Aim: The aim of this assessment is to enable students to examine and critically analyse one aspect of recruitment and selection in depth, to understand some of the activities that make up scholarly research and to see the way in which knowledge is built gradually.
Topic selection: Students are required to write a literature review based on the scholarly peer-review literature on a single topic within recruitment and selection, choosing one from:
1. Realistic job previews OR
2. The psychological contract.
Due: The review is to be submitted electronically through Turnitin by midnight on the Friday of Week 6 but may be submitted earlier. Because all the information you require is available from the first day of this unit, it is highly unlikely that an extension will be granted to any student for this assignment. Students are strongly advised to commence work on this assignment early in the semester.
Severe penalties: Essays submitted after 72 hours will be awarded 0 marks. There will be a penalty of 20% of the total available marks for each 24 hour period or part thereof (including weekends) that the submission is late. For example, 25 hours late in submission is a 40% penalty. This penalty does not apply when an application for special consideration is made and approved.
Length and presentation: The maximum report length is 1000 words, excluding references. Include the word count at the end of report. Use 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins on top, bottom and each side, Times New Roman font size 12. Do not use colour printing, formatting templates, plastic, fancy or bound covers when submitting your report. Do not include an executive summary, abstract, footnotes or endnotes. Marks will be deducted for violations of these presentation rules.
Turnitin: Essays will be marked electronically. Students must submit an electronic copy of the essay to the university’s plagiarism checking software, Turnitin. Title your document with your surname and student number, e.g., Smith20062007. Turnitin can be found on the subject’s iLearn website under “Assignments”. Note: In the submitted copy to Turnitin, please DO include the reference list. Turnitin currently accepts MS Word(xxx.doc) format. (i.e. not PDF, PowerPoint, etc). For more information see: http://www.turnitin.com/static/training.html and Student Quickstart Guide http://www.turnitin.com/resources/documentation/turnitin/training/tii_student_qs.pdf. Turnitin will check your assignment against over a billion internet articles, academic articles and previously submitted assignments in order to identify cases which should be checked for plagiarism. Note that the penalties for plagiarism can be severe and a case of plagiarism which is detected by other means will still be brought, even if the Turnitin program fails to detect it. You must ensure that you submit only your own work, with all sources properly acknowledged.
Writing style: The literature review should be written in formal academic narrative style. The review will be evaluated for discriminatory language, clarity of expression and overall presentation including grammar, spelling and punctuation. Do not use bullet points, casual language (or bracketed comments). Use headings and subheadings sparingly. Reports must be fully and appropriately referenced using a formal academic style. APA is my preferred style but you may also use Harvard. You must name your referencing style at the top of your “references” section. Substantial marks will be deducted for inadequate or incorrect referencing.
Feedback and marking criteria
Marks and feedback, using the guide towards the end of this assessment outline, will be given. The marking criteria are:
1. Quality of the research i.e., relevance of your references as they relate to the topic
2. Quantity of the research - was there evidence of a review of enough literature?
3. How clearly the review identified the major themes and issues in the literature
4. The report’s critical analysis of the literature
5. The overall structure and logical development of the review
6. Citations and referencing
7. Writing clarity and grammar
8. Presentation
9. Tertiary standard: Is there a high standard of research, analysis and writing?
Literature review support
1. There is a discussion board for assignments. If you are having problems, please check that discussion board to see if others can help you.
2. Remember, almost every journal article you read for this assignment will serve as a guide or model for this assignment. Almost every journal article (on the planet!) starts with a literature review. Notice what you are reading - and how it is written - to help you with your own writing.
Literature review hints
Some additional guidelines on preparing your literature review:
1. You need to research the topic. This means searching the library databases for relevant peer reviewed literature, perhaps across a few databases and certainly across a variety of journals.
2. Please note there is no room for textbooks, newspapers, popular press (e.g., Business Review Weekly, HR Monthly), web-based or other external (non-refereed) material in this scholarly literature review. Research books may be used but are rarely available online at this time.
3. There will be many journal papers on most topics and you will need to make judgements on what is relevant to your topic. You may need to narrow the scope of your chosen topic. Given the word limit, students will need to use their problem solving skills to determine which papers to include.
4. Students need to then review the most relevant literature. Look at which researchers have conducted what studies, on what populations or samples, under what conditions, using what methods, in what contexts and so on. Note that your review will probably be improved by the use of older studies that provided a foundation for later studies as well as more recent studies. See which authors are consistently cited by others - those cited most often are usually the most important scholars in this area.
