Management Report – Guidance NOTE PDF

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INTRODUCTION TO HRM ASSIGNMENT: MANAGEMENT REPORT – GUIDANCE NOTE 1. Introduction. This note provides guidance for your IHRM assignment. The assignment takes the form of a Management Report, a form widely used in many organisations and by the CIPD. It outlines key features of a typical Management Report and considers areas that some students need to pay attention to.

2. What is a Management Report? It is a report that analyses a specific issue and, generally, proposes an organisation to pursue a particular course of action or adopt a particular policy. There are five options for this assignment (see the Module Study Guide or the slides of week 7 Seminar or Appendix A for the full titles). Choose one. The subject areas are:

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The Gender Pay Gap

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The Minimum/Living Wage

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Talent Management

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Employee Engagement

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Zero-Hour Contracts

A good report is an ‘applied’ piece of work (i.e. it has a potential impact on the real world) that blends theory (where applicable), relevant literature and organisational practice.

The assignment develops your research skills, analytical abilities and writing skills as well as developing tools that are the basis of sound professional practice.

Remember that it is 1800 words long (and needs to be submitted on Turnitin by 23.59pm in week ending 14), so you need to write concisely.

Exact date and time will be announced on BB

3. The process of preparing a Management Report. a) Choose a topic. Choose the one you find most interesting.

b) Abstract. You may want to do this at the end but prepare an ‘abstract’ – this is a summary of your report. This should be c.50 words long.

c) Choose an organisation relevant to the topic working in UK (discuss with your tutors if you need help). As this is an introductory module, the level of organisational investigation sought is modest. But you should find out how many workers it employs, its turnover and its profitability (if relevant) and have some sense of the key issues affecting it. A brief profile of organisation could be one of your early paragraphs.

d) Investigate the literature on the topic. This is the most important section: the bulk of the report will be in part. USE THE READING LISTS ON BLACKBOARD to guide your research. You should demonstrate your knowledge of the current literature and key issues in your chosen area. Use ProQuest or Emerald – not Google or Google Scholar to develop your research. Ask the Sarah Simpson, the business school librarian for help if you need it.

e) Consider HR practice in this area. Use the practitioner and government sources These include: ACAS, the CIPD (their factsheets are especially useful), the TUC, the ILO, the OECD, House of Commons Library Research Papers, various House of Commons Select Committees, the Equality and Human Right Commission and the Low Pay Commission.

f) Conclusions & Recommendations. The latter should have a sense of:

1) Rationale. Why are you making this recommendation? 2) Time scale. When and over what time period is it being introduced? Try to ensure it is realistic.

3) Costings. Some idea of potential cost of your recommendations (at this level this need only be a very broad approximation) 4) Prioritisation. Some sense of what recommendations are most important or easiest to introduce (i.e. of priorities). Ranking them in order of importance is one approach.

You may want to express recommendations in a landscape format. An example of a landscape format is in week 7 seminar slides – you may want to use or adapt this as the basis of yours.

4. Key Issues. Use evidence or cite sources to support your claims. Weaker assignments tend to make assertions or claims, often rather wide-ranging ones, without supporting evidence. Conversely, stronger assignments make clear the basis of any claims made. The source of any claims e.g. ‘Tesco is Britain’s most profitable supermarket’ or ‘IKEA operates in 49 countries’ should be identified.

Journalism. Sources like the Daily Mail, Sun or Daily Mirror are not to be used (they lack rigour and accuracy) and journalism should be used sparingly as icing on the cake and not the cake itself.

Use Harvard referencing. The library provides detailed guidance. Use Reworks if in doubt.

US material – use with care. If you are using American examples or laws e.g. the Civil Rights Act 1964 explain why you are doing so. Failure to do so leaves the impression that you have carelessly used material from the internet and/or you do not recognise important differences between the UK and the US.

Proofread (and/or get someone to do so). Many assignments are marred by minor errors and an easily rectifiable lack of clarity. Proof reading will reduce this.

Wikipedia. While this is a very useful source, it is also one that is beset with errors. It is not an appropriate reference for academic work.

5. Feedback on drafts •

In the classes with your Seminar Tutor ONLY in teaching week 13.

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One to One feedback in 5-minute slots.

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Five-minute slots can be booked in the classes beginning of the week 11.

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If you are unable to attend seminar class in week 13 for any reason send a draft copy to your Seminar Tutor only via email.

Appendix A Choose ONE topic from the list below. Identify your choice at the front of your management report. 1) Prepare a Management Report on the gender pay gap. Apply this to a relevant organisation that operates in the UK. Your report should outline the aim(s), legal regulation (if relevant), and costs and benefits for that organisation in dealing with this issue. Your report should also briefly outline the timescale, cost, and prioritisation of any recommendations. 2) 3) Prepare a Management Report on the minimum wage and ‘living’ wage. Apply this to a relevant organisation that operates in the UK. Your report should outline the aim(s), legal regulation (if relevant), and costs and benefits for that organisation in dealing with this issue. Your report should also briefly outline the timescale, cost and prioritisation of any recommendations.

4) Prepare a Management Report on Talent Management. Apply this to a relevant organisation that operates in the UK. Your report should outline the aim(s), legal regulation (if relevant), and costs and benefits for that organisation in dealing with this issue. Your report should also briefly outline the timescale, cost and prioritisation of any recommendations.

5) Prepare a Management Report on Employee Engagement. Apply this to a relevant organisation that operates in the UK. Your report should outline the aim(s), legal regulation (if relevant), and costs and benefits for that organisation in dealing with this issue. Your report should also briefly outline the timescale, cost and prioritisation of any recommendations

6) Prepare a Management Report on Zero Hour Contracts. Apply this to a relevant organisation that operates in the UK. Your report should outline the aim(s), legal regulation (if relevant), and costs and benefits for that organisation in dealing with this issue. Your report should also briefly outline the timescale, cost, and prioritisation of any recommendations

Good luck!...