Scenario
You have just been hired as an HR manager of a multinational corporation that manufactures sports apparel. This firm has never had an HR department. It has experienced steady growth during the last few years and it recently became a public limited company. Its workforce is comprised of 500 employees and 20 managers. The organizational structure involves the division of work according to different departmental functions such as Production, R&D, Marketing, Finance, and HRM. Due to its growth, members of the Board of Directors had placed pressure on top management to hire an HR manager a position that you have been selected to fill.
As the new HR manager your first goal is to convince top management of the need to make you, the HR manager, a strategic partner. You have decided to prepare a report which comprises the assignment for this course/module. (Your report should reflect confident, detailed, comprehensive knowledge of the HR discipline. Where appropriate it should also display evidence of originality and innovation).
In your report, you are required to:
1. Critically examine the role of strategic HR management with respect to organizational performance, citing empirical evidence and specific organizations' success stories. You should explicitly define 'strategic human resource management' and distinguish between different types of HR strategies and how they can and should align with competitive business strategies.
2. Present a detailed, comprehensive plan of how you will specifically address each core HR function (e.g. work design, job analysis, recruitment, selection, retention, separation, performance management, training, development, compensation, legal requirements, and employee relations) to create a high performance work system (HPWS).
3. Present your evaluation of the challenges and opportunities involved with respect to diversity, e-HRM and managing human resources internationally, and explain how you plan to help the firm to practically prepare for these challenges and opportunities.
4. Demonstrate (within the report) a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the importance of relevant legal issues related to HR management and organizational performance.
The report in essence should reflect your personal vision as to what HRM issues are important and need to be identified and properly addressed.