
Assessment item 1 — HRM Essay
Due date:
13 April, 2012, 11:45 pm AEST, Friday of Week 6
Weighting:
50%
Length:
4000 words ±10% (excluding title page and reference list)
ASSESSMENT
1
Objectives
This assessment item relates to course learning outcomes numbers 1 to 5.
Purpose
The primary purpose of this assessment item is to assist students develop skills in the use of HRM
principles, theories and models in the analysis of a typical business situation that has human
resource ramifications. The assignment requires you to analyse the current situation, identify and
specify the problems, and suggest a practical and probable HR solution.
The secondary purpose of this assignment is to give students the opportunity to enhance their
research, analysis, critical thinking and written communication skills; particularly in the areas of
argument development and essay writing.
Details
Before starting this assessment, please read the marking criteria (at the end of this document)
and the Faculty’s Guide for students on FABIE website and refers to the course website for
information regarding the formatting of the essay.
Read the following case study and respond to the task requirements at the end of the case within
the context of an academic essay. You are required to support your argument with appropriate
theoretical discussion and references.
The assignment should be a properly constructed academic essay. It should contain an effective
introduction, discussion body and conclusion. The introduction should introduce the essay, thesis
statement (main objective of the assignment) and include your argument. The body should present
the evidence you have collected to support your argument, and the conclusion should restate your
argument, summarise the evidence and make a conclusion regarding your argument.
The assignment should contain a coherent, but necessarily restricted review of the academic
literature on the Human Resource Management topics in question. The literature review should be
integrated into the assignment, not a separate section. Advice regarding formatting of the essay
can be found in Faculty’s Guide for students at http://www.cqu.edu.au/faculties/faculty-of-arts,business,-informatics-and-education/general-information/guide-for-students. A reference list formatted
in the prescribed Harvard style is compulsory. Do not include a bibliography. Further information
regarding formatting of assignments and other information is available at
http://www.cqu.edu.au/about-us/service-and-facilities/communications-learning-centre/academiccommunication/useful-websites
This assessment item involves researching your assigned topic to enhance your understanding of
Human Resource Management concepts and utilisation of academic literature. Whilst you should
AVOID using only textbooks, the prescribed textbook for the course should be cited in regard to
broad HRM principles. You will be expected to present information and evidence from, and cite,
at LEAST twelve (12) relevant peer-reviewed, academic references (minimum requirement).
Refer to your recommended readings for examples of academic references. The quality and
number of citations will demonstrate the breadth and depth of the literature used to formulate your
argument.
AVOID presenting a descriptive account ONLY of your readings. What is required in this
assessment is a critical evaluation of the academic literature as it relates to the specific details of
the case study. Your marker is interested in the conclusions that YOU arrive at from YOUR
evaluation of the literature and of the case study.
Case study: When the only way is up
The financial and banking sector will never look the same again. The global financial crisis (GFC)
has stimulated a major shake-up of this sector. The International Labour Organization (ILO)
estimates that during the 18-month period between August 2008 and February 2009 there were
more than 325 000 layoffs and the demise of the workforce continued in the later part of 2009.
The ILO considers the loss of jobs in the finance and banking sector will not be a short-term
phenomenon, but rather represent permanent job losses.
In Australia, there has been a similar story. In the finance and banking sector Finance Sector
Union (FSU) estimates more than 7000 jobs were lost across the number of banks. The data from
the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provide an even more disturbing picture. They indicate
that the impact of the GFC has been even more severe. In Victoria, it revealed there were 14,000
fewer jobs in finance and insurance sector and the 3000 less jobs in New South Wales.
What will the finance and insurance sector look like when the economy improves? Will it look
like the sector pre-GFC?
The Finance Sector Union (FSU) national policy director, Rod Masson, believes the sector will
not be the same as previously. He predicts that when the economy picks up, the finance and
insurance industry will be smaller and less competitive. Organisations in the sector are preparing
themselves for an improvement in the economy and a time when talented labour will be in short
supply. Even during the recession, it is important to retain highly skilled and productive people
and retain those people with potential to become future leaders in the organisation. Susie Babani,
Group General Manager at the ANZ, says, “In difficult times, talent really shines” and this is
when they come to the fore.
There are particular areas of banking and finance where there are areas of skill, such as risk
experience and risk knowledge, and that are in high demand. Babani claims you cannot sit back
and say, “Where are they going to go, because in the same way I know I would take talented
people wherever I could find them, whether they are employed or unemployed, so will our
competitors”. The ANZ is also continuing its development of high potentials and is putting more
effort and time into reassuring these high potentials that the bank values them.
High potentials at all levels of the ANZ are selected using a ‘talent radar’. These individuals are
provided with the opportunity to undertake training and development as well as the opportunity to
work in situations which are regarded as stretch opportunities. These opportunities can include a
six-month placement overseas or working on a special project. In addition, these talented staff are
provided with access to senior executives. These development opportunities are supported by the
reward and recognition system.
The bonus pool at ANZ remains in place. Regardless of the economic times, the best performers
still receive the bonuses. The bonus pool is not spread across the employees of the ANZ, but is
allocated in terms of evaluations of performance. Babani states, “We believe out-performance
should be rewarded in good times and bad times”. As mentioned previously the bank also works
at reassuring these employees how much they are valued.
