ASSESSMENT instructions

Title:
Individual minor paper (critical analysis of a current HRM issue)

Details of task:
This paper takes the form of a critical analysis of a selected HRM topic (see below).

Choose one of the topic areas listed below and then choose one aspect or issue within the topic.  This is a minor assignment and the word limit is 1500 words so your analysis must necessarily be selective.  That is why it is suggested that you focus on one aspect only of the broader topic area.  For example, you might want to focus on the
issue of the retention of knowledge workers within the talent management topic. Alternatively within the career management topic you may want to look at psychological contract issues.  It is a good idea to check with your tutor that the issue that you are going to focus on is an appropriate area for review.

Note:  Given that this unit is an Australian-based unit, it is preferable that you choose an issue that is relevant to the Australian HRM environment.  This does not mean that the literature chosen has to be restricted to Australian sources – you are encouraged to select literature from a global set of academic sources.

Once you have chosen a topic you are required to read from both the popular / professional and academic literature and then critically analyse and compare the commentary and findings from both sources. You are required to include at least 2 (no more than 3) popular or professional articles and 8 academic articles. Failure to meet this minimum references requirement will severely impact on your grade. Popular and professional sources include newspapers, online reviews or magazines such as HR Leader or HR Monthly.  The academic literature can include a range of sources:

o Academic journal articles
o Monographs (books)
o Academic articles on the Library's Databases
o Conference proceedings
o Empirical studies (usually reported in journal articles and monographs)
o Government reports and reports from other major bodies
o Historical records
o Statistical information
o Note: Your reading list is a good starting point for this assignment.

Topics

• Job and Work Design including High Performance Work Systems
• Talent Management and Retention
• HRM and ethics
• Technology and HRM
• Career Management / Psychological Contract
• Employee Health, Welfare and Well-being

Format:  Your analysis is to be a scholarly paper that surveys and critically reports on both the popular / professional and the academic literature in your chosen topic area.  It must be presented in essay format and should be a synthesis of the literature.  You must read widely and draw your literature search from a broad range of sources from the list above.  As indicated above, the reading list for this unit is a good starting point for your literature review. Remember that although you are asked to include professional articles, the main focus is on the academic literature, that is scholarly books and articles as distinct from journalistic and industry accounts.  You should
incorporate at least 8 refereed academic journal articles.

More instructions HRM

• I encourage you reference well in APA
• Select your topic from the options provided in the assignment question. In selecting your topic, two aspects to consider are; 1. Which topic are you personally more interested in? and 2. How and where will you source references on that topic? Please heed the advice in the assignment question regarding the need to be selective in your topic – we would much rather read an assignment that analyses a small topic area in great depth, than an assignment which skims over a large topic area, but with little depth. Also ensure that your specific topic relates directly to one of the six broader topics listed in the assignment question.

Once you have selected your specific topic, undertake some research in the area. It is a good idea at this early stage to check that current academic journal articles exist in your specific topic area. If you can only find a few articles on your chosen topic, you may need to consider widening your topic to encompass a broader range of literature. If you
find an abundance of literature on your topic, this may indicate your specific topic is quite broad and you may want to consider focusing on a specific aspect of your topic.

After completing this initial check of the literature, it is suggested you post your specific topic (and the broad topic from the assignment question it relates to).

• You then need to research widely on the topic, taking into account the source and credibility of your references. For example, journal articles from peer-reviewed journals are considered highly credible sources that are academic, and thus suitable sources of information on which to base your assignment. Information from web pages, on the other hand, are generally not considered credible as anyone can put any information on the web, regardless of if that information is right, wrong or otherwise. The source and credibility of your references is an important aspect of this assignment task, and will weigh heavily on the grading of assignments. You are strongly encouraged to allocate enough time to devote to the task of researching.
  I would expect to see a minimum of eight academic journal articles used in this assignment. If you are having trouble finding that many articles, then it is possible you have selected too narrow a topic and may need to re-define your specific focus area.
• As you progress through your readings, aim to develop a clear point of view regarding the topic. Think about the key themes/ideas/theory that relate to your topic, make note of the new ideas and issues in your topic, and consider if there are any gaps or aspects of the topic that have not been covered in the literature. Try starting by jotting down key points under the following headings: key issues, key authors, and major research. This will help you crystallize what is and is not important to your particular topic, and what areas you need to analyze more (and also help you identify what areas are gaps in the research).
• It is very important to keep in mind the assignment task. You are asked to critically examine the current writing and research on a HRM topic area….
  o Critically examine – you are expected to analyze the literature. Merely providing
  a description of the key pieces of literature is not enough for this assignment.
  Therefore, you will be expected to:
  * identify and examine the key themes raised by writers,
  * identify new or emerging issues in the topic area, and
  * identify possible silences or gaps in current discussions and research.
  o Current – Keep this in mind when evaluating your references (assignment question stipulates literature published in the last ten years). Sometimes it is appropriate to utilize an older publication, such as a key definition that all
  subsequent authors on the topic refer to.
• To re-iterate, a good literature review does more than just tell the reader what other authors say about the topic. A good literature review requires the writer to analyze/integrate/distill what other authors say about the topic so that the end result is that the writer can tell the reader something new about the topic – something you, the writer, have learnt about the topic after having analyzed what other authors have to say.
• Prepare a plan of your essay. The act of preparing an essay plan can help define what is and is not important in your essay topic and helps ensure the essay follows a logical structure. A suggested structure for your essay is:
  o Introduction
  o Definitions
  o Theme/Issue One
  o Theme/Issue Two
  o Theme/Issue Three
  o Gaps in the literature
  o Future research directions
  o Conclusion
• Prepare your essay, clearly addressing the requirements as stated in the assignment question. Be aware of the format requirements of the assignment as stated in the question. Refer to the assignment checklist provided at the end of the unit outline. Review the marking criteria and ‘self-grade’ your assignment to ensure you have covered all points you will be marked against.
• Referencing – One of the requirements of the assignment is that you research and reference widely. Your references must be properly cited in the essay and in the reference list. If you have any doubts about when to reference and how, you are strongly encouraged to read chapters peer-reviewed journals and articles (failure to
  properly reference will affect your assignment grade). APA referencing method is required.
  You will notice from review of the marking criteria that references and referencing have a significant impact on how we grade your paper, and thus you are encouraged to give this area of the overall essay due consideration.
• Lateness penalty will be applied to your assignment if it is not submitted by the due date. Assignments less than ten days after the due date will be accepted and marked, with lateness penalty of 10% per day being deducted from the grade. Assignments will not be accepted more than 10 days after the due date.