5. The better submissions will be critical in their analysis. Be ready to be impressed with the level of detail reported but also be prepared to be critical – in a scientific way – of some studies you read.
6. Do not be concerned by any statistics you do not follow – they are not at issue in this assessment. You are not expected to be able to comment on the data, statistics or analyses.
7. Determine to what level of detail which papers will be included in your final submission. Your communication skills will be tested as you try different ways of expressing important ideas within the word count. A sentence that took 25 words the first time may also be clearly articulated in 12 or 18 words if you allow time for revisions.
8. As a guide, a minimum of eight references are required. A better literature review will probably NOT include every reference that a student has come across. Be prepared to not use some papers that are not appropriate for your paper.
9. Some students have trouble working out the “topic” for a literature review. If you do not want to follow a particular line of literature that emerges from your search, you could focus your literature review around a question such as:
o What is the current state of research on Topic X?
o What do we know about Topic X?
o What do we need to know about Topic X?
o What research has been done on Topic X?
o What are the main themes in Topic X research?
o One aspect of Topic X that has been researched extensively is Sub-topic Z…
o Three main research areas within Topic X are Y, Z and B…
o And so on…
General standards applied to this assessment
High Distinction 85-100%: The student demonstrates the competencies in Distinction standard and in addition demonstrates:
• Insightful and comprehensive identification and discussion of key scholarly literature concerning the specialist topic. Advanced understanding of the relevant theory leading to defensible generalisations.
• Demonstrates capacity to use new insights to critically appraise literature, ideas and arguments, draws well-supported conclusions, and applies relevant theory.
• Uses creative examples, possible extensions, and applications of theory.
• The work has been written, referenced and presented to an exemplary, publishable, academic standard, and presents a compelling and effective argument/discussion.
Distinction, 75-84%: The student demonstrates the competencies in Credit standard and in addition:
• Demonstrates selectivity and uses judgement in determining the importance of readings and ideas. Develops a progressive, convincing, and clear argument throughout the work.
• Shows evidence of wide reading and synthesis of ideas.
• Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the relevant theory.
• Demonstrates capacity to evaluate and critically appraise literature, ideas and arguments, draws appropriate conclusions and apply relevant theory.
• The work has been written and presented to a high academic standard, and presents a coherent argument.
Credit, 65-74%: The student demonstrates the competencies in Pass standard and in addition:
• Demonstrates the understanding of key HR concepts, theories, and issues. Key literature identified and discussed. Demonstrates a sound understanding of relevant theory.
• Demonstrates a sound capacity to appraise literature, ideas and arguments, to draw limited conclusions and apply relevant theory.
• May sometimes lapse into description rather than providing analysis and evaluation.
• Provides a satisfactorily structured, sourced, and referenced work which is clearly written and grammatically accurate in terms of spelling. Some significant improvements needed to meet a standard suitable for publication. Argument/discussion credible.
Pass, 50-64%: The student demonstrates the following
• Most of the key concepts, theories, and issues in the specialist topic are identified and discussed. Conveys a basic understanding of the relevant theory.
• The work demonstrates a limited capacity to appraise literature, ideas and arguments, draw appropriate conclusions and apply relevant theory.
• The work provides little or no evidence of critical analysis and may simply restate or describe. The work is not synthesises or integrated and lacks depth of analysis.
• Relies extensively on text, or limited readings providing little evidence of research. May demonstrate a narrow focus.
• The work is presented with sufficient coherence and clarity fir the reader to understand the ideas and arguments being proposed. Improvements to writing such as structure, grammar and referencing are required to meet academic writing standards. Argument/discussion has some flaws.
Fail, 0-44%: The student may demonstrate some or all of the following;
• Has not identified key scholarly literature concerning the specialist topic. Conveys little evidence of understanding of relevant theory.
• The work conveys little evidence of the capacity to appraise literature, ideas, and arguments, to draw appropriate conclusions and apply relevant theory.
• Demonstrates a failure to identify the issues.
• Demonstrates a failure to answer the question or misinterprets the question.
• Does not provide evidence of the minimum scholarly reading requirements.
• The work demonstrates little understanding or appreciation of standards required for academic writing. Improvements in terms of clarity, grammar, spelling, quotations, referencing or presentation are required to achieve an acceptable standard.
• Assessment not handed in on time.
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