Other banks are also preparing for the improvement and upturn in the economy. At the
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) the Executive General Manager of talent and
development, Sam Sheppard, claims there has been a lot less change at the CBA than at other
banks. The CBA is very much getting ready for the improvement in the economy. It is doing this
by continuing to hold talent discussions and to monitor staff requirements and the skills and
capabilities of the staff in the CBA. The CBA is seeking to ensure it has the right people in the
right places so it can meet the bank’s goals. The talent discussions are focused on career paths,
training and the creation of more flexible workplaces.
The bank is seeking to inform employees about the potential future challenges and the way the
bank plans to deal with these challenges. The bank recognises that the future economic climate is
uncertain and unpredictable and that this requires an attitude of adaptability and flexibility. The
challenge in the current downturn is the uncertainty about the future. Sheppard claims because of
this uncertainty it is only possible to inform employees about what is happening at the moment.
This then enables the employees to contribute to the delivery of performance outcomes that the
bank needs.
In addition, leaders and CBA staff are involved in the process of problem solving by being asked
to develop solutions to the short-term needs of the business without impacting the talent pool in
the bank. Some of the suggestions that have been implemented include extended leave, nine-day
fortnights and career breaks. Although there is a desire to focus on the requirements of the job at
hand, there is also a need not to lose sight of the longer term. This is particularly the case with
regard to rewards.
At the CBA it is recognized that talented staff are more concerned about being part of the process
of driving towards a successful future. These staff are more concerned about maintaining a career
and having a secure future. They also want to feel they are being looked after and that they are
important. The CBA recognises there is always a market for talent and that typical financial
reward mechanisms will only deliver short-term outcomes and have a short-term impact. The
CBA is seeking to create an environment in which talented staff will select to join the bank and
then decide to remain.
The National Australia Bank (NAB) also recognises the value of investing in staff and building
collaboration during the downturn. Training and development in tradeable skills is regarded as
one way of rewarding employees. This makes the employees more valuable. Although the
investment in these employee skills makes the employees more employable and marketable, it
also makes them more likely to stay because there is a cost in leaving the NAB.
The professional services firm KPMG anticipated that there was going to be a downturn in
business. It had a scenario plan which enabled the firm to map its way through the difficult
economic times. As an organization reliant on its people, it recognised that short-terms decisions
implemented to deal with the downturn would have a detrimental impact on the ability of the firm
to negotiate the difficult times, retain its values and maintain its position as an employer of choice.
Although there has been a decrease in client demand in some sections of transaction parts of the
business, by restructuring services there has been an increase in services. In addition, like the
banks discussed above, KPMG has invested in training so that staff are able to swap around within
the organization.
In 2005 KPMG introduced a flexibility program in order to deal with work life balance issues.
There has been renewed interest in the flexibility program during the economic downturn and 40
per cent of staff have placed themselves on a flexibility arrangement. Staff at KPMG are
reflecting on the fact that they have been working extremely hard during the last five years and
now they have the opportunity to work in a more flexible way and do more non-work activities.
(Adapted from L. Gettler, 2009, ‘When the only way is up’, HR Monthly May, pp. 12-15)
Task:
Write an essay that
(a) Critically analyse the reasons it is important for organizations to effectively manage talented
and high potential staff during an economic downturn.
(b) Explain the ways the organizations (ANZ, CBA, NAB and KPMG) discussed in the case
study have managed their talented and high potential staff during an economic downturn.
(c) Evaluate how effective the measures undertaken by these organizations will be in retaining
talent as the economy picks up. The answer should be in light of indentifying the key
stakeholders in the case study and their related interests in retaining employees in the
organizations.
All the answers must be written with supporting academic references.
HRMT20007 – HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Assessment item 1 - Marking criteria for HRM Essay
Case Study: When the only way is up
Name……………………………………
Student No.……………..
Your essay will be assessed on the extent to which it meets each of the following criteria:
CONTENT: Does your topic analysis demonstrate:
Marks
• A thorough knowledge and critical analysis
of the HRM topic expressed in a coherent
format with a clear beginning, discussion
and conclusion?
• Knowledge and application of relevant
HRM theories and/ or models in response to
the topic questions?
• Appropriateness of responses to the task
requirements? Persuades the reader that the
point of views developed in the answers is
well supported by ideas and information
drawn from academic literature and
reflection.
• Relevant and accurate literature
(cited at least twelve (12) academic
references)
PRESENTATION: Does your topic analysis demonstrate:
• Clarity of expression/grammar and spelling?
• Strict conformity to referencing style of the
Author-date system of referencing as set out
in the Australian Government Publishing
Service 2002, Style Manual for Authors,
Editors and Printers, 6th edn, AGPS,
Canberra? (Refer to Guide for students)
• Appropriate presentation format and
presented within (±10%) the word limit:
4000 words?
• Late Penalty where applicable.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
/25
/25
/20
/15
/5
/5
/5
The mark assigned to
HRMT20007
Assessment 1
/100
(Weighting = 50%)