Announcement for the Human Resource Development Authority
Competition 2014-2015
The Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA)
HRDA is a semi-governmental body responsible for human resource training and development. HRDA
started its operations in 1979. It is governed by a tripartite Board of Directors, consisting of government,
employer, and trade union representatives.
The mission of HRDA is to form the conditions for planned and systematic training and development of
human resources in Cyprus at all levels and in all sectors of the economy in accordance with the priorities of
national social and economic policies.
One of the main activities of HRDA is the promotion of vocational training by approving various training
programs and subsiding part of the costs incurred.
More info regarding the Authority can be found at www.hrdauth.org.cy.
Introduction
Over the last few years, HRDA has been sponsoring a very prestigious award of €2500 to students of the
Department of Business and Public Administration who have excelled (report and presentation) in subjects
related to the management and development of human resources. The award is open to all third and fourth
year Management students.
Details of the Competition
In teams of a maximum number of six (6) people, the participating students must prepare a written
assignment (3000-5000 words). Please note that each team should include at least one regular student of the
University of Cyprus and that the majority of team members should be studying Business Administration.
The project should concern the Development of Human Resources in the workplace and relate to the
subjects listed in Table 1. All projects are expected to discuss the implications of their subject on
employee training and the potential role of the HRDA in the promotion of best practices. Provided that
the subjects are within the themes outlined in Table 1, students may submit assignments that are completed
for the purposes of their classes. The project must be in one of the following 2 forms:
1. Essay
1.1. Refer to secondary sources of information, such as academic books and journals, to collect
information on the chosen subject. Using these sources, you should describe and analyse your
subject in depth, including a discussion of various research and practical applications and presenting
examples, where applicable, from the global business environment.
1.2. Provide suggestions for best practices related to the chosen subject that are applicable in the Cyprus
Business environment.
2. Consultancy Work
Choose a company or organization that operates in Cyprus and is interested in the chosen subject.
2.1. Refer to secondary sources of information, such as academic books and journals, to collect
information on the chosen subject. Using these sources, you should describe and analyse your
subject in depth.
2.2. Collect primary and secondary data to describe and critically assess the current situation in the
organization in a way that provides a holistic view of the ways in which the organization handles the
chosen subject.
2.3. Suggest an action plan for the organization so that improvements are achieved on the specific
subject related to managing and developing Human Resources.
The Procedure
Students should apply for participation in the competition by 31st October 2014. To apply, please send an
email to eleni1@ucy.ac.cy indicating ‘HRDA Competition 2014-15’ in the subject line. In the email, you
should include: names of the members of the team, project subject (and organisation if applicable) and the
project title. Written assignments should be submitted (printed and bound) to the Secretariat of the
Department of Business and Public Administration by 30th November 2014. Upon consultation with the
leaders of relevant modules, where applicable, the competition committee will notify the qualifying teams
by December 3nd 2014. These teams will be invited to officially present their work.
The teams that come out as winners through this initial 1st round procedure will then participate in the final
presentations conducted in May 2015. The award will be given to the team with the best project (written
assignment and oral presentation) during the School’s award ceremony in June 2015.
For any questions or clarifications, please ask your instructor or contact the Department Secretariat at
22893650 or Dr. Eleni Stavrou-Costea at eleni1@ucy.ac.cy.
Important dates
Application for participation
31/10/2014
Submission of written assignments
30/11/2014
Briefing of qualified teams
3/12/2014
December
1st round of presentations (teams that qualified)
2014
Final round of presentations
May 2015
Table 1: Indicative Project Subjects
(Alternative subjects are possible upon the approval of the committee - send your suggestions to Dr. Eleni StavrouCostea)
Green Credentials/Skills Development.
Innovations in Training.
Consequences and Challenges of the Economic Recession for the Training and Development of Human Resources.
The Role of Training in the Recovery and Development of the Cypriot Economy.
Sustainable Development and the Environment: The Role of Human Resources Development.
Social Media and the Workplace
Learning for Sustainability
Executive Development
The Implications of E-learning
Balancing Operational Needs with Learning and Innovation
Aligning Personal Development with Organizational Excellence
Performance Management and Improvement Through Learning
Teaching the Intangibles
The Human Element in Successful Training
The Ethical Dimension of Training: Teaching Ethically
Multicultural Training
Training and Gender
HRM: Strategic Partner or Administration Specialist?
Employee Engagement and Retention
Talent Management
HRM in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
Negotiation Case Studies
Training and Development in Negotiation
Sales Negotiation
Negotiation in Human Resource (HR) Selection