Preparing for the Assessment MN7367 Week 7 Lecture 1 Anne-marie Greene 1 Brewis, Jo (Prof.) (BJ() - Add module code and name here Your assessment Part 1 Essay Assignment 50% of overall mark Part 2 Unseen Examination 50% of overall mark A Two-Headed Monster? Essay Assignment 2017 The ability of HRM to lead to improved organisational performance is contingent on achieving a fit between business strategy and HRM practice. Discuss the validity of this statement with specific reference to two HRM practices.  As a business operating in markets all around the world, we believe diversity brings benefits for our customers, our business and our people. We want a connected workforce that reflects the communities where we operate and helps us meet the needs of customers from all walks of life. Different ideas and perspectives help us innovate, manage risk, and grow the business in a sustainable way…Diversity and inclusion is part of who we are at HSBC. It is vital to the future of our business (HSBC Bank). Consider this recent organisational statement on diversity and discuss the rationale for attention to equality and diversity issues within human resource management, reflecting on both business case and moral/social justice cases.  Sociologists tend to see conflict as normal part of organisational functioning. Consider the implications of this view for the management of people within organisations, with specific reference to two HRM practices.  Discuss whether you agree with the view which sees that ‘the importance of HRM lies not in the objective reality of its normative models and their implementation, but in the… reality of its rhetoric… redefining the meaning of work and the way individual employees relate to their employers.’ (Legge, 2005: 123)  Most mainstream HRM research starts from the premise of there being a generic, universal worker. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement, reflecting on the factors that determine an organisation’s approach to HRM?  ‘A core managerial belief appears to be that not only is managing through the payment system the most appropriate means of managing human resources, but that the existence of a payment system is also sufficient for managing human resources’. Discuss this statement, looking at the centrality of payment systems within, and the common problems faced in performance management.  Essay Assignment 3,000 word essay (+/- 10%) Selection of ONE essay question ONLY from a possible selection of six. Deadline Tuesday 12th December 2017. A penalty of 10% of the available marks will be imposed if a student misses the above deadline A further penalty of 5% will be imposed for every ten subsequent working days the submission is late. Submit the Assignment via the Turnitin link on BB Q from seminar 1: Turnitin: can I submit my essay and check for plagiarism? A: No, this is not allowed. You must avoid plagiarism from the beginning and before you submit. Answer the quest.

1. Preparing for the Assessment
MN7367 Week 7 Lecture 1
Anne-marie Greene
1
Brewis, Jo (Prof.) (BJ() - Add module code and name here
Your assessment
Part 1
Essay Assignment
50% of overall mark
Part 2
Unseen Examination
50% of overall mark
A Two-Headed Monster?
Essay Assignment 2017
The ability of HRM to lead to
improved organisational performance is contingent on achieving
a fit between business strategy and HRM practice. Discuss the

2. validity of this statement with specific reference to two HRM
practices.
As a business operating in markets all around the world, we
believe diversity brings benefits for our customers, our business
and our people. We want a connected workforce that reflects the
communities where we operate and helps us meet the needs of
customers from all walks of life. Different ideas and
perspectives help us innovate, manage risk, and grow the
business in a sustainable way…Diversity and inclusion is part
of who we are at HSBC. It is vital to the future of our
business (HSBC Bank). Consider this recent organisational
statement on diversity and discuss the rationale for attention to
equality and diversity issues within human resource
management, reflecting on both business case and moral/social
justice cases.
Sociologists tend to see conflict as normal part of
organisational functioning. Consider the implications of this
view for the management of people within organisations, with
specific reference to two HRM practices.
Discuss whether you agree with the view which sees that ‘the
importance of HRM lies not in the objective reality of its
normative models and their implementation, but in the… reality
of its rhetoric… redefining the meaning of work and the way
individual employees relate to their employers.’ (Legge,
2005: 123)
Most mainstream HRM research starts from the premise of there
being a generic, universal worker. Discuss the extent to which
you agree with this statement, reflecting on the factors that
determine an organisation’s approach to HRM?
‘A core managerial belief appears to be that not only is
managing through the payment system the most appropriate
means of managing human resources, but that the existence of a
payment system is also sufficient for managing human
resources’. Discuss this statement, looking at the centrality of
payment systems within, and the common problems faced in
performance management.

