College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies

School of Management and Information Systems

Department Of Management, IR & OHS

HRM703 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

Final Examination: Trimester III, 2015

QUESTION PAPER

This examination constitutes 50% of total assessment of this unit and students must score
40/100 in this examination in order to pass this unit.

Instructions
1. Time Allowed: 3 HOURS with additional 10 MINUTES reading time.
2. All answers are to be written in the Answer Booklet provided.
3. Write your ID Number on ALL pages of your Answer Booklet and any extra sheets that
you use.
4. This is a closed book examination. You are not permitted to access any books, notes or
other forms of written or electronic materials.
5. Attach the extra sheets securely at appropriate place before handing-in the Answer
Booklet to the supervisor.

Sections Question Marks

Section A: Short Essays 7 Questions. Select only FIVE 40

5 Questions. All questions are
Section B: Case Study 30
compulsory
Section C: Essays 3 Questions. Select only TWO 30

TOTAL/WEIGHT 100/50%

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SECTION A: SHORT ESSAYS [40 MARKS]

There are 7 questions. You are to choose 5 questions ONLY. Each question is worth 8 marks.

1. For an organization to achieve its human resource objectives, selection decisions must
conform to corporate policy. Demonstrate your understanding.

2. Critically analyse the manager or supervisors role in performance appraisal and the
importance of goal setting in performance improvement.

3. Provide your understanding of the importance of managing diversity against the

strategic objectives of HRM.

4. Provide two key cross cultural-issues faced by international managers.

5. Carry out an analysis the four factors that are important to successful career
development and growth.

6. Demonstrate your understanding of the two processes of career planning and

development.

7. Critically analyze Quality of Work life and its importance to HRM.

SECTION B: CASE STUDY 30 MARKS

Read the case study below and answer ALL the FIVE questions that follow. Marks allocations
are at the end of each question.

Case: The new HR Director

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Pacific International Ltd. is a major property development and
investment company with operations in most of the major Pacific Rim countries. Although only
10-years-old, Pacific International has expanded rapidly, primarily by acquiring under-
performing companies in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

The company was seen as a local Hong Kong company until recently but, with funds generated
by profits made in the Hong Kong property boom, Pacific International has just taken over its
first non-Chinese management company-Sunshine Consolidated Ltd.

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A major Australian hotel and resort company, Sunshine Consolidated Ltd fell into financial
difficulties when it expanded too rapidly. Like Pacific International it is young and dynamic but
lacking in people with significant international management experience. Although happy to see
Pacific International as the new owners, many senior Sunshine personnel are keen to retain the
Australian identity of the company.

Unfortunately, Pacific Internationals senior finance officer, Wallace Li has already had a heated
argument with the Australian General Manager, James Walker. Walker, although a highly
qualified and experienced manager, is regarded as aggressive and direct. Li is very competent but
can be overly status conscious and rigid. Regardless, both are excellent managers and Pacific
International cannot afford to lose either of them.

The argument arose when Li visited Sydney to finalise the financial arrangements of the
takeover. He demanded to meet Walker at his hotel. Walker was angered by the written note,
telephoning Li and telling him that if he wanted a meeting, he could bloody well get on the
telephone and ask for one. Walker further made it clear that if this arrogant attitude was typical
of the Pacific Internationals management, he would quit. Li in turn was shocked and angered by
Walkers outburst and felt that Walker should have shown more respect to a senior manager of a
parent company. Li has s since refused to deal with Walker directly.

Thomas Wang, Pacific Internationals Managing Director, is worried about future problems
because both the Australian and Hong Kong operations have strong corporate cultures. His
vision is for the Pacific International to become a global company with the best people
irrespective of nationality holding the top jobs.

However, he has not had a lot of experience working with Australians and still feels most
comfortable with family members and close friends whom he knows and can trust. He especially
would like his son Francis Wong Ting Li to succeed him someday as managing Director.

The problem at the moment is how to change peoples attitudes. Many of the pacific
Internationals managers see the Hong Kong operations as the most important and themselves as
superior to their Australian counterparts.

Sunshine Consolidated management, in turn, has expressed concern that all the senior managers
in Hong Kong are Chinese. The Australians are now pushing for some Sunshine Consolidated
managers to be appointed to Head Office to make the top management more international/

As part of the process of trying to bring people together to develop a new corporate culture, Mr.
Wong has decided to appoint a Human Resources Director.

Source: Human Resource Management, 3rd ed., Raymond Stone

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Questions

1. You are the new HR Director. Demonstrate how you would help Mr Wong achieve his
vision.
(5 marks)

2. Analyse how strategic HR planning can help in this case. (5 marks)

3. Provide an explanation on the differences between corporate culture and national culture and
the impact on each other? (5 marks)

4. Demonstrate your understanding on the implications for the two organisations, the HR
management, and for the HR Director personally following this merger. (5 marks)

5. Create a strategic recruitment plan, including the major recruitment methods, and their
advantages and disadvantages of these methods. You may make assumptions on the number of
staff, levels and strategy. (10 marks)

SECTION C ESSAYS [30 MARKS]

There are three questions of which you are to attempt only TWO. Each essay is worth 15 marks

1. Performance appraisal is a dynamic process with the emphasis on self-development, the

establishment of performance standards and the giving and receiving feedback.
Critically analyze this statement.

2. Accelerating rates of change and global competition have meant that Human Resource
Development has become an important organisational and national issue. Demonstrate
your understanding with relevant examples.

3. Without a systematic approach to remuneration, an organisation will have difficulty

monitoring cost-effectiveness, legal compliance, pay equity, the relationship between pay
and performance, and whether its remuneration programme supports its business strategy.
Provide your understanding of this statement.

THE END

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