RECENT ASSIGNMENT

Coursework Information Sheet
To be supplied to students when they receive the coursework assignment task
Unit Co-ordinator: Pauline Loewenberger
Unit Name: Leading People in Organisations
Unit Code: SHR601-6
Title of Coursework: Written Report
(ST Top 100 Best Companies to work for 2015)
50% weighting of final unit grade
Feedback details
The university policy is that you will receive prompt feedback on your work within 15 working days of the submission date. Exceptionally where this is not achievable (for example due to staff sickness) you will be notified as soon as possible of the revised date and the reasons behind the change.
Submission Date: 17th April 2015
Feedback Date: 8th May 2015
Details of how to access the feedback: Turnitin
You are permitted only a single submission. Please make sure that you submit the correct document as mistakes cannot be rectified.

Leading People in Organisations (SHR601-6) 2014/15
Referral Assignment 1: Case Study Analysis
The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For
Unit Aims:
1. The aim of the unit is to enable you to understand and critically assess a range of behavioural science models, choosing from among them in a flexible way to fit organisational demands in any given situation.
2. Initially the micro aspects of human behaviour are studied – intrapersonal, interpersonal, groups and teams, leadership and human resource management.
3. You need to demonstrate a critical awareness of current factors affecting leading people in organisations and to demonstrate how effective policies and practices can add value to the business’ strategic goals.
Learning Outcomes:
Core Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit you should be able to: Assessment Criteria
To achieve the learning outcome you must demonstrate the ability to:
1 Synthesise and critique the knowledge and understanding relating to people management theory and practice in modern work organisations. Analyse given workplace scenarios relating to the best practice model for effective people management within the fit for the organisation.
Diagnose and identify appropriate solutions to any issues or problems that will limit optimum work performance or affect the application and development of capability
3 Select, periodically review, and if necessary adjust your personal stance and style towards leadership , using appropriate reflective analysis techniques
Contribute to facilitated discussions relating to interpersonal processes, including leadership and team behaviour, identify, assess and critically reflect on ways that such processes can be constructively assessed, managed and resolved
4
Critically analyse and evaluate an organisation’s performance management systems and provide a reasoned argument for its improvement as required
Audit and review an organisation’s performance management system and provide an action plan for improvement using best practice benchmarks and models of excellence. Costings and other resource issues must be integrated in this audit.
5 Understand the relevance and importance of critical analysis for your own personal development. You will understand the models of learning and change and how these relate to effective self-development. Critically reflect on your personal value and beliefs systems and identify any issues relating to limiting beliefs and the behavioural flexibility necessary for growth within a modern organisation.
Please refer to the detailed Assessment Evaluation Criteria

Scenario:
Over the past 10 years the Sunday Times has been publishing a survey of the Best Companies to Work For. This survey is based upon employees’ perceptions of their own workplace and the policies and processes of the employers using the categories below. The survey reveals that if employees are ‘happy’ in these areas they are more likely to perform effectively and to make a greater contribution to the business.
Category key:
Leadership: How employees feel about the head of the company and its senior managers
Wellbeing: How staff feel about the stress, pressure and the balance between their work and home duties
Giving something back: How much companies are thought by their staff to put back into society generally and the local community
Personal growth: To what extent staff feel they are stretched and challenged by their job
My manager: How staff feel towards their immediate boss and day-to-day managers
My company: Feelings about the company people work for as opposed to the people they work with
My team: How staff feel about their immediate colleagues
Fair deal: How happy the workforce is with their pay and benefits
http://features.thesundaytimes.co.uk/public/best100companies/live/template
The survey includes organisations across all sectors and sizes. Your task is to choose one of the companies NEW to the 2015 listings of The Sunday Times ‘Best Companies to Work For’. This will be your scenario to undertake a critical analysis of the extent to which the approach of your chosen organisation is supported by influential contributors and theories studied in this unit and to consider how the company might improve further.
Key Tasks:
• For your chosen company the first task will be to obtain from the listings the rankings for each of the eight categories given above plus the overall ranking. You will need to present this as a table in your report.
• You will then need to interpret these rankings. What is the company good at? What is the company not so good at? This will provide you with the necessary focus for your analysis.
• You will then need to consider which of the topics we have studied so far in this unit are relevant to the category/categories identified as in need of further analysis.
• You will then need to investigate the literature surrounding high performance working with reference to one topic from the following studied to date in Leading People in Organisations:
o Individual differences and diversity
o Teams and groups
o Motivation
o Leadership
o Human Resource Management
• You will need to identify appropriate theories within the topic and critically evaluate two theories in the context of your chosen company.
• You will need to apply the theories to the company and undertake an in-depth analysis of the implications in this context.
• You will need to make clear recommendations to the company to improve effectiveness and add value, including a consideration of the cost-effectiveness of your recommendations if necessary.
Your research exercise should culminate in a professional individual report of no more than 1500 words reporting your findings.
Assignment Guidance
Section / Title Details / Guidance
Title page Title of your report. Address (to/from) and date the report.
Executive Summary 150 word maximum summary of your report, including key recommendations.
Contents Page Include page numbers.
Introduction Short (approximately 250 words) introduction to the report setting out what the aims and objectives of the report are, what the report will cover and why. You should also seek to explain why HPW is such a ‘hot topic’ in HR.
Analysis Using third party sources (e.g. academic literature or practitioner-orientated material) for support, analyse the theoretical concept underpinning high performance working. What it is, to what extent is it thought to work or not and why it benefits (or not) an organisation. You should make reference to any relevant models, and frameworks and include critical viewpoints. (Approximately 700 words)
Conclusions This section should initially answer the report aim and objectives and draw together the main points from your analysis of literature. It summarises what has been learned from undertaking this research. It should also begin to weigh up the options available to the organisation and what would impede implementation and based upon option evaluation, begin to identify the way forward. No new information should be presented in the conclusions. (Approximately 200 words)
Recommendations Make recommendations for improvement based upon your conclusions, clearly stating how they can add value to the organisation. Recommendations should be fully feasible and justified stating clearly costs, priority level, time-scale, resources, who is responsible, benefits and any further implications to the organisation. Your proposals should be actionable (‘immediately implementable’) not just a list of ideas. You can use a table to help structure your action plan.
The recommendations for action should be linked to creating and sustaining high performance, or to enhancing the existing level. In other words, your recommendations should cover conceivable contingencies for leading people in organisations. (Approximately 200 words)
Reference List A list of all sources cited directly in the text. Harvard style
Bibliography List The sources you consulted but which you do not cite.