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Assignment 5 – HR Management Assessment

Question 1

Part of the overall process of recruitment and selection is consideration of internal or external recruitment. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two strategies. Professor Rodger’s seven point plan and Munro Fraser’s five fold grading system are used in recruitment and selection. For what purpose are they used? Should they be adhered to carefully or used as guidelines? Explain your opinion.

Question 2

Apply your knowledge of communication processes and communication barriers to identify risks of ineffectiveness – and how that might be avoided in any two of the following contexts:

1. Team briefings
2. Team meetings
3. Presentation of the benefits and disadvantages of suggestion schemes
4. Negotiation of flexible hours for personal reasons

Use of work-based examples will be well rewarded

Question 3

Job design is defined by L.E. Davis as:

“The specification of the contents, methods and relationships of jobs in order to satisfy technological and organisational requirements as well as the social and personal requirements of the job holder.”

1. Recent UK surveys indicate that employees who work from home are happier in their work and more likely to stay with their employer.
2. Describe examples, from experience or from study, of circumstances where L.E. Davis’ definition is not true. (6 marks)
3. Identify and explain briefly the elements of the above definition which are in accordance with the home-worker’s experience. (6 marks)
4. Why do businesses increasingly encourage home-working and what problems are faced by line managers?

Question 4

Read the scenario below and answer the questions which follow:

David is one of four commercial assistants in an office. He comes to work on time; takes the allowed hour for lunch; and leaves at the proper finishing time of 5 pm. He does the work set for him, adequately but slowly, and he never seems to have free time. He doesn’t volunteer for additional work or for overtime when it is required. Assignment 5: HR Management

When pressure of work increases, David’s manager must manage that increase among three of the four staff. This irritates him. The staff contract of employment includes a clause requiring employees to carry out “any additional work which can reasonably be required of them”.

1. Which applications of HR theory would you advise David’s manager to consider and how would you avoid an adverse impact on the other staff? (13 marks)
2. What are the legal and ethical considerations of carrying out a preliminary disciplinary interview with David?