3. Essay Assignment
3,000 word essay (+/- 10%)
Selection of ONE essay question ONLY from a possible
selection of six.
Deadline Tuesday 12th December 2017.
A penalty of 10% of the available marks will be imposed if a
student misses the above deadline
A further penalty of 5% will be imposed for every ten
subsequent working days the submission is late.
Submit the Assignment via the Turnitin link on BB
Q from seminar 1: Turnitin: can I submit my essay and check
for plagiarism?
A: No, this is not allowed. You must avoid plagiarism from the
beginning and before you submit.
Answer the question!
Address the question as it has been set and clearly attempt to
present an ‘answer’
However, there is no one right answer
How to approach your essay assignment
How to approach your essay assignment
Break the question down part by part

4. You will do this with a practice question in your seminars:
USE THIS OPPORTUNITY
Determine:
What are you being asked to do?
What are you NOT being asked to do?
What does the question indicate you MUST cover/address?
How not to answer the question…
Rewriting it (to something you would rather have been asked or
to something the text books focus on …)
Seeing it as a vehicle to write all you know about a certain
topic!
Misunderstanding it
(often by latching onto one word or phrase / not seeing the hints
in the question)
Only answering part of it
Taking it too literally
(i.e. not questioning its assertions)
How to approach your essay assignment
Pay attention to the structure of your argument
Clear Structure
Could use explicit section headings derived from the question
Some students use these to structure it but then discard
afterwards before submission
Can leave section headings in as long as it is not a report style
document
How to write your essay: Structure
How to write your essay: Structure
Introduction and Conclusion are very important

5. Strong introduction provides an indication of the importance of
the topic and defines key terms which are explored in the body
of the essay.
The conclusion evaluates and summarises the arguments and
provides an answer to the question.
The Conclusion is NOT A EUREKA MOMENT
DO NOT INCLUDE NEW MATERIAL IN THE CONCLUSION
Say what you are going to do (Introduction)
Say It (Middle)
Say what you did (Conclusion)
How to write your essay: Structure
Show understanding of the debates and relevant
literature:
Literature should be appropriate
We will expect to see literature from the module used, at least
from the key readings set each week
Terms, trends, claims, arguments need to be substantiated with
reference to literature and research
Think… how do I know what I am saying? What evidence is
there?
How to write your essay: Content
How to write your essay: Content
Be analytical rather than descriptive
Show willingness to engage
critically with material.
Ability to marshal and
evaluate evidence and to
use it in support of

6. independently expressed
arguments.
Think about the legitimacy of your sources…Wikipedia is not
appropriate!
Present arguments clearly, comprehensibly,
and economically
Writing style is clear, direct, and fluent.
Aim for simple and short sentences
BUT DO NOT USE unelaborated bullet points, which disrupt
fluency
Sections are structured logically and within them paragraphs are
used effectively.
How to write your essay: Style
How to write your essay: Style
Component sections are balanced and the answer overall is
presented within word limits.
THINK!
Do I need that diagram/figure/graph?
Do I need that direct quote?
Ensure that you list all that you have cited.
A references list is essential, a bibliography is not required
Use Harvard referencing
https://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/oer/oers/ssds/oers/harvard-
referencing
How to write your essay: Referencing
Q from seminar 1: Referencing: can I quote 150 words and use
it in my work as a direct quote?

7. A: No, quote no more than around 20-30 words and paraphrase
the rest.
Markers are not impressed by your ability to copy out a reading
list if that is not matched your ability to understand, present and
evaluate its contents.
You will find it more rewarding to do so in the end.
Sources are usually richer than they seem from summary
sources
17
How to write your essay: Referencing
Try to limit the amount of secondary citation
i.e. sources that you have not read yourself
If the source is central to your argument, it is preferable to read
it for yourself
If you need to rely on someone else’s interpretation, then you
MUST ensure that this secondary citation is clear
Smith argues that… (Smith, 1979 discussed in Newell and
Shackleton, 2000: 42)
Command words in questionsCommand WordWhat does it
mean?Describe
Summarise
Define
Identify
Compare
Contrast
Discuss
Interpret
Explain

