UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND

SUNDERLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT

Module Code Module Title : : HRM 325 Strategic Management of Human Resources

Submission Date : 14th ul! 2""#

$%STR&CT$'%S:

Answers should be word processed .The University policy on referencing (Harvard) should be fully implemented . Students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of the designated odule information including the wider designated reading from the related text. !redit will be given for the use of relevant case examples in "art #. Students are reminded that $evel three wor% re&uires a critical perspective to be adopted. 't is not sufficient to adopt a descriptive account alone. Answers should consider alternative viewpoints and problematic aspects of managing human resources. Answers that offer an ideali(ed version of what should happen are unli%ely to attract high mar%s and are more li%ely to fail.

THE UNIVERSITYS REGULATIONS CONCERNING CHEATING, COLLUSION AND PLAGIARISM APPLY TO THIS

ASSIGNMENT.

Case Stud! ( Com)ulsor! *art + ,uestion 1

M+TCH$%- H&M+% R.S'&RC. *R+CT$C.S T' C'M*.T$T$/. STR+T.-$.S 'n this exercise you are an H) consultant advising three companies in the development of their H) strategies. The %ey re&uirement is that in each case you recommend an approach to managing human resources which is appropriate to the particular competitive strategy that the firm is pursuing. !onsider the following brief descriptions of the business strategies of each company* all of which ma%e office furniture. Benchill and Sons 0enchill ma1e a narro2 range of basic office furniture + des%s* chairs* cabinets and the li%e. Their approach is to manufacture and sell their )roducts as chea)l! as )ossible and to %eep profits high by selling in high volume. #enchill don,t pretend that their furniture is better than their rivals (it most certainly isn,t* though it - usually - meets a certain basic standard). However* by %eeping the price down they can undercut the competition* and as such are a favoured supplier for bul% buyers for whom cost and not &uality is the primary concern. However* other companies also adopt this strategy and this means that there is a constant pressure to %eep costs down in order to remain competitive. .urniture designs are %ept simple* so that there is no great sophistication in the manufacturing process* and the cheapest raw materials are used. /ery little effort is expended on designing new product ranges or improving on existing products. Speke Furnishings Spe%e manufacture a standard range of office furniture and e3ui)ment * and their focus is on the high-&uality end of the mar%et. They are proud of their reputation for the &uality and durability of their products* though they don,t come cheap. Spe%e has become a byword for good-&uality office furniture* well made from the best

materials* with very few defective products and faults reported. !ompanies %now that they can rely on Spe%e,s products and will pay that little bit extra. "roduct &uality is underpinned by high-&uality customer services* prompt delivery and after-sales services. Spe%e focus on what they do well (it has served them well in the past) and don,t spend a great deal of time and effort on designing new products+ they concentrate on improving systems* processes and services to %eep &uality high. They are not the only high-&uality office suppliers around* and competition is tough. Thorntree Office Solutions Thorntree ma1e s)ecialist office e3ui)ment. 0enerally* this e&uipment is manufactured in small &uantities to meet the needs of a particular customer* whose specific re&uirements cannot be met by mass producers such as #enchill and Spe%e. 1ften this involves visiting client,s premises and designing and ma%ing products which solve a particular problem. However* Thorntree are always loo%ing to ma%e things that no one else is ma%ing* or has even thought about. They have had a number of successes over the years with innovative products* which have attracted high-volume sales* simply because no one else was ma%ing them. 2ven though these often ta%e about five years from the initial idea to the first sales - particularly as they usually involve designing new production systems* sourcing new materials* etc - they have more than paid for the investment. 1n the other hand* one or two ideas have failed to ta%e off* although Thorntree are philosophical about this - one great idea will pay for a do(en bad ones. Thorntree are not the onl! s)ecialist and inno4ati4e furniture com)an!5 and it is al2a!s a struggle to sta! ahead of the com)etition6

+c1no2ledgement #en $upton anchester etropolitan University

*art + ( Com)ulsor! ,uestion6 7ou8re re3uired to ans2er all )arts6 The 3uestion is 2orth 4" mar1s6 The 2ord count limit for !our ans2er is 2"""6 ,uestion 1 9a: 1utline briefly what you believe to be the three different com)etiti4e strategies in the organi(ations3 4hat model of SH) would you recommend to each organi(ation3 #riefly 5ustify your recommendations. 1" mar1s ,uestion 19b: 'n the light of &uestion 6(a) consider which human resource practices are li%ely to reinforce the business strategy in at least '%. of the organi(ational scenarios. 7ou are li%ely to present your answer based around the following practices8 )esourcing and recruitment "erformance and Appraisal Training and 9evelopment )eward 2mployee involvement and relations 2" mar1s ,uestion 1 9c: 1utline the main principals for the organisation of the "ersonnel department in your selected organisation in part (b).1" mar1s *art 06 7ou must ans2er T;' 3uestions from *art 06 *art 0 is 2orth #" mar1s6 .ach 3uestion is 2orth 3" mar1s6 7our 2ord limit for *art 0 is 3"""6 ,uestion 2

1utline the main features of a )erformance management s!stem. !ritically e4aluate the relationshi) and contribution of )erformance management s!stems 2ith strategic human resource management )rinci)les6 ,uestion 3 Using case examples* discuss the role that HR )lanning has 2ithin the SHRM frame2or16 ,uestion 4 .m)lo!ment <*artnershi)8 is seen as a way forward to integrate employee relations within the strategic SH) (strategic human resource management) framewor%. using 1utline what is meant by the term :partnership; and discuss the fit with SH) case examples to illustrate your discussion. ,uestion 5 Human resource de4elo)ment 9HRD: strategies are fre&uently seen as critical to lin%ing successful SH) and change. 9iscuss the main features of H)9 strategies and evaluate how they can influence organi(ational change. 7ou should include any relevant limitations of H)9 thin%ing with respect to the &uestion. 7ou should aim to include case e=am)les 2here4er )ossible for each ans2er6

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!hartered 'nstitute of "ersonnel and 9evelopment