Strategic Human Resource Management

Scenario

You are employed as a Human Resources Consultant within your organisation. The Managing Director asked you to help in formulating a strategic human resource plan for the company.

You are required to submit a report with your recommendation to Senior Partners together with a presentation outlining Task 3.

Task 1:

Understand how the strategic management of human resources contributes to the achievement of organisational objectives.

AC 1.1Explain the importance of Strategic Human Resource Management in organisatons.

AC 1.2 Assess the purpose of strategic human resource management activities in an organisation

AC 1.3 Evaluate the contribution of strategic human resource management to the achievement of an organisations objectives

Task 2:

Be able to develop human resource plans for an organisation.

AC 2.1 Analyse the business factors that underpin human resource planning in an organisation AC 2.2 Assess the human resource requirements in a given situation

AC 2.3 Develop a human resources plan for an organisation

Task 3:

Understand human resources policy requirements in an organisation.

Group Presentation/Case Study in teams of 5 pax. Task 3 you are to prepare a group presentation on the 2 points below, case study will be handed out during the beginning of the class and groups confirmed then.

Your team should prepare power point slides, short report outlining your understanding of HR policy requirements in an organisation. All images, video, pictures your using during your presentation must have referencing.

The Presentation will be 20-25 mins per group.

AC 3.1 Explain the purpose of human resource management policies in your organisation

AC 3.2 Analyse the impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in your organisation

Task 3:

Understand human resources policy requirements in an organisation.

Group Presentation/Case Study in teams of 5 pax. Task 3 you are to prepare a group presentation on the 2 points below, case study will be handed out during the beginning of the class and groups confirmed then.

Your team should prepare power point slides, short report outlining your understanding of HR policy requirements in an organisation. All images, video, pictures your using during your presentation must have referencing.

The Presentation will be 20-25 mins per group.

AC 3.1 Explain the purpose of human resource management policies in your organisation

AC 3.2 Analyse the impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in your organisation

AC 4.2 Analyse the impact of an organisational culture on the management of human resources

AC 4.3 Examine how the effectiveness of human resource management is monitored in an organisation.

AC 4.4 Make justified recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources management in an organisation.

Assessment

For AC1.1, learners need to explain the importance of strategic human resource management and the need for adopting both a medium- and long-term perspective in respect of human resource management.

For AC 1.2 and 1.3, learners need to assess the purpose of strategic human resources management and evaluate how it contributes to organisational objectives. The link between corporate strategy and human resource management strategy needs to be made clear to show their interrelationship and how the human resource management strategy supports and contributes to organisational purposes.

For AC 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3, a review or case study can be used to examine the importance of strategic human resource management and its role in supporting wider organisational objectives.

For AC2.1, learners need to analyse the business factors that dictate the need to plan human resources by looking internally at the organisation's requirements, as well as considering the influence of external environmental factors.

For AC2.2, learners need to assess the human resource requirements for a specific organisation in a specific situation. Learners can use their own organisation if appropriate.

For AC 2.3 and 2.4, learners need to develop a human resources plan building on the results of the work completed for AC2.2. The plan needs to be formulated using SMART (specific, achievable, measurable, realistic, and time-based) targets. The plan needs to be critically evaluated to show how it can contribute to the achievement of organisational objectives. For AC 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3, evidence needs to be a structured human resources plan.

For AC 3.1 and 3.2, learners need to explain the purpose of human resource management policies in organisations, showing how they comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Organisational policies should be accessible and the implications and impact of the policies on managing the human resource need to drawn out through analysis. The assignment used for AC 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 could be extended to cover AC 3.1 and 3.2.

For AC 4.1 and 4.2, learners need to analyse the impact of organisational structure and culture on human resource management. Structure and culture need to be defined.

For AC4.3, learners need to examine the monitoring of human resource management in relation to contributing to organisational goals. Learners need to identify performance indicators that might be used and how the effectiveness of human resource management can be judged against these indicators.

For AC4.4, learners need to use their work from AC4.3 to recommend improvements to human resource management, supported with justifications based on an analysis of a specific organisation in a specific situation.

For AC 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, evidence can be in the form of a report that results from a review of the impact of structure and culture on human resource management, and from an examination of the effectiveness of human resource management, together with recommendations for improving it.

Textbooks

- Armstrong M - Strategic Human resource Management: A Guide to Action, 4th Edition (Kogan Page, 2008) ISBN 0749453753

- Holbeche L - Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy, 2nd Edition (Butterworth- Heinemann, 2008) ISBN 0750680172

- Saunders M, Millmore M, Lewis P, Thornhill A and Morrow T - Strategic Human Resource Management: Contemporary Issues (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2007) ISBN 027368163X

- Armstrong M - A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (Kogan Press, 2003) ISBN: 0749441054

- Beardwell I and Holden L - Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach (Prentice Hall, 2003) ISBN: 0273679112

- Belbin M - Team Roles at Work (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996) ISBN: 0750626755

- Bratton J and Gold J - Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice (Palgrave- Macmillan, 2003) ISBN: 0333993268

- Mullins L - Management and Organisational Behaviour (Prentice Hall, 2004) ISBN: 0273688766

Journals/newspapers

- Management Today (Haymarket Business Media)

- People Management (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development)

- Professional Manager (Chartered Management Institute)

- The Economist (The Economist Newspaper Ltd) has articles on human resource

- Related topics from time to time.