8. Account for
Analyse
Evaluate
Calculate
Criticise
Critically… Discuss in small groups what you
think the meaning is
Command words in questionsCommand WordWhat does it
mean?Describe
Summarise
Define
Identify
Compare
Contrast
Discuss
Interpret
Explain
Account for
Analyse
Evaluate
Calculate
Criticise
Critically…Say what something or someone is like
Give the main points of an idea or argument
Give a brief explanation of what something is
Point out key points or features
Focus on differences and similarities
Show the differences between two or more things
Write in detail, considering different ideas, opinions and
viewpoints
State what you take to be the meaning(s) of something
Give reasons why something is as it is or how it works

9. Offer an explanation of why something is as it is
Identify and explain the key points or aspects
Make a judgment about the quality of something using evidence
Show the method arrive at a quantitative answer
Analyse and make a judgement – take a position
Showing that you have thought seriously about
something, considering what is good/bad about it
what evidence there is
how persuasive it is
whose perspective is included
alternative viewpoints
Counts for 50% of your overall mark for the module. Your exam
grade will be added to your assignment grade and averaged to
give you an overall mark for the module:
MN7367 Examination: Basic Details
64% (in the assignment) + 62% (in the exam)
= 63% final mark.
Pass mark for the module = 50%
There will be an opportunity to take a resit in whichever part/s
of the module assessment (exam or assignment) in September
is/are necessary, should a pass mark not be achieved.
The exam is 2 hours long.
You must write 2 essays.
You need to pick 2 essays from a choice of 4 possible essay
titles.

10. Suggest taking 1 hour per essay.
10-15 minutes planning: write your plan out so that the markers
can see.
45-50 minutes writing the essay.
Exam 2018: Rubric
Exam 2018: Rubric
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ANSWER 2 QUESTIONS!
2 average/weak essays are better than 1 distinction essay
For example: If you only wrote one essay in the exam, even if
this was a distinction at 75%, when this is divided by 2 you
would get a fail mark of 38%.
i.e. You would get a higher overall mark if you wrote two
marginal passes e.g. 45+42=44%)
Don’t run out of time!
The same guidance for essays applies to the examination as it is
essay based:
ANSWER THE SPECIFIC ESSAY TITLE!
Demonstrate your ability to construct an argument, organise and
articulate ideas
Demonstrate understanding of the module: key debates, key
concepts, key research, key empirical/’real world’ examples.
Be CRITICAL: interrogate the assumptions, provide alternative
views, think of pros and cons.
Exam 2018: Content
Usual conventions of essay writing: clear intro, middle and
especially conclusion.
Make your handwriting legible: if we can’t read it, we can’t
mark it!
Better essays will include key authors and reference them.
Short citation is fine e.g. Jewson and Mason (1986)

11. Do NOT need a references list at the end.
This is an essay not a report.
No bullet pointed lists: narrative prose, connected paragraphs,
proper sentences, attention to grammar.
Exam 2018: Format and Style
BUT: we know that this is under exam conditions and will mark
accordingly.
We recognise that you are writing this under timed conditions.
We recognise that you do not have all your sources to hand.
We recognise that you do not know the essay titles in advance.
All the essay titles can be written from material covered on the
module.
Exam 2018: Format and Style
The essay and examination are based on the material covered
during the whole module
Theoretical topics
HRM principles and theories
Perspectives on the employment relationship
Approaches to conflict
Contextual topics
Rise of service and knowledge work
Demands for emotional labour
Globalisation /Gig economy
Demographic change
Practical topics
Organisational culture
Managing and planning work
Recruitment and selection
Performance and reward management
Managing diversity
Training and development
Assessment Topics

12. Exam 2018: Topics
What should I revise?
You have to give yourself the best chance of being able to write
2 good essays.
Limiting yourself to only 2 topic areas would not allow you to
do this
I would suggest revising more broadly:
Mixture across the 3 topic areas: theoretical, sectoral/contextual
and practical
This gives you the best chance of being able to answer a
broader range of essay questions and therefore selecting your
best 2.
However, you should also bear in mind the key debates and
themes that cross-cut.
THIS WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN
AVERAGE ANSWER AND A DISTINCTION ANSWER
Exam 2018: Topics
Rhetoric and reality gap
Unitarism
High involvement work systems
Bundles of practices
Performance related pay
360 degree feedback
Appraisal systems
Talent management
Discrimination cases
Best practice
Feminised labour market
Family friendly policies
Learning organisation

13. Employee voice
Flexible working
Pluralist
Worklife balance
Multi-national companies
Platform working
Collective disputes
Role of corporate strategy
Ethnic diversity
Best fit
Ageing workforce
Role of trade unions
Regulation and law
Radical
Career management
Cultural performance
Front line service work
Human resource function
Some possible ideas of topics/subjects
Theoretical
Contextual
Practical
Which belongs where?
PART A. OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS. EACH QUESTION IS
WORTH ONE (1) POINT.
TRUE OR FALSE. PLACE A “T” (FOR TRUE) ON THE LINE
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE QUESTION NUMBER IF
THE STATEMENT IS TRUE; PLACE AN “F” (FOR FALSE)

14. ON THE LINE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE
QUESTION NUMBER IF THE STATEMENT IS FALSE. ALSO,
IF THE QUESTION IS FALSE, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY.
1. _____ A sole proprietor must file a certificate
indicating that he or she is commencing operations and pay a
single organizational fee.
IF FALSE, EXPLAIN:
2. _____ A sole proprietorship must pay, at the
corporate income tax rate, income taxes based on the net
earnings of the sole proprietorship.
IF FALSE, EXPLAIN:
3. _____ A partnership is not dissolved by the death
of a partner.
IF FALSE, EXPLAIN:
4. _____ A corporation must have at least two
shareholders.
IF FALSE, EXPLAIN:
5. _____ The death of a majority shareholder
terminates a corporate enterprise.
IF FALSE, EXPLAIN:
6. _____ Most courts hold that joint ventures are not
subject to the same principles of law as partnerships.

15. IF FALSE, EXPLAIN:
MULTIPLE CHOICE. PLACE THE LETTER THAT
CORRESPONDS TO THE CORRECT ANSWER ON THE LINE
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE QUESTION NUMBER.
7. _____ The principal forms of business organization
are:
a.
sole proprietorships, joint ventures, and corporations.
b.
unincorporated associations, partnerships, and corporations.
c.
sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporation’s
d.
unincorporated associations, limited partnerships, and
corporations.
8. _____ A sole proprietorship is taxed:
a.
only on a personal and a corporate level.
b.
only on the corporate level.
c.
on a personal.
d.
none of the above.
9. _____ A major disadvantage of the sole
proprietorship is:
a.
no organizational fees.

16. b.
the sole proprietor obtains all of the profits.
c.
the sole proprietor is personally liable for the debts of the sole
proprietorship.
d.
the sole proprietor is free to make all business decisions
concerning operation of the sole proprietorship.
10. _____ A limited liability partnership:
a.
is taxed like a corporation.
b.
provides limited liability for all partners.
c.
shields innocent partners from personal liability beyond their
investment.
d.
All of the above.
PART B. SHORT RESPONSE. EACH QUESTION IS WORTH
TWO (2) POINTS.
11. What are the principal forms of business organizations?
(60 to 100 words, you can write more if you want)
12. What are the specialized forms of business organizations?
(60 to 100 words, you can write more if you want)

17. PART C. CASE STUDIES. EACH QUESTION IS WORTH
FIVE (5) POINTS.
13. Sally Gomez is interested in starting a new business. Gomez
has developed her business plan and is ready to implement her
ideas. However, Gomez lacks the necessary finances to begin
her new business. Along with a lack of finances, Gomez worries
about the potential liability
involved with starting a new business. Gomez would hate to
lose all that she has personally accumulated to date in the event
of a successful lawsuit against her. She is considering a sole
proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation as the organizing
structure of her new venture. Which type of business would best
serve Gomez's needs at this given time? (200 words minimum).
14. Arnold was the sole shareholder, president, and CEO of
Algernon Enterprises, Inc. Acting on behalf of Algernon,
Arnold negotiated the purchase on credit of inventory from
Amax. The contract was signed in the name of Algernon
Enterprises. Algernon never paid the sums due on the contract,
and Arnold and the corporation were sued. What is the liability
of Arnold? (200 words minimum).